Eggbert the Holiday Reindeer Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
Rudy the Holiday Reindeer Copyright 2008 Avalon Potter
Rudy Inspired Angel Ornament Variation Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(Click on images to view close up)
Meet Eggbert the Holiday Reindeer. He's not as famous as Rudolph, but he's got his own charms. Eggbert is the funniest reindeer in the North Pole. When Santa's feeling blue, Eggbert perks him right back up with a snappy one liner or a goofy face. He keeps everyone's spirits up during the big night when they start to get pooped from all of that flying and landing and distributing of gifts.
Eggbert the Holiday Reindeer came from a craft day with my lovely daughter Avalon. She's like the cobbler's kid, she hardly ever gets to craft with her crafty Mom. We made collaged pendants using scrapbook paper, chipboard and our own illustrations. I decided to draw a cartoon reindeer when I couldn't find the right one online. I wanted it to be cute but not cloying, funky and fun and totally kid friendly. This is my necklace set and my daughter made her very own pendant that is far cooler than mine as you can see!
It's great to craft with your kids and projects like this make it easy for everyone to have good results. The idea here is to draw your own version, but I've included a jpeg of my cartoon below you are welcome to utilize for personal use only. (That means if you use it for resale or to teach a class and I find out, you are violating my copyright and that would be stealing which isn't nice and I may have to get all hinky on you.) I've included an image of an alternate ornament using the same collaged techniques with vintage sheet music and a scanned and sized image from my personal permission free stash. You can find repro vintage holiday images on a variety of websites including Art Chix Studios and in Dover Books.
Remember that this is made of paper, so don't wear it swimming, in the shower or out in the pouring rain!
Eggbert the Holiday Reindeer Necklace Set Kid Friendly, Mom Approved Copyright 2008 Margot Potter For Personal Use Only
2. Drag image into Photoshop and size to fit dimensions of tag.
3. Drag image into Publisher to create a document you can print out to cut and adhere on the background paper.
4. Trace circle on background paper and cut out.
5. Glue background paper to chipboard circle with some overlap. Allow to dry and then trim edges.
6. Stamp flourishes on to paper using archival ink in jet.
7. Glue cut out image on to bottom corner of circle. Trim edges to fit circle. Allow to dry.
8. Use hole punch to make a hole in top center of circle.
9. Paint a layer of Mod Podge over image. Allow to dry.
10. Use fingertip to gently spread Stickles on background paper avoiding image. Allow to dry.
11. Paint edges with silver leafing pen. Gently bend pen nib so it leaves a thin silver edge around chipboard circle. Allow to dry.
12. Paint back of circle with silver leafing pen. Allow to dry.
13. Seal sides and back with a layer of Mod Podge. Allow to dry.
14. Attach a large jump ring to hole in the chipboard circle to create a pendant.
15. Attach EZ Crimp to one end of wire.
16. Bead crystals on wire.
17. Pull wire into second EZ Crimp end with chain nose pliers.
18. Attach EZ Crimp to wire, making sure the design is rounded before you secure so it's not too stiff when worn.
19. Create a matching pair of earrings using the same techniques. Thread crystals on head pins and make three coil top dangles.
20. Attach dangles to 5mm jump ring and secure closed. Attach beaded jump ring, chipboard circle and ear wire to a 10mm jump ring and secure closed.
Make a chipboard ornament using the same layered collage techniques. Let your kids join in and do their own versions. Crafting is supposed to be fun...so have fun already will ya?!
Eggbert the Holiday Reindeer Jpeg for Personal Use Only Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(Excerpt from a 1938 French magazine on clever ways of recrafting last year's fashions)
One Woman's Trash (or How the Craft Industry Can Survive the Economic Crisis)
Good Goddess there are days when my plate is stacked so high I want to run away and join the circus. It's hard to pick something off when you're afraid the entire pile will collapse and you'll end up feeling like Fibber McGee after opening a closet.
Now there's a Googleable reference for you!
I'm taking on everything that comes my way right now because the state of the economy is slaying magazines and businesses left and right. It's ugly out there people. The craft industry is taking a big hit and we're all trying to figure out how to stay relevant. That and we're all trying to stay employed. I think there's a bit of a disconnect though; this should be our time to shine! We're just going to have to do it differently; it's going to be less about mass consumption and more about back to basics.
