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Best Blogger Contest 2019 Winners!

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Every year after our Networking Event at Creativation, FaveCrafts hosts our Best Blogger Contest! This contest invites guests to use products from our sponsors to make a stunning new craft. Our team then selects twenty finalists, and the most popular projects are voted on by readers like you!

Best Blogger Contest 2019

It was so hard for us to select 20 finalists, and voters certainly had a selection of beautiful projects to choose from. Now, voting is over and the results are in! Check out our top projects from the Best Blogger Contest 2019.

10 Runners Up

Upcycled Decorated Porcelain Canisters for Craft Storage

By: Erin Reed from erinreedmakes.com

Upcycled Decorated Porcelain Canisters for Craft Storage

From the Designer: “I almost took a set of 3 canisters I had in my kitchen that I used to use for sugar and flour to the thrift store. They really did not work for me as a kitchen storage item, but then I thought why not use them in a different way, as storage for my craft space for beads and sequins! I added etching and a DecoColor gold pen for a fun design on the jars and also fun StyleTechCraft vinyl cut outs for a little bit of added flair.”

DIY: Diamond Art Dahlia Clock with Rinea Foiled Paper Leaves

By: Joe Rotella from createNcraft.com

DIY: Diamond Art Dahlia Clock with Rinea Foiled Paper Leaves
From the Designer: “Create a dazzling flower wall clock that sparkles in the light! The Diamond Art by Leisure Arts Blue Dahlia and Starstruck Emerald Foiled Paper by Rinea are the stars that shine in this functional piece of art. Shiny foiled paper leaves are “stiffened” in to shape by mounting the foiled paper on to felt, applying Mod Podge® Stiffy and shaping them over aluminum foil armatures until they are dry. The dahlia is mounted on a piece of 1/8″ Baltic Birch cut out on a Proxxon Scroll Saw. This project includes downloadable patterns for the Blue Dahlia base and dahlia leaves.”

Graphic Painted Plant Container

By: Kathy Owen from petticoatjunktion.com

Graphic Painted Plant Container

From the Designer: “Transform a plain white box or similar container into a work of art in just a few simple steps. Use painter’s tape and metallic copper paint to create a one-of-a-kind design. The project is easy so get the kids involved. I finished painting the box in no time at all and grabbed a couple of rocks to paint too! Use the painted metallic box to show-off faux greenery, as a work desk organizer, table centerpiece, etc. I added artificial greenery to my metallic copper and white graphic design painted box and the look is designer worthy.”

Leisure Arts Unicorn Pillow

By: Betz Golden from betzgolden.com

Leisure Arts Unicorn Pillow

From the Designer: “To create this project I used Plaid fabric paint to make a circle rainbow on the pillow. I let it dry overnight and set it with an iron the next day.I painted a circle the same way. As the circle dried I made the unicorn with Diamond Dotz by Leisure Arts, trimmed it out and used Fabric Tac by Beacon to adhere to the pillow. To finish it off, I added sequins around the circle to make it magical — just like a unicorn :-)”

DIY: Diamond Art Bee and Honeycomb Chalkboard “Honey Do” List

By: Joe Rotella from createNcraft.com

DIY: Diamond Art Bee and Honeycomb Chalkboard "Honey Do" List
From the Designer: “Create a chalkboard to track all your Honey Do tasks by combining a sparkling Diamond Art by Leisure Arts Bee kit, FolkArt® paints, Mod Podge® Stiffy, Rinea Foiled Paper, Styletech Craft vinyl, glass from a picture frame and wood. Move from crafting to making by building a functional art piece that really is mixed media. Use the downloadable patterns and instructions to create this project or let it get your imagination buzzing to create your own interpretation of a chalkboard embellished with a 3D bee covered in faceted diamond gems. Each gem in a Diamond Art kit has 13 facets!”

