The Crafter's Box Podcast

Welcome to an introduction to Tunisian crochet with artist Toni Lipsey. This workshop dives into a unique technique to crochet a beautiful two-tone shawl complete with fringe and a lace-like seam.  Tunisian crochet is a hybrid of knitting and standard crochet, the technique utilizes a long crochet hook joined with a lengthy tube to hold one’s work in progress (in a similar fashion to knitting in the round). The result is a unique stitch unlike those of a typical crochet chain or knitted stitches. Join us as we meet Toni to learn about her story and passions for fiber-based crafts. We can't wait to dive in! Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2020-01-featured-maker/

Welcome to an introduction to naturally dyed ribbon with artist Chrysteen Borja of @WaverlyKnots. This workshop dives into a variety of specialty and unusual dyes, as well as unique substrates for dyeing with Chrysteen's expert guidance. The four natural dyes featured in this workshop include logwood, wattle, cochineal (extract from a tiny bug found in the Southwest), and Himalayan rhubarb. You’ll find skeins of recycled silk sari and silk chiffon, along with pieces of our favorite linen blend and a cotton velvet. The combination of textile variations and dyes included creates a stunning range of colors from soft pastels to moody mauves. Explore deep purples, soft yellows, vibrant pinks and neutral tones. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-12-featured-maker/

Let's explore tapestry weaving on a custom, oversized floor frame loom under the guidance of weaver Erin Barrett. This workshop teaches a variety of weaving techniques allowing you to build and completely customize a tapestry unique to you. Explore color through placement, blocking, and various combinations to hand make a large wall piece for your home or a friend.  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-q4-premium-featured-maker/

This month's workshop is an introduction to wood burning with artist Rachel Strauss. We are exploring the wonderful art of pyrography through the careful instruction of a maker with years of creative experience behind a pyrography soldering iron. This workshop guides how to use an advanced temperature-controlled tool to burn on substrates such as wood, leather and cork. We are so excited to have you join us with this project as we dive into exploring wood burning. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-11-featured-maker/  

Welcome to an introduction to basket weaving with artist Anne Weil of Flax & Twine. Anne is an expert maker of all things fiber and has developed a love for working with natural materials. Using a clean and simple design style, Anne crafts pieces for home, for play, for gifts and for fun. We are introducing multiple basket weaving techniques and a variety of natural materials to explore, explore, explore.  This podcast dives further in Anne's artistic journey from her transition from investment banking to blogger, crafter, and maker of all things fiber art.  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-10-featured-maker/

Welcome to an introduction to watercolor and gouache with artist Sarah Simon. Finding inspiration in the ever-blooming variety of textures and colors in her urban garden of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah creates lush watercolor paintings in a unique, artistic style that has captured an international following.  This podcast dives further in Sarah's artistic journey and the origination of The Mint Gardener.  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-09-featured-maker/

Let's explore stained glass art. Lauren Earl is a stained glass artist designing unique, hand-crafted glass pieces that are both decorative and functional. In this premium workshop, Lauren breaks down how to work with glass from start to finish making this gorgeous, traditional art approachable and accessible. Lauren brings a modern edge to her medium - often combining colored glass with alternative metals, mirrored pieces and architectural designs to create simple and stunningly creative glass art. This episode explores the traditions and techniques that Lauren has adapted into her stained glass art. From materials to processes, we're ready to dive in! Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-2-premium-featured-maker/

We sat down with Alli Koch to discuss her creative past, her passion for iconic floral design, and overcoming a perfectionist nature. After graduating college Alli began making art for herself, then selling to her family, and quickly realized she had created her ultimate dream job. Today, Alli's designs can be found on several murals and in stores across the country. Listen in to get ready for a wonderful upcoming workshop! Thanks for joining us. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-08-featured-maker/

Corrie shares about her upcoming workshop focused on detailed, life-like paper houseplants. Her creativity stems from two favorite passions: beautiful botanicals and a love for all things paper crafting. Corrie Beth Hogg currently lives in Brooklyn and works out of her home studio where she practices crafting across many different mediums. We dive into Corrie's background, her recently published book, her love of all things the intricacies of plants and how she balances all that she takes on with her work/life balance. We explore her techniques in further detail and go over the tools & materials she relies on most. Listen in to get ready for a wonderful upcoming workshop! Thanks for joining us. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-07-featured-maker/

In this podcast episode we welcome acrylic landscape artist Colleen Elizabeth, our featured maker in June, to our monthly interview series. We also introduce our MARKETPLACE and our first ever premium workshop! A Rigid Heddle Weaving Workshop that delves deep into handwoven goods. Colleen shares about the curation of her kit as we explore the tools & materials featured with more depth. We chat her daily inspiration, a bit more on her background, and studio practice. Through each of our monthly informal interviews we learn so much more about our lead artist and their upcoming workshop collaboration with The Crafter's Box.  In June, we are exploring color blending, color theory and landscape painting with the incredible Colleen Elizabeth. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-06-featured-maker/

