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"I was so excited I spilled my glitter." CraftyChica.com
"If it ain't fun, then the heck with
it." Dick Pope
"There's no stopping a woman with a glue gun." Home Matters
"Your life is better
when you have some creativity in it." Julie
Armstrong
more quotations
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Thoroughly
enjoyed this month's newsletter.
Especially all of the rose crafts.
The plumber's helper topiary was very pretty. Unusual to say the least. It's amazing
what kinds of crafts you can make with ordinary items and they turn
out truly beautiful. The Christmas
wreath on your garden gate, etc. I really want to make some
of the rose jelly. Take care and thanks again. Pam
A.
Apple
Head Dolls - Celebrate autumn with a fun traditional
craft
The Autograph Book of your childhood is back!
 a Velvet Undertow favorite
Baby Bonnet / Bridal Handkerchief - A simple gift to
treasure over generations
Beading -
Don't miss our Beading Diary.
Or Nancy's original JEWELRY!
Braided Rug - Can't bear to throw away those special family garments?
a Goodbye Lie favorite Burner Cover Snow Man - Recycle to create something new
Burner Cover Snowman - Family fun
Christmas
Symbol Wreath - A family project you'll
treasure
Coasters - Tile squares become fabulous
accessories or gifts in seconds! More coasters (from cds).
Colorful Images - Personalized Needlecraft And Sewing
Cookie Mix
for Gifting - Decorate the jar to give this gift from your
kitchen
Costumes:
Cross of Nails Pendant
Dazzle
Disks - Really fun and beautiful things you can do with
old cds
Doggie Coat - For your precious pooch
Floral
Swag - A super quick and easy way to brighten any room:
Beginning at one end, tie
bunches of ivy, dried flowers, baby's breath, etc. with a
continuous strand of thin wire. Repeat the pattern.
Hang your swag over a
doorway, window - instead of or along with a fabric window
treatment, or drape it over your mantel.
Flower Arranging 101
Garden Bell Ornament - A
little clay pot + some Jane Marie magic = one cute decoration for Christmas or any time
Garden Tray -
Bring the outdoors inside with this simple painted tray
Hankie
or Pillowcase Pillows - Don't keep your genteel treasures in
storage. Put them to good use.
To help
prevent your sewing thread from tangling, slide it between a folded
fabric softener dryer sheet.
Hurricane Glass Snowman - A fun and easy winter project
Keepsake Brooch
Bouquet - Make a family treasure
Knitted Baby Stocking Cap - When you want to give baby a special homemade gift
Knitted Dish Cloths - Easy and so useful
Lace
Handkerchief - a simple yet elegant Goodbye Lie favorite
(Welcome) Landscape Timber Craft -
Decorate your yard for any occasion
a Velvet Undertow favorite
Mapmaking for Kids - Educational fun with
a Goodbye Lie bonus
Memory Box - Keep your treasures in a pretty place!
Nose Warmer - Quick and practical knitting
a Velvet Undertow favorite
Orange
Pomander - Make a long-lasting, good
smelling pomander in minutes!
a Goodbye Lie favorite
Paper Dolls - History, collecting
and a simple project for children
Patriotic
Crafts - Simple crafts the whole family can enjoy
Patriotic
Pinwheel Brooch - It's easy!
Personalized Storybook - Even the smallest child will love this gift
Pew Baby - A simple treasure
a Goodbye Lie favorite
Plumber's Helper Topiary - Yes, your eyes are not deceiving
you!
Applying
Glitter to a Craft Project
- Apply the glue
- Apply the glitter to the glue
- Allow the glue to dry
- Spray your
project with hair spray to help keep the glitter in place.
Potato Stamping - Have fun with your food
a Goodbye Lie favorite
Potpourri - It's easy to save your flowers  forever!
