> ~ Insights by SewCalGal ~
Showing posts with label Kid Friendly Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kid Friendly Projects. Show all posts

Monday, November 17, 2014

#CreativeGoodness Weekly Linky Themed Parties - #FallGoodness Week

Recently, SewCalGal hosted an "It's All About Kids" blogging event where insights and inspirational projects were shared to show off various kid friendly craft projects.  It was great fun and has inspired me to start hosting a weekly #CreativeGoodness Linky Party.  And today, I want to tell you about it.




For many of us, #CreativeGoodness is found when we quilt.  But we also enjoy other forms of creativity.  These linky parties are meant to encourage creating, sharing and inspiring all the forms of creativity we enjoy.  




For some it is found when we stitch embroidery, or other forms of sewing.  But creative goodness can include knitting, crochet, weaving,  cooking, gardening, scrapbooking, creating clipart, photography, working with clay, making jewelry, and so much more.



Every Friday, starting this Friday, SewCalGal will host a weekly  #CreativeGoodness Linky Party where everyone is invited to show off their creativity, have fun, and inspire kids of all ages (this event isn't just about kids).  Periodically we'll have some sponsored giveaways.  Each week, SewCalGal will also pick one of the  participants from the previous week, to showcase.

Bloggers and non-bloggers will be invited to participate.  Non-Bloggers can upload a shareable file and copy to a Flickr group "CreativeGoodness". Bloggers have their choice of adding a link to a current post, or an old post.  But everyone that joins the linky party needs to share something that fits their interpretation of the theme that week!  


Here are some things you may want to tips or tutorials, but the goal is to share inspiration on whatever you create that fits the weekly theme.  You might want to share:

1) Quilts, table toppers, wallhangings, etc
2) Crafty projects for decorating, gifts, thoughtfulness, etc. (e.g. scrapbooking, cardmaking, drawing/doodling, painting, embossing)
3) Kid Friendly projects
4) handmade clothing (sewn, knitted, crochet, etc)
5) recipes
6) tutorials or photos
7) clipart, video editing, photoshop editing, wordArt, etc.
8) freebies patterns, but please do not enter links for things that are for sale.  We are trying to inspire creativity, not sell things.  At the same time, SewCalGal loves to recognize those in the business so if you have made something that you are sharing, please do share the source of your design, as appropriate.
But what you share will need to be something you created, not a photo of something someone else created.  And, it will need to fit the theme of the week.  There is a new page on my blog created for this event labeled "#CreativeGoodness".  I will soon post the schedule for our linky parties to show the theme, for each week, as well as recognize sponsors that for parties that we will have giveaways.

This week, on Friday, November 21st, the theme will be #FallGoodness.  You may have a Fall quilt, wallhanging, or table topper you may want to share.  Maybe you set a spectacular table for Thanksgiving and you want to share tips, or a special Fall recipe.  What ever creativity with a Fall theme that you want to share to inspire with others will be welcome.

Bloggers need not post a badge on your blog, nor page, but should you wish to here is the code for the badge for #CreativeGoodless Linky Parties:




I will also be releasing a schedule for the weekly themes shortly, but I'd also like to hear your recommendations.  Feel free to leave a comment or email me with your recommendations.  Here are a few themes which I'm thinking about:
#ThanksfulGoodness
#WinterGoodness
#SweetGoodness
#HolidayGoodness
#TableGoodness
#BlueGoodness
#CheerfulGoodness
#PatrioticGoodness
#HistoricGoodness
#YummyGoodness
#CreativePlayGoodness
#DoodleGoodness
#FMQGoodness
#SpringGoodness
#SummerGoodness
#FloralGoodness
#FurGoodness
#ThreadGoodness
#FabricGoodness
#PaintGoodness
#TextureGoodness
#CookingGoodness
#TeachingGoodness
#ToolGoodness



I hope you'll join me for the #FallGoodness Linky Party this coming Friday!  And, of course, even if you don't link up, I hope you'll be inspired and visit all the blogs, as well as get inspired by what they share and what non-bloggers share too!  After all, we can all use more #goodness in the world.  And collectively, we are pretty good with #CreativeGoodness so this is all about sharing and inspiring what we already enjoy!



