Oh what crazy and stressful times we live in. 

All the more reason to start a hobby or fall in love with a craft. 

It’s proven that these type of activities lowers blood pressure and in general are good for your heath. 

I know it’s true for me. 

I spent this summer gardening and learning to throw clay.

Both activities are challenging but rewarding! 

The picture above is a doughnut shaped vase I made with flowers I grew. 

That felt good.

I also got to talk to lots of artists and teachers and put together a fall line up of amazing online classes. 

I can say amazing because I’m in awe of what these wonderful teachers come up with and their generous spirit to share all their knowledge. 

I’m just the AV lady, the tech girl. 

lol

Take a look at the line up of LIVE Online classes. 

You’ll find something the will catch you eye and your creative spirit. 

The new year is almost here. Woo Hoo.
I always try to find a bit of personal time during the holiday week to learn new skills.
It’s my gift to me.
(And if there is a snowstorm, and you can’t leave the house, even better.)

Here are some FREE VIDEOS with a few of our amazing and generous instructors; Mags Bonham, Cindy Pope, and Pam East.

We think you will love them.
Metal Clay Roll Up Beads
Extruders Explained
Building a Cane Slicer
3D Lithophane Printing
and
Adding Accent Gold to Metal Clay

Short and sweet but eye-openers.
Enjoy.
Happy New Year.

I love crafting all year round, but I especially love to create during the holiday season. Whatever holidays you celebrate, it’s fun to take time to make something special, whether in the kitchen or the craft table, so here at CRAFTCAST we have an assortment of classes we think you’ll love.

Making ornaments as unique gifts is one of my favorite things to give. If that’s something, you love to make sure and check out Pam East’s Silver Metal Clay Holiday Ornaments . And don’t miss Sulie Girardi’s Nostalgic Mixed Media Ornaments . And, if you have wanted to try felting, you’ll love Miss Bumbles Needle Felted Whimsy Ornaments. I love her adorable reindeer!
Have an ornament creating party!

Dust off your Silhouette or Cricut cutters and start creating Pop-Up Holiday Cards with Shannon Greenlese. She’ll show you how to create a gingerbread house as well as a menorah for holiday pop-up card fun.

And if you’ve been wondering about the Alta 3D Printer , you’ll love this class with Kelly Wayment. She will walk you through printer set-up basics and then show you how to create a personalized ornament complete with a sparkle finish.

Join master bakers Cindi Raven and Nancy Westfall and learn how to make spectacular show-stopping Holiday Cookies .

Have a wonderful holiday, “crafting” season.
🙂

I love my garden auger bit for my drill! It made planting 250 bulbs a whole lot easier than last year when I only had a shovel. If you don’t know about COLORBLENDS.com, check it out. They have an amazing selection and the quality is superior. This year I added even more daffodils, and then added 100 of mixed tulip bulbs. It’s always a happy time of year when they start to show the little green tops coming up.

Outside clean-up is done for the year. All have been raked, mulched, and planted. For the first season in our new home, it went well. I’ve learned where there is too much sun for one thing. I moved a hydrangea that needed a bit of shade and added a hydrangea that I’ve been told LOVES sun.

I did leave the hammock up. It is fun to have on sunny winter days to do some sky and cloud watching.

Now it’s time to start concentrating on indoor projects. I’ve inherited some wonderful plants from my son who wanted to make more room in his apartment. I think they’ll be happy here. The next project is getting some plant lights installed.

🙂

Who loves tools, both new and old?
We do!
This week on I LOVE Tools we had presenters from around the world showing us all-new tool possibilities.
Joy Funnell, a master metal clay artist, and teacher showed us a tool she loves. Watch and see how she creates rolls of metal clay and incorporates the shapes in her work.

Melanie Muir shared with us her new texture plates. Melanie is a master polymer clay artist who is a genius at creating textures and patterns that she incorporates into her jewelry pieces.

Then take a look at the world of 3D printing. Kelly Wayment shows us how to create a “lithophane” with the Alta 3D printer from Silhouette. It’s an art from the 1820s. Artwork was etched or molded into very thin porcelain. The result could only be seen when backlit with a light source. Kelly shows how fun and easy it is to take your photos or artwork and 3D print a lithophane with your design.

Polymer clay artist Shelley Atwood, who is known for her stunning jewelry pieces, show us a bead roller that makes creating uniformly shaped beads a cinch.

Leslie Yowell can make you a 3D mold to your specifications. Check out her ETSY store.

Cindy Pope always had something new to share, and this time it’s templates to use to create her metal clay jewelry pieces.

