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Newsletter January, 2000
Published by
Internet Visions Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Hi Fellow Crafters, The year 2000 is here! This will be the age of the Internet. Not just the age for e-commerce and big business but for the sharing and exchanging of ideas world wide by people like you and me. There are no limits to what can be learned and shared especially with a subject like arts and crafts! Our goal is to continue to support the online arts and crafts community and with the help of our wonderful contributors and subscribers continue to bring you fun projects and helpful information. Enjoy the newsletter and Happy New Year! Sincerely, PS If you want a condensed copy of this newsletter e-mailed to you, send a request to cvnjan00@wwvisions.com. And, if you have not subscribed to this newsletter, please fill out our on-line subscribe form as well as check out past issues of The Crafty Visions Newsletter.
A
Handmade Valentine Card
This Valentine card is easy and fast to make, and uses scraps of handmade recycled papers. You can use commercial papers, or make your own paper. Bobbi offers a class on making handmade paper online at Crafty College. Click HERE for More Information! Materials:
Instructions: Note: If you are not using a commercial ready-made card--fold the 7x10" piece of paper in half to make a finished 5x7" base card. 1. Tear edges of dark red piece of paper to give them an uneven look. 2. Glue the red paper to the center of the base card. 3. Cut a heart shape out of the center of a paper doily or lace using Heart Pattern #2. Glue this to the center of the red paper. 4. Cut two 5" strips from the curved edge of doily to fit along the top and bottom edge of the base card. Glue to top and bottom edges, using tiny dots of glue. 5. Cut the smaller center heart from the light red or pink piece of handmade paper using Pattern No. 1. Glue this to the center front of the card. 6. Glue a button, charm or finding to the center of the heart using Tacky Glue or hot glue. If you are using a button, carefully cut the shank off the back first using your craft scissors. 7. Poke two small holes at the fold of the card and thread the ribbons through. Tie them in a bow on the outside of the card. Hint! If you put a dot of Tacky Glue on the knot of the bow, it won't come untied. 8. Write a message inside the card, and sign your name on the outside back! Make Your Own Envelope You can make your own envelope to fit your card if you want to. All you need is an old envelope that fits your card for a pattern, and a piece of paper large enough to fit the pattern on. 1. Carefully tear or steam open the envelope. 2. Draw around it with a pencil onto another piece of paper. 3. Make the folds by creasing the paper against a ruler. 4. Assemble the envelope by using a glue stick. 5. Decorate the envelope with rubber stamps, stickers or glitter pens! 6. Here's another hint--if you're going to mail the card, place it in it's envelope in a small padded envelope first. Otherwise, your charms or buttons have a good chance of being smashed by the postal service. Editor's Note: Bobbi A. Chukran is the editor and publisher of The Country Cottage Herb Gardener, a free e-mail newsletter published monthly on herb gardening, herbal and floral crafts, and cooking with herbs. She also teaches on-line classes for Crafty College (http://CraftyCollege.com). You may contact her at: bobbi.chukran@mindspring.com or visit her website at: http://www.LimestoneLedge.com **** Handmade Paper Class - Taught Online ****
Valentine Wreath Materials:
Place the excelsior in the zipper bag and add fabric stiffener. Work the stiffener through the excelsior molding it into the shape of a heart. When the stiffener is evenly distributed throughout cut two sides of the bag and open flat allowing your heart to dry on the plastic. When completely dry bring the ribbon from the lower left side of the point diagonally across the heart and glue in place. Make your bow and add a few streamers. Center half of a chenille stem around the bow, twist then insert the chenille stem into the heart at the upper right end of the ribbon. Glue the small flowers randomly into the excelsior over the entire surface of the heart. Twist the second half of the chenille stem to form a hanging loop and dip in glue and insert in the top of the heart as a hanger. Option: Candles and
candle holders can be added when used as a centerpiece.
# 1. For ideas for your crafting check out the greeting card aisle. Many of the cards can spark ideas, especially for seasonal crafts. # 2. A prescription bottle with the child proof lids make great storage for beads and small craft supplies. # 3. Save old plastic table cloths, drop cloths and shower curtains. Use them to protect your working area when gluing or painting.
