CraftSanity with Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood

I dig words. I talk a lot. I write a lot. I like magnetic poetry and those great removable decals that allow you to decorate your walls with an inspiring quote or excerpt from your favorite book. I love the alphabet and assembling words one letter at a time. So text is something I'm frequently trying to incorporate into my projects.

As a journalist, I also love magazines and newspapers and dreaming up new ways to reuse them in art projects. (I especially enjoy using headlines to make postcard collages.) Several years ago I warped a homemade weaving loom I conned my husband into helping me make, and then tried to weave wet newspaper. It sort of worked, but not very well. (See top photo.) I've also tried spinning wet newspaper, but have yet to achieve satisfying results.

So, when my friend Elizabeth sent me a link that led me to the work of Dutch designer, Greetje van Tiem, who makes yarn out of newspaper, I was delighted. I wish the artist's website was in English so I could read more about how she does it.
It's fantastic work. Check it out.

Here's a sneak peek at my latest knitting project. I'm making a felted purse for Abby from a pattern by a West Michigan knitwear designer who I'm featuring in my craft column this weekend. So check back on Sunday for all the details.

I wasn't going to blog today. I almost chucked the daily blogging routine because it's been a long day, the wind is whipping something fierce outside my window and I just want to curl up under a warm blanket and go to sleep.

Seriously, I thought I was too tired to comment on the world today, but then I checked my e-mail. I got a message from a woman named Amy who is friends with one of the organizers of the "Girlie Show," a rockin' art show in Oklahoma City that promotes female artists and crafters.

Amy, how did you know I've been obsessing the last few days over my not-so-secret-dream to throw the biggest rockin' art show West Michigan has ever seen? Seriously, your timing is excellent.

So I clicked the link and was amused to see the classic pin-up girl graphics used to promote the show. There was a time when I probably would have been offended by the concept of using cartoon cleavage to promote art and craft (high school), but now I consider it clever marketing. (What do you think?)

Okay, so now that I feel like my art show-planning mojo has been restored (Well, at least until I've had the benefit of sleep and able to think clearly and wake up to the realization that I don't know the first thing about planning a successful art show.) I think you should check out the mini-documentary about the show and let me know if you're interested in hearing more from these ladies.

Tune in this week for a lively chat with Lily Chin, an internationally famous crochet and knitwear designer and champion promoter of both these wonderful art forms.

On this episode of CraftSanity, Lily shares the story of how she got her crafty start and gives us an behind-the-scenes tour of her life as a pattern designer and fashion industry insider. She talks about her experiences crocheting runway pieces for the likes of Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren and Isaac Mizrahi, and even offers her solution for managing a large yarn stash in the Big Apple where abundant yarn storage space is hard to come by.

Learn more and listen to this show

In today's issue of the Grand Rapids Press, I wrote about Shauna Swantek, an inspiring mixed media artist who stitched her way through a serious bout with depression. Now she teaches fiber art workshops around West Michigan, instructing others about the healing properties of making stab-stitch purses, fabric and altered books and fabric postcards. She's the woman who recently showed me how to make fabric postcards. Read her story and try out the directions for making fabric postcards.

Speaking of fabric postcards... is anyone interested in a swap? Post a comment below if you are. If there's interest, I'll set one up.

I was surfing around the web when I stumbled upon this site. The designer sells cute crochet patterns (and some knitting patterns, too) for cheap and has links to free patterns she's written for yarn companies like this one for the cute dolls in the photo above. I haven't made any of her designs but they look fun. I couldn't help but laugh when I read the tag line on her site: "Roxycraft... patterns that don't suck." Love it! You should check it out.

This is the new CraftSanity headquarters. Just a couple months ago it was a baby nursery and now it's my home office, complete with a whole wall of lovely custom, wall-mounted bookshelves built by a friend. I never dreamed I'd ever have "custom" anything, so to look over and see all my books filling up the shelves in inspiring rows is a real treat.

And It's estetically quite pleasing to me to be able to look over the top of my computer screen at my latest sock knitting project waiting on the hand-me-down night stand I snagged from my parents house (they know) and look out the window adorned with the bold curtians I made out of four yards of Amy Butler fabric.

However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit conflicted about the conversion of this space and the effort I've been making recently to give away most of my baby supplies. (I'm keeping the comfy glider rocker in the photo above because it's the most comfortable seat in the house and the place where I spent hours nursing my girls. I plan to spend the next phase of my life knitting and reading in that chair.)