Dahlia Wall Art

By: Margie Higuchi from margieh.blogspot.com

Dahlia Wall Art

From the Designer: “Create a stunning wall art piece by just rolling beautiful Rinea foil papers in a circular layered pattern to create a dimensional floral centerpiece. To highlight the copper tone in the paper, a wooden palette was painted in an aqua color. This paint is unique as it gives off a brilliant metallic luster of colors as the light changes! Thus, its name Color Shift by Plaid. Make this wall art for any room in the house by following the tutorial!”

Diamond Wallet

By: Martha Lucia Gomez from stampartpapel.com

Diamond Wallet

From the Designer: “With Diamond art you can transform a simple leather wallet in a complete jewelry piece. Just select your diamond art design, follow the colors and instructions and after finish it use the art piece created to decorate what ever you want. This is a hand wallet or pouch that I made using a Beginning Diamond Art with a flower design and after finish it, I cut and paste over the wallet to create an extraordinary pouch that can be wear in your special events.”

Traveling a Forgotten Path

By: Tracy Alden from artrez.com/blog

Traveling a Forgotten Path

From the Designer: “After traveling many miles, you start seeing the remnants of a once mighty city, now taken over by nature. Slowly walking through the dense forest a fragment of a patterned wall slowly appears. What ancient artist created this image and who was it intended for? Don’t just frame your  Diamond Art kit, create your own forgotten image, now found once again! Supplies: Diamond Art by Leisure Arts Tribe Design, Mod Podge  Ultra Matte Spray, FolkArt Crackle Medium, FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint, Liquid Fusion Clear Urethane Glue, 9 inch x 12 inch Cradled Wood Board, Assortment of artificial plants, 2 Paint Brushes, Scissors, Ruler, Pencil, Cotton swabs, Isopropyl alcohol, Used coffee grounds”

Journal Box

By: Janet Trieschman from tryit-likeit.com

Journal Box

From the Designer: “I combined many products from the Prime Publishing Event to create a Journaling Box. The Box contains three Japanese bookbinding journals, a bookmark, and a crocheted pen pouch. The box The box began as two parts. I cut off parts and created a hinge with packing tape. Using the Ultra Mod Podge, I attached the floral diamond painting to the cover, trimmed away the excess, and then covered the rest of the outside and inside with coordinating scrapbooking paper. Some of the edges of the box have a silver edge which is made using vinyl strips from StyleTec. Inside the box there is a pocket made with Rinea foil paper to hold a bookmark made from scrapbooking paper (double sided) and it includes words made from StyleTec vinyl. The bookmark was put together using the Xyron sticker maker. The Pouch I combined the two colors of yarn from Spinrite and crocheted a pen pouch. I added a black button for the closure. The Pouch contains the pens provided by Marvy Uchida. The Journals The three journals are created from sketch paper and scrapbooking paper. They are sewn together using Japanese bookbinding techniques. Each journal is a different technique. One journal has a decorative element that was attached using the Xyron sticker maker.”

Foiled Treasure Box

By: Lisa Hoel from creativejuicefreshsqueezed.blogspot.com

Foiled Treasure Box
From the Designer: “The Treasure Box is cut using a Sizzix Scoreboards Die and covered with dazzling Rinea Foil paper. It measures 5.25 x 3.25 x 6 inches so you can fit quite a bit inside. What treasure would you store in it? You can use it as an elegant home decor piece or as a kingly gift container for a very special present. Read on to see what techniques I used to construct it. I think you will be surprised at how easy it is!”

Third Place

Sweet Dreams Bedroom

By: Sue Eldred from sueeldred.com

Sweet Dreams Bedroom
From the Designer: “Create a sweet little bedroom for a special little girl or for the kid in you. Annie’s Sweet Dream Bedroom is made using chipboard, scrapbook paper, the Xyron Creative Station Beacon’s 3-in-1 glue, inexpensive doll furniture from Dollar Tree and a few extra miscellaneous craft items. I love working with miniatures and creating little rooms. For this room, I wanted to create a “mini make” over for Annie’s Bedroom. With a little imagination it’s easy to make it special.”

