Top 5 websites:

Etsy
A fabulous place for artists and crafters to set up a online store and connect with other like minded people all round the world.

Make Zine
Popular science , hacks and handmade tech. There is always cool robot stuff to be found on here.

Craft Zine
The sister site to make , they spread the word on all the cool stuff happening in the world of craft.

Fasterlouder
A cool music site i submit my amateur live band shots to.

live Journal
Just because it is where I can keep in touch with most of my friends and I can add all rss feeds to my friends list for easy one stop
browsing.

How do you make your art?

For my sewn softies I usually get an idea and sketch out a pattern on tracing paper. Then cut and sew the fabric and see how it turns out.
making any adjustment as I go. Some times I do draw a sketch of a character i like first, but most the time I just start with an idea of the creation I’m trying to make in mind

I have no written patterns for my crochet work. They are all just shapes I realise once the yarn and hook is in my hand. I do sit down
sometimes with the intention of making say a two headed monkey and make him, other times I prefer to find a yarn and a hook and just see what
the shape starts to suggest to me as i go along.

For my digital artwork I usually draw a sketch and then draw up the character straight into the computer.

Tools?

I have a sketchbook and a mechanical pen, and my trusty old canon powershot A80 which are with me most of the time.
I have my iBook G4, my wacom tablet and illustrator and photoshop.

For my softies i have a whole swag of different fabrics and yarn, a Janome sewing machine, boxes of bits and pieces , threads, toy
eyes/noses, sewing needles, and way too many crochet hooks in all sizes

Creative tips?

Hmm.. I think I need some tips myself
Try not to get discouraged, inspiration comes from many places, when in a block go for walks, look at books, window shop, read boing boing … but mainly just keep making stuff.

Final word:
cheers!