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Newsletter May, 2000
Published by
Internet Visions Company
Click HERE to download PDF version of the newsletter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Hi Fellow Crafters, Father's day is almost here! It is a great time to get kids involved with crafts. You will find several Father's Day crafts in this issue to pick from. Thank you for reading the Crafty Visions Newsletter. Sincerely, PS If you want a condensed copy of this newsletter e-mailed to you, send a request to cvmay00@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.
Dish Garden This Dish Garden adds some formal greenery to your home office. It can be made using real plants or silk plants and foliage if the lighting is inappropriate. Our sample is made using a terra cotta saucer and terra cotta pots with silk foliage and white marble chips. If you are using live plants be sure you use a non porous saucers to arrange them in order to protect the furniture from water damage.
Materials:
Pick your three types of greenery. One should be a tall grass type, a second a low growing ivy type and the third an upright large leafed plant. If using real plants pot them in the three containers following your nurseries recommendations. If using artificial plants cut the Styrofoam to fit each pot. Add a little glue to hold it in place and cover the top of each with Spanish moss glued in place. .. We chose the largest, tallest pot for the large leafed upright plant. The second, or middle sized pot was arranged with tall blade like greenery. This is a good place for any of the blade- type grasses that are variegated. This pot is set slightly to one side of the larger pot. In front of and centered place your smaller pot with a trailing ivy type plant that curls down over the edge of the pot... Now that your plants are prepared place some type of sticky back felt or felt dots to protect the furniture on the bottom of the saucer. Fill the saucer with a layer of aquarium gravel or marble chips that completely covers the bottom. Place the largest pot slightly off center and toward the back of your saucer displacing the gravel/chips to allow the plant to sit firmly into the saucer. Following the same procedure place the other two pots. Hand smooth the gravel/chips. . . Option: If you wish place a small figurine in front of the potted plants making sure that it is settled flat and the gravel smoothed around it...
Materials:
Tear irregular pieces of masking tape and completely cover the outside (bottom) of your tray or box. Using the applicator or a soft cloth completely cover the masking taped area with paste-wax shoe polish. Using your soft cloth wipe any excess paste-wax off and buff lightly. This may take some time. Be sure you are not getting any more color off. At any point you can add additional paste-wax to darken the color. At this time also color the four beads and set aside. When the outside of the box is finished glue the four beads, one in each corner, with the holes vertical to form small legs. Cut the felt to fit the lining of the tray or box (see diagram). Remove the backing and smooth in place. This can be used to hold change, keys, etc. on the dresser.
What with spring cleaning and the need to find places for things here are a few storage tips. # 1. Tension curtain rod placed within the shelf of a book shelf makes an excellent storage for rolls of ribbon. Tie an inexpensive scissors to a length of ribbon or cord and the other end tied in a loop slipped over the curtain rod and you always have the scissors handy to cut the amount of ribbon you need. # 2. Empty prescription bottles can be used to store a multitude of things, needles, pins, beads, charms, embellishments, buttons and to carry in your purse a few safety pins, a threaded needle and a couple of extra buttons and you have a "ready at any time" sewing kit. # 3. Pizza delivery boxes stack well and make it easy to find the rubber stamp you are looking for. Stamp the inside bottom of the box in the order you wish to store the stamps. Cover the inside of the box with clear contact paper and when you have taken several stamps out you will know immediately where they belong. If you and a friend borrow each others stamps, a post it note with the name and date of the borrower stuck in the box on the stamps storage area helps prevent loss of your valuable stamps. One area can be saved for post-it note pad and masks.
Through the Web of Angels and Ask Bluebonnet Crafters Bulletin Board we have had several people request instructions for a button doll. We would like to thank Diane Lewis of Sisters and Daughters for allowing us to use the Doll Corner this issue to provide these instructions. Button Doll Materials:
 Instructions: Arrange your buttons as follows: The large buttons in a stack that will be the body of the doll. Two stacks of the smaller buttons to form the arms. Two slightly larger stacks of the same size buttons for the legs. The number of buttons used in each portion of the doll will determine the size of the doll. Place your wooden bead or shank button, the smaller at the end of the arms, the slightly larger at the end of the leg stacks. You will need two needles threaded with double thread Button/Carpet thread. Beginning at the top of the head go through the head bead or shank portion of the head button. Take the first needle to your left going through one hole in the stack of buttons for the arms. Go through the hand bead or shank portion of the hand button and return through the second hole in the stack of buttons. (When using four hole buttons along with two hole buttons the diagonal holes on the four hole buttons are the only ones used. These are lined up with the two hole button holes). Take that needle and thread through the left hand hole body buttons exiting at the bottom of the stack where you will enter the left side holes of the leg button. Then go through the bead or shank button used for the foot. Return through the entire leg stack using the right side holes. When you reach the body buttons return through the same hole (this is the left hand hole of the body buttons) exiting at the neck, take the thread up through the head bead or shank button area. Tie loosely but do not cut yet. Repeat the same procedure on the right hand side of the doll. When you reach the top of the head arrange the amount of slack you want and tie all threads together. A drop of craft glue will help hold the knot. If this doll is to be a pin doll you may want very little slack so she is rather stiff. If it is an ornament doll where she will be hanging you may want a little more slack and tie a loop at the top of her head as a hanger. Glue a small amount of doll hair, thread, etc. to cover the top of the bead head. If you are using a shank button you will need to glue the hair to the back of the button as well as around the dolls face on the flat side, therefore you will need a little more hair to fill out the head shape. Cut your fabric in a long rectangle (the length of the front and back of a dress for the doll), fold in half and cut a small slit for the head. Place it over her head. Glue the sides in place and overlap at the back of the neck. A small amount of lace or fancy trim around the neck and the bottom of the skirt can be glued or stitched in place. A length of ribbon tied around the waist will act as a belt and gather the dress in slightly. Your doll can be decorated and embellished as you wish. Glue a pin back in place if making a pindoll.
