Yesterday as I drove the girls home from school, they started in asking if they could play on the computer. Ugh! Can I tell you how much I hate that these days? Such a fight with them. But perhaps that's another post for another day. I told them "No..." And they immediately started throwing fits.
Then I continued, "We're not going to play on the computer today. We are going to do a craft!"
To which they responded with cheers & squeals. There was no containing their excitement. I couldn't get the supplies out quick enough when we got home.
Well, today I am so, so very excited to share an amazing book with you. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids by the super talented Jennifer Casa.
I have such an admiration for Jennifer. After connecting through our blogs, we decided to meet up a few years back when we were living in Ohio. We quickly became zoo buddies & had to meet up with our kids there every few months. I was always very impressed with how in tune she was with her children & how they obviously were the most important thing to her. Of course we would always talk about blogging & etsy & pushing ourselves creatively. But I could tell that her role as a mother & her relationship with her kids was right at her core. She is the perfect creative mama to write this book!
I have been waiting so long to see the book that she's been working on for the past year & it was so exciting when it arrived in our mailbox. The book is fabulous!! There are 75 projects with great step-by-step instructions & photos. The projects are clever & creative & perfectly geared for kids. When Sadie saw the book she was excited to see the familiar faces of our zoo buddies & she spent an hour looking through every project. I kid you not! An hour! She gasped with excitement & had to point out nearly every project to me. The six year old of the family is very much in love with this book!
We decided to first make the Upcycled Apartments. They are cleverly made from empty tissue boxes so there is a prefect little window.
The girls had a complete blast making these. They were in crafting heaven & it was really nice to spend such quality time together.
It has been so fun to be a part of the Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids blog tour. We are just at the beginning of the tour & there are lots more stops throughout the month of April. Be sure to check it out on these other sites:
Tuesday, April 5 - JCasa Handmade
Wednesday, April 6 - The Crafty Crow
Monday, April 11 - Whip Up
Wednesday, April 13 - A Stitch in Dye
Friday, April 15 - Smile and Wave
Monday, April 18 - Elsie Marley
Wednesday, April 20 - Maya*Made
Friday, April 22 - Stitches in Play
Tuesday, April 26 - Aesthetic Outburst
Thursday, April 28 - Artsy Crafty Babe
Super fun, right?! Okay now on to the giveaway. Wiley, the publisher of this book is offering a signed copy of Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids to one lucky Sparkle Power reader!
Would you like to win? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Please make sure that you include your e-mail address so that I can easily contact the winner.
You have until Wednesday, April 13th to get your entry in. I will announce a winner the following day.
Good luck!
This would be such a fun book to win! My girls LOVE crafting, but I don't always have the energy to come up with the ideas. This book would help solve that problem!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the dollhouses that my friends and I used to make. We took big boxes and added partitions to make rooms. We made dolls out of cloth using embroidery floss for hair and facial features and then created and sewed clothes for them. I still have my cloth doll, my niece places with it now and her clothes have gotten a lot more sophisticated!
ReplyDeleteHurray creative crafting kids!
I'll play along! I love the look of this book and love Jcasa!!! hooray for giveaways!
ReplyDelete- Donna
(donna (dot) mandeville (at) gmail DOTT com
I really want this book. My daughter will be 4 this month and is really getting into crafting.
ReplyDeletethis would be so great i have two little craft loving girls and my creativity is close to null...this would be awesome. oyler.hannah@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI would love to win a signed copy of Teach Yourself Visually Crafting With Kids!
ReplyDeletejessiebryant@live.com
What a great resource for this summer's long days at home.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'd love to try the ideas of the book with my son. I don't know if the giveaway is international, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Best regards from Barcelona,
Marta
martaplayita at gmail dot com
This would be fabulous. My kids love to make things with me, and this would be a great resource when I can't think of something! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter would love that book and so would I - great for summer break. (anita@monery.net)
ReplyDeleteSuper fun! Just in time for spring break.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a book I would love to have! always looking for new craft ideas with 4 kids in the house :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great book! There are never enough projects to keep the little ones happy.
ReplyDeleteLove Jennifer's blog and would love to win this book! What a great way to discover new blogs. Great apartments!
ReplyDeleteAlldonecreations (at) telus (dot) net
That is just what I need! Even my two (almost three) year old wants to play on the computer too much! I'd love to win it (but I'll probably buy it anyway, its a great Mother's Day gift!). kmbsorensen at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThat book looks awesome! How cut eis that apartment? I have exactly the same issue with my kids and the computer. It is a never ending battle, as I don't like them on there often.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter will flip for that book - she is always wanting to do crafts, and some days I would rather be inspired by a book than my own brain!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE doing crafty things with Caleb. He is only 2 so finding age appropriate crafts is a little difficult but we manage. I think this book looks like it would get A LOT of use at our house :)
ReplyDeleteAnd..you have the sweetest looking little girls! I wish we lived close bc Caleb would just love them!
retrogalusa@aol.com
I would love this book!!
