Saturday Crafting: My Baby Lock is back! Crafty links to enjoy

It's Saturday! Today is my crafting day! I'm so excited to finally have my Baby Lock back in working order.  This week's project isn't very creative but it's useful. I bought curtains for the bedroom that are too long. So I'll be cutting them down and hemming them. I think I'll make pillows out of the leftover fabric. Unless you have another idea? What would you make?

Lots of crafty-ness going on. Let's check out the Crafty bloggers and see what they're up to this week....

About Family Crafts

The current craft challenge is all about crafting with plastic bags. Submit your project and browse through the pumpkin projects submitted for the last craft challenge. 

Recycled plabric remade into high style (photo courtesy of steevithak on Flickr)

Cindy Gimbrone Beads

Cindy reviews Craft Activism just in time for Make a Difference Day!

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world

This week at Craftside there is a blanket stitched felted flower pattern and tutorial, a chance to win a copy of The Wine Lover's Devotional, some high fashion clothing details, and a recipe for an oven smoked roast.

Crafty Princess Diaries

The Crafty Princess takes a trip and talks a little about the benefits of attending functions away from home.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter

Got tea lights? Look at this darling mini birthday cake favor you can make with them. You'll find directions for a coordinating birthday card as well. 

Eileen's adorable tealight birthday cake.

Mixed Media Artist

Cyndi's painted silk fabric quilt is almost finished!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery

How to make a recycled wool sweater pumpkin with flower die cuts.

Stephanie Girard's felt pumpkin gets eyeballed cuz it's so cute!

Saturday Crafting: Glass Trees and Crafty Links!

Saturday can be a busy day around here. Laundry, errands, cleaning but I always have something out on my craft table just waiting for me to dive in. I've got a holiday theme running on my work bench. I'm fusing left over glass rods into ornaments. These two trees below are waiting for me to even out their edges on the glass grinder.

After I get the laundry going, I'll start evening out the edges of these trees.  There are other crafty bloggers who have the holidays on their minds. Make sure you check them out!

Aileen's Musings
Aileen's gearing up for Christmas already with an altered wooden domino tutorial.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Cindy is one step ahead when she uses a wire wrapping technique to create a poinsetta ring for the holidays.

Craft Buds
Stop by Craft Buds this September, where they will host craft book giveaways, projects and more. It's a party!

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a chance to win a copy of the book Sewing Vintage Aprons along with a fun recycled shirt/apron tutorial, a bunch of portfolio info and how to help a dog when it's overheating, dehydrated and sunburned and a new free Rockport App.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy altered a star pattern afghan and shows you the results plus how she changed it up a little.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Eileen tries her hand at 3D paper tole. It’s not as difficult as it looks, but does require a bit of patience.

Lindsay Sews
The equalizer quilt design is a new project that uses guy-friendly fabrics. It's a quilt that even he will love.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi's new friend Kerrie, aka Antikva, shares all kinds of tips on working with shrink plastic!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to cover an umbrella with recycled lace curtain ruffles.

Saturday Crafting: Mason Jars and Crafty Bloggers

Saturday mornings, I go down to the basement to do laundry. On the shelving unit above the washer and dryer are these canning jars staring at me.

It's time I recycled them into a home decorating craft project. Here are a few ideas I'm considering:

1. Jar o'lantern: A kitschy idea for a jack o'lantern.

2. Lovely lighting like this one from AliCatJunction.

AliCat's colorful lighting puts a smile on my face!

3. Solar Lids for the Mason Jars and I have instant outdoor lighting!

4. Girl in the Air has a tutorial for converting a mason jar into a pendant light - I could give it a try!

The multicolor lighting looks the easiest to do. But I can't get the pendant lights out of my head. I need a new light in my home office/studio. I've never undertaken a lighting project so I'm a little intimidated. While I muster up my courage, take a look at what the Crafty Bloggers have been up to...

About Family Crafts
Take a moment to read some crafty money saving tips and then take a few more to publish your own!

Aileen's Musings
This week Aileen offers you a fun Altered Cabinet card tutorial and freebie downloads stop by and get inspired to make some fall art!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a new card featuring a sweet elephant!

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Looking for a unique idea to display your handcrafted jewelry? Cindy's here to lend you a hand!

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to fold an origami mosquito and enter to win a copy of the book Origami 101, how to treat a dog when its overheating, dehydrated and sunburned, some art from Gary Panter, and how to make your own crackers with a dehydrator.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy looks ahead at the school year that is already filling her calendar with oodles of projects and commitments.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Did you love finger painting as a child? Here's a sort of grown-up version you might enjoy.

Mixed Media Artist
Shrink plastic buttons? Yes!! Consider all the possibilities...

Stefani's crocheted eyeballs are tongue-in-cheek funny creepy! Perfect for Halloween!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
Spooktacular crochet eyeball pattern!

Bead Soup Show Off and Joining Up with the Crafty Bloggers

Good Saturday morning to you!  I'm showing off the Bead Soup Mix I sent to my partner Cat. It's a lovely mix of reds, turquoise, ivory and copper.  I made some small decorative beads with hearts matching the color palette.  That's the great thing about making your own beads, creating a set of perfectly matched beads.

I loved it so much, I've made the beads available to you.  Just visit my website if you'd like some for yourself. 


Next week, I'll be doing the Bead Bloggers weekly links and joining up with the Crafty Bloggers too. I'm excited about it because I'll start showing off my other obsessions....errrr...skills and I can share beadmaking/crafting info there.

In the meantime, take a look at this week's beady links! 

About.com Jewelrymaking
Set up your jewelry designing by making the perfect jewelry sets.

Art Bead Scene
Try something different with your art beads - ribbon!

Beading Arts
The "Mostly Metal" challenge was a great success, many thnaks to Michelle Mach! Come and see all the fun pieces that were made.

Carmi's Art Life/World
Margot Potter's new book inspired Carmi's new linked necklace.

Cindy Gimbrone Beads
Need some iron in your jewelry diet? Tuesday Tangle has just what you're looking for!

Resin Crafts
Carmi uses a great new mold to make "people" donuts.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
How to win the great giveaway of Maggie Meister's Classical Elagance--an amazing and breathtaking book! See jean's blog!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew introduces the twelve, talented designers that make up the NEW Allegory Gallery Design Team!