"The Craft Group" plus...

This term at The Craft Group we are featuring a project a week. This week we made 5 pointed origami stars. So nice to hang or sit in a nice spot in the house this christmas. I would like to say... honestly , that they are easy! But some of the ladies may not agree! It was just a bit hard to do it as a big group and is SO much easier making it along with the video. You can do it step by step and hit the pause button whenever you like. After you have made 2, you will agree with me that they are really easy. You have to start with a pentagon. This website "Home made gifts made easy " gives a free printable pentagon template , but he also explains how to make a pentagon from any size square paper. Give it a go! starting with A4 paper is OK but I used us quite a few sheets of scrapbooking paper that I knew I would never use. I also used an old atlas and some old books. Here is how to make the star... Have fun with it! all photos on this page are from home-...

Here in sunny NSW, Australia, spring is here and it is so lovely to get out and about. (Not that we can't do that in winter - it's pretty mild!) We mentioned at The Craft Group the other week that there is a Tulip Festival on in the Southern Highlands. Bowral Baptist Church is a good place to start. Harriet went for a day and this is what she said... "Today, Ross and I went to the Bowral Baptist Church for the Artisan Showcase.   What a wonderful exhibition, particularly of quilts.  They did a lovely morning tea and lunch (very reasonably priced).  After that we went to the gardens to see the tulips – what a wonderful display. This event is on each day until October 4 th (except for Sundays) and is well worth going to.  Not sure if any of the craft ladies would be interested in going, but it is well worth the hour drive down." So, if you are in NSW and feel like a nice day out... do it!

Knitting an item takes ages. Stitch by stitch the item slowly grows. Why would you bother? We do it for love! For the love of creating and for the love of the ones who will be wearing the items! So, let's take our hats off to some fantastic ladies in The Craft Group who have made nearly 70 knitted items for charity! I don't want to mention their names (mainly Kay C, Bev G) unless I miss someone but here are their lovely warm creations. We sent them off to Mission without Borders who will send them to those in need in Eastern Europe. They suggest some patterns but are happy with other items such as these...     Thank you ladies, your hearts and hands are generous.

Praying is just talking to God. Amazing. God, the maker of everything actually listens to our words, our thoughts. Sometimes it just blows me away to think about it. Listening to this little girls sing also blows me away!  Here is Rhema Marvanne when she was 7 singing the Lord's Prayer.  Let it inspire you to talk to God yourself. Watch it HERE on You Tube.

At The Craft Group we share craft, life, stories, food, ideas, laughs and faith. We are Women. We are complex! We are clever. We are special. We are loved. Each week we have a little "thought from the Bible". Because there is so much to learn. Because it gives us meaning. Lately we are using the new big screen TV on the wall to look at video clips of songs that mean something to us. This past thursday, Pam shared this song by Jimmy Needham called "Rock Bottom". It's really special. God is Special. You should watch it. Click HERE to see it. Thanks for this song Pam.

I featured some of Lorraine's quilts and toys she made for the playgroup for disabled children HERE. I said I would feature a baby book she made. It is designed to stimulate through as many senses as possible. Such a fun, creative little book for a worthwhile cause! Good on you Lorraine!

I was sure I had posted these amazing projects by Lorraine but I just searched my own blog and I haven't featured them yet! They are so inspirational and such a worthwhile project. Two years ago, we were challenged by a lady who works with families with young children with intellectual disabilities. She said that at their playgroup, one little quilt was made by someone who works there and understands the importance of tactile stimulation for these littlies. The little quilt was wearing out and they wondered if we could make some more. The challenge was taken and some of us put on our thinking caps to start to create. You can see the beginnings of our thoughts and creations HERE. Then you can look at the lovely post of when we gave the tactile quilts to the children  HERE. Since that time, Lorraine has been inspired by the freedom and creativity involved in making these tactile quilts. Her main inspiration has been to make something which has such an positive impact on the ...