Remaking Childhood Crafts and a Contest

     This week's craft project will be a little bit different because it's not something that I can give step-by-step directions for.  Many of us creative adults started out as creative children.  We probably had some great ideas, but lacked the supplies or expertise necessary to execute our ideas as we wished to.  Wouldn't it be cool to be able to make your childhood creative dreams a reality?  As I was looking at a lift the flaps book I made when I was about 8, I realized that I had some pretty cool ideas as a kid, but I hadn't had the materials or the artistic skills to really showcase these ideas.  I decided to redo this book, using my improved artistic skills and greater resources.  So far, I have made three pages of the book, and here are the results:

Original page

As you can see, it's a pretty basic lift the flaps book.  My real problem with this page as a kid was that I wanted to make it so you had to unlock the door to open it, but I didn't really know how to accomplish that.



New page

Here as you can see I've made it so that you actually unlock the door.  Childhood dream realized :)  Also, the monster behind the door pops out a little, though it's difficult to tell from the picture.



Original page

When I designed this book, I drew closet doors that looked like the closet doors in my bedroom.  However the doors I had in my room slid; they did not open like the doors I made in the book.



New page

First of all, note the holographic wall paper.  I would have loved that as a kid (I still do).  Secondly, I now have the sliding doors.  Also, I made it so the toybox opens up.



Original page

I really like the overall design for this page, but I don't like the fact that you open up the water.



New page

In this version you pull the monster out of the swamp instead of lifting up a flap in the water.  Also, sparky butterflies!

     I highly encourage you all to try this too.  Take a piece of your childhood creative work that you particularly like (or perhaps something creative one of your children has done) and redo it.  If you like the results, share them with me at hathaway.amber@gmail.com and I'll show them in a blog post.  

Contest

     On August 25, my blog will be one year old.  I decided to celebrate by having a crafty giveaway.  The prize package includes a fuse bead bowl, a pair of Halloween earrings, and a scarf (made by my mom, Julia Hathaway).  To enter the contest, email me at hathaway.amber@gmail.com before August 25th your name, your address, and which craft project you liked best and why (I'll be sharing these when I announce the winner on the 25th).  Also, if you only would want certain items in the prize package, let me know so I can hold a separate drawing for the items you don't want, should you win.  The contest is open to anyone in the United States.

A close up of the earrings: