Craft Gawking

If you like to window shop for beautiful arts and crafts, you'll want to visit Poppytalk Handmade and Craft Gawker - great for spending an hour...or 3!

Palm Reading

The above palm reading video (from here) is actually pretty accurate for me - I'm surprised! Does it work for you?

Xmas Giveaway!

Just thought I'd have a little giveaway for my wonderful readers!

It's for a red and gold Christmas tree pendant on a black chain, and all you have to do is leave a comment stating one thing you like in my new shop...easy peasy!

Rules are: Only leave 1 comment, and don't put your e-mail address in the comment box (you don't want spammers :-)). Anyone can enter.

I'll use a random number generator to decide the winner when I get a reasonable number of comments.

Good luck!

Soft Christmas Trees

I love this whimsical forest of stretched trees - it somehow reminds me of Tim Burton animations - and you can make your own by going over to this page. And they don't just have to be for Xmas too!

Yarn Wrap Lampshade

This tutorial is a fun, messy one - my favourite kind - and shows you how to make a modern lampshade from glue, yarn and a balloon!

The Wellington Boot

Just a note to say I've opened my 'ickle shop, and if you like handmade necklaces and earrings, please feel free to visit The Wellington Boot :-)

PS. Mention Crafter-holic in the messages section of payment, and get 10% refunded back to you! (Valid until December 5th, 2009)

Ice-Cream Drumsticks

I know ice-cream is a bit weird for cold weather but I couldn't resist - plus, I have readers on the other side of the world (hellooo!).

So here are the instructions for making these ice-cream drumsticks i.e. Cornettos!

Dinner in the Sky

'Dinner in the Sky' is a company that suspends a platform from a crane and allows you to eat dinner, have a business meeting and even get married up in the sky, overlooking some of the most beautiful parts of cities all over the world - imagine the view!

E-cards

Have a look at this e-card website for some funny (and some rude!) e-cards for the holiday season.

Felt Fairy Lights

This tutorial shows you how to make some funky fairy lights from felt - perfect for wrapping around the tree, or draping on your mantelpiece!

THE Christmas Gift Guide

(Cookie gift tag from here)
I know that finding a gift to suit and please every recipient is very very difficult, and it is sometimes hard to find inspiration in the chaos and panic - but never fear, Fern (the queen of the comprehensive OCD list) am here!

The websites listed below have a wide range of gift ideas, from mass produced to handmade, and from cheap stocking fillers to expensive one-offs. Some even have a mini quiz so that they can find those products best suited (give me an ooooooh!):

Poppytalk Gift Guide

My Gift Links
Etsy Gift Guides
Gift Finder
Moma Store Gift Ideas
Amazon Gift Guide
Gifts.com Gift List
Gift Search
Presents for Mum
Indie Gifts
Gift Generator
Cool Products List
Your Next Gift
Green Gift Guide
Unusual Products

Gifts to Make Yourself
Eco Gifts A-Z
Easy Homemade Presents
Manly Gift Guide
Wrapables Holiday Guide
Design*Sponge Product Guides
Indie Collective Shopping Guide
Indie Parade Gift Search

(This LED motherboard Christmas tree is right up my street - from Think Geek)
And for specific gift ideas which I love, have a browse through these (mainly men's gifts):

Shoe Shine Kit
The Man Can
Light Up Slippers
Pop Art Toaster
Wall Fish Bowl
Unusual Manly Candles
Snow Globe Cookies

For more general ideas, see my own here:

For Guys: CDs, playstation/games console games, DVDs, TV series on DVD, compilation CD, cake, biscuits, compass, SatNav, walking stick, fishing tripod chair, cufflinks/watch, tankard, mug, whisky flask, hamper, alcohol, wallet, man bag, hand embroidered tie, journal, hat, t-shirts/underwear/socks/hoodies, BBQ apron, hand printed shirt, pillow, paper/file organiser, clock, gadget, soap, photo frame, aftershave, survival/adventure kit, swiss army knife, punch bag, sporting/hobby equipment, sport/hobby themed gifts, gloves (driving/leather), scarf, shaving kit, novelty USB stick, laptop case, BBQ accessories, corkscrew, high tech lighter, stylish fountain pen, computer game, board/family game

For Gals: Magazine subscription, cake/chocolates, flowers, wall decals, cuddly toy/pillow, underwear, watch, (alarm) clock, jewellery, piggy bank, DVD (box set), books, proper fountain pen, journal, stationary, perfume, soap/body scrub/anything from Lush!, lamp, bookmark, gift voucher for her favourite shop, pre-paid beauty treatment, pampering products.

