I have always loved Hello Kitty!  Actually, anything Sanrio makes.  Sign up for Hello Kitty’s Sweet Happy News and get 15 FREE Hello Kitty emoticons.  These emoticons will bring a smile to anyone’s face.  And then maybe you will be motivated to design your own emoticons.

March is National Craft Month.  How will you celebrate this momentous occasion?  You can maybe start by taking advantage of some of the National Craft Month sales and getting yourself a new sewing machine perhaps?  Or crafting supplies in general.  Overstock and HSN have specials this month.  Overstock has free shipping on sewing and cricut machines.  HSN has an array of crafting supplies including sewing machines with free shipping (and payment options), scrapbooking supplies, jewelry making supplies and the list goes on.

You can also enter a few contesets. 

• Spring Cleaning Challenge at Craftplace.  The challenge is to bring life back to something old.  The winner will receive an assortment of crafting products and supplies to keep them crafting all year long!
• Stuck At Prom Contest by Duck brand.  This special 10 year anniversary contest will award 20 scholarship prizes totaling $28,500 to couples who design and create Duck brand Duct Tape fashions for the prom.

If you just want to make something craft, check out Craftster to get ideas for projects that you can make by yourself or with your family.

First of all, let me say that my husband is crazy-obsessed with hunting.  I’m serious.  Day and night all I hear about is his next hunting expedition.  My ears are bleeding.  How much more can I endure?  I thought it was over until I browsed Moose: Art For Living.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was just meant to be.  Oh deer!  I have to say I would much rather have the gorgeous stag reproduction hanging on my wall than the ram head that is being prepared at the taxidermist shop.  Oi!

1.  Stag Head (Gold Glaze) by Valentin Design

2.  Stag Cufflinks by Emma Grace

3.  Stag Brooch by Emma Grace

Can’t get enough of Moose: Art For Living?  Join them at Unwrapped: South Perth 2010 on Saturday March 6, 2010.

I was so excited yesterday to find this package in my mailbox.  I am still excited.  I forgot that I had ordered it in the first place.  I spotted the colorful stamps from Australia and let out a “Woo-Hoo!”  Well, in my head I did (with a happy dance too).

Needless to say I ripped open the package when I got into the house.  Ohhhhhh…ahhhhh…COOL!

What do you think of my new Male/Female watercloset sign?  I am still painting my hallway and need to repaint the bathroom door before I apply these babies.  These are handmade with an acrylic base topped with Japanese paper and sealed with a resin coating.   Mooza will let you choose the Japanese paper from their selection.  They also can make custom words if you choose. 

Pick 3 of your favorite local independent businesses, spend $50 a month, save your local economy.  I think this relates to the indie crafter movement!  I think we should put a little handmade spin on this.  Pick 3 of your favorite indie crafting businesses that also have brick and mortar locations and spend $50 a month.  If you spend more, fantastic!  I think I would need help on who has brick and mortar businesses though.  I’m not sure there are any in Las Vegas.  There used to be a craft store where you could rent out a space to sell your goods.  I don’t think it exists anymore.  I could be wrong.

The 3/50 Project was founded by Cinda Baxter and you can read all about her and the project here.

I want one. I have no idea how to surf and frankly, I don’t care to learn.  Whatever. I still want one because it’s pretty and will look good leaning up against or hung on the wall.

These custom surf boards are by Naoki.  You can read about the artist and gyotaku here.  I wanted to buy an original print when I was last in Hawaii but didn’t know how carry it on the plane.  Shipping would probably cost more than the print so we decided to go without.  One day I will have one.  Oh, yes, one day I will.

Jen at Indie Fixx has started a Pen Pal Project to bring back snail mail.  I have already signed up and encourage everyone else to also.  It’s fun and who doesn’t love to get handwritten letters in the mail?  Nowadays I see only bills and magazines.  I barely know how to write in cursive anymore.  Architecture has brainwashed my fingers into writing in uppercase and creative writing has ceased.  I used to love to write and even liked writing poetry in college.  I have a chap book floating around somewhere and don’t understand how I wrote what I did.  In any case, I think having a pen pal will help with the creative process and a great way to make new friends.

If you were born after the invention of computers and e-mail and texting, you may need to brush up on your writing etiquette.  You may need to read this book Spencerian Penmanship (Theory Book plus five copybooks).

I love these petite stamps at Lish*Lish!  They are so cute.  Of course, they have to be from a Japanese site that I can only read bits and pieces of!  I wish I paid more attention during those 4 years of Japanese language classes in high school.  I may need to enlist the help of my friends for translations to these sites.

I have been talking about converting this site to a blog format so I can post more frequent updates with ease.  I finally finished updating most of the text directory and will be weeding out the sites that are no longer available.  I will also be posting older articles as well as new.  If you have any suggestions, comments or would like some link love to your indie craft/design site, let me know!