The Queen of Hearts A 12" Cloth Doll
This royal lady is perfect for stealing hearts on Valentine's Day but her pattern is more than just a holiday novelty. Her Royal Robe is easily constructed from felt. The Gown is made from a traditional Bishop Dress pattern that is so easy and can be adapted for many costumes on other dolls. Her long golden hair is caught in a beautiful gold mesh snood. And her regal crown is easily made from jewelry findings. But the best part is the beautiful body pattern. The torso is designed like a dressmakers manikin. It's a simple construction but has lots of shape. I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with dolls and lots of love! Happy Valentine's Day! Diane Lewis
To ensure your success making this doll I suggest you read through the instructions before you begin. Once you have a general idea of what you are about to do you can proceed with ease! Supply List
You will need to add a 1/4 inch seam allowance to all body parts except the arms. Be sure to read the instructions on the pattern before you cut on the arms and legs! The Body Carefully cut the pattern pieces from your fabric. Begin with the body front parts. Pin the front side panel to the center front panel using the marks on the pattern pieces. I find it is much easier to sew if I baste the pieces together first. Sew both side panels to the center panel. Press seams open. ( Yes, this is a pain in the neck! But you will have a much nicer body if you take the time to do this. If it was only so easy for our bodies!) With right sides together pin the front and back of the body together. Sew together but be sure you leave the arm and leg openings open. It is wise to back stitch at the end of the seams before you move over the arm or leg hole and move to the next seam line. Once the front and back are sewn you can begin to stuff the body. Use the arm holes to fill the upper torso, the leg holes for the bottom torso. Stuff the body firmly. ( Especially the neck as it will support the head.) It will look like the stuffing is coming out of the arm and leg openings but you will be able to tuck it back in when you attach the appendages. Legs Trace the leg pattern directly on the fabric. (Or read the doll tip at the bottom of directions.) Be sure to leave an opening at the back of the leg so you can stuff it. Once legs are sewn, cut from fabric and trim to about an 1/8 inch from the seam. Stuff the legs taking extra care to firmly stuff the ankles. Using small amounts of stuffing and firmly packing as you go will give you a smooth strong leg. Pay attention to the ankles! If you don't stuff firmly she will look like she needs orthopedic shoes and is wearing baggy stockings! Once the legs are stuffed, hand sew the opening closed using a small ladder stitch. I always finger press the seam allowance back so that it matches the rest of the seam allowance of the part. Then it is easy to take small invisible stitches to close the opening. Arms If you want to make great hands you need to really take your time sewing these parts. You must use a very tiny stitch when sewing the fingers. The other thing that can make or break doll fingers is using a high quality fabric. Turning little fingers puts lots of stress on both fabric and seams. The better the quality of fabric ( meaning a high thread count for wovens like muslins and tight weave for knits) the better your success will be in turning a finger without bursting a seam. I always use Fray Check or similar product around the fingers before I cut trim the hands out of fabric. Always let it dry first! Once it dries you can massage the fabric so it won't be so stiff and then cut the hand out. Trim very close to the seams. Use turning tubes or other tools to turn your fingers. As with the legs, be sure to leave the back of the arm open so you can turn and stuff the arm. If you want to have moveable fingers you can use chenille stems (pipe cleaners) that have been wrapped with a wisp of stuffing to stuff the fingers. Then you can position the fingers like a real hand. When you stuff the hands be careful with your stuffing. Too much stuffing makes an unrealistic hand. You need to "place your stuffing" rather than "stuff" your stuffing. The wrists are a different story. You need to have strong wrists on your doll. Once your arms are stuffed, hand sew the opening closed using a small ladder stitch. The Head Before you begin the head, draw the face on the fabric. If you goof you haven't lost much. You can practice doing faces until you have a great one and then position the head pattern over the face and trace it on. The eyes should be at about the halfway point of the face. Once the pattern is traced on the fabric, sew the side seams up. Cut the head from the fabric. At this point you will sew a running stitch around the top of the head where it is indicated on the pattern. Leave the needle and