Paper Mache Fish Plaque 
 Instructions: Twist the ends of two chenille stems together and fold under. Following the diagram shape your fish by bringing the chenille stems in a gentle curve meeting at the tail and then fanning open again to form the tail fin. You will place a crumpled piece of newspaper under this wire armature to help hold the shape. Use your masking tape to hold the wire to the underlying newspaper shape. Mix craft glue with water. Tear the newspaper in strips (do not cut). Dip each piece of newspaper in the diluted glue and apply to the fish shape being sure that each layer crosses the layer below. Allow to dry between layers and use a minimum of three complete layers to form the fish shape. This fish has a flat back and the wire armature and ball of newspaper will cause it to be three dimensional toward the front. When completely dry paint the entire fish in the colors of your choice. After the base coat you can paint in scales and other embellishments. Paint the eye last after everything is dried. You can paint a saying on your place of wood plank if you like. When the fish is completely finished and dry glue it in place.
The addition of some pencils, pens and a small note pad makes this ideal to place on Dad's work bench, near the phone or in his office. Materials:
Clean the canister well. Place the plastic lid on the bottom using a small amount of glue around the edge to hold it in place. Glue your rocks, pieces of colored glass and found objects in a design that pleases you all around the canister. If you wish to color the grout add a few drops of color and mix until you have reached the color you want. Spread the grout over the whole can working one area at a time. Following manufacturers instructions wipe down the grout removing it from the top of your found objects but be sure that they are held firmly in place. Allow to dry completely. Option: Place thin layer of glue on the inside bottom of the canister. Coil the jute, cord or rope into the glue in the bottom of the canister. This will assist in protecting the tips of your pens or pencils.
Apple Cake Ingredients:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan or a greased loaf pan. Bake for one hour or until finger touch tests done. This is a moist cake so the straw test does not work. Optional: Chopped nuts
may be sprinkled into batter if desired.
Apple Place Mats And Napkins This is a project that can be worked on by the whole family. Place Mat
 Instructions: Cut the selvedge off your muslin and cut the place mats according to the diagram. Place mats are approximately 15" long by half the width of the fabric. Use the picture of the apple as your pattern and draw an apple on the upper left corner of each place mat. Color the apples red, the stem brown and the leaf green. Add a small highlight to the apple with yellow as shown. Place the decorated corner of the place mat between two pieces of brown paper and iron on cotton setting. Move to a clean area of the paper and repeat the ironing (this removes the wax and leaves the color permanently set). Fringe approximately one half inch on all four sides of your place mat by taking the straight pin and removing one thread at a time. Napkin Napkins can be made
by cutting your muslin (one third of the width squared) and following all
the instructions for the place mat to complete them. A simple napkin ring
can be made by tying a jute bow around the napkin.
Plastic Canvas Christmas Tree
Materials
 Instructions: Look carefully at the graph. You will notice that this is a reverse Continental or Tent stitch. The whole tree is done with this stitch and will probably feel awkward and backward to what you are used to. This was done deliberately to give you practice using the reverse Continental/Tent stitch. If you find this too uncomfortable take a black pencil to your printed out graph and mark the regular Continental Stitch over each stitch shown. The regular Continental is worked from the lower left to the upper right where the reverse stitch is worked from the lower right to the upper left. Left handed stitchers may find this easier to work where those who are right handed may find it gives them a little more trouble. This pattern can be cut out and worked as an ornament with just the tree. You can do it as we did in the sample and make it a coaster with no embellishments or the box top for a set of coasters with decorations and embellishments. For those of you who are observant we are having a small contest. Send your entry to: bluebonnetvillage@iwon.com Find the single different stitch and give us the location. To be fair to all we will hold a drawing of one name from all those who sent correct answers two weeks from the date this Newsletter goes on line. The prize will be a plastic canvas pattern book. The winner will be notified by email and asked for a snail mail address. The winner will be announced the the next issue of Crafty Visions Newsletter.
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Letter
FromLaurieann
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