DIY Cross-Stitch Brooch Tutorial & how Lita approves

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Colourful materials to make a DIY Cross-Stitch Brooch - "How Tuesday" Tutorial by ME on Etsy Blog

The surprise project that I was working on is finally live on the internets! I wrote a double-whammy of a tutorial for the "How Tuesday" section of the Etsy blog  in a few days. It was quite a crunch, but I'm really proud of how it turned out.

I've learned the last few days that when my boyfriend, Roger, and I pull together, we can pretty much make anything happen. So he took pictures with me for a very intense hour (he doesn't like taking pictures nor does he know how) and after a lot of yelling about "framing the shot" on my part, we got it done. Then I edited for a million years and wrote for a couple of hours.

That's the behind the scenes of that epic tutorial. :D I'm SUPER proud of how it turned out, but was sad not to see the picture of all the materials included... so I posted myself.

You know what other picture was missing? The picture of my adorable "Quality Control Expert" AKA Lita (my granny who originally showed me how to embroider) so I took a picture with the brooch on... and the brooch is covering a juice stain on her cardigan. ;)

Lita didn't know why we were taking this picture, but she was excited about her new brooch!
Wanna see more pics from behind the scenes of nerd JERK? Follow me on Instagram!

My tutorial basically covers you for Mother's Day - but you might still want a little help in person? 

We've got you!

Monogram Brooches don't have to be monotonous
DIY Cross-Stitch Brooches by nerd JERK

Definitely not a kitten

DIY Cross-Stitch Kit - Polaroid
by nerd JERK - $18 USD

If you've always wanted to learn to cross-stitch, now's your chance. And at nerd JERK, we don't cross-stitch no kittens or cabbage roses (as you can see from our Etsy Shop).

On May 3rd I'll be teaching a DIY Cross-Stitch Pin Workshop at CRAFT BAR hosted by Etsy Labs at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art! Make a cute and cool pin, a perfect present for your cool mom on Mother's Day or for any other cool humans in your life!

-WANNA COME? Here's the DEETS-

WHEN: May 3rd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
WHERE: The Museum of Craft and Folk Art (51 Yerba Buena Lane San Francisco, CA 94103)
COST: $5 (Covers materials, tips, and tricks)
BONUS: Adult Beverages will be available (liquid courage always helps crafting).

Pick any 2 Handmade Felt Brooches for $25!

Still need help with a rad Mother's Day gift or don't feel like making flair for yourself? 

You're in luck! I'm selling my Handmade Felt Brooches & they're READY TO SHIP today!

I'm really excited about these guys! Fellas look snazzy with a mix tape on their lapel & ladies look lovelier with a camera on their cardigans. 

Thanks so much for supporting handmade geekery, guys! Whether it's by making a DIY Cross-Stitch Brooch for a cool person, coming out to make stuff at Craft Bar this Thursday or buying a little gift for your Mum (or yourself!), I really appreciate your awesomeness.

The Life Geektastic: Cherry Blossom Round 1!

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Self-pixelated portrait taken at 3:30 AM:
when stitching tiny necklace art & wearing HUGE glasses makes sense

I've had an obsession with glasses for as long as I can remember. Although I have 20/20-ish vision, I own several pairs of awesome frames for various occassions. You never know when you  need to blend in with a four-eyed posse. In my case, I'm like a "NERD SCOUT" - I'm always prepared.

Thank you for all the rad humans that came out to see me & my wares during Round One of the Cherry Blossom Festival on the 14th & 15th. You could have been doing your taxes. You could have been eating sushi instead. You probably were even tempted to go watch some awesome movies at the Kabuki Theatre. But you came out to see me.

And those of you who didn't come out to see me, I know you wanted to. I received so many lovely emails & updates via Facebook, Twitter & Instagram about how much you wanted to hang out last weekend. No worries, y'all! I've got news...

I'll still be vending this weekend - April 21 & 22!

