SecretPetition’s Craft World

By Kristie.Leong.M.D

So, you’ve been bitten by the bead bug! No doubt about it, beads are addictive. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could make some extra money working with them?

Good news! There are a variety of ways you can make extra money with beads. Here are a few for your to consider:

• Bead Business: Make and sell necklaces, bracelets, and earrings out of beads

There’s a large market for handmade beaded jewelry, especially if you make sets. You can market your handmade creations through your own website, at craft fairs, local boutiques, home jewelry parties, at your workplace, as well as a variety of other outlets. Emphasize your jewelry is handcrafted and you’ll lincrease their appeal and their saleability. (more…)

Beading is popular, rewarding, fun, interesting and enjoyable hand craft.

Beaded items are very popular nowadays. In shopping malls, department stores or designers stores, we will not fail to find lots of beautiful beaded items for sale such as bags, purses, bracelets, necklaces, wall hangings, cushion covers, etc. A lot of people find beads not only attractive but irresistible. Beads come in many different shapes, sizes, textures, colors and designs. Designers of accessories, jewelry, and interiors make use of the richness of their colors and the diversity of their shapes to create astounding pieces. Items made with beads are indeed captivating and useful. People use completed beading items such as bracelets and necklaces as accessories to enhance their appearance, while beading items like wall hangings, cushion covers, etc are used to decorate their homes. Fabrics with beads could help to add to the decor of homes.

Beads have been valued for centuries. Since early times, people have been acquainted with beads, primarily in the form of berries, seeds, stones and shells. (more…)

Layout Concepts

Floor Trim for your Dollhouse

Everyone likes to tweak there dollhouses from time to time. The last dollhouse that I was making I discovered a great addition that really made my interior stand out. I simply created a floor board to use for the trim around the floor of the dollhouse. Floor Trim is not a new creation, but what I found is instead of buying it, to use a very thin balsa wood found in most craft stores. I painted them white, which went with all the walls in my dollhouse, and attached them to the floors throughout the house. What I found is that they covered up the tiny bumps between the walls and the flooring. It also prevented the wall paper to come unglued because I was covering the bottom edges with the trim. This discovery truly was a small one, but I believe that it really added to my dollhouse. DollHouse Flooring

Accessorizing with Fabrics

Dollhouses contain an enormous potential for miniaturists and hobbyists alike. For instance the amount of detail that is available to you is mesmerizing. (more…)

Lighting your way to a great look

Lighting and dollhouses is a little like magic at Christmas time, it adds a tremendous awe factor, but you have to be at the right point to get started. This is the point when you have moved from setting up a miniature house for your kids to expanding this hobby into something more. Lighting your kit can be a fun yet challenging time. In all reality, would we enjoy it if it wasn’t a challenge? First of all the basics are simply hooking up lighting from a plug to a light. In addition to that you are given instructions and help in setting it up. As with all aspects of this game, things will get easier with time. The best way to start is small, so get a small kit and begin. Remember it is only hard or challenging if you make it out to be. Dollhouse Basic Wiring Kit no transformer by Miniature House

Look Down: The Floor in your Kit

Flooring is a very interesting topic because no one really thinks to change it, and yet those that do always turn out more amazing than before. (more…)

Contemporary Style Defined

The Term Contemporary Style Decorating’ may Evoke Thoughts of George Jetson and Family

The term contemporary style decorating’ may evoke thoughts of George Jetson and family, scooting through their ultra modernized and automated home. In reality, contemporary home decor, although clean, smooth and sleek, can make a colorful and dramatic design statement that is an interesting blend of colors, textures and elements.

