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debra roby at 3:59pm Wed, 7 Jan 2009 under
Crafts,
Books,
crafts,
knitting,
books,
DIY,
felting,
Faythe Levine,
Handmade Nation,
Knitting for Good,
Betsy Greer,
Embellishment,
Bead Simple,
I [Heart] Felt; 170 views
I'm coming a little late to the "best of.." posts, but 2008 was a year of some fabulous craft books. I've gone through my own acquisitions, choosing several that I'm truly glad I own, then filled out the list with books I haven't yet purchased, but that have gotten lots of buzz or are on my wishlist. (ht to SisterDiane for helping with that list).
Vision Boards. This year the New Year's discussions throughout the blogosphere and twitter has focused on the advantages of vision boards over traditional New Year's Resolution. While vision boards have been around for years, the concept has reached a tipping point in the general consciousness.
Assuming that I'm not the last person on the vision-board-bus, let's see what these things are, why they might be a more successful tool than New Year's resolutions, and how bloggers reacted to designing one.
Between cold stormy weekends and school ending soon for the holiday, this is a great time to have some crafty holiday projects that can engage the whole family in a few time-killing, charming decoration-making activities. What says "keeping the family busy" more than a some glue, scraps of paper, or other craft-store finds?
The holiday season is a time for glitter and glitz, and often gifts themselves glisten. Jewelry and jeweled items are popular holiday gifts. But with economic factors meaning that many people are cutting back, does this mean an absence of jewelry this year? Not necessarily. Especially if you consider recycling jewelry.

by
debra roby at 8:41am Tue, 4 Nov 2008 under
Crafts,
crafts,
knitting,
Etsy,
crochet,
wet felting,
needlefelting,
Crafts,
hand-made pledge,
Knit One, Save One,
chemo caps,
Save the Children; 2330 views
I turned my clocks back Saturday night, resigning myself to the too-soon-dark evenings that are a daily reminder that winter is here. With these darker nights come more time snuggled on the couch knitting, crocheting or embroidering. And the perfect item to work on at the beginning of winter?
HATS.
Hats can dress up a dreary winter outfit, change the look of a too-often worn coat, and keep your head warm and dry. A pretty hand-made hat is also a great way to show one's crafty skills. So lets take a look at winter hats:
Making a great winter hat