Week 2 of our Accio Tee Stenciling Craft-Along on The Leaky Cauldron brought in some truly AMAZING work. I'm having such a blast seeing all of the imaginative shirts that people are coming up with!

( Check 'em out right here! )
Aren't they all great, crafty peeps? I can't wait to see what this week brings us. We hope to see you there!

Hugs, chocolate, and happy crafting!

Super_Jenn

Ever wondered why the Crafty Witches are just SO incredible?  Well, the answer is simple.  There are seven of us.  Yep!  Seven.  The most powerful magical number there is.  Clears some things up, no?

Today brings us to our last, but certainly not least interview.  It is with our second "newbie", Tammy.  This girl absolutely rocks my socks with the amount of work she puts out - and we all know that that is saying something!

So, everyone give a big ol' squishy welcome to Tammy, and I'll "see" you next Saturday with some exciting news about upcoming new things in Leaky's crafts section!

Hugs & chocolate~

Jenn

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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?
I became a Crafty Witch alongside Laura/Risdanya, in early March this year. I help out Crafty Witch Mary with getting photos into the gallery!

What is the story behind your Leaky username, Mixymo?
It's a looong and uninteresting story. Really, you don't want me explain.
Basically Mixy is my nickname, and Mixy always happens to already be taken so Mixymo is the next best thing.

What House do you sort into, and why?
I'm a Slytherin, but people always doubt my choice! I'm a pretty crafty (haha PUNNY) person, if I do say so myself, and I have to admit that I do take advantage of some things.
However, I have rather strong Ravenclaw tendencies. And recently I've been imagining what it would be like to be a Hufflepuff.
I'm worried.

What sorts of crafting do you do?
*ahem* WELL
Mainly I sew, knit, crochet, do origami and make kanzashi (Japanese fabric folding to make flowers, go Google it! Go, go!)
But I'm also into felting, clay sculpting, stenciling, jewellery making, beading, shibori, embroidery, and have a new found love for hat making.

What is your most prized crafty possession?
Jeebies, can anyone go past a pair of scissors? I think I would die without scissors.
My thread knotted itself! How do I cut my fabric?! Maybe I'll just chew off this sleeve. Hmm, can I rip this acetate into a stencil?

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess?
Long-term relationship with a wonderful craft-impaired boy, full time fashion and millinery student.
The only babies I have are food babies. :/

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?
It's always hard for me to answer this question because I love each book for different reasons. The one I've read the most is OOTP, but I think after all this time DH has to be my favourite. You just can't go past such a perfect ending to a story that has been a huge part of all our lives for so many years.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?
For some reason I love POA. I know everyone hates it, but it makes me smile the most. OOTP is up there too, I really appreciate how it was done.

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
I'm secretly in love with Neville.
THERE! I SAID IT! Now it's out there for everyone to see!

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?
I would make everyone's hats!
Mixymo's Magical Millinery Melee!
Wow imagine answering the phone in that place.
Then I would hire Luna, because that girl is a genius.

*wanders into the CW office*

*heads over to inbox to find work to do*

*claps excitedly*

*begins coughing as dust is stirred up*

*shuffles over to Muggle computing device thingy and blows huge breath at layer of dust on it*

*nearly kills self as mushroom cloud of dust tries to take over every cell of her body*

 

Oh, Merlin’s PANTS!  SCOURGIFY!!!

 

*settles into newly dusted and cobweb-free chair*

 

Now, did you miss us?

 

Well, with Leaky having had to do some changes, our updates had to stop because we couldn’t get in to get work done.  But now it’s back and we have updates for you!

 

With the release of HBP the movie less than a week away, everyone needs to get caught up on the costuming!!!

 

Also, we have our Craft-Along going on!!!  Want to make a one of a kind AWESOME shirt or bag to take to opening night?  Want to just make some all around awesomeness?  Check out the Craft-Along thread!!!  We are STENCILLING!!!!  It’s super fun and super crafty!! We got tips and tricks posted too so even if you’ve never done it before, you can start now!  Believe me, I’d never done anything like it before last year….and now I’m ADDICTED!!!

 

So here are some updates we promised you!!!

