Decorating

Guess what I just found for sale at Michaels? Wheat! In natural, pale green and soft brown! I saw it with my own eyes!  On the shelf!

So, I decided this is the perfect time to share how I make Harvest Brooms. They are the perfect accent to celebrate the fall harvest season which is just about to begin!

Harvest brooms are a great way to continue an age old tradition of saving a bit of the wheat harvest to create a "house blessing". House Blessings bring a family good luck through the coming winter. In the spring, the wheat is sprinkled over the newly sown fields to ensure a plentiful harvest in the fall.

The harvest broom is the simplest of all wheat weaving and only takes a few minutes!

And it is a great way to introduce kids to an age old tradition. Check out the really easy wheat ornaments below!

You will need:

- 20 to 40 wheat stalks

- Dental floss

- scissors

- Bit of raffia, ribbon or fabric strip

- Dried flowers, berries, pods, etc

- Glue gun (optional but helpful)

Make a Harvest Broom

1. Clean and soak your wheat stalks as described in last year's post for making braided and twisted House Blessings. Cover your work surface with a piece of plastic or several layers of newspapers.

2. Remove wheat from the water and blot to remove excess water.

3. Using dental floss, tie the stalks together just above the heads. Pull your dental floss very tight and secure your knot using a surgeons knot. (Tutorial for surgeons knot is at the end of this post.)

4. Tightly tie the ends together using dental floss. None of your stalks will be the same length. This is not a problem. Just be sure you place your floss so that the bundle is tied about 1" below the shortest stalk.

5. Cut through all the wheat stalks about 1" above the floss.

6. To make a little hanging loop, cut a piece of floss about 6" long. Run one end of it between the stalks and under the floss tie as shown.

7. Fold the floss in half and tie a little overhand knot near the end. (I made two here - the first one was a little too long.) Cut just a little below the knot.

8. Now gently pull the floss loop toward the top of the broom until the knot is snug against the floss tie. The knot will be hidden by any decoration you add to the top to cover the floss tie.

9. You are ready to embellish! I usually tie a bit of raffia around the floss at the top of the broom, but ribbon or fabric strips also work well. A dab of hot glue will help hold it in place.

9. You can embellish your broom with just about anything you have on hand. I like to use flowers that have dried naturally in vases or on plants, dried poppy pods, dried fern leaves, corn stalks, fall leaves treated with Mod Podge.

But craft stores, florists and farmer's markets offer a huge selection of tempting ideas as well. Below - a few others I recently made using garden materials and "stuff" found at the Pumpkin Patch and Michaels.

Dried red echinacea from the garden last fall and oats found along the side of a country road.

Corn husks and round red ornamental corn from the Pumpkin Patch, tied on with raffia - and a little help from hot glue!)

Beautiful tiny 3" long blue Indian Corn and corn husks from the Pumpkin Patch and thistles from Michael's.

I love these simple little ornaments made with wheat! So easy for kids to make.

Simply tie 6 to 8 wheat stalks together right where the head meets the stem the same way as you did in step 3 above.

Trim the stalks in a kind of fan shape about 2" above the tie.

Embellish!

These little ornaments are so small they don't require much to dress them up. A bit of raffia and some craft store "pepper berries" work great for these. Small dried flowers also are very pretty, but perhaps a bit too fragile for tiny hands.

So - let your kids figure it out! Little plastic toys work!! And Christmas bells and baubles! A favorite piece of drift wood or a precious stone! Milkweed fluff! Pine cone!  

If you can't find wheat at your local Michael's or florist, you can always order from my favorite - Black Beard's Wheat! These are the nicest people to work with and their wheat is absolutely beautiful. This one is my most favorite!

Package of 70 - 120 wheat stalks run $6.75 to $7.00 depending on kind of wheat. A very fair price.  And if you want to learn more about wheat weaving, you will find some great books here!

If you are a teacher, you might want to consider contacting a farmer near you to see if he would be willing to allow you to either purchase the wheat you need for your class, or perhaps even allow you to pick it for free since it is for the kids!

If you are given permission to pick, do so about 4 or 5 days before the farmer plans to harvest and wear gloves and use garden clippers to cut the wheat. Cut near the ground. Please don't ever pick from a wheat field without getting permission.

