crafternoon blog party/tour

I'm so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for Kids'Crafternoon Papercraft and Sewing! A big congratulations to Kathreen Ricketson, of Whipup.net, who has just finished these first two in her fantastic craft series created specifically for the 7-12 year olds. Kathreen has shown us how well she understands the abilities and crafty needs of this age group with her wonderful e-zine, Action Pack. She invited some very talented makers from all over the world to contribute to both books and the result is a selection of projects that are diverse and enticing.

They both got big thumbs up from my summer crafting crew. Out of the 25 projects in each book, there were bunches that we all wanted to make...  it's safe to say that the inspiration isn't limited to the under 12 bracket. I'm loving these little paper mache owls...

 And the toadstool brooches would be a great little gift topper that we'd all like to try.


I was impressed by the photography and styling, something that is often lacking in kids' craft books. Each book contains an envelope filled with templates that are ready to go and easy to use by children. The format and directions are straightforward with hand drawn pictures (by Kathreen's husband, no less!) to illustrate any tricky parts. Younger children will need some assistance, but a seasoned crafty child should be able to work on many projects independently. The publisher, Hardie Grant, sent my review copies all the way from Australia, and they arrived a couple of days before my niece's birthday. As she poured through each page, she kept coming back to these little monster pinatas. I took note.

A quick, non-papermache pinata had definite appeal and do-ability.We even had everything needed to make one, but I ran out for a some treats to put inside. Ours was a bright rainbow ruffled concoction, and if I tell you how long it took, you'll laugh. 15 minutes. Tops. My happy paper shredder scissors have never been so appreciated. The hot sun dried the glue instantly. Thank you sun!

This mini pinata turned out to be one of the highlights of the party night, and the birthday girl has big plans to make some decorative ones to hang in her room. Thanks Kathreen, my entire family is grateful for the energy you put into creative experiences for older children. If you'd like more sneak peeks, giveaways and reviews hop on the tour right here:

1. 22 July Poppytalk
2. 23 July Picklebums
3. 24 July Little Eco Footprints
4. 25 July Beaspoke quilts
5. 26 July Maya Made
6. 27 July Checkout girl
7. 28 July The red thread
8. 29 July We Wilsons
9. 30 July Maggie Makes
10. 31 July Mmm Crafts
11. 1 August Domesticali
12. 2 August Floating Ink
13. 3 August Elizabeth Abernathy
14. 4 August Mommy Coddle
15. 5 August The Long Thread
16. 6 August Hannah Fletcher
17. 7 August Between the lines
18. 8 August Go Make Me