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Press Release: May 30, 2008

The Coolest DIY Shoes, Sneakers, and Sandals! Inside Craft Volume 7

Sebastopol, CA-- Who doesn�t love shoes? From hip hop trendsetters like Kanye West to the shoe-loving starlets on Sex and the City, shoes have always been a popular fashion statement, and for many, a modest obsession. From DIY sneakers and heels to sandals and even roller skates, Craft Volume 7 will have you walking in style�your style! Among other projects, you can restyle Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars with simple sewing and shoe glue. Also, transform any pair of shoes into a flashy pair of roller skates. Let your personal style shine through with these sole-ful projects!

Fun shoe projects from Craft Volume 7:

  • Slip-On Style: Fashion a custom pair of wooden kicks with interchangeable ribbon ties and you�ve got a modern twist to the ancient thong-style sandal.
  • Converse A La Mod: Their playful shape, easy-to-cut canvas, accessibility, and relatively low cost make Converse All Stars (aka �Chucks�) ideal to hack. Add a bit of personal style to your Chucks using fabric and shoe glue.
  • Hotshot High-Tops: Deconstruct and reconstruct your old standby sneakers with new knitting.
  • Baby Steps: Make soft, pliable shoes for your favorite toddler.
  • Roll Baby Roll!: Not only will your custom made roller skates set you apart in terms of style, fit, and comfort, they�re also a great conversation piece with the irresistible appeal of being able to say you made them yourself.

Other DIY projects from Craft Volume 7:

  • Fat Quarters Yukata Jacket: This Japanese inspired cotton jacket is great for spring and summer weather.
  • Rock �N� Roll Speakers: You can rock out to your favorite tunes with these portable Rock �n� Roll speakers�a set of customized, low-fi travel speakers that allow you to take your music everywhere.
  • Designer Dots: Create your own cross-stitch pattern with a perfectly pixilated digital image.
  • Pure Vanilla Satisfaction: Making your own vanilla extract is easier then you think.
  • Decoupage Your World: Keep your memories front and center (while sprucing your living room up) by adorning a coffee table with maps of your favorite places.
  • Safety Pin Jacket: Pin on some snazzy wings, or even an entire bird, to add some sparkle to an old jacket.
  • Pulsating Pal: For those inclined to add a little buzz to their home d�cor, try making this fun, vibrating pillow.

Also in this issue:

  • Travel Crafty Guide�Amsterdam: This progressive European city has lots of stores, galleries, markets, and museums that cater to a crafter�s every whim. Find out the best crafting places to visit in this Dutch metropolis.
  • Artistic License: Craft shares how to negotiate the line between trademark infringement and your First Amendment rights.
  • 101 Upholstery: Add comfort and a fresh new look to your chairs.

Handmade: In this section, Craft reveals some of the world�s most interesting handmade creations like Jennifer Maestre�s powerful sculptures inspired by the beautiful but dangerous sea urchin, as well as repeating patterns in nature. Made with pencils and nails, Maestre cuts sharpened pencils into 1-inch lengths, then drills a tiny hole in each section turning each pencil into a bead. Using peyote stitch, she creates these forms that have incredible texture.

Curio: The editors of Craft highlight some of their favorite trinkets and treasures; including Elsa Mora�s Bee Mine which is a perfect paper bee sculpture, capturing the concrete beauty of the world as well as the metaphysical nature of art. Kevin Patrick�s Lanyard Lamps give new meaning to that summer camp staple, opening up new possibilities of texture, light, and shape.

Celebrating the DIY spirit, Craft is the first project-based magazine dedicated to the renaissance occurring within the world of crafts. Selling for $14.99 and loaded with exciting projects that use unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials and tools, Craft celebrates resourceful spirits who undertake amazing crafting projects in their home and community. The quarterly magazine (www.craftzine.com) is published by O�Reilly Media, the premier information resource for technology innovation.

For more information on any of the above, or to speak with the editors of Craft, please contact: [email protected], 212-255-8455.

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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