It is best to hang the wheat in bundles, upside down for at least a week before using. But if this is not possible, simply clean it using the instructions here.

OK guys! I want to see some wheat brooms and house blessing ornaments magically appear in my side bar flickr pool!

Look how beautiful this is!

And this one!

And this one too!

These lovely, colorful curled wood roosters just arrived in the mail from Kathy, Polwig.com.

Her cousin, who lives in Poland, brought them with her, at Kathy's request, when she came to visit Kathy and her family for the summer.

I still pinch myself every morning when I walk into my dining room and see them dangling playfully from my chandelier! (You didn't think I would put them away for Christmas did you?)

These lovelies are made from exactly the shaved and curled wood I have been making all the noise about! Except - they are stained in the most gorgeous, brilliant colors.

Kathy tells me that in Poland, Easter is the time of year when everyone makes lots of ornaments and decorations - not so much at Christmas. Christmas is more about special foods.

The roosters are traditional Easter ornaments that are hung around the house and placed in Easter baskets during the Easter season in Poland.

Mine, however, are going to be on display year round!

Thank you, Kathy, for sending me this amazing gift. To say that I love them is a huge understatement!

Kathy is quickly becoming my sweetie's favorite cook! And he has already put in an urgent request for Kathy's Coconut Chicken!

Here are links to a few of his favorites so far!

Adobo Chicken with Mango and Avocado (this is Kathy's husband's favorite!)

Chinese Meatballs ( I made mine with pork and they were delicious.)

Fabulous Bolognese (Meat) Sauce (everything she makes is kid friendly)

And two more on my Sweetie's wish list: Chicken a la Mediterranean and Chicken Pasta Salad with Dill.

Me? Well that's easy! As soon as it cools off and I am allowed to use the oven again, I am making a Rustic Peach Galette!

Got kids? Check out Kathy's "kids blog". You just never know what she will come up with next!

Kathy has promised to share a special Polish treat during the Holiday Cookie recipe exchange! I can't wait!

Meet the cutest little bear ever. Her name is Fleur!

As promised I am introducing you to some lovely people I recently met while taking Diane's on-line "Blog Tune-Up Class". And I just couldn't resist putting this adorable bear right at the top of the post!

You can read more about Diane's newest class "Write, Publish and Sell Your Crafty Ebook" right here!

Before beginning my introductions, I want to thank each and every one of these lovely ladies for allowing me to use their images to illustrate this post. 

Pam Eyre joined in the class from Australia. Making stuffies like Fleur is only one of her many skills which she shares on her blog Cloth to Creation. Be sure to visit her Chenille gallery, her Mixed Media gallery and her Everything Else gallery. Her Etsy and Madeit stores are full of lovely enticements. Definitely worth a look.

Chronicles of Yarnia is the blog home of Portland's only DIY yarn store, Yarnia, where you can actually design your own custom yarn and watch it being wound on the cone right before your very eyes!

If you don't live in Portland, don't despair because Lindsey,Yarnia's owner, not only has created an on-line shop featuring some of her gorgeous yarns, but she also makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to order their very own custom yarn!

Chrysalia's is new to blogging and her blog Butterfly Jungle is a lovely eclectic mixture of lifey things; and crafty tutorials, like cool terra cotta garden bells and an equally cool story stick; and recipes - S'mores Bars, and Fruit Pizza. If you are interested in butterflies, check out her lovely little review of books about butterflies. Stop by and say hello and welcome her to the crafty blogiverse!

Carina has just written and published two really great e-books, "Stitching Borders and Beyond" and "Small Stitches". Click on the links to read reviews and information about each of these well written and beautiful embroidery ebooks.

And you have just got to visit her at "Polka and Bloom" her Etsy Store and her  Art Fire store where she sells absolutely charming embroidery patterns. Her blog, Carina's Craftblog is a great place to go for inspiration, embroidery and crochet tutorials and free patterns and sewing tips.

If you are into knitting and yarn you will enjoy meeting Holli at Holli Yeoh Knits which is sprinkled with "lifey stuff" and excellent knitting technique tutorials like this one for Picot cast on and this one for Picot bind off.  (That is Picot edging on the adorable sweater above!)

And follow this link to visit her lovely shop where you will find beautiful Holli Yeoh knitting patterns and kits and yarn!

