GIVEAWAY: Weekend Kits

Weekend Kits has been a longtime funky find! Over the years, Weekend Kits has continued to offer quality craft kits that cover many categories & appeal to crafters of all ages & skill sets. The biggest benefit of purchasing through Weekend Kits is that all the supplies can be found on one site versus wasting time driving around to multiple stores hunting for project supplies.

The new items section is a perfect example of the versatility & selection the site offers. There is a great selection of jewelry making kits for kids, as well as multiple quilt kits for beginners to name just a few. Weekend Kits also offers a large selection of Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns and plush animal sewing kits which I love! (Pictured: Klutz - Jewelry Making Kit for Kids - Dot Jewelry)

And, while it may seem way too early to start thinking about holiday crafting, December is less than six months away. This means that there is no better time than the present to start working on holiday projects. Thankfully, Weekend Kits makes it a bit easier with the numerous Christmas Craft Kits, such as the stocking kits and card making kits. (Pictured: Felt Pillow Kit - Christmas Craft - Colorful Tree)

I think it is so important to encourage the creativity in children. Weekend Kits makes it easy to provide youngsters with all the tools they need to complete a great project. The Beaded Bands Bracelet Kit by Klutz Jewelry is one of the site's best sellers. Order one today...and while you're at it, treat yourself to a project kit, too! Happy crafting everyone!!!

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats JC! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a Tree Crewel Embroidery Kit, a 5-Inch Embroidery Hoop, and a pair of Mundial Embroidery Scissors from Weekend Kits.

(items pictured above)

TO ENTER: Visit Weekend Kits & leave a comment on this post noting at least one craft kit you would like to have.

EXTRA ENTRY: Like Weekend Kits on Facebook,

then leave a comment on this post noting

that you have done so.

ENDS: Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 6pm CDT.

Funky Five: Wreaths

1. Fabulous Fall Felt Ruffle Wreath Tutorial by Keep it simple, sister

2. Fall Wreath by StoryCrafting

3. Canning Jar Lids Wreath by Funky Junk Interiors

4. Halloween Wreath by wRIte iT DOwN

5. Halloween Chevron Wreath Tutorial by Tatertots & Jello

Find more wreath inspiration on my Pinterest board!

Funky Five: Luck 'o the Irish

1. Ruari Paper Doll by LVK Paper Dolls

2. Kiss Me I'm Irish Pendant by Sunday Afternoon Housewife

3. Dublin Pillow Cover by Nesta Home

4. St. Patty's Day Shamrock Tie Shirt by Lil Squirts Boutique

5. Lucky Shamrock Felt Banner by Maggie O'Rileys

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kutz

Kutz is a great resource for crafters looking for unique embellishments, but are short on time. As a scrapbooker, I love finding small items to enhance my layouts; however, I don't have the budget to purchase tons of die cutting machines. Kutz is the perfect solution for my dilemma. The owner, Cyn, offers a variety of die cut shapes made of felt, cardboard, and paper. You'll find multi-colored felt hearts that are perfect for a number of Valentine's Day craft projects. The big set of floral pieces (pictured) includes 120 mix & match pieces that will certainly come in handy while crafting. Cyn also offers larger pieces, such as the felt owl on branch, that are ready to spice up pillows, handbags & more. And the intricate felt butterfly & silhouette are simply beautiful. Visit Cyn's blog, Just-kutz, that features a great wreath tutorial. She also has another Etsy shop, CynContemporary, that offers handmade pillows & tote bags.

Weekend Kits

Weekend Kits offers a unique selection of creative project kits across a wide variety of craft categories that are affordable & fun. These kits provide the opportunity to explore a variety of project ideas, learn a new skill or hobby, and create something new and unique while sharing time with family and friends. Before you know it the holidays will be upon us, so why not avoid scrambling at the last minute for unique holiday gifts & decor by getting a jump start on projects now? The Christmas & Holiday Kits category features various felt Christmas stocking & ornament kits, card making kits & more. The embroidery kit category is full of lots of great projects, as well, including Sublime Stitching's Ultimate Embroidery Kit, the perfect gift for one wanting to learn the art of embroidery. If you're looking for something to entertain your children, check out the assortment of Kids Craft Kits. In addition to craft project kits, Weekend Kits also offers a variety of tools & supplies for different crafts.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Laura Major! Weekend Kits is giving away a Sugar Plum Fairy Felt Christmas Tree Skirt Kit & coordinating Sugar Plum Fairy Felt Christmas Stocking Kit. To enter, visit Weekend Kits then leave a comment on this post noting the product you'd most like to try. Giveaway ends at 9pm EST, Sunday, July 18.

Easter Basket Full 'o Goodies

1. Easter Blessings Tea Towel and Vintage Easter Gift Tags by Aged Vintage

2. Printed Cloth Bunny by Fantastic Toys

3. Felt Easter Set by Time To Play

4. Tiny Easter Basket Decorating Kit by Julie Collings

5. Make Your Own Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny by Playing With Your Food

6. Easter Headband by Mary Poppins Presents

7. Embossed Vintage Easter Postcard from Sharon Foster Vintage

8. Happy Easter letterpress flat card by Starshaped Press

9. Knit Your Own Fuzzy Easter Chicks + Mini Easter Eggs by The Purl Bee

10. Easter Egg Soap by Annie's Powder Room

Funky Five: Holiday Fun!!!

1. I Heart Gingerbread Men Garland by BeeLoveLee

2. Cardboard Snowflake Tree by Cardboard Safari

3. Crocheted Snowball with Santa Hat by West Coast Juju

4. Knee Hugger Pixie Elf Christmas Art Doll by SpiritMama

5. Joyeux Noel Oblong Pillow by Tippy's Textiles n' Stuff

Antisparkle

If you're looking for accessories that will convey your funky, fun-loving spirit to everyone you meet, check out Antisparkle. The twisted pretzel earrings are perfect for your next outing to the local fair. And the happy-faced Neapolitan Ice Cream necklace is sure to garner a smile or two when worn. Antisparkle features a variety of fun felt goods, including the pink Skull Coin Pouch and the Love Struck clutch. Don't miss the Orange Mushroom earrings & the cupcake thief tee.

Funky Five: Halloween

1. Halloween Tags and Cards by Pink Twilight

2. Hand-painted plates by Storybook Studios

3. Halloween-inspired bath & body products by The Polly Wog Patch

4. Handmade wool felt ornaments by Urban Paisley Handmade

5. Handmade Halloween & Day of the Dead Decor by Raw Bone Studio

Daisy Daydreams

If you're anything like me, you love sweets but definitely do NOT need the extra calories. Lucky for us, we can have our sweets and never gain a pound thanks to Daisy Daydreams. The beautiful felt cakes are created by Amanda Kirby and would make even Marie Antoinette's mouth water! The embellished strawberry & chocolate cakes are lovely works of art. These designs are available in a variety of color, I mean flavor, combinations. I also love the adorable felt animal cracker cookies. These are the perfect gift for newborns that are too young to enjoy sweets just yet. And the pretty felt cupcakes make wonderful party favors that won't blow your guests' diet plan.

Thanksgiving Finds

Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving in one week. I always enjoy featuring Thanksgiving items as I love Autumn dècor...and pumpkin pie!

Three Moon Babies has a fun selection of polymer clay embellishments. The whole pumpkin pie magnet is adorable. You'll also find several Christmas-themed designs, including the Santa Claus clay charm.

Love pumpkin pie, but not the calories that come with eating a slab of it? Becky M has created a fun felt alternative.

Paired Hearts has several fun holiday cards to choose from. The disguised turkey is a hoot!

BHG.com, the interactive companion to Better Homes and Gardens magazine, has lots of great Thanksgiving ideas. Spruce up your holiday with recipes, crafts, and turkey roasting tips.

There's an entire blog dedicated to Thanksgiving tidbits, too!

Yumstie Tree

Yumstie Tree is a delightful shop full of cards & accessories created by Jacqui Hanson. I love the humorous card designs like Party Pants that are made using felt embellishments. The hand-stitched Congratulations card is adorable, as well. The felt & button brooch is a fun & whimsical way to dress up a plain top or jacket. And who wouldn't like a felt heart keyring? You even get to choose which pattern and color you would like. See Jacqui's Flickr account for more images of her work.

Halloween & Fall Goodies

Fall and Halloween decorations and crafts are my favorite. Each week during October I will be featuring fun seasonal finds.

1. Webby Sue creates fantastic jewelry using vintage typewriter keys. The Halloween bracelets & earrings are my favorite!

2. Sewing Stars offers a kit so you can make your own adorable plush pumpkins. The kit includes enough orange fleece, wool felt, and velvet to make two pumpkins.

3. Clair Payne's felt monster & eyeball brooches are so much fun! Claire also makes lots of adorable felt Christmas ornaments.

4. Send spooky Halloween greetings from Cathartic Slant & you are sure to frighten the recipient. The images are not reproduced, so you are guaranteed to purchase unique cards from this shop.

5. Want to send a card that is a little tamer? Why not send a nice fall greeting featuring beautiful pumpkin photographs from Rosehaven Cottage Photography? The vintage Halloween cards are also lots of fun.

6. Catherine Holman's folk art will transport you back to a time that was much simpler. The cottage images depict a time that was serene & community was most important. I love the Pumpkin Spice Cake print, as well.

7. Magpie Ethel is a vintage style crafter who creates unique & funky dècor. The Pumpkin Man is a great piece that utilizes vintage beads, pipe cleaners & felt. The Halloween Cones are also great for decorating.

8. The Living Room Floor is a great place to find unique tags that can be used in a variety of projects, such as scrapbooking. The scalloped Halloween tags are perfect for decorating Halloween gift bags, cards & more.

9. I've mentioned numerous times that I am a self-proclaimed Monkey-holic. And I was thrilled to discover The Cuddle Shop's unique take on Sock Monkeys. Jack the Undead is excellent, as is colorful Candy Corn Witch.

Jeynreyn

Jeynreyn creates all kinds of fun items using felt & other materials. The passport felt protector is a bright, fun way to carry your important documents. The credit card holders are perfect for carrying in small bags, as well. Perhaps the most unique items are the microwavable heart warmers. The little cuties are filled with all natural ingredients & will warm your fingers for 20-30 minutes. Jeynreyn also creates hand warmers that are plush rabbits & you could win one in the July giveaway. But hurry...contest ends at midnight CST!

Sam McLean Designs

Sam McLean Designs is a fun shop specializing in quirky clothing for ladies and girls, as well as fun felt food. Children of all ages are sure to love the Scrumptious desserts & the yummy banana cream pie. I absolutely love the print on the Seaworld toddler apron & the Catch of the Day skirt is perfect for summer. Enter the July giveaway for your chance to win a Felt Food Set from Sam McLean Designs of your choice.

Cuore

Mika opened her Etsy shop Cuore, meaning 'heart' in Italian, after many exciting career opportunities. After receiving a degree in design from the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles, Mika was a Women's Accessories designer at Paul Frank Industries for years. Last year she was also a finalist in Fred Flare's Next Big Thing contest. Even without knowing about Mika's interesting & exciting background, it is apparent upon first glance of her products that she is a very talented & creative designer. I love the sweet Skunk with cupcake pillow, as well as the Lovebirds pillow. Mika also creates the most adorable Boston Terrier miniatures that make the perfect adornment on any accessory. Of course, anyone who designs cute hedgehogs & sweet acorns is a star in my book!

Pink Sparrow

Besides having one of the cutest banners on Etsy, Pink Sparrow has lots of adorable wool felt pins. I love the colorful flower bunch & the circular floral designs with glass bead centers are delightful. The layered Miles of Squares pin is a wonderful geometric design that will add pizazz to any ensemble. The chunky fat blossom design is another funky piece that I adore. Have a look at all the unique designs Pink Sparrow has to offer.

Bubbly Shnooks

I initially became a fan of Michelle Clement when I came across her scrapbooking work on Flickr. That lead me to her blog where I learned more about Michelle far-reaching talents in art & animation. I was recently thrilled to read an announcement on her blog that she had opened an Etsy shop. Bubbly Shnooks features this talented young woman's fabulous felt plushie designs, such as the Point n Shoot Camera. I also love the felt donuts and Lola the smiling whale. You can also purchase handmade cards Michelle has created. These small works of art would be a treat for anyone to receive!

millimoomi

Recently I was lucky enough to receive a lovely swap package from Zoe of England. I was happy to learn that she has a great Etsy shop, millimoomi, where you'll find lots of lovely handmade items. The tooth fairy cushions are absolutely adorable. There's a small pocket on the back where your child can place his or her lost tooth. Included in my package was a great sock creature, as well as a cute felt sugar cookie. So much fun! Check out all of the great items at millimoomi.