It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event - Day 3 - Free Kid Friendly Patterns From The Fat Quarter Shop

Welcome to Day 3 of the It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event.  Today, I want to share a  sewing project with you that is kid friendly, as well as some free kid-friendly patterns from the Fat Quarter Shop who is also a sponsor for this blogging event and is giving away several gift certificates too!



The Fat Quarter Shop team has written an easy  to follow "pocket N pies" pattern that you can download in PDF format.    FQS has shared that this design would be appropriate for age 7 and up.
And they have also created a very helpful youtube video tutorial:

For those that have problems watching this embedded video, or are using a MAC, here is a direct link to view it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPNKDoWqnxA

In addition to the pocket and pies apron being a great kid friendly sewing project, an excellent apron for in the kitchen, it is also an excellent apron to wear when doing messy craft projects.  And, I found some cute fabric, to compliment the towel.  And there was enough fabric left over that I can make a matching  pencil roll up.

The Fat Quarter Shop has many free projects with video tutorials, and here are a few that kid friendly projects that would be great fun:

Kitchen Towel: http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/2014/07/milk-cow-kitchen-towel.html
Coffee Koozie: http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/2014/08/coffee-koozie-tutorial-with-fat-quarter.html

And definitely check out the fun Makin It Cute templates at the Fat Quarter Shop, from Me and My Sister Designs. You can make sweet 3D embellishments that you can use to decorate with, or use as an applique' on bags, towels and more.  The possibilities are endless and it makes for a great kid friendly and/or family craft night project.

Makin It Cute:  http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/2014/10/more-makin-it-cute-with-me-my-sister.html



In 2014 Kimberly and the Fat Quarter Shop team hosted a super fun quilt-along to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish.  Their goal was to raise $10k and to help them reach their goal, their Wishes Quilt is now at auction.  ONLINE bidding closes November 30th.

You may wish to check out this online auction and place a bid, or maybe you can be a PR Angel and help FQS raise funds for Make-A-Wish by increasing awareness of this auction with all of your quilty, as well as non-quilty friends.  The url for the auction is: https://www.blacktie-sanantonio.com/auctions/index.cfm?fuseaction=Auctions.Category&cid=10200

Did I mention a Giveaway ?

Fat Quarter Shop has sponsored the "It's All About The Kids" blogging event and generously donated six $25 gift certificates.  You'll find the giveaways for these certificates on various blogs participating in this event this week.  And, followers of SewCalGal can use the rafflecopter form below to enter to win one of these $25 gift certificates.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will use the random number generator to select one lucky winner, any place in the world, on Sunday, November 2nd.  The winner will be announced on this post and I will also send them an email to notify them.

Don't forget several blogging friends are joining me this week, to help share insights on kid friendly projects.  Here is the schedule and links to all the participating blogs.  You'll also find some great giveaways in this hop, including six giveaways sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop for gift certificates.

Monday, October 27th

SewCalGal - Event kick off

Tuesday, October 28th

SewCalGal  

Sarah Vedeler Designs 

Wednesday, October 29th

SewCalGal  

Happy Cottage Quilter

Thursday, October 30th

SewCalGal
I Have A Notion  

Freemotion by the River

Blue Feather Studio/Marjorie's Quilting Bee

Friday, October 31st

SewCalGal

Jacquelynne Steves, The Art of Home  

Hoffman California Fabrics   

Jean's Quilting Page  

Wendy Sheppard/Ivory Spring 

If you are a blogger or non-blogger and would like to join the fun and share insights on projects suitable for kids, tips, or tutorials, as appropriate, you are also welcome to join the fun and add a link to the linky below.  Non-bloggers can upload photos in a Flickr group called "It's All About The Kids". An InLinkz Link-up


You can find the Fat Quarter Shop at:

http://www.fatquartershop.com/
http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FatQuarterShop
https://twitter.com/FatQuarterShop
https://www.youtube.com/user/FatQuarterShop

It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event - Day 2 - Graduating from Sticky University

Welcome to Day 2 of the It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event.  Today, I want to share a fun papercrafting project, which also works well with some baked goods (e.g. cookies), but also many other treats and handmade items.  And, I also want to share insights with you about Sticky University, as well as encourage you to visit blogs that are sharing a variety of kid friendly crafty projects this week.  After all, it really is all about the kids.....





