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If you’ve stopped by The Artful Crafter Blogspot lately, you may have noticed that our Sunday Artsy Bloggers Group has grown substantially.

Our group now includes crafters who blog for About.com and Provo Craft, as well as a bunch of yarn and thread crafters - something our readers have been asking for. We even have two gentleman crafters, The Crochet Dude and Mr. X Stitch.

There is The Impatient Crafter, which intrigued me because Margot Potter’s nom de plume is so similar to mine. Plus I also consider myself to be an impatient crafter. I have a difficult time waiting for paint coats or glue to dry and am always looking for crafting shortcuts.

I’m also excited because last month The Artful Crafter passed the century mark. No the website is not 100 years old; it’s that we now have more than 100 members in our Google Friend Community.

We also have over 1000 active subscribers to this newsletter. This means that only one in ten of you have joined up. Come join in the fun. Like this newsletter, it’s free :-D

Eileen

What’s New on The Artful Crafter this Month

Clay

Paper Clay Roses - Last month we featured roses made from paper coffee filters. This month it’s paper clay. Paper clay is really fun to work with and is very easy on the hands.

Air Dry Clay - Kim was looking for non-toxic air dry clay to use with Alzheimer’s patients. Of course non-toxic air dry clay is also perfect to use with younger children.

Recycle with Delta Ceramcoat - We recently had our outdoor wicker furniture cushions reupholstered. I was quite pleased with the updated look but now had a bunch of decorative accessories that paled by comparison. The solution - Delta Ceramcoat Air Dry Paint.

Decoupage and Decals

Decoupage vs. Decals - The finish look you want determines which technique is best-suited.

Glass Paperweight - Some tips on fusing waterslide decals onto glass.

FabricCrafts

Easy Decorator Pillows - How to embellish throw pillows without even lifting a needle.

Wall Art: Ribbon Embellished Letters - Dress up a girl’s room with beribboned wooden letters.

Home Décor and Gifts

Appliqué Treasure Chest - This charming mini-chest can be a gift in itself or contain a gift-within-a-gift.

Picture Frame Earring Holder - How to make a decorative and practical holder to organize and display your prettiest earrings.

Reed Scent Diffusers - You can buy reed scent diffusers for $15 and up or make your own for mere pennies. Here’s how.

Reader Letter of the Month

It’s Never to Early to start Christmas Crafting

I would love to know where you got the 2-inch plastic star in your "Beaded Christmas Ornament" I want to make this but have looked everywhere for the star.

Any suggestions? Thank you.

Juli

Hi Juli,

The plastic glittered star I used in that ornament came to me as a decoration on a wrapped gift. I’ve looked all over like you and can’t find any more of them. So I did a variation for you. Hope you like it ;-)

You’ll find it at the bottom of the original Beaded Christmas Ornament article.

All the other supplies are the same and you don’t need any new techniques since this project already calls for some wire wrapping (using a jig) to make the top hook and the bottom dangle.

For the star, I used a plastic glow-in-the-dark one like you can buy in packs of about 30 in dollar or craft stores. They’re intended to be glued on a ceiling so you or your kids can drift off to sleep under (artificial) starry skies. There are three sizes in each package allowing you to make an assortment of coordinated starry ornaments.

I wish I could get a photo of the ornament in darkness to show how it glows.

Here’s another craft I’ve done with the glowing stars: Starry Gift Bags.

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Thank you so much for your help!!

I love the wire wrapped idea as well ... I am making 25 of these ornaments for my family for Christmas this year. My brother and I make an ornament each year. This year’s will be to honor our sister who passed away last year at the age of 47.

My ornament this year is a star based on a poem I received.

I have really struggled to find a star that would work, but I loved your idea. Now I can be more flexible with the star knowing I can wrap the wire.

You have been very helpful,

Thank you!!

Juli