It's a good time for crafting if we can show folks how to repurpose, renew, 'upcycle', re-use and to utilize their stash in new and innovative ways. We have to show them how to integrate items they can buy affordably with things they already have on hand. I've been making treasure from trash for the past week and I have to say it's been challenging in the best possible way. I've been a re-purposer since I first discovered thrift stores way back when. Things we usually toss in the recycling bin or the trash can can make for interesting new elements in designs. I love the costume jewelry designs from the 30s and 40s because designers were forced to work in new mediums and explore new avenues of creativity. That's exciting stuff for an artist, it stretches you creatively. They used plastics, resins, straw, base metal, paper...there really were no limits. It's easy to fall back on the make the same pretty thing using fine materials. One must to try to make gold and silver and diamonds and pearls look bad, but try making a necklace from vintage paper...or old toys...or images cut from a magazine...or chipboard and scrapbook paper and making it beautiful and wearable. Try making a collar smart with a few colorful tassels or button accents. Now you're talking.
If you're selling finished goods, can you scale back some? Can you use cheaper materials but maintain your quality? People are simply not going to buy things that aren't either practical or affordable. So make beautiful useful things folks can afford to buy. Lower your expectations and your prices a skootch. It means sucking it up a little, but the alternative really sucks. Those who wish to stay afloat during stormy seas have to learn new strokes.
We simply have to gear up for the storm and do our best to turn those storm clouds into showers of opportunity. We do that by crafting smarter. We do that by rethinking product lines and product focus. We do that by showing folks how entertaining and how affordable it can be to 'upcycle' and 'recraft'. We do that by getting folks who have been too busy to see the value in DIY to embrace it. How much cooler is the necklace you made yourself or the scarf you knit with yarn you dyed or the card you made from recycled materials than the mass produced assembly line cookie cutter thing you bought at the mall?
Rising costs in China are also going to mean far less access to cheap crap. To which I say...HUZZAH! I'm not a fan of the plethora of cheap crap because it's mostly attained at the expense of someone else's well being...like the silicosis epidemic among the folks in China who drill gemstone beads. I also think it's about time we slowed down and regained our appreciation for the hand made. My grandmother was a master seamstress who always made her own clothes until she was stricken with dementia; the women from her era could do just about anything. The Grandma our industry loves to diss kicked some serious arse with a bobbin and a skein of yarn! My mother and father were heavily into recrafting back when I was a wee young thing. This isn't a new idea, it's just a time that's ripe for it to reemerge.
It's time for the craft industry to step in and remind folks of the power and the beauty of the handmade. It's time for us to remind people just how fun it is to DIY! Plus we have to show them it's an affordable alternative to ready made. So I'm working my pretty little fingers to the bone coming up with new ways to crack the nut each and every day. It's scary out there, but I'm fighting fear with ingenuity, chutzpah, unmitigated gall and a whole lot of moxie!
We're debuting a new series of super short videos that focus on the basics. Crafty Quickies! Each video shows one simple technique and takes between 1-2 minutes to watch. It's a great way to zero in on things even seasoned pros don't always know or remember. Though I'm impatient, I'm a stickler for doing things right and I'm exasperated at the volume of bad information out there. If you do it right, you won't have to do it again, and that saves time and frustration.
I just watched brand new video content on a major big box chain website. The quality of the filming was impeccable, but I literally cringed when I saw the host take out the chain nose pliers, not uncross the wires and finish the project incorrectly. I mean...they sell all three of my books! Can't they read them before sharing bad information?! Heck you can sell another tool if you show the right way to do it. You can't teach people how to do something if you don't know how. There are a zillion jewelry making videos on YouTube and the majority of them show you the wrong way to do things. There are a zillion jewelry making books written by "experts" who tell you the wrong way to do things. Can you tell this gets my goat?!
It is our mission to show you how to do things right the first time. We want you to get the basics down so you have a strong foundation upon which to build. Then you can enjoy the fun part, creativity, without worrying about the unfun part, project do-overs! So without further adieu here are the first three Crafty Quickies...stay tuned for the Crimp and the EZ Crimp vids to come next!
Here's a free holiday craft project I've created for your enjoyment. As always, these designs are intended for personal use and not for resale. It's hard to see the sparkle, but there's a light dusting of fine glitter on the surface of this design that gives it the perfect touch of magic. This is designed as an ornament, but I'd seriously sport it as a pendant. I'm kooky like that. So I've dubbed it an "ornapendant." Enjoy!
