I was so excited to recently receive Jenny Doh's book Hand in Hand: crafting with kids for review.
I haven't finished it yet, but soaked most of it up during my recent road trip to Lincoln.
The book portrays 20 parents, including Jenny Doh, of Crescendoh. Not only do you get a tiny peek into each of their lives & their views on creativity BUT, each {amazing} woman shares a project, complete with how-to's.
I am definitely inspired to actually attempt to make a quilt for the first time, using Amanda Blake Soule's tutorial. She makes it look so easy! I foresee a quilt in the Summer Diary...
As I was reading, I wrote down a quote in the book by Pam Garrison:
"To be mentally, emotionally, & spiritually healthy, I have to have a creative life."
*happy sigh* This is exactly how I feel!
Pam also admits to being a bit unorganized. I love how she says, "I do believe that my lack of organization is probably what enables me to have such varied creative interests. Embroidery, journaling, painting, collaging, quilting, gardening...I love it all!"
Pam! I'm unorganized too! And I love it all too! You make me make sense. How'd you do that? Can we be crafty BFF's?
Seriously though, I have always struggled with the fact that my creative interests are all over the place. I feel chaotic, muddled in the noggin, & thus, unorganized. That chapter alone changed my crafty life!
I mean, that's just 1 of the 20 crafty ladies in this book!
Very inspiring. I love seeing glimpses into their lives as creative parents.
And I wouldn't do an awesome book review without doing an awesome book giveaway.
I change my mind... I'm giving away TWO books!!
Woohoo!!
Leave a comment, stating your favorite childhood craft. (One you remember creating as a kid or one you love making with your kids now.) I'll start: One of my favorite crafts as a kid was cross-stitching. My mom bought me my first cross-stitch kit when I was about 14. It was a small Christmas ornament of a snowy house with a street lantern in front (which still hangs on my tree). I cross-stitched wherever I went. It was very relaxing & I loved watching the picture grow in front of me. My mom isn't a very crafty person, but it's one of the creative things I remember her showing me how to do.
Please make sure your email is in your comment somewhere, so I have a way of contacting you if you're the winner.
I'll draw 2 names next Sunday, June 17th.
Disclosure: I received three Hand in Hand: crafting with kids books for this post. I kept one. All opinions are my own.
Disclosure: I received three Hand in Hand: crafting with kids books for this post. I kept one. All opinions are my own.
♥
hmm, let's think...
ReplyDeleteI too liked crosstitching : i used to make these small pieces for my grandmother sso she could put her porcelain figures on them. And i made a bracelet in crossstitches ! With 1 button to close it.
But I liked crocheting even more : little bags to put around your neck as a necklace, clothes for my dolls...
I'm curieus about that book, so I wouldn't mind winning it ;)
bollekes.met.gaatjes.en.koordjes@gmail.com
I used to love making pressed flowers and then using them to make cards and pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember doing lots of embroidery, my gran was an amazing stitcher and she would show me how to do all the fancy stitches.
ReplyDeleteI also remember making things out of paper straws, you stuck them together and then wove them somehow, I made a massive cobra, I have no idea if this has a name, I had completely forgotten about it!
my mom made quilts when I was young. all of her friends would get together to work on one quilt, then move onto the next person's. she always let my sister and I stitch a little, and I've been hooked on sewing ever since! thanks for all the inspiration you provide, Nikki! didi7g (at) yahoo (dot) com
ReplyDeleteAnything to do with "toll" painting!
ReplyDeleteForgot my email....rhmercer@charter.net
ReplyDeleteMy grandma was amazingly crafty, and my favorite craft with Grandma was making flowers from wire, fabric, glue and florist's wire and tape. We would make bouquets with them. <3
ReplyDeleteIamhollyb @ hotmail.com
DECOUPAGE!!!! I went through a big Mod Podge phase and everyone on my Christmas list received some kind of wooden plaque that year. Hmm, makes me want to Mod Podge something right now! :)
ReplyDeletethanks!
wilber.julie@ymail.com
My mom's was always doing crafts when I was a child. The one I remember doing was the apple dolls. Where you peel an apple and make a face on it, then let it dry out. Fun
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Sweetdreamzsoapworks @gmail dotcom
I loved to hand sew when I was young. It was easy, cheap, and I could find little scraps everywhere! I made potholders, little doll clothes, and even a baby doll for my sister's birthday once!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds perfect for another disorganized, crafty soul sister :)
jsneill@zoominternet.net
ps(did you see your bug catcher necklace in Family Fun this month???)
