Craft Critique and Craft Collective

My review/tutorial of the Clover Quick Yo-yo Maker ran yesterday at Craft Critique. I gave this fantastic tool 12 out of 10 stars. The Jumbo version of this tool should be coming to stores soon. I've been watching for it!

In other news, Chicagoland Craft Collective members are being recognized worldwide! Martha is featured in a German scrapping mag. She also has a Martha Stewart Crafts Project Sheet up at Michaels.

Another of our members, Melanie, is excited to have a project of hers published in a beadwork magazine. Melanie doesn't have a weblink, but her project will be in the March Issue of the mag. When it comes out in a few months, I'll show you. Melanie works with very small beads and one time she taught some of us how to make these beaded beads. The project was complicated and not for the faint of heart!

Beaded Bead

We have a great time at our very casual meetings. We just share our crafty books and projects with each other and we usually do a fun craft that is achievable in a restaurant setting. Last meeting Donna helped us make Halloween candle jars. She got some of that elusive glow-in-the-dark Mod Podge for us to achieve some extra spookiness. Here's my project. I did a cute Frankenstien based on a project in one of her Magazines:

Frankenstein Votive

It was so fun and easy! I'm going to gather a bunch more jars and make more with my kids.

None of us at the Chicagoland Craft Collective are associated with any particular craft company or retailer. A few of us dabble in craft shows, blogging, and Etsy, but mostly we have fun connecting with other craft obsessed people like ourselves. Join us sometime if you live in the outlying suburbs of Chicago!