I lost my glue gun.  Don’t ask me how; I don’t know how anyone could lose a glue gun.  But I did.  I am suspicious my son may have disposed of it for me - being afflicted with rather severe autism he is prone to rearranging my things, and sometimes throwing things out he does not feel are necessary.  At any rate, I am in the market for a new one.  I happened to see an ad on this blog about a glue gun and I decided to go take a look at it.  I am impressed and am considering purchasing this one.  When I tell you about it, you might want to take a look for yourself.  A good glue gun can make all the difference in crafts, and certainly in home maintenance as well.

What attracted me to this glue gun was the portability factor.  I have had “cordless” glue guns in the past - they have stayed warm for all of a minute, if that.  And if I have a cord, it seems it knocks everything off the table with the efficiency of a Labrador’s wagging tail.  I find that frustrating when I am working with small and intricate craft parts.  I also get really annoyed when the cord pulls the glue gun to the floor and I wish I had never started the entire project.  A truly cordless glue gun could reduce my irritability factor about 10 points.

It is advertised as ergonomic, having soft grips, and an anti-drip feature.  But what I think is really neat is that this glue gun has a blog!  There are many more things we can do with glue guns than we use them for typically.  This blog provided some inspiration and ideas to use this tool to its fullest extent.  And being a blog, we can be sure more ideas will be forthcoming.

Take a look.  I think you will like it.  Maybe the “loss” of my glue gun isn’t so bad.  This one is reasonably priced and it appears to be a lot more useful.

Click on the link at the top or here

Cold Heat Freestyle Glue Gun

Cold Heat Glue Gun Blog

What an image.  I picture someone with a sledgehammer beating the holy-bedickens out of some poor flower all in the name of art.  Actually, this image isn’t far from the truth but no sledgehammer is involved.  It is a true craft that will result in some lovely work; the pounding part will make it something that kids will enjoy and the family can work on together.  Flower pounding will also, in a very unique way, create something that allows a flower to “live” forever. 

Who might flower pounding appeal to?  Right off the top, you can tell it is a natural for quilters.  It would also be suitable for decorating around the home; framed prints would be an option as would placemats or bookcovers.  I think this is a craft that would reveal many possibilities the more that it was used.  With the right paper, I believe the images could be used to create stationery as well.

The idea that intrigued me with flower pounding was the eternal nature of one simple bloom.  To capture that essence in a fabric may not be possible any other way - as it is directly from the flower to the fabric, the natural colors will be exhibited in a manner that is elegant.

I would recommend if you are interested in this craft that you read all you can about how to create the fabric and how to care for it.  The books below would be an excellent addition to your craft library.  And if you are thinking of Christmas gifts, which would be a lovely breath of spring in December, remember your flowers are available now!

Flower Pounding - The Basics

Check out Flower Pounding by Ann Frischkorn

Check out The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers by Laura C. Martin