Sister_Diane

These came out so cute! You've made my day!

Hee hee hee, this is the cutest thing EVER. I may make one for my partner and me in lieu of actually getting married. :-)

Adorable! And I love any project that gives me an excuse to buy giant ric rac. :-)

Ah, a classically genius Jeff Rudell project! Simple, gorgeous, attainable. You are amazing.

mrsg3, thank you for all the great variation ideas!

eveh, I love the crochet concept - will have to play around with that.

ArtfulAileen, thanks so much for the rusting tips!

Now, THAT's a great necktie project!

SantaClaus - that's an intriguing question. There are paints that create a rusted-look finish, such as:

http://www.paint-store.net/store/home.php?cat=2

And here's a natural method that apparently works for tin, so it might be worth a try on aluminum:

http://www.the-artistic-garden.com/rusted-metal-faux-finish.html

I haven't tried either of these myself, so if you do, I'd love to hear how it went.

Maureclaire, I'd say that this design is safe as a brooch, provided that you take some precaution with the edges. The steel wool step is very helpful. I've worn mine several times without incident, but I'd certainly agree that I'd keep it away from small children, just to be extra-safe.

Another interesting way to use the soda can metal is to cut it in simpler shapes like squares and rectangles, and then wrap some metal tape around those edges to soften them.

I love how this came out! What a smart idea for hiding stains!

That is just super-duper cool! I hope I can use up the rest of my giant 500 CD spindle SOON so I can make one.

This quilt is amazing, Erika! And your quilting tutorial has rocked my world. Who knew about quilting tape?! Or the glove?! Genius.

NancyWard, sure thing - thank you for linking to the tutorial on your blog!

Sharli64, I think the macrame would give you a really sturdy watchband. It might be a good idea to back the macrame with some thin ultrasuede. You could probably glue the two layers together, and then use the ultrasuede part to connect to the watch face.

Sounds really cool! I hope you'll post a picture here so we can see!

annquill, you're so right - I use old Martha Stewarts all the time for reeds - they make such beautiful ones!

Thank you, everyone, for the nice comments! Hope you have fun reed-making!

I'm beside myself with excitement over this one. It's pretty, it's useful, AND it's green. Bravo!

This is wonderful! I love how simple the construction is, and the skirt is really cute!

Oh, my goodness - I love this so much! Thank you for the clear, easy to follow instructions.

I love how these look! And the best part is, you'll be able to start new seedlings in them each year.

This totally makes me want to go to the big Asian market here in PDX and snap up all the interesting cans I always ogle there.

I'm glad you're raising these questions, because there are more ways to find income in crafting than to make finished goods for sale. You can also write articles and books, take photographs, teach classes, design projects for manufacturers, create and sell patterns or kits, produce online how-tos - there are so many possibilities.

I think it's always a good idea to diversify - to pursue several different income projects at once. Yes, it's more work, but it also brings more financial security, especially in turbulent times.

I love this project! Useful, simple, pretty, AND makes good use of scrap yarns. I have so much acrylic leftover from teaching various classes - which I'll now be putting to good use. Thanks for the lovely tutorial!

Beautiful earrings, and your drilling tutorial is super-helpful!

aege8th, not to worry. We love the film, too, which is why we got it on DVD. That VHS tape had been played so many times, it was definitely on its last legs.

Those are adorable!

This is adorable! And your instructions for making the crochet edging are fantastic. I think I could actually do that!

Also, I LOVE how you set up your finished-project photo. Beautiful shot.

These are so beautiful, Erika! I envy your mad embroidery skillz.

Do you have any tips for keeping your embroidery centered on the button as you're pushing the front and back together? Mine always seem to go wonky.

Oooooh... I clearly need a Simflex ruler.

These are excellent interviewing tips, Kathy - thanks!

This ROCKS! And my first thought was, "Dang!! How long did it take to sew on all those buttons?!" But the end result is stunning, and we all need a good TV craft project.

OMG! I've had a set of little buckles like this in leather for a while now, but haven't figured out anything to do with them. I love this idea! Thank you!

chrissie1370, I can't find any references to cold porcelain not being compatible with a mixer. I'm not sure how or if it might affect the consistency of the clay, though. If you do try a test batch with this method, I hope you'll share your findings with us!

Wow, Lee - this is so amazing. And your instructions are so clear, I totally feel like I could make one. Thanks so much!

