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!

Maze Scrapbook - FL

Start with one square for the pages.

 I've been doing all sorts of scraps books and memory books for years at home, at camps, with scouts, 4-H, and through theater things and am always looking for new ideas and non-traditional memory keeping ideas. I stumbled across this site, that had a number of things I had already seen, done, and even taught, but this Maze Book was one that inspired me. I used the ideas as a base, changing the size to make it larger and adding my own touches.

Armed with a map (that I cut down and used for the pages), pictures, and a few bits from a recent trip to my cousin's wedding I decided to try one. (I always bring back a collection of things from a trip... pictures, maps, and other little objects, bits, & pieces. In this case confetti from the wedding, shells, and sand that I used part of in a Memory Jar project from a previous post.)

Fold into 16 even squares.

 Supplies:
     1 sq. sheet for pages (map in this case)
     pictures (I printed them smaller to fit my size needs)
     cardboard (for the cover)
     assortment paper
     stickers & other decorations
     embellishments (stick on gems, shells, etc.)
     yarn, ribbon, etc.
     glue, tape, or other preferred to secure and attach

I cut the map in a square shape, folding it diagonal and cutting off the excess, making sure to include our hotel and the beach where the wedding & reception where held. Then folded it in half twice, both horizontal and vertically to create 16 even squares.

Then cut rows, leaving one square on end attached to fold out as in a one long piece.

Then folded to form a book.

Fold

Cut board (I used cardboard from a box of veggie burgers). I used one piece that was wide enough for the cover and long enough for both covers and the spine. Then cover the board with decorative paper.  (I chose something that would go with their wedding colors.)

Attach folded pages to front and back cover. Secure to covers.

Attach pictures, decorative paper, stickers, labels, to pages. (I used some butterfly and flower stickers that I had on hand that went with them theme.)


Decorate cover. (I included stick on gem flowers, a few tiny seashells, glitter paint, and a picture from the beach. On the back cover is a picture from the trip home.)

Add any attachments for pockets. I attached a piece of yarn to the spine that was linked to a picture attached to board and a small plastic bit of confetti from the reception.

Embellish, decorate, ENJOY! (And using things I brought back with items I recyled or hand on hand, I spent on nothing.)

Paper Bag Journal - Instructions

From my Camp files & instructions: (when working with others, it often helps to have instructions written out for them to see, even if seems a rather easy to teach & share.)

(A huge hit at camp with scout troops, teen & pre-teen girls, their mothers, other staff, and anyone looking for new ideas for scrap booking. I made a few for staff I was particularly close to as an end of summer gift.)

4-H Woodworking

Bulletin Board

Book Shelf

I grew up doing woodworking, I took a cedar chest to state fair, I helped with 4-H State Fair judging, and I taught woodworking basics at camp. It seems the carpenter bloodline showed through. 4-H gave me great opportunities to build things and to learn new woodworking skills. It also let me build things for my room at the time, many of which I still use.

The blue bordered bulletin board was a 4-H woodworking project that I made for my room in elementary school and now use in my Craft/Sewing Room. At any time it can be holding any selection of instructions, patterns, sketches, projected (completed or in process). It was made with my woodcutting advisor in his wood shop, using the same pattern his daughter had used to make one before me.

 The year I made my bookshelf, most of the kids in that project had made a full size bookshelf, but I had a small bedroom and limited space. Instead, my advisor helped me come up with a smaller shelf that could hang from the wall or sit on my head board. (My bed at the time at build in bookshelf as the headboard and the width was perfect to sit this shelf on top of it.) I got to learn about making drawers. The shelf now holds many of cookbooks and herb books, a treasured piece that I use everyday.

The basket was a Club 4-H project on trees. We did all sorts of tree projects and activities; that included tree planting, trips to see the process of apple cider and maple syrup, and creating something from wood - in this case it was making baskets from wood strips.

