Work in Progress

With my Jenny Hart Sublime Stitching: Embroidered Effects book in hand (lap), I'm attempting these houses that I sketched out in December but never got the chance to make. I thought they would make nice little ornaments for the tree but I'm also thinking other ways to use them. More on this when I've actually completed one...

Merry Christmas Spoon

It may be January now, but I haven't completely let go of the Christmas season, as evidenced by my ever-present snowman mug. Right now he is serving as the backdrop for this gorgeous spoon. Let's talk about that spoon. Just look at it! It was a gift from my aunt and uncle and cousins and came with a tag that said "The Merry Christmas Spoon: This spoon is one of a kind, handmade especially for you by our friend Dean Roberts of Turner, Maine. For Christmas 2010 we commissioned the creation of 10 spoons made from apple wood from Century Elm Farms. Happy Cooking with lots of love" Not only is the spoon itself a work of art, it is made with wood from the farm in Maine where I grew up, and given to my family by people that I love and adore. I absolutely love it! Maine Handmade at it's finest!

Yarn Snowballs

Happy New Year!

I get very melancholy at the end of the hustle and bustle of the holidays but I have also come to cherish this time immediately after Christmas. I love winter and once the holidays have flown by, as they always do, I get to bask in the quiet coziness of a long New England winter. I love the snow, the hot chocolate (even better, the hot coffee with a little Kahlua), the relative calm.
My love of winter inspired me create some yarn snowballs to place on my mantle. The mantle seems so empty after the Christmas decorations come down, so I wanted to decorate with something that is everything I love about winter - shades of white, soft, and cozy.

The yarn balls are ridiculously easy. I used styrofoam balls, pins, a bit of tacky glue, and three different yarns to add texture. For this project, I used the inexpensive yarns found at the nearby box craft store.
To start the ball, I secured the yarn with a pin and just started wrapping. And then I wrapped some more, occasionally dabbing glue to hold it together. It's really a very cathartic craft. I whipped up 6 snowballs in no time and they look great on the mantle. A perfect wintertime decoration.

Here's to crafting up a great 2011!

Handmade Holidays: Stocking Ornament

Only a week to go! How are you coming on all of your Christmas projects? I admit that I'm woefully behind. I've been carefully plotting and planning since September but in my case all that planning rarely turns into action until the very last minute. I'm a procrastinator. And I'm ambitious. The two don't usually go hand in hand but I'm working on it. I have piles and piles of projects started in the craft room and there are a few that I intend to bring to fruition and a few that will likely still be sitting there next spring. I'm enjoying my late nights of sewing and wrapping, with my Christmas music playing, and my Yankee Candle Christmas Wish candle burning. These really are the best days of the whole year for me.

I wanted to share with you this little stocking that I managed to complete. So far he's a loner but the plan is to make a dozen or so for my tree. Granted, that is not likely this year. But maybe next. This little stocking was so fun to make. I was at the Franklin Mill Store this summer and I came across this delicious Michael Miller herringbone organic cotton and I knew it was going to be a on my tree in some way. My first attempt to sew with it went miserably. The cotton is very thin and wiggly under the machine so my first stocking looked like...well...let's just say not good and leave it at that. I was so disappointed with that first attempt but after putting it aside for a little while I decided to try using some lightweight fusible interfacing on the fabric before sewing the shape. Needless to say, I was pleased with the result. I loved the stocking so much I almost didn't embellish it. Almost. But I had this plan to make felt holly leaves and a felted berry so I went ahead and added it. I figure I'll make a few un-embellished and make a few with the felt leaves and berries.
Now to turn my attention to the GIFTS that I still need to make! One week to go!
Merry Christmas!

Simple Snowflake Ball Ornament

Time is flying and I'm in a rush to cram in as many holiday projects as possible. That means that I get very excited over simple projects that don't take much time, are good for mass production, and inexpensive but look elegant and when you're done. That's how my simple snowflake ball ornament was born. I needed a project that matched all of the above criteria and since I'm always drawn to snowflake crafts, I started experimenting with a package of rub-ons that I picked up at Michaels. Here is how to create these lovelies:

First, gather your supplies. I used Delta Ceramcoat in Pearl but you can use any acrylic paint you like, a clear ball (note: works best if you clean the inside with a dab of alcohol first, but who has the time? I skip this step and rarely regret it), and some rub-ons. I used these snowflake rub-ons but the world of possibility is wide open on this one. Go bananas with whatever rub-ons you like.

Pour your paint into the ball. You need a goodly amount and I realize that isn't very specific but I would estimate that it takes 1 - 2 Tbs to coat the ball. This depends very much on the viscosity of your paint. If you have thin paint it won't take much but thick paint will require more to coat the ball. You may need to add more as you work on the next step. (Note: you can add more than one color of paint for a cool swirl effect. The kids love mixing colors. I'll post some of their work soon.)

Next you want to roll the paint around inside the ball to coat it completely.

Now turn the ball upside down on a disposable cup and let the excess paint drip out. I recommend walking away and letting it drip for an hour or so. At this point you can assess whether or not you're happy with the paint coat. If you are, you can move on to the rub-ons. If not, go ahead and reuse the paint that dripped out to add another coat of paint to the inside of the ball. I found that older paint that had thickened left with me perfect coverage from one coat and thinner paint required 2 or more coats to get nice even coverage.

I don't have a visual for putting the rub-on on the ball because I just didn't have enough hands to manage the photo, even with my helper (the helper is my daughter, if you hadn't guessed). All you need to do is select the rub-on you want to place on the outside, place it where you want it, hold it tight, and rub the heck out of it with your popsicle stick...er...craft stick. Getting it perfect on a round surface is tricky but if you hold it nice and tight and rub hard so it grabs the surface of the ball, you'll get it.

The final step is letting the inside of the ball dry completely, so leave it overnight if you can, right side up with the cap off. Then when you come back, stick the cap back on the ball and voila, you have lovely little snowflake ornaments!

Handmade Holidays: Gingerbread Houses

It's December 1st! The Christmas season is upon us. As I do every year, this year I made lots of plans for all the gifts, crafts, and cards I wanted to make and as happens every year this is the time when I realize that I'm running out of time in a hurry. I am determined this year to make at least a few new ornaments for the tree, craft a gift or two, and generally enjoy the season. So I decided to start with our annual tradition of making gingerbread houses.

My mother and grandmother always made gingerbread houses every year and I thought they were magical so I am determined to preserve the tradition with my own kids. They love it and I do too. It's a big mess, no doubt about it, but well worth it. My houses are far from perfect but in the end I get over the imperfections and enjoy the end result.

My tips for dough - most gingerbread doughs will work but make sure you use plenty of flour. If the dough is too sticky it will bake up soft and a soft house will not hold up. And make your royal icing nice and stiff so it will grab the pieces and set up quickly. It truly is like cement once it sets.

So bake a batch of gingerbread and make yourself a merry little house. You won't regret the effort.

Let the Christmas Begin!

October, one of the best months in my opinion, and Halloween, with all it's delights, have faded away and it's a cold November 1. The Christmas spirit is upon us! Okay, maybe not entirely, but for sure this is the pre-Christmas season (as my dad calls it). This is the time when we still have a full month (almost) to enjoy the remnants of fall before the hectic and joyous holiday season sets in. This is the time when all the promise of a magical holiday season is coming and we can enjoy the sweet anticipation. This is the time to prepare for the First Feast of Christmas (aka Thanksgiving). Soak it up. Breathe it in. Enjoy every minute.