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Newsletter November, 1999
Published by
Internet Visions Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Hi Fellow Crafters, The holiday season is here! This is also a "Crafty" time of year! Have fun with these crafts to decorate the house, the table, a tree and as gifts for loved ones. Please enjoy the wonderful crafts included in this holiday issue. Also please take the time to thank our contributors by visiting their sites or dropping them e-mail. Their contact information is listed at the bottom of the newsletter. Enjoy your holiday, don't eat too much (will skip that <smile>) and keep safe if you are traveling. Sincerely, PS If you want a condensed copy of this newsletter e-mailed to you, send a request to cvnov99@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.
Snowman Sock Doll
Materials:
Embroidery floss for features or a pair of wiggle eyes, a piece of orange chenille for the nose, piece of red chenille or felt for the mouth. Three black pompoms for buttons. An empty Pringles can or similar container. This little Snowman can be made as one of a series for room decorations, as a tree topper, a gift container or a soft cuddly childs' toy depending on how he is finished. The size of the tube sock will determine the size of the Snowman. A mans' sock will make the largest and a childs' tube sock will make a little one. For this reason no exact amounts are given in the supplies. They will be determined by the size of your finished Snowman. Cut the sock at the beginning of the ribbing. Turn up and hem the tube part of the sock using machine stitch to prevent raveling. The ribbing part is cut in half lengthwise stitching across the cut edge and down into the cuff on each piece. Turn and stuff to form the snowmans' arms. Stuff the toe of the sock to achieve a rounded head putting a little more stuffing in the front to define his cheeks. Immediately below this run a gathering stitch using carpet/button or other strong thread. This area is gathered to reduce the size of the neck approximately one third the size of the head. Continue to stuff into the neck and down to form the top of the body. Stitch his arms in place. Be sure one of them is curved and tacked down so it can hold the broom. At this point if you wish your snowman to be a gift container, tree topper or decoration insert a Pringles canister with the open end facing down adding a small amount of stuffing to give a plump rounded effect. If he is to be a container or decoration continue to stuff to the edge of the lid. Put a row of glue around the canister just above the lid bringing the folded edge of the sock down over the lid gluing it in place. Be sure the glue does not extend into the area covered by the lid. When dry you can place the lid up under the edge of the sock and the canister is closed. When used as a decoration you may want to weight the snowman by placing an unopened package of beans or rice into the canister. This can be removed after the holidays and placed back in the pantry. For a tree topper proceed as above but leave the lid off and place him down over the top of the tree. As a child's soft toy stuff the complete Sock Snowman with Fiberfil. Run a gathering stitch around the opening, pull tight and stitch closed. You may add a piece of felt or fabric. Yoyo with the open edge turned toward the snowman, stitched in place to cover the opening at the bottom. To decorate or embellish the Snowman as a childs' toy use embroidery floss and satin stitch the eyes, nose and buttons in black and the mouth in red. Used as decoration sew or glue a pair of wiggle eyes on, a felt or chenille stem nose and mouth and pompoms for his buttons. A tube of striped fabric lightly stuffed is placed around his head
to resemble a cap. Add a pompom to the top of his head and a matching ribbon
tied in a bow around the neck. Painted Candle Materials:
Clean the candle with a soft cloth dipped in alcohol and allow it to dry. Mix equal parts of the painting medium and acrylic paint. Sponge a random pattern with white to represent snow as a background. Mix equal parts of brown paint and the painting medium to paint gingerbread boys and girls in a circle around the pillar. The gingerbread kids can be dressed and embellished in colors of your choice mixed with equal amounts of the candle painting medium. Allow to dry thoroughly. Option: Place in the candle ring. Measure the height of your candle
ring so the painted portion of the candle will show above the ring.
Beaded Candle Holders
The instructions for this Candle Holder will give you a red and white holder. Changing the colors can make it specific to the different holidays: Blue and white for Hanukkah, Red, Green and Black for Kwanzaa and White with Crystal will even take you into the Millennium celebration. Materials:
180 8mm Faceted beads # 1448-20 
Instructions: Instructions make one candle holder. Repeat the instructions to complete the pair.. 1. Fill 18 pins with 3 faceted beads each (style #1). Crimp head of all pins using a needle nose pliers. This will keep the pins secure. Cut a 16" piece of wire. Slip wire through the head of a pin, then a berry bead. Repeat this alternating 18 pins and berry beads (ill.#3A). Make sure all pins are facing in the same direction. Bend wire in a circle and twist ends together (using a needle nose pliers to make the twist tight and to tuck the twist out of sight). Trim off excess wire. 2. Fill 9 pins with 1 faceted bead, 2 starflakes, and 1 faceted bead (style # 2). Cut an 8" piece of wire. Slip wire through the tail end of a pin from the first row, then slip on the tail end of one style #2 pin, then slip wire through tail end of the next pin of the first row (make sure the beads are to the outside), next slip on a faceted bead (ill.#3A). Repeat this procedure until all 9 pins have been attached, then bend wire in a circle and twist ends tightly together. Trim off excess wire. 3. To finish cut an 8" piece of wire, slip end through head of a pin in the second row, then slip on a faceted bead, repeat this until you have gone through all nine pins and have added 9 faceted beads (ill.#3B). Twist wire together and trim off excess.
# 1. To clip the nubs on your Plastic Canvas a fingernail clippers makes the job quick and easy. # 2. A package of white or craft colored lunch bags, a rubber stamp and a couple of paint markers will keep the kids busy for a while and provide you with lots of gift bags. Fold the top down, punch two holes and thread with ribbon or jute and your gift wrapping is finished. # 3. Save Pringles and snack food canisters. Paint or decoupage the
outside and you will have a supply of gift packages for your home baked
gifts.