 

Forum Updates:

 

Resources

• Costuming & COSplay
  • How to Make a Death Eater Costume
  • How to Make a Draco Malfoy Costume
  • How to Make a Hermione Granger Costume
  • How to Make a Lord Voldemort Costume
  • How to Make a Lucius Malfoy Costume
  • How to Make a Luna Lovegood Costume
  • How to Make a Ron Weasley Costume
  • How to Make a Severus Snape Costume

Gallery Updates:

 

Knitting

• Muggle Devices
  • Potholders
•  Wizard Wear
  • Hermione's Fair Isle Sweater

 

 

Main Site Updates:

 

Resources

• Costuming & COSplay
  • How to Make a Death Eater Costume
  • How to Make a Draco Malfoy Costume
  • How to Make a Hermione Granger Costume
  • How to Make a Lord Voldemort Costume
  • How to Make a Lucius Malfoy Costume
  • How to Make a Luna Lovegood Costume
  • How to Make a Ron Weasley Costume
  • How to Make a Severus Snape Costume

 

Oh, and on a final note!  Congratulations to our very own Quietish who won the June prize for Muggle Studies on Ravelry’s HPKCHC!!!!  WOOT!!!  Go QUIETISH!!!!!

G'morning, crafty folks!  We've wrapped up the first weekend of this month's Craft-Along over on The Leaky Cauldron and we've already had two people hand in some most excellent t-shirts! 

First we had a wonderful shirt posted by archerpren :


She's also been kind enough to link us to her blog so that we can see how it's made!  You can check that out here. 

Our second finished product was posted by lont009:



Congratulations, you two, on each earning 5 MyLeaky points for your respective houses, and for creating some AWESOME shirts for the movie premiere!

Hugs & chocolate~

Jenn
(a.k.a. As_Weasley_as_I_wannabe)

This week you get a little inside scoop on quietish .  This crafting whiz is our Contests & Craft-Alongs Guru, as well as being an awe-inspiring knitwear designer.

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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?
It's all a bit fuzzy for me, but my fearless leader tells me it was June of 2007. Wow, it's been a long time! I came in at the same time as Jenn and Amber and we were all bumbling newbies for a time. Now I'm still bumbling and the others are Crafty Witch MACHINES!
I currently am the Witch that leads the Craft-Alongs (and sometimes contests) every other month on the Leaky Lounge. I like to get in there and do things with my hands as much as possible, so this was the post for me.

What is the story behind your Leaky username, INSERT USERNAME HERE?
My Leaky username (Quietish) is the same as what I use pretty much everywhere else on the net. I changed it a handful of years ago from a moniker that I'd grown out of. Quietish, at least at the time, seemed like a good descriptive term for my online persona. I was online a LOT, but didn't neccessarily post or say much at all. I think Quietish is probably not so descriptive of me anymore, but I still like the word and the letter Q. So yeah, it stays.

What House do you sort into, and why?
Gryffindor! I love the other houses, but none of them are as much a perfect fit for me. That isn't to say that I'm always completely brave and bold, but really Gryffindor feels like home.

What sorts of crafting do you do?
Everything. If I haven't yet done it, I am sure I will at some point.

What is your most prized crafty possession?
I don't think I have a single favorite. Nothing I use is part of an inheritance or anything. I love and respect my tools, no matter what craft I'm doing. The internet is a highly valuable tool. And my hands.. I couldn't do it without them.

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess? Married, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 3 cats. I'm a domestic goddess (ha! not really. But I'm domestic) looking forward to going back to school in the Fall of 09.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?
For a long time it was Goblet of Fire. It has everything - mystery, character development, new characters and concepts, action, and a major plot arc. It might still be my favorite. I'm not sure. Deathly Hallows is amazing and heartbreaking and moving. Ask me in a few more years.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?
Meh. They're all alright. I am hoping Half-Blood Prince is good.

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
I cannot answer that. I mean, if I were forced I'd say Harry. But seriously, I love them all.

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?
Oh dang, I dunno. Maybe teaching school, because it'd be lots of magic use right? I'd say Auror, but I always lose at games so I imagine I'd lose at dueling.

--------------------
Jenn

This week I'd like to introduce Laura, a.k.a. Risdanya.  She is one of our new Crafty Witches, and took on the daunting task of being my assistant!

Have fun getting to know her - we're sure you'll love her as much as we do!!
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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?
I became a Crafty Witch in early March and I am the assistant/minion/sidekick person to Super! Jenn.

What is the story behind your Leaky username, Risdanya?
Risdanya is the name of one of the characters in a story that I have been working on for ages...I've turned it into a bit of a nickname/alter-ego because I just love the character.

What House do you sort into, and why?
Slytherin because I do what's right...I just tend to do it my way...be that way legal or otherwise. Lol.

What sorts of crafting do you do?
Lately I've taken to crocheting like a fiend. I also sew and I've kind of learned how to knit. I like doing paper projects...so a "Jack of all Trades" kind of deal.

