One of the coolest parts of the Craft and Hobby Association show was seeing all of the new crafting products that have just been released. While I was there I saw every type of die cutting machine imaginable, and even some that I’d never heard of before. There was a machine to cut fondant for cake decorating,  a machine specifically for journal making, a machine that cut fabric, and even a machine that didn’t use a cutting mat!

The eclips machine by Sizzix was by far the coolest. Two unique features of this machine are its ability to score card stock (instead of merely cutting it) and its pen holder accessory, which allows you to replace the blade with a pen or marker and use your machine to draw instead of cut.  We took a video of a Sizzix representative demonstrating the eclips’ ability to cut a party favor bag and draw a design on it. Check it out!

If you’ve already got a die cutting machine that you love, here are 20 projects to do with it, plus learn how to use your die cutting machine in unexpected ways.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

CHA Recap: Die Cut Machines

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Walter Foster has a strong reputation for publishing books that reach the budding artist. This book for drawing horses and other pets is recommended for adults and children over 6 years of age. Start with the basics and begin to fill in the details. Learn more and enter to win the book here.

Contest ends January 12, 2009. You can enter once daily, so return often to improve your chances of winning!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Book Review and Giveaway: All About Drawing Horses & Pets

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Learn how to draw amazingly realistic animals with The Art of Drawing Animals from Walter Foster, a leader in arts and crafts book. Find tools, materials, elements of drawing, basic pencil techniques, shading, textures, and perspective in this book. Create your own artwork or embellish handmade cards, scrapbook pages and more. We are giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner. Read the full review and enter to win here!

Contest ends September 15, 2009. You can enter once daily, so return often to improve your chances of winning!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Book Review and Giveaway: The Art of Drawing Animals

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Dragons: Learn To Draw Like The Masters
From The Notebooks of Eugene Caine
Publisher: Walter Foster
ISBN: 978-1-60058-574-6

There are so many levels of learning to this book. First, it’s a lovely insight into putting together art journals or notebooks. The inspiration of seeing a beautiful book and slowly turning each page is a joy. Second, we all need a little imagination and make-believe in our lives. Sometimes we forget to be a child again when we create. A third layer to this book is how it shows the reader what to gather to draw, and then how to draw. Even the beginner can follow the steps and be successful. I have no other way to say it… this book has a ton of information disguised as an adventure. All of us can learn so much from the masters and this book of dragons is a treat.

WIN THIS BOOK!

We are giving away the Dragons: Learn To Draw Like The Masters book for free. Just post a comment on this blog and you’ll automatically be entered to win. The deadline to enter is May 12, 2009 at 5 pm CST. We’ll send an email to the winner so please check to make sure your email is correct. You’ll get an extra entry for EACH of the following (if you comment and do all four things, you’ll be entered FOUR times):

1. If you blog about this giveaway at your blog, we’ll give you an extra entry. Contact us with a link to the blog post.
2. If you twitter about this giveaway, you’ll get an extra entry. Again, contact us with a link to the tweet.
3. If you add a link to us on your blogroll or website, we’ll give you an extra entry. Again, contact us!

Craft Giveaway Summary

Prize: 1 Dragons: Learn To Draw Like The Masters book by Eugene Caine

Deadline: May 12, 2009 5pm CST

*U.S. and Canada residents only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.*

Good luck!

**If you like this content, don’t forget to sign up for a FREE subscription to the Quick and Crafty newsletter. We cover everything from crochet to holiday craft to jewelry making. And, we’ll let you know about the next giveaway as soon as it’s live so you don’t miss a thing! Visit FaveCrafts.com to sign up.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Book Review and Giveaway: Dragon Drawing Book

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You’re always yelling at your children not to draw on the walls, keep the marker on the paper, don’t draw on the table. Well now your kids can draw on their clothes. I found this neat craft that allows kids to use their imagination while drawing on their t-shirts and breaking crayons apart. All you need to do is break the crayons, use wax paper and an iron and your kids can create a great piece of art. The best part is they won’t get in trouble for breaking all the crayons or getting their clothes dirty. If you don’t want to do a craft like this then are plenty of other crafts listed on this site for all ages. Be creative and let them do their thing. Kids grow fast, so you want to teach them early how to be crafty and use their imagination.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Color Me Crazy-Kids’ Crayon Crafts

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I might have mentioned that I attended Trinity College here in Dublin for my Master’s in literature. As the college was founded in 1592, the old Trinity library houses countless old books of exceptional value. You can walk through the main, vaulted hall of the library and gasp at the shelves stacked to the ceiling with famous words and inhale that musty, paper smell of really old books. The old library houses the famous Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks around 800 of unbelievable intricacy and beauty. It’s very well-preserved and considered by many to be Ireland’s greatest treasure.

Page from the Book of Kells

You have to admire the loving dedication that went into the creation of this book. While we have lost the tradition of such richly decorated letters for the most part, I still see instances of this kind of art. The artist Lora L. Barnhiser creates “Illuminated Letters” of her own, among other intensely interesting drawings.

Illuminated Letter from Art Flair

The inner-intricacy of her drawings really reminds me of the Book of Kells. Check out her Etsy shop here.

Illuminated N from Art Flair

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Etsy Pick: Illuminated Letters

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I believe that art and craft can make our lives better.  Art and craft can especially enhance a child’s life.  Sadly, art programs are the first to go when school budgets get tighter.  Sargent Art is having a great contest for kids (K-12) that I wanted to share with everyone.

Teachers are asked to submit digital photographs of student artwork on the company’s website: www.sargentart.com. Teaches can submit photos of drawings, paintings, or collages made using watercolor, tempera paint, acrylic paint, liquid watercolor, crayons, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, chalk pastels, chalk, glue or glitter glue.  There are 3 categories:  Elementary (K-5), Middle (6-8), and High (9-12).  There are lots of great prizes including a trip to New York Art Museums (teacher, student, and one parent) and gift cards for art and craft supplies for teacher and student.

Again all you have to do is go to the www.sargentart.com website, click on Art Contest 2009, and select Online Contest 2009.  The contest deadline is May 31st, 2009.

I hope to hear from some winners!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Calling All Art Teachers!

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