dw3 | issue 2
DESCRIPTION
Issue 2 of our Design Wars newsletter, released 1 May 2013, filled with Q&A from our brand new challengers, and fun shorts with our repeating competitors.TRANSCRIPT
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*RHY to render prize pack, photo may not represent actual prize.
It’s not quite time to enter for this superb prize pack just yet, but entering will be as easy as 1, 2, 3! Official updates will only be found in our newsletters, so be sure you subscribe to stay “in the know”.
In this issue >>>
Find out what’s NEW! Short Designer bios Some Q&A! NEW Designer Spotlights! Who’s been WINNING!
Issue
There are quite a few new directions that Design Wars 3 is driving in, and one of the most important ones, I think, is the Daily Giveaway; yes, I literally mean giveaways every single day throughout the duration of Design Wars 3, 40 to be exact!
If you’ve been following us so far, you may have noticed that the Daily Giveaways began with the release of our newsletter, on 24 April, and I want to assure you that they will be going non-stop until the day before our final newsletter for this round (2 June). You can scroll on down to get the Daily Giveaway schedule for this week, and we welcome you to participate daily for maximum prize opportunities or only on the days where a particular giveaway sparks your interest.
The point of our Daily Giveaways is to make interacting with you fun, with no awkward shout-outs, or blathering nonsensical updates, so that you enjoy following our progress and that it’s a rewarding and fun experience for YOU! So, remember, we really enjoy interacting with our fans; we appreciate you, your feedback, your participation, and your support, and we will do our very best to make Design Wars the hottest little stop on your virtual road trips every day! Thank you, and remember to always spread peace, love, happiness, good will and yarn!
You can enter to win!
May 1, 2013
Non-stop fun!
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Jonna Ventura | Frayed Knot I live in Wyandotte Michigan with 2 rambunctious boys and my hubby of almost 10 years. His name is John. Yes, we are John & Jonna...super cute, right?! I absolutely love to design! I actually love to design more than I love to crochet. I have what a lot of others have...crochet ADD! I have to make everything different just to change it up. I love to try new techniques and different stitches. I have swatches of yarn all over the place with random stitch and color combinations.
Design Wars is seriously so much fun and the suspense of everyone's designs are absolutely killing me! I LOVE being a part of this extraordinary community of talent and vision. It's inspiring. Read more about Jonna in this spotlight from DW2, pictured above with her lovely sister, and best friend.
Design Wars: Any fun facts you’d like to share?
Jonna: I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage on July 5th
, my birthday is December 23
rd, and I’m currently renovating my
house!
Get your sunglasses…
Katie Hanken | Design By Katie Hanken I live in Norway with my husband, Øystein and son Oliver. We will soon be joined by our new daughter who will be arriving any day! Crochet design for me is really fun; I love the creative process of realizing a new design idea. I love participating in the Design Wars Challenge because it is so fun getting to know other designers and getting to participate in a creative challenge where we all can shine; each in our own individual way! Read more about Katie in this spotlight from DW2, pictured below with her handsome son.
Design Wars (DW): Can I shamelessly exploit Baby Girl in a daily giveaway post and ask fans to suggest names for her?
Katie Hanken (KH): Well, we haven’t picked a name for her yet…
DW: If you win DW3, how will you celebrate?
KH: I’ll celebrate by giving my very good friend, Salena Baca, round trip tickets to visit me in Norway where we’ll spend lots of time crocheting together, drinking coffee, and watching past seasons of Sex and the City!
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Get your sunglasses…
Tarra Murray | Mamachee My mom named me after the
plantation in Gone with the Wind. Every time I watch that movie, I'm glad
that she didn't name me after Scarlet (not a bad name but she is such a
stink! haha). I crochet and raise 4 children way up in Alaska. I love living
up here. I believe in excessive smiling, working hard, crocheting every
day, trying new things, and failing. I'm thrilled that I get to play with yarn
all the time and so excited to get to participate with the awesome talent
of Design Wars 3! Thank you for being here, and remember to always
spread love and yarn. Read more about Tara in this spotlight from DW2,
pictured above; lovely as a flower in springtime!
Design Wars (DW): Do you really collect forks?
Tarra Murray (TM): I do NOT collect forks, but we do occasionally use them at meal times!
DW: If you had to change careers tomorrow, what would you choose?
TM: I would definitely move to New York City and become a day trader specializing in tangible comities and frozen orange juice!
Carolina Guzman | One & Two Co. I began to crochet when
I was a child. My mother and my grandma taught me and soon it became
my passion. After my daughter's birth I had a "peace period" which
allowed me to discover Etsy (what a great discovery indeed). It allowed
me to share my creativity with a huge community and to have another
reason to move forward developing new projects. People's responses
have been fascinating: to have the possibility to see how my designs go
miles from where I live is incredible and it keeps surprising me! My main
inspiration is my little 4 year old daughter. She is very creative and she
tells me tales and stories full of incredible characters... all the time. Many
of them appear in my projects. I hope to improve more and more, with
new and fun projects, without losing the spirit that inspired me at the
beginning. Read more about Carolina in this spotlight from DW2, pictured
below with her gorgeous little girl.