Tombow is all about crafty goodness with many kid friendly products to help kids of all ages create and have fun.  SewCalGal has been a fan of Tombow for many years and sincerely recommends their products.  You may also recall SewCalGal was a participant in the 100 days of Tombow Campaign, where Tombow celebrated 100 years in the crafting business, by raising money for the Council of Art Education.

Recently SewCalGal was asked to participate in Sticky University, where Tombow was seeking crafty bloggers to create using their new "Xtreme Adhesive".  Participants receive a  "Sticky U Starter Kit", which contains a free sample of Xtreme Adhesive, a Sticky U certificate and a Sticky U t-shirt and mentions on the 
 Tombow USA Blog, the Sticky U Pinterest Board, Tombow’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.  And, for this blogging event, Tombow will giveaway 3 opportunities for bloggers in the US/Canada to join Sticky University and receive a Sticky U Starter Kit for you to create with too!  

While working on my certificate from Sticky University, SewCalGal put Xtreme Permanent Adhesive thru many tests with variety of crafty projects where I used paper,embossed metals, plastic, yarn, ribbons,buttons and fabric.  

 I found Xtreme Permanent Adhesive to be the strongest adhesive in a  dispenser that I've ever used, making it one of my new favorite crafty products.  

. 

As this adhesive comes in an easy to use dispenser, is non-toxic, acid-free and comes in a refillable dispenser, I'm confident it is also a kid friendly product.  SewCalGal recommends this product for 10+ ages, but it would also make an excellent product for family craft nights with parental supervision.

Of all the projects I created, my favorite kid friendly project was to use my Silhouette Cameo

to cut a bag from cardstock with an acorn motif, using Silhouette's design #48175.

My "kid" volunteer helped to make these bags, as well as the Snickerdoodle cookies that we placed inside to give to neighbors.

We had fun baking Snickerdoodles, while the Silhouette cut out the acorn boxes.

It cut two boxes per 12"x12" sheet of Fall colored card stock paper.

We lightly folded the box into shape.

And we rolled the Xtreme Adhesive dispenser on the tabs, to apply the adhesive.

And we lightly pressed the tabs with adhesive to the appropriate sides of the box.

And quite quickly, we had a very cute box ready to fill with treats!

And here is a photo showing a 3D box where I used Xtreme Adhesive to stick some beautiful handmade clay buttons from South Africa, from  Button Mad (Incomparable Buttons).  The buttons stuck easily, without me worrying about them falling off, yet the recipient of such a box could easily remove them from the paper box, to use these sweet buttons on clothing or other craft projects, in the future.  

While I've made 3D boxes many times before I found that when I filled them with odd shapes, or heavy items, the seams of the box would sometimes open up as the adhesive wasn't strong enough.  With Xtreme Adhesive we didn't have a single box to open up, even when we moved the filled boxes around and delivering them to neighbors!  

Tombow also created a short Youtube video that provides a great overview of this new adhesive:

If you are using a MAC or having problems watching this embedded video, here is a link where you can watch it directly in youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0pvqHUQYi0

Also, Tombow has created a glue guide pdf that provides a great comparison of Xtreme Adhesive to other sticky products (glue tape, liquid glues, glue sticks, and tabs) which is a very handy reference tool when considering which product you may want to use to sticking various materials together.

Don't forget several blogging friends are joining me this week, to help share insights on kid friendly projects.  Here is the schedule and links to all the participating blogs.  Some will also be hosting giveaways on their blogs too!

Monday, October 27th

SewCalGal - Event kick off

Tuesday, October 28th

SewCalGal  

Sarah Vedeler Designs  

Wednesday, October 29th

SewCalGal  

Happy Cottage Quilter

Thursday, October 30th

SewCalGal

I Have A Notion  

Freemotion by the River

Blue Feather Studio/Marjorie's Quilting Bee

Friday, October 31st

SewCalGal

Jacquelynne Steves, The Art of Home  

Hoffman California Fabrics  

Jean's Quilting Page  

Wendy Sheppard/Ivory Spring 

If you are a blogger or non-blogger and would like to join the fun and share insights on projects suitable for kids, tips, or tutorials, as appropriate, you are also welcome to join the fun and add a link to the linky below.  Non-bloggers can upload photos in a Flickr group called "It's All About The Kids".

