MAKE A CHILD HAPPY, DONATE YOUR UNUSED ARTS AND CRAFTS ITEMS TO A GOOD HOME

For three months I've been gathering craft items in my dining room.  I also had a box full of ear warmers, hand made slippers and knitted scarves.  The top picture is of the 12 small afghans I made in the last 3 months.  I have a friend who teaches art to homeless and abused children, seniors with disabilities and Alzheimer's and she also helps the Phoenix Children's Hospital with their Beads of Courage program.  Three of my friends (Lupe, Carol and Evelyn) also brought a ton of items over for her to help with her art classes.  Many of the government programs and schools don't get funding for art classes or that is the first thing that is cut so she was thrilled to get all the things we've been collecting for her.  I had a box full of needles and thread and DMC thread.  She said how happy she was to have that because she was teaching the kids how to sew.  They had no idea how to sew a button on if it came off.  The simple things we all take for granted are a challenge to some of these kids whose parents never taught them how to do these kinds of things.
She also told me, the Boy's and Girl's Clubs don't always have funding for arts and crafts and neither do some of the schools.  If you have yarn, pipe cleaners, colored pencils, paper, thread, buttons, sea shells, cigar boxes, beads, paint, crayons, paint brushes, art books, containers, cord, etc.  Call your local Boy's and Girl's Club or a shelter or a school near you and see if you can donate these items.  It was great for me.  It made me clean out my studio.  Even the nursing homes do art classes and might want some of your craft items.

I haven't done beading with Delica beads in a long time because of the problems with my arms and shoulders.  I met a physicians assistant at my pain management doctor's office and she has been incredible getting me back on the road and without pain.  She loves earrings so I made her American flag earrings and a bracelet and these Halloween earrings.  My problem is Buster keeps trying to take my Fireline thread.  I bought some K.O. beading thread and I really like using it with Delicas, it's very smooth.  He hasn't tried to take that yet but I'm sure the day is coming.

I put his Halloween collar on him that I bought him when he was baby.  This is the look I got.  The eyes mean the aliens are here.  I'm sure he will hide that like he did with collar he came home from the shelter with.