Pressed
Flowers - A Victorian tradition for today
Rag Balls - A practical decoration from the past
Rose
Lampshade and Candlestick Lamp - Easy and feminine
Rose
Petal Ideas - Preserve the beauty
and fragrance of your garden
Sailor’s Valentine - A beautiful keepsake, inspired by sailors
in love
Shoe Sachets - Take a little
time for a sweet smelling craft
Spool Dolls - Some spools, some beads, some elastic - you're done!
a Velvet Undertow favorite
STORY - Martha Bear
and the Mystery Machine
Stovetop Scent - Make your home smell wonderful
Sugar Starch - An old-fashioned way to perk up doilies
a Velvet Undertow favorite
Teen Dream Coasters -
Finally, a use for old CDs
Turkey T
Shirt - Get those hands dirty and make something special for Thanksgiving
Tussie Mussie - An easy nosegay that keeps for years
a Goodbye Lie favorite
Vase - A recycling bonus straight from the
trash can. Use it for a quick, attractive centerpiece
Victorian
Memory Box - Special treasures deserve
a wonderful home
a Velvet Undertow favorite
Wedding Swing -
Make a pretty swing for great photo oops
Wizard
of Oz Costumes - More Halloween (including costumes)
Dare
to go Bear
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Mercifully SHORT Reviews
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BEADING & JEWELRY -
Beading pages
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Books
about Beads, Beading & Jewelry
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CANDLES
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When
we start a new project where safety is a factor, like candle making, I always want the best advice I
can get on how to do things properly. That's why M. J. Abadie's The Everything Candle Making Book was a must for us.
It's got way more detail than I think we'll ever need - and isn't
that comforting? Nancy
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CLAY
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Rated
Mixed Media Mosaics, by Laura Mika, is a wonder. You start to salivate as soon as you see the cover, and the excitement to get started making mosaics with polymer clay and other materials only increases as you work your way through the book! Nancy
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The whole concept of polymer clay delights me. You (and I
when a get an afternoon) can make really great looking stuff without
investing in a kiln and a ton of equipment. No wonder I was
so pleased to discover Krista Wells' Polymer Clay Mosaics. Nancy
PS
Peg, please forgive me for using my pasta machine for polymer
clay projects. I couldn't help myself.
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The best things (given the title) about Irene Semanchuk Dean's book
on polymer clay are the detailed descriptions of techniques for
duplicating faux materials. Amazing. Nancy
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COLLAGE
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I've always been fascinated by collage since I first discovered
you could do marvelous things with colored tissue paper. And
If you like scrapbooking, you'll want to consider mounting your
work on canvas, too.
Gloria Vanderbilt, mother of CNN's Anderson Cooper,
has been a media darling since the messy custody battle of her
childhood as detailed in Little Gloria ... Happy at Last.
Despite her famous family and it's conflicts,
Vanderbilt has built a solid reputation as a designer of affordable
fashion. Her collages, some of which feature son Anderson,
are wonderful. Nancy
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CHILDRENS' CRAFTS
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When we started using Mary Ann F. Kohl's The Big Messy Art Book at the day care where I worked, I tried trying some of the projects in my own abstract painting. The results have been dramatic, so I recommend this book for both adults and children who need a jolt of creativity. Caryn
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MISCELLANEOUS
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Rated
75 Chinese, Celtic, & Ornamental Knots, by Laura Williams and Elise Mann, is a very well illustrated manual of lovely knots with lots of uses including jewelry making. Nancy
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Alternacrafts, by Jessica Vitkus, appeared on my doorstep just when I'd seen pop bottle cap necklaces in Tulsa's upscale Utica Square shopping area for $15. Vitkus's book has simple directions for bottle cap jewelry and 19 other projects of all kinds. Take that high priced boutique! Nancy
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Rated
The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts from Leisure Arts contains lots of fun projects like making old clear plastic CD cases into picture frames or jewelry dangles from puzzle pieces. What resourceful fun! Nancy
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Button Girl, by Mikyla Bruder, is aimed at teens, but why should they have all the fun. I just love books with ideas I can use. Who doesn't? Nancy
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No matter where you live, you can find interesting stuff in the great outdoors that can be transformed into decorative objects for your home. Crafting with Nature in a Weekend by Dorothy Wood has lots of suggestions and tips to make sure your time is well spent and yields some lovely results. Nancy