An InLinkz Link-up

Did I Mention A Giveaway?

This is a giveaway for bloggers that want to join Sticky University, where Tombow wants crafty bloggers to create using their new "Xtreme Adhesive".  Three lucky winners will  receive a  "Sticky U Starter Kit", which contains a free sample of Xtreme Adhesive, a Sticky U certificate and a Sticky U t-shirt and mentions on the 
 Tombow USA Blog, the Sticky U Pinterest Board, Tombow’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules for this giveaway:

1) You must be a blogger that enjoys crafty goodness and want to participate in the Tombow Sticky University program, whereby you will later blog what you create and provide your honest feedback about Xtreme Adhesive.
2) You must reside in the US or Canada.
3)  Winners will be randomly selected, using the random number generator within the Rafflecopter tool and announced on this post Sunday, November 2nd

You can find Tombow at:

https://tombowusa.com/
http://blog.tombowusa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tombowusa
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Wy8IHLe1UQdliti2SfydA
https://twitter.com/tombowusa
http://instagram.com/tombowusa

National Craft Month - Create With Little Windows And A Giveaway

SewCalGal hopes you've been having fun celebrating National Craft Month, which really should be called International Craft Month!  And, this giveaway is open to crafty followers all over the world!

Today I'm excited to be able to share insights about super fun products from Little Windows, who has also agreed to sponsor a giveaway for my blog followers.  Thank you Little Windows!

Little Windows offers exceptional resin-craft products that make it easy and affordable for you to create with.  It is perfect for turning photos, fabric, and more  into jewelry, and other forms of art.  The resin is not a toxic product and no solvents are used, no bad smells, low bubbling, so you can put anything into it!

You can find very helpful video and text tutorials on the Little Windows site, as well as  excellent FAQ, along with many inspirational project ideas and tips.

While you can create so many different types of projects with Little Windows, with a variety of materials, SewCalGal loves how you can use resign and your fabric scraps to create charms, necklaces, pins and more:

And Little Windows has a youtube video to show you how to do this, as well as many more videos to show you other tips and inspirational projects.

If you have problems watching this embedded video,  or are on MAC here is a link to watch it directly in youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unoYOD7eGuU&list=UUbur653k2wnEjkqUlCZ3xMw

You can also turn your photos into resin charms charms

Or make items to decorate your home for the holidays or to give as gifts.

In addition to using resign with fabric and photos, you could use resign on metal, glitter, organics and more.  You can even take little treasures and embed them in resin using molds! Possibilities of creating with Little Windows are practically endless.  

Did I Mention A Giveaway?

Little Windows is wanting to help followers of SewCalGal get crafty this month.  They are donating a Starter Kit for a giveaway, which has a $48 value.  And they will ship this directly to a US winner (no shipping costs) or to an International winner that is willing to pay a $8 shipping and handling fee (aka increased costs of shipping over US fees).

If you are interested in winning a Little Windows Starter Kit, please complete the Rafflecopter form below.  SewCalGal will randomly draw one lucky winner on March 31st and update this post accordingly.  I will also send an email to notify the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find Little Windows at:

http://www.little-windows.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Windows-Brilliant-Resin-Photo-Jewelry/128477713855052
https://www.youtube.com/user/FranLittleWindows

International Craft Month: Drawing With Colored Pencils

Do you remember the fun time, as a child, when you were given a new box of colored pencils and paper?  Drawing is a fun crafty activity that can be used for not only creating wall art, or greeting cards, but also drawing on fabric.  This is an area I'm personal not confident with, but I do enjoy and would like to learn more.  As such, I was delighted to learn about a new class on Craftsy.  And, given this is National Craft Month (SewCalGal prefers to call it International Craft Month), I wanted to share insights today on a new class at Craftsy....especially while it is on sale too!

