Summer is fast approaching and if you are anything like me you are starting to wonder what in the world you are going to do when the kids are home… all day… every day. Chances are you have some activities lined up for the summer break but I know that those inbetween days, when mommy needs a break and the kids are still going at 100mph, can get a bit stressful and it’s those days that can make summer break a not-so-fun experience for both parent and child. “Those days” were making me anxious about the though of summer break. I know that it is supposed to be a time of enjoying your family togetherness but I go into the break unprepared — and it shows. But I have found a wonderful resource that has helped me put summer break back into a fun exciting perspective.
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Here’s a quick little tutorial for the spinners out there.
I love the colors and depth that a hand dyed top can have but I also love the quick and, dare I say fun, long draw drafting method. Considering long draw works best with rolags, which generally come off of carded batts, dyed tops and long draw have never really gone hand in hand for me… untill now.
Materials:
Top for spinning
long very smooth dowel (I used a chopstick that had a smooth finish)
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I love the comfort of a fild-over waistband. It’s fit is so forgiving on those days and it’s nice and wide so I don’t have that pinching feeling that I sometimes get from elastic waistbands. I’ve also been on a skirt kick lately because summer is fast approaching and I just don’t look that great in a pair of shorts. So what could be better than to put the two together. This tutorial is pretty general so that you can adjust it to whatever size you may be.
Materials:
Cotton print (I used a yard of 44″ wide quilting fabric and I’m a size medium)
medium weight cotton knit (I used a half yard)
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I’ve recently come across a wonderful craft that goes by the name ATC. ATC stands for artist trading card and all that means is that it’s a 2.5″x3.5″ piece of art that is traded. That is the size of a standard playing card or trading card. True ATCs are only obtainable through trading and they are as unique as the artists they come from. Other than the size limit (and the fact that it should be able to fit into a baseball card sleeve) there is not right or wrong way make one. If you are a painter then paint, if you collage then pull out the Mod Podge. Clay stamping, charcoal, ribbon, didgital design, photography — if you can fit it then you can make it — just try to make it sturdy enough to withstand mailing.
ATCs can be used as cavases for mini masterpieces or they can be used to showcase samples of your work. On the back of each ATC should be the title of the piece (if it has a title) the artist’s name and hopefully some contact information. If identical ATCs were made then they should include an edition number (ie. 1 of 
or if there are similar ATCs that are part of a series they may include the series name or number.
These mini canvases are a great place to explore new techniques in an instant gratification sort of way. And when you trade it away, you will receive in its place, a card made with love and care (hopefully) from another artist.
The following little tutorial is just to give you an example of the process I go through to create one of these little pieces of art. This is in no way a must or a have to kind of tutorial. The joy of ATCs is that you can use whatever you like and are comfortable with. I try to limit my paper materials to scrapbook quality paper because I like to use quality materials when I’m making one of these.
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First off, so sorry for being MIA this past week. Kids have been sick, life has been hectic, and I needed to restock on supplies 
.
So, do it yourself removable wall decals. I fell in love with wall decals the first time I discovered them. I’ve rented all my life and painting on the walls has always been a big, huge, N-O. So I’ve gotten pretty used to having white walls. There’s only so much wall hangings can do for a white wall and the “artsy fartsy” side of me wants paint and color on my walls. Well, good wall decals are such a huge step toward that but most of them are still lacking in that they are only one, maybe two colors, can be very expensive for a large one, and they are a far cry from paint. So, in a moment of, ‘Yeah… that could work!’ I picked up a roll of clear, removeable, shelf paper and made what you see in the above picture which turned into this tutorial. (oh and please excuse the nails ahead of time… I painted the wall, not the nails)
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I just wanted to give you all a quick heads up. Jo-Ann Craft Stores is having a 60 years or older discount day on Wednesday May 5th, 2010. It’s an all day sale and all stores are participating. You will receive 15% off your entire purchase (sale items included). Like all Jo-Ann discounts, there are some items that aren’t included and those are: previous perchases, patterns, gift cards, AccuQuilt Go! products, Provo Craft machines, Cricut cartridges, and sewing machine department items (including the machines).
To receive your discount just present your drivers licence or state ID to the cashier at check out to prove your age.
The inspiration for this came from a piece of art I found at a dear friends house last weekend. Keep in mind that liquids will wash away your paint — so no glass cleaners on the painted side. Also, remember that the edges of your glass will be covered by the frame so paint accordingly.
Materials:
wood frame with glass
paints and brushes
cotton swab (for fixing mistakes)
computer, printer, paper
ribbon
drill with bit
embroidery needle
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I’ve recently fallen in love with box bags. I received one in a swap from the owner of Heidimonkey and it has been holding my Gilda Scarf WIP. I also received a smaller one in another swap and have been using it as my workout pouch to hold my keys and ID when I go to the gym. Seeing as how I have a good number of projects needing bags and I have an odd obsession with bags in general, I figured it was high time I made one myself.
The following is a tutorial on how to make a pretty large box bag that has an intact image along the zipper instead of the back of the bag. It will hold at least two skeins of red heart acrylic to give you an idea of it’s finished size. But the great thing about box bags is that they are hightly customizable. If you want it smaller, cut the layers smaller, if you want it longer, cut them longer.
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Kids have such a neat way of seeing the world. They can be so much better than adults at seeing the smallest details or the broader picture. My children have taught me to stop and smell the roses — quite literally. They love looking at leaves and bugs and birds and rocks and… nature. They love feeling leaves and describing the different textures, making funny faces at the “stinky” flowers they smell, telling me about all the different colors they see down the road. Their love of nature spills over abundantly into craft time. Between drawing it, decorating it, and gluing it, it’s a wonder it took me so long to stumble on nature printing or using nature as stamps.
The basics of nature printing is that you paint the object, press the painted object onto a surface, remove the object, and enjoy it’s image. Below is a slightly more detailed how to on the basics of nature printing.
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