More Printable Valentines

picture by Altered Stuff

Hey Sweetarts,

One of my favorite craft blogs, The Long Thread, gathered links for a sweet batch of printable Valentines. My favorite card is the simple and sweet conversation heart valentine by Bunny Cakes. Altered Stuff made a darling antique Valentine sheet which could make interesting envelopes for your cards.

picture by Bunny Cakes

BK

After Christmas-Card Crafts

Happy 2012, Crafters!

It is after Christmas and what do we do with all those cards?! Well, I've been giving it some thought and here are a few easy crafts to eat up some of that excess paper bulk in your recycling bin.

Image from Yoyomax12 video

1. Make Christmas tags out of the decorative side of the card. If the back of the decorative side of the card is clear of markings or script, then you can cut tags in whatever shape you desire; for example circles or rectangles! Think about using pinking shears for a cute edge.
2. My mom used to make a tiny gift count down for Christmas so I wouldn't loose my mind waiting to rip open gifts. All her 24 boxes were made out of old Christmas cards and about 2 square inches. I've found a great and simple rectangle box video tutorial by Yoyomax12.
3. Garlands! Circle shape garlands are very "in" right now. Cut a ton circles out of the decorative side of the card an 1 and a half or 2 inches in diameter. Sew them on the sewing machine with a little wiggle room between each circle. Wrap strand around a piece of cardboard for storing and put away for next winter! A shorter variation: Cut circles out of the decorative and plain sides of the card (each decorative side should have a "backing" side), grab a piece of inch wide and est. foot and a half to 2 feet long grosgrain ribbon, tie a hanging loop at the top end, and glue the front and back to each other on the ribbon. 

And of course you can find tutorials EVERYWHERE for that old standby, the Christmas card ornament. I just think its a bit old fashioned and stuffy but to each his own holiday crafts!

Be safe, healthy, and look forward to 2012, BK

Altoids Amp

Hey Holiday Hustlers,

Today I am spotlighting a very cool little item from Etsy, The Altoids Amp. K Hessler has been selling these cool electronics steadily since Holiday 2010 and has a great reputation from sellers with comments like:

"Super fast shipping, product looks great! I'm going to order another one!" 

"This thing is killer and the build is super clean. I will definitely be ordering more for friends and family. Thanks!" 

K Hessler, an electrical engineer, came up with the idea by melding two favorite interests (guitars and electronics) to help put him through school. The small amp runs on a 9V battery and has a speaker, a guitar and headphone jack, and volume and power knobs. It would be a very cool gift for any guy who shreds axe and has roommates. And keep an eye out for more items in his Etsy shop next year!

BK

Let's Start at the Very Begining

Helloooo, World at Large!

At the encouragement of several friends, I've decided to start a craft blog. I am constantly on the hunt for creative, useful crafts and re-purposing. And here is where I will share my bounty! Let me be clear, I will do a few tutorials but this forum is to re-post links to other craft tutorials and to show you my own results, adding suggestions and variations.

There are two reasons this is a great time of year to start a new project, like this blog. One: The Fall season is here. People are soaking up the last bit of lazy Summertime and getting ready for holidays and Winter. I am excited for the project to support me through the season. This new focus will make it feel like I actually want to be inside and not like I'm trapped by snow. Two: The holiday season is a great time of year for crafting!! There are many, many people who want to give homemade presents (like cookie-in-a-jar) and are decorating their homes with crafts. So, be prepared for all of the Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas tutorials coming this way.

On to the Show! This very first link is a Halloween craft, Jar-o-Lanterns. Martha Stewart has us just paint the inside of a glass jar orange and a face on the outside. Everyone has old glass jars in their recycling bins and I figure you can use the 69 cent water based paints at Walmart if you don't wash them! And this doesn't just stop at Jack-o-Lanterns either, you could make ghosts or snowmen. Heck, you could turn your ghost INTO a snowman!

Till next time, BK