#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--A FELTED SOAP PROJECT FROM AUTHOR KIM RICHARDS

Kim Richards is an author, editor, and book formatter. She writes horror, fantasy, science fiction, erotica, nonfiction, and children's books under her name Kim Richards and two pseudonyms: Sharie Silva and Kim Bundy.Learn more about Kim and her books at her blog.  

Besides writing books, I’m a BIG crafter. I have so many obsessions—sewing, weaving, calligraphy, leather and wood working are just a few. Recently I ran across something simple, yet elegant:  felted soap. I’d like to show you my process and see if it sparks your interest.

 

I like felted soap because it’s a fun, relatively easy project that makes something luxurious for yourself or as gifts. It’s supposed to be mildly exfoliating too. 

There are just a few supplies:

Soap bars of whatever size you’d like to use.

Nylon stocking or fine net

Wool roving. Using wool is a MUST. 

Hot water. (You may want gloves to protect your hands from the heat of the water.)

The neat thing about felting the soap is the wool’s natural shrinking properties are what’s necessary to encase the soap. You want to use strips pulled apart just enough to see the soap through. Then start wrapping it around the soap bar. Keeping it tight as you wrap is helpful to the shrinking process, but you don’t need to tug on it hard. Change direction as you wrap second, third, or fourth layers of wool so you cover any corners and there aren’t many gaps.

Next, cover it with the nylon or netting.  You can tie it off if you like or just hold it. The idea is to keep the wool and soap together.  Next, put it in a bowl or sink of hot water and press it down gently so all the wool fibers are submerged. Squeeze it in your hands a few times. It won’t take long for you to feel the wool tightening up. This is when you want to begin massaging it. This agitates it just enough to push the wool fibers as they shrink around the soap. It’s normal for it to get soapy. You actually want it to do this.

 

Continue working it for about 12-15 minutes. At this point you should not see any stray strands of wool or the soap beneath. If there are, simply get it back in the hot water and massage it longer.  Give it a quick rinse under cold water, carefully remove the nylon/netting and set on paper towels to dry. How long drying takes depends upon the temperature of the room. You can set it in the sun or run a blow dryer over it if you like. I prefer to just leave it overnight. 

 

Tie it up with a ribbon or toss it in a basket for a nice gift. That’s it! Easy and fun. 

 

Fighting for Home
Descendants of the Amazoi, Book 1

In 300 B.C.—the Greco-Roman Age—tribes of warrior women thrived near the Black Sea. The area is now modern-day Turkey. The Greeks called them Amazoi (meaning Mankiller). Inspired by their story, Fighting for Home sings the tale of one tribe as they battle to save their way of life. 

 

Healing magic is real! Ilenea and Saphira, the wolf sisters, battle close to home with others of their generation. A healer priestess named Essla travels to a temple of Artemis at Anthela with her male slave, bringing a call to arms for the pending war. She meets and falls in love with a Roman General. Whatever the outcome, this war changes everyone.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--FROM DESIGNING CRAFTS TO DESIGNING WAYS TO KILL PEOPLE BY LOIS WINSTON

Because our scheduled guest bailed on us today, Lois Winston, that sadistic mystery author who spends her life tormenting me, is stepping in to tell you a little bit about herself and how she came to spend her life tormenting me. She does have ulterior motives. Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book about yours truly (there are now eight, plus three novellas), is currently on sale for .99 cents for a limited time at Kobo and Amazon. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website. 

From Designing Crafts to Designing Ways to Kill People

By Lois Winston

Life’s journey is rarely a straight line. It certainly hasn’t been for me. Way back when I was working toward my BFA in graphic design and illustration, I never would have imagined that someday I’d be writing novels. Since graduating from college {{cough! cough!}} years ago, I’ve worked as a layout artist for two advertising agencies as well as the world’s oldest department store, an illustrator for the publications and alumni departments of two major universities, a freelance designer of needlework kits, a designer and design coordinator for a major manufacturer, a craft book editor, and a magazine freelancer. And that was all before I got the crazy idea to write my first novel.

