[Nfb-krafters-korner] Fall fun with Tom

Mon Oct 4 01:11:36 UTC 2010

Hi Tom,
   I just wanted to make a suggestion to further your adventures with Bread Clay. Do you or would you like to make some holiday decorations? There's only two things extra that you'll have to buy at a store or perhaps if someone you know bakes they might have a set of cookie cutters available you can borrow and a small container of ground cinnamon (ground spice).  Try to find cookie cutters that are shaped like a Gingerbread man, candy cane, and/or any holiday item (turkey, pumpkin whatever)
   This time I want you to take Dick's recipe and instead of using white bread I want you to substitute and use any type of a wheat or brown colored bread. To his recipe you will add about two shakes of the ground cinnamon spice (about a quarter of a spoonful). 
   Now follow his recipe and instead of making balls to form 3D animals, roll the dough flat on a counter with a rolling pin used for making pie crust, (if you don't have a rolling pin, use a glass soda type bottle) and roll the bread clay till it's about a quarter inch thick. 
  You can sprinkle a little flour on the counter first before you start rolling so the bread dough doesn't stick to the counter (you can also use a layer of wax paper, "Press n Seal" with the sticky side down to the counter or place the bread dough in between 2 layers of Saran Wrap (the less messy way) or if all else fails and you have none of the above, a hamburger turner will get the pressed dough loose from the counter. 
  Now when it's nice and evenly flat on the counter, take your cookie cutter and push it down all the way through the dough (give a little twist until you feel the counter under your cutter) and cut out different shapes, (ginger bread man, candy cane, etc. Don't be afraid to experiment and use a blunt end plastic knife to free form some of your own ideas for ornaments.) 
   Now take a plastic straw and use it like a cookie cutter to put a hole near the top of ornament for hanging. You can also look around the house and find items that have raised features on them that you like the feel of (like buttons, a piece of jewelry, a coin, etc) and use these like decorative stamps on your cutout shapes. Make sure when you press these into the dough, you only press lightly and not through. Just use these items to decorate your cutout shapes. 
  Remove your cutout shapes from the counter to a flat "drying rack" (a flat rack used to cool hot things out of the oven) and let them dry for a least two days.  Make sure that the little straw hole is cut clean through at the top for you string to go through. 
   When they are completely dry they will be hard as rocks. You can now place a piece of ribbon or string through the hole you've made to hang them on a tree, in a sunny window or on an indoor wreath. At a craft store you could purchase maybe some button eyes for your gingerbread man, or perhaps some shiny stones to glue on your ornament to decorate it further. 
  When your finished decorating them, place two or three ornaments in zip lock bags and they will stay good forever.  
   Give them as a handmade holiday gift you made and when the person opens the zip lock bag there will be a pleasant cinnamon spice fragrance for the holiday. If they are placed near a heat source, like a lamp, sunny window, etc., they will remain fragrant throughout the holiday. 
    Have fun crafting, 
    Audrey J. Wellner, Secretary 
    Krafters Korner division.

--- On Sun, 10/3/10, Tom <tom.cramer1 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Tom <tom.cramer1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Fall fun with Tom
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sunday, October 3, 2010, 4:18 PM

Hi everyone!

Well, after thinking about it, I decided thatit didn't matter how old I am or who was around or whatever.  I decided to really let loose and take Dick up on his challenge and follow this recipe.
Yeah, the bagle idea was good, but I also thought that perhaps if I could first do this, then the already made bread dough would be easier.
Besides, my goal has been to get rid of some of my inhibitions and do things that AI'd not done or wanted to do.
I made this bread clay, and you know, I kind of enjoyed it.  I'm by myself for the week and thought that it would be a good project to do.
Boy was it kind of sticky and a bit messy, but that was the point.  I tried making little shapes like fruits and balls and things like that.
The only problem I found was that it dried somewhat quickly.  I needed to keep it moist.

So, I took the challenge and am ready for another bigger one and yes...a good one for my hands and I won't even mind if I have to make a bit of a mess to get it done.
Tom
PS. The bagles suggested were fun to eat but not nearly as fun to make and play with.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Henrietta Brewer" <gary.brewer at comcast.net>
To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 1:44 PM
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Summer fun with kids

> The weather has cooled down here and it is time to get busy and do something totally different.
> 
> Bread Clay
> 
> Here is a clay to make .  You can use cookie cutters or make beads.
> 
> 6 slices of day old white bread with crusts cut off
> 3 tablespoons white glue
> 2 tablespoons water
> 
> Tear bread into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the glue and water.  kneed the dough to make a pie crust texture.  You can add a bit of food coloring to the water or paint designs after drying.
> This dough can be cut into shapes with cookie cutters and placed on screen or drying rack until dry.  If using the items as jewerly or hanging decorations, poke a hole before drying.
> 
> 
> Stilts
> 
> Here is a fun way to show your child life from new heights..
> 
> materials
> 
> two tin cans, I like number ten cans or large restraunt sized condenced soup cans.
> 
> a tool like a punch or can opener that makes a hole
> 
> rope or strong cord
> 
> Wash and dry cans.  It might be good to run masking tape along the edges if not using a safe opener. The large opening will be the bottom of the stilts.
> 
> Punch two holes across from each other in the bottoms of the cans.
> 
> Run rope, cording or even strong twine through the holes making a loop that will comfortablely reach the childs waiste.
> 
> Children can stand on the bottoms of the cans and hold the rope and try walking.
> 
> Oh, how different things look from just a few inches above the ground. How does it feel to walk making sure your feet stay on the cans?
> 
> Making sewing cards
> 
> Using a paper punch make holes  around the edge of old greeting cards, pictures glued to card stock or cut from cardboard boxes.
> 
> Use a blunt end needle with yarn doubled and tied.  Children can sew an overcast stitch,, or in and out the holes or even sew two items next to each other.
> 
> Soon these same children will be knitting your cozy slippers and mending a hem.
> 
> Enjoy each of the few days left before school starts.
> 
> 
> 
> Henrietta
> ~I wish you enough~
> 
> 
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