Category Archives: Misc

Arts & Crafts Supplies at Amazon – 90% off or more

After putting together the list of links for discounted, art-related books at Amazon, I had another idea:

What if I could assemble a similar list of links for arts & crafts supplies at Amazon?

This is dangerous.  I mean, really, art supplies sing a siren song anyway.  Add a deep discount to the mix, and I’m like a kid in a candy store!

If you’re like me, you have been warned.  Avert your eyes.  Click to some other webpage.  Absolutely, positively do not click on any of these links!

My experience with these links:

The lists aren’t perfect.  You’ll find items in the wrong category and things that aren’t deeply discounted.  In some cases, I’m not certain the original price was as high as they claim.  And, sometimes, the super discounts are actually in the used items column. (Generally, Amazon guarantees still apply.)

For all the flaws, it’s been worthwhile to keep searching through the Amazon pages.  I’ve found some jaw-droppingly astonishing deals, if I just keep clicking through.

With all that said, here they are… Arts & crafts supplies at Amazon.com, at a discount.

Arts, Crafts, and Sewing Supplies – 90 – 99% off (general category)

More specific categories, at 90 – 99% off the full, retail price:

Art Supplies

Beading & Jewelry Making

Paper & Paper Crafting (Looks like mostly scrapbooking supplies, as I’m writing this. And, while I’m clicking around Amazon, the subgroup of Bookbinding…? Someone at Amazon has no idea what bookbinding is.)

Dollmaking – Very little there, at the moment, but I’ll keep checking for good deals.

Knitting & Crochet – I can’t tell you how relieved I am that this category is also pretty sparse today.

Organization & Storage – Only three items as I’m writing this, but one of them is an amazing set off little glass bottles with corks, for $1.99. I may have to buy them. *sigh* They’re steampunk accessories waiting to happen.

Scrapbooking – I may have to double-check some of the code in these links. Half of this sale category seems to be quilting supplies. Well, okay, yeah, there can be an overlap in the audience…

Sewing – Which currently includes some shears with zebra-striped blades for $1.99. I’m not kidding.  If I were still teaching classes, I might have to buy a dozen of them for my students.

And, last but not least, be sure to check out the Arts & Crafts Supplies in the Children’s section.

Seriously. They have real Silly Putty for one cent.  New, not used.

And, I don’t know what I’d do with pink sand for $4.25, but it intrigues me.

That’s it in the photo on the right.  It’s not that nice, tastefully pink sand from Bermuda, but something from the set of Barney, or Aretha Franklin’s Pink Cadillac video.

I have no idea why it’s holding my interest, but there it is.

It’s the kind of thing that nags in the back of my mind, and at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning, I’m likely to wake up with some completely outrageous art idea involving pink sand.

I’ll keep you updated.

Want to create your own discount lists? Here are the instructions.

Art Books Sales at Amazon – 90 to 99% Off

Looking for art books on saleIf you’re addicted to art books, as I am, you’re always looking for good sales.

(Note: You can read how & why I created this list, or you can just scroll down to where it says “The Amazon Links” and start clicking.)

Amazon often has some amazingly juicy books and ridiculously low prices.  The challenge is finding them.

The deep discounts aren’t listed on Amazon’s home page.  In fact, I often have to search high & low to find where the deals are.

Sometimes the search is so frustrating, I just give up.

Then, I’ll stumble onto someone else’s link to a super-discounted book at Amazon, like I did this morning.  And, rather than try to remember where the really yummy sale pages are at Amazon’s book listings, I’ve now bookmarked them.

Here are my bookmarks, in case you want to use them, too. (Or, just bookmark this page so you can return here easily.)

Tips:  The categories aren’t always right.  Sometimes, some of the books aren’t deeply discounted.

(Don’t focus on just the retail/new price.  Also look in the “used book” column.  As I’m writing this, I see a Keri Smith book for 66 cents, from a dealer whose books are usually like new, or nearly new.)

Be patient when you’re browsing.  Sometimes the books aren’t even remotely about the category.  It’s been worthwhile for me to snoop around each category anyway.

I mean, seriously, finding a $35 art book for $3 or less…?  Yes, I’ll spend a few minutes to land that kind of deal!

Be warned:  Clicking on any of these links can be a time sink.  Don’t ask how many books I added to my wishlist as I put this list together.

However, I managed to succumb to just one purchase, WordPlay, because I found a copy for under $1.  It’s a book about ambigrams, a concept that’s always fascinated me.

(The book is about the concepts and philosophy related to this calligraphic art, in addition to examples of it. If you’re just looking for ambigrams, you can generate your own online at Flipscript.)