It's a sad thing for a woman to realize she probably won't have any more babies. Those of you who have reached this point can certainly relate. There's the relief that there won't be any more dirty diapers to change and the realization of what that really means. No more babies.

Since my path to motherhood wasn't a smooth, straight road, I've decided not to push my luck. I'm extremely grateful to have two healthy girls who sometimes challenge me with their mischievious ways. Wednesday was one of those challenging days when Abby was moved by her creative spirit to give herself an impromptu makeover. Jeff was making dinner and I was on my way home from work, when Little Miss Abby went to town on her hair with a pair of safety scissors. Apparently she decided she'd had enough practice cutting paper and was ready take it to the next level.

Snip. Snip. Snip.

The results were heartbreaking. I mean, my gosh, she gave herself a half mullet. (No offense to any mullet enthusiasts out there. I sported this look in 6th grade and have regretted it ever since. But if you craft, we'd likely hit it off no matter what your hair looks like.)

I considered posting photos of Abby's extreme hair makeover which I carefully documented (like I do most everything else that happens in our house), but decided to reserve the numerous photos of her and the piles of brown hair I found around the house for her private scrapbook. If she wants to release the photos to the world when she's older that will be her call. The beauty of the situation is that she knows cutting her hair was a bad thing, but thankfully she doesn't feel bad about how silly her hair looks. I'm so glad. The last thing I'd want is for her to feel bad about her appareance. I wish there was a way to bottle up that oblivious joy.


So even though I'm feeling conflicted, I'm happy to have a cozy home office with walls painted a vibrant blue. I'm exited to have all my books in one place and the possibility this room represents for a more organized future.

I tape all my podcast interviews in this room sitting at a big clunker Steelcase desk that my father-in-law rescued from the trash. (I don't think he has any idea how much I LOVE this gray metal desk.) I love that desk even though there are plenty of reasons not to love it. First off, it's gray. It's kinda banged up and it's really loud. I open drawers to the sound of scraping metal and if I happen to kick the desk or bump it with my chair when I sit down, it responds with a vibrating boom.

So it's not the best desk for a mother with two darlings sleeping down hall, but there's something charming about the clunkiness of it. I love the fact that it was free and that it's not rusting in a landfill somewhere. But the best part of owning this desk is that it has a history. Someone else sat at this desk and probably had grand ideas like mine. (We all think our ideas are grand, right?) I want to write books and letters at this desk. I want to sit here and interview famous artists and crafters. I want to sit here and day dream about all the fabulous possiblities I can imagine... but not before I make sure all the scissors in the house are locked away.

Do you have a room or creative space of your own? I'd love to see it. Post a photo on your blog and leave the link in the comments section below.

She doesn't quite have the motor skills for it yet, but Abby really wants to crochet.

She sat for a quite a while this evening trying to continue a chain I started for her. Instead of pulling the yarn through the loop on her hook, she kept weaving the hook through the chain. I tried to get her to make the chain without the hook, but she insisted that she needed that metal K hook.

So, I let her be and grabbed the camera instead. I want to remember this.

I took this picture in my kitchen on Nov 27, 2004. I was on my second maternity leave from my job as a newspaper reporter and feeling totally conflicted about the big return to work. My husband had recently clued me into the high tech world of podcasting and I almost immediately decided that I, Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, was destined to become a podcaster.

It was probably one of the quickest, most ill-informed decisions of my life. I knew I wanted to interview artists and crafters from all over the world and post free project tutorials every week, but that was it. I didn't know anything about the technology involved, how much time it would take to produce or how exactly I was going to convince people to agree to be interviewed for a podcast that didn't exist yet.

Somehow I thought it would really help if I had a cute logo. (This logic seems ridiculous to me now.) I'm a lousy sketch artist so, I decided I would assemble my logo in 3-D. I took several pictures including this one of a bespectacled cone of purple wool balancing a ball of cotton on it's head. After shooting a few frames it was clear this was not "it." This was not the symbol I wanted to represent my podcast which was at that point only a figment of my imagination.

I grabbed a skien of hot pink cotton, some pipe cleaner, buttons and googly eyes and tried to create a fun character to represent "CraftSanity." Within minutes I felt like I had it. It was strange actually because I remember how happy I was when I looked at the pictures of that pink skein with googly eyes and pipe cleaner hair. Looking back, I believe the act of creating that crazy looking yarn face was the first sign that I was headed in the right direction. I was having fun creating the symbol of this podcast and let myself get caught up in all the potential of what this podcast could be.

