I have a couple of young friends whose mother passed away from brain cancer a few years ago.  I didn’t know her as well as I know her sons, because I’ve traveled and worked with them on youth group trips for years.  Knowing what fine young men she raised, I feel that she was an exceptional woman, one of the many whose legacy will live on through her children. Her youngest son, Nick, founded a non-profit organization in his mother’s memory, the mission of which is to help fund the basic needs of children in developing countries.  He calls it Cling. That story reminded me of one of my favorite psalms, which has a line about clinging to God.  I’ve used that verse in this mixed media piece, and tomorrow I’ll share... [Read more]

Stampington & Co, publishers of Somerset Studio and Belle Armoire magazines among others, is accepting entries for an annual special publication called Somerset Digital Studio. The deadline is October15, so fire up your computer and get going!   Here’s all the important information. Digital artwork is HOT right now and we’re super excited about the premier of a new publication that will feature all digital designs. Somerset Digital Studio will focus on all things digital — scrapbook pages, ATCs, collages, cards, invitations, calendars, clothing, heritage pieces — anything that is unique, distinctive, artistic and created digitally. In order to be considered for publication in Somerset Digital Studio, please send via e-mail the... [Read more]

About Family Crafts: Find out how to can make a story sack for the book, and soon to be movie, Cloudy With a Change of Meatballs. Aileen’s Musings Aileen’s created a quirky copper bird pin,,,,stop by and check it. Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner Alexa revisits and reconnects with a craft from her childhood Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Craftside has a sneak peek into the soon to be released book; Who’s Your Dada? Redefining The Doll Through Mixed Media, free graphics of good angel/bad angel birds with a tutorial for using them as T-shirt iron-ons, how-to’s on bleaching and cutting photos to create windows, and a mosaic chicken project. The book and bobbin winder contest continues,... [Read more]

Gifts with Humanity is a site that belongs to the Fair Trade Federation. Members are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide. So you can feel good about purchasing artisan-made pieces from this site. I found lots of clever items in the Home Decor section, including the wonderful tin lion shown below.  This piece comes from Zimbabwe, where there are no lions.  Other gift categories include wearables, stationery, dining, and instruments. Another item that really caught my eye was found in the stationery section. I think these notebooks, made from handmade paper and decorated with natural elements, would make splendid gifts for any occasion. If you happen... [Read more]

BigHugeLabs has some of the most fun free toys available to jazz up your photos.  I already showed you the deMotivational poster that I made for my daughter and her friends: It was a hit!  So that prompted me to go back and see what else BigHugeLabs had to offer.  It’s really amazing, and could also turn into an incredible time suck!  But I’m not going to apologize for that.  If you’d like to see more photos that I warped, you can visit them here, but I’d suggest that you simply grab some of your own photos and go play.  My favorites at BHL (besides the Motivator) are the Warholizer and the Hockneyizer. If that’s not enough for you, here are a few other sites with loads of fun effects you can try: Be Funky:... [Read more]