45 Forgotten Gems
The Craft Room Podcast
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about forgotten gems. If you’ve been crafting for a long time, like me, then you likely have a LOT of amazing products and resources. Back in episode 40 I talked about The Craft Stash, and this is kind of an extension of that episode. Usually when people talk about forgotten gems, they’re referring to old movies or television shows, paintings or travel destinations. But this is a craft podcast, so, of course, we are going to be talking about them in the context of crafting. In thinking about...
info_outline
44 The No-Spend Year (and alternatives)
The Craft Room Podcast
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let’s talk about something that most crafters will probably consider at some point in their lives … a no spend year. Sometimes it’s a month, a quarter, six months … but most commonly I see people setting this goal for a whole year. It might sound drastic, even unthinkable to some, but in this economy, especially with the rising prices of craft supplies, there are plenty of people doing a no-spend year. I’m not trying to talk anyone into such a dramatic situation, and, of course, there are some alternatives, so let’s talk about the difference...
info_outline
#43 The Benefits of Swatching
The Craft Room Podcast
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about the benefits of swatching. Yes, I am on a swatching kick right now and it all started thanks to my friend Sally. I went to visit her last month and she showed me her beautifully organised craft supplies, but more importantly she showed me her ink pad swatches. I knew the second I saw it that this was the solution I had been looking for for years. It’s not like I’ve never swatched before. My Copic markers are swatched out on a hex chart, I’ve swatched some pencils and a watercolour...
info_outline
#42 New Year Crafting Goals
The Craft Room Podcast
Happy New Year! Today is the first day of 2026, so I figure it’s a great time to talk about new year crafting resolutions. Yes, I have talked about this before, back in episode 32, mainly focusing on planning and different types of crafting resolutions that can be done over 12 months. Today, I want to focus on something different, plus I have an exciting announcement. LINKS
info_outline
#41 Big Announcement & Product Longevity
The Craft Room Podcast
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let’s talk about my Big Announcement and Product Longevity. Last week I made a really big decision, which led to a big announcement this week … it’s time for me to close my shop. You can see my full announcement video on the home page, and most recent blog post, at Closing the shop got me thinking a lot about how we use our products, inspiration, motivation and perfectionism. Then this morning the group chat for Homemade Cards for Seniors Australia collection points really got me thinking about giving our products longevity. And I know two big...
info_outline
#40 The Craft Stash
The Craft Room Podcast
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let's talk about the Craft Stash, which is near and dear to pretty much every crafter I’ve ever known, and that is the craft stash. If this is a term you’re unfamiliar with, your craft stash is that collection of craft supplies, tools and resources you keep in your home, so that when you find yourself with unexpected crafting time, or inspiration strikes you can get some supplies out and start crafting immediately. Every crafter’s stash is different, and I’ve never met anyone with a duplicate stash to mine, and it’s likely I never will. And that’s...
info_outline
#39 Setting Yourself up for Success
The Craft Room Podcast
Hello, welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I’m so glad you’re joining me as we look at ways we can set ourselves up for Success for a new crafting year. I have ten tips that you might find helpful. I was live in my card membership group a while back, chatting about this delicious week between Christmas and new year. The festive, yet chaotic energy of Christmas has passed, and it’s my favourite time of the year. I’m in my pjs on the couch in front of the AC and Netflix, living off leftovers and cheese boards and I have no idea what day it is … living the dream! This is the week I use...
info_outline
#38 The Card Maker Success Summit
The Craft Room Podcast
Hello … welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I’m so glad you’re joining me today, because we are talking today about the upcoming Card Maker Success Summit. I’ve been attending these summits for the past few years, and even though I’ve been making cards for over 30 years, I still come away from the event having learned something new, and loaded up with inspiration. So imagine my excitement when an invitation to speaker this year landed in my inbox! At the time I was putting finishing touches on the All Occasions box, so when I saw the theme for this summit … Card Maker Success...
info_outline
#37 Glue: Part 2
The Craft Room Podcast
Happy new year to you, and I’m so glad you’re joining me today as I answer the most common question I’ve received so far this year, which pertains to glue. Way back in Episode 26 I talked a lot about glue, but I’ve learned a few new things this week, so I thought it was time to share updated information and answer a question that lands in my inbox almost every day … “What is the ETA on the Precision Glue Press”. I made a short video about this today, but there’s more to know, so while this isn’t a super long episode, it does have some useful information, about the product,...
info_outline
#36 Obsession to Completion (The Tale of the Crochet Parasol)
The Craft Room Podcast
I’m so glad that you’re joining me for this episode, because it’s a wild ride. Even if you’re not into crochet (or parasols), I hope you’ll stick around for the thrilling tale of how a 34 second TikTok video sparked a crafting odyssey. I have some hot tips to share that you might find useful in your own crafting life. I’m sure I’m not alone in this … you know that moment when you see something on the internet and you just know in your heart that you HAVE TO MAKE IT. This is what I’m talking about when I say “obsession”. I’ve experienced this many times, though in recent...
info_outlineHello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about forgotten gems. If you’ve been crafting for a long time, like me, then you likely have a LOT of amazing products and resources. Back in episode 40 I talked about The Craft Stash, and this is kind of an extension of that episode. Usually when people talk about forgotten gems, they’re referring to old movies or television shows, paintings or travel destinations. But this is a craft podcast, so, of course, we are going to be talking about them in the context of crafting.
In thinking about this for a few weeks, I’ve found that forgotten crafty gems tend to fall into one of three categories …
1. Physical (which falls into 3 sub-categories - Consumables, Tools, References/Resources)
2. Virtual/digital
3. Techniques/knowledge
So … what can we do to uncover our forgotten crafting gems. Well, before we talk about that, I would like to remind you of one important thing. If you were out in Lightning Ridge mining for opals, not everything you dig up is going to be a beautiful gem. There’s going to be a whole lot of rubble, and, let’s be honest … there’s going to be some dirt. The same applies when searching for forgotten crafting gems, in your stash, on the internet, on your computer, your phone or in your memory. Be prepared to find a few things that you look at and wonder ‘Why did I keep this?’, and I suspect there will be some dust, and potentially a dead bug in there somewhere.
The easiest way to find anything is to look for it, and I'll walk you through from low effort / low time options, then we'll level up.
1. Look
2. Closer Look
3. Sort
4. Organise
If there’s anything I hope you take away from this episode, I hope it is this …
* It’s worth pressing pause on bringing new things into your home so you can take some time to look at what you have, decide what you love and curate a craft stash that is a true treasure chest.
* Keep track of your virtual and digital gems so you can enjoy them before they disappear. Block out some time to watch that video, look at old bookmarked pages, work your way through that online course or print those checklists and templates and use them.
* Sometimes we need to clear the rubble and the dirt (and the dead fly) so our gems can truly shine. One crafters rubble is another crafters treasure.
Mostly I hope that you find great joy in your craft stash, and if you find a truly amazing treasure, please feel free to share it, maybe in the Craft with Dawn Lewis Facebook group (link in show notes and on the blog). Enjoy the gem hunt, and happy crafting!
LINKS
Episode 45 blog post
Episode 40 ‘The Craft Stash’
Online Courses & Classes
Craft with Dawn Lewis Facebook Group
Shop
Creative Fabrica
Sign up for newsletter
Buy Me A Coffee
Benable budget crafting board