Krause Publications - Kids 1st Summer Crafts: 20 Projects and Activities for Camp, the Car, and Beyond!

Paula Bales began selling crafts through craft fairs and local shops in 1985, after teaching art in public schools for four years. She enjoys working with a diverse set of mediums, including wood, fabric, plaster, paint, STYROFOAM brand foam, paper, and decoupage. Paula has published 16 books, the first of which is entitled Too Cute Cans. She has three great kids and lives in a small town in Texas.

Betsy Edwards is an accomplished artist, teacher, and writer, whose works are included in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian, the White House, and the Delaware Museum. A designer and consultant for many art and craft companies, she has appeared on local and national television shows. Betsy enjoys creating projects that children and adults can make together.

By the time Lisa Galvin was 12 years old, she had made her first quilt from her mom's old sewing scraps. She still has it today! Twenty-eight years and three children later, she's making a career of designing. Lisa's designs regularly appear in Craftworks magazine, and her first book, Plastifoam Fun for Kids, was recently published.

Denise Giles has been designing for seven years and has been a member of the Society of Craft Designers for four years. She is best known for her ribbon work and is the author of Ribbon Art, a recently published book on the subject. Over the years, Denise has had numerous projects published in many popular craft magazines, such as Arts & Crafts.

Annabelle Keller has been designing for the craft industry for 10 years. Her work has appeared in nearly 30 different publications, and she has written two books featuring STYROFOAM brand foam. Annabelle has also designed a kit for Kunin Felt and has appeared on the PBS series Hands on Crafts for Kids. She enjoys creating designs that she and her grandchildren can work on or play with together.

A member of the Society of Craft Designers, Chris Malone lives on the beautiful southern Oregon coast. She has had hundreds of designs published in craft and sewing magazines and books. She grew up with 4-H and firmly believes that what comes from the heart and hands is the most gratifying.

Lorine Mason lives in Herndon, Virginia, with her husband, Bill, and their two daughters, Jocelyn and Kimbrely. Lorine has been designing and teaching classes to all ages for 20 years. Her desire to create something fun from simple craft items has emerged into a wonderfully fulfilling career in the crafting world.

Growing up in a family of crafters allowed Barbara Matthiesen to start crafting and designing at an early age. She has been a full-time designer for the past eight years, during which time she has had projects published in numerous craft magazines, booklets, and books. Barbara has also worked with manufacturers on product testing and development.

Rebecca Stearns is 15 years old and shares craft supplies with her mother, who encourages her to be creative. Best known for her illustrations, her contribution to Kids 1st Summer Crafts is her third published design. Rebecca is very active in school activities and sports, and she enjoys making beaded jewelry to share with her friends.

Kate Stephani grew up in Pleasant Valley, Minnesota, with a very influential grandmother who taught her how to sew, craft, and cook. She began her designing and writing career with work published in Memory Magic and CNA magazines. Since that time, she has also made TV appearances on the set of More than Memories. Kate works full-time for children with Autism, and lives with her 6-year-old son, Garrett, in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Jon-Michael Vasek, who was introduced to crafting by his mother, has been painting and crafting for six years and has published over 22 articles. He also plays the trumpet, guitar, bass, and saxophone. Jon-Michael is a high school junior in Katy, Texas.