Frontier Dreams: Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

The act of creating, in one form or another, preserves my sanity amongst the chaos of life. This explains why I always have more than one project going at a time as well as why my housework tends to fall behind. I enjoy seeing what others are working on and keeping calm with, too. What are you creating? What is keeping you going? Snap a picture or two, post i on your blog, on Instagram #craftingon and/or Flickr and then share it with the rest of us by leaving your link below.

Christmas knitting has begun. This is a gift for C. She requested a new Phoebe sweater for her Phoebe doll to match the one I made her for her birthday a couple of years back. I had just enough yarn left for the project - perfect! The book is one of our all time favs and it makes me so happy to see that C still treasures the Phoebe I knit her.

On another note - The children and I are spending the week making handmade gifts to go into the shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We only have a week to complete the gifts (I was just informed of this tonight at their AHG meeting) so I need some fast gift ideas. I was thinking some simple hand sewn dolls maybe and that is as far as I got. Do you have any suggestions? I could really use them! I would love for it to be something special but easy for the girls to make, too.

What are you working on? Happy creating!

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summerv7 30p · 438 weeks ago

Pretty Knitting ♥

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Rebecca · 438 weeks ago

Perlor Bead creatures like foxes are fun for the kids to make (and easy, quick!) You can find patterns for simple animals on Pinterest. Also- thetoymaker.com has tons of free printable paper toys to make. My kids enjoy making them for each other for Valentine's Day and Christmas- really great things! Another gift my children have made before that are totally made by them but look professional are freezer paper-stenciled things. You cut out the freezer paper design (and I know you are awesome at that sort of thing based upon your gorgeous window art!) and iron it on to fabric. The child paints with acrylic paint inside the design and when it dries you simply peel away the freezer paper and it looks amazing! I do this often for gifts and the children do it too. Usually we do it on onesies or t-shirts for individuals that we know their size but if you don't, you could always stitch up some simple drawstring bags and they could do it on them. All children love bags to haul stuff.

I've been enjoying your blog for several months now and have planned to comment before but never really found the time. (Or maybe I already did?! I don't remember!) Well, I enjoy it so much! Particularly because you and I share a similar story with our last borns. I jumped around on your blog after finding it, then found and read the post you had quite some time ago about longing for another child even though all those around you would wonder in astonishment at that fact. In fact, I was going through the very same thing at the very same time. The longing for a child for years (five in my case), the wondering why not?, the questioning, the self-doubt and then-out of the blue- the joy of a new life! My Christmas baby (and your fall one, no doubt) have given us both new appreciation for what may not have been. Of course it is true of all people- children aren't promised to us, no one knows when we will have them no more-but when you wonder if you will for years, the joy that comes when a child is given is just and the joy of all the looks and laughter and milestones- these are just such precious gifts that are so much more blatently so knowing, as we have, that they might not have been.

Very similar stories and a happy joy to know that someone somewhere....understands. :-)

Anyway. If I think of a few more ideas, I'll let you know. Those few just popped into my head as I read your post. :-) I have hopes to participate in your KKCO linky more often (I have several times) particularly now that Christmas crafting is next. ;-)

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1 reply · active 437 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 437 weeks ago

Thank you for the ideas Rebecca. And oh our baby stories <3 You gave me goosebumps! Congratulations to you on such a blessing!!

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Allison Daniels · 437 weeks ago

i just saw printed dominoes somewhere online! you could probably use picmonkey to create them and print them out. story stones might be okay, if you can paint. felt super hero masks that just go over the eyes. finger puppets, hand kites, bean bags, play doh? i dont know how well that would keep though. homemade moon sand might be an option though. sorry for the choppy response, i'm nursing with one arm and typing with the other! haha!

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1 reply · active 437 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 437 weeks ago

boy do I know about typing one handed while nursing! :) Thank you for the ideas!

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Jean · 437 weeks ago

If knit Comfort Dolls for the shoebox each year. Just google Comfort Doll for the quick, easy pattern.

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1 reply · active 437 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 437 weeks ago

oh yes! thank you!

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amothershares 33p · 437 weeks ago

That's a lovely idea to put homemade toys in the box. My girls are currently making beanbags to sell at a Christmas fayre. They usually go down well and are speedy to make. Or crotcheted/knitted juggling balls, although that isn't speedy enough I guess? Finger puppets are fun too and of course little rag dolls or very very simple little knitted teddies. I am sure you will all do a marvellous job, having seen all your past makings! Just seeing this post has reminded me of those lovely Phoebe mice you knitted some years back and how my daughters would love them. I have been trying to find a simple quick project to make for my daughters in time for Christmas and hurrah I have found one! I had thought quilts, but that will have to be an Easter gift considering the time frame and all the other demands of life! :-) Good luck with it all Anna

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1 reply · active 437 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 437 weeks ago

Thank you for the ideas! And yay for Phoebes!!

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Jodi · 437 weeks ago

Beautiful idea to make handmade toys for the less fortunate! I have some real questions about Operation Christmas Child, though. Franklin Graham has a bad record when it comes to social issues (race, sex, gender, immigration), not to mention that he is the highest paid CEO of a charitable relief organization in the country. Even if you don't put evangelizing information in your boxes, the organization does. It's such a nice idea, but in reality, this organization is sketchy.

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kja1130 58p · 437 weeks ago

I've started holiday knitting but lots of my stuff has to be done by thanksgiving when I see my side of the family. Love your rosy knitting!!

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Annie · 437 weeks ago

I love that your family is doing this together!

I know my kids love getting mail as well as writing and sending notes through the mail...maybe your Christmas Child recipients would, too? How about using rubber stamps or paint to make ordinary heavy white paper and small envelopes (with postage stamps already attached) into little packs of pretty stationery/note cards? Then you could bundle them into fancy "sets" using ribbon and this little flourish: http://www.adelightfulglow.com/cupcake-liner-flow...

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1 reply · active 437 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 437 weeks ago

That is so sweet. Thank you for the idea!

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