What is your most prized crafty possession?
Hmm...I really couldn't tell you to be honest. Way too many "crafty possession"s to pick on that one.

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess?
I am in a long term relationship though we aren't married. I have a son that is around 5 and a half months (holy cow!) old. Between my boyfriend and I we have 4 cats and 1 pet rat and I am working on getting a job...I detest doing house work...*glares pointedly at vacccum cleaner of death*

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?
Probably Deathly Hallows just because I think Jo tied in everything beautifully. I loved seeing everything finally come together and make sense.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?
Thus far, number 5...but the trailers for number 6 are looking amazing!

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
Remus Lupin. He totally owns.

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?
I'd want to have Madame Pince's job...surrounded by ancient books all day...*sigh* Earth get's no closer to Heaven...

This week I'm posting an interview with Crafty Witch Mary.  We all know Mary, the guru of the Harry Potter Crafts gallery on Leaky, she's in the know on who is whom in our little crafting world!

Pull up a pouf, and rock out Hufflepuff style while getting to know this most incredible lady!!

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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?

Joined the Crafty Witches on October 6, 2006
Crafts Gallery Goddess: Uploading photos into the crafts gallery

What is the story behind your Leaky username, INSERT USERNAME HERE?

It's been my screenname for years and is taken from the fact that
1) I love dragons
2) I love Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series and have always thought that if I had lived in that world, a harper (or dragonsinger) would be what I would love doing. It was the first fantasy series I ever read and I discovered the books around third or fourth grade!

What House do you sort into, and why?
Hufflepuff because its my home

What sorts of crafting do you do?
Crochet, counted cross stitch, some knitting, scrapbooking, sewing, and various other assorted types

What is your most prized crafty possession?
My late grandmother's steel crochet hooks and yarn holder.

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess?
Married, 3 adult children
2 furbabies, a german shepherd and a norfolk terrier who have no clue they're neither the same size or same breed

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?
Chamber of Secrets

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?
Chamber of Secrets

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
Molly Weasley

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?
Teaching Ancient Runes. Have always had a deep love for all the runes.

This week I'm pleased as punch to bring you an interview with Crafty Witch Josée, who was the "creator" of the Crafty Witches.  Enjoy!

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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?
The story of how I became a Crafty Witch is the story of how Crafts came to be on Leaky. I had been a member of the Leaky Lounge for a while, joining after a tiny forum I was part of (The Third Floor Corridor) died. Since I loved to craft, I had also created a Yahoo! Group devoted to the subject of Harry Potter and crafts. Around February, KimmyBlair asked me if I wanted to do a Fan Interview with her about my group for PotterCast. Well of course I wanted to! We did the interview and it aired very shortly after that (I remember being very surprised at how fast it had aired!). Shortly after that, I got home to find an e-mail by the Melissa Anelli in my inbox. That was a shock! Then I opened the e-mail and read what Melissa had written... That she had listened to my PotterCast interview (wow!) and that she had thought that maybe we could create a section on Leaky devoted to HP-related crafts, and would I be interested to do that. That’s when I pretty much stopped breathing. Well of course I wanted to!

So I started with what I think I needed to do, learned HTML just for that, requested permissions, coded tutorials, etc. On June 12th, 2006, though I thought we could add a lot more tutorials in there, the crafts section went live. I was so happy!! I got to Lumos, met up with fellow crafters from my group and with Jennifer Ofenstein, who joined shortly after the conference. Mary joined shortly after her, in October. And the rest, as they say, is history.

At first, I was Head Crafty Witch, but Real Life being a pain as usual, there was just no way I could keep up with the big responsibilities that job involves. I passed the big hat to Jenn, and I’m now in charge of tutorial permission requests, which is a job I love to do. I get to search around the net for new goodies to post, and to request people permission to post their things. I just love that feeling I get when I read someone agrees to do it!

What is the story behind your Leaky username, Josée~Madalia?
Josée is my real first name. It’s French, as I’m from Quebec, Canada. Contrary to what most people think, it’s pronounced Joe-Zay, not Josie (I always joke that I’m not a Pussycat).

Madalia is a name made up by a member of The Third Floor Corridor forum I was a member of before joining the Leaky Lounge. I’m not sure where Brandon got it from, but I think it’s also the name of a fish or something. I just like the sound of it, plus it’s easy to pronounce in a bunch of languages.

