Craftside

How to make a cupcake with paper and a recycled cup from the book The Complete Photo Guide to Paper Crafts

These paper cupcakes are so cute!

Click on the images to enlarge and read how to make a paper cupcake from paper and a recycled paper cup.

This cute paper cupcake project is from the great book:

The Complete Photo Guide to Paper Crafts
Over 700 Photos - Cutting - Folding - Weaving - Quilling - Punching - Collage - Casting - Journals - More

By

Trice Boerens

This book provides a reference for all kinds of crafts that involve decorative papers. It includes step-by-step photographed instructions for a wide range of techniques as well as projects to accompany each area of paper crafting. This is a comprehensive guide.

Most books on paper crafting are specific by technique or end result (card making, stamping, paper embellishments, collage). This book explores a wide range of techniques and end products, making it a valuable reference for any crafter.

Trice Boerens is an author of paper crafting, quilting, jewelry making and stitching books. She has also worked as an art director, a magazine editor, and a product packager. Living and working in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains in Ogden, Utah, she is always on the look out for new techniques and unexpected inspiration.

How to Make Fabulous Fall Leaf Earrings from the book Bead Jewelry 101

Are you in the mood to whip up a new pair of earrings to celebrate the changing colors of the leaves? Well, I am! One of my wacky baby trees has just one little section that is changing. 

Here is a great design that uses little brown leaf beads:

 

 

 

Click on the images to enlarge and read how to make Teardrop Leaf Earrings out of beading cable and a hand full of leaf beads. This project and tutorial is from the book:

Bead Jewelry 101

By:

Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell

In the style of Sewing 101, Quilting 101, and Home Décor Sewing 101, this workshop-style book teaches all the popular craft techniques used to make jewelry. Techniques are learned by doing projects, and the projects are organized to build skills cumulatively, beginning with the easier techniques and progressing to more difficult.

Karen and Ann Mitchell(Altadena, CA) are a dynamic sister team with a costume jewelry company called AnKara Designs. They make and sell jewelry, teach classes nationwide, and have appeared regularly on the Carol Duvall Show. They publish articles in Jewelry Crafts and other magazines and participate in 18 large arts and crafts shows annually.

Enter to win a Free Mixed-Media Doll handmade by Linda O'Brien, co-author of Who's Your Dada?

Do you love this original handmade dada doll by Linda O'Brien?

You can enter to win it!

All you need to do is leave your answer to one of these two questions in the comments section of this post by midnight ET on November 24th.

Linda and Opie will choose a winner at random on November 25th. On Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, we will announce the winner on this blog.

Question 1:

What was your favorite doll as a child and why? (Do you still have it?)

Question 2:

What was the last thing you made that simply put a smile on your face every time you looked at it and why?

Just to inspire you, here's my answer to the first question.

My favorite doll as a little kid was my stuffed bunny that I would dress in the pretty clothes my mom sewed for my fancy baby doll. Even then I was mixing things up and doing it my own way! And yes I still have it, the fur is pretty much gone and it has lost its original eyes and nose that have been replaced with buttons, but I still love it!

The answer to the second question I promise to post about soon. I swear it is cracking me up, but it is not quite finished. It will be soon, I promise!

If you like this mixed-media dada doll then you will want to grab a copy of the immensely creative and inspiring:

Who's Your DADA?
Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media
By
Linda O'Brien and Opie O'Brien

Inspired by the "dada" notion of making art from materials that would not typically be combined or expected to go together, and driven by a similar sense of irony and humor, this exciting book by Linda and Opie O'Brien shares their unique approach to making mixed-media dolls. It is not only a "must have" volume for anyone interested in found object art and the human form, it is a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the power, symbolism, and cultural significance of dolls and representational figures.

The authors share detailed techniques for using surface embellishments, creating faces, heads, and limbs, using molds and molding products, and building and transforming disparate objects into whimsical, inspiring dolls. Starting with a variety of substrates--a wood block, a canvas, a tin can, a book, and a box construction--readers are guided step by step through five types of doll constructions.

Included:

-Complete instructions for making a box construction doll, a wood block substrate doll, a two-sided canvas frame doll, a tin can doll, and a book doll

-Numerous variations on each of the core projects for further experimentation

-An inspiring gallery of mixed-media dolls from leading artists who discuss their methods and share their very personal answers to the question: "What is a doll?"

Originally from New York City,Linda and Opie O'Brien are full-time artists living on Lake Erie in Ohio with their cat Angelus and his cat Angel. They teach workshops nationally and internationally. Their work includes jewelry, dada dolls, artist books, assemblage, collage, masks, music, and more, and has been featured in numerous books, magazines, galleries, exhibitions, solo shows, museum gift shops, and private collections.

Memories of Carved Pumpkins Danced in Their Heads and Shared with You! With a side of some cool crafty links

One of my favorite all-time movies!

A little baseball rivalry.

 

Extra points for accessories!

The winner is the Kindle Destroyer. ;)

(Note: One pumpkin carver's opinion and not necessarily the company’s or this blogger)

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love
Make cool, graphic wall art using Ed Roth's Stencil Decor kit and a little imagination!

The Impatient Crafter
Madge makes a festive Patchwork Paper decoupaged letter for your teen's bedroom door in this week's post for iLoveToCreate.

The Artful Crafter
Eileen shares directions for some lovely polymer clay Thanksgiving napkin rings. You have a choice of one embellished with a cute clay turkey or a more formal looking ring stamped with a fall motif.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make a Sweater Surgery Light up Christmas tree inspired by The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life.

Mixed Media Artist
Would you ever do an art show where you knew you wouldn't sell anything?

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
How did you get introduced to your hobby? Linda shares the story on how she learned to quilt and where those skills have gotten her.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy reviews a new book full of unique and earth-friendly ways to wrap your gifts this holiday season using scarves.

Cathie Filian
Cathie shows you how to make a kid's felt book. The books are perfect for airplane trips, car rides and rainy days. They make great gifts!

Aileen's Musings
Aileen's on a mission to win a trip to NYC and to see the Martha Stewart show! Check out her under $20.00 Christmas project on Michael's craft site and rate it to help her win!

About.com Cross Stitch
Connie's added a new pattern collection - Four Ways to Say Peace. These designs will make great holiday ornaments.

About Family Crafts
Come play along with this Make-It-Over craft challenge! What can you make out of candy? This is a great way to use up any leftover Halloween candy.

Beautiful leaf paper cutting pattern from the book The Art of Paper Cutting by Henya Melichson

This paper cutting leaf pattern is so pretty:

Click on the image of the intricate leaf to see it closer. It is from the book:

The Art of Paper Cutting

By:

Henya Melichson

Paper cutting is an ancient, elegant art that dates almost as far back as the creation of paper itself. In today's multicultural world, paper cutting embraces any number of themes, designs, and images. It is an all-inclusive art that requires few tools and minimal materials. All one needs is instruction and inspiration, both of which are found in good measure in The Art of Paper Cutting. The book includes more than 20 projects that feature a range of sizes, subject matters, and techniques. Every project features step-by-step photographs and numerous helpful hints.

Author Henya Melichson has been a paper cut artist for more than twenty years. With a background in painting and drawing, Henya's paper cuts are inspired by diverse ethnic and natural motifs. Her work has appeared at museums in Europe, the United States, and Israel. A member of the Guild of American Paper Cutters, Henya has led seminars, instructed hundreds of budding paper cutters, and been interviewed for television programs.

And if you want to read another review and get more inside peeks, pop on over to Craft Leftovers.

And if you want another pattern from this book and a cool slider card tutorial featuring a deer, pop on over to this post.