Sophie is French Canadian and writes her blog, Bleu Vanille, in French! But, she provides a lovely translation option right in the sidebar. She loves to knit, crochet, and sew, but her passion is fabrics.

I just love this little cross stitch embroidery notebook cover. The full tutorial is right here.

Love this shot Elizabeth Carls used in a recent blog post "Tips for Shopping at the Farmer's market". Elizabeth, a Ravelry Designer, is very generous in sharing many of her knitting patterns, felted bag and hat patterns, felting how-tos and even recipe cards on her blog "Elizabeth Carls". And she just posted a tutorial for wet felted beads which I can't wait to try!

Check out her shop for more Felted Knit Patterns, and  Knitting Patterns.

There is a lot going on in Gail's blog "Stitching My Story"! She is a long distance runner who is an artist at heart and shares her life and crafty adventures,  recipes and really great quotes - many of which have already found their way into my own personal book of favorites! Take a little time to explore - I think you will enjoy reading.

Shortbread! My most favorite cookie next to sugar cookies! How could I resist begging to use this image?

Crafternoon Tea with GrannyG hails from New Zealand and is another one of those eclectic blogs that is fun to visit because you just never know what will be waiting there! Shortbread, this delicious set of pictures simply labeled "colour" , or images showing the work of an amazing felt artist. And then there is this little piece on kiwi gumboots!

Genevieve is an artist, writer and teacher, writes a blog "Amaryllis Creations", and has an Etsy store by the same name where she sells hand painted and Kumihimo jewelry.

She recently posted a tutorial for making this beaded goldfish embroidery and another tutorial for how to embroider using beads. You might also want to check out this post in which she shares a free bead embroidery book download from Robin Atkins.

I am not sure I understand exactly why, but I was drawn to this quilt pattern immediately! Perhaps it is because it doesn't appear "structured" - but rather whimsical and free - you know, an outside the box kind of thing!.

All these blocks actually came to Doris - Threads of Conversation - through the mail! And if you want to make some of your own - she has posted the tutorial here on the One Block Over blog! I am looking forward to seeing this quilt when it is completed.

Apparently Doris is a fabric collector with a rather large stash! Because she is de-stashing on a regular basis, she has set up an Etsy shop! Go check it out! Lots of "good stuff"! Lots!

Leah is a glass artist who teaches torchworking classes and sells her amazing glass mobiles at the Portland Saturday Market and in her Etsy shop.

Her blog, the Garden of Leah, is a delightful way to explore Portland and Western Oregon. I loved her post about Sweet Corn Soup, and her adventures picking peaches on Sauvie island.

And - get this - right here on her Etsy shop she sells kits so you can make your very own mobiles! The kits include everything you need - glass pieces with wires attached, and other items that are needed like swivels, o-rings and s-hooks. The kits only take about 15 minutes to assemble!

This bead crochet necklace really got my attention! First of all it is crochet - which has always been a huge mystery to me - and it is crochet with beads! And Daphne did a fantastic job!

On her blog Crafty Intrigue, she shares her crafty adventures which include bead crochet, knitting (after an unhappy revelation about her blog posts on google), favorite quotes - love this one!

Daphne is jumping back into blogging after a two year break. Welcome back, Daphne!

With all these links - you know this was a labor of love,  so I really appreciate everyone stopping by and taking the time to get to know these lovely women who share so much crafty goodness.

I just finished my very own Earth Loom and can't wait to share!

Building the loom is very easy and would be a great family project for the summer.  Once the loom is completed, let your children weave in all the collected memories and treasures found as they stroll beaches, picnic in the forest or walk in a local park or in the countryside.

The Earth Loom is not my idea but one I have enthusiastically adpoted from an extraordinary Saori weaver, Terri Bibby. 

Saori Weaving?  A Japanese hand weaving that allows for complete self expression in the weaving process as taught by the founder of Saori, Misao Jo. I find it very meditative.

A few of Terri's latest projects should give you some idea! She has created a series of weavings for the four compass directions.  South, East, West and North.  They are beautiful.  Go check them out! 

She has been very kind to allow me to share some of her own images of her Earth Loom which she shared on her blog, Weaving a Life.  I am very grateful for her generosity because as you can see, her loom is much neater than mine!