Even then, my career didn’t proceed along a straight line. I started out writing romance, and now I’m killing people for a living—but only in my novels! I also spent twelve years as a literary agent, working for the agency that represented me. Is your head spinning yet? Mine is just thinking about my rollercoaster of a professional life!

I’m now a retired designer, a retired literary agent, and a retired romance writer. Truthfully, I find killing people (on paper) far more fun than writing sex scenes. I spend my days getting my reluctant amateur sleuth, Anastasia Pollack, into trouble while sitting at my computer recording her antics as she attempts to thwart my efforts. 

I don’t think Anastasia likes me very much, but I can hardly blame her. Before I came along, she was leading a typical middle-class life in the suburbs with her husband and two teenage sons. About the only not-so-typical part of her life was the Shakespeare-quoting parrot she’d inherited from her great-aunt. 

That all changed when I decided to kill off Anastasia’s husband prior to the opening pages of the first book. Unbeknownst to her, the two-timing louse was having an affair with Lady Luck. He gambled away all their money, leaving her to deal with staggering debt, his communist mother, and a demanding loan shark. You can read all about it in Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. And as Anastasia mentioned above, the ebook is currently on sale at Amazon and Kobo for only .99 cents.

Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 1

“Crafty cozies don’t get any better than this hilarious confection...Anastasia is as deadpan droll as Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon....” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When Anastasia Pollack’s husband permanently cashes in his chips at a roulette table in Vegas, her comfortable middle-class life craps out. She’s left with two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, and her hateful, cane-wielding Communist mother-in-law. Not to mention stunned disbelief over her late husband’s secret gambling addiction, and the loan shark who’s demanding fifty thousand dollars.

Anastasia’s job as crafts editor at American Woman magazine proves no respite when she discovers a dead body glued to her desk chair. The victim, fashion editor Marlys Vandenburg, collected enemies and ex-lovers like Jimmy Choos on her ruthless climb to editor-in-chief. But when evidence surfaces of an illicit affair between Marlys and Anastasia’s husband, Anastasia becomes the prime suspect. Can she find the killer and clear her name before he strikes again?

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST PROTAGONIST ANA CAMPBELL'S CRAFT HACK

Hacking is bad when it comes to computers but great when it comes to crafts. Today we’re joined by school principal Ana Campbell, the protagonist of author Liz Boeger’s award-winning, unpublished cozy mystery, AppleJacked!, the first book in her proposed Moccasin Cove series.

Liz grew up in a snake-infested area of South Tampa originally called Rattlesnake and still lives in Florida. After nearly three decades as an educator she still prefers genuine snakes to the human variety. She has been a teacher, teacher-trainer, and a school administrator. Connect with her on Twitter @LizBoegerAuthor and learn more about her at her Moccasin Cove Mysteries blog.

Craft Hacks for School & Home: T-shirt Paint

School principal Ana Campbell shares a story from early in her teaching career when this Craft Hack came in handy. It taught an important lesson to her students and to her boss.

“Campbell, what’s with this paint all over my new cabinets and windows?” My demanding boss did not modulate her tone for the thirty smirking fifth graders in my reading class.

I kept my cool and refused to stop teaching just to quiver for the queen.

“Deylon,” I whispered. “Would you please show the principal those Clever Clings we made last week?”

The confident boy had been a frequent-flyer in the principal’s office in previous years. This year I used every brain cell I possessed to find him leadership opportunities. He met my challenge handily. I refocused on the student who had been reading to me and let Deylon take charge.

“Look here, Principal Miller, you jest peel ‘em off and see, mash ‘em, and they go right back on. No mess. We reuse them all over the room posting our work. Ain’t that clever? Let me show you my writing sample hanging on that window.”

I can thank that overbearing boss for this crafty idea. Early in my career, my husband was in the Air Force and we moved frequently. During one deployment, he was in Qatar and I was all by my lonesome in Nevada, where I was hired to teach at a new school. I’ve learned I can avoid student meltdowns when they feel connected to their work. So, I post samples of student work to build their confidence and pride, but, “NO TAPE ALLOWED ON ANY SURFACE!” was the mantra of my highly intimidating principal. What was this teacher-girl to do?