Well said, bethwalk! I'm fascinated by the question of what these two communities have to offer each other. I think the indie side brings a huge amount of fresh perspective and creative hybridizing to the table, but I also think the traditional side has a lot to teach us in terms of history and craftsmanship. I'd love to see more conversations like this!

Roving_Redux, many thanks for posting that clarification!

OMG, Linda - that is insanely cool, And beautiful! So many possibilities, the mind just boggles. Thank you for the beautiful tutorial!

_coda_, I'm so sorry - I've already taken the book back to the library and I can't recall the name! But, take a look at this search page on Amazon - there are so many great motif books out there: http://tinyurl.com/ablh8v.

So cute!

Genius as always, Jeffery. What a stunning project. Makes me want to try one where I dye the eggs in a bunch of pastel colors first. (Guess I'll be pestering everyone to save their Easter shells.)

I'm so happy to see this tutorial - seam finishing is too rarely covered in modern sewing books. Your instructions are excellent. Thank you!!

Not_So_Plain_Jane - Well, I sure hope that the summer show in Florida will be a huge success, so that maybe Anaheim will be open to the public next year. For now, that one is an industry-only show. You can buy a "day ticket" for about $150.00, but I think you also have to have business credentials. So - let's cross our fingers for success in Orlando!

Frumsglassmenagerie and GlacierBlue, your points are very well taken. I'm so grateful to everyone for adding so much good value to this discussion! I love the idea of using a tightly-woven canvas. I might add one caution: it seems to me that sewing along the folded edge of the finished bowl might be a very heavy-duty job with canvas, so I'd definitely recommend some testing with scrap fabric in that case.

...And now I'm all intrigued at the idea of making my own oilcloth!

RacyTracy, I believe this dish is safe to use as it's designed. Oilcloth is made from vinyl, which is also used in lots of other pet products, from kennel parts to chew toys. I do recommend leaving the dish out in sunlight for several hours to bleach out the scent of the vinyl, as I mentioned in the post. And I would not recommend using this dish or any plastic dish to heat pet food or water in a microwave, as that can leach toxins from the plastic.

But for occasional use on walks or travel, this dish is a safe vessel for food and water.

I love this idea SO MUCH! Pushkin has one of these in his near future...

I loved this post! I've been thinking for a couple days about my crafting personality, and have come to the conclusion that the only answer is: I am something of a crafty multiple-personality. And I like that. :-)

Fletchbrew, each screen would be a single color. If you wanted to do a multiple-color print, you'd burn a screen for each print and then go though the printing and setting process for each color. That video tutorial is loaded with good info for your hubby!

morningglories, that is a lovely idea!

Wow... could you BE any more of a genius?

This is a beautiful project, and I loved the framing of your story, and your practice of sending yourself a note on Valentine's Day. This is one of my favorite posts of yours ever.

Maria13, how interesting... I can't wait to try this in the microwave! Thanks so much for posting the tip!

Hagridsmom, thanks so much for the great tip on knot-tying!

This is so wonderful - especially those little rolled-up wishes.

Popoagie, thank you for all the great tips!

Wow, that's spectacular. Can't wait to see!

susanbrownknitting, those are great tips for non-seamsters. Thank you so much for posting them!

SelenaEon, what sounds awesome! I hope you'll post the finished product in the Gallery so we can all see!

THAT is brilliant, Linda. Thanks so much for posting that tip. Dang... wish I'd done mine that way!

Super cute!

eveh, you should be able to find those seaming needles in the knitting section of Michael's or Jo-Ann. Or, try your local yarn stores. If you can't find them, a metal tapestry needle with a blunt tip would also work well.

I love your fabric bowls. Thank you so much for the tutorial!

This is AWESOME!!

So sorry to hear about Mac Daddy. It's an awful thing to lose a beloved pet, and certainly takes time to recover. Crafting is indeed a good balm for a broken heart.

Absolutely beautiful! I just cut up and tossed a whole bunch of old cards. Wish I'd waited a few more days - I would have loved to make this!

Jen1964, In my experience, the heat will last about 15 to 20 minutes, and then your hands will stay warm much longer.

dnjmama - love your mods!

LizzieK8 - love the idea of velcro for cleaning!

KC4 - great idea to add aromatherapy!

So pretty! I love this idea!

phunkymama, I used what is probably a heavy-duty laminator at my local copy shop. I used 5 mil pouches, which sealed fine at the edges, although I did need to cut the laminate 1/8" from all edges to incorporate a slight gap around the very edges of the playing cards. If you have access to the 5 mil laminate, perhaps that would work better for you. Please let me know!

chibimaddy, I've been trying to see your posting, but this link doesn't take me there! Can you give it to me again?