I am thinking her loom is held together with wood screws.  I lashed mine together using my old Girl Scout training for "making with sticks"!

When Terri posted this image of her loom, woven with fall leaves, fir branches and a bit of ribbon,  I started thinking the Earth Loom would be a wonderful way for children to display their collected summer treasures.

After weaving in a few rows of garden trimmings, I made a search of the house and came up with a few items that might add a little interest to my own Earth Loom.

I am thinking a few fresh flowers now and then would be pretty.

I spaced these pretty loosely just so you could get an idea about what I am suggesting, but you can weave as loose or tight as you wish.

Drift wood, sea weed, long pine cones, cedar branches, oddly shaped sticks, branches of fall leaves, dried wheat or oats or flowers found along roadways.... 

And of course there is even the option of tying a few "unweavable" objects right on to the warp - like sea shells, or sand dollars or pretty stones.

Earth Looms are very easy to construct.  All you need are a few sticks and some twine.

The two vertical supports are about 6 feet long and the horizontal pieces are about 3 feet long. But, of course you can make them any size you wish.  Even small enough to sit on a desk!

The two little supports at the top are critical for stability.  They keep it from wobbling!

Regular old twine works perfectly for both lashing the poles together and for warping the loom.

You will notice that Terri's loom actually has another support attached to the back of her loom.  You might want to add one if you don't happen to have a handy support nearby for anchoring your loom like I do.

Once the warp is in place, you are ready to begin weaving!

Happy summer memory weaving everyone!  And send me pictures! Please.

Who wouldn't want these adorable piggys hanging out in their garden? 

You might know I would be especially attracted to the metal sculptures at the Recycled Arts Festival held in my home town of Vancouver, Washington this past weekend!

Right next to the pigs - this amazing dragon fly!  Denise Bergman, Cedar Creek, Inc. does not have a web site yet - but if you want to e-mail her to find out where she will be showing her work next, please e-mail me.

Metal sculpture was everywhere!  Steve Dietel - Howling Heights Metal Designs - was another of my favorites!  How in the world do artists like Steve look at a pile of junk metal and come up with objects like these?

How does he see a cactus in a pile of rusted horse shoes?  And
this motor scooter - just another example of Steve's endless creativity!

Tualatin, Oregon artist Marta Farris posed for me surrounded by her brilliant and colorful metal art.  I loved her use of strong pure color on her metal creations - especially that red dress made from aluminum screen and paint. 

Marta doesn't have a website yet, but if you e-mail me, I would be happy to send you her e-mail. I am sure you can find her at other crafty events this summer.

I just had to wander into the Family Craft Tent!  Everyone was invited - happy hands of all ages!

Birdhouses made from milk cartons seemed to be one of the favorite activities!

The other favorite - this community sculpture made from trash!  Everyone, big or small, who stopped by the tent was encouraged to add a piece!

Rescued from the landfill!

Our frined Terra told us about her adventures rescuing prefectly good treasures from local transfer stations.  Her enthusiasm for the project was what spurred Diane and I into going to the festival in the first place! (Follow that link to Di's post!)

After two months of collecting, Tossed and Found set up a display tent at the festival and gave out free raffle tickets to anyone who wanted a chance to adopt a treasure.

The crowds at the raffles were huge!

And competition was stiff!  Brand new grill - never used - headed to the land fill!  One lucky person took it home - for free!

Another lucky gal took home a four piece wicker patio set in perfect condition - for free!

After hanging out with all of you recyclers for the past couple years, I was shocked to see how many perfectly good items were simply thrown out.  Wouldn't a donation to Goodwill have been a better option?

Whew!  Finally - a little shade!  Festival attendees take a break and listen to live music in the band pavillion.

Ester Short Park hosts Summer Concerts in the Park.  Noon time concerts start July 8th and evening concerts start July 9th.  Get the full concert schedule here and come join the fun! It's free. 

Food and beverages are available from local vendors or you can bring your own picnic and sprawl out on a blanket and listen to some good music.

And next year - I hope we will see some of you at the festival!

Garden Art!  Sun mobile made from the aluminum can bottoms left over from the butterfly mobile.

The idea of making little suns was inspired by Midsummer Celebrations.  Midsummer is celebrated around the world near the summer solstice - the longest day of the year. This link will give you some idea of how many cultures celebrate.