At about the same time, I was using T-shirt paint to decorate some canvas sneakers to wear to school for a garden-themed unit in science. A glop of paint had smeared on my laminate countertop at home and I didn’t notice it until the next morning when I was checking to see if the sneaker design had fully dried. Voila! An idea was born that would solve my NO TAPE dilemma.

I discovered that the dried smear of paint easily peeled off of the countertop just like a window-cling. No residue, no stain, and the thing clung again and again when I applied it to the window, to mirrors, and to my refrigerator. If kept free of dust and dirt, it could be used to hold light-weight student work on the cabinets and windows. I even used it to number the cabinets in my classroom.

It’s been nearly twenty years since I discovered this craft hack. Now, as a school principal with my own NO TAPE policy, I share this idea with my teachers. So, have at it and have fun--but don’t let me catch you putting tape on my windows and cabinets! 

Materials:  Bottles of t-shirt paint in colors of your choice, laminate or glass surface to use as a temporary canvas, paper towels, toothpicks.

Time: 15+ minutes to paint and at least 24 hours to dry, depending on humidity and the thickness of your cling creation. Warning: This is fabric paint, so keep it off cloth fabrics you don’t want stained.

Result: Repositionable “sticker” used to post student work, label a cabinet, leave a happy note on a mirror or refrigerator.

Surfaces: Non-porous: laminate (like Formica), glass/mirrors, whiteboard, refrigerator

Directions:

1. Shake paint down into the tip of the bottle before dispensing to eliminate air bubbles. If you do get a bubble in the design, just smooth it out with the toothpick.

2. Squeeze paint onto the “canvas” in desired design. Paint from the foundation colors UP, in layers. Use multiple colors and mix with the toothpick for a marble effect.

3. Make the cling at least two inches wide on a side and as thick as a nickel for ease in handling. Skinny or thin areas will tear.

4. Allow to dry completely—at least 24 hours. This is a much longer time than when using on fabric. Cling will feel tacky to touch when dry, but not sticky. If you smear it when checking the dryness, repaint and re-dry.

5. Peel the cling off the “canvas” and adhere to desired surface. Overlap the corners of student work to post on the cabinet or window. Reusable. FUN!

AppleJacked! 

Southern elementary school principal Anastasia Callahan Campbell investigates the murder of a young teacher while trying to save her failing school and bring economic recovery to her beloved Florida hometown. Untamed beaches, corporate raiders, meth labs, off-stage child abuse, autism, and childhood secrets take their toll on the sassy school leader. In the process of her sleuthing, Ana learns a hard lesson; while it takes a village to raise a child, it may also take your life!

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--PATRIOTIC TOPIARY

Happy Labor Day! Summer's last hurrah finds us taking the day off to picnic with friends and family. However, I thought I'd offer up a repeat of our very first Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers project from our inaugural blog post May 17, 2010. 

Patriotic Topiary

Materials: metal, wood, or ceramic container or clay pot, approx. 6” x 6” x 6”
15” long 5/8” wooden dowel
6” white Styrofoam® ball
1 yd. 1” wide blue print ribbon
3” x 45” piece blue gingham
scraps of red, white, and blue fabric
floral foam, enough to fit inside container
straight pins
green excelsior
hot glue gun and glue sticks
tacky glue

Note: Use hot glue for all gluing except where tacky glue is indicated.  Model shown made with red glitter metal container purchased from crafts store.

1.  Insert dowel halfway into Styrofoam® ball.  Remove dowel.  Dispense glue into hole in ball.  Reinsert dowel.

2. Glue floral foam inside container.  Insert dowel into center of floral foam.  Remove dowel.  Dispense glue into hole in floral foam.  Reinsert dowel.

3.  Apply a thin coat of tacky glue to dowel.  Wrap ribbon around dowel to cover.

4.  Tear fabric into 1-1/2” x 6” strips.  Place two strips wrong sides together and tie a knot at center.

5.  Insert a straight pin into knot.  Dip pin in tacky glue and quickly insert into Styrofoam® ball.  Repeat until ball is completely covered.

