Craftside

How to make crochet candies from the book Simply Adorable Crochet: 40 of the Cutest Projects Ever

Today I have a "sweet" crochet candy pattern from the new book Simply Adorable Crochet: 40 of the Cutest Projects Ever. Aren't these just adorable? Well, yeah, that's what the book title says you get, now doesn't it? I bet these little crochet candies would be cute on an Easter tree or as a garland on a Christmas tree? Don't crochet, you knit? Well, you're in luck scroll down to see what I whipped up with some of my old knit swatches....yup you guessed it knit swatch candies!

Click on this page from Simply Adorable Crochet to enlarge to read the full pattern and crochet diagram for crocheting cute candies.

 

Jane Doe Amineko got in on the recycled knit swatch candy making!

If you don't have a knit swatch stash all you need to do is knit up a little rectangle in stockinette stitch.

Then make a little ball of yarn to roll the swatch around to make the center candy.

Tie the rolled ends in place with a bit of yarn. You could stitch them, too, if you didn't want bows.

More about the Race Point book:

 

Simply Adorable Crochet:
40 of the Cutest Projects Ever

by

 Maki Oomaci

This Simply Adorable book includes step-by-step instructions with both diagrams and colorful photographs showing how to make the cutest crochet projects ever. There are food treats - cupcakes, doughnuts, candies, strawberries, and mushrooms, all looking good enough to eat. . . . And critters - little families of ducks and birds, squirrels with acorns, mice, ladybugs, deer, bunnies, lambs, donkies, kittens bears, and raccoons. Find great ideas for a wide variety of holiday decorations - including snowflakes, wreaths, stockings, and bells. Make flowers for bookmarks, plus bows and booties and dolls, and so much more!

 

The concealed wire-O binding allows the book to stay open hands free while you’re crocheting.

Maki Oomaci (Tokyo, Japan) has studied art since childhood. After working at the Suntory Museum, she became a designer at Mind Wave, a stationery manufacturer in Japan. She then began selling consignment knitting accessories and stuffed toys and amiguraumi at the store Jam Cover in Tokyo. She now divides her time between creating her adorable crafts and writing books about them.

    

Six prompts for painting from the book Brave Intuitive Painting by Flora S. Bowley

Are you a fan of the "prompt" to spark your creativity? Try these 6 prompts from Flora S. Bowley's book
Brave Intuitive Painting-Let Go, Be Bold, Unfold! Techniques for Uncovering Your Own Unique Painting Style. I bet I can guarantee you will be happy with what you create. At the very least, you'll have some fun and enjoy the time you spent being creative. I believe that that is just as important as the end result!

Click on this page from Brave Intuitive Painting-Let Go, Be Bold, Unfold! Techniques for Uncovering Your Own Unique Painting Style to enlarge and read the 6 prompts Flora calls The Be Brave Challenge: Variation-The Spice of Life

More about the Quarry book:

Brave Intuitive Painting-Let Go, Be Bold, Unfold!
Techniques for Uncovering Your Own Unique Painting Style

by

Flora S. Bowley

Adopt a spontaneous, bold, and fearless approach to painting as a process of discovery—one that results in lush and colorful finished works that will beg to be displayed. This inspiring and encouraging book for both novice and experienced painters shows how to create colorful, exciting, and expressive paintings through a variety of techniques, combining basic, practical painting principles with innovative personal self-expression.

Flora S. Bowley takes a fun and forgiving approach to painting, based on the notion that “You don't begin with a preconceived painting in mind; you allow the painting to unfold.” Illustrating how to work in layers, Flora gives you the freedom to cover up, re-start, wipe away, and change courses many times along the way. Unexpected and unique compositions, color combinations, and subject matter appear as you allow your paintings to emerge in an organic, unplanned way while working from a place of curiosity and letting go of fear. She lives and works full-time as a painter in Portland, Oregon, where she is inspired by magical forests, abundant gardens and a vibrant community of fellow artists. Visit her online at www.florasbowley.com.

    

How to stamp on fondant from the new book Cupcake Decorating Lab

If you like rubber stamping and you like cupcakes then today's post featuring a tutorial on how to stamp on fondant from the book Cupcake Decorating Lab: 52 Techniques, Recipes, and Inspiring Designs for Your Favorite Sweet Treats! is for you.

An added tip from The Creative Cake Shop: If you want to write something unique on your fondant cupcakes, try using Wilton's Extra Fine Food Writer Markers. They give you added control and can even be used to color in your stamp instead of food painting!

And if cupcake decorating is your thing or you want it to be you can get yourself in the running for a copy of simply by answering the question:

What is your favorite flavor of cake?

Answer by Thursday May 9th at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada only. By entering our giveaway, you are automatically signed up for our Craftside  e-newsletter.   