Second Place

Fabulous Faux Stained-Glass Table

By: Betsy Burnett from aimhappy.blogspot.com

Fabulous Faux Stained-Glass Table
From the Designer: “Create a fabulous faux stained-glass accent table with the magic of Gallery Glass Liquid Leading and Paints. The humble beginnings of this piece are nothing more than an enlarged coloring sheet traced onto glass with liquid leading paint and filled in with color. When dry the Gallery Glass Paints turn a plain glass surface into a colorful work of stained glass art that is sure to add the perfect pop of color to any space.”

First Place

DIY: Dragon in the Window Featuring Diamond Art, Lights and “Stained Glass”

By: Joe Rotella from createNcraft.com

DIY: Dragon in the Window Featuring Diamond Art, Lights and "Stained Glass"
From the Designer: “As everyone knows, dragons are curious creatures. This dragon couldn’t resist the temptation to peek inside the castle windows. One night she did just that. But her curiosity got the best of her and she got a bit too close – shattering the stained glass window with her nose. A custom made shadow box fits the Diamond Art by Leisure Arts Dragon Eye and houses the battery pack for the string of LED lights that bring this window to life. Includes downloadable patterns.”
DIY: Dragon in the Window Featuring Diamond Art, Lights and "Stained Glass"

A big congratulations to all of our winners!!

Thank you to all of our sponsors!

Want to see all of the gorgeous projects our bloggers and designers submitted? Browse this list from Creativation 2019.

New Ways to Share and Save on Prime Publishing LLC Sites

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The editors of the Prime Publishing websites are excited to announce the launch of our brand new social sharing feature on our sites. Now it is even easier to pin, share, and save your favorite projects, recipes, and pages.

Sharing Your Favorite Links and Articles on Social Media

At the bottom of every single link, you will see this brand new box! All you need to do to share these links on your favorite social network is click the corresponding button.

If you’re a fan of StumbleUpon, Google+, and Reddit, you’ll find those buttons if you click the “more” button.

My Projects/Patterns/Recipe Box Changes

If you’re looking for these features on individual pages, never fear! They’re still there.

Saving is as simple as clicking the “+ Save button” shown below.

If you would like to add Notes to a project, just click the little notepad button.

 

Printing or emailing these projects, patterns, and recipes is as simple as clicking the little email or printer buttons.

We’re so excited to launch this newly updated feature and hope that our readers find the streamlined design and look easier to use. If you have any issues, feel free to reach out to our Customer Service Team and they will assist you. 🙂

 

Send Your Teen To Camp … Maker Camp, That Is!

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Summer can be long and boring when you’re not intellectually engaged. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sit in a classroom or stare at a textbook. If your teen is sick of the summer blahs, send them to Maker Camp. And don’t worry, they won’t have to miss a day of their summer job.

Maker Camp is a free virtual camp for crafty teenagers. No need to bring a sleeping bag or pack bug spray – all you need is a computer and an urge to create. This is the forth week of Maker Camp, but it’s far from over. From now until August 16th, teens can participate in crafty field trips, create innovative projects and join a daily Google+ hangout with fellow campers.

 

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Today- Learn to make and use a silkscreen for personalized designs

Wednesday – Build a device for colossal spin art fun and make a digital flipbook

Thursday- Animate anything with a handmade phenakistoscope

Friday – Hack with Hallmark field trip

Saturday and Sunday – LED throwies for beautiful lighting or party decoration

Don’t forget! Google+ hangouts take place every single day at 1 p.m. Central. All you have to do is head to the Maker Camp site to join.

 

Take advantage of the last few days of summer and get your teens crafting. There’s still plenty of time to get involved and get to work!

The Results are In for the Create and Celebrate Survey!

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We’ve tallied up your responses to our latest survey, and the results are in! Those of you that subscribe to our Create and Celebrate newsletter can find all the preferences and trends of your fellow holiday crafters below.

A recent survey conducted by AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com revealed the popular interests and habits of holiday crafters like you! This quick survey was taken by a selection of subscribers to the free e-mail newsletter, Create and Celebrate. From these results, the editors of AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com have been able to establish a strong understanding of the craft goals and ambitions of readers like you.