~ Create ~ Share ~ Inspire ~ #CreativeGoodness ~


This week I want to showcase a fun #FallGoodness project, which is also kid friendly.  The Fiskars' Creative Team is always coming up with fun creative projects, many of which are kid friendly.  These sweet Stuffed Turkeys are a no-sew project that make a cute Fall decoration, of course, it is absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving too!
Maybe your kids will want to make these cute turkeys and share them in the linky party this Friday.  But Fiskars has many great Fall theme project ideas, as well as products to help us be creative.

Friday, November 7, 2014

The Sewing Party

US Residents are invited to join The Sewing Party "LIVE" on Saturday, November 8th.  This is the first ever all day DIY event in history!  Sewing and Crafting enthusiasts from all over the world will have a fun filled day of classes taught online by leading bloggers and educational experts.  Plus, the Party continues for 90 days after the event, as you'll continue to have access to view ALL the classes (or re-watch your favorites!).

note:  The Sewing Party hopes to open up these parties, to world-wide participants, sometime in the future.  But, for the first event, they have limited it to US Residents only.



There are 30+ classes ALL available for a very reasonable fee that gets your admission to attend The Sewing Party on November 8th (and have access to all the classes for 90 days).



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

PRESS RELEASE:

Join “The Sewing Party” for the First Online-All-Day DIY Event in History
On Nov. 8, thousands will gather to participate in a fun-filled day of sewing and crafting classes;
Sponsors are Burda Style, Etsy, HUSQVARNA VIKING®, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, PFAFF® and SINGER®

La Vergne, Tenn. — On Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, thousands of DIY-ers from across the nation will come together to participate in “The Sewing Party” – the first ever online-all-day sewing and crafting event in the US. Participants will enjoy a fun-filled day of immersing themselves in more than 30 interactive, fun and innovative classes taught online by leading bloggers, designers and educational experts.

“The Sewing Party” is about connecting, crafting and creating. Sponsored by Burda Style, Etsy, HUSQVARNA VIKING®, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, PFAFF® and SINGER®, classes will be available on the day of the event and for an additional 90 days; and will feature topics for every creative passion, such as home décor, fashion sewing, quilting, upcycling, and costume design, among others. Registration is $40 for the entire experience.

“We want to engage the next generation of sewers and crafters where they live, and that’s online,” says Katrina Helmkamp, CEO of SVP Worldwide, which spearheaded “The Sewing Party” and is the world’s largest consumer sewing machine company – source of the SINGER®, HUSQVARNA VIKING® and PFAFF® sewing machine brands. 

In recent years, the Do It Yourself (DIY) and Sew It Yourself (SIY) movements have not only taken the creative world by storm, but dramatically widened its size and scope – increasing the value and appeal of handmade crafts, customized projects and personal creativity as it attracts a new generation of sewers and crafters to the wonderful world of self-expression.  

At “The Sewing Party,” you can pick and choose the classes that are right for you. Create “Throw Pillows with Pizzazz,” refresh your skills with “Sewing Machine Basics,” make a “Hand-Dyed Baby Rattle,” craft the perfect “Strips and Bricks Quilt,” learn “Bra Making with Madalynne,” or participate in all of the more than 30 classes for a full 90 days after the event.

One of the headline sponsors, Etsy, shared its strategy for and excitement about joining: “Etsy is a place for makers and creators to build independent businesses on their own terms, and we encourage aspiring creative entrepreneurs to explore our global marketplace,” said Kimm Alfonso, Manager of Seller Development at Etsy. “‘The Sewing Party’ celebrates all things DIY, and we’re joining to share tips for starting a shop, as well as inspiring stories of artisans and crafters who are making money selling their goods to shoppers from around the world.”

For just $40, participants can attend classes; chat with participants from across the country; interact with top bloggers and educational experts who are teaching; and explore the latest crafting and sewing tips, techniques and products in the virtual marketplace. Space is limited and likely to fill up fast. To see a full schedule of classes, read teacher biographies and register, visit www.thesewingparty.com.   


