You’ll find more Halloween ideas for decorating and entertaining on the Arts and Design Channel, even though we posted numerous ones during our Halloween and Day of the Dead Blog Carnival  hosted by Noreen at Hankering for Yarn.
*Christine has some  delightful Altered Take Out Boxes over at Mad Cropper.  Also check out the Halloween Mini Project Book here.
*Tammy shows us a Beaded Halloween Card at Jewelry and Beading.  Her Candy For Kids Jewelry project features a Candi the Corn pin.  Scroll Tammy’s Jewelry and Beading blog for a number of Halloween designs in earrings, pins, and charms.
*Josh at Junk Creation gives …read more

   Halloween and Day of the Dead was the theme for the Arts & Design Showcase carnival this month.  Noreen at Hankering For Yarn hosted this round-up of posts from channel bloggers and visitors.   
Here you’ll find numerous ideas for items you can  make for Halloween decorations and festivities.  I also contributed several “spooky” suggestions for for Halloween gatherings that quilters can enjoy, in Plan a Halloween or “Spooky” Quilting Bee.

  Generally the monthly Arts and Design Showcase features only bloggers from that channel.  This month, our host, Noreen from Hankering for Yarn, is opening it up to all craft bloggers.
The theme is Halloween or Day of the Dead crafts.  For more details on Noreen’s blog  about  linking your blog post, click here.
The showcase is scheduled for October 21.  Noreen would like all links and a short blurb by a deadline of October 19.
See you there!

Lists of information for readers, who desire resources but don’t necessarily have a great deal of time searching for them, have become increasingly popular.  The b5media Arts & Design Channel’s September Showcase fits right into this trend.   
William Lehman, at Artist Hideout, has done a great job compiling this round-up.  You’ll want to check out these “live list about lists” from the various Arts & Design blogs.
My Quilting and Patchwork list involves 10 Quilting Sites & Blogs That Excite Me.
If you’d like your blog or web site included in my next list, simply leave a comment and let me know about it.  I …read more

   You won’t want to miss the Arts and Design Channel’s Showcase.  The theme this month is Christmas in July, and it’s hosted by Tammy Powley at her Jewelry and Beading blog.
Here you’ll find many arts and crafty ideas for starting your holiday shopping and creating during Christmas in July season, thus getting a head start to avoid the last minute rush in December.
At Quilting and Patchwork, I’ve given a number of sites where you can find quilting patterns, supplies and ideas, along with books to read and help you create.  You’ll find these here at Quilters Think Christmas Thoughts in …read more

Photographing your quilting and fabric art is easy for some but a challenge for others, especially if you want a really nice photo to send in for a contest, juried show, or publication.  Photos for your own use, your scrapbook, family memories, or just so you’ll have a record of what you made aren’t so critical…although it is nice to have ones that excel here, too.
If you’re having problems with your photography, especially when it comes to using a digital camera, like I do, you might want to consider taking some tips from another Arts and Design blog, Digital Photography …read more

 Here at the Arts and Design Channel, we invite you to browse through our wedding ideas for Artists’ Showcase Theme Day.  As I visited the various blogs, I realized we practically have a wedding planning guide!
 The theme of “weddings”  seems appropriate since summer generally is a popular time for weddings in the northern hemisphere.  Also, there are weddings in our channel family! 
One of our bloggers, Chloe, is getting married, and her mom, Noreen, has been in the midst of preprations for two weddings this year…Chloe’s in August and her brother’s in May. Cyndi also had a wedding in the …read more

         The Arts & Design Channel Showcase features a floral theme for May, with the participants designing and contributing projects that relate to springtime and flowers.  Cyndi, of Layers Upon Layers, hosted the Showcase this month.
I wrote about flower quilts and art reminding me of quilting with my grandmother and the gardens at her Trails End Farm.

             Quilts with a flower garden theme often remind me of my grandmother who taught me to make patchwork quilts.  Then when I see the Grandmother’s Flower Garden design, I think of the lovely flowers that abounded in the yard of her farmhouse.    We had flowers at our farm, but nothing compared with those at Trails End Farm. 
I have photos of family gatherings.  Somehow the background for many was the flowers that grew in their gardens. 
(The Dresden Flower Graden book above also brings to mind the lovely dinnerware Nanny brought out for special meals we enjoyed around her dining table, …read more