What House do you sort into, and why?
I consider myself to be a Ravenclaw, though Hufflepuff would probably be a close second. As a kid, I was always the girl who would prefer reading a good book to playing outside, and even today, when I read, you could drop a bomb two inches from my skull and I wouldn’t notice.

What sorts of crafting do you do?
I really like making padded photo albums, as they’re quick to make but look so pretty. I also scrapbook, stamp, knit, cross-stitch, sew and do some basic woodwork. I’m expert in nothing, but I like to do a bit of everything.

What is your most prized crafty possession?
The most expensive thing that I have is most certainly my sewing machine, which was given to me by my mother as a birthday present. I never inherited anything in terms of crafting supplies though (I can count myself lucky enough that all the crafters in my family are still alive!), so I must say I love all my crafting supplies equally... And I have a lot of them! In fact, I realized recently that I have more crafting supplies than cooking supplies! *blushes*

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess?
I’ve been with my boyfriend since November 2001, but we haven’t moved to the having kids part yet. He hates animal, so we don’t have any... He’s very hairy and incredibly childing at times though, so does that count? tongue.gif

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?
I must say I love each and everyone of them, but I think I like PoA and DH most of all.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?
I’m not at all a movie fan. In fact, I usually go see them once when they come out in theatres, and that’s it. I’m utterly in love with my audiobooks though. I have both the Stephen Fry and Jim Dale version and I’m constantly listening to one or another.

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
Asking that question is like asking a mother which one of her kid she prefers the most. And everyone knows a mother can’t possibly answer that. I’m not a mom yet, but I can’t possibly choose just one character. My favorite characters are all the ones I don’t hate.

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?
I don’t think I would be very good at the Dark Wizard catching thing, so Auror isn’t something I’d apply for. Healer wouldn’t be for me either. The Ministry sounds too much like my current job, so I wouldn’t want that. I guess I’d probably love to teach, though I’m not sure what. Not Herbology, I can kill any plant I touch... Charms, maybe?

 

( It would seem that the Crafty Witches are a lively bunch right now... )

 

for today I'm honored to present to you an interview granted by the Crafty Witches very own Royal, the Princess herself, Crafty Witch Amber!

Amber is remarkably friendly for royalty, just don't forget to worship her tiara, okay?

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How, and when, did you become a Crafty Witch? What is your job with the Crafty Witches?

'Round about the same time as Super!Jenn, though I can't remember when... My job is to take over the world one networking website at a time... Er...I do the weekly updates?

What is the story behind your Leaky username, hp5freak?

I took on hp5freak in 2003 as a joke for a project I was working on, and shortly after college, when I needed a new email, I stuck with it because by then...it just fit me.

What House do you sort into, and why?

I don't have a house...I have a palace! Just joking, kinda. I don't actually sort into any house because I am all and none of them on a regular basis. Besides, it's not fair to the others of whatever house I'm sorted in to be stuck with me.

What sorts of crafting do you do?

I crochet mostly. I've recently learn to knit. I also stencil shirts, etch glass, cross-stitch, do some beading, and whatever else I get it in my head to do.

What is your most prized crafty possession?

Loaded question. To MAKE crocheted goodies, I have my favorite hook, Jasper, to help. For crafts I've MADE, it's gotta be the BDP (a huge blanket that I showed at Terminus). For crafts I've received, each one holds a special place in my heart.

Married or Single? Kids? Furbabies? Working lass, or Domestic Goddess?

Single working lass...haven't found Mr Right-For-Me. I am owned by 3 cats, a mom and a dog.

Which is your favorite Harry Potter novel?

Probably Half-Blood Prince...

Which is your favorite Harry Potter movie?

Hard to say...we still have 3 to come out. I tend to like the newest one the best though....

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?

Ginny Weasley....she is a force!

If you could have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why?

I would own my own magical craft store on Diagon Alley. Because every world needs a craft store.

*stumbles in from muggle day job*

*pins notice, announcements, and flyers to the board*

Hey there Crafty Folk…

Still chasing Real Life here, but thought I would bring in these notices/announcements and whatnot…

FIRST!!!  JUNE/JULY Craft-Along!!! We are stenciling!!  We have the some tutorials available in the Crafts section if you are eager to get started!!!  We apologize that the galleries are still down for the stencils we have available, but a little wrackspurt told us that they will be back soon.  So if you are adventurous enough to start out on your own, by all means, please do, and don’t forget to stop by the forums and chat with us!!!

*prints off supply list and checks her craft area for what she needs*

SECOND!!!  Have you checked out the blog on Leaky?  We have a Crafty Witch blog that we CW’s take in turn to talk about crafts and life.  These are different from the updates we do every week!  And you can leave us comments and commiserations!

