Ceramics Flashback

This jewelry box was from my eighth grade art class. (I re-found it recently packed away in a box.) Once upon a time it had a square lid with a handle that fit it approximately. The lid seems to be a casualty of time, but the box itself is in one piece. It still is engraved with my last name and class period on the bottom (from before it went in to kiln) as well as my full name, year, and what appears to be y teacher's grade penciled on the bottom of it. (Pretty sure it was an A.)

 It may not have been perfect but for a kid it was my way from the shape to the heart on one side to the rough rainbow on the other and the green and brown glaze.

I have a lot of great memories from that lass... it seems some that even have something to do with art. It was the last art class I took in school choosing to spent my high school arts in music.

Camp Tales - Staff Quarters

Living at camp whether in a cabin or in staff quarters can be an intersting eperience. I never lived in a cabin as a counselor, instead I lived staff quarters or in a cabin with my dog. The upside of living in staff quarters is a certain freedom that can not exist in the rest of camp. Of course, putting five girls in one room is an experiment in social constructs. Even when living at camp where most live in jeans, shorts, t-shirts, or bathing suits there is a question of closet and drawer space.

Between the girls and the guys room next door we learned to share. We did get sick of each other at times, but we learned to deal with each other. We shared our bedrooms, a living room with a kitchenette on one end, bathrooms, and a washer and driver. Inside the staff quarters we cooked together, watched movies (we only had one or two channels on a good day), played games, and terrorized each other.

Mostly the quarters were pretty decent. Bugs and insects found a way in and there were a couple larger critters that found their way in, including a raccoon and a snake.

A Bunny Costume From Long Ago

Growing up we always had some of the coolest Halloween costumes, much of that having to do with having a mother who could sew.

A certain bunny costume was made for me when I was maybe 2 or 3, one of my earliest memories with the floppy ears and bunny tail. I remember a plastic bunny nose at least one year This costume ended up getting a lot of use, but not just for me as it was passed down through my younger siblings as one kid grew out of it and another fit into it. A lot of costumes worked that way and for years we went to the costume collection (all hand made of course) to figure out what would fit who.

Camp Tales - Fashion

Living at camp and need something nice to wear to dinner? Why not make something out of what you have on hand... like black and white garbage bags.

One warm afternoon, while our quarters were being bug bombed, we were trying to come up with something to wear to a "nice" dinner. Lucky for us, I had a stash of plastic garbage bags in the Craft Hall. We fashioned dresses fro large black trash bags accenting them with strips of white garbage bags for bows, belts, and even hair ties. Once we were all 'gussied' up we needed needed dates to escort us with we made from balloons with drawn on faces. They were a huge hit with the campers, counselors, and other staff. You use what you have, and we had garbage bags.

Decoupaged Elvis Picture Frame

I LOVE Elvis! For those who know me well, this is not a big surprise. I have a nice collection of Elvis memorabilia, but as with any collector they always have room for more. My love of Elvis reaches far before I can remember into early elementary school. No is one really sure how it started, it just did and it stuck. All these years later and it's still stuck... which led me to decoupage this pressed cardboard/paper picture frame with Elvis images.

Doing a project a project like this an be done with a thinned out white glue (the kind that dries clear) or a Mod Podge and an old paint brush. I have both on hand.

1) I started with one picture frame. (This holds a 3 1/2  5 inch picture.) I have a small stash of the that I picked up in a craft section. They have different shaped openings but for this project I liked the star. I then removed the plastic photo cover from the inside. (This keeps the paint off of it.)

2) I then gently seperated the front from the back. This is totally optional. They were glued together to start, but I figured it would be easier for what I was doing.

3) I collected my Elvis images cut from a magazine and laid them out to work.

4) I then went to work on decoupaging my images in a collage on the front of the picture frame, layering it securely between layers of thinned glue and Mod Podge. (My Mod Podge is running low so I stretched it with some thin white glue, but I made sure the top layers were all Mod Podge.) You want to make sure the keep everything nice and smooth, the edges sealed nicely under the glue or Mod Podge (or whatever else you have on hand.) Don;t be afraid to use enough layers that it is nice and thick and white. It will dry clear and you want to sealed in.