I sent the photo to my brother-in-law, Andrew, who turned it into the cool logo I use today and still completely love.

The day I stood in my kitchen shooting photos of a yarn ball with pipe cleaners sticking out of it, I had no idea what was going to happen next. I had no idea whether or not I would actually ever have an audience, or if any of craft superstars would ever agree to be guests on my show. The only thing I knew then was that the prospect of those things possibly happening made me very happy. And for that reason, I knew I had to give this podcasting thing a try.

I posted my first show Jan. 23. 2005, the day I returned to work after a three-month maternity leave. Then I posted another show about a week later, an then another and I got hooked. Even though my earliest shows were pretty rough, I started getting kind feedback from people who identified themselves as listeners. They thanked me and encouraged me to stick with it. And so I did.

I never imagined that I would get such a wonderful opportunity to have a regular dialog with people who share my love of art and craft, so the events of the last two years have been amazing fun for me. I've learned a lot during the last two years and I'm very exited about the possibilities on the horizon.

I've enjoyed interviewing dozens of artists and crafters from around the globe who have been very generous with their stories, projects and time. And, I've so enjoyed exchanging e-mails with several of you who tune in. The connections I've made within the creative community online and in person have enriched my life and helped me realize the tremendous joy that comes with following your bliss. And I wish that same joy for all of you.

Thanks for two great years!

CraftSanity my friends! It works for me!

Today was Abby's first official preschool snow day. When I told her that her school was closed because of the heavy snow, she immediately asked: "Is it closed forever?"

So, instead of going to class today and practicing her alphabet, Abby and her little sister, Amelia, got to play under the quilted "Party" banner I made for them over the weekend. They're really into throwing parties for their dolls and stuffed animals, so I'm doing my part to supply them with fun decorations. I swear I could make decorations for them all day because they respond with so much gusto. For this mom, having two little girls clapping with genuine enthusiasm when I installed the homemade banner above our front window was pretty darn great.

And just so you readers don't get the wrong idea and start to think that I'm going to try mislead you into thinking that my children are perfect and my life is a dream. Let me share this little tidbit. The day after I completed the banner, one of my little darlings decided to unroll my bobbins. I just about fainted when I saw the debris.



Big sister blamed little sister, and little sister confessed with a wide-eyed smile. But it doesn't really matter who did it. The damage is done.

Okay. I'm going to go back and reread the part about my girls clapping for me and go to bed.

Call it good fortune, or call it wonderful generosity on the part of a very talented woman named Hilary Seabolt.

Those of you who listen to my podcast on a regular basis know that I post a project from, or inspired by my guest every time I post a new show (with a few exceptions). To date, you can find roughly 60 free projects on the site. Anyway, I want to highlight this felt fortune cookie tutorial from this week's podcast guest, Hilary Seabolt, owner of the fabulous felt food company, Lilly Bean Market.

Now, I enjoy most craft projects but I really LOVE this one! These felt fortune cookies are fast and fun to make and would look terrific whipped up in red or pink to give as a lovely gift for the wonderful people in your life on Valentine's Day. They also make great party and wedding favors, kids toys or an interesting collection for your desk or coffee table.

If you don't sew yet, (There's always hope you'll start!), you can order completed fortune cookies from Hilary. Place your order by email or by calling (616) 780-2924. She offers price breaks for bulk orders and she will stuff the cookies with custom fortunes for your special event.

Thanks again, Hilary, for sharing this delightful project!

This week I'd like to introduce Hilary Seabolt, an inspiring young woman who discovered her felt toy-making talents about two years ago and launched a homemade business called Lilly Bean Market from her home in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Hilary in the attic studio where she creates play food out of wool felt. (She was the subject my weekly craft column published today in The Grand Rapids Press.) Each piece is machine sewn, then embellished with hand-stitching. Hillary ships felt food to shops and customers across the country and abroad. From ham and cheese sandwiches to fish dinners, cookies, cakes and good ol'  PB&J, Hilary has created a collection of 60 items to keep you and your children entertained for hours.

