Sneak Peek: Candice Olson Family Spaces

We are simply delighted to have the privilege of publishing books by design superstar Candice Olson. Her latest, Candice Olson Family Spaces, is an amazing collection of family rooms, great rooms, and basements that welcome moms, dads, and kids alike. Crafty types will find several room designs that accommodate hobbies like sewing, along with kids’ crafting.

Here’s a modern space from the book that I just love. Can’t you picture yourself making amazing stuff at that pretty table?

This book will hit store shelves on November 13, so mark your calendars! It joins other great guides by Candice, including Candice Olson on Design, Candice Olson Kitchens & Baths, and Candice Olson Bedrooms. To find out where Candice sources the furnishings and other materials for her room designs, go to www.candiceolsonbooks.com.

Announcing DIY Ideas

I’m super excited to tell you about the latest book from our partners at Do It Yourself magazine and Better Homes and Gardens. DIY Ideas is chock full of tips and tricks for sprucing up your home, with dozens of easy projects for every room. Whether you want to paint your walls, make over a piece of furniture, or add a personal touch to accessories like window treatments and lampshades, this book tells you how. And you’re sure to find inspiration from the book’s gorgeous photos!

One of my favorite projects in DIY Ideas is the Alphabet Shade from the Window Treatments chapter. How cute is that valance? And I love the idea of starting with a simple roller shade and making it your own–you could do all sorts of things using this basic pattern, and not just for a kid’s room.

For instructions for this project and many others, check out DIY Ideas!

Say Goodbye to Summer with a Cool Treat

Although summer weather is still in full swing, school has started up again for many of us, and that can only mean cooler temperatures aren’t far behind. While the summer sun is still shining bright, whip up a cool treat and spend some time outside! Jennifer Casa‘s Snowy Citrus Cups from her book Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids is a great summer refresher, and it’s a fun easy thing to make together with your kids. Click here for the complete instructions: Snowy Citrus Cups.

Introducing Candice Olson Bedrooms

If you are into interior design, you’re sure to know Candice Olson, whose shows air regularly on HGTV in the U.S. and W Network in Canada. Well, we here at Wiley are very proud to be her book publisher! I’m excited to tell you about her latest book, Candice Olson Bedrooms. It features 25 stunning room makeovers, with sketches and design boards showing how each room took shape, plus gorgeous photography that provides a wealth of visual inspiration. Candice’s tips and insights into what makes each space work give you practical knowledge for planning your own bedroom redesign, either for yourself, your guests, or your kids. Here are a few images from the book to give you a taste of the amazing ideas you’ll find:

Free 4th of July Project for Kids

 Here’s a fun, quick craft the whole family can help create! This sparkly wand, featured in Marie LeBaron‘s Make and Takes for Kids: 50 Crafts Throughout the Year, would be perfect for little ones to wave at this week’s patriotic parades, backyard barbecues, and firework displays. Click on the picture for instructions. Happy 4th, everyone!

Sabrina Soto Home Design Giveaway Winner!

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Sabrina Soto Home Design giveaway! Just in time for the weekend, I’m pleased to announce the winner: Aida Rodriguez! Congratulations, Aida!

Want to meet Sabrina in person? If you’re in New Jersey, you’re in luck! She’ll be signing books at the Cherry Hill Barnes & Noble on June 4 at 7:00 pm and at the Freehold Barnes & Noble on June 16 at 1:00 pm.

Happy Friday, everyone!

A Sneak Peek Inside Sabrina Soto Home Design

Thanks to all of you who have left such nice comments about Sabrina Soto and her book! If you haven’t entered our giveaway yet, there’s still time–leave a comment on Monday’s post by Friday at noon EST!

Love Sabrina and intrigued to hear her advice on decorating? Here’s a sneak peek inside the book: Sabrina’s tried-and-true System of Trios for choosing a color scheme–a key element in any room design, and one of the most fun parts of decorating. Set against earthy brown tile and crisp white cabinetry, the mid-range green used in this bathroom and bedroom sets a restful tone and unifies the spaces.

Photo courtesy of Pratt & Lambert Paints

Make sure to check back Friday afternoon to see if you’re the winner of a copy of Sabrina Soto Home Design and a $200 American Express gift card!

Introducing Sabrina Soto Home Design

I’m thrilled to announce a new book that I know readers of this blog will love: Sabrina Soto Home Design. You may have seen Sabrina on TV as Target’s Style Expert for the Home, or you may have seen her amazing show The High Low Project on HGTV, where she shows how to re-create a high-end room design on a realistic budget. We love Sabrina’s can-do attitude and DIY spirit, and we’re thrilled to have her as part of the Wiley family. Home Design is a fantastic decorating primer that tells you everything you need to know about how to take your own creative ideas and use them to design rooms that are both beautiful and functional. You’re sure to find ideas on everything from arranging furniture to choosing color to using accents in stylish and savvy ways. Check back here on Wednesday for a sneak peek into the book.

To one lucky winner we’ll be giving away a copy of the book and a $200 American Express gift card–use it to jump-start that DIY project you’ve been wanting to tackle! Leave a comment on this post by 12:00 EST on Friday, and I’ll announce the winner Friday afternoon.

Reinvention in First Grade + Giveaway

Earlier this year my daughter’s first grade teacher invited me to come in and do a craft with her class. Right about the time I was casting about for just the right project, we were busy editing away on Maya Donenfeld’s just-released Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials.

While an adult-level sewing book would not have been my first place to look for a project for 16 first graders, I just kept coming back to one project – the Nature Notebooks. I knew the kids would love the idea of recycling and the involvement of paint and stamping would allow a nice level of personalization. They all love journaling and the light level of sewing gave them all a big sense of accomplishment when they were done.

Take a look at the gallery to see how they came together and how wonderfully they turned out!

I should also note that all of the kids now want a sewing machine, most especially the boys.

Huge thanks to all of the kids for their hard work and creativity, to my daughter’s teacher for the invitation, and to Park Tudor School for allowing me to spend a morning with her class.

Maya- your project was a winner! There truly is something for everyone in your finished book and I, for one, am looking forward to making the rest of them.

And, now for the giveaway. We’re so excited about this book that we’re dying to share a copy with one lucky reader. Leave me a comment and on Monday I’ll pick a winner to receive a copy of Reinvention.

Video and Giveaway – How to Make Money Using Etsy

Today, Handmadeology‘s Timothy Adam offers a couple more tips on how to improve your selling experience on Etsy. Leave us a comment on this post and one lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a copy of Tim’s new book How to Make Money Using Etsy.

Learn how to schedule a whole week’s worth of social media promotion using Shop Marketing Helper:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7whhmuUSRE

There is a new Etsy app that just came on the scene called the Shop Marketing Helper that will help Etsy sellers save time by scheduling all their social media marketing efforts. I have been scheduling the social media promotion of the Handmadeology Etsy shop and our traffic and sales have doubled and beyond!

25 strong backlinks to your Etsy shop in 3 mins or less! 

Now your Etsy business can have a social media presence even when you can’t be there!

http://handmadeology.com/etsyshopmarketing

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