Stop back on Thursday for the debut of the new The Impatient CrafterTM Crafty QuickiesTM how-to video shorts, we're going to be making these for a while to get everyone squared away on the basics.
Until then...craft on with your bad selves!
Cheers, Madge
Jaunty Snowman Ornapendant Margot Potter Free Holiday Craft Project Copyright 2008 for personal use only
This jaunty little snowman features Deco Art SnoTex with a sprinkling of fine glass glitter and a dash of silver leaf accents to give it maximum sparkle. Each circle is made of chipboard and the festive scarf is a small length of ric-rac ribbon. This is a kid friendly project with adult assistance and makes a delightful addition to any Christmas tree. (You can also opt to wear this as a pendant if you're feeling extra festive! If you do, make sure you seal the back so it's water resistant and remember it's paper so it needs TLC.)
Tools 2 pairs chain nose pliers Round nose pliers Wire cutters Paintbrush Electric drill with 1/16" bit Sharp scissors
1. Use a spatula or your fingertips to spread a thick layer of Snow-Tex on each chipboard circle. Sprinkle a small amount of fine glass glitter on surface. Allow to dry overnight.
2. Use paint brush and shimmering silver paint to edge each circle and to paint the back of each circle. Use a foam applicator or your fingertip to lightly spread a small amount of silver paint across the raised portions of the surface of each circle. Allow to dry.
3. Mark hole placement and then use a drill with a 1/6" bit to create a hole in the top of the largest circle and the top, sides and bottom of one smaller circle and the top and bottom of the second smaller circle. Use a white pen to fix any areas that may have lost their snow.
4. Make gentle indentations with a small paintbrush end for eyes and nose on head circle. Glue them in place using Amazing Gloop. Allow to dry. While drying use Sharpee to add small dots for mouth.
5. Repeat process for buttons on mid-section circle.
6. Use wire to make small stick style arms. Bend with fingers to give sticks some movement. Use round nose pliers to create small loops in one end of each stick arm.
7. Drill hole in center top of top hat using 1/16" drill bit. Thread with an eye pin, bend eye pin flush to top of hat and cut to about 1/8". Use round nose pliers to grasp and roll end into a loop.
8. Create a hook using 20 gauge Colourcraft wire in silver. Cut off a 3" section of wire. Use round nose pliers to make a small loop in each end. Bend center of wire over index finger and use fingers to shape wire into a hook.
9. Attach sections together using jump rings.
10. Attach arms using smaller jump rings.
11. Attach hat to top of top jump ring.
12. Attach hook to top of hat.
13. Tie a 3" section of ric-rac ribbon around front of jump ring that attaches head to body. Use fingers to fray edges slightly.
14. Trace a left and right mitten and cut out. Place each cut out mitten on back of paper to trace a mirror image mitten. Use EZ-Runner to apply double sided tape to back of one mitten in each set. Compress mittens over end of craft wire. Clean up any overlap with scissors.
15. Hang on tree or replace hook with a swivel lobster clasp and wear on a chain.
Today folks across the blogosphere have united to shed some light on the plight of refugees. Over 40 million people worldwide are suffering atrocities we can not begin to fathom. Imagine having to flee from your home, your possessions, your friends, your family and your life as you know it suddenly and without warning. Imagine knowing that after that moment absolutely nothing about your life will never, ever be the same. Imagine living in temporary tents without electricity or plumbing or heat or air conditioning, relying on others for food and shelter, watching your children suffer and starve. Imagine not knowing if you'll ever have a home again, see your family or friends again, return to your country again. Imagine relying on the kindness of strangers every moment of every day for even the most basic of human needs. Imagine waiting desperately for life sustaining supplies and medicines that are often co-opted by corrupt governments. Imagine everything in your life changing down to the molecular level in an instant.
We are, all of us, our brother's keepers and when we ignore suffering and sorrow and oppression, we lose our humanity. None of us are free until all of us are free. This is what happens when we as human beings subscribe to the doctrine of "the other." There is no "other", there is only us, all of us, connected by our humanity yet currently divided by our ignorance. May we finally reach the moment when we take that quantum leap into the consciousness that fully grasps that we truly are all one. Until that day those of us who get it must keep shining the light on the darkest nature of the human soul.
Here are some links to resources of information about refugees around the world who desperately need our compassion and our help:
and in Dover Books
