Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Book Review, Kids Craft, and Giveaway


I recently received a few craft books from Stackpole Books, Painting with Mixed Media, Christmas Crafts Scandinavian Style, and Artful Collage from Found Objects  I've always enjoyed art and had fun looking through these books.  There were a ton of inspirational ideas.



I love the Scandinavian style Christmas decor.  This book, Christmas Crafts Scandinavian Style, is full of beautiful and festive ideas.  Handmade fabric bags make a perfect touch for delivering a special gift, darling embroidered motifs, dainty Christmas ornaments, and one of the classiest advent calendars I ever did see were a few of my favorites.  I love that the book includes templates in the back so you can easily duplicate each craft.  There is even a guide for the different embroidery stitches for people who like me who have no idea about those kinds of things.  I really want to incorporate some of these ideas into my decor come Christmastime.  They'll go perfectly with the look I'm trying to create in my family room.

My kids really loved looking through Artful Collage from Found Objects with me.  On just about every other page my daughter would tell me, "Ooooo.  I want to make this one!"  This book is all about giving new life to what's inside our junk drawers and believe me I have plenty of "scraps" left over from previous projects that I'm happy to use for crafts like this.  It was a tough choice but she declared this Under Water project her favorite.

This project made for the perfect afternoon activity one hot muggy day a few weeks ago.  My daughter and I brainstormed together how we could recreate a similar scene using items we had on hand.  She decided to make seaweed by water coloring some packing paper.

She then cut it out into strips and crinkled it up.

We gathered a blue poster board, the water colored sea weed, some green tulle, and made shimmering fish out of aluminum foil.  Then everything was ready to be glued together.

My daughter had a blast with this project.  She mentioned over and over again how this was the funnest fish project ever! 

She was proud of her artwork and had a so much fun using her creativity to put it together.  Artful Collage from Found Objects was great inspiration for this craft and I think we'll be using it for many more.

The kind people over at Stackpole Books have offered to giveaway one of these books, Painting with Mixed Media, Christmas Crafts Scandinavian Style, and Artful Collage from Found Objects to three lucky readers.  Enter through Rafflecopter below.





 Good luck!
*Giveaway open to U.S. and Canadian residents only


17 comments:

  1. I've never taken an art class! I'd much rather paint than kick a ball around-I'm not that sporty!

    GFC: Kelly Brown
    kellybrown28021@gmail.com

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  2. I took art lessons when I was 8. I think that's when I decided painting and drawing wasn't for me. Music is art, though, and I've done plenty of that!

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  3. I took visual arts classes all four years of high school...I'm not so great at drawing or painting, but I do love crafting!

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  4. As the author of "Artful Collage from Found Objects" I adore seeing how your daughter interpreted my ideas. Every collage in the book is meant to stimulate new thinking and she and you did just that. Terrific. Ellen

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  5. I took a drawing art class in college. I loved it! now i enjoy drawing with and for my kids.

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  6. I love art! My dad is an artist and my favorite smells growing up were rubber cement, oil paint, and good quality markers! I would also love to see the advent calendar. Thank you.

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  7. I've never taken an art class, but I wanted to in highschool. My schedule was just to busy with other courses to include Art. I married an artist though, and my kids are definitley showing some artistic tendencies/abilities.

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  8. I took a bunch of art classes in college and I still love try to take one every now and then!

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  9. I've never taken an art class, but would still rather paint than kick a ball any day! I have Scandinavian roots so that Christmas book looks like a lot of fun to me. :)

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  10. I have taken crafts classes (not painting). I would rather paint than kick a ball around.

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  11. Please link this post to Artsy Play Wednesday on Capri + 3. Many families would love to try the recycled art project. The foil fish are really cute and the netting adds a nice texture.

    www.multiples-mom.com

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  12. I got to take an oil painting class in high school and loved it. I would rather kick a ball with my kiddos right now though. Maybe later on in my life when I don't have littles settling down will be an option.

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  13. I took a crafty art class when I was a kid. My sister was definitely the artistic one. I would rather paint a picture, I'm not a huge team sports person - a little too clumsy!

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  14. Your collage is beautiful!

    Thanks for joining in with Kids Get Arty! We try and encourage people to explore a Great Artists with our "Kids Get Arty" projects too and then creating a piece of at that is link to that artists... would love to see who and what you come up with next time?! The Next Kids Grt Arty is in November!

    Maggy

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  15. I especially love the Scandinavian craft book! I'm not the creative type myself, so any craft idea is from something I've seen with directions to steer me--otherwise I'm hopeless :)

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  16. That definitely looks like the funnest fish project ever :) I can't wait to do fun projects like this with my daughter when she's older!

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