Learn more and listen to this show

It was bitter cold today in West Michigan, so we didn't venture out. I edited a podcast (I'll be posting it tomorrow!) while testing out the "shell edged flower medallion" pattern published in the "201 Crochet Motif's, Blocks, Projects and Ideas" book by Melody Griffiths. I borrowed this book from the library and really like it. I'm amazed by all the information packed into it. It's like 10 books jammed into one. I hope Griffiths was well-compensated for efforts. This book is impressive.



While I was editing and crocheting, the girls were having a party with their dolls and stuffed animals on the vintage quilt I inherited from Grammy B. A bit tattered, this quilt is still beauty. If I remember correctly, a co-worker made if for her many years ago and charged her $20. I think it's priceless.



Good news! I'm officially in the Sassy Apron Swap. It's not like there was some tough application process or anything. I just can't help being very enthused about being a part of this swap. And, in unrelated apron news, Jane posted a comment on yesterday's blog post to let me know that is about to release the "Emmeline Apron" pattern for the fantastic design pictured above. LOVE IT!!! Now I'm just hoping mMegy skills are up to the task and I can be the first to discover a way craft in my sleep.

Okay, so I think I've made it pretty clear that I like aprons. So it should come as no surprise that I signed up immediately after reading a blurb about Lucy's Sassy Apron Swap on whipup. I haven't received confirmation that I'm officially in yet, but the deadline is Jan. 20 so I think I'm good. Act fast if you want to participate in this great opportunity to celebrate the apron, too.




Oh, and check this out. These Heavenly Hostess aprons are so pretty. Unfortunately, they're made for full-figured women. I wish I would have discovered this site before I slimmed down. Crap! Now I need to find an apron like this for women with "nothing to speak of." Let me know if you know of such a place because I love this design.

This is my first attempt at making a fabric postcard, a project inspired by the very talented, mix media artist I interviewed today for an upcoming craft column. I plan to reveal her identity and post instructions to make a postcard of your own soon, so check back here often.

I try out all the projects I write about because I want to be able to write directions with some measure of authority and make sure I can field reader questions. So today, I watched the artist make a postcard, then I went home and tried to make one myself without any assistance. I think my second fabric postcard will be better, but I'm pleased with the result. It would be cool to get one of these in the mail. I've always loved receiving letters and postcards from interesting people and would especially love fabric mail. I should join a swap.

The card was created this evening when I should have been washing dishes. Ah well, the dishes will still be there in the morning. Perhaps the fact that I used a print of a woman doing yoga is a sign that I need to get back to class. I miss that zen.

One of my favorite things to do in this world is bite into one of my mom's delicious chocolate chip cookies. It's such a guilty pleasure to savor a cookie warm from the oven, and then wash down that first delightful bite with a big swig of cold milk. Hot and cold. Sweet and wonderful. I LOVE those cookies.

About 150 miles separate my mother and I now, so I don't get many opportunities to soak up the familiar comfort of time spent sitting at the kitchen table of my childhood, savoring those splendid cookies. My waistline is thankful, but my perpetually homesick heart is not.

I left metro-Detroit about a decade ago, but a piece of my heart remains there with my parents and sisters. When I feel like I need to get back to the old neighborhood but can't pick up and physically go, I mix up a batch of these cookies with my girls and let that first warm bite take me back to the memory of snack time with my sisters, sitting at the big oval table in Mom and Dad's kitchen. While baking up a batch of memories is no substitution for actually going home, they sure are tasty.

So tonight was one of those nights. Abby, Amelia and I put on our matching floral aprons and - with a little assistance from their dad- we fired up the Kitchen Aid mixer and got to work. The girls are too young to understand why I love these cookies as much as I do. But it's my hope that while I'm baking my way back to my childhood home, the girls are having a good time making memories to recall should they decide to mix up a batch with their kids someday.

In case you want to give this recipe a whirl, here it is:

Chocolate Chip Memory Cookies

Ingredients:
* 1 3/4 cups flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 6 oz. package of chocolate chips

1. Sift flour, baking soda & salt onto wax paper.

2. Beat butter, granulated and brown sugars, egg and vanilla in large bowl.

3. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Scoop mixture with teaspoon, dropping balls of dough on a cookie sheet about an inch apart.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Cool on metal rack.

Pour yourself a tall glass of milk and enjoy!

Note: These cookies are best when shared. : )

Every Tuesday night I go to CRAFT CLUB at the Y and hang out with kindred spirits. Since I'm the chatty founder of the group, I'm finding that I don't get much work done during the meetings and still end up making a bulk of my projects at home way after midnight. Nevertheless, I'm having fun meeting new artists and crafters every week and talking shop. The group is growing which is fabulous. It will be interesting to see what we can accomplish this year.