Right now my lovely intern, Christel, and I are working our little insomniatic fingers like it's goin' outta style in the name of Cherry Blossom - Round Two. If you happened to miss the amazing spread of cuddles & colours, you're in luck! We're doing our best to get all the items we sold restocked this week, along with some fan faves that didn't make the cut last week: Shy Boo, Goomba & Chain Chomp!

One of the things I'm most proud of was how much we connected with customers at Cherry Blossom. Whether it was over our mutual love of adorable plushies or the fact that everyone was constantly quoting "Don't Be Poopy" from the kit (no matter what their age!) - we had a blast!

Something I talked about with my Epic Friends last week was about my special deal for preordering my Handmade Felt Brooches. Some of my Rad Blog Readers don't get a chance to come to SF & rock out with us, so why not bring the party to them?! I'm offering the same deal to my online homies as I am the in-person humans: Grab your 2 Fave Brooches for only $25! (reg $32)

The kinds of pics I post on Instagram. You should totally follow me.

So, there's a much more awesome wrap up-date coming up next week about the WHOLE AWESOMENESS of Cherry Blossom - but in the meantime, feel free to drop by the NEW PEOPLE building (1746 Post Street, SF, CA 94115) from 11 AM to 6 PM both Saturday the 21st & Sunday the 22nd. :) 

And if you could spread the news on Twitter, Facebook, anywhere you think someone who'd be in the mood for my plush items would be hangin' out, I'd super-adore you for, like, ever!

I mean that, you know.

Okay, back to making teeny, tiny stitches at 6 AM. Maybe this time I'll really need the huge glasses. ;)

<3 - Steph

Awesome Artist Feature: mr. deadfish GIVEAWAY!

When I stepped over to the mr. deadfish booth at Bazaar Bizarre this holiday, I knew I was in trouble. Scarves in the shapes of dead animals made out the upcycled sweaters? Yes, please!!!

So when I got to know this gal a little better, I knew I had to share her stuff with the rest of the world.

Introducing the founder & designer of mr. deadfish for our latest "Awesome Artist Feature": Amy Ng!

mr. deadfish

Amy wearing mr. deadfish in shirt form. :)
[Photo courtesy of Amy Ng]

Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

I am a San Francisco native that is inspired by everything around me. Generic as it may sound, I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil and once I discovered new media, I went bananas. Not only am I a full time video editor and animator, but on the side, I'm making daily scarves (for my 2011 challenge) and working on a children's book with a very talented friend Mr. Mito. Such inspirations can come from talented people like Camilla d'Errico and Marina Bychkova. Their choices of mediums are simply amazing and they've definitely mastered their artwork. Also, creating really keeps me out of trouble and lowers my cost of living, since I'm not going out buying drinks or karaoke-ing (though not dancing and eating lots of sweets is not reducing the thunder in my thighs)!

Alligator Scarf by mr. deadfish

When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I started my Etsy shop in November 2008 because I just had a million things in my house that I've created. My friends always told me that I should sell my stuff and that people would buy it, but it's really hard to keep up with all the stuff that I make. I love illustrating, which got me into hand-drawing cards, but I think I just wasn't getting enough exposure to sell any. Then I started making hair clips, little squirrel magnets, modifying My Little Pony dolls, clay figures, stuffed animals, and now I'm trying to get this dead animal scarf going. Who knows what it'll be next month!

Top 5 fave books, movies, music, artists... 

I don't find myself having too much time to read nowadays, but I definitely have a few favorite movies in mind starting with a few childhood favorites. 

Movies:

The Neverending Story, The Secret of Nimh, and such tv shows like Out of This World, Small Wonder, David the Gnome, Looney Tunes, The Snorks, Jem and the Holograms and many more. Other movies I've enjoyed are Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Zombieland, Lovely, Still, Delicatessen, Moon, The Host and many others that I really can't think of right now.

Music:

• I love eighties music, so Hall & Oates is definitely ranked up there.
• Stevie Wonder is oh-so-delightful when I feel like I need a faster pace and pick me up.
• With the sultry voice of Bitter:Sweet, sometimes this is exactly what I need for snazziness.
• If I'm feeling a bit epic, bumping up Muse will always do the trick.
• And last, but not least, The Spinto Band really knocks my socks off and gets me groovin to the tunes.

