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Crafty Topics
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Seaside Quilts is a woman-owned business and all quilts are 100% handmade in the USA. Our quilts are fun and funky - perfect for today's mom. Each quilt is guaranteed to be unique; one of a kind. They are great for baby showers, first birthdays, godparent and grandparents’ gifts. Our toddler and youth-sized quilts are perfect for day care nap time. These quilts are made with love, in a smoke-free environment with a personal touch, ready to make any ‘crabby’ baby happy!
http://www.seasidequilts.com
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Crafty Tip
I always keep current quilting projects in labeled gallon sized ziplock bags. This keeps all of my quilt pieces together in one place so nothing gets lost. I also store all of my 6 1/2 inch blocks in ziplocks so they are easily accessible for making a quick quilt.
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This website is devoted to the art/craft of découpage. There are free instructions and advice for you to learn more about this fascinating and rewarding hobby. Learn how to decoupage on virtually any surface.
http://www.decoupage-online.com/
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Crafty Tip
While découpage is a scissor-oriented craft and purists will tell you must cut out, it is OK to use paper punches, quilling strips and stickers to embellish your work. It is NOT advisable to use these for competition work because it is most often against the rules. Check the rules first. But as far as gifts or sale items are concerned, use them if you want.
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Share tips and techniques on beading and jewelry making in our forum. Forum members share information on making and using beads, selling handmade items in the UK, UK craft and bead fairs, and rate beading suppliers.
http://ukbeaders.forumup.org/
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Crafty Tip
Save all your silver and gold scraps from your wire wrapping projects. When you've collected a handful of mistakes and trimmings, you can turn them in to a jeweler, or mail them off, and they pay you for your scraps.
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More than simple rag dolls, this fabulous collection of free cloth doll patterns has something for everyone. An eclectic mix of pins, collectible and fantasy dolls. With names like "Bildgewater Bedbug", "Mama Uglioni", and "Captain Underpants" you know you're going to find something to stir your creative muse. Site includes a list of charities looking for cloth dolls. Dollmaker's Journey also offers for sale many dollmaking supplies and designer doll and doll clothing patterns.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/freepatterns.html
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Crafty Tip
If you really mess up the face, just make another face on the other side of the doll and cover your mistake with hair.
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Free illustrated instructions covering the making of bedding, blinds, curtains, cushions, ornamental trimmings, curtain tie-backs, window top treatments and finishing touches. There is also a sewing guide which will teach you all the basics of binding, piping, seams, stitches and more. Site also has a forum where members share tips on completing the projects on the site and other topics related to window coverings.
http://alternative-windows.co.uk/index.htm
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Crafty Tip
Never presume that 2 windows are exactly the same size even if they look identical. Take all the measurements in either inches or centimetres. DO NOT MIX THE TWO.
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Womenfolk is a place of inspiration for women where women's creativity is encouraged. A wonderful resource on the history of quilting along with many free patterns to make your own authentic period quilts.
http://www.womenfolk.com
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Crafty Tip
In an interview one old-time quilter recalled how she cut a pattern. First she cut the pieces out of newspaper and then traced and the pattern pieces onto sandpaper. By using pattern pieces cut from fine sandpaper, they don't slide on the fabric.
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A research team from Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska gathered information from more than 1400 individuals on ways to improve the marketing of crafts and other products to tourists. This article contains information on what tourists are buying, how they find places to buy crafts, where they shop for crafts, their budget for crafty items, their criteria for selecting crafts to purchase, what types of tourists buy which type of crafts, and a host of additional useful information for marketing crafts.
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modtd/33809809.html
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Crafty Tip
Successful craft producers promoted themselves and their products by:
- providing business cards and hang tags
- signing their work
- using a logo
- offering limited edition information
- providing written biographical data
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Free tips on getting started with your stained glass project, cutting, grinding, foiling, soldering, finishing, and repairs. Practice your craft with our free patterns. Be sure to visit our new section on warm glass. Don't forget to sign up for our free newsletter. If you plan on being in the Ottawa, Ontario area, be sure to drop into our store. We also offer a wide variety of classes, space is limited - so book early.
http://www.stainedglassstuff.com/learnstuff/start.php
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Crafty Tip
Try to view the glass you are thinking of using in the same light source as where the finished piece will be displayed. Don't use a light table, as they almost always use a fluorescent light bulb which gives off a blue white light and will make your glass look a lot different than light from a regular incandescent light bulb or sunlight.
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Billy Bear's Crafts shows you how to make several different Teddy Bears. You'll also find a listing of some of our other crafts located throughout our site. Site also has online puzzles and games and a wonderful assortment of activities for children.
http://www.billybear4kids.com/show/teddy/crafts.htm
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Crafty Tip
Grab a chair and share the space with your child while they visit the world of the internet... play and learn together!
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Lasting Impressions with Panache offers high quality, handcrafted art rubber stamps for the crafter, paper artist and scrapbooker. Available unmounted and mounted wholesale inquiries welcome. We also carry accessories and embellishments such as ink pads, beads, Acrylic Mounts, glues, glitter, color pencils, lyra pencils and other rubber stamping tools. We offer a growing resource of free tips and techniques for new and experienced stampers.
http://www.lasimppan.com/techniquepages.htm
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Crafty Tip
Be careful with glue sticks that go on blue and dry clear. Some brands will actually bleach some colors of cardstock. Shades of blues are particularly susceptible to bleaching with a glue stick. by Julie Warner (one of the many rubber stamping artists in our Creative Crew)
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