An entire 98.6% of readers are women; 45.1% of which are age 60 and older. These readers prefer to craft for holidays and seasonal occasions. Out of every holiday and occasion, 93% prefer to crafts for Christmas, 63% for birthdays, and 62% for Easter. Out of each holiday and seasonal cause to craft, 90% of readers reported that they never craft for Kwanza, 87% also reported the never craft for Cinco de Mayo.

While some preferences differ according to holiday, the types of crafts created are pretty universal for readers. A total of 85.8% prefer to create decorations, 60% make wearable crafts, and 59.5% prefer to make handmade gifts and party favors. Predictably, the techniques of readers are stable throughout, 68.6% prefer sewing, 56.4% prefer crocheting, and 56.1% make crafts from recycled materials. On a related note, 36.4% of readers reported that they base what types of projects they make on what type of materials are required.

More Fun Stats:

-How much time do you prefer to spend on a single craft project?

1 evening – 20.7%
1-2 days – 54.2%
1 week or more – 25.1%

– What types of projects would you like to see in each issue of Create and Celebrate?

A collection of projects for a specific holiday – 12.4%
A mix of projects for all holidays in the next month or so – 42.0%
A collection of a specific type of craft project (i.e. 15 Crochet Patterns or 22 Mod Podge Crafts) – 16.6%
A collection of projects to fit your skill level or time constraints (i.e. 13 One-hour Projects or 33 Super Easy Crafts) – 29.0%

– How do you stay connected with AllFreeHolidayCrafts?

I subscribe to the Create and Celebrate newsletter from AllFreeHolidayCrafts – 83.8%
I’m a fan of AllFreeHolidayCrafts on Facebook – 15.4%
I’m following AllFreeHolidayCrafts on Pinterest – 12.6%
I follow AllFreeHolidayCrafts on Google+ – 11.4%

– What holiday best represents you?

Christmas – 73.4%
Halloween – 7.6%
Thanksgiving – 5.5%

If  you could live one holiday over and over, what would it be?

Results are In for the Crafty Christmas Ideas Survey!

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The results are in! If you subscribe to our Craft Christmas Ideas newsletter then you may recall participating in a survey around May 19th.

Here at AllFreeChristmasCrafts we’ve analyzed your answers to our questions about your habits and preferences when it comes to AllFreeChristmasCrafts and more. Enjoy these revelations about readers’ preferences; we hope you’ll find them both merry and informative.

AllFreeChristmasCrafts

DIY Christmas GiftsWho would have thought…

A staggering 98.8% of Crafty Christmas Ideas subscribers are women, the majority of whom are over the age of 50. We found that these newsletter subscribers tend to craft anywhere from once to a few times a week, with a combined 56.6% preferring to spend as long as an evening or weekend crafting. What does this tell us? You want projects that are short, sweet, and simple.

Angel CraftsNot surprisingly, readers reported that they craft primarily for their family members. Readers reported being most frustrated by the cost of crafting. This is consistent with 34.6% of survey takers who reported that they would like to see more gift ideas on AllFreeChristmasCrafts.com, since those ideas serve as inexpensive alternatives to department store merchandise. Predictably, 80.7% of our newsletter subscribers said that project pages were their favorite part of the AllFreechristmasCrafts site.

Snowmen CraftsWhen asked if they crocheted, knit, or sewed in addition to Christmas crafting, 76.2% of survey takers reported sewing, 65.7% crocheting, and 39.5% knitting as hobbies. One of the most diverting responses from Crafty Christmas Ideas subscribers was their favorite Christmas icon. Interestingly, 27.0% of newsletter subscribers prefer snowmen, 25.5% angels, and 20.2% Jesus. If they couldn’t craft for Christmas? 31.1% said Easter, 32.1% Halloween. Other holidays of interests to traditionally Christmas crafters included Mother’s Day and patriotic holidays.