Artists:
As I strive to work with different mediums, here's a few people that drive me to love creating:

• Camilla d'Errico is awesome with her creepy sweet characters. So innocent and lovely.
• Marina Bychkova with her beautiful and sometimes twisted creations. I can't help but love and admire her work.
• Audrey Kawasaki can get rather magical with wood and paints. Her works just seems so dreamy and innocent.
• I can't forget about Scott Radke with his eerie and twisted painted sculptures. How could you not love that face?
• Christopher Conte is definitely amazing with his use of materials. I would never be able to create such wonders of art, but just looking at them makes my jaw drop every time.

The original mr. deadfish drawing
[Photo courtesy of Amy Ng]

How did you come up with your business name?
This is actually a really random story. Long, long time ago around the turn of the century, working in the photo department of a drugstore in Davis, CA., I was running a pretty high fever. Feeling as though it would be unacceptable to call in sick, I stood in that little corner of a lab and spent most of the day sweating. Those photo lab machines used to spit out a few blank cuts before and after every batch print and since I was feeling a bit delusional, I decided to draw a bunch of dead animals with taglines to them. "I am mr. deadfish. I smell bad." and it was a drawing of mr. deadfish (which a friend of mine has the original copy). Of all the animals, mr. deadfish was the one that everybody loved, so it seemed only natural to have that be my business name.

Amy working late into the night on her newest scarf
[Photo courtesy of Amy Ng]

What does a day in your life look like? 

*Beep Beep Beep* It's six am. She shuts off the phone and pushes the blankets off the bed, allowing the chill to fully wake her. Fast forward. Six twenty, looking for all day parking in the SOMA. Video editing, animating, awesomeness. Three thirty, go home. Four pm. Spread out the colorful cut up upcycled sweaters and think about what to make for the day. Sometimes ideas are given by friends, but mostly, it's random. *snip snip snip* Cutting out the pieces. Six thirty, make the best dinner ever consisting of meat, veggies and carb. Seven thirty, finish working on scarf until the hours between eleven pm and one am. Rinse, repeat. What messes up the mix is when there's some action happening like going out. Evenings are condensed, then.

Social Squittens
[Photo courtesy of Amy Ng]

What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?
I'm trying to have this monthly thing again called Social Squittens (A squitten is a cross between a kitten and a squid, demonstrated above, where I organize events such as rock climbing, archery, hiking, or various activities around the bay. I think one of them is definitely going to involve that new trampoline park that opened up in the Presidio. Social Squittens were created to meet cool new people. I have so many awesome friends and they all wanted to meet each other and meet more new friends, so I asked my friends to invite their friends. It usually ends up just being one large hangout session, but it's fun.
I also love animating and video editing. I'm a producer for my friend Marlon Torres of Torres Studios and he's one of the most talented people I know. He's simply amazing and I love working with him. You can see our WWII short film at papernautilusfilms.com.


To find out more about mr. deadfish and what Amy's up to, check out the links below:

BLOG // ETSY // TWITTER // FB

Now, for the GIVEAWAY:

Head on over to the mr. deadfish blog to find out how to win a FREE SCARF of your own!

Awesome Artist Feature: AngelMade Eco Spa GIVEAWAY!

Calming Herbal Bath Salts - Romantic Flowers
by AngelMade Eco Spa - $6 USD

Having worked in the bath & body industry for 3 years really opened my eyes to a lot of things: fair trade, ingredients & the stories behind the products. 

I was lucky enough to vend at a show with Angel from AngelMade Eco Spa a little over a week ago and have a chance to chat about her fantastic range of products. I was instantly infatuated with her oils, scents & ingredients! I couldn't believe the care & consideration that went into each product and was sincerely thrilled to be discovering more locally produced bath & body products that I could share with my community!

Now, I'd like to share them with my readers!