Hope you enjoyed the lists!

Felted Christmas Trees

I love these cone trees so much with the soft knit and cute French knots. To make your own, go here.

Ice Ice Baby

This make is simply lace doilies in ice - but don't they make beautiful Winter ornaments?! Of course, you have to live in a place cold enough (i.e. not England :-()

I love looking at the photo though because I love, love, love snow so much!

Harry Potter Theme Park

Is it wrong that a 22 year old girl should be more excited about the opening of the Harry Potter theme park than anything else ever in my life?!

I love Harry Potter (I was devastated when I finished the last book - go Team Snape!), I love theme parks, I love fiction and fantasy (Disneyland is my all time favourite place), and I love Florida (best holiday ever) - so to combine all these things in one place is rather enticing for me, to say the least.

I found these photos showing the construction so far and it's so exciting - there are rollercoasters, plus replicas of places like Hogwart's castle and Zonko's joke shop - eek!

Anyone else as mad as I am?!

Of course, since this is a craft blog, here is a link which will show you lots of Harry Potter related projects :-)

Fashion Sketching

I've been watching my favourite programme Strictly Some Dancing (as well as It Takes Two - I'm a bit obsessed!), and they show the fashion sketches that are made before each beautiful costume is made, and I decided I wanted to have a go.

So I got searching and I found this fantastic tutorial on how to draw the clothes and different poses. Anyone else Strictly obsessed???

Polaroid Greetings Card

This is possibly the most fun, ingenious greetings card I have ever seen - the Polaroid camera shape is made from cork, and then the birthday message is a Polaroid photo!

Tiny Top Hat

I think this teeny tiny top hat is very glam!

You could use it for dolls (and your own thumb!), or you could scale it up for a fancy dress hat. Find the tutorial here.

Headboard Inspiration

I love this letters headboard so much, and if you need some original headboard ideas, have a look at 15 cool ones here.

Supercook

If you've got few ingredients left in your kitchen and you want to find a recipe which uses just those, head over to Supercook and enter your ingredients on the left - then watch the possible recipes appear!

Recycled Xmas Cards

A quick idea from 'Just Something I Made': If you can't bear to throw away your Christmas cards from last year, or you particularly like a design on them, why not cut them up and rearrange them into new, more modern, cards?! Sounds like a great idea to me.

Best Etsy Shops (cont...)

It's getting ever closer to Christmas, so it's time to start thinking about prezzies! The following list contains amazing Etsy shops that may give you some gift ideas. Have fun :-)

Jewellery:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Coralseas

(where the above watermelon necklace came from)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/staroftheeast

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WeeSparrow

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AliBaliJewellery

http://www.etsy.com/shop/makeit

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AFineDistraction

http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurabailliedesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/allthosethrees

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lazygiraffe

http://www.etsy.com/shop/luxedeluxe

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BINAGEYER

http://www.etsy.com/shop/esdesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cayennepeppy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tangleweeds

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MiniCyn

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ANORIGINALJEWELRY
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tekaandzoe

Other:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Spiderbite
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveLeeSoaps
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Elephannie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/joojooland
http://www.etsy.com/shop/houseofharriet
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cottonbirddesigns
http://www.etsy.com/shop/trixiedelicious
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Brookish
http://www.etsy.com/shop/reclaim2fame
http://www.etsy.com/shop/hilarycosgrove
http://www.etsy.com/shop/rachelaustin
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cocoondesigns

Polite Car Signals

Click here for a fantastic project which produces two illuminated signs - 'Thanks' and 'Sorry' - for putting in the back of your car! I love this idea, because I feel quite rude ignoring people who have just let me out in front of them, or for just stalling in front of people at traffic lights (I've only driven twice so the latter happens alot!)

Paper Garlands

These colourful tissue paper garlands are very easy to make by simply sewing paper strips together in a long line - if you like, you could make them in red, gold and green for a Christmas party!

Snowflake Cookies

The page I found this photo on does not seem to have the recipe, but I thought I'd show you them anyway for a bit of inspiration - aren't they gorgeous?!

Geometric Necklace

I love this fashionable geometric style necklace, and it's so easy to make by following this simple tutorial.