THIRD!!! Are you a member of LiveJournal or Dreamwidth?  Over the course of the next few weeks, we are going to be posting once a week with some getting to know you questions for the Crafty Witches!!!  This week Super!Jenn posted hers…so check it out!  The links are in last week’s update!!!

*checks her exclamation point button for damage and punctuation abuse*

Alrighty, I think that’s it, so I’m going to back to wrestling with Real Life! Later!!!

 

With a click and thunk, we are back to where we started…

 

Aw bugger…

 

*stares at now empty cage that was supposed to be holding the criminal known as Real Life*

*sighs*

*writes up new APB warning*

 

Hear ye, hear ye.  Be aware that the entity known as Real Life has once again escaped confinement.  May be running around with equally known deviant, Summer Plans.  Be on the lookout for these two characters as if caught unawares, you may find yourself fully ensnared in their nefarious dealings.  You have been warned.  Proceed with caution.

 

*shuffles through inbox for any updates*

 

Forum Updates:

 

• Fabric Embellishments
  • Stenciling
    • Muggle Wear
      • HP Stencil
      • Muggle Shirt with Sequins
      • S.P.E.W. Shirt

 

Oh and a couple of announcements!

 

First:  NEW CRAFT-ALONG!!!!  We are going to be starting *trumpet blare* JUNE 1^st!!!!  Next Monday!!!!!  And we are going to be ….STENCILLING!!!!!!  *dances around doing her happy dance*  So, keep an eye out for the supply list and various tutorials that will be popping up on Leaky in a couple of days and get ready to get addicted!!!!

 

Second:  I don’t know how many of you crafty folk know about our quest for world domination….er…I mean, our quest to be everywhere we need to be in Internetland.  We have accounts and blogs set up in several of the major social networking sites and the updates I write go up weekly.  That said, we have a new community on Dreamwidth for those of you on there. (craftywitchesandco)  The Crafty Witches are going to be doing a Q and A session on there soon, so you may want to check that out.

 

Finally, did you know that the Crafty Witches have a blog on Leaky?  We take it in turns to post there weekly.  This and the DW community are going to be THE places to learn more about the women you know as the Crafty Witches. (Crafty Blog). 

 

Well, that’s all I have this week.  Now to find Real Life and stuff him back in the cage.

*wanders in after waking up late…*

*shuffles over to desk to check inbox*

*finds veritable FLOOD of updates*

*shrieks a bit*

*gets to typing*

*composes minor apology in lieu of funnies in recent weeks*

( Therein lies the reason... )

 

 

Okay, yeah,….er…running late….

 

So, uh…I have no funny this week because Real Life kidnapped me and I’ve only just got away…

 

*checks to see if the Drama Llama is still running around the paddock*

 

(the Drama Llama being the environmentally friendly way for Real Life to get around, rather than the Mack Truck it normally crashes into my life with…)

 

Anyway, I have some updates for you, so enjoy!!!

 

( Come and get 'em.... )

*goes off to look for bubble wrap and a bunker…*

All is quiet in the Crafty Witch office…

 

A lone tumbleyarn rolls past a sleepy looking mountain of yarn….

 

With a sudden great roar, the mountain begins to move…

 

I. WILL. HAVE. VICTORY!!!!

( Will she or won't she? )

 

*sits in a chair to work on a new craft*

*hums to herself while making progress*

*hears another Crafty Witch on the stairs*

*shoves project out of sight*

*jumps up quickly and moves to her desk to do updates as Dragonsinger comes in with a huge tote of Molly sleeves in progress floating behind her*

*realizes she’s left her new project stuffed in the cushions of Dragonsinger’s favorite chair*

*tries to figure out how to move her project without Dragonsinger finding it*

 

( What happened next? )

 

CRAFTERS!!!

w00t!!! Only 2 days left to get your Enchanted Eggs entered in our first ever on our own Leaky Crafts Contest!!!

Don't let us down, y'all know you made eggs for HP!

So follow the instructions here: http://www.leakylounge.com/Enchanted-Eggs-CONTEST-t67820.html#entry1777536

And get your entries emailed to us by 11:59 EST Apr 30th or we can't put you in the pot for entry...

I'm nearly finished with the prize for the winning entry.  And don't forget the nifty avatar you will get for winning too...

Hurry Hurry Hurry!!! You have 2 days left!!!

 

( You'll just have to click me to see just what my excuse is this time!!! )