thread in place. You will use this to close the head after it is stuffed. The throat is now turned up inside the head. Take a pencil and insert it into the "Throat" part of the head piece and begin stuffing the "chin" part of the head. By leaving the pencil in place you will be creating a cavity to insert the neck of the doll. By carefully stuffing around the pencil you will create a nice chin with no wrinkles. Continue stuffing the head firmly. Once you have the head stuffed you can pull the needle and thread to gather and close the top of the head. You can now arrange any gathers that would detract from the face side of the doll. Once you are satisfied with the way the face and head look, take a few stitches and secure the top of the head closed. Knot the thread securely. Attaching the Arms and Legs. Beginning with the legs, you will be place them so they are nestled in the "Hip Socket." The seam on the front of the leg should line up with the side panel seams on the torso. Pin legs in place securely and stitch in place, tucking in any excess stuffing as you go. The same procedure is used for the arms. The only difference is that you can position the arms to change the expression (or body language) of the doll. Once you have the arms in the position you want, stitch them in place. Remember to finger press the seam allowance around the arm and leg holes before sewing on arms and legs. You will want to be sewing a folded edge not a raw edge of fabric. Use a tiny ladder stitch to attach. Sewing on the Head Place the neck from the body into the cavity you have created at the bottom of the head. You can position and pose the head however you choose. Then sew the head securely in place. The Hair The hair I used for this doll was Curly Roving but you can choose any hair you have on hand or are comfortable working with. Because the hair is covered with a snood you don't need to do anything terribly dramatic. I just attached the hair using GRRRIP glue and trimmed it once the glue was dry. The Golden Snood Cut a seven inch circle of gold mesh. Fold under about a ½ inch and sew a running stitch using elastic thread around the perimeter of the circle. (I used gold metallic elastic.) Pull to gather, testing the size before you knot the thread. The snood should be sort of like a hair net. The gold mesh will give a regal air to the hair and crown. The Dress Cut a piece of fabric 12 inches by 15 inches. Fold fabric in half and cut the "V" (armholes) from fabric as indicated on pattern. Stitch the seam sleeves from the bottom of sleeve (the cuff) to the dot marked on pattern. Stitch the sleeves into the armholes. Press seams open. Sew a running stitch across the top of the dress. Pull thread to gather, measuring on the doll. Once you have gathered the neckline so it comfortably fits the doll, knot to secure gathering. You may want to sew two lines of running stitches and gather the two together. By doing this you can get the gathers to fall more uniformly. Because the neckline of this dress will be covered up by the robe, you may choose to leave the neckline raw. To finish the neck use binding tape or a strip of fabric cut on the bias. Try the dress on the doll and hem. You are almost done! Hem the sleeves and either sew a small elastic tape to the inside of the hem to gather it or simply sew a running stitch at the edge and gather. Be sure you do this once it is on the doll or you may have trouble getting it over her hands. Hand stitch the back closed. You can also sew the back closed on your sewing machine leaving enough of an opening to get it on the doll and then sew the rest closed by hand or fasten with buttons or Velcro. You can use a simple ribbon to cinch the waist. Now this dress looked pretty good but it lacked that "something." I decided that it needed to have the shoulders puffed up so they would not flatten down once the robe was on. I took a small piece of nylon tulle (netting) and cut a 2 ½ inch circle. I sewed a running stitch round the edge and pulled to gather. Before I closed it I filled it with a small ball of stuffing. Pull it closed and voila! You have royal shoulder pads! I simply secured them in place with a couple of stitches. Now we are getting somewhere! I decided that the sides of the dress needed a bustle to keep the skirt full at the sides. A six inch circle of tulle gathered and stuffed made perfect bustles. Now the dress drapes over the hips looking just royal! Once the Robe was put on the Gown stuck out at all the right places. Try making these simple shoulder pads and bustles. It will make your costume go from peasant to pleasant! The Robe Cut the felt as indicated on the pattern. Stitch the shoulder seams and iron seams flat. Be careful to check your iron temp on the felt. Some synthetics have a really low heat tolerance. The robe was embellished with medium rick rack and gold braid. The white