Design Wars: Why “One & Two Co.”?
Carolina Guzman: It’s simple; 1) I take over the world, 2) I redecorate it with lovely applique designs.
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Get your sunglasses…
Danyel Pink | CrazySocks Designs I currently live and
crochet in my home in Puyallup, WA, USA. I have 3 small children & a
massive case of "Mom Brain". I love flip flops, hoodies, and
sunglasses. When I go yarn shopping, I ALWAYS sniff the yarn. I also
have a serious office supply addiction. I began crocheting to help keep
me busy during the uncomfortable portion of my 2nd pregnancy, and
have been "hooked" ever since. I bet my husband wishes I had taken up
housework instead... Read more about Danyel in this spotlight from
DW2, pictured below, with two of her lovely kids!
Design Wars (DW): Quick! Your house is on fire, what do you grab?
Danyel Pink (DP): My yarn! Oops, I mean my kids…
Salena Baca | Baca Creations I’m serious and sarcastic, I
like to read, cook, think, design, and I absolutely love carbs! I try to
always practice and express patience, peace, happiness, and love,
and I strongly believe in having darn good friends and being
faithful to hobbies that make you happy. You can read more about
me in this spotlight from DW2, pictured above with my crazy little
man boy.
Design Wars (DW): Why Design Wars? What do you hope to accomplish?
Salena Baca (SB): I want to create a community of strong, independent crochet based entrepreneurs who are passionate about their work, with positive mindsets, and a desire to create great, new ideas to share with others of like-mindedness.
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*Sporty Flip Flop Baby Sandals by Two Girls Patterns (below)!
Playin’ Hooky Designs
Deisgn War (DW): What are the best words of wisdom you can provide to
hopeful designers?
Liz McQueen (LM): In the famous words of Dori, “just keep swimming!” (Can you
tell I have young kids?). Sales won’t always good and you’ll hit bumps along
the way, but don’t let that discourage you. One of the most valuable things I
have done is form a connection with other designers and crocheters from all
over the world. They give me support, answer questions, and give invaluable
feedback. The crochet community can be an amazing place to form
friendships and guide you along the way.
DW: If you could meet anyone in the crochet world, who would it be? Why?
LM: I would love to meet Twinkie Chan! We have very different styles, but I love
her bright colors and cheery designs. She always makes me smile!
DW: What is your most recent accomplishment?
LM: I am about to install the biggest yarn bomb I have ever attempted! Last May,
I lost my happy, bright, sassy, and amazing 5 year old daughter, Bryn. It was
very sudden and sent shockwaves through my family. Just days before she
passed away she had her last day of Preschool and she couldn’t stop talking
about going to Kindergarten. She dreamed about the day she would meet
her new teacher, friends, and all the things she would get to do at her new
‘big girl school’. But that day never came. Almost a year later and days
before what would have been her 6th
birthday we will celebrate and
remember her by yarn bombing the fence around the elementary school. A
group of over 300 crocheters from 35 states, 7 Canadian provinces, Puerto
Rico, Germany, Italy, and Australia have joined together to make flowers,
ladybugs, bees and more to make Bryn her very own garden. The crochet
community has shown me and my family an outpouring of love and it
means the world to us. (Continued on next page)
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DW: Other than your own designs, do you have a favorite pattern?
LM: I came across a very cool bag design that I HAVE to try out! I don’t
make many bags, but this one looks like so much fun and you
could probably substitute your favorite granny square pattern too!
It’s called Inga's Häkelbeutel, by Inga Joana Mertens. The original
pattern is in German, but it’s been translated to English. It also has
a photo tutorial that makes it look super simple to follow. I also
love the Sporty Flip Flop Baby Sandals by Two Girls Patterns!
DW: Which would win in a street fight; a sheep, or an alpaca?
LM: Alpacas – They wouldn’t be afraid to fight dirty. Plus they spit!
DW: Do you wear your own crochet goods? Which pieces?
LM: I usually don’t have time to make myself a hat! When I had longer
hair, I wore a Big Waffle Beanie every day. But now that I chopped
my hair off I don’t wear a lot of hats. When I put one on it tends to
look like I don’t have any hair, and the truth is that hat hair is WAY
worse with short hair.
DW: Which of your designs do you feel best represent you as an artist?
LM: I think that has to be the Strata Beanie. I love creating textured
beanies that are easier to make than they look, and that are
versatile enough to be worn by men, women, boys, and girls. I also
like crafting designs that help teach other crocheters new skills and
gently push them out of their comfort zone, where great things
can happen!
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Mad Mad me
Design Wars (DW): Define success; what do you hope to accomplish?
Charissa Ragsdale (CR): At the risk of sounding like an activist, I don’t have
a personal end goal for Mad Mad me, I have a vision that includes a
lot of little people, like me, coming together to create a handmade
revolution. I believe a movement has been stirring and we are, as a
society, ready to overthrow the status quo. I believe we can stand up
and shout over the noise of the mundane, the massed produced, the
monotonous to create something beautiful, something lasting and
something pure to leave as our legacy. It is my hope, that other
creatives see what we are doing and want to become a part of this
movement and build their own cottage industries, working with their
hands and minds to build and teach, to grow and sell. I could go on
about this for quite a while but I’ll spare you the rhetoric, that’s what
I have my own blog for right?
