March is National Craft Month with Lots of Crafting Opportunities

Get out your craft supplies!  March is National Craft Month. To celebrate, many of the craft companies are planning lots of activities and specials, so click to see these activities all listed on CraftPlace.org.

National Craft Month

I’ve always loved crafting and have created crafts from childhood. Oh, all the crafts I have worked with – drawing and painting, sewing, designing doll clothes, batik, macrame, stained glass (this was my only drop out due to too many cuts and blood), decoupage, paper crafting, embroidery, cross stitch, beading (both jewelry and sewing), crochet, needlepoint, quilting, crewel, rug hooking, and mosaics. I know there are plenty more that just didn’t pop out of the top of my head. I love taking classes and whenever a class was available on a craft technique, I took it.

Let me know what you love about crafting. Me – I love how relaxing it is and how little everyday life stresses fade away when crafting. You can come home from a hard day at work and let a little crafting soothe you. As a designer, I can get stressed by deadlines creeping up, but when I start working on the projects, I’m in heaven! I also love the creative aspect – no two craft projects are the exact same, so you’ve created something totally unique. Its also something that you can do with your kids for some really good times together. The list of perks from crafting just goes on and on!

Seriously, let me know about your crafting loves or experiences!

Phyllis

Book Review – a Fabulous New Needlework Book by Linda Wyszynski

I love, love needlework and have collected needlework books for years. I just added The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework by Linda Wyszynski to my collection and have to say that along with it being a beautiful book, its also the most comprehensive book I have. Needlework is so versatile. In addition to all types of needlework projects you can create, you can also use needlework to add beauty and detail to quilts and sewing projects. A few embroidery stitches can also make such a difference with your favorite craft technique, even paper crafts.

The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework by Linda Wyszynski

This book has photos and diagrams for 200 stitches you can use for creative embroidery, crewel, silk ribbon embroidery, bead embroidery, cross stitch and needlepoint. In addition to all the photos, the book is filled with easy to follow diagrams. With this book, you will have all the information to get you started with needlework – stitching equipment and supplies, canvases, charts, fabrics, threads, ribbons and much more.

Included in The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework, published by Creative Publishing International, are projects to use with the different techniques. You will love this book whether you are a beginner or an experienced stitcher.

A little bit about Linda – I’ve known Linda for at least 20 years. She is the most talented needlework designer I know and designs for numerous magazines and books as well as correspondence classes for The Embroider’s Guild of America. She worked very diligently on this book to insure its completeness and to design the beautiful projects. She was aided by her husband Dennis, who created the graphs, illustrations and took the photographs – a winning combination to produce a beautiful book!

Put a little stitching in your day!

Phyllis

Great Products and Great Displays at Craft & Hobby (CHA) Winter Show

After spending several days in southern California for the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) winter show, I came home inspired and excited. I took photos of the fabulous products and displays, so many photos that I will have to divide my CHA review into two parts. CHA is a huge show with such a variety of products in about all crafting cagtegories. The variety is one of the things I love about the show.

The trends that I noticed at the show included lots of paper sculpture as well as bead sculpture, glass mosaics, beads and needlework to include both embroidery (and Crewel) and felt. I’m sure I missed some other trends, but these caught my attention.

I was working in the Gutermann booth surrounded by the beautiful and high quality Gutermann threads.

Gutermann booth at CHA winter show

Gutermann threads display

I love the wide assortment of the in both cotton and silk.  Watch for designs and projects that I will be creating using their threads – comiong soon!

Gutermann thread patternI took a closeup of one spool of the varigated thread.  I loved the pattern created by the thread winding and the brilliant varigated color. Opening your eyes to things close  around you can give you beautiful patterns.

Brazzill Basic Papers sculpture

Brazzill Basic Papers had beautiful displays of sculptured flowers.  This display was hanging in a corner of the booth. A beautiful, larger display was in the center of the booth, but they were so busy and crowded with buyers, I could not get to it to take a photo.

Therm-o-Web glittered sculpure heart

Therm O Web demonstrated a new glitter – Glitter Dust, that gives a light sprinkling of glitter by aerosol.  The paper sculptured heart consisted of various sizes of flowers, all with a light coating of Glitter Dust.

Therm O Web Glitter Dust

Knitting and crochet are so versatile, as can be seen by the display in the Bernat booth with these chairs.

Bernat knitted and crochet chair coverings at CHA

These chair covers were knitted and crocheted using Waverly for Bernat, based on 5 of Waverly’s popular patterns.  The yarns are in color collections based on the colors of the patterns. You can see my favorite 2 chairs below.

Bernat Green crocheted chair at CHA

Crochet and knit chair at winter CHA by Bernat

Aren’t they wonderful!!

Bernat clothing and accessories at CHA

And I just love these sweaters and accessories also in the Bernat booth. I will take one of each! I really love the colors of this display.

Glass mosaic boots by I Love to Create at CHA

Dress made with paper plates by ILovetoCreate at CHA

The ILovetoCreate booth was filled with several wonderful displays created by EdoHeidi Borchers and Tiffany Windsor. Heidi created the mosaic boots using over 2000 pieces of mosaic tiles and buttons. They were gorgeous!  The dress was designed by Heidi and Tiffany with 90 paper plates hand cut into over 5000 petals, glued and painted to look like faux leather.  This was a stunning display to show the uses of Aleene’s glue.

Decorated white column ILovetoCreate CHA

This large column, designed by Tiffany and Heidi, is decorated with 1200 paper plate hand and die cut into over 3300 pieces.

Mosaic skirt created with broken china in ILovetoCreate booth at CHA

Mosaic table by ILovetoCreate at CHA

Broken china mosaic chair by ILovetoCreate at CHA

This display of mosaics was also designed by Heidi and Tiffany for ILovetoCreate. I love the skirt!  It’s made with broken china – cups and plates.  Its really a work of art! The table and chair are mosaics using broken china.  All three pieces created a beautiful setting.

Tulip body painting by IlovetoCreate at CHA

ILovetoCreate also has Tulip paints for body painting. A different design was painted each day.  The pretty model is Savannah Starr, Heidi’s granddaughter. I wonder if it tickles but it would be fun to paint and wear!

Phyllis Dobbs with Tiffany Windsor of ILovetoCreate at CHA

Tiffany is pictured here with me when I ran into her at the show. Besides being a great designer, Tiffany also hosts the Cool2Craft network.

Felt fish pillows by Kunin Group at CHA

The Kunin Group had adorable projects in their booth with colorful felt, including the this fish pillow and the stuffed fish.

Cell phone cases made with Kunin felt at CHA

The cell phone cases were one of the displays in the Kunin Group booth.  They are just too cute and are by Jodie Haffa of Lova Revolutionary.

Bridal accessories by Darice at CHA

David Tutera at Darice booth at CHA

David Tutera, wedding expert and host of My Fair Wedding on WeTV, has a bridal accessory line with Darice. Some of the products are used for the beautiful table setting above. And as you can see, I got to get a picture taken with David.

Mich Turner of Little Venice Cakes at Darice CHA

Mich Turner of Little Venice Cake Company, London, has a line of baking accessories also with Darice. Mich, the Queen of Couture Cakes, is demonstrating on the Darice stage.  Those cakes really look yummy!

Check back for part 2 of my review of CHA.  I have lots more to show you!

Phyllis