5) Let dry completely.

6) I then re-glued the front to the back, making sure to leave the opening at the top to insert the picture. (I have a few ideas for what might go inside it.)

Yes, I am an unapologetic Elvis-loving freak and I love every minute of it. And I really do not care that some people might not find it "cool" or whatever else. I say, embrace who you are and love what you love. Life is more fun that way.

Gifts Recieved - Gifts Treasured

 Over the years I find some of the greatest treasures to be those that were created or embellished by hand, not machine. Creation and art is life and means more than you can find at any superstore. We need to celebrate the hand made arts more, the people that create them, and the people who give them. They are truly beautiful.

The first is a hand made cross, I think it was crocheted. To be honest, crochet, knitting, and the like are things I know little about. (I'm just learning to knit on my own.) Someone made these cross bookmarks for me and my siblings but I can't remember who. An older family friend perhaps. (I feel bad for this, but I can't help it.) Some of them were of only one color, but I favored the one with the rainbow of colors. For years it hung on the bulletin board in my bedroom.

The little girl figurine was a gift from a my grandmother years ago for Christmas, crafted  by a friend of hers from church. The tiny book in the doll's in hand is "Christy." It is a movie and mini series that we shared. It doesn't sit more than 2 inches high.

The small chest was a gift fro a friend in high school. She found a small chest and stained it in a cedar to match the cedar chest I had made years before. I use it now to hold coins I've collected from different around the world as well as my small collection of pressed pennies. It sits on a shelf in my room amongst old family photos.

Embrace the gifts that mean the most because they were chosen just for you, made with someone's own hand.

Mother's Day Envelope Book with Cards

Celebrations, holidays, special events, and just everyday happenings send me to constantly find new inspiration. Mother's Day is no exception. If anything, there is something about Mother's Day that raises that stakes to make it more meaningful. Flowers are overrated sometimes and my mother tends to kill houseplants. Candy is fine for those that like it, but she's not a big candy person either. Plus, candy and flowers don't last. I, of course, wanted something different.

I starter with cards for my mother and grandmother - a multiple folded card spanning four generations of the women in my family; that included a young pictures of me, my mother, my grandmother, and my great grandmother (entirely maternal lines) with a short poem I wrote. The initial idea from something from Martha Stewart's Family Tree cards. I made one for each my mother and grandmother.

For my mother I wanted to make a non-traditional scrap book type thing. (Last year I made her a mini book full of quotes about mothers and motherhood with a clay rose.) I got inspired when I found a new twist on an envelope scrapbook. Admittedly, I often come across projects that I have already done or taught, but this one gave me a few ideas. (Check out a Flip Flop Envelope Book here.)

I decided to use six envelopes I had on hand left from Christmas cards, figuring one pocket for each one of my mother's five kids and one overall pocket. I looked at using more traditional scrap book paper, but decided against it. I stuffed the pockets with a card inspired from the four generation  card above, but created one for each pocket, each one fitting the theme of the pocket. I embellished each card with various pictures takes over the years with poems and quotes about mothers, Mothers Day, and motherhood.

Attach end to end by flap, making sure not to seal top. Making one long strip.

I made a sturdier and rectangular shaped top flap with a piece of card stock cut to fit over the triangular flap. Then  secured.

Using jewel inspired magazine cut outs I decorated the exterior of the long strip of envelops. I kept this decorative, but rather simple.

I then decorated the inside with more collaged pieces cut from magazines and mixed with a picture and name for each pocket. (I used pictures here form when we were all younger, including a picture with all five us for the top one.)

I then turned to folding and decorating my cards (made from half a sheet of card stock folded accordion style into four equal sections.)  for each pocket with pictures, poems, quotes, and other bits.

I stuffed each pocket, including a printed history of Mothers Day in the top pocket. (With room left for cards or more in each one.)

Folded closed and ready to go. Happy Mothers Day!

God's Eye

I learned to make God's Eyes with sticks and yarn many many years ago as a Girl Scout. It's one of the ultimate camp crafts and also a great Cinco de Mayo project and decoration. Over the years I have made them with yarn, craft sticks, Popsicle sticks, sticks from outside, and even toothpicks with embroidery floss for little ones. You can use any mix of colors you like and add tassels or a string to make it easier to hand.

