| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Welcome to The Artful Crafter Digest - February 2011 Corrected Version February 01, 2011 |
| Hi If you are having trouble reading this newsletter or if links don't work, click here. Look at all these luscious shells I collected on a recent visit to Sanibel Island, Florida.  They’re just beautiful in a wabi-sabi sort of way. Look at the color variations. I even picked up interesting broken shells and pieces of coral which I could wire wrap with intricate designs. I collected a slew of pure mother of pearl chips – at least I think that’s what they are. They appear to be shells where all the calcified outer casing has eroded away leaving shimmery chips of mother of pearl. Isn’t nature amazing?  After the fact, my hubby said, "We went for a walk on the beach and didn’t get more than fifty yards because you were constantly stooping down to pick up shells." I guess he took the pictures as proof positive. Lol.  I think it’s so sweet that he lets me have my little crafty flings. It was my time to "smell the roses" (as in "pick up the shells"). We have some new projects on site as usual. Plus you’ll find lots of other projects to inspire you in our Craft Ideas Section. Best wishes,
New Articles • Print Your Own Stationery with Print Shop - Step-by-step directions for designing your own stationary in Print Shop. • Quick Wardrobe Rescues - Don’t throw it out! You can rescue those accessories you bought that just didn’t fit or look right once you actually wore them. • More Outdoor Decoupage Ideas - We’ve written about this before; but new and better products keep coming out. Decoupage that will be exposed to the elements needs a super durable finish coat. • How to Sew a Secret Pockets Hanger Cover to Save Time and Valuables - With just a few scraps of fabric, it’s easy to sew a handy-dandy hanger cover to organize your outfits. • Ribbon Lampshade - Here’s a quick and easy way to dress up a dull lampshade. • CD Case Doodle Calendar - This cute desk calendar was a collaborative effort by doodler extraordinaire, June Crawford, and yours truly. • Decoupage – Perhaps the Most Accessible Craft Anywhere - Even if you live on a remote island somewhere, you can easily find all the materials you need to do decoupage. • Mother of Pearl Necklace and Earring Set - Here’s the first jewelry I made with my Sanibel shells, along with the directions so you can make one yourself. • Easy Dyed Silk Scarf - Finally, here’s an easy method to make a beautiful batik-look silk dyed scarf. All you need are a white silk scarf, silk dyes and a few common household items.2011 Indie Craft Trend Report I thought you would be interested in this notice I just received from Craftster Org – especially those of you who craft for profit. Hello, I wanted to bring your attention to the 2011 Indie Craft Trend Report, a collection of the hottest indie craft trend predictions for 2011, released this week by the staff of Craftster.org. The report is the result of an analysis of trends being seen among the 1.3 million monthly visitors to Craftster. Among the highlights: • Crafters are more business savvy and will use more web and mobile apps to sell and market their products. Happy to answer any questions; just let me know. Talia Download the full Craftster 2011 Indie Craft Trend Report here. There’s some very interesting stuff in the report. For example, if you do mixed media and needlework, 2011 may be your year; and you need to follow my friend Cyndi Lavin at Mixed Media Artist. To quote … "In 2011, newer techniques like stitching on mixed media and free form stitching will grow in popularity as advanced needlework artisans look to take their craft to the next level." Cyndi is WAY OUT in front of this predicted trend. The Artful Crafter Valentine Parade of Crafts You still have two weeks to make Valentine cards and gifts. Here’s some inspiration for you. VALENTINE CARDS & … 
♥Valentines Your Children Can Make for Their Classmates – Heart-shaped simple Valentines and unfolded glitter delight Valentines. ♥Digital Valentine’s Day Card – Adding WOW with digital styles. ♥Four Valentine's Day Card Patterns – Easy peasey handmade Valentine cards by Rachel Paxton. ♥"Cherish" Handmade Card – A special Valentine card to cherish. ♥Pin Weave Valentines Card – Valentine card with a hand-woven heart embellishment. ♥ Pretty in Pink Valentine Cards – More cute Valentine cards designed by Rachel Paxton. ♥Valentine’s Day Bagalope Pattern – No, it’s not a relative of the antelope or the cantaloupe; a bagalope is a little gift bag made out of an ordinary envelope. It’s just the perfect size for traditional Valentine’s Day gifts from jewelry to little candy hearts.KID’S CRAFTS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY  ♥Easy Valentine Crafts for Kids – Cards, tissue paper flowers and pipe cleaner heart chains. ♥ Valentines Foam Heart Magnets – An easy-to-make Valentine craft for children of all ages.VALENTINE GIFTS 
♥Beaded Heart Key Ring or Cell Phone Fob – A practical gift for someone special. ♥Etched Heart Champagne Flutes – A special romantic Valentine gift. ♥Puffy Heart Valentines – After the classic Valentine message candy hearts; but with zero calories! ♥Sweet Hearts Bookmark – A quick gift for the booklover. ♥Valentine Garland Candle – A simple idea to dress up a candle for Valentine’s Day. ♥Heart Shaped Jewelry Holder Pattern – Directions for a no-sew, padded jewelry holder.VALENTINE RECIPES 
♥Quilled Pastry Hearts with Key Lime Curd – Nothing says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven. Reader Letter of the Month: Software for Digi-Scrapping I do not understand [this article on Scrapbook Boutique]. It looks like the scrapbooker has to use the premade templates. I do not like that. I want to choose my own background, borders, accents, and so on. Does the software have that capability? Kay It sounds like you’re more adventurous – digitally speaking – so Scrapbook Boutique is probably not the best choice for you. As I wrote in the article, Scrapbook Boutique might be for you "If you’re a scrapbooker but have never tried digi-scrapping or are an experienced digi-scrapper and want to do a super-fast page." The album pages and elements designed by the Simple Scrapbooks magazine design team are one of the selling points of Scrapbook Boutique UNLESS you want to design your own layouts. Scrapbook Boutique does allow you to import digital elements from elsewhere, but it has limited image manipulation capabilities. You would have many more design options for your layouts with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. You might find these articles helpful: • She Said, He Said: Adobe is the Best
 |
| Back to Back Issues Page |
