When I saw this project on Dollar Store Crafts, I  was transported back to those summer trips. This road map journal would make a perfect keepsake from a summer vacation.

Woven Map Notebook
from Dollar Store Crafts / Ruby Murrays Musing 

What You Need:
Maps (you’ll need at least 2)
Composition book
Scotch tape
Double-sided tape
Ruler
Scissors
Marker

1.  So that you can read the name places you’ll want one map piece to have horizontal strips and one to have vertical strips

2. Mark up strips on the opposite side you want to use. Measure strips about  1/2 inch wide and long enough to wrap around a mini composition book from top to bottom.

3. Hold down the horizontal strips down with cans or anything heavy. Weave in the vertical strips.

4. When you’ve woven enough to cover the book front and back, add some tape to the bottom of the woven pieces leaving enough of the tape to be able to fold over and seal the ends together.

5. Repeat for the tops and sides. You should now have a piece of woven map ‘fabric.’

6. Layer double-sided tape to completely cover the front and back, making sure the spine has tape adhered to it also.

7. Lay the back of the book on the woven ‘fabric’ and take the woven piece and wrap it around the book pressing down to make sure it sticks.

8. Trim around the edges. After trimming you will have some loose pieces that stick up, glue them down then put notebook under a pile of books to make sure all the pieces properly stuck to the cover.

Because I was creating this card for my mother, the butterflies and color scheme came easily. She was thrilled with the last card I gave her so I looked to it for inspiration. Like that card, the artwork in this card was primarily created with rubber stamps and colored pencil. I also die cut some custom shapes and used similar embellishments as before.

The Examiner.com article recommended using handmade paper for the base, but I was unable to find any at my local craft store so I went with simple colored paper. I was excited when I found that this project would give me the perfect excuse to test the precision of my new scoring tools. They worked like a charm.

The poem was a fitting verse I found on the internet, after struggling for a long time to write a poem of my own. The lines were perfect, saying everything I had wanted to say and taking up the right amount of space for the layout.

Once I assembled all of the layers and added all of the embellishments it was obvious that an envelope would be ridiculous. Between the layers of paper, card stock, gems and the other decorations, I had created a very thick card that was going to require a custom gift box instead. Awesome! Another excuse to use my new scoring tools.

Is it true you learned to crochet when you were five years old?
Yes! I’m the youngest of eight kids and each and every one of my siblings and also my parents did something crafty. In fact my dad, the ex-marine, crocheted wall-to-wall rag rugs for our farmhouse! I call him the original crochet dude. I remember seeing people knitting, woodworking, sewing, quilting, and of course crocheting! That winter we were snowed in for a few days and I was eager to pick up the hook (but I suspect Mom wanted me to just. Sit. Down!) So with a crochet hook and big ball of dark blue sparkly yarn I began to learn.

What was the first project you remember completing?
I was very lucky that Mom started me right out reading patterns because once I could do that I could make anything! That first year crocheting I made a set of potholders for Mother’s Day.

Coffee Cup Sleeve, from Drew's book, "Use Up That Yarn"

When did you start designing your own patterns?
There are some mixed memories for me on this. If you are asking when did I start to do my own designs without using another’s patterns, then I would say right around 10 years old. I did some funky shawl for Mom as a gift. I think I ended up pulling that one out later on for the yarn! If you are asking, when did I start designing professionally, that happened in 2006.

Do you have a favorite place in your home to crochet?
I take my office chair into the t.v. room and crochet while watching movies. I’ve found that it’s a great way to get two things done at the same time! I’m always behind on my movie watching so streaming them while I crochet is fun!

How did you get the name The Crochet Dude?
When I was working with the charity group HeartmadeBlessings.org the ladies there all started calling me The Crochet Dude. So in 2005 when I decided to start a blog about crocheting it just seemed like the most natural name to use, and it’s just sort of stuck with me.

Afghan from Drew's book "Hug It Out"

You’ve done a lot of work with charities. Why do you think the crafting community is so committed to giving back?
Crafters are givers, it just seems to be in our DNA. It’s such an amazing feeling to know that what you have created with some craft supplies can bring joy, happiness, and even comfort to someone who really needs it. It is the reason that I created my book Hug It Out (Leisure Arts 2011) – because the joy of crocheting for others is indescribable. In the book I give lots of different ways someone can crochet for charity such as comfortghans, prayer shawls, teddy bears, and chemo caps.