ReplyDeletecheeksb78(at)yahoo(dot)com
I've enjoyed reading Jennifer's blog for a while now and am looking forward to getting a copy of this book for our house. My four-year-old loves anything that is crafty!
ReplyDeletemichelejudd@gmail.com
this book looks so great for my kids.
ReplyDeleteThis book looks SO great!
ReplyDeleteleighlou5 (at) gmail (dot) com
This is exactly what I need to keep my kids busy this summer! :) wrightme5@juno.com
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeletewhat an awesome giveaway...would love to win this. :)
ReplyDeleteLorie
marcandlorie@embarqmail.com
I love crafting with my kids and am always looking for new inspiration. This book would definitely be it! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteJo
lanova dot jo at gmail dot com
What a fun book! I would love to do more projects with my kids! Thanks for the chance to win it!
ReplyDeletecarashroyer(at)mac(dot)com
Looks like a really great book!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking forward to this book. I would love some more crafty ideas for my girls and I!
ReplyDeleteare you kidding me? This book is PERFECT! Sign a sista up! jessica@joelmillerdesign.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a great book! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome book. It might save me the hours I spend on the computer checkig out craft blogs. I also want you to know you are not alone, I dread the "Can I play on the computer?" question - thankfully they don't know how often I'm on the computer when they go to bed!
ReplyDeletethose apartments are amazing! love them!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win. I think my girls would adore making these apartments!
ReplyDeleteThat book just might save me this summer when I am needing things for my 5 year old to do!
ReplyDeletebrettandkristi@gmail.com
Jennifer is so creative. I would love to win this book. Now we need to use tons of tissues!
ReplyDeleteyesterday i hesitated tossing an empty box...what can i make with this? i wondered before it hit the recycling bin...darn. we so rarely use tissue i shall have to hit up some snifflers for their empties!
ReplyDeletethanks for the chance...love to see Jennifer's other ideas!
the book looks great! My girls love crafts and I'm always looking for inspiration. I'm off to put on my wishlist in case I don't win it. thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks great! I would love a chance to win.
ReplyDeleteThat book looks awesome!! I've made it a goal to do more with my little girl and I'm sure this book has some great ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis book tour has found a new blog to follow!
ReplyDeleteyour about me section is so wonderful. and i love j's work too! <3
ReplyDeleteWith a 2 and a half year old granddaughter and (hopefully) more grandkids to come, I could use a refresher on kids crafting. We would put this book to great use!
ReplyDeleteYou always have fun giveaways, thanks!
ReplyDeletebrendadeibel@hotmail.com
I need this book! I have a one year old and can already tell I'm not creative enough to keep him busy all day long!
ReplyDeleteWould love to check out a copy of this book. Thanks for offering the give away! loriandron@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a great looking book!
ReplyDeleteMy girls (9 & 6) would love this book as we have lots of fun crafting together! Thank you for such a cool giveaway and for the chance to win!
ReplyDelete~Jena
selphishgirl@aol.com
So fun!
ReplyDeletehulacopter@hotmail.com
I'd love to win this! I've been looking for a good 'kid friendly' crafting book and this one looks awesome! I'm a fan of Jennifer's blog too so I know this will be good! Melissa5880 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeletepick me! i teach an art class during the summer at my house for extra money for my daughter and her friends,and this would inspire me for new ideas! thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteLeigh ann....labattles@hotmail dot com
I've followed JCasa's blog for a while. I'd love to get her ideas in a book form!
ReplyDeleteI'm a total newb when it comes to crafting with my kids. This would be a perfect jumpstart!
ReplyDeletexelamarie @ gmail dot com
My daughter would die for this book! It looks so fun!
ReplyDeletestampinmich at yahoo
This book looks delightful! perfect for a rainy afternoon like today!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win a copy of this book! I have lots of little hands to keep busy this summer!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun book! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletelooks like a great craft book to engage the kiddos..thanks, nilu
ReplyDeletenilujayasuriya(at)hotmail(dot)com
this looks like a great book!! how fun, esp for rainy days! jmmccarr@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for more crafty inspiration.. I'd LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteErin, joshuanerin at msn dot com
Looks like a great book -- thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks great for my crafty kids. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! It reminded me of when I was in 4th grade and I made a similar home with a kleenex box. I brought it to school and got in trouble by my teacher for playing with it and not paying attention in class. I was obsessed with my creation and to this day I think about it often. I remember the feeling it gave me (creating) and how important that feeling become of who I am today.
ReplyDeleteI would love the opportunity to win your book give away. My youngest boy loves technology way too much and this would be a perfect opportunity to "create" together.
neshashaw@hotmail.com
Love this! Would love to win the book too :)
ReplyDeletedawntrest@gmail.com
www.hellodearie.com
Candace, I just discovered your blog and I'm hooked already... I'm new to following blogs anyhow but I saw your "pregnant barbie" post on pinterest while at work today... I am an OB nurse... And I simply HAD to have her! I went right to toysrus on my way home am now the proud owner of my very own pregnant barbie! :) And now I want this book, too!!
ReplyDelete