1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

I love taking pictures, which I suppose could be a kind of craft, but it is my other favorite thing to do.  While my family (especially the short ones) are my usual subjects, I also try to capture those beautiful moments out in nature.  I use the endless internet to learn about settings on my camera (a Canon Rebel Ti3? – I am too lazy to get up and check!).  My latest success if taking pictures with a blurred background, and I’m getting better at it all the time!  The hardest part is keeping up to date with photo albums – I have thousands of pictures and only 9 photo albums.  And no, they don’t each hold 1,000 pictures!

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

okay, there’s not THAT much to tell about me (i’m a little young, 12) but I do some some key things. I was born and raised in a little small house in Georgia, yes I am a country girl! My Parents were divorced when I was 5 and I had alot of mixed emotions about the situation then. I needed a way to escape the stress, and I think thats where my love for crafting began. Ever since then I’ve loved it! I started my blog just to know that my ideas were “out there” and I guess it Kind of escalated!

2.How and when did you start crafting?

I began crafting when I was somewhere around 2. I have pictures of me sitting at my grandmothers feet as she was sewing my sheep Halloween costume! But I didn’t start using a sewing machine until this year so I’m still a beginner. But like I said, I think I started because of my grandmother.

3.How often do you craft?

When I’m not at lacrosse practice or hanging out with friends, I’m either playing doctor (your never too old:) or crafting.

4.Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from upcoming events, or common interests with my friends and family. I also can’t go to bed at night without planning something! I am big on planning for sure, so crafting is definitely my thing because It takes planning but at the same time its so free!

5.What is your favorite medium to work in?

I really enjoy working in paint and paper. They just have so many possibilities with their characteristics. You can make anything with paper and tape!

6.What is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is probably Tres Leches Cake. Its something that I don’t really get alot of or NEED alot of:)

7.What makes you smile?

My Baby cousins make me smile because they bring so much happiness to the world. everytime i see them they are grinning from ear to ear!

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

I am so fascinated with the medical field so I really like watching trauma shows and like criminal justice shows because I learn alot from them.

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

Hi, I’m Angela! I’m a retired middle school teacher. Now I have the even cooler job of being a mother to an adorable 2 year old boy and a teeny tiny girl who will make her debut this June.

I blog over at Better Together with my two sisters. Since my sisters and I don’t live near each other, we started our blog in an effort to stay more connected. We have three very different hobbies and interests… crafting, cooking, and exercising. In an effort to learn from each other we created Better Together: A place where together we can inspire each other to try new things in hopes that we can be a little better everyday!

2.How and when did you start crafting?

I think I was a born crafter. I grew up sewing and doing cross stitch with my mother. Then I became a school teacher and my creativity shown through in decorating my classroom, and through fun class projects. Then once I become a mother it started to manifest in projects for the baby, the home, and in decorating for almost every holiday.

3.How often do you craft?

I try to complete at least one project a week.

4.Where do you get your inspiration?

I get inspiration from everywhere… Walking down the street seeing someone with a cute purse or cute outfit. Or while perusing Anthropologie or their catalog. And of course now I find it all over pinterest.

5.What is your favorite medium to work in?

I love to sew!

6.What is your guilty pleasure?

Gummy bears If it were possible to live just on gummy bears alone, I would be one happy woman.

7.What makes you smile?

My husband, my son, my daughter(coming this June), my sisters, a warm spring day, a good chick flick, chocolate, cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake And finishing a project that turns out even better than I imagined.

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

Writing and traveling. I dream of one day writing a book while traveling through Europe.

Congratulations Angela on your 2nd place win!!

*You can learn more about Angela and see her season 11 projects on her bio page*

Our generous sponsors have donated a few great gifts for all your hard work.  Here is all that great stuff…

A Home Business Kit from Photo Jewelry Making , 3 PDF patterns from Yarn Blossoms Boutique, & an Art Gift Basket filled with art supplies from Twisty Noodle.

Hello my name is Melissa and I am the creator behind Yarn Blossom Boutique!  My love of crochet began as a teenager when I taught myself how to make afghans and other simple projects.  My knowledge and experience grew over the years.  However, I would go months without picking up a crochet hook because of my love to create anything crafty with my hands.  In college I studied interior design and floral design and enjoyed working in these fields, but my biggest dream came true when I became a mommy and was able to stay home with my kids (now ages 4 and 3).

I loved being a new mom, but really missed having a creative outlet.  Then I remembered how much I enjoyed crocheting and discovered it was the perfect medium for me!  I was constantly making items for my kids or friends and after being asked repeatedly if I sold my creations I began to think about starting an Etsy shop.

In March of this year I took the plunge and Yarn Blossom Boutique came into exsistance.  I LOVE creating crochet patterns.  It is the perfect design outlet for me and gives me the opportunity to share my creations with others and see them have joy in working with their hands as I do!

Wouldn’t her Upholstered Bench and Ruffle Rug look great in pretty much any foyer?  I think so.

She had so many great projects this season, especially this last few weeks.  Here are a few:

You can see the rest of her great projects on her bio page.

Congratulations Wendy!!

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

I began my blog almost exactly two years ago as a creative outlet. I found myself starting a lot of projects and hobbies and finishing nothing and I thought a public forum, like a blog, would be the best way to hold myself accountable. I HAVE to bring my ideas to fruition if I want something to blog about! I think I’ve come pretty far from my humble beginnings of not knowing how to work my sewing machine and burning the mac and cheese. I’m no expert – but I love sharing all of my creative endeavors; cooking and baking, crafting with my kids, sewing, repurposing, and even some photography. I try to tell it like it is – which means sharing my failures as well as my triumphs, even when I’d rather delete them than admit they happened!