Three Cocoa Butter Salt Scrubs -
by AngelMade Eco Spa

Angel & I would love to host a giveaway for 3 handmade Cocoa Butter Salt Scrubs (in Mint, Citrus & Vanilla Bean)! Made with ultra moisturising organic cocoa butter & fair trade shea butter, blended with organic essential oils to create delicious aromas, these single-use solid scrubs' Pacific sea salts exfoliate your skin, revealing a wonderfully healthy glow!






These items can be yours, but FIRST - read on to find out a little more about our Awesome Artist Feature:

AngelMade Eco Spa

Angel of AngelMade Eco Spa - Knit One One Craft Show in Berkeley, CA
(Photo by Steph Cortés)

• Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

My name is Angel Huntington-Ortega and I am a compulsive multi-crafter. I can't describe what drives me to create other than this- I get ideas. They won't go away. I think about them constantly. I think about them so much that I have no choice but to do them . That satisfies the urges until a new crafty idea blooms and then it starts all over again.

•  When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I started selling my AngelMade Eco Spa products on Etsy in July 2010. I was too intimidated up until then. I would browse Etsy for hours and drool, thinking that I would never have it all together enough to make my things look as good as everything else on Etsy. I had been making and selling my eco-friendly spa goodies locally for a good 2 years but hadn't taken time to write descriptions, figure out retail/bulk pricing and take photos of everything. Two things gave me the final push, the book Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin, and a couple of good friends who have been my constant cheerleaders. It's been a slow start on Etsy, but only because I am still figuring out all the tricks and tasks (and because of limited time- see below).

Awesome ingredients in one of my favourite miracle products - 
Facial Scrub Crumbs - by AngelMade Eco Spa - $12 USD

Customizable "Every Other Day" scrub for every skin type!

Comes in a cute muslin reusable bag, complete with wooden scoop! 

 I started making body products about 3 years ago. Part of my massage therapy training at the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville included basic spa treatments. I won't say I was hooked immediately on spa culture because a lot of the things (wraps, scrubs) seemed messy and awkward at first.

What made a bigger impression on me was all our biology/anatomy studies. In particular, the fact that every single product we put on our skin, goes into our skin and is processed as if we ingested it! On average, women use a minimum of 10 products daily. Do you know all the ingredients in your soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash, face cream, deodorant, perfume, make up, make up remover....? I started looking at the labels on things and realized I didn't know what the heck I was putting on my body everyday and started to make small changes to my home routine (for more info on this I highly recommend, "The story of cosmetics" by Annie Leonard).

My first massage job after graduating in 2006 was at an uber fancy spa in San Francisco. There, I got to do lots of fancy treatments, heat wraps, salt scrubs, training in the "wet-room"..., all in all a great learning experience. However, the labels on the products that this reputable spa was using terrified me (parabens, sodium laurel sulfates, and mineral oil in particular because it's a bi-product of petroleum- yikes!). I left working there after 18 months or so because I couldn't justify the excessive (and in my opinion wasteful) use of water and the freaky ingredients in the things I was putting on my clients (and myself through the treatments). I got a new massage job at a low key, local spot that just offered saunas, hot tubs and massage. The owner was very supportive of my interest in using natural products and encouraged me to make my own massage creams/salves. Combining 5 simple ingredients (coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax, essential oils and vitamin E) I came up with something my massage clients and I liked way better then the alternatives. And that's how it all started. I've since added solid salt scrubs, facial scrub crumbs, herbal infused oils and salt soaks for baths. Sometimes I dabble in lip balms, and eventually I want to learn how to make soap.

•  Describe your creative process

Ok, here's the part where I need to mention that I am not actually a full time crafter. I'm actually the full time mom of two girls, one 8 and one almost 2 years old. They take up, um, about 80 percent of all my (non-sleeping) time, energy and mental capabilities. The rest of my time, when I'm not cleaning, carpooling, cooking, organizing or doing mountains of laundry is spent merely thinking about doing different craft projects. I have millions of ideas that are just waiting for the precious 4 hour blocks of time that will come when my little one is (finally) in preschool.