For another chance to win a copy of Cupcake Decorating Lab and a tutorial on how to make Owl Cupcakes pop on over to SPOON.

Now onto the tutorial on how to stamp on fondant:

Click on these pages from Cupcake Decorating Lab to enlarge and read the full tutorial on how to stamp on fondant.

More about the Quarry book:

Cupcake Decorating Lab:

52 Techniques, Recipes, and Inspiring Designs for Your Favorite Sweet Treats!

by

Bridget Thibeault

Discover easy, accessible, and fun techniques for making beautifully decorated cupcakes with Cupcake Decorating Lab! This inspiring guide starts out with basic techniques, such as frosting cupcakes with an offset spatula; using a piping bag and tips; flooding cupcake tops with icing; frosting with chocolate ganache; and tinting buttercream.

The labs in the book cover a wide variety of exciting decorating techniques, such as how to make sugared and candied fruit and flower garnishes; stamping, stenciling, and piping on fondant; and scroll work, writing, and borders. You’ll also find fun ideas for children, weddings, holidays, entertaining, nature themes, and more. Plus, the author includes all of her favorite cake and icing recipes! Create the most delicious and stylish cupcakes imaginable with Cupcake Decorating Lab!

Bridget Cavanaugh Thibeault, chef/co-proprietor with John Emerman and Tatyana Rehn of Luna Bakery & Cafe in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, began her career in advertising in Chicago after earning a degree from Marquette University. A love for cooking  and creativity led her to culinary school where she earned an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts from the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

Bridget moved to New York City to become a food stylist, gaining experience in both print and television for major food brands and publications. Flour Girl, her custom cake and dessert business, was launched as a creative side business. She returned to Chicago in 2004 to work as culinary director at a culinary consulting firm doing recipe and menu development, testing,  writing, product ideation, and food styling. In 2006, Bridget relocated to her hometown of Cleveland to focus on her growing  Flour Girl business, which in turn led to her partnership with John and Tatyana. In 2011 they opened Luna Bakery & Cafe. Luna offers fresh breakfast, lunch, and dinner options including crepes, salads, paninis, local espresso, and coffee. Specialities include: made from scratch pastries, cupcakes, and wedding cakes. To learn more about Luna visit www.lunabakerycafe.com. 

How to make a file folder book by Jeannine Stein

A couple weeks ago, Jeannine Stein (author of Adventures In Bookbinding: Handcrafting Mixed-Media Books and Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials), taught at an ETSY craft night at CAFAM. She showed everyone how to make this super cute recycled file folder book. You can see pictures at Jeannine's blog Ink Stained Book Arts. Well, you Craftside readers are in luck! Jeannine wrote up the tutorial on how to make her recycled file folder book so we could share it with you!

And if you need more great book making projects and tutorials grab yourself copies of her books:

Adventures In Bookbinding:

Handcrafting Mixed-Media Books

and

Re-Bound:
Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials

 

Author of 1000 Artists' Books Peter Thomas at ARLIS and how to make a clothespin book

This past weekend I attended the Art Librarian Conference and boy what a room filled with eye-candy! I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Thomas co-author of one of my all time favorite books 1,000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art.

So in honor of getting to meet Peter and his wife (she came along later) I thought I'd share an inside peek into 1,000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art and a tutorial on how to make a clothespin book that I whipped up inspired by this tutorial that is featured in the book.

Here is how I made my clothespin book.

All you need is a clothespin, bit of paper, string and a button.

Start by cutting a strip of paper wide enough to fit in the clothespin opening.

Fold one end of the strip of paper into the slot and then wrap it around the clothespin.

To secure the paper to the clothespin, tie a small length of string to a button and the wrap the other end around the backside of the button.

And want to see their adventures traveling around the country making books? Pop on over to Peter and Donna' s blog Adventures of the Wandering Book Artists.

If you are like me and love, love, love books on artists (and unique books made out of all sorts of things), run (or click) to your favorite place to get yourself a copy of:

1,000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art

by

Sandra Salamony

and

Peter and Donna Thomas

The book is a timeless art form, one that is as alive today as ever before, and artists continue to explore and explode the boundaries of what a book is and can be. In this beautiful collection, you will experience close-up various aspects of hand-crafted books: covers, bindings, scrolls, folded and origami structures and books made from found objects. You will find richly illustrated and calligraphed pages as well as books created from a variety of printed processes. Ingenuity and creativity abounds in this carefully curated collection of both historically important and modern works.

Sandra Salamony is a professional book designer. She has authored, coauthored, and curated several books on artisan topics. She lives in Traverse City, Michigan. Visit her online at http://www.sandrasalamony.com.

Peter and Donna Thomas are book artists and coauthors of More Making Books by Hand. They live in Santa Cruz, California.