Our first order of business in 2008 is to make a club banner to hang up at the Y. Several of us are embellishing letters for the banner in our own style. My contribution so far is this charmingly mishappened letter C. I decided to quilt my letter out of fabric scraps. Next time I do this I will take greater care when cutting out my template. Or maybe not. Sometimes I prefer the randomness of things. As a busy mom I've learned to embrace life's imperfections and surprises. I'd like to think perfection is overrated, anyway. : )




While researching CRAFT CLUB banner options, I found this site. I think she makes some lovely banners. I especially like this one. So cute.

Montana weaver Kathy Wishnie sent me this picture of a doll she made her friend for Christmas. I like the way she combined weaving and crochet techniques to achieve a whimsical finished piece. (I love the dress and little felt shoes.) I weave and crochet, but this is a combination I have never attempted. It kind of got me thinking about other techniques that could be combined. Frankly, I don't think people mix mediums enough. I know I don't.

Wishnie spends most of her time weaving tapestries and landscapes, but changed it up a bit with this doll that she embellished with many clear glass beads intended to represent dew drops. This piece was inspired by a summer trip Wishnie spent hiking in the Seattle area. I hope it inspires you to mix it up a bit.

Tune in this week for a conversation with printmaker Alynn Guerra.

I met Alynn, 32, of Grand Rapids at a local street fair and really liked the prints she creates and sells under the name Red Hydrant Press. Not long after, I recorded an interviewed and wrote a column about her for my newspaper.

As I recently wrote on my GR Press blog: I respect the social commentary and accessibility of Guerra's work. You don't have to make millions to own it, and you don't need to stand on your head and squint with one eye to try to understand it. Alynn speaks through her art, carving images and words into printing blocks and linoleum and "publishing" her work for a limited audience one print at a time.

Learn more and listen to this show

Today my family celebrated the life of Donald Haywood, my husband's larger-than-life grandfather who died Jan. 6.

In a lovely tribute to him my sister-in-law said he reminded her of a large oak tree with arms like strong branches stretched wide to embrace people. The description is perfect and beautiful as he was always giving big bear hugs and hearty handshakes to those of us who were privileged to have known him.

This man was cool for many reasons. He was an excellent storyteller and skilled maker of lovely cement bird baths and garden ornaments. He built several homes and businesses from scratch, but his greatest legacy will be the love he had for his family. Grandpa Haywood never missed a chance to tell the people in his family how proud he was of each of them.

"It's good to be family," he would say every time we assembled for family meals, back yard cook-outs and the annual July birthday and Christmas-in-October celebrations. And it was.

The sweetest part is that he loved his wife, Joan, dearly for 58 years. They rode a long journey together sharing their lives in good times and bad. Together they raised a family, owned several small businesses and traveled the globe. They also survived the death of their oldest son without letting bitterness steal their joy. Together they were a fantastic team.

And even though our hearts ache for the void Grandpa Haywood left behind, we're grateful for the time we had with him. He had a good run and lived a great life in his 80 years. He was a giant of a man who loved us like a giant oak.

* The painting at the top of this post is "Incised Tree" by Tom Casaletto. You can read more about him here.

Okay, so tonight's "20/20" sucked me in. I had the TV on for background noise, but within minutes I moved to the recliner from the kitchen table (where I was preparing to resume editing the podcast I will be posting this weekend). I wanted a clear view of the TV for this one.

It was about happiness. And we all want to be happy, right?

It was great to hear that scientific research backs the theory that happiness is a choice. Now, I've had my share of unhappy moments. Heck, I basically spent a good part of my 20s spinning my wheels, trying to figure out my purpose in life. You know pondering those big, massive questions that can keep an impatient woman up at night, tossing and turning and stressing out about the meaning of life. Some call it a "Quarter LIfe Crisis." Mine lasted 8.5 years.

After life kicked a little dust in my eyes, I finally decided it was time to pick myself up and surrender to the universe. I threw my big cradle to grave life plan in the air and decided to trust that things would work out if I just chilled out a bit and made a point to actively seek joy every day no matter what.