6.  Glue excelsor over floral foam inside container.

7.  Tie blue gingham strip around container.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA

Anastasia's Fabric Stash

Waste not, want not. That’s what my great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle used to say, and now that I’m counting every penny, I realize how right she was. But even before pauperdom walloped me upside the head, I always saved all the fabric scraps from my sewing projects. If you’ve ever had to buy an 1/8 of a yd. of fabric because you needed one 3” x 12” strip, you know how right I am. I keep all my scraps of fabric in a plastic storage bin, and it’s amazing how often I find myself rooting through that bin to find exactly what I need. However, sometimes the storage bin gets to overflowing. When that happens, I have lots of project ideas stored away for using up some of that overflow. Here are a few I’ll share with you today.

*Make sachet bags to drape over your clothes hangers or place in dresser drawers.

*Create drawstring gift bags for odd-shaped or any-size presents. You will be giving the recipient two gifts in one because afterwards the gift bag can be used to hold jewelry, lingerie, toiletries, or just about anything else. Decorate the bags with smaller scraps of fabric and scraps of ribbon and lace.

*Make a crazy quilt fabric-covered picture frame. Embellish the frame with ribbon, lace, buttons, and beads.

*Cut out small simple shapes, such as hearts. Sew two together and stuff for ornaments or gift package decorations. Glue them to pin backs or barrettes for soft-sculpture jewelry.

*Glue or fuse fabric to heavy paper and use as appliqués for hand-made greeting cards and gift tags.

*Cut fabrics of different textures, patterns, and colors into 3”, 4”, or 5” squares. Sew six squares of the same size together to form a cube, then stuff. These make wonderful, tactile soft blocks for babies and toddlers.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--COILED MAGAZINE TRIVET

A few weeks ago I showed you how to make a decorative bowl from magazine pages. I had so much fun making that project that I thought I’d do another. Follow these simple directions to make a trivet from those magazines you’d otherwise toss in recycling.

Materials:

magazine with colorful pages, scissors, low-temp glue gun, felt square slightly smaller than diameter of finished trivet, tacky glue

1. Tear pages from the magazine. Cut each page in half, lengthwise.

2. Fold each half page in half lengthwise. Fold the cut edge under 3/8” and continue folding the strip. (Note: this fold method is a slightly different from the one for the bowl in order to create wider strips.)

3. Apply dab of glue to one end of one strip and form into a tight coil. Glue the end in place.

4. Continue adding strips to enlarge the coil until it measures 2” in diameter. This is the center of the trivet. Adhere strips with a dab of glue as you add to the coil and glue the end of each strip to the coil.

5. Make 1/2” diameter coils from individual strips of paper. Glue 14 smaller coils around the outer edge of the large coil.

6. Make 1” diameter coils from two strips of paper. Glue 14 of these around the outer edge of the trivet. This will make a 5” diameter trivet. If you’d like a larger trivet, continue adding rows of coiled magazine pages until you’ve reached the desired size.

7. Cut a circle from felt to fit the bottom of the  trivet. Glue to bottom with tacky glue.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--VALENTINE TOPIARY

Valentine Topiary

Last week’s craft project used Valentine candy hearts. There was some candy left over from the bag that I bought. If I’m going to consume candy calories, you better believe it’s going to be really good candy. Candy hearts are cute to look at and use for craft projects around Valentine’s Day, but as far as candies go, they’re at the bottom of the yummy list.

So I decided to use the remainder of the candy pieces in another craft project, a Valentine Topiary. You could also make these with colored mints for a baby or bridal shower.