Scandinavians are well known for their Midsummer bonfires, dancing and parties - I am told it is the biggest festival of the whole year.

Stonehenge was no doubt also a very important place for Midsummer celebrations in ancient times.

Here are a few videos  - join in the fun!

Midsummer in Sweden - beautiful  - don't miss this one!

Midsommar - more lovely dancing!

Raising the Midsummer pole - very short and fun!

Added June 24th

I just received a lovely note from my friend Margit in which she shared Danish Midsummer traditions and celebrations that take place on her island of Bornholm, specifically her town of Svaneke.

A little about Midsummer celebrations in Denmark.

This link (scroll to Denmark) mentions the holy wells.  Now that the wells in Svaneke have all dried up, the village children make little wells with three sticks and decorate them with flowers.  A bowl filled with water is hung inside the well and is visited by neighbors who drop coins into it.  The money is given to the children.  Margit sent me this little image so I could better understand what the wells look like so I just had to share!

I think next year I will make one for my own garden to celebrate!

Margit just posted a lovely new apple paper and box!  Don't miss!

Added June 25th!

Sasha (Squashed Tomatoes) just posted the most wonderful set of images from her family's celebrtation of Midsummer in Sweden!  She even shows how to make the lovely flower wreaths worn by young girls and how the Midsummer Poles are constructed and raised.  Don't miss this!

I must make a flower wreath next year also!

Besides hanging my little mobile in my split leaf maple tree, I am celebrating by sitting in the sun!  Believe it or not - here in the Pacific Northwest the sun finally made an appearance - just in time for Midsummer! And... we broke 80 degrees!

Before moving on to the tutorial for the mobile, I wanted to share these cool little "thingys" borrowed from my sweetie's fishing tackle box.

He hangs our giant snowflakes using "swivels" because the slightest breeze in the room will set the snowflakes spinning around and around.  These little guys make that possible.

I liked the idea for my little suns.

And I am happy to report, they are working great!  When the breezes blow, my little suns spin in the wind.

Below is a quick little tutorial for making these.  But if you haven't worked with aluminum before, you might want to check out the information found in these tutorials:  Recycled Aluminum Can Butterfly Mobile,  Making Punched tin Butterflies, and Making Punched Tin Light Shields.

And remember - always, always wear protective eye goggles when working with metal.

The edges are sharp and can cause cuts.  But just keep this in mind as you handle your project.  There is no reason to avoid playing with aluminum. Just be careful and wear gloves if you wish.

Since I was only interested in the middle portion of the can when I made the butterflies, I needed to go back and use my tin snips to trim the ragged cut I made when removing the bottom.

Simple cuts made on the edge make great sun rays! I just eyeballed these.

Once the cuts were completed, I used a pair of needle nose pliers to gently twist each sun ray just to make it a bit more interesting.

The factory codes come right off with a bit of rubbing alcohol.

You may find that a sturdy pair of nail sissors works very well for cutting those little slits along the edge.

Since I didn't want my suns all the same, I changed my "tweaking method" a bit - pulling first one up and the next down with the needle nose pliers.

Both sides look great!

Two "suns" can be glued together if you like!

To make petals, I borrowed a cutting technique from Alice (Futuregirl Craft blog) - check out her simple and foolproof tutorial for cutting daisies!

This is the only way I have been able to cut "petals" - if you can call them that!  From a distance - they look great. Not easy to make them perfect in factory pressed, curved aluminum!

The nail sissors are a must for cutting petals.

First cut one side of the petal all the way around.  Then turn the sun over and cut the other side of the petals.

Cutting inside a plastic box (repurposed cookie container), keeps the metal chips from flying everywhere.  I was amazed at how well it worked to contain them.

Flower power!

Check out "Candles Holders made from Tuna Cans" for the how to for these playful sun rays.

These scraps left from trimming turned out to be perfect centers for some of the suns.

That one little idea sparked a bunch of other ideas!  And the next thing you know - I had enough little suns for my mobile!

Rims and tin removed from the large tin cans I repurposed to make tin frames and sconces had retained graceful curves and turned out to be perfect for making a hanger.

Who is celebrating midsummer?  Leave me a comment and tell me how!

