Nov 20th 2008 04:10:11 pm

Craftlog is an extensive blog that has been kept up for over five years. It is a simple website, but a great resource for sewing projects and many other crafts. The site’s categories range from Blythe dolls to crafty book and TV reviews to cross stitch and embroidery to paper crafts. There is also a major list of crafty links and a group of crafty book reviews. Craftlog is definitely a site you will want to bookmark for future reference!

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Nov 13th 2008 11:26:46 am

Envy is not a virtue, but I cannot help being envious of the amazing talent and style of Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely. Her blog is loosely based around the process of decorating and improving her adorable 1920s Chicago home, but she also posts about projects related to her online store, Pink Loves Brown, and random inspirations from everyday life. In addition to the wonderful content, the site design is impeccable with the sweetest details - you’ll have fun exploring! (Nicole also has a web design company, Smart & Lovely.) I promise, you will be in awe of her beautiful site and lovely style.

…I sound like I have been paid to write this post, but I haven’t! Making it Lovely has just been one of my favorite blogs since it was started and I wanted to share the loveliness! Have fun!

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Nov 11th 2008 06:34:11 am

Angry Chicken is one of the most popular and well-known crafty blogs. It is written by Amy Karol in Portland, Oregon. Amy wrote the book, Bend-the-Rules Sewing, runs a mailorder craft activity club, and makes textile art. Angry Chicken is the place where she shows off her crafty creations and shares her personal musings. Amy is an amazing seamstress and she is always sharing her inspiring projects. In addition to Angry Chicken, she also hosts an apron blog called Tie One On. If you love to sew, both blogs are must reads!

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Nov 6th 2008 06:28:31 am

“poppytalk is a canadian design blog collecting inspiration and promoting emerging design talent.”

I found PoppyTalk about two years ago when I was researching indie crafters. It is an extremely high-quality, professional blog that features arts, crafts, and handmade beauty. The blog has evolved to cover higher-end fine art and craft with beautiful, inspirational images in every post. The best parts of PoppyTalk are the reoccurring topics and guides, like the Interviews, Handmade Guides, Free Downloads, and Canada City Guides. The site has an extensive link list of design and craft blogs, and you can sign up for a PoppyTalk newsletter. There is also a PoppyTalk Handmade Marketplace. It is a bit like etsy, except that the items have been curated by the PoppyTalk editors, so you never have to wade through mediocre products trying to find extraordinary handmade goods and design. There is so much great stuff in the Marketplace it is almost overwhelming! If you have ever thought about making a career out of your art or craft, PoppyTalk is a great place to go to get inspiration and info.

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Oct 30th 2008 11:12:26 am

Swap-bot was originally created to give bloggers a tool to help them host successful swaps with their users. Even though many swaps are hosted on Swap-bot every month, there are still lots of bloggers hosting independent swaps on their sites. How does a potential swapper find out about all of these independent swaps? Check out the SwapDex! The SwapDex is an index of current swaps going on all over the internet. (If you participate in any of the independent swaps and notice the hosts are overwhelmed with the organizational part of swapping, definitely spread the word about Swap-bot! We always want more dedicated swappers to join the ‘bot!) SwapDex is run by Jenna Z, a friend of Swap-bot and a dedicated blogger. Check out her personal blog, CorgiPants, where she shares her everyday craftiness and cute photos of her pups. She also has a great index of Tutorials and even some giveaways. Fun!

***If you would like to see your blog or website reviewed on Swap-bot, please email your link to rachel [at] swap-bot.com. We plan to feature a couple sites a week and we love sites that are related to crafting, swapping, art, and fun!***

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Oct 21st 2008 06:03:16 am

freshly{blended} is a blog written by nicole lecht all about her creative inspirations. The blog’s near-daily posts feature a range of topics from fine art to printmaking to crafts to beautiful products. One of Nicole’s main areas of interest is paper products. She runs freshly blended press where she features her own handmade paper products, and she sells her creations on her freshly blended etsy shop. The freshly{blended} blog will introduce you to new artists and crafters while inspiring you with lovely images. The site also has an extensive list of links to other design-related blogs, sites, and resources. Check out freshly{blended} - You are sure to find something beautiful and interesting!

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Jul 26th 2008 11:46:05 am

If you are interested in indie artists, crafters, and designers, you must check out PurplePinkandOrange.com. The site’s curator and creator, Amy, reviews fabulous indie shops, products, and designers on a daily basis. Readers of PurplePinkandOrange have access to an impressive monthly list of promotions and exclusive sales from indie retailers. Plus, there are always amazing giveaways going on. Definitely go sign up for those giveaways!

PurplePinkandOrange was one of the first sites to organize public swaps through Swap-bot over three years ago. Amy was a great supporter of Swap-bot and we have missed her fun monthly swaps… but guess what! A new PurplePinkandOrange swap is going on right now! Sign up for the Friends of purplepinkandorange.com postcard swap! The swap is international and everyone is welcome. Each participant will send postcards to three partners by the end of August. The sign up deadline is August 15th. Have fun!

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Oct 24th 2007 06:07:45 pm

I just found Brenda’s Secret Agent Josephine blog via the Inspiration Boards blog via the Craft:blog. I have obviously only been reading it for the last few days, but the adorable graphics and funny stories really sucked me in. Brenda is a graphic designer and a mom of one Babybug. She mostly writes about her daily adventures. Her posts are kind of long, but they are funny and down-to-earth. Also, she has a monthly drawing for free web banners. How cool!

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Oct 10th 2007 10:53:24 am

Some may feel that a blog called [i] LoveLife may be a little too “Pollyanna” for their taste. That may be true, but I suggest giving the blog, written by Kal Barteski, a chance. Kal is an artist, designer, and photographer who lives in Canada. Her artwork is colorful, fun and vibrant. Her attitude is cheery, but also realistic, and her blog is both a personal journal and display vehicle for her artwork. It is truly worth reading for the images alone! Try it out. Kal’s day-to-day story may just inspire you to love life, too.

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Oct 3rd 2007 01:14:16 pm

Wee Wonderfuls is one of the original, and still one of the best, craft blogs. It is the personal and project blog of Hillary Lang. Hillary’s craft of choice is sewing and she creates the most adorable dolls, quilts, and “stitchettes”. She shares her creations on her blog and discusses life and crafting. She also shares some of the clever (and cute) clothing she creates for her kids. One of the best things about
Wee Wonderfuls for those of us always hunting for more great sources of inspiration is the amazing list of crafty blogs on the right side bar. Check it out!

You can craft along with Hillary by participating in her Make-A-Long story, “an online book than is half story, half craft book.” Very fun and cute, not to mention inspirational if you are interested in crafting sweet dolls and their accessories. You can sample some of Hillary’s charming patterns for free by checking out her freebies page, or you can purchase her original patterns and stationery at the Wee Wonderfuls store.

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