Web site redesign
Have you seen the new CardMaker magazine Web site? Editor Tanya Fox and the crew in web development did a fantastic job with the redesign. It's easy to navigate and features Web-only bonuses, free projects, card-making tips and a brand new card swap you'll want to be a part of.

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What's a card swap?
Make a card, send a card, get a card in return -- that's the basic idea. It's a way for card makers to give in to their need to create something for no reason, to show off their handiwork and to see other artists' work up close and personal.

The swap coordinator will post a theme or topic along with the address to which you should send your card and a deadline. You should include a self-addressed stamped envelope or a self-addressed mailing label (do whatever the coordinator tells you to!), so you'll receive your swap in a timely manner. Brooke and Robin have started a couple of swaps at CardMakerMagazine.com, so why don't you join in the fun?

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Readers Reach Out
A relatively new feature in the magazine (and the Web site) is called Readers Reach Out. It's another way for readers to let their creativity flow when there's no birthday, holiday or other card-making occasion in the near future, and a way to collect handmade cards for charities or organizations in need. The first call resulted in more than 200 cards being collected for an organization called Letters From Home, which provides cards to members of the military stationed overseas who may not have access to any. Check out the CardMaker site or pick up the latest issue for more details.

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Mother's Day
Card making is contagious. This year my husband decided that of buying a card with some flowery verse, he would make one for me instead. Here's the result.

You know, I can't make this stuff up (but obviously, my husband can!). Yes, this card is made of two pieces of bookmatched birch veneer, tied together with fishing line. He said he was going to add some rivets (embellishments) but didn't want to mess up the design! Further proof that anybody can make a card with anything. So what are you waiting for?

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Father's Day
Father's Day is coming up, and it will be the first one I will spend without my dad. Since I can't send a card to him, I've decided to make one for my mom instead, so she knows I'm thinking of her on a day that holds special memories for us.

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Free project
This special Father's Day project by Tami Mayberry is quick and easy to make. If you can't find the sentiment, or want to use a different one, it's easy to do using a computer.

Reader letters
Responses are still pouring in from our ongoing discussions of crafting spaces and organizational issues (not that organization is ever an ISSUE -- crafters are known for our tidiness, aren't we?). Read on for some great tips, and use my feedback form below to add your comments to the discussion.

Cathi writes via e-mail:

"Ah ... finding the time to craft ... it used to be a big issue for me, but the #1 thing that has helped me free up a lot of time was getting organized. It's taken me almost seven years, but I at last have a craft room, and it is organized, and sadly, the only really clean room in the house! Ha ha! Being organized allows me to carve out time a lot more than I ever did. Being organized lets me wrap up a scrapbook page that is half done or just set aside time to do one card at a time.

"The other part of my 'me time' is my 6-year-old boy who loves to craft with me. He has a small desk in my room, and he can do his homework or projects right in there with me. I also have a TV and VCR in my space, and he can curl up in my rocker and snack and watch a video with me while I craft. I have even let him earn extra money by cleaning up my stamps, sorting my scrap-paper box or helping me tidy up after I am done with a project.

"But, to get 'alone' time in my space, I am a night owl. My hubby and son turn in very early, and I work on projects for a couple of hours in the peace of the evening. I would LOVE to get up a half hour earlier to work on a project, but, I haven't gotten that dedicated yet. Another time I set aside for just me is right after church on Sunday. My husband spends some father-son time with our boy, and I go in my space and work for a couple of good, uninterrupted hours. I'm a pretty lucky gal!"

Judith writes via e-mail:

"I work three 12-hour shifts, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.; then, I have three days off. Needless to say, after six years of working this schedule I am very used to the nocturnal life. I love getting up at 2 a.m. on my days off and crafting through the night. I have the TV on and listen to the shows I have taped while I just putter away in my craft room. I get some really great inspiration during this quiet time. If I hit a snag in a design, I can always go to the Internet and get help. Chances are, there is someone who has had the same issue and is eager and willing to explain how they resolved the problem. I love this newsletter. Thank you and keep 'em coming."

Karen writes via e-mail:

"There are four things I do to make time for my card-making and scrapbooking passions. First, I always carry the latest magazine with me. While I am waiting in the dentist office or waiting for my son to get out of school, I read about the latest products and get great ideas.

"Second, I have my own special space for crafting. I go there to craft while the rest of the family is watching TV or have gone to bed.

"Third, we have a vacation home we go to about once a month. It has a huge dining room table in a large room that includes the kitchen and living room. I take over the table for crafting. Everyone prefers to eat at the kitchen counter, so the table is all mine.

"And finally, I belong to a group of scrapbookers from my son's school who get together every week to scrapbook. We probably do more talking than scrapbooking, but we get ideas from one another and we share tools."

Debra writes via e-mail:

"I have a lot of wood-mounted rubber stamps. I keep them organized in 9" x 12" acrylic box frames. Once I have them organized in the frame (minus the cardboard insert), I turn them upside down in the frame, photocopy them, dump them out and put the copy in the bottom of the frame and put the stamps back. Now I don't have to remember where each one fit in so nicely! Thanks for a great magazine! Love it!"

Danita writes via e-mail:

"We never use our formal dining room, so we converted it into a study for my husband with a little section for my crafting. My area has spread like a rash, and now, it is the other way around. I have used jelly jars for buttons, gems and beads, and shoe boxes and office supplies for other things. As for my really tiny scraps of paper, I have a clear plastic tub. If they are bigger, I have an accordion file that I have sorted by color with one space for vellum and specialty papers. If I just happen to have time to cut some of my papers into uniform pieces, I have them according to size in my kids' old shoe boxes that I just had to decorate so they don't look like shoe boxes."

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