Since I couldn't entice a single bird family to move into my hanging gourd bird house this spring, I decided to fill it with plants! I cut and cleaned a couple more gourds to keep it company.

Some people use small saws or even electric tools to carve an opening in the gourd.  I prefer to use those ubiquitous little pumpkin saws.  The smaller teeth work better than the bigger teeth.

Before cutting, I usually draw a design on the surface, but for this project - I just cut a circle - sort of!  With all those leaves - who is to know it isn't perfect?

I use another "pumpkin tool" to remove the seeds and pulp from the inside.  The pulp is so dry,  it will come out easily.  I recommend you remove the seeds and pulp in a well ventilated area - sometimes the dust can be a bit irritating.

For fun, let the kids plant a few seeds in the garden to see what happens!

You might find this gourd preparation tutorial helpful.  Diane and I worked on this one together.  You can link from her site or link direct to the full tutorial here on Craftstylish.

No need to worry too much about getting every scrap of pulp out since you will be filling the cavity with dirt. Mostly clean is good enough.

Once the gourd cavity is cleaned, make a few holes in the bottom for drainage and a couple more at the top for hanging.  I use an old ice pick - but drills work great too.

Now simply place some soil and your plant into the cavity.  Cover the surface with a bit of moss to hold the moisture.  Place a string or cord through the two holes at the top ( I use a big tapestry needle) and you are done!

A little tip I learned the hard way!  Don't get really big plants! Unless, of course you have a really big gourd! Plants sold in the pony packs work perfectly.  I had to remove some of the root material from the 4" pot plants I used.  The plants are fine, but I don't think they like me much.

Hummmmmmm.... just had a thought!  Wouldn't a really big, plant filled gourd be cool sitting on the patio?  Gotta get my hands on one and try it out!

I will get mine at the Pumpkin Patch next week, but Welburn Gourd Farm carries a great selection including really big gourds.

Last year about this time I put together this little vine wreath for the front door.  My plan was for it to last through the summer and then to reuse the wreath as a base for a fall themed wreath.

But, when fall came, it was still growing and looking beautiful! So, just before the first frost, I brought it inside with the faint hope I could winter it over.

And here it is - back on my front door for another summer!  Those two little canisters I used to hold water really worked great!

My wreath one year ago! I never dreamed the ivy would not only survive but continue to grow with their little feet in that tiny bit of water!

I have a few old film canisters laying around - imagine that!  So I poked a little hole in the lid just big enough for a couple stems.  Plant staking wire does a great job of securing the canister to the back of the wreath.

I can pull off the lid, refill the canister with water and then replace the lid. The staking wire is wrapped around the bottom of the canister so I don't need to intefere with the hanging system when I remove the lid.

You could also use those little glass tubs with a rubber stopper that are often found in mini marts - they are used to keep roses fresh.

So - just thought I would bring you up to date!  My little intended reuse project that has become a permanent part of my home!

A great way to celebrate Earth Day?  Order a copy of "Card, Paper, Ribbon" by Kristin Roach and create beautiful, useful items from all the greeting cards, and used ribbon and wrapping paper you have been diligently saving!

Did you know that you can make paper from greeting cards?  Or oilcloth like papercloth by bonding wrapping paper to fabric? Or crochet and knit bags and bowls using discarded curling ribbon and leftover yarn?

Kristin does a beautiful job of teaching you how to do all of this and much more! And you can get all this crafty, reuseful Earth Day goodness right here!  And if you order before Sunday, April 25th, you not only will receive a discount but a free tutorial!  A $12.95 value for only $7.00! Check out Craftypod for details and the coupon code.

I just love this super strong crochet market bag created by using yarn and scraps of acetate curling ribbon.  I can't crochet but I can weave and I am thinking I could create a lovely woven market bag using Kristen's ideas and techniques.  But so many of you do crochet and a couple of these bags would make terrific, earth friendly gifts.

I can also knit - just barely but I have mastered the garter stitch!  So I will  definitely be playing with the lovely knitted bowl project- another of Kirsten's ideas for incorporating the acetate curling ribbon with yarn. My bowl, however, will be an Easter basket for next spring!

Kristen teaches each technique in a way that empowers you to be able to create projects that reflect your own style.  Of course, she also provides thorough, well illustrated, easy to understand instructions for making projects using each of the techniques she teaches in her book. 

