Homemade Galalith Plastic

This search adventure started with this project at esprit cabane for homemade milk stone (galalith) jewelry.

I continued my search and found this very good Instructable by Coffeebot.
I wonder....mix with casein paint for color?

What is galalith? How is it used? Some Googling led me all over the internet and I found that galalith is categorized with Bakelite for jewelry, buttons, buckles etc.
It can be sawed, sanded and polished. I'm interested more in process than anything else but this could be fun for handbag handles and hardware even if they were rough looking.
Original galalith was made using formaldehyde which is a carcinogen. These two links use vinegar.
Here is an article about Marie-Christine Pavone's galalith jewelry.

Just Tutes

Just Tutes is Charity Beasley's blog of sewing tutorials. She makes and shares her patterns, tips for wardrobe refashioning and frugal sewing.

Newspaper Seed Starter Pots

How to fold a newspaper pot. A little late this season but I don't want to loose this link. If I have to look at my little pots I think I would recycle wrapping paper so they are cute. Nice little gift, seedlings in cute plantable pots if the ink is non toxic.

These little pots from the Swedish store DesignTorget are polypropelene and reusable.

Paper Mache Tutorials

Nice resource with lots of interesting ideas. A bird sculpture with an egg for a base, a flower lampshade made using sewing pattern paper with a colored bulb. These little cuties have an interesting technique in that the facial features are drawn on a separate piece of paper and applied individually. That's a great tip! I can hardly ever get a whole face right. One eye will be cockeyed or the eyes will be good but the mouth will be awful.

Kids Craft Weekly Newsletter

Amber Carvan's free newsletter, kids craft weekly, is choc full of fun ideas to keep the little ones busy.

I love the Alphabet Crafts.

Cut 'n' Sew clothing and toys

Clothkits screenprinted clothing panels to sew. Great designers including Rob Ryan.

Found via whip up.

This is the type of thing I think that would make a great Spoonflower project. Cut 'n' Sew panels have always attracted me...even cheater quilts would make a good project.

Tape Sculpture by Joe Davidson

These are the beautiful works of Joe Davidson, made of Scotch tape. Don't they look like alabaster? I'm fascinated by tape sculpture; see my previous post about Mark Jenkins.

Found via the ever curious dear ada.
A fellow Oregonion with a great eye for design. Yes, it's amazing.

Paper Craft Downloads

Brit fashion designer Paul Smith offers downloadable paper crafts.

I think I've posted this before but I still like it.

Hermes Paper Purse

Patricia (Agence Eureka) mentioned this link on NotCot. Hermes is offering a free printable download for a paper version of their famous Kelly Bag.
A free classic for download on the Hermes site
Let the site load up. Click the small picture of the bag and let that load up. Click "I want it"

Thanks, Patricia, you are the queen of fun things!

10 Free Bag Patterns

From the online crafts page of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
This one is shown first. Click on their arrow that says slide 1 of 11 to see the other patterns.

The BHG craft site is quite extensive. You will have fun browsing it.

Printable Paper Boxes

Downloadable paper boxes from Italian design site Scarabokkio.
I love this little bird with the heart flower in it's mouth.
The pictures are direct links to the pdf printables.

Decoupage Faux Engraved Tile

I'm always thinking of Christmas ornament ideas and was really taken by the look of this cross by Eileen Bergen, The Artful Crafter. It's decoupage on foam core board making the technique interesting to me since weight is always a factor with ornament making. I don't know that I would make crosses but doves might be nice for me.
Visit the Artful Crafter for project directions.

Pattern-Making Calculator

This calculator allows you to use fractions rather than decimals. Generously shared by sloper maker pattern.stringcodes.com

101 Woonideeën

Projects from the "DO" section of Dutch magazine 101 Woonideeën

MDF floral headboard with downloadable templates.

Cardboard Chandelier with downloadable templates.

Pricing Your Handmade Goods

One article about the business of art by Mary Boyd.

Free Knitting Patterns

25 free patterns from the German knitting magazine, Rebecca "the young knitting magazine with the big pattern section"

Kaufman Fabrics free quilt and craft patterns

74 free patterns from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Scroll down to the free download section.

Fabric Fans

Instructions at the Embroidery Library include how to cut the fan sticks. These are embroidered but the instructions could suit any fabric. The templates and machine embroidery designs are for sale.
A different downloadable fan template is available here from SandScripts online printers.
I even see the shape as pillows. Fans have been a recent interest and I'll have more posts in the future.

Fabric House

Lynn Roberts has posted a tutorial for this cute fabric house on her blog, Mollychicken. I love the birdie on the roof. Visit the tutorial to see how she furnished the inside of her house.
Lynn has posted other tutorials....all charming.
Here's her tutorial page.