I remember getting one of those potholder looms when I was a kid. I would sit and weave those for hours! Everyone got potholders for Christmas-- my mom still uses hers today.
ReplyDeleteMy mom wasn't super crafty, but she was my girl scout troop leader, so she'd give it a go with us; from lanyard keychains to jammy jams, she tried it.
I loved hand sewing and learning to embroider from my Grandma. Still love sewing, but now with a machine...and I've forgotten the embroidery skills. :)
ReplyDeleteChristine @ vintageinspired(at)hotmail(dot)com
My grandma taught me to knit and cross stitch. I remember picking out a cross stitch book with all sorts of kittens on it...my goal was to stitch each one...I came close! Oh, and, shrinky dinks. Now...I'm all about my sewing machine.
ReplyDeletetiffanylayne@embarqmail.com
Embroidery and cross stitch were two crafts I loved as a girl. I loved that I could sit, relax, watch TV and work on a project. betsy1507@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMine is a very simple one. Do you remember making a plaster cast of your handprint? My daughter made one in kindergarten this year. When my daughter showed it to her Grandmother she said I still have the one your Mom made me.I made it 41 years ago and my Mom still has it? Wow brought tears to my eyes. Micheswim@aol.com
ReplyDeleteMy mom was really into crafts when I was a child. I remember one year she cut out wooden snowmen ornaments and took them to school for my whole class to make. I still have my little snowman with my name painted on it!
ReplyDeletehollybendezu@hotmail.com
One of my favorite crafts as a child was embroidery. I tought myself the basic stitch and embroidered pillow cases as Christmas presents. It was such fun.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma taught me to crochet and sew starting at age 5. I loved designing and making Barbie clothes. She also taught me to quilt and embroidery, and I made my first quilt, pieced together on her treadle sewing machine, when I was 16.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I loved to draw, color and paint. My parents weren't crafty (at all).
ReplyDeletekreatita(at)gmail(dot)com
I grew up with a very crafty mom - she could do anything she tried from crocheting to ceramics to stained glass making. However, being a large family, mom was always so busy taking care of EVERYTHING that she didn't show me how to do any of these things -but what she did show me was that you could always find time for a creative outlet, no matter how busy your life. Once I entered middle school, I learned at school how to sew, cross-stitch, knit, paper cutting, calligraphy - you name it. If there was a craft class, I signed up for it. I would love to win this book and see what these 2o different woman have to share. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI was always a crafty kid with crafty and resourceful parents, so I have tons of memories of crafting as a kid. I think my favorite was making felt glasses cases as holiday gifties for my grandparents when I was 7 or so. They truly loved them, and it really inspired me to keep being creative! :)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up my grandpa was my inspiration to craft. My fondest memories are of doing paper quilling and beading with him. He was one of a kind. After having polio at 7 years old he was left with disability. He took to crafting because he couldn't participate in sports etc. He once was the only male to enter a needlepoint competition in Toronto and won! Sadly he passed away at 91 years old, just 6 weeks before my wedding for which I made my bouquet out of japanese seed beads and made ornaments out of paper quilling for each woman that attended. I would love to win the book so once my kiddies (4 and 1) are a bit older, I can do crafts and continue the tradition!
ReplyDeleteewatling@hotmail.com
I love it when my mom taught me to knit. Not sure if it was the knitting I like or just being able to sit with her and share time together. Maybe both?!
ReplyDeleteLOVE your blog and read regularly.
Cheers from Darwin Australia
Rikatoll@gmail.com
I used to do cross stitch as a kid. I also used to cut out decorations (that I drew) and hang them up in my room.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite childhood craft were the salt dough Christmas ornaments we made with my mom. We'd color the dough with food coloring, roll the dough out and use cookie cutters for the shapes, then mom would bake them. My favorite ornaments were the gingerbread men we made. Mom used white puff paint for "icing" and to write our names on them. :-)
ReplyDeletetroop41106@msn.com
My mother taught me to sew on a machine and my grandmother taught me to make doll clothes without a pattern and by hand. Both are skills I share and teach to kids in my afterschool program. This book would be a great resource for more fun.
ReplyDeletemissrenacall@gmail.com