DW: What is your most recent accomplishment?
CR: In keeping with my ‘vision’ of a handmade revolution, and the
promotion of other artists and crafts folk, I’ve pulled together a
group of lovely, talented people that are all working as ambassadors
for the handmade. We banded together, we help promote each
other’s shops and we teach and advise each other on all business
related topics. It’s amazing to see the excitement, the creativity and
the wings sprouting! This group, igniting the fire of creativity and
passion in all of us, is my most recent accomplishment, and it’s not
even mine alone! It belongs to all of the Mad Makers out there:
www.MadMadMakers.com (continue on next page).
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DW: Other than the Design Wars garment, what are you working on?
CR: Granny squares. Grannies are my therapy, I have at least 11 granny
projects going on right now and I don’t even care if I finish any of
them, as long as I can sit and make grannies. Each square is a tiny
project in itself and I get lost in the color combos and enjoy creating
them freehand, no pattern, no plan, just start in the middle and add
and add until I love it.
DW: Do you wear your own crochet goods? Which pieces?
CH: I do!!! I love sportin’ my own gear. There is no better conversation
starter than wearing something that is wildly unique in public. My
favorite time to wear my projects is when I’m out yarn shopping. I
enjoy finding kindred spirits in those magical aisles of fiber!
DW: Which of your designs do you feel best represent you as an artist?
CR: Years ago, thirty-two to be exact, I learned my first crochet stitches, got
busy growing up, and tucked what I learned away into the shadowed
corners of my brain. Years later, I purchased my first brick of polymer
clay, and I became passionate about creating my own canes and
Millefiori designs. Then I got too busy watching my kids grow up, and
tucked that information away into the now cobwebbed corners of my
brain, right there, next to the crochet stitches. Recently, I’ve dusted off
both interests and I’m finding ways to use them together. Being new
to designing I created something very simple and practical, and
embellished it with a bit of clay. It’s not stunning, it’s not even popular,
but I think it’s me through and through. It’s my Mad Hook Organizer.
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40 days of giveaways, oh my…
If you’ve been following along on our fan page I hope you’ve noticed our Daily Giveaways! Design Wars challengers have teamed together to offer great giveaways to our lovely fans every day, but you have to follow and participate to enter!
If you are chosen to win, please quickly contact the shop owner directly to claim your prize; you only have 24 hours to make your claim or the prize for that day is totally void! Here’s the new line up, enjoy!
Who won what, and when
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... Want to be featured in our next issue? We’re looking for:
- Your projects made from past Design Wars patterns, - Questions you have for your favorite Design Wars
Challenger, - Crochet news, announcements, and milestones!
Send your feedback to: [email protected]
DW patterns and yarns in action
Crème de la Crème yarn is probably my favorite cotton line, ever! I loved it so much that while working on my Design Wars project I was also inspired to make this Tenacious tee pattern (child & adult sizes)!
If you have completed a Design Wars Pattern, or used one of our past yarn picks that you would like to share with us, please e-mail your
submission for consideration to: [email protected]
Crystal Bucholz, of Crystalized Designs, shared this lovely picture of the Sarah Slouch that she worked up (Left). This is the winning garment from Design Wars II, pattern by by Frayed Knot (Right).
If you have completed a Design Wars Pattern, or used one of our past yarn picks that you would like to share with us, please e-mail your submission for
consideration to: [email protected]
Amy Davis shared this picture of the Lola Slippers that she worked up (Top). This is the winning design from Design Wars I, pattern by by Mamachee (Left).
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What’s next? Issue 3: May 8 >>>
Sneak Peek Week! New Daily Giveaway
Schedule! NEW Sponsors!
Because, everyone loves fun.
You already know our yarn pick (Red Heart Yarn Crème de la Crème), but can you guess which stash belongs to which challenger?
Not only is this a fun way to interact with other Design Wars followers, this will also be one of our Daily Giveaway! That means everyone who participates and comments with a guess will be entered for a chance to win the Daily Giveaway prize! We’ll let you know when it’s up and ready!
Fan contributions Daily Giveaway Winner
Shout Outs!
Mad Mad me and the Mad
Makers will be giving away Etsy gift cards! There are lots of entries to
be earned (10 votes per person!) and you can read about the prizes
and how to participate right HERE. Giveaway ends May 3rd at 2pm
CST, and winners will be announced by Monday, May 6th.
Our very own Katie,
owner/designer of the
coveted operation design
by Katie Hanken, just had
a baby girl and will
probably regret telling us
that she has not yet
picked a name…
So, you’re going to help us give her some suggestions! Look for our blog post on the subject so you can post your best baby names for Katie to consider, and I’ll make sure she reads every single one of them while she recovers! We love you Katie, enjoy that brand new baby girl!
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