Felt Art + Marbling Design + Learning

Are your running out of craft ideas? Not to fret, as I've got you covered with another two projects. 

Kidspot: DIY Felt Art Set

Head over to Kidspot to get your hands on a Felt Art Template set I created. This set is the perfect starter kit for creating felt images. This activity is perfect for isolation, or travel (life after isolation).

My Poppet: DIY Marble Design Hat

In My Poppet land, I have shown how simple and easy it is to marble a three dimensional blank canvas. 

Here's a fun fact about the marbling ink (Bokuundo) used in this project. I bought the marbling ink from an art store fifteen years ago, and it's still good to use. 

WC Digital Portrait © Melissa Gaggiano

I have signed up for a swag of short art courses. I've completed a portraiture course that combines water colour with digital elements. The other courses I'm working through include BJD making, Art Toy Design, and Pop-up Book Making.

Time to Repair, Make, Reflect

In this time of social distancing, which can make a messy cocktail of loneliness and boredom, it makes all the difference having activities to keep your mind busy and engaged in a healthy way. Here I've put together a bunch of new projects that can help you in this slightly new found hermit existence.

My Poppet Makes: Darning Socks

Have you got a pile of holey socks which, apart from the unravelling blackholes, could be perfectly fine. Rather than throwing out those holey socks, head over to My Poppet and try a simple darning tutorial. A few things I love about this activity – it's easy, basic sewing; it'll add colour to your otherwise humdrum socks; it doesn't take long to repair the holes, and will extend the life of said socks.

Kidspot: Worry Doll

A loss of routine and uncertainty can produce distress. The act of working with your hands can help calm the mind, whether it be through sewing, drawing, baking, or really any form of creation. If you or your family members are feeling lost and out of sorts during social distancing, try making a worry doll. I have produced my own version of a worry doll for Kidspot, in a very easy to follow video tutorial.

Did you know worry dolls originate from a Guatemalan legend? It is a Mayan tradition to present children with a worry doll to free them of their nightmares. Before going to bed a child can whisper their worries to the doll. The doll is placed under the pillow, and the next day the child wakes worry free. Exploring deeper into the origin of the worry doll the tradition is connected to the legend of  Princess Lxmucane, who received the gift of problem solving from the sun god.

Kidspot: Stationery Caddy

Another recent Kidspot craft tutorial I recommend checking out is a DIY Stationery Caddy. You'll laugh when you see what I used to make this. While home based learning is in progress, having an easy to carry stationery container can be the perfect item, and craft activity, for the kids' temporary school space.

My Poppet Makes: DIY Paper Cherry Blossom Mobile

One last item in my activity round up, if you have a love of paper craft, mobiles, cherry blossom, and Japanese culture, then I have something for you. It is a DIY Paper Cherry Blossom Mobile. That's a mouthful! You can decorate your home with one of these mobiles. Or make a handful of them for a garden party. 

An amazing plus to this project – if you own a Cricut cutting machine, there is an SVG file version of the flower template. Having a Cricut will save you so much time and energy in cutting out these intricate flower designs.

Coffee, Macarons, Pigeon Post + Hot Dogs

© Melissa Gaggiano

In the week that was there has been coffee and macarons. As in, I've been making coffee and macarons, not in the kitchen, but with my sewing supplies. Doesn't that look a treat?

One of the kids has started on a letter writing journey with an an imaginary postal pigeon. I have enabled her. Together we have created a postal station in the yard. It is a place for the 'pigeon' to deliver letters, and rest.

  

Before the above landing pad was made the fence acted as a temporary postal station for the pigeon, and sure enough, the next day, their was a mail collection card letting us know the kid's letter had been received by the pigeon.

On a end of day whim I made a variation of a hot dog. It is a dachshund, resting on a bed that appears suspiciously like a bread roll. No hot dogs were harmed in the making of this lil guy. My littlest has named him Saucy. This is not at all weird.

Star Makers

In some respects I am in hibernation. There are moments of busy, business. There are also periods of quiet rest. The work of a crafter is quite physical, and especially so for a content creator. It was therefore important that I learn to pace myself, take up physio, and correct my workstation. All this, and battling head colds (It is winter). The good news is, my new habits are beginning to work, and will hopefully lead to my work being more sustainable.

During this quiet time I've enjoyed taking a time out from things like Instagram. Instagram is to be enjoyed, like flipping through a magazine very quickly. But it's not something that you want to become ritualistic. Imagine standing in a news agency all day, skimming every magazine in sight. You'd 'like' a lot of things, but how much of what you see is absorbed?

My best creative periods are when the kids invite me to make something with them. There has been clay sculpting, needle felting (Ouch! Ouch! OUCH!),  and more recently, moulding with a hot glue gun. Credit for the hot glue gun activity comes from an article about Moriah Elizabeth, in a recent issue of Total Girl magazine. All good fun!

Purse + Owl + Stuff

Handmade magazine – # 36-12

The 2018 April issue of Handmade has dropped in news agencies, and would you believe? I'm a cover girl! Well, sort of... kind of! Two of my designs are cover girls. That counts doesn't it? Check out Handmade to find out how to make the Mermaid Purse and the Pocket Owl.

In other news, I've been full steam ahead, as I work on a top secret project. Obviously it's not so secret because I'm telling you that I've got something in the pipeline. But it's secret enough that you'll just have to be patient and wait for the ultimate unveiling.

The past few days a viral meme garnered my attention – #artvsartist . So, I decided to participate.

#artvsartist

Coffee Break, Masks and Other Challenges

In things that have been happening:

© Gwen Gaggiano

My eldest has offered to paint my portrait if I can go a month without drinking coffee. I'd love to have my portrait painted, but I don't know if I can sustain myself through caffeine withdrawal. I mean, my aim in life is to be less grumpy, and I can only imagine what the lack of caffeine might do. Perhaps the trick is to build it up – go one day without coffee, then have a coffee the second day. Two days without, one day with. Et cetera, et cetera!

Felt craft: The Legend of Zelda – Link with Bunny Mask;
Deku mask; Majora's mask.

My husband's birthday is just around the corner and I made him a headband. No, really!  I did. For a bit of context, years ago I made him a LOZ Link doll. Each year after that I make an accessory to go with the doll. So far I've made a Deku mask, and Majora's mask. This year I made the bunny headband mask. I'm thinking that one day we will need to build a treasure chest to store these pieces. Perhaps it can look like an actual LOZ chest.

© Melissa Gaggiano

My doll design development continues, as always. Working with armature, continued improvements to the pattern with each new doll. This week I have been exploring wig hair. Playing with a synthetic weft, as well as a needle felted hairdo. My next step is designing shoes and a crochet top for the blue haired doll. The crochet top is a massive challenge as I am experimenting with a super fine crochet hook and embroidery thread. Might work, might not! We'll see!

Flowery Felt Craft Project

My Poppet tutorial
© Melissa Gaggiano

How exciting is this! My Poppet Makes presents a freshly minted tutorial by moi. If you're into felt craft and flowers then this lil' treasure of a project is the perfect activity for you. Add this to your list of wee wonderful to make this year.

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

My Poppet Makes