Drawing with Colored Pencils, with Lisa Dinhofer

Class Description:

Easily create endless colors and beautifully realistic artwork with this affordable, transportable medium!  Artist Lisa Dinhofer guides you through burnishing and blending for seamless surfaces and using solvent to create a soft-focus wash effect.  Quickly conquer erasing, scraping and embossing techniques to add texture and dimension to your work and dive into various methods of masking to keep your borders pristine and preseve lifelike highlights.  Harness the full potential of your pencils with a still-life rendering, and establish value and atmospheric depth through strategic placement of warm and cool colors.  Explore your creative instincts with colored pencil and gain the confidence to create expressive, exuberant works of art!

Lesson 1. Introduction (9:35) 

Lesson 2. Reference Grids (20:33) 

Use six warm colors and six cool colors to create a reference grid.  Learn how your pigments respond to a variety of treatments.

  

Lesson 3. Color Mixing Grid (19:35)

Be amazed how many different colors you can create with 12 colored pencils, a white pencil and a blend pencil.  In this lesson you learn about color mixing and gain a new appreciation for the medium's versatility. 

Lesson 4. Masking, Scraping, Erasing & Embossing  (17:17)

Learn tips for keeping your borders pristine and the white of your paper clean, by using masking and framing with a variety of techniques.  You'll also learn about erasing and scraping in your work to fix mistakes or to create an element of design, as well as see how embossing can add texture to your drawing.

Lesson 5. Layering & Washes (18:19)

Learn tips for keeping your borders pristine and the white of your paper clean, by using masking and framing with a variety of techniques.  You'll also learn about erasing and scraping in your work to fix mistakes or to create an element of design, as well as see how embossing can add texture to your drawing.

Lesson 6. Warm & Cool Color Projects  (13:23)

Learn how to layer your colors for depth of color, as well as how to use washes with water-based pencil pigments to create a smooth effect.  

Of course, I hope you'll join me and celebrate International Craft Month and take this "Drawing With Colored Pencils" class with me.  I'm certainly looking forward to it.  And, I love how classes at Craftsy are flexible.  If we don't have time to start or finish this class now, we can do so whenever our schedule allows.  Maybe you'll want to pack your colored pencils and do some drawing during Spring Break, Family Night, or with a cup of hot tea and some relaxing time for you!  

I'm also curious if you have a favorite class at Craftsy or a particular class on your wish list?  I've certainly enjoyed a variety of classes at Craftsy, but always looking for recommendations on what else I should take.  

www.craftsy.com

Fabric Flowers - Call For Fabric Flowers For A Community Garden At Quilt! Knit! Stitch

Spring is coming!  Spring is coming. Yes, I'm confident Spring is coming.  At a minimum, those that are snowbound can bring Spring indoors by making fabric flowers.  And, I have several of my favorite tutorials to share with you today, as well as project ideas that I hope will inspire you to make some fabric flowers.

Fabric flowers have an endless variety of uses.  They can be added to a name tag that you might wear to a quilt guild meeting.  They look great on a handmade purse, headbands, decorating gifts and more.  And, you can make enough to fill a vase and create your floral arrangement that never wilts.  Or, you can make one or more fabric flowers and donate to a community garden at the upcoming Quilt! Knit! Stitch! quilt show in Portland Oregon this summer.

Quilt! Knit! Stitch is a new show that will be held in Portland, Oregon August 14-16th, 2014.  This fun event will have beautiful quilts on exhibit, wonderful vendors, and excellent classes.  And, there will be an amazing flora and fauna exhibit made from fabric that "you" can make a fabric flower for this exhibit!  Fabric flowers are needed prior to the opening of this show, but attendees are also invited to bring fabric flowers to "plant" at this exhibit.

For more information on this special "call for fabric flowers", as well as an excellent tutorial to make a fabric rose click here to visit Pokey's Ponderings.

While community gardens are filled with floral and fauna of all different colors and designs, the same goes for a fabric flower garden.  As such, I wanted to share with you today some of my favorite tutorials for making fabric flowers.  Of course, I hope you'll consider making a flower for the community garden at Quilt! Knit! Stitch! and/or maybe a fabric flower for your home, or to give to someone as a gift.  After all, who wouldn't want to receive a fabric flower from you?