Do you have a favorite project of all time?
Yes I do. I created a king-sized bedspread that is inspired by the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the art nouveau designer from the last turn of the century, and it looks like a giant piece of stained glass. I keep saying that I need to write a pattern for it!

Teapot Cozy from Drew's Book, "Use Up That Yarn"

You’ve been featured in national magazines, have authored 7 books, and make regular appearances on television and radio. When do you find time for your own crocheting?
The only time I find to do any of my own crocheting is in the evenings after dinner, but that’s rare anymore! I wish I had more hours in the day!!

Do you have any other craft or artistic hobbies we might not know about?
I am an oil painter by trade. I was painting pet portraits professionally when I started to flirt with becoming a crochet designer. I also love to sew, cook, knit, decorate, and write ficition.

What advice would you give someone trying crochet for the first time?
Be patient with yourself and keep practicing. Use yarn that you LOVE, it’s so important! There is no happy ending to an unhappy journey!!

Faux fur trimmed coat. For Drew's book, "Crochet It Love It Wear It." This one doesn't count as easy, but it sure is amazing!

CONTEST!

Like The Crochet Dude and OttLite on Facebook, then leave a comment below about how your mom has inspired you and you’ll be entered to win a Get Started! kit from The Crochet Dude and an OttLite Folding Task Lamp! We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, May 9th. Good luck, and stay inspired!

What inspired you to start weaving? Were you self-taught, or did someone teach you? 
Claudia: I’ve been interested in weaving since I was very young. I received my first rigid heddle loom when I was 8 years old but I didn’t really get involved in weaving until I was pregnant with my daughter (Elena) and I briefly attended a tapestry class in San Francisco. After that, I was self-taught. At the time there was no internet and very few books on tapestry so it was a rather circuitous journey.
Elena: I was brought up as the daughter of a tapestry weaver and therefore had no interest whatsoever in tapestry. I reluctantly learned the basics through osmosis but it wasn’t until I was in college when I accompanied my mom to a class she was (we were) teaching in Canada that I first really became interested in the medium.

Can you tell us about the first project you completed?
Claudia: Probably something awful that I keep in a box upstairs where I keep all my awful beginning weavings and try not to look at them.
Elena: Probably something I did when I was five. It was probably terrible, but I can guarantee I used really nice yarn.

When did you start creating beaded tapestries?
Claudia: About a year or so after I founded Mirrix Looms, I realized that the Mirrix Loom would also function really well as a bead loom so I forced myself to learn how to weave beads using the unique attributes of the Mirrix Loom. I say forced because at the time I only had eyes for fiber. At that time I had also become an avid spinner and dyer and it was clear to me I would neither be able to make beads or dye them.

Sunrise

Do you both weave? Are there other crafts or hobbies you both enjoy?
Claudia: I love doing just about anything that requires using fiber and beads including crochet, knitting, felting, dying, spinning, most off-loom bead techniques and needlepoint. There’s nothing I won’t try if given the opportunity.
Elena: As for hobbies, we’re both very into playing (not watching) sports. We’ve ridden horses and skied together since I was a very small child.

What made you decide to create your own loom design?
Claudia: I wanted a portable, professional quality loom that I could use anywhere and that loom did not exist, so I designed it.

Is there one project that holds special significance in your heart, either because of its beauty, or who it was for?
Claudia: A tapestry called “Progression” signified the first time I had found my own voice in tapestry.

Mirrix headquarters resides within a very special community. Could you tell us about that relationship?
Claudia: Mirrix manufacturing lives at a place called Sunshine House which employs adults with special needs and/or physical disabilities. Not only is the Mirrix Loom entirely manufactured in the U.S., it is made by some of the finest folks on the planet. There isn’t a day that goes by that we are not grateful for this amazing opportunity to work with people who deeply care about making sure every loom we manufacture is perfect.

What is it like working together as mother and daughter?
Elena: Our work relationship is a reflection of our personal relationship. We’ve always been incredibly close with a deep and mutual respect for each other. We learned how well we work together on a professional level back when I was in college and ran her first campaign for State Representative.
At some point Mirrix went from being Claudia’s business to our business and that’s how it’s operated since. We both have different skill sets and strengths and weaknesses but the same work ethic and the same philosophy about running a business. It just works. We enjoy being together and working together and our relationship smoothly transitions from that of a professional partnership to that of mother and daughter.