All you need is some yarn or string and a couple of sticks.

And, because I can't resist: Don't forget to take a moment to look at the other side. We don't remember that often enough.

Wooden Dove

The wooden dove is from a pattern of my grandpa's. He made them and he helped us make them.The wooden dove is made from one piece of wood with a small wooden heart attached with clear fishing line. I have two that he helped me make that hang in my windows. They serve as a reminder that we need Peace on Earth everyday.

More Rugs

Updates!

I love coming up with new color combinations and new patterns of braided rag rugs from my selection of scraps and rags. Plus, this is one of the ways I keep my hands busy during quiet nights or while watching a movie or TV show at home. (Multi-tasking is a way of existence for some of us.)

I am now running low on scraps (again). I guess that means I need to get back to working on my other sewing projects and shredding some of the discards I have set aside for the rug bin.

When my grandmother first saw the rugs I was making she told me about how her mother-in-law (my great grandmother and a skilled seamstress), used to cut scraps of rags to be made into rugs and how how proud she would be to know that the creative genes have been passed down. My grandmother now has three of my rag rugs and my aunt has two. (Grandma wanted them for in front of the chairs, especially when the boys come in in their boots and sit down.)

I really believe you can find a project for so many of the things we might otherwise throw away. My rag rugs are a perfect example. The only cost I have in these are time.

Remember - Earth Day is coming!(April 22, 2011)

Paper Doll Cut Outs

Most of us made those folded paper cut out dolls. We'd take paper and fold it a few times before taking a pair of scissors to it to free the row of hand holding dolls. I'd play with couples and ladies in big dresses to the best of my cutting abilities, sometimes taking little bits of tape to connect multiple strands of the faceless little paper dolls to string across my room. There is nostalgia attached to the images of these and images of strands of them in a girl's room or strung across a Christmas tree. I don't remember how I learned or who taught me, it was something that little girls did.

While I do not remember learning, I do remember very clearly a little girl that I taught. I was spending my summer living and working at a summer camp that catered towards families and groups with kids. A little girl of maybe 9 or 10 was there for the week with her dad and spent part of each day doing crafts with me. In the beginning her dad came with her, but my the middle of the week he would often came and pick her up. One day she had came to visit and at some point I realized that she had never seen anyone cut this strands of paper dolls that I remembered so from childhood and did not know how. Folding some construction paper I cut a strand of the simple dolls and then a few more to show her different forms. She was mesmerized and I watched her attack the new project with gusto (and a pair of scissors). By the time her dad arrived she had a whole collection of strands laid out around her. It was something so simple, but something that she couldn't wait to share with her dad and something that made her day.

I realized again that day the reminders that come often when working with people and the importance of the simple joys. I didn't solve world hunger or end war or poverty that day, but in that simple act I realized how important I was in that little girl's eyes at that moment. I could have taught her anything new, it wouldn't have mattered, what was important was that I took the time teach her something and that I just took the time. I also got to see the joy a parent can have merely by basking in the light of his child's excitement and celebration.

Generation before me cut out strands of simple paper dolls and hopefully generations after me will as well. Maybe I served a part in keeping that going, a continuing strand... much like the simple little dolls themselves.

Coloring outside the lines is a fine art. ~Kim Nance

"Sweet Dreams" Pillow Cases

This is a set of embroidered pillow cases I made for me. Growing up, I saw embroidered pillowcases a lot more, but over the years I have seen less and less. (Probably the result of fewer people knowing how to needlepoint.)

I used pre-printed pillow cases I found at a local craft store and embroidered the flowery "Sweet Dreams" across the ends of both pillow cases. I entered one in our local county fair & took first place.

(We're never old for ribbons.) I even had a friend who called to tell me she saw them and to comment on how pretty they were.

There are certain "old fashioned" things that never seem to really go out of style & some of those things that are nice additions to personalize your world.

