Carol Duvall and iCraftNetwork? Only with YOUR help!

Carol and Tim Holtz

As a teenager I didn’t know anybody that crafted. My mother taught me to sew the basics – you know clothing and such. And it’s not like the internet was around to fill in the gap. We are talking the late eighties here. Enter the Home show.

Home, hosted by Gary Collins during the time I watched it, ran from 1988 to 1994. I watched it while getting ready for school (high school) and as a young wife and mother. My favorite segments were the craft and decorating ones by Kitty Bartholomew, Carol Duvall, and Dian Thomas. I can’t tell you how many things in my home were either projects from the show or directly influenced by them.

When the Home show ended in 1994 Carol started her own show on HGTV. It was extremely popular during its 12 year run. It showed a multitude of projects from paper to polymer to jewelrymaking. While simple enough for the beginning crafter to complete, most also had options for embellishing or other techniques to challenge the more advanced crafter. Each of her guests also brought examples of different colorways and embellishments. My personal favorite segments were when she visited artists and craftsmen in their studios. Nothing gets your creative juices flowing like seeing someone working in their own environment.

When it was canceled in 2006 no one was more confused as to why than her thousands of fans. The public outcry was enough for the Scripps Company (parent of both networks) to continue broadcasting it on their DIY Network where it has enjoyed a cozy berth up until now. HGTV recently announced that they have decided to cancel the show (again). There seemed to be nothing to be done this time.

However, Carol’s producer Kelly Ehrlich may have a solution, the iCraftNetwork. This new network would show archived episodes of the Carol Duvall show as well as new shows by hip craft stars of tomorrow – the best of both worlds.

A new network needs capital naturally but any investor worth his salt won’t touch it without an outpouring of interest and support. And isn’t that what the craft community does best – take care of our own?

It will just take a minute to jot a line or two. Don’t know what to write? Say something about a favorite project or one that inspired something else that you did. If Carol inspired you to craft, tell ‘em so! If, like me, you grew up on Carol, that’s good, too. If nothing else just tell them how much we need all crafting all the time on iCraftNetwork. Oh, you might mention features you think the website should include. It can’t hurt, right? ;)

Send your emails to icraftwithcarol@yahoo.com

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