If you enjoy clean lines, smooth surfaces, bold colors and natural elements, contemporary home decor could be the creative lifestyle expression for you. Neutral colors will be your selection for the walls, although a bold accent color or two are appropriate for accent walls if this fits with your overall design scheme. You will, in fact, want to use color to create drama. For example, you may introduce a sofa with a bright solid red fabric as a counterpoint to neutral walls. Your upholstered pieces will not have busy patterns, and in fact, there may not be much pattern in the space, with the exception of a striking area rug or artwork on the wall. To create further contrast in the area, you may decide to use a small amount of black as a dramatic accent. (more…)

Sweet Summer Deal!

* * * Held Over Special! Make TRACKS to It Today! * * *

SiteSell is one of the most attractive Hosting Company’s available online. They provide so many opportunities and services. Admirable is the care they show to all who have a site through them. Right now too they have a super deal going on for the summer. It’s worth checking out if you are serious about a site online of professional quality. Don’t waste time, though, this special isn’t for long, the SALE actually ENDS at Midnight July 6th. So get in on it now. Follow the links to see for yourself. ~ SecretPetition’s Craft World ~

Click Here To Check It Out Now

• When people think “country decorations,” they usually think of bandannas, checker-board patterns and various farm animals. A new, stylish trend in decorating is Primitive Decor. This style is a unique blend of antiques, country and Appalachian folk art. Country decorators love the primitive look because it complements all varieties of country themes.
• What makes Primitive decor primitive? Drawing from the Appalachian region, primitive decor uses earthy colors with subtle colonial lighting to create a more relaxing, down-to-earth feeling. Primitive uses a generous variety of antiques as well as reproductions. From a “well-worn” feel to antiqued colonial features, primitive decor brings back the “olden days” feeling of a simpler life. Click Here!
• Primitive decor encourages recycling. Decorators find or buy old pieces of furniture that appear ready for the landfills and turn them into objects of simple beauty. Well-worn pieces are transformed into visually stunning decorations often by adding florals or vines. Old clothing and scraps of fabric are the perfect selections for hand-made annies. Set a grouping of these dolls on old trunks and a room is transformed. Add old or new quilts or a colonial tin lamp for an inviting appeal. Worn out ladders make great displays for silk flower pot arrangements. Add old books, treen-ware, home made candles or even pip berry garland to create a stunning ladder display. (more…)
  

Author: Kristie.Leong.M.D

Are you in a jewelry design rut? Have you been making and selling the same jewelry designs for so long that you’ve become bored with what you do? You may be in a jewelry design rut! This is never a good situation to be in as it can reduce your enthusiasm for what you do and cause you to lower your productivity. Plus, if you’re bored with your designs, chance are your customers will be able to detect that and be less enthusiastic about purchasing from you. Maybe it’s time to rekindle the spark that led you to design jewelry in the first place. Click Here!

Here are some tips for getting out of a jewelry design rut:

1. Take a break.

This is the first step towards breaking the cycle of boredom with jewelry making. Sometimes you need to step away from your design business to get a fresh perspective. Take a few days off to just relax and enjoy the wonders of nature.Take a short trip out of town or indulge in a day at a local health spa. (more…)

Author: Katie Faulkner

Making jewelry is taking the world by storm, whether you chose to do this for pleasure or profit or both. Click Here!

What can start out as an enjoyable hobby can be turned into a very lucrative career indeed. Offering a perfect opportunity for stay at home moms who want to work hours to fit their family and with clever use of the internet sell without ever having to speak to a customer !

“Earn a living from what you love!” Click Here!

What could be better than waking up each morning feeling happy because you make a very good income from your hobby. No rush hour traffic, No Sunday night blues, No 9 to 5 drudgery. If your idea of heaven is beading most of the day then you are about to find out how to boost your bank balance plus have loads of fun. (more…)

Author: Alex Smith

If you are a big preserver of memories like me, you may also want to make scrapbook based on photos. Involved in such a digital era, photos are usually stored in a digital way. So, digital scrapbooks become a new fun to us.

If you’re a beginner and you have PowerPoint, you can easily create digital scrapbook based on digital photos and video footages with it. Click Here!

