In the wonderful book Crafty Birds: Bird Art & Crafts for Mixed-Media Artists, author Kristy Conlin and contributors offer ideas and projects for collage, jewelry, and mixed-media art.

Hi! The winner of the bird-themed artwork by Jenn Mason is . . . LoraG@4 ! Please send us your street address so we can send Jenn's artwork to you. So, we are 3/4 of the way through Put a Bird on It month and we still have some special surprises planned...

I like to bake, and I know from experience when I can make substitutions for ingredients and when substituting is a recipe for disaster. Most of the time, anyway. (There was an unfortunate incident with an apple cake and bourbon, once.)

When my husband and I want to amuse our children, we tell them about life in the "Dark Ages" of technology, when phones were tethered to the wall and video was non-existent.

Found objects are everywhere-from flea markets and thrift shops to the beach and the city street. With new technology, you can make molds of your most precious found objects and replicate them for use in your mixed-media assemblage and other found object art.

Every time I walk into a store that sells paper goods like handmade cards and art papers, I long to own a paper store. The idea of being surrounded by the colors, patterns, and textures of printed and handmade paper all day simply moves me.

When it comes to Mother's Day gifts, I have always most enjoyed the handmade, heartfelt ones: poems, drawings, pinch pots, and the like. Even as my girls have grown into adulthood, I've made it clear I prefer something from the heart over something from the mall. (My birthday is a different story).

I love buttons. I don't know why, but they have always appealed to me, called to me . . . and become somewhat of an obsession. I collect them from a variety of venues: yard sales, flea markets, and fabric stores, etc. . . . just because. I don't...