While all of the 30+ classes look interesting, here are a few highlights:   





Also there are classes on Understanding Color Inside and Out, Throw Pillows with Pizazz,  Machine Embroidery Basics, Rob and the Zen of Machine Quilting and many more.  Visit The Sewing Party to see a complete list of classes, schedule for the party on Saturday, November 8th, and register for this fun event.  Don't forget if you are busy on the 8th, there still is an amazing value to watch the recorded classes anytime in the 90 day window after the party.

SewCalGal views the Sewing Party to be an excellent opportunity for kids of all ages.  Consider making this party a family event!  Either way, it is an excellent value and will be a great way to learn, as well as have fun.  I'm certainly looking forward to it!

You can find The Sewing Party at:

Print Friendly and PDF

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Another Kid Friendly Craft Project with my Silhouette Cameo

I bought my Silhouette Cameo, several years ago, during a Black Friday Sale.  If you are not aware, SewCalGal researches and shares insights on steals and deals throughout the year, but my favorite is Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales where I'll share insights on Fingertip Shopping.

Today I'm playing catch up, which includes picking winners on four sponsored giveaways hosted at SewCalGal during the It's All About Kids blogging event last week.  There were 11 giveaways hosted on the participating blogs in this event, several still have open giveaways, including one sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop at Ivory Spring.

I thought I'd share another kid friendly craft project, perfect for kids of all ages, which I quickly and easily made with  my Silhouette Cameo.


I enjoy using my Cameo to cut fabrics, cardstock, metal, leather, plastic, vinyl and a variety of other materials for quilting, mixed media, machine applique' embroidery and many other fun crafty projects.  I'm also excited to see the growing popularity of this cutter within the quilting, sewing and embroidery communities, where I now see many designers also releasing their designs with files that we can use to cut fabrics on the Silhouette.  While I will later strive to increase awareness of such designers, today I'm focusing on what is called a "print-n-cut" project.

Basically, the Print-N-Cut technique allows you to take a design file, print it on your printer, place that printout in your silhouette to cut the design you printed and then use that cutout on your quilt, t-shirt, greeting card, etc..  The possibilities are endless.

I've found this technique to work well when I print-n-cut using EQ Printables to make quilt labels, or photo silhouettes, applique shapes, etc..


While you can use your own photo or clipart, for this project I used one of thousands of fun designs that you can purchase from the Silhouette online store



Using the Silhouette software I sized the design for my project to get 3 shapes for a single piece of t-shirt transfer material.  I printed the t-shirt transfer and used cut out the shapes with my Silhouette.  Can you imagine how long it would have taken to cut these shapes by hand?  Too long to want to do this project for me!


It was easy to take these shapes and iron the transfer onto t-shirts, but the possibilities are endless.


This sweet design transferred to the t-shirts beautifully, even on the pink t-shirt.


Sweet.  And definitely a fun kid friendly project, or depending on the age, a fun family craft project.

Have you ever used t-shirt transfer paper to embellish a t-shirt or other items? If so, how did your experience go?  Any tips to share?  Do you have a favorite brand of printable t-shirt transfer material?

Seems like these could also make for fun Holiday gifts.  Which reminds me, the last monthly linky party to Make Handmade Gifts For Christmas will be hosted on SewCalGal November 15th to the 25th.  We're getting down to the wire to be ready to give handmade gifts for the holidays.  Click the tab on my blog labeled "A Handmade Christmas Challenge" for more info, as well as links to the monthly challenges.  Everyone is invited to join and share any type of handmade project that they make for holiday gifts for the 2014 season.  Great way to find and share inspirational handmade gift ideas, as well as ideas for decorating your home for the holidays with handmade items.

Print Friendly and PDF

Friday, October 31, 2014

It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event - Day 5

Welcome to Day 4 of the It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event.  Today, I want to talk about how much fun doodling can be and what a perfect crafty activity it can be for family craft time.  And doodling is more fun when you have a large selection of fun colors and great pens.  Thus, I'm delighted that BIC Mark It! is one of the sponsors for this blogging event and is giving away an amazing bundle of spectacular pens that can bring out the doodler in every kid!



BIC Mark It has a fun page on Facebook where they frequently share inspirational doodling and more.  They kindly agreed to allow me to share with you some of my favorite drawings on their page, which I find quite inspirational.

Doodle ideas for clothing.