Fire Flowers

Running your own company, writing books, creating patterns, even serving as a State Representative for six years—how do you find time for your own crafting?
Claudia: Currently, one of my most important jobs at Mirrix is to design new products which has the advantage of forcing me to weave on a regular basis. Until about a year ago I was selling my work in galleries but now I find I am so busy with product development that I don’t have time to create a substantial amount of work for sale. I’m actually enjoying taking a break from doing that. When I served as a State Representative I produced a huge amount of work because, in order to keep myself calm, I had to keep my hands busy at all times. I noticed from my big leather seat in Representatives’ Hall that other folks were doing crossword puzzles, playing games on their phones and sometimes sleeping. By creating artwork I was actually able to concentrate better because it seemed to keep my ADHD tendencies in check and allowed me to sit in my seat for more than a half hour at a time. And yes, I did weave on the Mini Mirrix while there. There was a rule about not using computers in Representatives’ Hall, but nobody said anything about looms.

What does weaving tapestries bring to your life?
Claudia: Initially weaving tapestries forced me to design the Mirrix Loom because I was looking for a portable, professional loom which did not exist. Currently, weaving tapestries allows me to indulge in my passion for color. I use a lot of my own hand-dyed and/or hand-spun/hand-dyed yarn for my tapestry weaving which gives me a lot more control over the color and the texture. For me, tapestry weaving is extremely meditative, something a very hyper person like me really needs.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out?
Claudia: Someone starting off in tapestry should buy a few of the wonderful tapestry instruction books one can now find on the market. He or she really needs to understand that tapestry is not an art form one learns overnight. There are many skills one needs to master but the mastering of these skills is in and of itself extremely rewarding. Just don’t plan to give your first tapestry away as a wedding present. Also, really try to explore in-depth the materials, including warp and weft, that you will be using to create this tapestry because your tapestry is only going to be as beautiful as the material you use to make it.

Bead Weaving
If you’re not initially buying a kit for someone else’s pattern, take yourself to the biggest bead store you can find and spend many hours there staring at the beads. I found that one of the biggest challenges of bead weaving, since I couldn’t make my own beads and my own colors, was learning what shapes, sizes, colors and finishes were available in beads. I now have a really good understanding of what is available, hence I can often design a piece in my head using embedded images of beads. Keep in mind that the skills required for your basic bead weaving (a rectangle or a square) is not nearly as challenging as the techniques one must learn for tapestry. The challenge with bead weaving is creating the design and choosing the beads.

Mini Mirrix Loreli Loom Giveaway Contest! 

This mini loom is made for the beader on the go. It’s small enough to take anywhere and is great for making beaded jewelry. And now you can win your very own! To enter, please “Like” Mirrix Looms and OttLite on Facebook AND post a comment to this blog. If you’re already a Facebook Fan of OttLite and Mirrix, your work is half-done! Just leave a comment here!

Winner will be announced on Friday 5/4!

May Day Baskets
from TLC Family

What you’ll need:
Poster board
Pencil
Ruler
Wallpaper scrap (with floral pattern)
White paste
Stapler
Fresh Flowers

Draw a circle 5 inches across and a strip 10 x 1 inches on the poster board. Cut them out. Use the poster board circle and strip as a pattern. Lay them on the back of the wallpaper. Trace around them.

You will need two wallpaper circles and two wallpaper strips for each basket. Cover one side of your poster board circle with glue, and glue a wallpaper circle to it with the pretty side up.

Cover one side of your poster board strip with glue, and glue a wallpaper strip to it, pretty side up. Turn the strip over, and glue the other wallpaper strip to the other side.

Lay your circle on the table wallpaper-side-down. Center the strip, and glue it across the middle of the circle. Glue the last wallpaper circle pretty-side-up on top of the strip. Turn it over.

Pull the ends of the strip together to make a handle. (The sides of your basket will curl up.) Staple the handle together at the top.

Fill your basket with fresh flowers.

Note: If you don’t have wallpaper scraps to decorate your basket, you can use large paper doilies to create a lovely pattern. Or, cut out pictures of flowers and create a collaged basket. 

From all of us at OttLite, Happy May Day!