It’s happened. You’ve become a craft addict. Day and night, all you can think about is making stuff. You walk around, mentally mapping out how everything in the world could be constructed. You find yourself staring at a jelly jar for fifteen minutes, imagining its possibilities. And your friends and family are no help. Oh sure, they sit there patiently listening as you outline your plans to make kites from paper bags and purses from your old jeans. But you’re throwing off excitement like heat and they have not caught the fever. Who do you turn to, where can you go? Check out craftster.org, the home for craft addicts. While the craft forum there will most certainly do nothing to cure you, being surrounded by so many like-minded people sharing and compairing the fruits of their craft is a soothing balm. And project directions as well as craft challenges are the ultimate expressions of satiscraftion (that’s craft satisfaction. That’s right. I even make new words), such as with this create-a-cell magnets project. Its the best kind of therapy.

My new favorite crafty girls in the whole universe are the ladies who make up 31 Corn Lane. Falling under the heading of Sperber Pony Gang, Sis Chris, Sis Heather, Sis Aim and Teeter all make bitchin’ t-shirts, rad tote bags and have just about the funniest online chatter ever. For example, here’s their plea for more myspace friends:

“Also, we know this is ever so 2006 of us to ask – but would you pretty please if you don’t mind maybe perhaps be our Myspace pal? We’re relatively new to this whole phenomenon and we feel like total wallflower spazzes since we only have like 6 friends. HEAR US NOW: We want to know you really bad-like so hit us up already!”

How cool do they sound? And their products are mighty fine too. Check out their awesome merch at 31cornlane.com, like this sweet T for only a fiver!

If you have never read a ‘zine let me say that I cannot recommend them highly enough. ‘Zines are the indie equivalent to a magazine and they are radical. They are home made and historically photocopied (however, the e-zine universe is growing exponentially every day). They can be about any subject under the sun, from a history of cracker jacks to manifestos for social action. Even the bad ones are great because you can just feel the creative energy in every hand-written, cut and paste page. What’s even better than a homemade magazine? How about a homemade magazine about making things at home? (How meta is that?) The biggest, brightest example in the d.i.y./craft ‘zine bunch is CROQ. CROQ has awesome profiles on crafters, patterns, guides for the new craft vendors and a ton more. Whether it’s your first foray into the ‘zine world or whether you’ve already built your own library, you definitely want to check these gals out at croqzine.com

…some are looking for stuff to submit to FOUND magazine. You might have heard about this awesome magazine on NPR or seen it at your local independent bookstore (although they certainly sell it at the chains now, too). It’s a magazine dedicated to found notes and photos, among other trinkets and treasures. Anyone who dumpster dives, thrift shops, or digs through flea markets knows that life is one big scavanger hunt. The exhilaration of stumbling across a jewel you didn’t even know existed is one of the best feelings in the world. The FOUND family looks beyond the old couches and trash bags full of clothes the rest of us seek out, and focus instead on all those little scraps of paper we overlook. What emerges are a hilarious and often tragic snap shots of American life. Their website, foundmagazine.com features a new find everyday and the idea has been so popular it has spawned a series of spinoffs, including Dirty FOUND, the sister magazine dedicated to naked, found pictures, and two FOUND books (a third photo book is set to be released). If you’re looking for an inexpensive good time, go out hunting yourself one day. You’ll be surpised by what you come across.

The greatest magic in adult life is that “aha!” moment, the moment where you either think of a new idea or a new idea is presented to you. And not just any idea, the conception, the seminal thought for a whole new project. Be it that jumping off point for your novel, or seeing that awesome hand bag in a store window you want to duplicate, or just walking around with your digital camera, taking snap shots like you’re capturing the world’s littlest secrets. Inspiration is just, well, inspiring. That’s why I love this website I found: 52projects.com. 52 projects is a website (and a book) dedicated to project ideas to help you get into the creation groove and interviews with people who have completed their own projects (writers, photographers, directors, etc.) who talk about their personal experience with the process of creation. If it sounds pretentious, don’t worry, it’s not. The first project I came across was a NYC wide movement called “No Pants Subway Ride,” which is exactly what it sounds like. The pantsless businessman is worth a look alone.

Music Recommendation: Show Your Bones by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Movie Recommendation: A Scanner Darkly (2006) rated R