Doodle ideas for nature.
Doodle sweet notes to stick in lunch boxes, or to give to friends and family.
Doodle inspiration pictures and words.


Doodle your imagination.
Just Doodle to have fun and create smiles.

The BIC Mark It comes in a Ultra Fine, Fine, Bold, Chisel and Retractable Fine points which you can find in collections of 5, 12, 36 or individual permanent marking pencil purchase on Amazon, Target, WalMart and various craft stores.  These pens can certainly be fun for kid friendly projects, but as they are permanent markers they are not appropriate for young kids.  Consider using with family craft times, where you have good parental supervision and judgement, if you have young children.



I love to doodle with these markers. They are fun to play with using a sketchbook and various papercrafts.  As the BIC Mark It is a permanent marker, it is also excellent to use on fabrics.  But, for a kid friendly project this week I used some plain greeting cards from Michaels and ran them thru my eBosser using embossing folders.



Then it was great fun to use the BIC Mark It pens to color these greeting cards and they also make for fun kid friendly projects!

It has also been fun to doodle with these markers on plain cardstock, as well as fabric.  Later, I'll share with you some fun projects with fabric and these permanent markets, to make gifts.

Did I mention a Giveaway ?

BIC Mark It is a sponsor for the  "It's All About The Kids" blogging event, this week,  and they have donated a set of 36 Colorpermanent markers and a set of 8 Metallic markers.





If you are interested in winning these beautiful BIC Mark It pens, please enter by using the Rafflecopter form below, after you have read the rules underneath.   And, for those that are on Facebook you an get an extra entry if you like BIC Market It's page, which I highly recommend. As mentioned it is a super fun page full of inspiration and tips.  And, for those of you that take time to visit all the blogs participating in this blogging event and leave a thoughtful comment on the respective blog posts, you can also claim an extra entry for each blog you've visited in the hop this week!.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules for this giveaway:
1) This giveaway is open to followers of SewCalGal that reside in the US.  The sponsor will ship a copy of this prize directly to the lucky winner.
2) Followers are asked to complete the rafflecopter form, which will be used to randomly select a winner on Sunday, November 2nd.  SewCalGal will notify the lucky winner via email and this post will also be updated to announce the winner, once they are notified.



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, but most importantly we all hope to inspire others to help provide opportunities and encouragement to help kids find their creative side and the joy of being crafty.

Monday, October 27th 

SewCalGal - Event kick off
Tuesday, October 28th 

Wednesday, October 29th


Thursday, October 30th
SewCalGal
I Have A Notion

Friday, October 31st
SewCalGal
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 Bic Mark It at:





Print Friendly and PDF



Thursday, October 30, 2014

It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event - Day 4 - Kid Friendly Books from FunStitch Studio, an imprint of C&T Publishing

Welcome to Day 4 of the It's All About The Kids Craft Blogging Event.  Today, I want to share insights on some current and upcoming releases of books published by Fun Stitch Studio, an imprint from C&T Publishing.  Fun Stitch Studio is all about kids and they have also sponsored this blogging event with a giveaway!




FunStitch Studios has released many kid friendly books, which do not require adult support to be creative.  Of course, they are also fun for kids of all ages, making them an excellent resource to work on a project during a Family Craft Time too!  Their collection of kid friendly books cover quilting, sewing, fashion, home decor, activity books, embroidery, pop out boxes andsofties & toys.

They have many spectacular coloring books that scream fun and creativity.


Many Activity Books that help kids learn new skills and make fun projects.


Here are a few Soon to be released books that have caught my attention:



This is Mouse An Adventure in Sewing, by Brenia Maloney is an excellent crafting book, which I think would bring smiles of crafty goodness to any kid.  Projects also look like they'd make for delightful imagination and story telling time.  I'm confident this is going to be a best seller and wanted to share insights with you about this book today, as well as let you know it is currently on sale in the online store for C&T Publishing.


Press Release:
Maloney uses her gentle humor to inspire and encourage kids to create their own wonderful worlds with Mouse as the central character. In This Is Mouse, kids will find step-by-step instructions to guide them in creating our intrepid explorer and all the crazy characters, accessories, and vehicles for each adventure that he embarks upon. Kids can choose to work on any one of 25 easy projects. Mouse floats down river in a leaf boat made of felt for his African safari. There, he meets giraffes and elephants. But watch out for crocodiles and snakes, Mouse! Next, Mouse travels to the South Pole where he encounters seals, penguins, and the occasional whale. And if those adventures don't take your kids far enough, watch Mouse blast off in a rocket to meet aliens on another planet.