Materials:

4 ounce canning jar, candy hearts, 8” Styrofoam cone, assorted trims, ribbons, and laces, 1” white silk rose, low temp glue gun

1. Fill jar with candy hearts. Close jar. Glue cone to lid of jar.

2. Beginning at the bottom of the cone and working toward top, glue assorted laces, ribbons, and trims around cone.

3. Glue ribbon rose to top of cone.

4. Glue candy hearts randomly around cone.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CANDY HEARTS VALENTINE BOX

Candy Hearts Valentine Box

Materials: fine grit sandpaper, wooden box with lid, primer, mint green acrylic paint, foam brush, candy hearts, tacky glue, pink rickrack, satin finish acrylic sealer

1. Lightly sand the box and lid.

2. Apply a coat of primer to the box and lid. Allow to dry completely, then lightly sand.

3. Apply a coat of mint green paint. Allow to dry completely, then lightly sand. Apply a second coat.

4. Position candy hearts on box lid. Glue in place. Tip: glue the perimeter candy first and allow to dry before gluing the remainder of the hearts.

5. Glue rickrack around side edges of lid.

6. Apply several light coats of sealer to box and lid.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-JUTE & SEA SHELLS CONTAINER

Jute & Sea Shells Container

Is winter getting you down? Can’t wait for summer sunshine and trips down the shore? Put yourself in a summer state of mind with a summery craft project. This jute and sea shells decorated container will look great with some of the other shell crafts we’ve previously featured. Use it in the bathroom to hold your hair dryer and brush or in the kitchen for utensils or on your desk for scissors, pens, and pencils.

Materials: coffee can, 1/4” sisal rope (a 50 foot package will be enough to cover the coffee can and a matching soup can for smaller items), assorted sea shells, hot glue gun and glue sticks

1. Using hot glue and beginning at the lower edge of the can, tack the cut end of the jute to the can. Wind the jute around the can, gluing every few inches.

2. Continue gluing jute around metal top edge of can. Trim jute when can is completely covered.

3. Glue sea shells to can in desired arrangement.

Additional sea shell crafts from previously posted blogs can be found at the following links:

Sea Shell Topiary

Sea Shell Wreath

Sea Shell Photo Frame

Sea Shell Jar and Bath Salts

Sea Shell Mirror

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- FAUX FINISHED BOX

When it comes to crafts, I’m all about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Simple, inexpensive items can become elegant accessories with nothing more than a bit of time and a few common craft supplies. No talent required.

Today’s craft project is a faux finished box you’ll want to keep out on display year round. The box itself can be used to store just about anything, depending on the size you use. After all, who can’t use another storage container, right? Or use it as a container for a centerpiece. In and of itself it makes an elegant gift, but when used as a gift box, the recipient receives two gifts in one.

Materials:
chipwood box (your choice of size and style)

DecoArt walnut Americana water-based stain

DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Elegant Finish acrylic paint, Splendid Gold and Rich Espresso

DecoArt Satin Varnish

foam brush

rag

plastic lids to use as paint trays

household sponge

paper towels

3/4” wide ecru decorative lace trim, length determined by perimeter of lid and container

DecoArt American matte Decou-Page

1. Brush stain onto box and lid. While still wet, wipe off excess with rag.

2. Cut a piece of sponge approximately 1” x 2”. Wet sponge. Wring out excess water.

3. Place a small amount of the Splendid Gold paint in a tray. Dip an edge of the sponge into the paint. Tamp off excess paint on paper towel. Then randomly tamp onto box and lid.

4. Repeat Step 3 with Rich Espresso paint.

5. When paint is completely dry, brush on a coat of Satin Varnish.

6. Using the Decou-page, decoupage lace around lip of lid and base of box.

Want to line your box? It’s easy with some felt and tack glue. Measure the inside circumference of the box and the height. Cut a piece of felt to these dimensions. Place the box on a second piece of felt and trace around the bottom edge. Cut out this piece 1/16” inside the traced line.

Glue the side piece to the inside of the box. Fit the bottom piece into the box. If it’s a bit tight, trim to fit. Glue in place.


Anyone going to try this craft? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- KIDS' HOLIDAY WORKSHOP

It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas or Hanukkah. This is the time of year when you begin to see holiday craft shows and bazaars springing up at schools, churches, malls, and street fairs. Why not organize a Children’s Holiday Gift Workshop for your local PTA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or Sunday school? Simply follow the steps below. -- AP

1. Present your idea to the organization. Have samples of projects to show. Choose an appropriate date two to three weeks before the holidays (either after school, an evening, or on a weekend,) and ask for parent volunteers. The number of volunteers needed will depend on the number of kids involved, but it’s essential that you have enough volunteers.

