Sometimes the only difference between an artist and a doodler is the right tool. Enable your inner designer with these essential items.
DIY Essentials
one volume, $100; all three volumes, $200; Hemera
As a devoted do-it-yourselfer—creating everything from invitations and CD and DVD covers to recipe books and calendars—I absolutely couldn’t live without two tools: my paper cutter and my collection of Hemera Photo-Objects stock art. These attractive masked photos blend with any background, offer easy text wrapping, and add the perfect touch to any project. They’re also easy to search, so you won’t waste time thumbing through massive books.— Kelly Lunsford
Sniff Some Glue
free; Craftster.org
You can be hip and ironic and still enjoy making crafts. The discussion boards on the Craftster Web site include dozens of forums where you can get and give advice on everything from whipping up last-minute baby-shower gifts to making a birthday cake look as if it had been gnawed on by rats. Now that’s irony. We hope.— Terri Stone
It’s Magic
$79; Boinx FotoMagico
Slide shows in iPhoto are perfect—if you happen to have a song that’s the exact length of your show, and if image transitions happen to fall at appropriate beats. OK, that never happens. Enter Boinx Software’s FotoMagico. Layer in multiple songs from iTunes, and set transition points so images change in time with the music.— Tom Penberthy
Phone It In
free; Sent
It started as a curated show of phone-cam art at a tony Los Angeles gallery. That show, called Sent, has morphed into a Web site that welcomes everyone’s cell-phone images. It’s not often that a burgeoning art movement is so accessible. Post your images now and become part of history.— Terri Stone
The Famous Mister Ed
$160; House Industries
You may not recognize Ed Benguiat’s name, but his typefaces have shaped our culture for decades. House Industries pays homage to that legacy with the Ed Benguiat Font Collection, which includes five fonts inspired by his work, more than 50 retro illustrations, an audio interview with Ed, and a frighteningly lifelike bust of the man himself.— Terri Stone
Rhythm Method
$40; eMedia
The eMedia Rock Guitar Method CD-ROM will have you strumming faster than you can say “Hendrix rules.” It includes interactive diagrams, sound samples, movies, and an overview of all the equipment you’ll need to rock the house down.— Jeff Tolbert
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