Summercrafter

The last of the little pumpkins have rolled out of sight and as the silver clouds cover the moon, the new and improved version is not quite what I had planned. While I fantasized about using rickrack, googly eyes and all sorts of embellishments, I ended up using the sewing machine more than anything. I changed the yellow crescent moon to a full white moon with a bat silhouette across it, with red glass beads for eyes that don't appear on this picture. The pumpkins have different shapes as do real ones and I added stitching to mark the line indentations that characterize the big orange fruit.   It’s really the best part but is difficult to distinguish and appreciate unless you are up close.   I used felt again for the features, but in yellow to mimic the candle’s glow on the jack-o-lantern.   I also added tiny glass beads to accent the eyes. I tried the googly eye but didn’t really like the look. For the felt fence, I outlined it in brown stitch; I used the free motion featur

 This series of The old lady who swallowed a… has really filled, if not satisfied, all sorts of appetites. Touché for the author, Lucille Colandro, who’s making money, but like all series, some stories are better than others.    Click photo to purchase at Amazon.com  For her Halloween version There was an old lady who swallowed a bat  ,  I made a large felt version using the firm felt variety in large 12 x 18 sheets.   I used the illustrations from the book and looked at “each” piece of the character in terms of shape: the nose, head, wing, mouth, etc… This makes it easier to reproduce so it looks just like the illustration. Then I embellished some parts with fabric puff paint in the little bottles (3 inches) that you can squeeze. I also used yarn and jewels.   These types of flannel stories are great for class activities, as games (what comes next) or as a Halloween Party entertainment. You can use a large flannel board, or just hold the character you are telling about,

Hey Readers, May I just say how encouraged I am that everyday there are a few more page views.  Thanks so much for popping back in regularly to take a peek at what's new. I promise new crafts are coming! I want to make sure I have enough quality pictures that you can appreciate.  Please vote on the top right hand side so I can keep this blog going with crafts or posts that interest you. Please leave a comment or email me summercrafter@yahoo.com  if there is something you want to see, or you have an idea and you are not sure how to make it concrete. I would be glad to help! Here are some of my craft books, the collection has grown since this photo, now I also have craft magazines. I started with Christmas Crafts  books by Mary Engelbreit just because I love the colors in her artwork.  Then it just took off and I have been collecting all sorts of craft books, anything I want to learn or improve my skills on: Watercolor, felt, Scandinavian Style, quilting, sewing, gardening, ki

Finger plays are great activities to do with little ones. Interestingly enough, I find that the older kids also love them because it brings back “warm fuzzies” from when they were "little."   It’s really fun to act silly and watch the children giggle and laugh and enjoy something as simple as a song or finger play. Five Little Pumpkins is a very popular one for this time of year.   The words may vary slightly, but the five little pumpkins always roll out of sight! Using flannel boards and felt for such activities make great visuals that really help keep the kids focused and engaged. And felt, the craft store acrylic kind, is also a very easy medium to use:  Everything is removable. I start with laying the black, then the fence, the moon as the kids try to figure out  what it is then they see the pumpkins.  1)      It doesn’t fray or unravel 2)      Comes in various consistencies, soft or firm 3)      In various sizes a.      By the yard b.      By the sheet 4)   

I think the color orange shouts "look at me," it's like when someone sneaks up behind you and startles you --but you are happy to see them.  Combining a color scheme in a design takes a lot of thinking, especially when I am also figuring out the design.  And while I have heard it said that quilting is time consuming, I think the planning takes the most time, it's so much math!!  The truth is, as a beginning quilter, I have yet to follow a pattern. I have "invented" my handful of projects on my own because I thought is was easier, what was I thinking?   Size about 12 x 36 inches This was my big Summer Craft for 2009 and it was my second quilting project,  they get a little bigger as my skills and confidence improve.  Each quilt usually has some new technique I haven't tried before. I have really taught myself, by reading all types of books on quilting that I have bought over the last few of years, subscribing to these magazines , and examining

We are in October, I feel a pleasant change in the air; much like when Mary Poppins descended down on the front steps of the Banks Residence on Cherry Tree Lane, umbrella in hand.  We just recently, September 23rd, and quite happily, welcomed the Autumn season of 2011...not that I'll see any leaves changing in these parts.  Doesn't the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade "officially" kick-off the Christmas Season or at least the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree  So why am I seeing Christimas trees everywhere?  I have seen them in so many stores: Walmart, K-mart, JCPenney, Cracker Barrel, Michael's, Joann Fabrics... really?!! Even Home Depot had them scheduled to be out by September 30th.  The worst part is you see them before the Halloween stuff, which incidently is also out of control, in my opinion, Christmas, Halloween trees? Thanks Pier 1 , but no thanks.  This is the epitome of NOT delaying gratification.  There is a time and season for ev

Sometimes my mind thinks of projects on its own. It takes over and keeps me up at night. Jodie   at Ric Rac experiences these things too. So I am not crazy. But the whole process takes on a life of its own until you get it out of your system. That's when I have to do a "shotgun" craft and see if this bright idea will work.  Sometimes it does and other times it doesn't.  But once I try it, I am done, unless I really love it and start embellishing, changing the theme or making lots of them to give away.      Finished product.  Ok, so I saw this hanger lying around and I got this idea.  It was FAST, EASY and I used mostly SCRAPS! I was so eager to try it, though, there are some improvements to do for the next one. 1) Cut strips with pinking shears to reduce  unraveling and loose threads.  2) Choose different patterns to differentiate horizontal and vertical strips. Next attempt, a Christmas tree....stay tuned.    B

Do you fly by the seat of your pants, wing it or work well under pressure? Do you think outside the box, color outside the lines and get ideas out of thin air? Do you have a green thumb, a fashion bug, or a creative flare? I would bet that you are the creative type, and some people don't even know it! Most of us, arts and crafts kind of people, have been told throughout our lives, one way or another, how talented and creative we are, haven’t you? Well, as of late, it seems that I cannot resist this need, urge and desire to exercise this creativity in my own life;  so I started searching for inspiration and affirmation to do so.   The first inspirational quote I read that really became a catalyst on this quest was  this:   When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’ by Erma Bombeck.   Then I picked up the Fall Issue of WHERE WOMEN CREATE   and it was as if thes

Confessions of a Fabric-o-holic: I collect Mary Engelbreit fabric but I don't want to cut it.  I just want to look at it, stacked neatly in my beautiful craft corner. I need a really GREAT idea to be worthy of this much treasured material! Wal-mart used to carry ME fabric until they got rid of their fabric section, it was by Cranston Village . I would go weekly and buy a few yards, even if I already had it.  They do not sell any of her fabric in my neck of the woods anymore, I have to look online for fabric stores that carry her line. Moda fabrics used to make it, I acquired much of her collection through this shop , they have great pre-cut fabrics and a Christmas section. I made this mini ribbon board with left over Mary Engelbreit fabric (Attitude Girls) and a piece of  foam board for another ME fan. This was done under 30 minutes, and look how cute!  Materials: Foam board (3 x 13) Scrap strips of fabric, folded over, fused and hemmed. (I had these left over fr