WHY CRAFTS?

For almost four years, I worked at the Longmont YMCA in Colorado under my friend and mentor Ellen Winkelman. Ellen was an advocate for kids at risk and the homeless and I learned so much from her. She was an amazing woman and hired me for two reasons. One, I loved kids -- even "bad" kids (there's no such thing as "bad" kids). Two, I knew how to plan fun kid crafts with almost no budget for supplies.

Those crafts led to a whole bunch of craft book assignments, which I enjoyed a great deal. I had to take a break. I was pretty much crafted out. But I'll be ready to do a few more soon.

Boyds Mills Press

I love working for Boyds Mills Press/Highlights. Kent Brown is one of the most amazing people I've ever met or known. He knows so much about the publishing industry, it's a real honor to shine his shoes, much less write books for him.

LOOK WHAT YOU CAN MAKE
WITH CRAFT STICKS...

Is exactly what you think it is. It's crafts you can make with craft sticks. About half of the crafts in this book are Boyds Mills Press classics. The other half are crafts I created myself for the YMCA kids. Man did we have fun.

LOOK WHAT YOU CAN MAKE
WITH FOAM TRAYS

Again, I got my foam footing at the YMCA even before I knew people liked foam trays for crafts. Everytime I turned around, Ellen would hand me a box of foam trays and say, "Use them for crafts."  I did. And a lot of those ideas are in this book.  Again, the ratio is about half classic Boyds Mills Press and half kid-tested fun from the Y.

MORE?  I hope so.  Kent, how about LOOK WHAT YOU CAN MAKE FROM THINGS YOU FIND OUTSIDE? 

PIL

Writing craft books for PIL is a little like a marathon relay. Two, three or even four writers join together to compile the 365 craft and game ideas. If one writer can't deliver his or her share, the others are offered the chance to take up the slack. I've never been unable to deliver my share, and I'm always willing to take up the slack. So I've done four books for the Chicago area publisher with a whole group of great co-writers.