So I dusted off my list of pie-in-the-sky and every day things I want to do before I kick off and started to check things off. I figured if I started heading in the direction I wanted go, I'd be closer to my dreams than if I continued to swim laps in a pool of frustration for another 8.5 years.

And wouldn't you know, "Operation Get Happy" actually worked.

CraftSanity, my long-winded, homemade podcast, was conceived during this particularly creative time in my life. I was on maternity leave from my reporting gig and feeling inspired, exhausted and totally conflicted about my future. My husband, a super geek, suggested that I start a craft podcast. He helped me post the first show in January 2006. (Thankfully, I've improved a bit since then.) At the time I wasn't sure there would be a second show. Then a funny thing happened. I started getting supportive e-mails from people around the globe. Immediately, I felt like my world had expanded. At long last I had found a way to blend two things I love: talking and crafting.

Fast forward to the present and I'm still podcasting. I don't benefit financially from the podcast, but what I get in return is better than money. I don't know if this happens to Barbara when she interviews celebrities, but I actually feel high on life after most CraftSanity interviews. Ask my husband. He's probably lost count of how many times I've wrapped up a super long interview and rejoined the family downstairs only to throw both hands over my head and declare: "That rocked!"

Chatting about art and craft makes me that happy. No joke.

I know, my enthusiasm seems a bit over-the-top to some. And I recognize it's kind of weird to act like I just got offered a real craft talk show gig and an Oprah camera crew is at my door to catch my reaction to the fact that "O" herself wants me produce CraftSanity for her satellite radio network. (A girl can dream, can't she?!) But the truth is I really do enjoy what I do.

There are better, more professional podcasts out there produced by tech gods and other nice people who can correctly pronounce the word "Oregon" without stressing about it. But I can tell you that my little show is produced with some serious craft love. I enjoy discussing life and art and craft with people from all walks of life and I feel very blessed that Jeff, my husband and life partner, continues to provide the unconditional love and tech support I need to make that possible. (You rock, honey!! Thank you!)

Part of being happy is counting our blessings. So today I count all the wonderful people who have shared their stories with me and all the folks at home who listen in while crafting or washing dishes or riding the subway. Even though I don't know most of you, it means a great deal to me that you like the show enough to keep listening. Thanks for being such a wonderful audience. Just the thought of someone laughing out loud while listening to me laugh with a guest, makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and yell: "This rocks!" Because it totally does.

Thank you for two great years! (CraftSanity officially turns 2 on Jan. 23, but I'm thanking you now because I'm too impatient to wait until then.)

I'm about to start recording some new interviews, so email me to let me know who you'd like to hear from next.

So I put up an "inspiration wire" tonight in the nursery we just converted into an office. I used wire and clips I had around the house. It felt good to fashion something to clip interesting items to without having to go to the store. I LOVE when that happens. This idea comes from Amanda's new book. I wasn't planning to install the wire tonight, but got inspired after looking at this flickr pool.

The plan is to add a fabric covered bulletin next. In the meantime, it's going to be fun to clip bits of this and that to the wire and view them on the wall as opposed to piled in a disorganized and creativity-stifling heap on my desk. The wire is much longer than it looks in the bottom two photos, but this will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

This book came in the mail today and it's lovely. While I enjoyed reading a digital copy of Amanda Blake Soule's "The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections" before I interviewed her for CraftSanity episode 60, it was really great to flip through the print version this evening while sipping peppermint tea.

If you like Amanda's "Soule Mama" blog, you'll love this book because her voice comes through on every page. She has successfully written a wonderful guide for living the most creative life possible and experiencing creative time as a family. This book is important because the activities described in it have the power to enrich daily life experiences and elevate these seemingly fleeting moments from mundane to mini-celebrations.

The book is divided into four parts - gathering, playing, living, and connecting - and includes several projects to try with your kids. This book has given me added motivation to donate the abundant toys in my home, and really make and effort to simplify my life (a personal goal for 2008) and spend more time creating with my kids.

Just enough time has passed since I read the book on my computer screen for the content to seem new again. And now I have big plans to page through it with Abby and mark the projects we'd like to do together with sticky notes. (This is one of the creative routines we go through to prep for our mini craft sessions.)

If we lived in a world without consequences, I'd skip work tomorrow and put up an "inspiration wire" to clip found objects to along with fabric swatches and my daughters' artwork. And then I'd get out my embroidery floss because I've always wanted to stitch a child's drawing onto fabric like Amanda shows on page 86. (Is it Friday yet?)