felt hearts were applied with GRRRIP Glue as was the rest of the trim. Once you have completed the embellishments you can add ribbon ties to close the back of the garment. The robe is a perfect opportunity to use your stash of trims and jewels. Get creative! The Crowning Touch! Craft stores have an abundance of great charms and jewelry findings that made this crown so easy to make. I used 3/8 inch gold hearts. Lay out a piece of scotch tape - sticky side up. ( I laid this on my ironing board and used a straight pin to hold the tape in place.) For a two inch crown you will need a 6 ¼ inch piece of tape. Line the hearts up next to each other on the tape using the bottom of the tape as a guide to keep them level. Once you have the hearts arranged on the tape and any other jewels you want in your crown, run a small line of hot glue across the hearts. Before the glue has time to cool lay an 1/8 piece of ribbon on the glue and let the glue set. Once the glue has cooled you can gently remove the tape from the front of the hearts. Now you can wrap your hearts and jewels into a circle. It can be easily glued to the 2 inch brass ring. And now you have the Crown Jewels! Word of caution! If your hearts and jewels have metallic plating on them the scotch tape may pull it off. Test the back side of a heart with tape before you begin. The Bouquet Snip a small bit of greenery from a silk plant that has small leaves. The blossoms in her bouquet are red felt hearts that are tacked to the ends of the stems. Sewing Tip~ You may find sewing tiny parts like hands and legs much easier if you trace the pattern on paper - tracing paper, or other thin paper, and then sew directly on the paper over the fabric. The paper will glide under the pressure foot much easier than fabric. Once you are done sewing you can just rip the paper off. This works especially well when you are trying to turn small curves like finger tips and small feet. Enjoy the pattern! Sincerely,
To view and print only the doll instructions please click HERE.
Valentine
Necklace
Materials:
Prepare your bread dough recipe. Lightly dust a little talcum in each mold. Place a ball of smooth colored bread dough in each mold picking the molds you will use by the saying written on them. Firmly press the dough into the mold until all areas are filled. Gently tap the mold and turn it over letting the small heart shapes land on waxed paper. Take the short piece of wire, form a loop and twist the ends together. Dip the twisted end in craft glue and insert in the dip at the top of hear heart to form the hanger loop. Allow to dry thoroughly. This will take at least overnight, possibly longer depending on the humidity. Be sure to turn the hearts over at least once during the drying period so they dry completely. Use the paint pen to color the wording on the hearts. Insert the rattail cord into the first Pony bead. Tie a knot around the bead. Add a drop of glue to the bead to anchor. Add Pony beads in clear, red, pink and white in the design of your choice. Evenly space the heart pendants toward the center of the cord. Complete the length with the pony beads repeating the tying and gluing of the last bead. Tie the cord in a knot being sure the necklace is long enough to fit over your head. Option: You can use the hearts as a pendant without the pony beads or add them as dangles to earrings or bracelets. Bread Dough Recipe Materials:
Remove the crusts and save for bread crumbs. Tear the center of the bread slice into small pieces place them in the plastic bag and add the glue. If using cornstarch Put glue in bag first and add cornstarch as you mix to get the correct consistency. Close the zipper and knead the bag until it pulls away from the sides and forms a ball. A small amount of talcum keeps the dough from sticking. You can color your
dough by adding a small amount of paint or food coloring to the dough as
you mix it. You may also paint the finished items.
I Love Reading Bookmark
Materials:
Using the pattern, cut out one bookmark shape from the Fun Foam. Cut or punch a hole approximately half an inch from one end in the center of the width of the bookmark. Cut a small red heart (or use a sticker). Place the heart in the center of the bookmark as shown. With the Sharpie pen print "I 'heart' 2 Read". Tassel: Wrap the embroidery floss around a piece of cardboard 2" wide. Cut a piece of floss 8" long, fold in half and place the cut ends through the loop of floss tying it tightly forming the top of the tassel. Using an additional piece of floss measure down from the knot about a half inch and wrap the strand around tying it in a knot. A small amount of craft glue on both knots will help them stay tied. Trim the ends of the tassel cutting through the loops. Insert the folded end
hanger loop of your tassel through the hole in the bookmark, then put the
tassel through the loop to lock it in place.
Valentine Cake
Slice the pound cake in 1/4" thick slices, two per serving. Arrange a full slice of pound cake on each serving plate, top with Strawberry filling. Use the cookie cutter to cut a heart shape from the center of the second slice for each serving. Place the slice with the cut out on top of the filling and fill the opening with more filling arranging the heart cutout slightly off center on top of the filling so the filling will show. Serve with the whipped
topping on the side.
Woven Heart Place Card/Party Favor
Materials
This pattern is placed with the flat end on the fold of the paper. Instructions: Cut out the pattern piece from one white piece of paper and one red or pink piece for each heart. This little basket is known by several names. Among them Scandinavian or Swedish Woven Basket. I learned and have always just called it a Heart Shaped Woven Basket. It seems very confusing but using two colors makes it a little clearer and easier to see. Fold your paper in half and place the flat side of the pattern on the fold and cut out. Then, cut from the folded end toward the rounded end to approximately an inch and a half from the rounded end forming three equal portions. In other words your cuts should be the full width of the pattern piece plus a small amount. You will need one each of the two colors. During the weaving
process constantly check to be sure you can open the heart basket. This
will let you know immediately if you have made an error in the weaving.
Hold the white paper
in your right hand and the pink in your left hand. Place the first white
portion inside the fold of the first pink portion. When held in front of
you these will be the inside two pieces.
Place the middle pink portion inside the fold of the first white portion. Insert the first white folded piece inside the last pink fold.
Place the first (center
most) pink portion inside the middle white piece. Place the middle white
piece inside the fold of the middle pink piece and the final pink fold
inside the center white fold. The final white fold goes inside the first
pink fold. The center pink fold goes inside the final white fold and the
final white fold goes inside the final pink fold.
This completes the weaving portion. Gently grasp the rounded portion of each side and adjust until the weaving forms a smooth outside edge. You will be able to open the heart so it forms a basket.
To personalize you can write the name on one of the rounded parts of the heart. A fresh flower or Valentine pick can be threaded along the middle white portion sliding under the middle pink portion. This can be decorated with curling ribbon or other embellishments of your choice. Nuts, candy a chocolate
heart or a small gift can be placed in the basket. These baskets can then
be used as place cards or small hand out gifts.
Greeting Card Basket We are giving the instructions for this basket made of greeting cards now before you have a chance to throw out all your pretty seasonal cards. This is an excellent craft to be done with the children. You can teach them how to overcast and do the blanket/buttonhole stitch. The pattern is for
a small basket but can be enlarged to fit your available cards. They can
be made with any greeting cards seasonal, birthday, anniversary, etc.
Materials
 
Instructions: You will use 6 rectangular cards for the lining of your basket and 6 for the outside. The 2 square cards will form the bottom. Place the picture area of each card face down on the sticky side of the clear contact paper. Using the pattern pieces cut each of the rectangular cards with one flat side and a flared top. Cut the six sided figure from the two square cards. Each card should have the clear plastic coating on the picture side. Place them wrong sides together deciding which picture will be the inside and which will be the outside. Lay them out on the table with the six sided figure in the center. This will be the bottom of your basket and the twelve flared pieces will form the six sides. Thread your embroidery needle with the floss (all six strands) or the plastic lacing. Stitch two side pieces wrong sides together to the two bottom piece and continue stitching each section in turn until you have completed the basket. Using the same thread buttonhole stitch around the entire top. You may use an awl, an ice pick or a hole punch around the edge of each section to make it easier to stitch. These baskets can be
used to hold lightweight ornaments, treats or potpourri.
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Letter
From Laurieann
Contributors:
