OUR BLOG STATUS!

We are moving from a centralized blog to many individual blogs. All our websites have built in blog capabilities, so we are going to be firing them up. We will be offering specific blog posts related to the type of product sold on the individual sites. Blogs will be accessible on each site in the bottom footer area.  We hope you will check them out!

The Community Puzzle

It is coming up on wedding season and here is a great idea for a guestbook.... a puzzle!

You can also use the pieces as table place cards and offer pens at the table. Guests can write well wishes on the pieces over dinner and add them to the puzzle afterwards. It makes a great keepsake!

Below is a video that shows how the puzzle works.

TheCommunityPuzzle.com

January is new calendar time!

It's January and time for a new calendar to help us through the year. There is a great one for kids that can be downloaded for free, printed and colored in. Perfect for a once a month coloring project!

Here is the link: http://www.itsybitsyfun.com/coloring-page-calendar-for-kids.html

CALLING ALL ARTISTS . . . the art community needs your feedback!

Please take ten minutes to complete the Artists and Art Materials Survey, a major study of U.S. and Canadian artists.

By taking this survey you will:

- Help artist organizations, art schools, and businesses serve you better
- Tell art supply stores and brands what artists want
- Explore your art life
- Receive a free digital issue of The Artist's Magazine
- Receive a free digital issue of Professional Artist
- Get the chance to win one of five $100 (C$110) art supply store gift cards

This survey is anonymous - you will not receive marketing spam.

The results of this survey will appear in the third edition of the NAMTA Artists & Art Materials Study. The study will be available to non-profit art associations, colleges, galleries, and NAMTA members in 2015. NAMTA is an association of hundreds of independent and family-owned art materials retailers and brands.

Click Here to Take This Survey!

Art in the most unusual forms...

Moravian Stars!

This is the perfect time of year to learn how to make Moravian paper stars. They are a great holiday activity and make excellent decorations. It is one of those activities you can do with adults or kids. The Moravian star is known by many names such as the German Star, German Advent Star or the Froebel Star. Whatever you want to call it, we call them wonderful!

We love them so much we built a website for them:  www.PaperStarKits.com

Glitter Dancers!

This group creates glitter art in the sand and then dances it into the ground around a bonfire. It must be amazing to see the glitter dancing in the light of a fire and then join in.

This year the groups designs went bigger, bolder and they must have had the time of their lives. 

Enjoy the designs they made before the fires were lit!

Quilling by Marjorie

Well it turns out that one of our new customers is a quilling "super star"!  Her name is Marjorie Jones and she is 75 years old, has been quilling for 40 years and is finally receiving the recognition that she deserves. During our phone call with her she said that she never thought of herself as an artist "just a quiller". In our opinion she is an artist and also one of the loveliest ladies you will ever know.

Take a look at this article about her in the Life in the Delta Magazine

If you happen to subscribe to the Delta Democrat News you can see a larger piece on her there.

She sent us a picture of this piece that she recently completed. The detail is quite amazing. You can Google her name for more images.

Check out these amazing sculptures made of paper. It may be the most incredible paper sculpture we have ever seen!

Explore a New Facebook Page

Whether you are a fan of Facebook or not, occasionally you can find a few gems! Today we found Creativity & Life. It is a great page to connect with if you are a creative person looking for inspiration. Visit today and see if it is something that you enjoy connecting with: 

https://www.facebook.com/CreativityAndLife.Official

Here is their profile picture- terrific!