Apr 22nd 2011 12:17:50 pm

This was going to be a short post today, but there are just too many good links out there!! Enjoy!

Earth Day links:

• Make plantable paper (seen above) on AlphaMom.
• The IKEA Hackers blog shows you how to recycle old home decor catalogs into creative doll houses.
• FaveCrafts has a free eBook: 42 Ways to Recycle.

Easter links:

• Peep S’mores – so colorful!
• Adorable papier mache egg tutorial on Not Martha.
• Wow! A Cadbury Creme Egg inside a cupcake!
• These chick cake pops made by ljcfyi are too cute!
• A creative Easter activity for kids (or adults): marshmallow art.
• Creative hard-boiled eggs.
• I’ve always wanted to make these chocolate eggs in real egg shells, but they seem difficult.
• Quick and easy: Marshmallow Peep Pops.

Extra links:

• Cupcake Fondue – so cute and fun!
• Free spring flower list printables from A QUick Study.
• Six pretty DIY spring wreaths.
• DIY Comic Book Necklace Pendant tutorial from Punk Projects.
• You know that I am obsessed with S’mores! This looks interesting: S’mores Cake in a Jar.

Happy Earth Day! Happy Easter! Happy Weekend! Whatever you celebrate, have a good one!

1 Comment » Categories: friday link love

Apr 19th 2011 10:41:53 am

Oh, how I used to love Pee Wee’s Playhouse when I was a kid! It was such a weird, fun, wacky show. I wanted to live in the Playhouse for real. (Remember the theme song? That is Cindi Lauper singing!) My mom had taped the Christmas Special – using our VCR, of course – and we would watch it every year!

So, I couldn’t resist featuring the Pee Wee’s Playhouse ATC Swap this week! The international swap is hosted by missmuffcake and it is open for sign up through April 29th.

For the swap, you create one ATC for your one partner that features one character or element from Pee Wee’s Playhouse. It could feature Pee Wee, Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis, Jambi the Genie, Pterri, Conky, Chairry, or any of the other crazy characters! (One of my favorites was Chicky Baby, back-up singer for the Cool Cat, all-puppet, bebop band.)

All users with a 4.8 rating, or higher are welcome in the swap. Sign up now!

Just for fun: Pee Wee gets an iPad on Funny Or Die.

3 Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Apr 15th 2011 09:51:58 am

Another week, another awesome list of links!

• My friend, Jessica made the blueberry cobbler cookie seen above, and she shares the recipe over on AceDept.com. I want to make some this weekend!
• Want to make something a little less healthy? How about these homemade Twix-style cookie bars from King Arthur Flour?!
• I love this free, printable, Easter goodie box over on I Still Love You.
• And this Spring Flower Garland tutorial over on Infarrantly Creative.
• Have an cute spring project that your shared on your blog? Add your link to the Craftaholics Anonymous Spring Link Party. Or, just check out the dozens of other fun projects.
• Inspiration for the home: bookshelf styling ideas.
• One of the coolest things I’ve seen done with paper: a record player wedding invite. So cool!
• These ombre beaded necklaces on Martha Stewart Crafts are so beautiful. The tutorial looks like an advanced beading project, but I might try it.
• Don’t forget to enter the Funky Finds giveaway for a $40 gift certificate to Wardrobe Ave before tomorrow!

What else caught your eye on the internet this week?

3 Comments » Categories: friday link love

Apr 14th 2011 12:25:39 pm

I’ve been wanting to share these photos for a while, but I was hoping to gather a few more…

These are just some of the crafts created for the I Heart Swap-bot Ultimate Swap hosted by kheidedios back in February. For the swap, each participant had to make an ATC, a handmade postcard, and a matchbox for their one partner. All of the creations had to incorporate Ernie the Envie. Awesome!!

(The photo above is an Ernie matchbox I made a few years ago… It wasn’t actually made for this swap.)

The goodies seen above were sent by hiddenjade. I love the owl mail carrier!

Daydrifter made these Ernie items. The hand-carved Ernie stamp is a real treat!

These fun items were made by shorterthanu44. I love the colorful ATC that incorporates the Ernie smile. Cute!

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If anyone else participate in the I Heart Swap-bot Ultimate Swap and would like to share you image, leave a link in the comments.

6 Comments » Categories: craftiness, Swappy Goodness

Apr 14th 2011 06:04:25 am

This week I’m featuring another April Stash Bust-style swap. AllFreeKnitting.com is hosting a public Stash Busting Yarn Swap. The swap is easy: just sign up by April 22nd, then send each of your two partners a skein of yarn from your stash. The yarn must be unused and in decent condition and must weigh at least two ounces.