Arlette of Poka Dot Pineapple has an excellent tutorial for fabric flowers that has been on my list of favorite tutorials since 2010!  Definitely one of my favorite tutorials.  Click here for her tutorial.

She also has a fun tutorial to make wire edged flowers.

Mark Montano has a fun video tutorial to make fabric flowers with strips from your stash.  If you are on a MAC or have problems watching this embedded video, click here to watch this video tutorial directly from youtube.

Crafts By Amanda has a fun tutorial to make whimsical fabric flowers with ModPodge.

Snowy Bliss has a tutorial to make long stemmed fabric flowers.  Her great tutorial not only shows how to make these beautiful fabric, but also shares a variety of inspirational ways to display them. 

 Polka Dot Bungalow has a tutorial to make "re-purposed" fabric flower arrangement that is gorgeous.

 As this is National Craft Month, which SewCalGal prefers to think of as International Craft Month, I do hope you'll consider being crafty and make some fabric flowers.  As mentioned they are great to decorate your home, to give as a gift, and they certainly will help make for a beautiful Community Garden at the Quilt! Knit! Stitch! Show in Portland, Oregon this summer.   And, of course, I hope you get to visit this show.  But the next best thing to being at such a show is knowing something you've made is on exhibit.  Thus, I hope you'll consider making a fabric flower and sending it to Pokey for this fun exhibit!

 Be Cre8tive!

Celebrate National Craft Month - win up to $500 Worth of Prizes!

Time to let everyone know this is National Craft Month, which SewCalGal prefers to call International Craft Month!  A perfect month to spend more time being creative and crafty.  And, I'm wanting to share insights on a couple of fun opportunities where you can win prizes this month, simply by crafting (just about any craft project).

Were you a child of when there was craft time in the schools ?  How do children todaylearn to be creative?  How do you CRE8TIME for crafting?

Get Crafty and Be Cre8tive this month.

What will you CRE8TIME for ?  Will you be quilting, sewing, doing embroidery, painting, drawing, beading, scrapbooking, cardmaking, mixed media arts, or other crafty and creative activities?  What ever you do make some crea8tive time and encourage others to do so too, especially young ones!

CRE8TIME is an awareness campaign, supported by the CHA Foundation that empowers crafters to find time and devote it to their particular hobby, and to create a place for them to share their experiences with the creative community at large. The goal is to get former crafters to rediscover their passions, and to welcome new crafters into our community, generating an increase in crafting and craft material sales.

While anyone can participate, they also have a Tool Kit for to help businesses create containing customizable marketing materials to help promote and celebrate CRE8TIME in your store.

And the Craft and Hobby Association is having a photo contest:

March is National Craft Month! What better time to discover the joy of crafting and all its many benefits? To celebrate, you could learn a new craft or use your skills to teach others a new craft. There are so many creative ways to take part and have some fun during National Craft Month.

The CHA Foundation is hosting a CRE8TIME contest where you could win up to $500 worth of prizes! It’s easy to enter CRE8TIME’s National Craft Month Photo Contest. All you have to do is take a picture of how you’re celebrating National Craft Month. This can be a picture of yourself crafting or of your finished craft project. Submit it via the photo contest app on the CRE8TIME Facebook fan page: (https://www.facebook.com/Cre8time).

 

Sizzix is hosting March Craftness with a month full of inspiration and giveaways on their blog.

Paper week giveaway is open thru March 8th.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is also hosting a Big Craft Challenge where you could win a $250 gift card.

Each day there is a theme and  to enter you simply post a picture on instagram that fits that theme.  Click here for more info.

And don't forget Worldwide Quilting Day is Saturday, March 15th.

What will you do during National Craft Month?

You can find Cre8time at:

http://www.cre8time.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Cre8time

https://twitter.com/cre8time

You can find Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store at: 

Joann.com

https://www.facebook.com/JoAnn

http://instagram.com/joann_stores

http://joannfabricandcraftstores.blogspot.com/

SewCalGal will also be sharing some crafty insights this month, as well as hosting a few crafty giveaways to celebrate International Craft Month!  Please email me if you are interested in being a sponsor.