This is a re-post of last week’s link love due to a technical error…

I am giddy over all of these Ernie crafts! FunnerKimberley made this felt envelope Ernie for the Ernie the Envie Inspired Swap last month. So cute!

I can’t top these awesome Ernie crafts with links, but here are a few anyway…

• What?!! Amazing. Tiny Airmail Wedding Invitations.
• How to make super-easy waterproof coasters out of any decorative paper.
• Need party or wedding decor? These Giant Crepe Paper Roses would be lovely.
• An idea for the upcoming fall season: Thumb Tack Pumpkins.
• omg. I think we ALL need this shiny unicorn clutch!
• Yum. Lavender Iced Coffee.
• Two decadent dessert recipes: Funfetti Gooey Bars and Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars.

Have more links? Have more Ernie crafts? Share!

Check out these additional crafts made for the Ernie the Envie Inspired Swap:

Briarstitch84 sent this Ernie magnet to her partner, moonlightlaura. I love the pixelized Ernie style!

This adorable felt tissue cozy was made by Moominbrooke. Such a perfect likeness of Ernie!

Keep sending me photos of your Swap-bot-inspired crafts to rachel -at- swap-bot.com!

It warms my heart to see swaps on Swap-bot that are inspired BY Swap-bot! Last month, FunnerKimberley hosted the Ernie the Envie Inspired Swap. For the swap, participants simply had to make a craft that featured Ernie, the Swap-bot envelope mascot.

Check out these amazing creations made for the swap:

Dmarie made this adorable Ernie zippered pouch. Such great craftsmanship! I love that it is lined in orange.

FunnerKimberley received this incredible GLASS Ernie from smadronia. Wow! That is the first glass Ernie I have ever seen!

This lovely needlepoint Ernie was crafted by moonlightlaura to be used as a notebook cover. Very nice!

So many fantastic Ernie creations!

But I want more! Please send me photos of your Swap-bot-inspired craft to rachel -at- swap-bot.com. I’d love to see each and every one of them!

Summer is nearly over for us in the Northern Hemisphere… I am sad to see it go. I will comfort myself with these fun links:

• You guys! Donut wrapping paper!
• All of these cut & sew pencil case patterns on Spoonflower are adorable! (Including Heidi Kenney’s cute school bus design.)
• Check out this fun, up-cycled Summer Necklace from Blah to Tada!
• Geeky embroidery!
• Fascinating to see where people work: Where Bloggers Blog.
• Love this blog post about Swap-bot by new user, melmadeiracrafts.
• Just in case you were wondering, how many people are in space right now?
• Three S’mores for your end of summer celebrations: Roasted Banana & Nutella S’mores Bruschetta and S’more Fudge Bars and Inside-Out S’mores Brownies. Wow.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

It is Friday! And that means it is time for some spectacular links…

• How to make a cute Shrinky Dink Polka Dot Necklace.
• This Rainbow Petal Cake is absolutely gorgeous!
• Not exactly a craft, but sort of… I think I am going to try this braided crown hairstyle this weekend.
• One of my favorite, go-to, crafty websites — A Beautiful Mess — just released a new book! Cool!
• Going Postal is a wonderful photo blog that catalogs small post offices all over the US.

What other links were you loving this week??

Hello swap-loving friends! I have a few lovely little links for you…

• I think I’ve shared this link before, but the packages from The Happy Mail Project (like the one seen above) are just so beautiful and inspiring. They deserve a second look.
• These For The Makers DIY kit subscriptions on Fab.com look fun and interesting.
• This would be a fun craft to make for a kid’s party favors: Fish-in-a-Bag Soaps.
• And speaking of parties, check out the three DIY ideas for glitzy glam cake toppers on the Etsy blog.
  • If you love beautiful, hand-printed textiles, check out my friend Tyshawn’s Kickstarter campaign for her Brooklyn-based biz, Red Bridge Studio. She has some awesome incentives.
  • This Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Cake looks pretty darn delicious!
  • And these Strawberry Lemonade Whoopie Pies also look awesome. Yum! </ul>
  buy glass pipes online

  Have a great weekend!

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Wow! Thank you to all 200+ of you who entered the Snail Mail Kit Giveaway over the last two weeks!

Because of the huge response, I’ve decided to give away TWO Snail Mail Kits instead of just one. And the two randomly selected winners are…

Lorivintage55 and karleefantastic!

Congrats winners! Your Snail Mail Kit prize packs will be mailed out asap!

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Check back for more giveaways soon!

This poster from OldEnglishCo on Etsy pretty much represents my feelings on summer. Ice cream is essential.

How about a few fun links to go with your frozen treat?

• Love writing letters? Check out More Love Letters.
• Cool tutorial: How to transfer a photo to wood.
• This recipe makes the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Truth.
• Forty Inspiring Workspaces Of The Famously Creative.
• I am going to check out this photo app for the iPhone. It looks like it could enhance my photos in a more subtle way than using Instagram filters..
• I love this really fun style blog.
• You know that I am pumped about this swap: Ernie the Envie Inspired Swap. I can’t wait to see all of the cute creations!
• Your S’more is fancy this week: S’mores Cinnamon Roll Cake from Bakers Royale!

Happy Friday!

I love contemporary art, so I’m excited for the Contemporary Art Postcard Swap hosted by KSENiA.

Contemporary art can have a broad definition. It can include any art from the current time period or lifetime. Sometimes “contemporary” is defined as any art made after 1970, sometimes it designates art made post-2000, other times it refers to art made after the Postmodern period.

Major contemporary museums include the Whitney Museum, MOMA PS1, the New Museum, and my personal fave, the Kemper Museum.

For the Contemporary Art Postcard Swap, you can send a postcard with an image of a Modern or Contemporary work of art. The art pictured on the postcard can be of any media: painting, drawing, graffiti, illustration, sculpture, collage, etc.

Some of my favorite contemporary artists include Richard Diebenkorn (his painting Ocean Park #125 from the Whitney Museum is seen above), Wayne Thiebaud, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Gerhard Richter. But most likely, I will mail a postcard of one of my very favorite contemporary art series of all time, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend.

What contemporary art postcard will you send?

Sign up for this international swap by July 28th. Send by August 8th. New users with a full profile and experienced swappers with a 4.98 rating are welcome to join. Happy swapping!

Whew. It is definitely summer where I live! Hot hot hot!

Try to stay cool and stay inside checking out these fun links…

• Summer is for friendship bracelets! Check out Oh My Handmade’s tutorial to make the rope-style bracelets seen above.
• Need summer play ideas? Use this recipe to make the Best Play Dough Ever.
• Tips for mailing the perfect care package.

• Read this awesome blog post, 67 Pounds, about letter writing and a father’s dedication and legacy.
• Mmmm. Watermelon Coolers sound so good right now. (It is really hot in NY.)
• S’more of the week: 20 + Creative Ways to Make S’mores.
• Nearly 100 swappers have entered to win the Snail Mail GIVEAWAY! Have you entered?

Happy Friday!