THE AMAZON DISCOUNT LINKS

Click here for all Amazon books at 90 – 99% off

Here are the categories most interesting to artists…

Art Books (in general)

Other, sort of related:

I could probably spend another hour or two, finding more nooks & crannies in the Amazon sale categories they don’t post on their homepage.

However, this is a good enough starting point.  I’m sure I’ll add more cool links as I find them, and I hope you’ll share your favorites in comments, below.

Note: This page idea was shamelessly copied from a more general listing of Amazon sale pages, at Free Tips About.

Transitions – A Personal Note

cleaningAs I look ahead to the rest of 2011, some changes are in progress.

I’m phasing out about 80% of my non-art work.

Yes, it’s that 80/20 rule, and I’m removing the 80% that looked promising but hasn’t been productive… not really.  In fact, it’s taken a lot of time & energy away from my art (and my art-related time, online), and that cannot continue.

Okay, I’ve said things like this before.  Invariably, something just too juicy  to resist has always appeared — almost as soon as I announced a scheduled change — but, through extensive trial-and-error, that’s clearly not my path.

Oh, I’m good at the non-art stuff.  In fact, I’m practically a savant at it.  And, I enjoy it the same way I enjoy crossword puzzles and Sudoku.  “Getting it right” is fun, and it makes me feel very good… even smug. (We all need smug moments.)

However, I’m realizing that the non-art work doesn’t give me the lasting and profound satisfaction of significant art.

(The interesting part is: I don’t always realize what’s significant art until much later… sometimes years later.)

So, there will be non-art adjuncts to what I do.  I’ll also continue my academic work in the non-art field, but as a geeky hobby. (If that sounds cryptic, it’s because I use a pen name there, and I like to prevent the slightly-rabid portion of that audience from showing up at events where I teach or speak about art.)

I’ll be blogging about this at my new blog, which is still in the design phase.  With a few hectic months ahead, winding down the non-art stuff, I’m not sure exactly how soon I’ll be here more regularly.

Also, I’m streamlining my art sites. I’m keeping a few favorites and auctioning the rest at Flippa.  (Flippa is one of my guilty pleasures, btw.)

Art Careers – The Business of Art (arts-careers.com) will probably be one of the first of my art-related sites to go.

I’m keeping Aisling.net, ArtistsJournals.com (probably), and WildArtDolls.com.  The rest… I’m not sure.

If you’ve been coveting one of my domain names, let me know.  I’d rather have them in the hands of someone who loves the topic than someone who regards the domain as a get-rich-quick spam opportunity.

Anyway, I have a busy day ahead.  Expect more details, soon-ish.  But, realistically, that’ll probably be after Thanksgiving.  Between here & there, I have a lot of projects to wind down and conclude.

(Updated) See You at Dragon*Con 2011!

Online picture of a free poster and ATC - Imagination by Aisling D'Art

For a variety of reasons — nothing truly terrible, mostly a hodge-podge of schedule conflicts, abrupt priority shifts, and so on — I won’t be speaking at Dragon*Con 2011.

It simply wasn’t going to fit with everything else I’m working on, changing, etc.  (The dust probably won’t settle enough to notice until much later this year, or perhaps the start of 2012.)

I did my best to twist my schedule into a pretzel that would still include Dragon*Con… and it just wasn’t possible.  I am sad about that.

Nevertheless, here’s when and where to find the Dragon*Con panels I usually speak at… and are still happening:

——————-
Title: Dragon*Con Artist Trading Card Workshop
Description: What is an Artist Trading Card? Want to try your hand at creating mini art? Join us for an informative panel & demonstration.
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: Hanover G – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

——————-
Title: Dragon*Con Artist Trading Card Swap
Description: Did you make some great ATCs at the Workshop? Maybe you brought some of your original cards? Join us for an hour of swapping cards & sharing ideas.
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: Hanover G – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

——————-

Remember, the swap is independent of the workshop.  You can swap cards you create in the workshop, but you can also simply show up for the swap with your pre-made cards, and share the fun with fellow ATC enthusiasts!

Even though I won’t be there this year, I know the panels will be absolutely wonderful! (I’ve always said: It’s not me… it’s everyone who collaborates at these panels!)

Also, huge thanks to Melissa H. for taking charge of these panels. She’s been a wonderful partner-in-crime, leading these panels in this past, and she’s more than qualified to run them on her own!

Pardon the dust…

Dali's house in Costa BravaA recent links issue led to turning off some conflicting bells & whistles at this website. For now, they’re remaining off while I research the best alternatives.

Until I finish that part of the redesign, some sitemap functions may not work, and other things may look broken or missing.

Thanks for your patience, and I’m so glad you’re visiting me here!