2.How and when did you start crafting?

My family is pretty creative, and my mom always had something going on with us when we were kids. When I was younger, I’d rather climb trees than learn embroidery, but I always had the opportunity to create when I wanted to. As I got older, I started crafting in more earnest. I usually created scrapbooks and other paper projects. I put this aside somewhat during the final years of college and right after I got married but once I became a stay at home mom, it seemed like the perfect time to break out my dormant crafting skills and hone some new ones.

3.How often do you craft?

All the time! If I’m not sewing, then I’m usually up to my eyebrows in mod podge, and if I’m not doing that than I’m creating something with my kids. To me the creative process is just as fun and gratifying as the finished product, so I’m generally always working on a project – usually several at once.

4.Where do you get your inspiration?

Where does everyone get their inspiration?? Pinterest of course! I also read a whole lot of blogs and try to gain inspiration from our everyday lives. For instance, watching my kids play will often spark a creative fire for some toy or clothing they simply “need.”

5.What is your favorite medium to work in?

Oh, jeez. Hardest question on here! I’ve dabbled in a lot of things since starting my blog – photography, paper, fabric, sewing, painting, etc… so it’s difficult to really narrow it down. I suppose if I had to pick one “medium” I really LOVE it would be “pre-owned materials.” I just love giving new life to things that were once something else – and that includes clothing, fabric, books, art, furniture, home stuff, you name it!

6.What is your guilty pleasure?

Heroes. Did you guys watch that whole show – every season? I can’t help it, ever since I started it on Netflix I just can’t stop. I’m in the middle of season 4 and sometimes I can’t think of anything better to do than curl up with a Diet A&W under a cozy blanket and watch two episodes in a row.

7.What makes you smile?

Easy. My kids. My hubby. Chocolate. (Not always in that order)

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

Write. That’s why I combined those two things with my craft blog! I also love to read. When I’m not drowning in five projects at once I’ve got my nose stuffed in some “must read” between coats of paint.

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

Taylor Made is about crafts, art and family. My favorite people in the world are my boys, Finn who is 2.5 and Clyde who is 1. They are amazingly funny little characters. My blog is something that I hope reflects a clean, fresh and artsy take on my style and my crafts. I also love that photography is a big part of blogging.

2.How and when did you start crafting?

I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. When I was only 8 I remember already having a corner of my room designated for arts and craft supplies. My mom was super cool about letting me express myself! I would always “rearrange” my room and create themes, like hanging thousands of flowers from my ceiling and making it look like a garden.

3.How often do you craft?

I craft at least 3 times a week. My creative brain in sometimes a curse because when I get an idea in my head, I cant get it out. My sons are two and one so its pretty hectic during the day, so I usually stay up way too late after they go to sleep.

4.Where do you get your inspiration?

Anything colorful… flowers, paintings, colorful fabrics. I am always drawn to “kid stuff”. My house looks very whimsical.

5.What is your favorite medium to work in?

fabric and oil paints

6.What is your guilty pleasure?

bad TV… and Friday night margaritas & Mexican food

7.What makes you smile?

My boys, can you tell I’m a proud Mom? My sons are not laid back, everyday is exciting, sometimes challenging but always hilarious.

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

I love to entertain and have people over. I also love cooking, movies and reading on my nook. My #1 favorite is my family, we always have fun!

*You can learn more about Taylor and her SYTYC project on her bio page*

Congratulations on being the top All-Star Kim!  You did a fantastic job!

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.

I’m kim. Or AGAAGG (it’s not phlem) it’s my initials…A GIRL AND A GLUE GUN. I’m incredible lazy and never want to type it out…I hot glue most everything even when it should be sewed! I mean I do more than just hot glue but everything is pretty easy. I mean If I can do it so can you…

2. What season are you returning from and what was your favorite theme from that season?

I was on season 4…where I got booted for a stupid $%#@ cake. So edible week was my LEAST favorite…my favorite themes are always upcycled/ recycled…it’s just fun to see what people come up with!

3. What have you been up to since you last competed on SYTYC?

Anything and everything.

4. What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

Wow. This is hard. I’m a pretty open book. I SHOULD censor somethings…but I don’t. basically if you I want you know it..I will tell you…..
and the stuff i don’t want you to know…ha! my dirty little secrets are staying secrets!!!!

5. Are you a morning or night person?

Night night and night. I’m a grouch in the morning. I literally thought about home schooling my kids so I could sleep in..but then I realized that would totally suck and my kids are horrible so…(and when I say horrible I mean I love them very much but they are 8, 6 and 3…)

6. What is your guilty pleasure?

Sometimes…just sometimes, .I send my kids to bed ridiculously early. I mean the sun goes down…they don’t know the difference…and even if they don’t go to sleep they are still being quiet and not being up in my business. I feel real guilty about it..but soooo much pleasure.

And chocolate.

7. What is your favorite breakfast food?

a bran muffin with whole grain no fat jam and a side of egg whites.
(snort)

A bowl of marshmallow maties. Every morning. Kicks lucky charm’s butt.

8. What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?

WHAT?

There is life after crafting?

I like watching movies with the husband…going to the gym (not)..reading? Okay, usually if I’m not crafting I’m on pinterest looking at everyone else’s crafts. What can I say? I’m addicted to you baby…you’re a hard habit to break…

*You can learn more about Kim and see her SYTYC projects on her bio page*