AllFreeKnitting.com shares free knitting patterns and e-books. It is part of the FaveCrafts web community. You can read more about the swap on the FaveCrafts blog.

Be sure to sign up for the stash busting yarn swap by April 22nd!

5 Comments » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Apr 8th 2011 09:53:11 am

Thanks to travisj, our trusty Swap-bot technology wizard, for his help finding many of these links this week…

• We know about magic yarn balls here on Swap-bot (you know, the balls of yarn filled with little surprise treasures), but leave it to Martha’s craft department to come up with magic crepe paper carrots! Just in time for Easter! (seen above)
• How to make t-shirt yarn.
• This “Celebrate Me” spring party is probably a little over-board in the style department considering that the attendees look to be about four years old, but it is definitely cute! I like the marshmallow pops.
• For a more masculine kid’s birthday party, check out this DIY Lego Party from Craftzine.com’s Feast & Frolic section.
• Baker’s Royale – my new favorite food blog! Such great party recipes, like these S’mores Pops and these mini Strawberry Margarita Jello Shooters!
• I love these little ceramic tags from Paper Boat Press that you can use to decorate baked goods that you give to family and friends.
• Free, printable, map-themed love notes on Kind Over Matter.
• Yay! I got to attend another Martha Stewart Show taping on Tuesday. It was another great time!
• Just for fun: This kind of grosses me out and is also kind of awesome — Ham Solo.

What other internet wonders did you stumble across this week?

No Comments » Categories: friday link love

Apr 6th 2011 06:54:36 am

It’s that time of year again… It is April Stash Bust Season!!

Join the second annual April Stash Bust Swap! This stash busting swap is extremely easy and such a great way to reduce the amount of lovely, but neglected craft items hanging around our craft rooms. Why not give your unused supplies a new shot at life by sending them to your swap partner? And, in return you will receive an envelope full of inspiring and new-to-you supplies from your partner — It’s win-win! Reduce your stash and freshen up your stash all in one fun swap!

The April Stash Bust Swap is international and open to new and experienced members alike. Sign up closes on Earth Day, April 22nd. Each participant will then send a 6 x 9 inch, or larger, envelope full of craft supplies – like pretty paper scraps, fabric, yarn, ribbon, stickers, felt, embellishments, etc – to their one swap partner by the end of the month. Easy peasy! Sign up now!

As part of the April Stash Bust festivities, Dollar Store Crafts is hosting a stashbusting challenge! Apply to be an official stashbuster on the Dollar Store Crafts blog TODAY (before April 7th) for your chance to receive one of ten, free stash packages. The ten recipients will then make one craft with their new supplies and share it on the Dollar Store Crafts blog.

Even if you don’t win one of the official stashbusting packages, everyone can participate in the April Stash Bust. Let’s all share and use our leftover craft supplies. Share pictures of your creations in the April Stash Bust Flickr group. And grab a little badge for your website to show that you are participating.

How are you busting your stash this month?

1 Comment » Categories: Weekly Featured Swap

Apr 1st 2011 12:34:43 pm

I wish I had a fun April Fools’ Day joke for you today, but I am not very good at those. I am so gullible that I always fall for pranks and jokes on the first day of April… so, please be kind!

Even though it is tricky day, I still wanted to share some seriously cool links. Have fun!

• I think that Fabric Stitchy Bookmark seen above is so cute (it’s the little deer fabric that does it). Get the How To on Craft Leftovers.
• We all love the postal mail, but what about faux snail mail? I just discovered this site, Paperless Post. It basically allows you to create and send really beautiful virtual letters (complete with virtual envelopes) via the internet. The catch is that it isn’t free… hmmm… Would you pay to send online mail?
• JamieToohey is a new user of Swap-bot and she recently posted on her blog, Crafty is Awesome, about Swap-bot. Love it!
• Oh, man. Yum! Bacon Cinnamon Rolls!
• And another recipe: Make your own sprinkles.
• I love this: The Colour Clock. It is a design lover’s screensaver.
• Two cute Easter/spring projects: Design*Sponge pin and bead basket and an upcycled basket on Michele Made Me.

And a few April Fools links:

• The hottest new crafting material is dryer lint?
• Martha Stewart’s funny and harmless April Fools’ Day pranks.
• How-to make a fake glass of spilled milk on Dollar Store Crafts.
• Ok, this one isn’t an April Fools’ joke, but it is definitely odd: Man Makes Beautiful Quilt of Women’s Panties.

So, have you encountered any good pranks today?

No Comments » Categories: friday link love