For instance - the photo above of papercloth is only one of several options she offers for making this sturdy, vinyl like material.  This happens to be my favorite!  But you might prefer the results from using reverse applique, or masking, or stitching!  So many, many possibilities!

I love how this little zippered pouch turned out using reverse applique.  This is the back and I am showing it because this would be just the way I would make mine!

It seems to me that since this papercloth is so much like oilcloth and is relatively strong, it could be used as place mats.  Or by sewing several pieces together, you could make a great outdoor tablecloth!  See what I mean?  Kirsten is giving you the basics - a whole new tool chest of skills and techniques and then you can move on from there anywhere your mind takes you!

I am very excited to find the instructions for stab stitching a note book included in this e-book!  The stab stitched notebook is the project that Kirsten designed for using the paper made from greeting cards. Her instructions for making paper, which include how to make the deckle and mould, are well illustrated with photographs and are very clearly written. But honestly, I will probably never make paper: however, I definitely will make stab stitched notebooks.  There is no way to fail!  Kristen provides a step by step written guide accompanied by a diagram for the stitching sequence. And on top of that, she includes photos of the process.

More stuff I love about this e-book!

It is not designed around one craft, but rather it teaches basic technique in several crafty realms - paper making, notebook construction and stab stitching technique, papercloth making, and how to make a wallet and a zipper pouch, a market bag and a knitted bowl!  Patterns for the wallet and pouch are provided as well as detailed crochet pattern for the market bag and knitting instructions for the bowl.

Printer friendly pages accompany every technique and project.

Kirsten has included resource pages for Bookbinding and for Papermaking;  Crochet abbreviations and books to turn to for help and inspiration; Knitting abbreviations and on line tutorials and yarn sources; even a Papercloth QandA!

Anyone who owns this e-book will definitely turn to it over and over for inspiration and how-to information.

Be sure to visit Kristen on  CraftLeftovers.com and join her in her quest to use resources wisely and give new life to "trash" we all accumulate. And take advantage of this opportunity to get your hands on Card, Paper, Ribbon and a crafty tutorial from Diane at Craftypod at a really great price! Diane says, it's a "screamin' Earth Day deal"! And it IS!

Another project using tin and aluminum cans from my trash stash!

I again turned to mid-1800's New Mexican tin work for my inspiration for this wall sconce. 

In keeping with the necessity of using only what was at hand at that time, which included repurposed tin brought over the Santa Fe Trail, I repurposed a large tin can, a tuna can, and an aluminum pop can bottom.  I kept my tools very simple - what almost any household would have on hand -  a hammer, nail, tin snips, screw driver.  In place of solder, I used E-6000 glue.  And of course, most importantly heavy gloves and protective eye ware.

Before I share how I made the sconce, I am going to share the inspiration for the sconce and my tin frame by way of introducing you to an incredible Santa Fe tin artist, Jason Younis y Delgado,  who is working hard to preserve the art and traditions of early New Mexican tin work.

In my "Tin Frame" post, I provided links to help share the history of tin work in New Mexico. I hope, if you haven't already done so, you will take the time to visit some of them today.

Now, be prepared to be blown away by the images of some of Mr. Delgado's amazing art which he has so graciously sent to me in response to my request for pictures of tin work that I could share with my readers.

It takes a lot of - well, courage - to show my little sconce next to these amazing and beautiful works of art!  But how else can I share my inspiration?

Notice his precise punching technique.  He designs and makes his own stamps which you can actually order here!  And just look at those perfect rosettes at the top of the sconces.  Let me tell you, laying out a rosette is not as easy as it might appear!

Mirrors and picture frames for religious images were very popular objects made by early New Mexican tinsmiths.  Mirrors are definitely my favorites - especially the round ones. 

No doubt you have noticed the similarities to Mexican mirrors and tin objects.  That is because, the early tinsmiths in New Mexico actually were  Spaniards who traveled north to what is today the state of New Mexico, but at the time was the northern most territory of Mexico. The Spanish silversmith influences are found in both Mexican and in New Mexican tin work. Read a little more about the history here.

Just so you know - you can order tin sheets from Mr. Delgado!  I wish I had known that ten years ago when I was searching far and wide for tin!   He also offers a great selection of tools and has even assembled kits which include tin, center punch, nail set, tinsnips, stamp patterns and in some kits he even includes some of his custom punches.