Religious Crafts

Other Interesting Stats:

Favorite part of AllFreeChristmasCrafts site:

Project pages – 80.7%
Collections – 2.5%
eBooks – 12.1%
Giveaways and Reviews – 4.75

Stay connected with AllFreeChristmasCrafts:

Crafty Christmas Ideas Newsletters – 90.6%
Facebook -13.7%
Pinterest – 15.0%
Twitter – 0.6%
Google+ – 6.6%
FaveCraftsBlog – 12.5%

Time of day spent online:

In the morning – 33.8%
In the afternoon – 11.8%
In the evening – 31.6%
I’m online all day – 22.8%

Most Frustrating Thing about Crafting:

The Cost – 49.2%
The time it takes to make projects – 17.6%
Lack of variety – 12.6%
The mistakes along the way – 25.9%

Some of your answers made us laugh, thankfully none of them made us cry, but all of them helped us to determine how we can improve AllFreeChristmasCrafts and Crafty Christmas Ideas going forward. The results have given all of the AllFreeChristmasCrafts editors a better understanding of our readers, their crafting objectives and interaction with the online community. Subscribe to Crafty Christmas Ideas and see how we improve!

Thanks for participating!

What’s your favorite Christmas icon?

Unbelievable Discount from Zoom Creative Products

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FaveCraftsLet’s face it, crafting supplies, while wonderful, can be the teensiest bit expensive. Every crafter knows the crushing disappointment when you check out the tag on some sweet supplies and find it’s out of your price range.

Well no more! We’re thrilled to announce that a hero has stepped forward to save the day with a killer discount. From now until May 31st, 2013, Zoom Creative Products is offering a massive 50% off their products for readers like YOU.

You may be thinking, “But what can a Zoom Creative Product do for me?” Let me tell you, by purchasing from Zoom Creative Products you’re guaranteeing a stress-free, mess-free crafting experience. Don’t just take my word for it, check out this review on Zoom Creative Glitter Stickers if you don’t believe me.

Now I’m as big a fan of glitter as much as the next overgrown and over-aged child, but I still can’t seem to keep it from getting all over my tabletop, face, dog, etc. It spreads faster than the chicken pox in a kindergarten classroom. That’s what’s so special about Zoom Creative Products. Their revolutionary line of Glitter Kits offers glitter sheets and double-sided tape that you can easily subject to your roughest and toughest punches and die cutting tools. Because Glitterfast sheets are so fine, they let you layer and incorporate intricate details into your designs. There are kits for kids and adults alike, so you and your child can get as crafty as you like without worrying about the cleaning consequences later. These are products that dry instantly, which makes for easy, fast and fun crafting.

If you don’t understand what I’m saying, it’s mess-free products and glitter application for half the price. Imagine how much your scrapbooks, homemade cards and decorations will benefit from these amazing products!

Get the Discount!

Again, this offer is available until May 31st, 2013, so hurry! If you want to take advantage of this incredible deal, here are the instructions for using the discount code on their website:

Please enter FC50 at checkout and click ‘apply’ so the discount will be applied.

Enjoy!

Get DIY Jewelry Inspiration Delivered to You!

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DIY jewelry is booming on craft blogs these days. There are so many creative, fashion-forward jewelry projects out there and infinite jewelry making inspiration! But sometimes tracking it down can be tricky. Who has time to scour through endless blog archives looking for fun new DIY jewelry projects to make? That’s where we come in! At AllFreeBeadedJewelry, we make creating your own unique jewelry easy by bringing the projects right to you!

We make it our mission to bring you fun, fabulous new DIY jewelry projects each and every week, so you have the tutorials right at your fingertips when inspiration strikes. What could be more convenient than that? All you have to do is sign up for our free eNewsletter to begin receiving the best jewelry making tutorials from around the Web right to your inbox. It’s really that simple!

Exclusive Sneak Peek!