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Mary Englebreit's Crafts to Celebrate the Seasons is a collection of Englebreit's signature looking crafts that will make your home more cheerful. I am not her biggest fan (Jane Marie is), but who can resist turning scuffed figure skates into decorative treasures? Nancy
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Rated
I got a copy of Creative Stamping with Mixed Media Techniques by Sherill Kahn because I have begun to make stamped metal jewelry. Kahn's book turned out to be the other kind of stamping, but it was so good, I fell in love with the projects and the techniques. Nancy
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There is something new for everyone in Encyclopedia of Projects for the Weekend Crafter. It's a great big basic book of goodies. Nancy
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Rated
Once you say, "Martha Stewart," you know crafters will be interested. So, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts. Enjoy, Nancy
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The minute I opened Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander, I thought Jane Marie would love the crafts in this book. They're elegant projects with magical results. Nancy
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Rated
Recipes for Art and Craft Materials by Helen Roney Sattler is the most important book any crafter can own. My copy was revised in 1987, so you may have to do a little work to get yours, but you need the 70+ recipes it contains. Nancy
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Rated
If you know your way around a tool chest, Steampunk Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos, by Thomas willeford, is the fun and creative book for you. Nancy
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Rated
Why do tradional origami when you can be creative and save the environment. Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander wrote Trash Origami to help you along. Nancy
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PAINT
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I collect plates and they've given me an ache to see what i can do in the decorative plate department. Then along comes Cheryl Owen with Creative Ceramic Painting, and the directions are in my hands. Look out walls! Nancy
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I
can honestly say I painted a bird using Donna Dewberry's One-Stroke
Painting technique. And it looks like a bird! Her
method is clearly depicted and worked for me. If you love
hand painted objects, give these books a try. Jane Marie
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If you can paint it, you can sponge paint it. Ann Rooney has
included some great projects and lots of techniques in Sponge
Painting. Nancy
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| PAPER DOLLS |
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| POTS |
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I'm
always looking for creative projects to keep CDO busy so when I found Stephanie Donaldson's Decorating Pots,
I was thrilled. It contains all kinds of ideas and techniques
for making a pot into something special. Nancy
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RIBBON
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Rated
Ribbon is beautiful. In the hands of Elaine Schmidt, author of the Complete Photo Guide to Ribbon Crafts, it's an extraordinary medium of gorgeousness. You will love this book as much as I do. Nancy
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RUGS - Braided Rug Making
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Books on Rug Making
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WEARABLES
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SHOES - Health and Beauty
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WIRE
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There's not much time in my life to take on new projects, but I
fell in love with Wire in Design. I like to
think of this fascination as an extension of my interest in making
wire jewelry. One of these days, I'll publish some pictures
of my progress with wire. Nancy
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VeryShinyObjects.com
TV designer Mark Montano has some great big ideas for home decor that he shares in The Big-Ass Book of Crafts (among other volumes). My copy has nine ideas book marked! Nancy
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The Lover's Knot, the first volume in a quilting mystery series by Clare O'Donohue, could be a bit more polished, but I look forward to future volumes. As always, the characters sucked me in. Nancy
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Hi,
Love the newspaper and the
crafts that are in it. Would you know where I could buy Essential
Oils at a WholeSale price? I would like to make my own Bath Salts.
Regards,
Evva
Hi Evva,
To really buy at wholesale, you have to buy in huge quantities.
Otherwise, you just need to shop around. Nancy said she's found that no one bead company sells every kind of bead as cheaply as possible,
and we suspect that's true for essential oils too. In other
words, Company A may
have the best prices on Oil P, but Oil Q will be cheaper at Company
B.
And this just complicates the whole "getting the best deal"
situation.
Good luck,
Jane Marie |
Buffalo Hunt
click on the photo of the quilt
buffalo to enlarge it
summer - fall 2004 Nature Conservancy's
Spirit of the Buffalo public art project in OKC
complete list of buffalo
photos on
this site
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