In our VERY first premium workshop, we're collaborating with weaver Rachel Snack to introduce rigid heddle weaving with a detailed digital workshop and a tools & materials kit to learn a brand new medium. In this interview, Rachel shares more about her background, her weaving history & education, and what inspires her to create the beautiful textiles and hand woven designs she's most known for. This kit in particular is so special - it features a New Zealand beechwood Ashford loom as well as Italian cotton linen + Japanese silk noil fibers for the beginning rigid heddle weaver. The digital component of this workshop introduces warping up this complex loom, learning how each and every component works and how to make your very first hand woven scarf. Then, the sky is the limit! Table runners, handwoven placements, wall textiles... Let's dive in. Let's chat - what is a weave structure? What ARE the different types of looms out there - and how are they used? What does a textile conservator do? Listen in t

In this episode, we have the opportunity to sit down with Aftyn Shah of @riseandwander to learn more about the detailed, digital workshop and curated kit of tools & materials she's built for our Linocut Printmaking Workshop. Aftyn shares about her printmaking process using mounted linoleum and specialized carving tools to capture slices of nature. Living just outside of Philadelphia with her family, Aftyn is inspired by the Great Outdoors - family adventures, favorite hikes and moments captured in time through photography inform her carving style. Diving deeper, Aftyn shares how a tragic injury when she was pregnant with her first son led to the start of her printmaking practice, the exploration of nature as its subject, as well as the life changing call to acton and eventual company name, 'Rise and Wander'. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-05-featured-maker/

In this episode we chat with Mandi Smethells, our featured artist behind the beautiful sculptural works of fiber we're building together. She's curated a unique kit of tools & materials that come from years of experience and play.  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-04-featured-maker/

This March, we are exploring alcohol ink art with artist Ashley Mahlberg of Ink Reel. Ashley specializes in creating beautiful fluid art full of movement and color - using isopropyl alcohol and richly pigmented inks, Ashley uses a heat gun and air to move her work across the surface of her gesso boards or Yupo paper. We have curated a kit of tools & materials to complement Ashley's digital tutorial this month. In this episode we discuss Ashley's inspiration, background, studio space, 'day-in-the-life' and so much more. Thanks for joining us. Learn More: https: //thecraftersbox.com/2019-03_featured-maker/

In February of 2019, we're exploring woodworking with artist Nicole Sweeney. The iconic shape found throughout Nicole's work is a triangle - she uses this shape to create all sorts of beautiful art for the home by manipulating it's color, contrast, size and placement. We're going to play and explore next month using Nicole's guidance.  Let's learn more about Nicole's artistic background, what inspires her and how she has grown through her own creative journey into the artist & teacher that she is today.  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-02_featured-maker/

In this episode, we're chatting knitting and the unique tools & materials shared in this workshop to build a custom knit floor pouf. Alison shares about her home in Montreal, how she started knitting and what inspires her. Join us! And can't wait to see your knit projects. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2019-01_featured-maker/

In this episode artist Melanie Abrantes introduces us to the art of carving. Melanie is leading a workshop in shaping, whittling, sanding and finishing a beautiful custom wooden spoon and we use this episode to dive deeper! Melanie shares about her art background, her journey to wooden turning & carving, her Oakland studio and what she loves about the art she practices. We explore the unique kit of tools & materials Melanie has designed and the makers behind them. Melanie shares with us a typical day in the life, and walks us through a 2018 exercise in which she explored new 'little habits' each month for the FULL year. This wonderful chat leads up to an awesome workshop collaboration!  Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2018-12_featured-maker/

In this episode we explore our upcoming Hand Quilting Workshop with maker Elise Cripe of @elisejoy. Elise shares with us her love of quilt making and sewing, and how crafting in general brings balance and creativity to her busy life. Elise shares why hand quilting is so historically special and what makes stitching and 'binding' truly unique to the art of quilting in general. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2018-11_featured-maker/

In today's episode we're chatting with cut paper artist Maude White to learn more about her background, inspiration and what's included in her curated kit. We learn more about the history and background of cut paper art from around the world. The art of paper cutting is incredibly diverse and has been practiced for a very long time: It first originated in the 4th century CE in China during the Han Dynasty. In the 13th century it came to Europe via Germany and Switzerland with folded scherenschnitte and silhouette art. In Japan, people create kirigami, which is cut and folded paper art. In Mexico, people create papel picado, which is folded colored tissue paper that is cut with scissors. We can't wait to share Maude's own unique technique (utilizing a sharp blade to 'slice' rather than scissors to cut) in our upcoming workshop. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2018-10_featured-maker/

We're learning more about our September Featured Maker - Lindsey Campbell - and her beautiful technique of Pibione Tapestry Weaving. Lindsey is a weaver from Northern California and has curated a kit of thoughtfully sourced tools & materials to accompany this workshop. In this episode, we're learning more about Lindsey's background and our upcoming workshop. Learn More: https://thecraftersbox.com/2018-09_featured-maker/