National Craft Month - Photo Candle Holder

March is National Craft Month

How are you getting your craft on today?  How about trying something new?  The rush is super for your overall health not to mention fun!  Here's a project that you can do right now that won't break the bank!
   
Photo Memory Candle Holder

By Joan Martin Fee

Don’t keep your photos on your computer, create lovely displays to share their beauty with inexpensive candle holders.  Use photos from vacations, headshots of family members for reunions or wedding favors, or images of nature look amazing too!

What You’ll Need

Computer and printer

Paper, regular or vellum

Photo of your choice

Craft knife with new blade

Cutting board

Glass candle holder, 3” high, circumference 11” (you can use any size candle holder just test fit the paper around it)

Tape or white glue

Battery operated votive candle

Ruler – optional

Scissors

How to Make It

1. Print picture so it covers 3” x 11” on the paper.  You may need to repeat the photo or enlarge or decrease it in size. 
2. Place image on cutting board, right side up.  Cut out details with craft knife.  If desired, use ruler as a straight edge to cut against. Remove cut out sections from image. 
3. Cut image to fit around candle holder, overlapping ends slightly.  Tape or tack at ends with glue.
4. Place candle inside, turn on and enjoy the memories!

Joan Martin Fee has been involved in the craft industry for a zillion years!  From designer to editor to teacher to television personality, she’s done it all.  She’s taking all that experience and her creativity and teaching workshops and holding creative retreats on the beautiful Central Coast of California.  Check out more of her designs at www.MakeHealthyFun.blogspot.com and her retreats and workshops at www.CreativeMeTime.com.

Ceramics Class

Ceramic Shoe

I'm headed off in a couple hours to a fun ceramics class where we get to paint this adorable shoe! I hear it's super easy! I can't wait!

After my class, it's time to start getting my crafting stuff together for our crafting weekend. We've booked ourselves pretty heavy into pampering appointments and some craft classes, so our free time will be limited, but we'll enjoy every minute of it, I'm sure! When we get the ladies of my family together, we have a fabulous time! The weather here is fantastic - it's going to be in the 70's and the sun is shining!!! (I talked to someone in Omaha last week and they were happy to have weather in the teens!)

Since I'll be away this weekend (no computer) I will post my challenge photos on Monday!!!

Saturday is March 1st, so let the Craft Challenge for National Craft Month begin!

Enjoy your day!
Joan

Wonderful Indulgences

Decadence…

It has been a week of wonderful indulgences...last Saturday I had brunch with friends at a funky coffee shop where we sat and chatted for hours listening to a great guitarist/singer.

One evening I treated a friend (and myself) to a facial. My friend has had many trials in her life and it was time she got pampered. When our facials were done, I came out to find her propped up against the wall with a glow to her face and a smile that I hadn’t seen in a long time. The ladies in the shop were kind enough to ‘make me over’ because I was going out to dinner at a very nice restaurant with another friend. It was absolutely divine to catch up, have a wonderful dinner and listen to live music. I had the most fantastic dinner – there was some fancy name for it, but it boiled down to Lobster Ravioli in a light creamy tomato sauce with shrimp – divine!

The next night, I had dinner with Cheryl Ball – yes, THE Cheryl Ball from the Aleene’s Creative Living television show. Cheryl and I go back a long, long way, so we chat about the past, present and the future. We had the most wonderful comfort Italian food on a rainy, cold evening.

One evening I took the short drive to where my family lives to drop off my nephew’s birthday gift. I got him one share of Marvel Enterprises since he’s a huge Spiderman fan. It won’t mean a lot to a 6 year old, but hopefully someday it will. But what this started was something at work – I told a co-worker and she told another co-worker and now she told one of her sons she’d front the money for a share of stock if he researches and finds out about the stock to purchase. Fantastic!

Back to my evening…I drove my parents to my brother’s house to look at his latest remodel project – last I was there, there was a 6 foot hole in their family room floor. The floor now looks fabulous!!! As we got back to my parents house, I asked them if they knew the Irving Berlin song What Will I Do? And sure enough they did. So, I popped in my ‘training’ CD and we sat in their driveway and sang the song. I haven’t practiced my singing hardly this week at all –yikes!

I indulged in a wonderful massage late last night, came home, chilled and went to bed early.

It’s Saturday and I don’t have many things on my to do list. We’re expecting a huge storm later today, so I’m planning on staying in until I go out tonight with a friend to dinner and to see the play Tuesdays with Morrie.

Are you thinking about the Craft Challenge for March? I know I sure am! I’ve started my list of projects.

Make it a fantastically creative day!

Joan

It's National Craft Month!

I was just writing some copy for the Duncan website about March being National Craft Month. It made me stop and think that I really need (OK, and want!) to take time to CREATE!

Last weekend, my 5 year old nephew and I painted using the Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™ - every time he visits (which isn't often enough for me!) he asks to paint. I LOVE IT! We went to a local craft store and he selected a wood 'bug carrier' as a gift for his brother's hamster. Well, after he got it painted, it quickly became a holder for the plastic animals he had also gotten at the craft store.

Back to me being creative. My next stop is to check out the Duncan website and get inspired for my next project. Hmmmm...tie-dye, invitations for a special party I'm planning - I'm sure I'll find something!

Oh, I am getting to test another new craft product this week - can't wait to share that with you when it's released! Just a little teaser!