A family reunion or any other holidays for that matter can be recorded with such a digital scrapbook.

Below are the main steps of how to create one with PowerPoint.

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Featured Excerpt from: Three-Dimensional Découpage by Vivien Crook. 

Three-dimensional découpage does not have to be restricted to pre-printed images. You can convert a simple drawing into a three-dimensional image using sheets of different-coloured paper.It is a good way to introduce children to this craft, and on these pages I show you, step by step, how to make such a picture. Instead of silicone rubber adhesive, I have used double-sided sticky padsto separate the layers of paper.

The drawing should be quite simple and include enclosed outlines which can be cut into different layers of colour. Small detail can be added with coloured pencils or marker pens. (more…)

Author: martielownsberry

Looking for a unique way to increase sales for your homemade craft? Think Tupperware. That’s right, steal the idea that made Tupperware famous, have a craft party. Click Here!

All you need is a co-operative friend willing to throw the party. It is quite easy to bribe a friend in giving you a party by offering them one of your crafts for free. Once you have the party hostess and the place lined up then all you need is the date, time, invitations and a hook to draw people in.

Hooks can be anything. You can offer prizes, discounts, or even teach your party goers a simpler version of the craft you are selling. Anything that gains their interest and makes them want to come. Many times pictures of the product itself and the words “reduced price” is all that is needed to draw people in.

Plan your party so that guests will have an enjoyable time, this means good food, a few games, and a display of your work that is appealing to the eye.

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Author: Emma Snow

Diana discovered the joy of pottery after suffering a terrible divorce. Taking a seat at the wheel with a lump of clay, she felt an immediate release. Her mind cleared and her heart rate slowed down. She was able to relax in a way she hadn’t for weeks. “Better than therapy—and medication!” she happily reported to her doctor after her first day at a community education class, where she went on to make friends with fellow potters, further enriching her life.

For Kris it was counted cross-stitch. The repetitive motion of the needle passing up and down through crisp cloth put her in a near-meditative state, the way yoga does for some. In this state Kris was able to work out solutions to her daily challenges. “It was like the ideas dropped into my mind out of the sky,” she told a close friend.

Shawn found furniture restoration to be wonderfully soothing after a stressful day at the office. The raw scent of wood loosened him up, and he was surprised how satisfying it was to sit down at a table he had restored himself. (more…)

“Clear the Decks”

Submitted by: Carol Gunkel from “Professionalcrafters.com”
Summer vacation is in full swing, the holidays are right around the corner, and your craft inventory is not where it should be for the upcoming shows ….

Relax and take a deep breath - Time is on your side.

With some simple time saving strategies you will be able to produce more, in less time, and enjoy the process .

1. Take time before beginning your latest project to gather all of the necessary tools and materials. Much time is wasted looking for that one essential tool that you just KNEW was there.

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Author: James Dillehay

Is there money selling arts and crafts online?

Read this story and learn how one couple’s business grew phenomenally because of the Internet.

Several years ago, a young couple started selling their art and poetry on gift cards. Their work sold well. So well, that their business grew very big. Eventually, sales were in the millions of dollars worldwide. The idea came that they could start a web site to give away electronic gift cards. Despite the fact that there was no upfront profit to be made, they felt the site’s traffic would eventually attract other revenues. (more…)

By Wasim Ahmad

Making crafts is not as simple as 1, 2 and 3.

Making crafts is not as simple as 1, 2 and 3. It needs some diligence combined with fun. One can make a simple craft or a sophisticated one. This is one great bonding activity to spend with the whole family, especially with children. This is also another way to make your leisure time more useful and productive. The products created can be used as a gift for loved ones, or serve as decorations in your house. Other people are always appreciative of handmade works, especially when receiving them as presents.

Making crafts are a great way to show affection. Many people like crafts as a gift because they value the efforts of the creator. They know that the gift given crafts are made especially for them rather than the gifts that are being bought from store. (more…)