Some of my Craft Club friends will be pleased when I show them the instructions for making stenciled T-shirts with freezer paper on page 74. Those instructions will come in very handy since we're planning to do that during an upcoming craft session.

"The Creative Family" will be available in bookstores this spring, but here is an excerpt from Amanda's introduction on p. 7 to tide you over:

"My great hope in writing this book is that something you read here will spark a project in your family--and that fun will be had, connections will be made, and creative spirits of all ages will soar. The most important lesson I think we can learn is simply to create. Let your children see you creating. Create for yourself and for them. And create with them. When you do this with love and intent, I promise you there will always be beautiful results."

Pretty inspiring stuff, eh? The whole book is like that. Seriously.

I'm glad to share the planet with people like Amanda and so grateful for the inspiration. This book gets five out of four stars from me.

I'm so tired of plastic, battery powered children's toys. With all the recalls following reports of toxic paints, it was a relief when a story I'm reporting led me to Hop Scotch, a great little shop on Cherry Street in Grand Rapids that sells children's toys and clothing.

It was inspiring to visit a place that offers some fantastic alternatives to the toys I always seem to be tripping over in my living room. Most of the goods are locally made, which is extremely cool. The place was filled to the brim with hats, diaper soakers, diaper bags, sweaters fashioned from recycled wool, blankets, softies, and sets of beautiful blocks made by the Grand Rapids toy company, Uncle Goose Toys.

I zoomed in on the pita (pictured above) made from wool felt by Grand Rapids maker Hilary Seabolt. I had seen her work online previously and was very excited to buy this ham, cheese and lettuce pita for my daughters. Usually, I can't wait to unveil any new handmade toy purchase, but I seem to be coveting this fabric pita. Hmm. Maybe I'm worried my girls (ages 2 and 3) will fight over a single pita sandwich? Or, maybe on a subconscious level, I bought it for me.

I wish I could do this. I wish I could sketch faces while chatting on the phone and have them look like something more than stick figures composed by a child. To have the ability to draw would be really cool. Since drawing isn't my forte, I enjoy looking at the sketch books of those who can.

The sketches you see above are the work of Tom Casaletto, the Grand Rapids painter and assemblage artist I interviewed for my next GR Press craft column. They were on his kitchen table when I stopped by last week to see his studio, so I did what I (almost) always do when I see something cool. I took a picture. I love the way the sketches look piled up on the table. So interesting.

What do you draw when you're on the phone? Do you doodle or sketch?

Check back here on Sunday to read more about Tom and see photos of his paintings an assemblages.

A little side note: I'm not big on football, but I like the "Go Bucks" banner my friend Elizabeth crocheted as the hostess gift for a football party she went to. This gift is way better than forking over a bag of potato chips. Way to craft for the team, sister! : )

Today the weekly craft column I write for The Grand Rapids Press featured a project that you can make with supplies you have on hand and create a priceless gift for a friend or loved one. The idea comes from Karen Dunnam, 51, of Grand Rapids, who I met when I started a Craft Club at the YMCA. Read my craft column over at my "Running With Needles" blog and get the scoop on how to give the gift of memories in 2007. I hope somebody makes me one of these someday. : )

Poor little Abby. Not only do I wear aprons out in public, but I also make my children model my creations. (Not in public.) Here Abby hits the wall between clicks of the camera shutter, shifting from cheerful cooperation to total exasperation. "Aw, Mom!"

This potholder had been stashed away in a cedar chest in my grandmother's house for years. My mom found it while going through grandma's things after her death and now has it in the rotating mix of decorative potholders she hangs from the magnet hook on the side of of her fridge.

The design is very interesting and I'd love to try to make one of these. It appears to be stitched over a foundation grid that is worked first and then filled in with a ruffled effect. I find this very intriguing and would love to hear from any of you who might know more about this. Does anyone know where I can find a pattern for something like this? Thanks!

Here's a look at the back.

At long last, I'm back podcasting. Here's an interview I taped with one of my favorite knitters, Susan B. Anderson, when she made a return to trip to Grand Rapids in November.

Susan who hails from Madison, Wis., was in town to promote her latest book "Itty-Bitty Nursery."

Learn more and listen to this show

When I look at this pile of fabric and ribbon I see potential. There's the potential for wild success and equal potential for devastating failure. It sounds dramatic, but there's a good reason to pause as I size up these materials that I'm going to