First CRAFTERNOON

Hey there Crafters! The first-ever Odyssey Crafternoon was a big success! Thanks to all of you who came in on such a lovely day outside. We really had a grande ole tyme.

For those of you who may be wondering what a "Crafternoon" is, let me explain. One Saturday each month, the Odyssey will hold a Crafternoon, during which time people are welcome to bring whatever sort of craft project on which they are currently working. The months will alternate between an adult's Crafternoon and a Kids Crafternoon. The adult Crafternoon will always have a theme, featuring either an author or a particular craft, though crafters of all kinds are invited to bring their projects. Each adult Crafternoon will also feature a Bagshare Sewing Circle - the Odyssey has recently become a part of the Pioneer Valley Bagshare Project, where we sew bags made from donated material, with the idea of eventually becoming paper and plastic bag-free. The Kids Krafternoon will always feature a new type of ATC or Artist Trading Card. ATCs are baseball card-sized cards that kids can decorate in all sorts of ways. The idea is children will become inspired by the world around them, using different mediums to decorate their cards, and then trade them with each other at different Krafternoons. Children are also welcome to bring whatever type of craft project they are working on themselves, but we will also provide some simple fun crafts for kids to do.

This first Crafternoon was for adults, but featured an author who read and discussed sharing crafts with kids. Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nuture Family Connections (Paperback, 9781590304716, $14.95), read a chapter from her book that focused on crafting inspired by nature (to celebrate one of the first beautiful days of spring), signed books, and answered questions about all kinds of crafting with kids. She also has a blog in case you're interested in reading more about her; she also has a new book coming out next year with lots of craft projects in it!

We supplied three sewing machines (Thanks to Leni and Cathy of the Bagshare project for donating two machines to us, and to Darcy for bringing her's in that day), and got three bags sewn! Our Bagshare goal is 400, but we're making a good start with 12 bags sewn at the time of this posting.

Other crafts which people brought and/or discussed during the afternoon included knitting, crocheting, various types of felting, quilting, and scrapbooking. One woman brought in a beautiful book she was quilting/felting and then sewing together for her child. It was so great to see all that creative energy at work, sharing ideas, and discussing all the ins-and-outs as only another true Crafter could appreciate.

Next month, Saturday, May 3rd, is our first Kids Krafternoon! We will be decorating some of the Bagshare bags, making our first ATCs (featuring an Odyssey stamp!), and possibly making some sock puppets.

The tentative theme for June is Scrapbooking! We are hoping to feature a scrapbooking expert, ready to answer any and all questions about everything from how to get started to design concepts to best materials and everything in between. So start saving those pictures!

For more information on Bagshare or on the adult Crafternoons or Kids Krafternoons, contact Rebecca.