Red, White, and Blue Beach Bag

Show your colors this 4^th of July beach trip. Or camping. Or picnic.

Fast and easy crochet of single and double stitches. It's big enough to hold lots of stuff, so grab your crochet hook and hang on.

Worsted weight yarn

2 Oz red

1 Oz white

1 Oz blue

Crochet Hook J

Foundation Row: With red, chain 61. DC in 5^th ch from hook, skip next ch, dc in next ch cross. (28 DC)

Row 2: Ch 4 and turn, dc in each dc across.

Change to white and repeat row 2 twice.

Change to blue and repeat row 2 twice.

Alternating colors, continue for 20 more rows, ending with red.

Sides and bottom: Ch 1 and turn. Working along side, bottom and other side, sc evenly around. Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc around. Break off red. Change to white and sc in each sc around twice. Break off white. Change to blue and sc in each sc around twice. Break off blue.

Back: Repeat as for front for 26 rows, ending in red.

Sl St or sew front to back, easing in corners.

Straps (make 2): With red, ch 52, sc in second ch from hook and each ch across. Ch 1, turn. Sc in each sc across for 3 more rows. Sew straps in place at 5^th dc from each side.

Drawstring: With red, ch 100, turn, sc in each ch. Break off. Weave drawstring through second row of dc from top.

Fill bag with all your beach necessities. Stay safe and enjoy your trip.

What is your favorite vacation destination? Comment for a chance to win Dawn of Liberty by our own Amber Schamel..

Crafts and Hobbies in Books

Hello Everyone!
Today I thought it would be fun to discuss some of the hobbies and crafts that we've seen in some of our favorite books.

Hobbies and crafts are a great way that authors make their characters real and relatable. There are so many things that a hobby or craft can paint on a page. (Pun intended.) For example, who wouldn't love a hero loves sword fighting and wood carving? These interests tell us so much about the character.

Here's a few of my favorites, but be sure to chime in too!

The Apostle Peter in the Bible: Fishing

Peter LOVED fishing. He did it for a living, and later for fun. I jumped in his boat in book 3 of my Days of Messiah series by placing the main character, Malon, with him as he fished for tax money as Jesus told him.

Charlotte from Gentleman of Her Dreams by Jen Turano: DIY and Restoration Projects

A key scene in the book is when Charlotte and Henry take an old boat that she has "restored" herself out onto the bay. It ends in disaster, of course, not too unlike some of my Pinterest projects. LOL.

Vivian from Ressurection of Hope by Tamera Kraft: Sewing

Vivian loves to sew. She even sews a flapper dress in the story!
Check out her book here.

Elinor from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Remember Elinor's love for painting and art? The way her hobby reflected the steady and level-headed, yet deeply feeling lady?

 

 

Now it's your turn! Does your favorite book character have a craft or hobby? What is the most unique craft/hobby that you've seen in a character?

Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Lavender Fields Inn by June Foster!

We'd also like to cordially invite you to join us for an Easter Facebook Party THIS FRIDAY March 24th! 

I love everything about Easter. I especially love Easter themed fiction. Although there are tons of Christmas novels and novellas, Easter themed novels are often left out. That’s why I’m so excited to announce an Easter Fiction Facebook Party on Friday, March 24th, 6:00 – 9:00 pm EST. You’ll have a chance to meet six authors including me and to find out more about their Christian Easter fiction.Did I mention the contests? Each author is offering one copy of their novels. There will be other prizes as well, but you’ll have to come to the party to find out what they are. ;)

Click this link to join the party.

Here’s the schedule for the authors who are participating:
6:00 pm Tamera Lynn Kraft
6:30 pm Jericha Kingston
7:00 pm Joan Leotta
7:30 pm Darlene Franklin
8:00 pm Wanda Porter
8:30 pm Amber Schamel

 

Capture a Scene in a Jar with #giveaway

Hello folks!

Amber Schamel here. I'm taking a break from deer processing and holiday food preparation, and boy does it feel good to sit down for a minute! I hope you are all looking forward to a warm and happy Thanksgiving.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite holiday crafts. Although, I'm starting to expand into more than just Christmas with these. :) AND I will be giving away one of these Christmasy jars, so keep reading.

For this project, I use the jars from candles that I've burned. You can use regular jars or apothecary jars as well, but the candle jars are pretty, plus you get to enjoy the candle. Win all the way around, right?

First, pick out some candles you enjoy and burn them down. I chose a small candle from the Dollar Store.