What can you expect by subscribing to the AllFreeBeadedJewelry newsletter? If you sign up within the next few days, be on the lookout for a special themed issue full of trendy tutorials! We collected 17 projects to get you up to speed with the hippest feathery fashions…

Here’s one of the projects being featured in this newsletter. We’ve all seen these necklaces in stores. This tutorial will show you a super easy way to make your own for less! Simply subscribe to the free newsletter, and you’ll receive this and 16 other free project ideas to inspire you to start creating!

 

Plus, by subscribing to the AllFreeBeadedJewelry newsletter, you’ll have access to fun features not available to non-subscribers! Receive the latest information on new giveaways and contests, free eBooks, Pinterest project picks, Twitter parties, what’s happening on Facebook, “Bead Battles,” mystery projects, and more!

So what are you waiting for? Stop by and sign up for our free jewelry making newsletter and begin receiving free jewelry making projects right to your inbox!

Subscribe today!

 

 

Tell us, what kinds of projects would you love to see featured in a jewelry making newsletter?

Insider Industry News 5/24

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Welcome to the latest edition of  Insider Industry News! We’ve got exciting information on upcoming industry events you need to know about! Got a hot tip? Let us know!

  • The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is pleased to announce the creation of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC), a new online resource center for trade show exhibitors in the craft and hobby industry. This free new program was created in conjunction with Competitive Edge, a leading trade show consultancy, to provide users with free tools and information on trade show-centric information.The ESRC offers exhibitors: pre-show education through the CHA Online Learning Center’s Webinar Wednesdays series, successful exhibiting article series by Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge, research and reports from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), tips  and tools for creating and running a successful and cost effective exhibit program and access to the CHA Exhibitor Update eNewsletter archive.
  • CHA is partnering with leading trade show producer TransWorld Exhibits to bring a new CHA Craft SuperShow Section to their Jewelry, Fashion & Accessories (JF&A) Show, which takes place in Rosemont, Ill. from July 21-24.
  • There’s still time to register for the Chantilly, VA and Arlington, TX Great American Scrapbook Conventions. This is a consumer event filled with scrapbooking and paper arts classes, products and more. For more information, go to the Great American Scrapbook site.

Want to learn more about the business of crafting, subscribe to the Creative Income Newsletter brought to you by Maria Nerius.

Insider Industry News 4/27

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It’s that time of the week again – insider industry news! We’ve got exciting information on events you need to know about! Got a hot tip? Let us know!

  • The FaveCrafts team will be attending the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee, WI. We’d love to say hello to you at the show, so make sure to keep an eye out for us. We’ll be reporting on the fabulous techniques, beads, and jewelry finds we make. For more information about this consumer show, just check out the show’s website.
  • If you love to make creative videos about art and crafting you can now earn some money for your efforts! Your videos can be 2-5+ minutes long and should show a technique or how-to. For detailed information just click here and scroll to the bottom.
  • Terri-O, the popular FaveCrafts.com designer, has a craft show airing on KAET TV in Tempe, AZ. Her Super Simple with Terri-O airs Saturday mornings. Learn more about Terri O.

For more information on the business of crafting, subscribe to the Creative Income Newsletter brought to you by Maria Nerius.

Insider Industry News 4/19

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Do you have news to share with craft professionals? Please drop us a note.

Here’s this week’s news:

Clover has announce a very Royal Hat Contest! Details can be found on the company’s blog and the deadline is April 22. Contests are a good promotional tool for those just starting out. It’s a way to let the industry see your work. There are two chances to win a prize.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show has conducted an independent nationwide poll of the crafts industry by contacting over 1200 craft artists, and is pleased to share complete survey results. It’s a very thoughtful study that is worth the read. You can download it here.

Sewing.org has job postings on their site. The number of jobs posted vary, but if you are looking for work in the sewing world this might be a place to check in on a regular basis. You’ll find job postings here.

Hot Wire Foam Factory is hosting an Earth Day Contest. Submit projects utilizing re-purposed foam (cups, plates, packaging, etc). For more information, click here.

Subscribe to our Creative Income newsletter for more helpful tips, craft trends and industry news.


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