Here is a great close-up of his work showing his beautiful artistry.  This is WAY beyond anywhere I have been with my hammer and nail!!!

As I mentioned, most of the tin work produced in the New Mexican territory was used for religious purposes,  and in addition to nichos and frames, crosses were an important part of that tradition.  Tin crosses are still very popular today both in Mexico and New Mexico.  I am so pleased Mr. Delgado sent me this stunning example to share.

Here is a direct link to Jason Younis y Delgado.  In addition to a bit of history and his shop, you will be treated to his gallery, which you must not miss seeing!

Back to my humble little repurposed tin can project!

Here is how to make it!

Start by removing the top and bottom of the large tin can..  (Refer to my previous post). And wear gloves and goggles!

Sorry about the tuna can - I got a ahead of myself in my excitement and completely forgot to take pictures!  Cut off the back leaving a lip on the bottom section.   (Gloves and goggles!)

I have lots of soda can bottoms left from the butterfly mobile.  And I totally love the shape so it was a natural choice for the top piece of the sconce!

In order to get your punched design  as close to perfect as possible,  carefully mark the placement for each half circle using a sharpie.

Then my favorite part of working with tin - punch the design into the metal using a hammer and nail.

The craziest idea I ever had in my life was to attempt to punch a rosette into a concave surface! 

It is very important to lay out the design with a sharpie before beginning to punch.  And then make absolutely certain that you hold your nail very firmly in place when you are ready to punch.  Nails just get the biggest thrill out of sliding down that slick, curved surface just before you tap it with the hammer!

Marking is helpful when cutting the petals as well.  Once the divisions are marded, cut the edge into slits as I did for the little candle holders.  Then, using very sturdy toe nail scissors, cut first one side of each petal all the way around the disk and then cut the other side of each petal.  This works out to be much easier than cutting them individually.

A closer look at the tuna can.

Make a candle holder by wrapping a piece of either soda pop aluminum, aluminum pie plate or tooling foil around a candle base.  Glue with E-6000 and hold in place with a rubber band until dry.  Remove the candle and glue the holder in place again using E-6000. (Not exactly my finest hour with glue - fortunately it won't show!

The lip on the bottom is designed to slip through a slit in the sconce back to help support the weight of the candle.

A bit of soda pop metal left over from cutting butterflies works well as a little hanger.

You are looking at the back side.  The ends have been pushed through a little hole and bent up toward the tip on the other side.  When you attach the top disk with glue, the ends will be secured as well.

Funny thing, I designed the disk to be placed on the sconce this way!

But I ended up liking it better "backwards"!

The disk is glued with E-6000.

Now we come to the part that reveals my absolute lack of engineering skills!  Using the tools at hand, I chopped - no other word for it - my way through the back of the sconce with a sturdy screw driver and a hammer.

Remember - this is all about improvising and using what is at hand. I am sure there are ten better ways to do this.

Be sure the slit is placed high enough on the sconce back so that the lip on the tuna can will not show.

Wearing gloves, place the lip of the tuna can through the slit.

Tilt the tuna can in place so that the lip is flush against the back of the sconce and the edges of the tuna can are flush against the front of the sconce.

Once you are satisfied with the placement, apply E-6000 glue to the underside of the lip and a little to the edges at the front and tip into place securing with a couple clothes pins as shown.

(Photo quality on some of these last images is pretty bad - don't know what happened but unfortunately it's too late to go back and redo them!)

During this whole process, I was not too happy with the appearance of the dull gray tuna can and I gave a lot of thought to how I could make it prettier. 

As you see above in Mr. Delgado's sconces, mirrors were often added to help amplify the candle light. (Remember - no electricity in those days!) 

Rather than place mirrors on the sconce backing, I decided to use them to cover the tuna can!  Although the mirrors are not repurposed, they are left over stash from making Espejitos.

Once the glue is dry, remove the clothes pins. I loved how the mirrors sparkle and reflect the surroundings!!

Done!

The sconce is rather small - 10" high and 3 1/2" wide.  It was designed to be just the right size to hold all the 4" to 6" candle stubs left from burning long tapers during dinner. Now tbey can be reused in my sconce instead of hanging out in the "emergency candle bag".