Once they've burned out, clean out the remaining wax. I do this by placing the jar on the coffee pot burner and leaving it for a few minutes. The heat of the burner will melt the remaining wax, then you can pour it out. After that, I use dish soap to wipe out the jar and clean it.

Melting out the wax

Once you have your clean, pretty jar, you need to decide on the scene that will go inside. I've made several with different designs. You can find items at Hobby Lobby or a craft store sometimes even Walmart. Depending on how big your jar is, you can put in items from a Christmas village, animals, or miniature garden items. For this design, I'm using small deer and trees I found at Hobby Lobby.

Items from craft store

You will want to lay out your scene inside the jar to determine exactly how you want it before you begin. Once you know that, use Super Glue to fix the main pieces in place.

Fix the main pieces with Super Glue

After you have the main pieces glued in, I use a little paint brush to spread School Glue along the bottom of the jar and along any edges of the pieces that would naturally collect snow. Then I poor cheap salt in over the scene.

 Once your "snow" is in place, let it dry for a few hours. Then I Super Glue the lid on the jar so that it doesn't spill salt or upset the scene.

Add salt for snow.

Tada! Here's my finished Winter Wonderland scene in a jar. The one on the right is the one I'm giving away today.

Finished product!

Of course, there are lots of variations on this. You could create almost any scene you want to. You can use sand instead of salt. You can also get grass-like powder from the craft store if you wanted a Summer scene. The possibilities are endless. I love these because they are like capturing a moment and containing it in a jar.

A couple other scenes I've made.

Now for the giveaway! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about the jars, or what your plans are for Thanksgiving and I'll throw your name in the jar to win the Winter Wonderland scene. Winner to be announced in the Weekly Windup.

*****

Author of over half a dozen books, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Papercrafting with Special Guest Debbie Mitchell #giveaway

I am ecstatic to welcome Debbie Mitchell as a guest on our blog today! We all know Debbie since she hangs out with us here almost every day, but now we get to hear from her about her AMAZING papercraft boxes! She mentioned them a few weeks back when we were chatting about our favorite crafts. 

Oh my, Ya'll. When I hopped over to Pinterest and her blog and saw what she does I BEGGED her to come on and share with all of us. She graciously agreed, and I'm thrilled.

Before I spoil it by ranting about how cool these boxes are, let's get to it. Here's Chappy. 

*****

Hello, my name is Debbie Mitchell, but most people call me Chappy. I've been asked to share my Exploding Picture Boxes with you and I will do my best to show you how to create them. Most of the boxes you find on the internet are mass produced. I create each of my boxes by hand and each one is unique. Even if I use the same theme, such as my Pirate boxes, they each turn out differently in some way. I am going to walk you through my process of creating a box. For your convenience, I am putting the instructions right on the pictures. (click on images to enlarge)

The first thing you need to do is to decide on the theme....if someone commissions a box, they tell me the theme and then I come up with some ideas for them to choose from. In this case, I am choosing the theme myself. Since Christmas is just around the corner (Yikes!), I've decided to make a Christmas themed box to give away to one of the commenters here on this post.

 

Thanks for joining me today. Make sure and comment below to be put into the drawing to win my Christmas box. (Due to the cost of postage, the giveaway is for US residents only) May God bless you.

 How cool is that?! If you have any questions for Debbie, feel free to leave those in the comments. 

Chappy, thanks so much for joining us with such a great post and giveaway! What an awesome box! 

Good luck, ya'll.

About Debbie:

Debbie Mitchell taught Sunday School for over 20 years. She is a firm believer in reading through the Bible each year and is working on her 16^th time through. Keeping in the Word and teaching Sunday School has helped her to recognize and face the enemy. She lives in California with her husband Jack and their two dogs. She has one son, two daughters, two sons-in-law and has been blessed with grandchildren that truly make her days.

You can see all of my boxes on Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/debsbunch5/exploding-picture-boxes-ive-made/

I have a weekly blog with book giveaways as well:

http://redemptiondrawsnear.blogspot.com/

Debbie has also co-authored a devotional with MaryLu Tyndall! Check it out here.

https://www.amazon.com/Pearls-Sea-Days-Sailing-Jesus-ebook/dp/B00CLR2VPC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392538723&sr=1-1&keywords=pearls+from+the+sea+marylu+tyndall

 

Why Be Crafty? 5 Ways Arts, Crafts and DIY Enrich Your Life with Amber Schamel

One of my favorite things about the Stitches Thru Time blog is that it brings folks together that enjoy not only faith, books, and history, but also ARTS, CRAFTS, and DIY. Of course, since our inception three years ago, we've also picked up folks who aren't as interested in that particular aspect. So today, I thought I'd give a few thoughts as to why being 'crafty' is actually a great benefit.


5 Ways Arts, Crafts and DIY Enrich Your Life

1. Refresh
   No matter what our occupation, whether it be writing, accounting, nursing, homemaking or anything else, we all need a way to unwind and give our mind a break. Doing something crafty with your hands is a fulfilling and productive way to do that. As a bookkeeper, I sometimes have days so stressful that I just HAVE to find something else to do for a while. That's when a good chalkboard artwork is fantastic.
   
2. Stimulates Your Creativity
   Most jobs require some level of creativity, and let's admit it, writer's aren't the only ones who encounter a "block" at some point. As a marketing director and a writer, I sometimes run dry on my creative ideas. Taking a break to dabble in some other form of creative activity gets those juices flowing again.
   
3. It's Good for Your Brain
   We all need to keep our brains active, even if we're giving our brain a break from the normal routine. The challenge of arts and crafts stimulates the brain while not exhausting it. In fact, some studies have shown that arts and crafts can aid in relieving depression, increase mental agility, and reduce stress.
   
4. Develops Fine Motor Skills
   When glueing a small piece in place, or painting a fine line, these tiny motions help to mold and develop your fine motor skills. That might even help improve your handwriting.
   
5. Promotes Self Confidence and a Sense of Accomplishment
   There's just something about looking at a tangible creation that you made with your own two hands. Even if it isn't perfect, it is your own creation. I think part of this feeling comes from being made in God's image, who is the ultimate Creator. 

So there you have it. Some encouragement for the folks that are already crafting, and maybe a little prodding for those of you that aren't. :)

Let's chat! Do you currently do arts, crafts or DIY? Why or why not? What benefits have you gleaned from them? If you don't, do you still enjoy hearing about them and seeing pictures?

Something's Gotta Give - Redecorating Fun

Blogger: Amber Schamel

I'm one of those people who is resistant to change. I love things to be predictable and constant. My family has lived in the same house for 13 years, and in all that time, I've hardly even rearranged the furniture in my bedroom. But, being that I was eleven when we moved into that house (Yes, I still live at home in true Jane Austen style. ;) ) the soft girly pink of the room had it's glory day, and that day was over. For my 24th birthday, my family gave me the needed help and material to remodel my room. I thought I'd share a little bit of the process and results with ya'll today.

The first thing that I did was jump on Pinterest and look for some ideas. I made a new board to organize all of my ideas into a manageable, not to mention accessible, compilation. I chose an antique hymnal theme with red roses.

My Envisioned Theme from Pinterest

I went to Lowes and chose a creamy off-white for the main paint, and a glossy black for the trim. My brothers were worried about how that would look, but I assured them that it would be fine. After all, I'd seen pictures on Pinterest. LOL.

Since we were going to be re-painting everything anyway, my siblings decided to "write on my wall." They left me several messages, which I read before we painted over them. ;) Did I mention I have the best siblings in the world? Oh, sorry. Back to the project.

My handsome, hard-working, red-headed brother painting

I decided on a few hymn stanzas that I wanted to stencil on my wall. I ended up tracing them with a pencil and then painting them by hand because I didn't like the blotchy-ness of the roller stencil. All in all, I think it took around 12 hours for me to finish them. FOREVER, I know. And my arms were killing me. But they turned out nice, and it made the little Miss Perfectionist inside of me happy.

The music notes are an iron hanging that my parents found for me at American Furniture Warehouse.

I used two sets of stencils to trace. The smaller ones were 4 inch, the larger ones 5 inch. The fonts were also slightly different.

For this last, I used the 5" letters for the capitals, and the 4" letters for the rest of the word. I also stenciled a few music notes on there.

Twelve hours later, we're ready to put my room back together.  I found some SUPER neat outlet covers on Etsy.

I'm also in the process of giving my filing cabinet a makeover. I'm overlaying it with old hymnal sheets. It's not done yet, so you'll have to wait for an update on that project.

My brothers made me a picture frame for my birthday, and so I'm having my artistically talented brother paint me a rose on an old hymn sheet to put in the frame. Hopefully, it will look something like this. It's not quite done yet either.

I had a bedspread custom made to match from Cafe Press. It was pricey, but I'm happy with it. I also ordered an old painting to match the color scheme, and remodeled one of my chairs, which I talked about last month. 

So this is the end result.

 

I still have a few items to finish, such as the custom pillows for my window seat, but so far I'm very happy with my new room. 

This room happens to be where I do a lot of my story writing. 

 I hope you've enjoyed this peek into my creative space.

Do you like change, or do you prefer things to stay the same? 

 What was the last redecorating or remodeling project you did?

Musical Chairs with Amber Schamel

Blogger: Amber Schamel

 Who loved musical chairs as a young'un? Here's some music. Shall we play? We could all get up and walk around our chairs.

Okay, I'm sorta kidding, though it would be good exercise. Today, I'm not talking about the game of musical chairs, but musically decorated/themed chairs. But we can still enjoy some nice music for the post, right?

Lately, I've been busy remodeling my bedroom. I picked an "old hymn" type of theme with antique paper and music notes. While looking for inspiration on Pinterest (one of my all time favorite social medias) I found this chair.

Pinterest Inspiration

I really liked this idea, and thought it would be perfect for my writing desk chair. So for today's post, I'm inviting you to come along with me as I make my attempt.

BEFORE

Above is my original chair. I found some cream colored fabric and cut out a piece that was big enough for the chair seat, leaving some room to fold it under and tack it. Then, I laid the fabric out on the chair and traced the design that I wanted with a pencil. Look closely in the image below and you can see it.



For the treble clef, I found a clip art piece and printed it out on regular paper, cut it out and traced it onto the fabric. Then I used a ruler to make the lines.

Next, I purchased some black fabric paint, and laid the fabric out on a piece of cardboard. I painted the traced design, very carefully, using a small brush. I used a piece of paper in my attempt to make the lines clear and straight, although I think some scotch tape would have worked better.

I had to let the paint dry several times between the painting of the lines so that I wouldn't smear what was still wet.

Here's the design once I finished painting it. Not perfect. But for a gal who is artistically challenged and apparently incapable of drawing a straight line, acceptable.

The next step, or course, is to remove the cushion from the chair frame. I did this by turning it upside down and unscrewing it from the frame. Then I painted the frame of the chair in the same cream color I used on my walls. I decided on two coats.

While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I went back to the seat cushion. Once I had the design painted and dried, I used a stapler (or staple gun) to tack the fabric into place. Fold it very carefully so that the edges look tidy.

Here's the finished seat cushion.
As a finishing touch, I painted some musical note wood decals (found at Hobby Lobby) black. I glued one to the back of the chair frame.
Finally, reattach the seat cushion and VOILA!

That's my most recent project.

Now it's your turn. Tell me about your most recent DIY or craft project, or tell me about the last time you played musical chairs.  :)

Camo or Duck Dynasty Themed Party - Food

My little brother is a hunting fanatic. Seriously, a fanatic. He spends all year thinking about those few months in the fall when it's open season. When he was nearing 18 and still didn't have his driver's license, my dad told him no hunting until he had it. Guess what? He got his license quick.

My family homeschools, and this summer John was graduating from high school. Since he's the only one in his class, he gets to pick what he wants his 'school colors' to be. His answer was "camouflage." I should have known, but did he really have to make it complicated? I was thinking of one, maybe two colors like blue and white, or green and gold, something more simple, but no. It was camo. It took some more creativity, but it turned out to be really fun. 

Today I thought I'd share a few camo party ideas with you today in case you also have a friend or loved one who is a hunting or Duck Dynasty fan. 

Food:

I tried to come up with some food ideas that were the camo colors of green, brown and orange. Here's what I came up with. 

Camo trail mix. A mix of pretzels, colored goldfish, green M&M's, Reeses's pieces and nuts.

Nachos with green guacamole and corn chips.

 

(left) Carrots with artichoke dip

(Right) Camo Cola Punch – This is coke mixed with a little bit of Tang, and sliced Oranges and Limes for garnish. An experiment recipe for me, but it went over well.

Last but not least, the CAKE! I found a neat video on youtube that showed how to make a cake that is camouflage on the INSIDE as well. You split the white cake mix into three bowls, and also have a bowl of chocolate cake mix. You dye one of the white mixes a light green, the other a dark green. Then you spoon globs of the different colors in varying pattern into the cake pan and bake as usual. For the decoration, I used brown, orange and green icing, a camo sugar sheet you can find at walmart, camo colored pearls also found at walmart, and a toy deer for the topper.

Sometime I'll share some of the decorating crafts/ideas that I used. 

How about you? Any ideas for camo themed food?

What is the funnest theme you've ever done for a party?

Best selling author Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft. You can connect with Amber on her website or any of the major social media sites.

http://amberschamel.com/ Pintrest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073165.Amber_Schamel