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This month marks The Artful Crafter website’s 7th birthday!

Last month, The Artful Crafter blog celebrated its 5th birthday and we gave away two sets of Deb Terry art cards. Congratulations to our winners Patty and Karen608! Deb and I hope you enjoy using your darling whimsical fish note cards.

I’m pondering what we can give away for our website’s birthday. I have a couple of projects in the works that may serve. Or perhaps a crafty book ….

Suggestions are welcome. And be sure to follow The Artful Crafter blog so you don’t miss the giveaway announcement.

[The Follow icon is found in the left column of every blog page.]

Here’s an instant present for you digi-scrappers and paper crafters. If you’d like a copy of my layered Photoshop PSD cupcake design file along with the PDF instruction file, just Contact Me to let me know.

Clip your choice of digital papers to the individual components or use the shapes as patterns to cut them from scrapbook or other decorative papers. Use your cupcake for digital or paper scrapbook pages and greeting cards.

It’s hard to express how grateful I am to all you guys who subscribe, follow, and submit ideas, comments and questions. Your encouragement and input make mine perhaps the most fun job on the planet!

We have lots of new projects for you to fill your extra summer crafting time. Have fun crafting the hours away.

Plus you’ll find tons of other ideas to inspire you in our Craft Ideas Section and in our Holiday Craft Index.

Eileen

New Articles

• Is This the Most Versatile Craft Tool in Existence? – Take a look at this amazing affordable multi-purpose crafting tool.

• Collaborative Art Card Project by Deb and Eileen – How we made the note cards for the giveaway.

• Use Decoupage Techniques to Make Faux Tiles – Troubleshooting some decoupage problems.

• The Artful Crafter Patterns Replaced Free – Did you purchase an Artful Crafter Original Pattern and lose it? Or perhaps the dog ate it. Not to worry. The Artful Crafter will replace it at no charge.

• How to Make a Cheery Spring Scene Wall Hanging – This no-sew fabric project is perfect for a child’s room.

• Achieving Colorful Durable UV-Resistant Decals on Glass – Always consider where your craft project will be used when choosing media.

• Easy Economical Summer Fun Crafts for Kids – Thanks to guest crafter and mom of seven, Romona Weston, for these two fun kids craft projects.

• Kitchen Carts Organize Craft Supplies Too – After Romona submitted the two cute kids projects above, I asked if she could recommend a few kitchen carts especially well-suited to corralling our craft supplies.

In her “spare time”, Romona publishes kitchen cart reviews at KitchenCarts360.com.

• Safe Easy Way to Create Stained Glass – Do you know you can create a faux stained glass look with the Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Transparent Glass Paint Set?

Reader Letter of the Month: Eileen’s Back in Her Niche!

Thanks so much for answering my question, Eileen.

So much crafting and so little time. LOL! I wish I could do as many ideas as I come up with. :) You’re a wealth of knowledge, woman.

You've certainly found your little niche. What would we all do without you???

Deb

Oh I agree, Deb! There simply aren't enough hours in the day to try all the fun things we think of and all the new craft toys they keep inventing. I love my little niche ;-)

I'm so glad I've been able to help.

I've been rethinking where I'm going with The Artful Crafter lately. I started out with the concept of helping other crafters. In fact, our motto from day one has been "The Artful Crafter - Helping Crafters to Be".

In the past year, I've gotten sidetracked trying to force myself to become "an artist" - to learn to paint, doodle, draw better. I wanted it all. lol.

I haven’t explored all my creativity; I’m not dead yet. But I think you’ve helped me remember where the joy of crafting is for me.

I’m glad to be back in my niche of helping other crafters to learn and to be!

The journal tag says, "TEACHER 1967 to 1982" and the library card cluster, "8-01-2001 to ... Helping Crafters to Be - The Artful Crafter".

[Scrapbook layout done in Photoshop CS5 using digital products by Christy Vander Wall, Lost and Found, and Scrap Girls designers Angie Briggs, Syndee Nuckles and Durin Eberhart.]

Wooden Letters
Family Stickers