2. Discuss cost. You can either charge a minimal amount to cover the cost of supplies or slightly more to make the workshop a fundraiser for the organization.

3. Choose three to five simple craft projects which can be completed in the allotted time. Check older Monday posts at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. We’ve featured simple kids’ crafts in the past. You can also find kids’ craft projects online and in books at the library. Chose projects suitable to give as gifts to a mother, a father, and a sibling. If making for or five gifts, the remaining ones should be neither age nor gender specific so that they can be given to grandparents or other siblings. Refrigerator magnets for hanging school papers are a good choice as are holiday ornaments and picture frames.

Make sure the projects you choose are appropriate to the age of the children who will be attending the workshop. You want them to have an enjoyable experience and leave with both a sense of accomplishment and nice-looking presents to give to their family. A project that is too difficult will only frustrate the child and produce less than pleasing results.

Stay away from projects that require extra equipment such as ovens or ones which need excessive drying time. Ideally, you want the children to be able to wrap and label the gifts before leaving. If a project requires paint, substitute markers, crayons, or colored pencils.

4. Display a sample of each project a big poster announcing the workshop in a high traffic area of the school, library, recreation center, church, or synagogue where the workshop will take place.

5. Send a registration flyer home with the children. The registration deadline should be two weeks prior to the event. You’ll need this extra time for preparation. On the registration form, list the cost of the workshop and the gifts that will be made. Mention that each will be wrapped and labeled before the child leaves. Ask again for parent volunteers. You can also do registration through email if you prefer.

6. Once you receive all the registration forms, you’ll need to purchase supplies. Calculate how much of each material you’ll need plus colored tissue paper or wrapping paper and yarn to wrap each item. In addition, purchase small self-adhesive labels for each gift, plastic zipper bags for each gift, and a brown paper bag for each child. Place all the components for each craft project in a plastic bag. Place all the plastic bags in the paper bag.

Don’t forget any tools you’ll need, such as scissors, pencils, tape, rulers, crayons, glue etc. You should be able to borrow many of these from the school, church, etc., but make sure you have enough. Children should be encouraged to share tools, but you’ll need enough per group so that you finish in the allotted timeframe.

7. On the day of the event, give each child a paper bag. Divide the children up among the volunteers. Depending on the age of the children, you’ll want one adult for every five to eight children. Before beginning, have each child write his name on his paper bag.

The volunteers should have all the children work on the same project at the same time. As each project is completed, have the child wrap, tie with the yarn, write the recipient’s name on the label, then place the label on the gift and place the gift back in the paper bag.

8. Don’t forget to involve the children in the clean-up afterwards. All scraps need to be thrown away and tables wiped before leaving. You may want to reward the children with a cookie or some other treat as they leave.


Post a comment to enter the drawing for a copy of a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- SHELL JARS AND BATH SALTS

Continuing our seashell theme, this week’s craft is super simple and would make a great hostess gift if you’re invited to a friend or family member’s seaside vacation home. Make a dozen or so and keep them on hand for whenever needed. A set of three in a basket makes for a perfect gift.-- AP

MATERIALS: small glass jars with screw-on lids (available at craft stores,) hot glue gun and glue sticks, decorative shells, bath crystals or beads.

1. Glue a couple of shells to the jar lid. 


2. Fill the jar with bath crystals or beads.

If you’d like to make your own bath salts, here’s an easy recipe:

BATH SALTS

MATERIALS: 3 cups Epsom salts, 2 cups sea salt, 1/2 ounce essential oil, 1 cup baking soda (optional -- baking soda will soften the skin and condition the water), wire whisk, air tight glass containers (such as Mason jars).

1. Whisk salts together well in a glass or metal bowl. 


2. Add essential oil and continue to whisk together. 


3. Whisk in baking soda, if desired. 


4. Spoon into jars. Seal tightly.

That’s all there is to it! How much simpler can you get? Actually, even simpler. Watch for next week’s shell craft to see what I mean. Meanwhile, post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author this week.-- AP