Braided Rag Rugs

Sorted Fabric Strips for Rugs

Years ago I remember a trip to the state fair with my family that took us through our usual trip through the historical cabin. What stuck this trip was a woman sitting on the porch, in a period costume, working on a braided rag rug. It was an image that stuck with me. All my life I had been around people who could sew and do all sorts of crafts, but I had never actually seen someone braid a rag rug before and didn't know anyone that could. It was one of those memories that got filed away and years later when looking at my scrap box I got to thinking about it again. I knew I could do it, I just hadn't tried and didn't know anyone who could show me, so I'd have to take it on myself.

Using Pins to keep Place

 Using scraps I had on hand I cut them into strips and started playing with techniques and going through the process of figuring it out. I didn't want just long strips sewn together (like you see a lot of times in mass produced, store bought braided rugs). My first attempt, as I figured out what worked best ended up being a coaster. I started with sewing the ends together then braided the strips into each other as I moved outward in a circle.

Rag Rug

I started a collection of scraps from other sewing projects and discarded clothes and rag cut into strips to be used in rugs, organizing them by color. It's given me a great outlet to use scraps of fabric, lace, & ribbon as well as recycle old and otherwise discarded rags (old, worn, torn clothes, towels, etc).

At the last camp I worked at I had a lot of quiet evenings in the middle of nowhere. It gave me a lot of time to work on my own projects and rug making was a nice one for that.

They have also proven to make some great gifts. It's kind of cool to see the rugs being used and decorating the homes of friends and family that have them. I have a stack right now waiting to find homes.

Dollhouse Book for Paper Dolls - A Doll's Dream House

Cover

I grew up playing with paper dolls. Often overnight trips to Grandma's (or other family) meant a new book of paper dolls and a shoe box to store them. I had a variety over the years from Princess Di to various Barbie and all sorts of others involving family vacations, weddings, and career. I would play for hours separating the dolls from the books, settings them up, trying on their various outfits, and then using plain paper with crayons or colored pencils to make my own clothes for them. I was never great at drawing, but I tried and I got a certain sort of satisfaction out of it. As I got older and nostalgic started to set in, I realized that paper dolls are really hard to find, not like the shelves of them I remember from when I was a kid. I thought about drawing my own, but I know my artistic limits. Still my nostalgia for all things doll has continued. In this quest I came up with this Dollhouse Book for Paper Dolls made from ads & magazine pictures collage-pieced together to create rooms the right size for dolls I made from magazine cut outs glued to card stock.

Supplies: Paper, Card Stock, Mod Podge, Clear Tape, Scissors, Old Magazines and Ads.

The Dolls

I started with finding pictures of people to use that were about the same size and included a view of head to feet (this was important).  Using Mod Podge I attached the pictures to card stock and trimmed the edges, then sealed them in with more Mod Podge. Going through my stack of magazine and using the first doll as a guide I tore out pictures for the rooms that were the appropriate size. I used paper folded in half with a cardstock cover to make a book.

The Front Garden

Using the pictures torn from the magazines and ads I pieced together pictures to create rooms for the dolls to inhabit starting with a front garden full of flowers and plants, a living room, a dining room with a table and outside patio view, a kitchen with cabinets and a refridgerator that had doors that opened to reveal groceries and kitchen items, and a bedroom with wallpaper and bedroom furniture.

I cut slits throughout each scene to fit the paper dolls to stand behind items such as flowers, a table, or chair. Then for the kitchen I cut doors that opened and cut items for placement inside these openings. I took these openings in mind carefully as I glued the pages and collages to the book I made to house this paperdoll world. Everything was secured with Mod Podge. I used clear tape around edges including the outside where the pages connected as well as slits and openings.

For those who might want to try a paperdoll house book for yourself or just enjoy paper dolls in your own way I found some great (and free) paper dolls that you can print at home from your home computer. (Or do your own search, you never know what you might find.)

http://marilee.us/paperdolls3.html#Printadults

http://proudmommy.tripod.com/paperdolls.html

http://www.deadmilkmen.com/punkrockgirlprint.html

http://www.ss42.com/paperdolls.html

If you are more talented than me (which means you can draw pretty much anything that comes out looking more like a person or animal than a stick figure), you might even try drawing your own.

This may be my first attempt, but I doubt it will be my last. I already have a list of ideas to play out next.

Check out here to: http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/dollhouse-book-for-paperdolls .