At the end of each how-to adventure, Maloney writes her own story of what Mouse and his new companions are doing. The book kindles kids' imaginations by encouraging them to come up with their own stories for each destination while teaching them basic sewing terms and patterns. "This Is Mouse is the book that I didn't have when I was a kid, but always wanted," says Maloney. "I wanted to create stuffed animals, but also special worlds for them to live in. "This Is Mouse inspires endless hours of storytelling and play. Not only will This Is Mouse reinvigorate the creative spark in your kids, it might even convince them to put down their electronic devices—for a minute, anyway!

Brenna Maloney is the author of the best-selling sock book trilogy: Socks Appeal, Sockology, and Sock It to Me. This is her first Mouse book. She is also the author of Ready Rabbit Gets Ready!, a children's book by Viking Juvenile, releasing in February 2015. She lives and works in Washington, DC, with her husband and two sons. Follow Brenna at brennamaloney.com.Published by FunStitch Studio, an imprint of C&T Publishing, This Is Mouse—An Adventure in Sewing (December 2014) is available at ctpub.com and other fine booksellers.

My Review:
Brenna Maloney is a very talented person who comes up with the best projects for kids and family craft nights.  This is Mouse - An Adventure in Sewing is filled with fun items that kids can make using a variety of supplies (fabric, felt, socks, recycled chicken pot pie aluminum tins, stuffing, glue guns, thread, marking pens, pins, FIMO clay, etc.), many of which you probably already have in your home.

 
Whether you make a mouse that is a astronaut, one that meets an elephant, or any of the sweet characters in this book, you can certainly have fun admiring their beauty as well as creating stories with them to grow a imagination.


Just be sure you dress warmly when you go with Mouse to Antarctica.



FunStitch Studio, an imprint of C&T Publishing: This Is Mouse—An Adventure in Sewing by Brenna Maloney, best-selling author of Sock It to Me, Sockology, and Socks Appeal.

Did I mention a Giveaway ?


C&T Publishing is a sponsor for the  "It's All About The Kids" blogging event, this week,  and they have donated a copy of Sew It!  Make 17 Projects with Yummy Precut Fabric Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Charm Packs & Fat Quarters, by Allison Nicol. 



This book is a perfect book to help teach kids to sew and it starts off with the basic sewing and quilting skills, using pre-cuts. And it is written to help kids learn on their own, without adult help, where each project builds on skills learned from other projects, making this a great book to get that budding quilter to have fun sewing!

SewCalGal also thinks that this book would make an excellent gift for budding quilters, of future generations.  All of the projects are designed to be sewn on a domestic machine, without adult assistance!


If you are interested in winning a copy of Sew It!, please enter by using the Rafflecopter form below, after you have read the rules underneath.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rules for this giveaway:
1) This giveaway is open to followers of SewCalGal that reside in the US.  The sponsor will ship a copy of this book directly to the lucky winner.
2) Followers are asked to complete the rafflecopter form, which will be used to randomly select a winner on Sunday, November 2nd.  SewCalGal will notify the lucky winner via email and this post will also be updated to announce the winner, once they are notified.




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, but most importantly we all hope to inspire others to help provide opportunities and encouragement to help kids find their creative side and the joy of being crafty.

Monday, October 27th 

SewCalGal - Event kick off
Tuesday, October 28th 


Wednesday, October 29th



Thursday, October 30th

SewCalGal
I Have A Notion

Friday, October 31st

SewCalGal
Jacquelynne Steves, The Art of Home  
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 C&T Publishing at:

http://www.ctpub.com/
http://www.ctpub.com/stash-books/
http://www.ctpub.com/funstitch-studio/
https://www.facebook.com/ctpub?ref=mf
https://twitter.com/ctpublishing
https://www.youtube.com/user/CandTPublishing
http://www.pinterest.com/ctpublishing/
http://instagram.com/ctpublishing


Print Friendly and PDF