Embroidered Poetry Book

 As a part of April's National Poetry Month, April 14 (2011) is Poem in Your Pocket Day and, of course, I needed something to help celebrate and embrace this idea. (Poetry is important to the human soul.) Generation T had a great idea to make a Poetic Pocket Square, but I wanted something a little different, a little more me. (And something that would hold more than just one poem. I couldn't choose just one.) I needed space for more than just one poem and so came about this Embroidered Poetry Book, sewn together with a little heart and a little imagination. (The best combination for any project.) Oh, and some fabric and embroidery floss, too. (Everything was stuff I already had on hand.)

I embroidered the front outside and inside of the cover with colorful thread colors on green fabric. (I chose to make the 'cover' green and the 'pages' white, but there is no hard fast rule top any fabric or color choices.) For the inside pages of my fabric book, I chose three poems to embroider; including  Emily Dickinson's "If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking," Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," and Maya Angelou's "The Traveler." I sketched all the fabric with a pencil before sewing the words and details before sewing.

My mind is now full of ideas for another fabric book or two in other themes or purposes. One could make a great, personal, gift for the right person and occasion.

Watch out world - I have poems in my pocket and a trip through the washer won't blur the words.

Needlepoint Bookmarks

Need something to hold your place in that book? Or mark your favorite poem? (Especially helpful since April is National Poetry Month.)

You could use a piece of scrap paper (we all have them and we've all done it), or bend down the edge of the page (the shame!), but I made these bookmarks using cross stitch techniques and colored embroidery floss to use in my large collection of books. (I love books... the way they look, feel, smell, and the stories they hold. It's a love story, a seduction, an addiction. Old or young, they are beautiful and magical.)

The hot air balloon pattern was approximately from a pattern in a book of bookmark designs (with some adjustments for my personal preferences). It's a good pattern to play with colors and combinations.

The second bookmark is my own psychadellic pattern using a swirling rainbow of colors and bits of leftover threads from other projects that there isn't enough for other other things. (Anyone who does a fair amount of needlepoint probably has a collection built up.)

Even the edging on these was hand done.

It Doesn't Always Have to be Storebought - Handmade Gifts

Handmade gifts are always best & I have a few from friends & family.

A friend made these metallic painted handmade little clay creations for the tables at her wedding (pictured with the green background). (An artist in her own right.) She wanted something original that she made to be a part of the decorations. They had natural variations in the process of hand forming each one. (Some of them has little hearts with her husband-to-be's initials. Mine is not one of them.) It's great to catch little things like rings and earrings or a delicate necklace. (Some of them had had little candles in them.) One of the best things about these - she did something her way and celebrated her art, incorporating it into her special day.

I grew up involved in community based groups (such as 4-H and Girl Scouts), that often put a great importance on volunteering and being a positive part of the community. It may sound corny or idealistic to some, but I would like to think it did help shape elements of my ideals and instill a sense of responsibility.

Napkin Holder

As a Girl Scout, one of these involvements included "adopting" a "grandparent" at a local nursing home we often visited. (Pretty typical community involvement project.) I got a feisty woman who liked to work on plastic canvas needlepoint, including a house design napkin holder (pictured) that she gave me. It's something that years later, I still have and still think of her fondly when I see it. It was something she shared with me.

The photo album was a birthday gift from aunt this year. She has really gotten into scrap booking projects and card making. She embellished the cover inside and out for a personalized birthday present (to go along with a handmade card and cookies from a nearby bakery).

Photo Album Cover

Inside Cover of Album

Decoupage Accessories

Decoupage is a great way to personalize a bit of your world; whether it's a notebook or journal, a pen/pencil cup, or a jar to hold little things (like straight pins or notes). Using Mod Podge, doodles, old magazines, discarded ads, stickers, bits of scrap fabric or ribbon, I've added my own personal touch (and helped others do the same) to notebooks (often used as journals), cleaned out cans (that would otherwise be thrown out), jars, and boxes. I have a few decorated cans and jars in my sewing/craft room help keep my things organized and to hold everything from pens & pencils to markers and scissors and sewing notions.

This is a great way to personalize all sorts of things and appeals to multiple ages from elementary school kids to teens and adults. It was super popular at camp in the Craft Hall with campers, counselors, and adult staff of all ages. We decorated containers as well as pieces of wood for wall hangings. Decoupage can be done with thinned down glue or using something like Mod Podge (which available in most craft departments and at craft stores). to secure everything and give a smooth finish.

Personalize your world.

Camp Crafts - Part 2

Basket

In this the second installment of Camp Crafts I have a few more things to share from my camp days. Camp Crafts were a great way for me to be a positive influence in a lot of k, kids' lives and to show them the process is just as important, if not more sometimes, than just the finished project. You don't have to be an artist to make your own art.

I always wanted to kids to have lots of examples. I found that if you have only have one example then most of the kids will make their finished project look as close to that one as they can. So wanted them to see there was no ONE way. I wanted them to make it their own way with their own vision.

At a camp ground I was living and working as a Craft Hall Supervisor I was able to offer basket making. It was great for adults and teens. I even got a family with a mom, her grown daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend, who ended up being the surprise with a very nice heart shaped basket.

Paper Bag Journal

Paper bag journals were something I altered and adapted to make usable for groups and camp settings. At one camp that catered to families and various groups, they were a big hit with tweens, teens, and a few very creative Girl Scout troops. We used two colored paper bags for each, a variety of colored construction paper, markers, construction paper crayons (which are more awesome than many people might realize), yarn, and fun bits of feathers, gems, and foamies. I made ones for part of the staff at the end of the summer as a good bye present (the pockets were great for tucking in feathers, magnets, and other bits from the summer).

I've made paper bag journals with my 'Ladies Who Craft" at the nursing home, as well as for personal things. (I usually use regular brown paper bags and lunch sacks.) I made one for Christmas present for my mom as a memory book after my grandpa's death. The pockets were great for tucking in extra pictures, poetry, and a copy of his obituary. A great way to utilize scrap booking techniques for little bits.

Shrinkie Charm Bracelet

At the 4-H camp we did a lot with shrinkies (you've heard of shrinkie drinks, right?) and various knotted and braided bracelets and anklets made with colored thread. The kids loved them, both the nine-year-olds, and the teens. I tried to find ways for them to use the shrinkies they made (#6 plastic, decorated with markers or colored pencils, then heated down) other than just little melted pieces of plastic. I made a shrinkie charm bracelet with a bunch of fruit and vegetable charms and bits (I'm a vegetarian) with green and white colored thread.

Once all the shrinkies where made (decorated with holes punches) and shrunk, I set them out in the order I preferred and started to work on the bracelet itself. I used a square knot like one used in macrame with thin colored thread (think embroidery thread or something similar). The combination of colors gave a nice variance.

If the bracelet in the picture looks a bit beat up, because it is. I wore it a lot at camp and used it as an example (always with the examples).

Worry Dolls

Worry dolls made from twisty ties and embroidery floss was something I came up with. I have a few sets that I had picked up from other places, but wanted to find a way to make them myself. I was inspired by the collection of twisty ties that I could force myself to throw away, my selection of colored embroidery floss, and scraps of fabric. One of my campers even made a house for them out of a Velveeta Cheese box. It kind of resembled a mini mobile home. See More!

Macrame Butterfly

Macrame and macrame techniques were a big part of the stuff I did the kids. It seemed the more retro something was the more popular it was. Bracelets, belts, and even little macrame butterflies, like the one pictured. It was nice to experiment with different types of cord and string. The Macrame Butterfly was made from actual macrame cord that was donated (like the kind you see used in planters.)

Maybe some of these will inspire you or bring back sweet memories of summer camps gone by.