It means you should make the most of any situation; and make the most of yourself. Isn’t that the perfect slogan for crafters?

We take some ordinary or basic materials and make wonderful, useful, beautiful things. We challenge ourselves to learn and grow, constantly seeking to improve our techniques, our designs.

We make the world a prettier place, a more pleasant place. That’s a very important job in these troubled times.

Dear crafters, keep up the good work! Below you’ll find some ideas to help you stay in full bloom.

Please take time to check out our latest effort at “Helping Crafters to Be”: The Official Artful Crafter Blog.

Here you’ll find something new every day, from crafting-for-profit advice to links to new patterns and project ideas.

Eileen

Give Your Photos a Vintage Look

Do you know how easy it is to give your photos a vintage look? Whether you’re a scrapbooker or want to create a special greeting card or a wall arrangement of treasured family photos, you can do-it-yourself using any graphics software program.

Give an old black and white photo a warmer look in sepia or make a color photo look antique.

Here are step-by-step directions for both using Print Shop and Photoshop.

If you have a different graphics program, not to worry. The commands are very similar; but if you have any problems, fell free to contact me.

Rainbow Bridge

Do you know about The Rainbow Bridge? It’s a lovely tribute in free verse to the loyal pets we held so dear and then lost. When a reader asked for help creating a decoupage of The Rainbow Bridge in memory of her 13-year old dog that had just died, I offered her a rhyming version which I thought would work better for her project.

It occurred to me that there are a lot of other pet lovers out there who might want to create a tribute to their lost pets.

You have permission to use my version for your personal use. The original free verse is anonymous and copyright-free. Find both versions here.

Tablescaping – Craft Business Success Story

Tablescaping – you won’t find the word in the dictionary, yet there’s hardly a woman alive who doesn’t know what it means.

Tablescaping is setting themed tables for special events. The key word is “themed”. Tablescaping is more than bringing out your best linens and plopping a flower arrangement in the center of the table.

It’s creating an atmosphere for the meal that transports diners to a special time or place.

My sister-in-law, Jill, and her friend, Georjean, have built quite a successful business creating themed tables for large events like weddings and family reunions.

They are much in demand and have won several tablescaping competitions with cash prizes and even a Caribbean vacation. The last two years they were invited to decorate a room of the Pabst Mansion for its annual Christmas Gala.

A job like the Pabst Christmas Gala doesn’t pay much but think of the free advertising. To quote from the 2005 event brochure: “Each year's magnificent decor attracts over 10,000 visitors, and this season will be no exception. The Mansion's rooms will be elegantly transformed by local designers …” Then followed a list of the designers’ names with their contact information.

To read more about Tablescaping as a business, click here.