For a quick and easy gift make several of these little pin dolls and be prepared for when an unexpected gift is needed. Pin them to your tree and allow your guest to pick the one they like best. Materials:
Instructions: Stuff the body firmly but not real hard. Stuff the head firmly. Use the draw string at the neck of the body, pull it tight and tie it off. Bring the edge of the head down over the neck gathers and pull the head drawstring in tightly. With needle and thread ladder stitch the head to the body. Wrap the rick rack around the arm as close to the shoulder as possible and sew in place. Repeat around the second arm. Beginning at the back of the neck wrap the rick rack toward the front straight down just below the waist tacking it in place. Bring it toward the back across the back of the doll just opposite where you turned on the other side leaving a gap of approximately 1/2". Turn the rick rack at right angles and go straight up the front of the doll and around to the back of the neck tacking it in place and trim. This forms his little vest. Threading your needle with the narrow ribbon coming from the neck up to the mouth area take a single straight stitch and go back out at the back of the neck. With the blue ribbon, beginning at the back of the neck go up and out the front where the right eye should be. Take a single stitch over to the left eye placement. Exit there, take another single stitch from there to the back of the neck and anchor the ribbon. (If you wish to make a ornament after the right eye is stitched go straight out the top of the head, leaving a 2" loop for a hanger, back in the top of the head for the second eye and exit at the back of the neck. Tie off and anchor the ribbon.) With the longer piece of red ribbon place it around the Gingerbread Boys' neck covering the mechanics at the back of his neck. Tack it in place. Tie a bow under his chin. Place the pin back vertically on the back of the neck and either glue or sew in place. Sincerely,
Peanut Red Bird
Select peanuts (in the shell) choosing those that most remind you of birds. Paint the peanuts red and allow to dry. Trim the feathers, removing the quill area and glue one to each side to form the wings and the other at the back pointing up to form the tail. Option: Using a diamond shape pattern cut out one beak for each bird. Fold in half and glue in place. Using a pin poke two holes in the tummy of the bird/peanut. Glue a small piece of chenille stem in each hole for the legs. These little birds can be placed where they grip the twigs on the
tree or a thread loop can be glued to the back of their heads to let them
hang and flutter.
Gingerbread Kids Garland
Materials:
If using paper bags with printing turn the printing to the inside. Cut the bottom and open the bag so it is flat. Place two layers and using the gingerbread boy, girl and tree pictures ( Click HERE for pictures) trace on the brown paper. Cut out both layers. Apply a thin line of glue to the wrong side at the very edges all the way around leaving an opening at the top of the head. Allow to dry thoroughly.. Paint or draw in the features and the clothing to decorate your gingerbread people. Stuff very lightly and glue the opening closed. Cut two tree shapes for each tree in the garland and paint and embellish as you like. Place the jute, string or ribbon across your work area. Place the stuffed gingerbread people on top of the jute, string or ribbon and bring it to the front under their arms, across the top of their arms and glue across the back and across the front of the arm to hold them in place. Place the right side of one tree facing down with your ribbon or jute across the middle glue the second tree face up so the string is between the two layers of the tree. The tree is not stuffed. These can be strung in a loop across the window or on the tree. It
is nice to make one for each member of your family and the names can be
written on them..
Gingerbread Cookie Dough For Cookies and the building material for a Gingerbread House
Instructions: Sift flour with ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl of mixer, at medium speed, beat butter with brown sugar until light. Add egg and molasses; beat well. At low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture to combine well. Wrap dough in foil, refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough in thirds. Refrigerate the other two thirds. Roll one third of the dough to 1/4" thick. Using a gingerbread cookie cutter or a paper cut out and a sharp knife, cut out your gingerbread men. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. When all of the gingerbread cookies have been thoroughly cooled you can decorate with frosting with a writer tip, frost and allow the children to embellish with candies and sprinkles. Enlarge the picture of the Gingerbread Boy to use as a pattern if you do not have a cookie cutter. Option: This recipe can also be used to build a gingerbread cookie
house. Decorate with candy and frosting to look like your own home. Use
other cookie cutters to make animals and trees , decorate them and make
a centerpiece scene of gingerbread images.
Materials
 Plastic Canvas Snowman Head Ornament or Package Tie Instructions: The complete ornament is worked in the Continental stitch. This allows one layer of plastic canvas with the stitching to complete the ornament. If you need help with cutting the plastic canvas or how to do the stitches, here is a good how to http://fbox.vt.edu:10021/V/vsawyer/pc/patframe.html then click on Plastic Canvas Basics. The entire edge is worked in an overcast stitch. Following the diagram cut your plastic canvas being sure to clip all the nubs. Work the hat portion in black and his head in white Continental stitch. Overcast the edge around the head in white and the hat in black (when you reach the center top form a 3" loop to be used as a hanger) and continue overcasting the rest of the way. Place the red ribbon around the hat to form a hat band. Optional: A small sprig of holly can be added for decoration. Glue the wiggle eyes in place. Cut a mouth out of the red felt and glue it in place. Cut a long triangle from the orange felt and wrap it to form a cone. This represents a carrot for his nose. Glue it with the seam down and the open area against his face. Option: The Snowman can be made as two pieces with the features stitched
on one and then both whip stitched together to form an ornament.
 Contributors:Children's Craft Kits, Craft Kits, Instruction Booklets, Beady Critters, Sports Shooz, Endangered Young 'Uns, Mega Fun Paks, Legends, Alpha Signs, Bits & Pieces, Bead D'Lights and Memory Makits Available through Enterprise Art or your local craft store.
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Letter
From Laurieann
Materials:
