My reviews are based on my personal experience with a product or event. I am not a professional product tester nor do I get paid for any of my blog posts.

The items that I post reviews on, have either been purchased on the internet or through a local vendor. Additionally I will review items that I got on sale, as a gift or as a sample from either the manufacurer or some other source.

Note: always read the manufacturers directions on how to properly use a product and craft carefully. Additionally, I am an Amazon Associate and may earn a few cents (literally) from your clicking on my Amazon links. Since they raised the minimum payout from earnings to $10 I haven't seen a credit for a while but eventually I will get one.

Every penny counts when trying to set a budget to get supplies to use for my reviews, tutorials and hauls. However, you do not have to use my links. You can use your favorite search engine to find the best price for your budget.

FaveCrafts.com Blogger Craft Project Design Contest Voting is Open

This years FaveCrafts.com blogger craft project design contest is official open for voting.  I would love it if my readers would go to the site and vote for my project at:

http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/blogger-contest

The sponsors sent us bloggers a tote bag full of craft products which we were supposed to use to design an easy project.  I entered this owl pendant made from paper book tags.



When I saw these cute little owl tabs, I realized they were perfect for making jewelry pieces from.



A very quick and easy craft to do.  The instructions for the project are on the FaveCrafts website.


The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Hubert | Book Review


If you have every wanted to add to your crochet stitch knowledge base then this book is for you.  
The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: *All You Need to Know to Crochet *The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Crocheters *Comprehensive Guide ... *Packed with Hundreds of Tips and Ideas  by Margaret Hubert is an excellent visual reference book of stitches for the not only the beginner but for the more advance individual who wants to add new stitches and techniques to their repertoire.




This is not a typical step-by-step how to book.  The author does include some step-by-step instructions for the more basic stitches.  However, I think that it is the vast selection of stitches that Margaret has chosen to include that make this such a fabulous book to add to my personal library.  The book is more technique driven than a traditional book.  I love that.  The book also offers some very informative tips and ideas to help the reader. 




The collection of stitches in this book are beautifully photographed so that the reader gets a clear idea of how the stitch should look with a photo of a swatch made up with that stitch.   I also enjoyed the challenge of learning some of the more complicated stitches and am looking forward to designing some holiday projects using those stitches.  

 Note: this is not a sponsored post.  I enjoy reading craft book and sharing them with others.

The Organic Artist by Nick Neddo | Book Review



The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments, Prints and More from Nature is a great book for anyone who loves exploring new methods of creating art from nature, found objects and up cycled items.  Nick Neddo has organized this book in an interesting manner; each section is separated in a manner similar to a cookbook.  Within that section, the author has information, tips and step-by-step instructions.  They are well written and easy to follow.  If you are wondering what type of information is covered in this book, then take a peek at the video.



Organic Artist Table of Contents:
1.     Charcoal
a.     Simple Charcoal
b.     Charcoal Sticks
c.      Charcoal Holders
d.     Blending Stumps (Tortillion)
2.     Pens
a.     Simple Pens
b.     Bamboo (reed) pens
c.      Quill Pens
d.     Felt Tipped/Camp Tipped Pens
3.     Inks
a.     Ink Basics
b.     Ink History
c.      Simple Inks
                                               i.     Coffee Ink
                                              ii.     Beet Ink
                                            iii.     Berry Inks
d.     Less-Simple Inks
                                               i.     Acorn Ink
                                              ii.     Black Walnut Ink
                                            iii.     Soot Ink
4.     Inkwells and Paint Dishes
a.     Clay Vessels
b.     Bone Inkwells
5.     Paintbrushes
a.     Gnawed Twig Brushes
b.     Tied Bundle Brushes
c.      Brushes with Ferrules
6.     Pigments and Paints
a.     Paints and Binders
b.     Mineral Pigments and Paints
7.     Crayons
a.     Crayon Molds
b.     Waxy Drawing Sticks
8.     Paper
a.     Make a Simple Mold
b.     Make a Pulp
c.      The Paper-Making Process
d.     Sizing Paper
9.     Printmaking
a.     Tools and Materials for the Old Woodblock Printing Process
b.     The Rustic Brayer
c.      Options for Printing
10. Sketchbooks and Journals
a.     The Coptic Stitch
b.     Book Cover Options
11. Gallery
12. Bibliography
13. Index
14. Acknowledgements
15. About the Author


In the pen making section of The Organic Artist, the author shows various ways to make pens like Bamboo Reed Pens, Quill Pens, Felt Tipped/Clamp Tipped Pens, and other related items.  The photos are easy to follow and the projects can be reproduced with locally found items.   The ink making projects are even easier to do and offer some great ideas for making one’s own ink. 

I really love the illustrations and photos in this book.  They are clear and well placed to make it easy to follow the projects.  My daughter and I tried the “Tied Bundle Brushes” which came out great and were so interesting to use.  This book is great for anyone seeking to create art with upcycled or found items. 


If you want to check out one of the projects from the book, just go the Craftside Blog at: http://bit.ly/1wNwYAr



Scented Duct Tape Review & A Duck Tape Rose Valentine's Day Project


The Duck Tape Brand Company their new line of Duck Brand Scents Duct Tape for crafters to have some creative and scented fun with.  They have added scents to their Duct Tape in fun kid orientated themes.  I have always been a fan of Duct Tape because it can be used for quick household repairs and a variety of crafting uses.  Adding scent to their crafting line of tapes make sense.  Now I would not use this tape for household repairs because it costs more than regular Duck Tape does.  However, it is great for when you want to create a fun floral project that would only be enhanced with the addition of scent.

The new line features several new scents like bubble gum,

cupcake, grape, lemon,

mint, and orange cream.

If you are not a crafter, you may not understand why this is so fun.  A great example of how a crafter could use this is for easy craft projects is the "Duck Tape Roses" project by Carolina Moore.  This could be an easy and cool valentines day project for the kids of all ages to try.
Duck Tape Rose by Carolina Moore of the "30 Minute Crafts" blog

In the FaveCrafts Video Below "Carolina Moore from 30 Minute Crafts demonstrates how easy, fun, and inexpensive it is to create these decorative Duct Tape Roses".


You can also find great step by step directions and photo's on her blog "30 Minute Crafts".  She also features many other great crafts that can be done in under 30 minutes.

Additionally, you don't have to make the entire rose. You can just cut out a few of the shapes and tape them down onto a card to make a simple dimensional rose Valentine's Card.  I would use a button for the center of the rose on the card or a cut out circle with a poem written on it.  Basically, you can use the techniques she teaches to create a lot of different projects.





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