Beautiful flower garden
My neighbor Betty has the most beautiful flower garden in the front corner of her yard adjacent to mine. I like to sit on my front porch and admire the Gerbera daisies and yellow standy-uppy things (I'm sure there must be a name for these flowers, but we don't know it). If I had a green thumb, I'd be able to grow my own, but since I don't, I will have to stitch them on plastic canvas.

Annie's Attic has some really fantastic pattern books filled with floral designs that are perfect for those of us whose thumbs are an unsightly shade of brown. Visit Annie's Attic and click on the "What's new in Plastic Canvas" link to find them.

Botanical Plaques by Ronda Bryce even caught my husband's attention when it came across my desk recently. He hinted loudly that the sunflower plaque pictured on the cover would be a perfect gift for his mom ... so guess what I'll be doing soon?

I think I'll definitely be ordering the Floral Baskets Kit too. These pretty little baskets are the perfect size for party favors, gift-giving or to organize small items on a dresser or craft table. The kit includes everything you need to make four baskets, including plastic canvas, yarn, full-color graphs and instructions. (And it's an exclusive design -- you won't find it anywhere else!)

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Time to craft
I thought when my boys grew up and moved away, I would have much more time to craft. Somehow, those plans have not come to pass. How in the world I have become busier now that it's just my husband, the dog and me, I will never know. But my newly finished craft room just sits there, calling my name and waiting for me to come in and play! All the colorful yarn and other supplies seem so lonely!

I used to do the bulk of my crafting sitting in the car or on unbelievably uncomfortable bleachers while waiting for the kids to finish whatever activity they were involved in (football, basketball, soccer ... you get the idea). Now that I'm not spending my time waiting for them, my crafting time seems to have disappeared into thin air.

This lack of time, of course, has led me to wonder how other people manage to squeeze crafting into schedules already crammed full with work, kids and grandkids, medical appointments and volunteer commitments, in addition to daily chores like laundry, kitchen duty and other mundane tasks. Use my feedback form below to share your ideas -- we'd all like to know how to add more crafting time to our lives!

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Bugs of a different color

'Tis the season for picnics, which of course means various unwanted visitors of the buggy variety. This cute project by Debra Arch, however, will be welcome at any picnic! These ladybug-shaped place mats and coasters can be customized with any two colors you wish. Make them bright, make them pastel or make them monochromatic if you like! And the coasters are small enough to tuck into your purse or tote bag for on-the-go crafting if you need something to do while waiting to pick up the kids from the pool or ball game.

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Reader letters
Karen writes via e-mail:

"This is for the girl who wanted to know how to get started at craft shows. I started about six years ago. She can call local school districts, churches, V.F.W.'s and American Legion halls. She can also check with her local news channels because a lot of them have a "community calendar" that lists craft shows on their Web sites. It is a lot of work to find them; however, once she is on their list, they will normally send the vendor application in the mail annually."

Cathy writes via e-mail:

"Regarding the Peaches and Cream Tissue Topper and adaptations from a previous newsletter: Your note made me smile because as I grow older, I grow braver and realize that what is in front of one person's eyes becomes something else in front of another person's eyes. For instance, recently, I needed a pattern for an eyeglasses case, but couldn't find anything I liked. In a book I borrowed from the library was a lovely, simple box pattern that my eyes began to see as an eyeglasses case. I'm still working on it, but as I read your newsletter again this morning and looked at the picture, my eyes saw a different eyeglasses case by turning the side photo into the two halves of the case. Just a thought! Thanks for letting me share."

Trish writes via e-mail:

"One way I have found to help organize my craft space is to use shutters. I have several behind my desk. I hang supplies with S-hooks from the hardware store. Other shutters are just leaning against the walls. I have found shutters at yard sales for a very modest amount. When people are doing a remodel, shutters are often free."

Sara writes via e-mail:

"A major upheaval occurs any time we have company at my house. My craft supplies are located from one end of the house to the other -- primarily in the spare bedroom. I AM going to get organized one day, but I need a warehouse! All craft supplies are stuffed, boxed and mostly hidden from sight. This activity, however, has encouraged me to begin to get organized because it takes me longer to dig out the supplies than it does to make whatever I want to do at the moment. My motto is: I know it's here somewhere! "

Bonnie writes via e-mail:

"My husband and I just bought a brand-new house. It has four bedrooms -- for just the two of us -- one for our bedroom, one for the guest room, one for his office and ONE FOR MY STUDIO. I never have to clean up until I am looking for something I can't find!"

Gertrude writes via e-mail:

"I have never enjoyed anything as much as I have enjoyed the Annie's Attic Web site. I have been a member of most of your clubs at one time or another and still have every pattern and book I received. Your vintage patterns and daily patterns keep drawing me back. I'm over 70 now and still keep busy with my crochet hook and plastic-canvas projects. The Annie's Attic materials for my projects are great, and now since I have the Internet, I find it much easier to obtain all the things I need (our area has no craft stores). I love your sites on the Internet not only for the patterns and materials, but also for the input from your other users. I haven't seen a negative comment yet, and I don't expect to. You make things so easy for the elderly craft lover."

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Surf's up!
I don't know what I'd do without the Internet these days. I use it to keep in touch with friends, keep up with the news and keep informed about new crafting trends. I wonder how many of you, like Gertrude and me, use the Internet to shop for supplies, patterns and new ideas? Use my feedback form, below, and I'll share some of your replies in the next newsletter.

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