Love it! Love the buttons you've used, too!

What a great idea for drafting a pattern!

That is absolutely genius! Heck, I need one, too!

How cute is that? It would catch the Christmas tree lights nicely, too!

Fantastic! And I love seeing all these different versions.

I love it! Really like the variation of sewing through the photo.

These are beautiful!

Oh, my goodness. Utterly beautiful. I love it on the wire tree, so you can enjoy the form of the paper to the fullest.

bluebutterfly - let's talk more by email about what's going wrong with your cold porcelain. Will you email me? diane AT deepideas DOT com.

craftretiree, I can help you with your printing issue if you email me. diane AT deepideas DOT com. Will you tell me what internet browser you're using, please?

Wow, simple and ingenious! Thanks for the great tutorial.

Super, super awesome!!

That is so genius, I might just have to go lie down. Amazing idea!

Dang. That is absolutely fantastic!

This is so pretty! I love crafts that are infused with meaning.

Linda - if your local farmer's markets don't have any, both Welburn Gourd Farm and Amish Gourds (links above) are lovely to deal with - they ship very fast. Mom and I just bought some amazing "jewelry gourds" from Welburn - they're tiny, like Christmas-ornament size! I can't wait to play with them!

What a cute idea! I'm reading a book right now that features these cute 1" x 1" collages - they'd be great in this garland treatment, too! Plus, I love any craft that involves office supplies.

Okay, it must be said: he looks adorable. :-) And I love the blanket!

Beautiful tutorial, Lee - and great to see you here!

What a great project! I love the idea of threading decorative stuff through the doilies!

Lordy - that is freakin' wonderful. Thank you so much for the link! It makes me weep just a little. :-)

susanstars - OOh, seriously! Love that idea!

digibudi, I hope you do make a zine - it would be fabulous!

Now, THAT's super-cool! *Adding to my To Craft List*

Beautiful! This really gets my wheels spinning. Love the stitch pattern and thread combined with the leather colors.

Awesome - thanks for the great photos. I totally feel like I could do this now!

What a great tutorial! And I love this project. Thank you!

Super cute idea! Makes me wish I had more wall space. :-)

beverlyb9, sure thing - the scarf top can be pieced any way you like. If you decide to make one with the narrower angled stripes, will you post a picture to the Gallery so we can all see?

Merilyn, if you cut the cardstock about 1/8" smaller than the top of the tin, then believe it or not, the adhesive on the tape will hold the cardstock down to the tin just fine. It's a very strong adhesive - just burnish the edges well with a plastic spoon and you're all set. If you prefer to glue the cardstock down first, then you might find something like double-stick tape to be easy and effective.

denese - You know, you certainly could machine-stitch the edges of the applique. The look would be different, of course, but it would definitely be quicker to do that way. I suppose then you'd need to press the edges of the applique first, so they wouldn't move while you sewed them. The nice thing about the hand-stitching is that you can make lots of tiny adjustments to the shape of the applique as you sew.

If you try this way, I hope you'll post a picture to the Gallery so we can all see!

Apologies, everyone! The basic wire crochet tutorial is at http://www.craftypod.com/?p=71.

I love the idea of framing the t-shirt pieces in other fabrics - the mix is really fun, and also makes this more elegant than any other t-shirt quilt I've seen. Nice work! And, good luck at school!

So lovely and simple. Thank you for this excellent tutorial!

This is lovely, and what a great idea!

I love these! Thanks for the great tutorial!

That's awesome - thanks for the link! I hadn't heard about this, and I love the projects in the current issue.

elizart. I haven't heard about using it for felting, but I sure have seen people use the leftover fluff to stuff toys. Works great!

Awesome tutorial! I can't wait to give this a try.

Wowee, this is an awesome concept! *adding to overlong To-Make list...*

This is beautiful - it looks so modern, even with the vintage technique. And I'm pretty darn impressed with that craftsmanship!

How lovely! And what a great tutorial!

This is super-helpful - thank you!

This is WAY cool. I love how you can contribute your flowers to a public garden. Thanks so much for sharing the link!

That's dandy! I just realized the other day that I have about 15 hooks in sizes G through I. I can't wait to use this - thank you!!

Yay, P-Town! That certainly was a fun, crafty day. I thought I'd add, too: anyone who's interested in crafty things going on in Portland can also check out my local website: http://www.diyalert.com.