Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood
CraftSanity Podcast producer
P.O. Box 888192
Grand Rapids, MI 49588-8192

Pen Pal Exchange: And because I've been really enjoying receiving letters lately, I thought I'd start CraftSanity Pen Pal Exchange. So, if you're interested in writing to a fellow listener, e-mail your full name, age, interests, and mailing address and I will attempt to match you with a pen pal with similar interests. Please write "Pen Pal Exchange" in the subject line and send me your response by Feb. 29. Samara and I are going to participate in this exchange and we'd love for you to join us.

Fabric Postcard Swap: Okay, here's one more opportunity to get cool mail. I'm also be hosting a fabric postcard swap. If you'd like to participate, e-mail me your name and address by Feb. 29 and I will match you with a swap partner. Partners will be assigned in early March and the deadline to mail your postcard is March 31. The theme is "Spring" so think flowers and sunshine.

Support the show! Buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com.

To enter, simply copy your post into an e-mail to Jennifer@craftsanity.com. Please include your mailing address in your email so I know where to send your prize if you win. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 18.

Support the show! Vote for CraftSanity at Podcast Alley. Or, buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com.

I met Dee in December and watched customers flock to her booth at an artist market we both participated in. Her products are wonderful, especially her Goats Milk and Aloe Cream. I was never a chemistry whiz and haven't had a much luck making soap myself, so I decided to take a lesson from a pro. On this episode of CraftSanity, I'm going to take you inside Dee's kitchen where she's going to tell us how she makes her expanding line of soaps and skin products.

So settle in for an audio tour into the world of soapmaking. Throughout the recording, Dee shares many interesting facts about the properties of particular oils and loads of useful information that will be very useful if you want to try this yourself.

I shot video of Dee in action, and will be posting that soon.

Meet Dee: If you're going to be in West Michigan this summer, be sure to look for Dee at the Fulton Street Artisan's Market from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. every Sunday. Below are some pictures of the stained glass artwork she sells at her booth.

This week's project: Dee was kind enough to write a great soap tutorial, so be sure to check it out. Thanks Dee! Download the PDF.

And we have a winner! The winner of Amy Karol's fabulous "Bend the Rules Sewing" book is Beth of Nashville, Tenn. Congrats Beth. Thanks to everyone who posted comments and to Potter Craft for donating the book.

This week's contest: Want to sample Dee's fantastic products? Post a comment about this episode on the blog and copy it into an e-mail to Jennifer@craftsanity.com along with your mailing address, and I'll get you entered in our random drawing for a gift package of great soaps and skin products. Share a soap story or a link to one of your own tutorials. The deadline to enter is July 20. Good luck everyone!

Support the show! Vote for CraftSanity at Podcast Alley. Or, buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com.

If you want to know more, check out CraftSanity episode 27 and read her FAQ.

"We staged the first production of the KNITTING NELL play in March - with fourteen kindergarten through second graders. We had an absolute riot of a time and, we even had enough boys for the boy roles. We all pitched in and made props, including a tree whose canopy of leaves was made from sculpted thick gauge wire completely covered with multicolored strands and loops of yarn."