Pam East has a Free Video to share. Learn how to add gold accents to your metal clay pieces. Such a great way to add even more sparkle and bling.

Etcher Laser came on to show us all their new tools, a machine that can etch patterns and photos into a variety of materials. Oh, the possibilities are endless.

I love showing a few things too. First, I demonstrated a Crayola airbrush, then etching a night light and last, adding metallic foil using your Silhouette or Cricut machines.

Take a look at this Video. It’s free and make sure and download the handout as well for all the links to the tools shown.

At CRAFTCAST, we’ve been working away this past summer, creating all-new LIVE webinars. Of course, we are excited to share with you these upcoming classes. Live this month Mags Bonham will show how to created quilt-like canes with polymer clay. You’ll also learn more about the Silhouette software and how easy it is to design your patterns. Live webinars in November include making silver clay holiday ornaments with Pam East, 3D Printing with the Alta with Kelly Wayment and Metal Clay Felted Sheep Sheep with Sue McNenly. Oh, the fun you can have! Join us and remember, a recording of the class is included so you can watch it again and again.

The weather has been unseasonably warm here, so I wasn’t in the mood for changing out the summer plant display at my front door.
But then yesterday the weather changed and it finally felt like old fashioned fall, sweatshirt weather and apple cider donuts.
First, I cut the last of the zinnias and cut flowers. I love having a cutting garden.
Then off I went to Stew Leonard’s. It’s a local shopping conglomerate that has food, garden supplies, and even a petting zoo.
They had the best deal on pumpkins.
I loaded up my cart.
Almost had a “falling pumpkin” accident, but caught it just in time.
My pots of annuals got moved to the back of the house. They really did well this summer. I guess the southern light was perfect for them. The first frost is still a way off, but eventually, it will happen.

I’ve had the wagon and the wooden box forever. They work great for holding all types of holiday decor. I actually have big clear containers where I store all the different props and goodies for different holidays. I love having supplies on hand.
If you saw me in motion though, I’m sure you would laugh.
I had unloaded all the goodies from the car the night before and in the morning walked outside holding my coffee, still wearing PJs, to survey my purchases. And then of course, just started arranging. About an hour and a half later, fall had arrived at my front door.
And it was time for another cup of coffee and maybe a change from PJs.
Here are a few pictures of the new arrangements.
😉

I love FALL! Actually I love every season… lol.

But I really love nature’s colors and materials to play with.

Pods, gourds, vines, and pumpkins are some of my personal favorites. This week I did some decoupage on a white pumpkin. First I sprayed the pumpkin with some adhesive and then I applied ferns and other little found gems from the garden and whatever. I finished it off with a coat of Mod Podge Matte. Here are some other pumpkin-bouquets that are inspiring.

Happy Fall Decorating.

For the latest on what we are learning to make, check out our videos and our live webinars! 🙂

Time for I LOVE Tools, LIVE, October 23rd, 2019 at 7 pm ET.

Join the discussion!

Hi. I am new to Precious Metal Clay, but I LOVE the idea of using Silhouette Curio as a tool for making my elements. I’m wondering if there is only one model; and if not, then, which model should I buy to use with PMC?

Thank you for all you do to support the craft community and small businesses. Much appreciated!

With kind regards,
Karen

I’ve been loving making flowers from Deco Craft clay. Working with hardly any tools and just my fingers is a great break from digital tools, even thought I love them too!
I think sunflowers are my favorite to make. I’m going to try Hydrangeas next. This clay has a bit of polymer in it, so it dries really light and flexible.
Here are some other photos from this week, plus I couldn’t resist a bit of holiday clay fun.

For the latest on what we are learning to make,
check out our videos and our live webinars! 🙂

I have a bit of a notorious sweet tooth. Not just anything will do, of course! It has to be pretty 🙂 And, oh my goodness, these beautiful cakes by Leslie Vigil sure fit that bill!

When I first saw them, I thought they were indeed embroidered! But so yummy looking… could these be REAL CAKES???

Yes they are! She is genius coming up with these brilliant designs — would you have the patience?

Follow Leslie on Instagram for more oohs and aaahs!

For the latest on what we are learning to make, check out our videos and our live webinars! 🙂

Time for I LOVE Tools, LIVE, February 27th, 7:30 ET.
Make sure and register to hold your spot and receive the recording, even if you can’t attend the live event.

Watch and learn about the latest tools for metal clay, polymer clay, the Silhouette Cutters and 3D printing from your favorite teachers!

It’s FREE.