The process of handmade scrubby goodness
(Photo courtesy of AngelMade Edo Spa) 

So that said, I get an idea for a product I want to make. I think abut the ingredients that I want to include, and those that I have to include (like a preservative- usually vitamin E will work), and I start to make tiny batches of said product. It usually takes 5-10 tries before I get my formula the way I want it. I re-write the recipe to make a big batch and then package it all up. Given the constraints on my time this could take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months.

• Top 5 fave books, movies, music, artists...

• Books/Authors

1. Anything by Roald Dahl
2. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
3. Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
4. Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

• Music...

... really hard to say, depends on the day I guess. But these artists take up the most room on my iPod:

1. Ozomatli
2. Yo Yo Ma (especially his collaborations w/other artists)
3. Madonna (80s and 90's only)
4. Bob Marley (always makes me feel "irie")
5. The Beatles

• Movies

1. Some Like it Hot
2. Cabaret
3. The Corpse Bride
4. All the Indiana Jones movies
5. Elf

• What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

Not as Tiny Custom Cranes on 14K gold filled ear threads

by angelinapaloma - $19 USD

I love paper. I have done origami since I was 10. I just opened angelinapaloma on etsy to sell my handmade crane earrings because people stop me on the street all the time and ask me where I got the ones I wear. This fall I started teaching a children's papercrafts class in an afterschool program in Berkeley. It's been a great chance to do all sorts of things I wouldn't tackle at home on my own (pinata, anyone?).

I love to knit, although I just started and haven't got past scarves and hats. And I really like baking/cooking, but especially eating yummy baked goods.

I'm also a life long dancer, and teach children's creative movement/pre-ballet once a week at our YMCA. I have done that for 5 years now and really enjoy the energy of a group of excited 4-5 year olds in tutus. But only for about 2 hours a week. That's enough.

Oh yeah, and about that massage training, I'm also a nationally certified massage therapist specializing in working with pregnant women, BUT, I haven't massaged anyone since I was pregnant myself. I'm on a little break from that, but looking forward to returning.

To find out more about Angel & check out some of her works, feel free to click on the links! 

AngelMade Eco Spa: 

BLOG // ETSY // FB

angelinapaloma:

BLOG // ETSY

NOW - for the GIVEAWAY...

To enter to win a trio of Cocoa Butter Salt Scrubs sent to your home, you have many options!

• Visit & "Heart" AngelMade Eco Spa on Etsy
• "Like" AngelMade Eco Spa on Facebook
• Find a new favourite item from AngelMade Eco Spa or angelinapaloma & post it on Facebook or Twitter
• Feature this blog post on AngelMade Eco Spa to promote this GIVEAWAY on Facebook or Twitter
• Leave a comment on the AngelMade Eco Spa blog
• Feature your favourite product by AngelMade Eco Spa in an Etsy Treasury & post the link in the "Comments" section of this post
• Start following this blog - "nerd JERK - Inspire Your Inner Geek"

After completing your entries, post which items you did (with links) in the "Comments" section of this post. For every item done, you'll receive ONE entry (9 possible entries available)! Winner will be randomly chosen on Saturday, 20 November & announced Sunday, 21st November, 2010.

You can't get anything more heavenly than
the sweet spicy scent of pure Virgin Coconut Oil!
(Photo courtesy of AngelMade Edo Spa) 

I can personally highly recommend ANY of Angel's products, as I've used them (4 of them!) and can't get enough. 

When I asked my boyfriend which Coconut Oil to get, it was a tough decision - as he wanted to eat both arms up cos they smelled so yummy!

Personally, I LOVE melting on the Organic Virgin 100% Pure Coconut Oil - Infused with Chai Tea Spices (only $9 USD). It literally liquifies in your hands & doubles as a great massage oil or deep conditioning hair treatment! And - believe me - a little goes a LONG way!

I hope you all get a chance to try out these rad products & enjoy them as much as I do!!! 

Thanks & good luck!

The Awesome Artist Feature series will be running every Monday on nerd JERK: Inspire Your Inner Geek. If you'd like to participate, feel free to email me at nerdJERK@gmail.com!