My Bit of Earth

A Wee Blizzard of Felt Snowflakes

This was my ornament for Freshly Blended's annual Holiday Ornament Swap.  (See all the pretty ornaments.)

The pattern came from Purl Bee, and was super cheap--like, less than $10 to make thirty-two ornaments. (I bought my glittery felt from a local craft store.)  It was, admittedly, a bit labor intensive to make so many--overall I think it took me about five or six hours--but if you break it up over a few days it's not too bad.  (You could always make less too.)

And I love the thought of my little glittered snowflakes blowing out all over the world!

(Ohhh!  And here's one that's arrived at it's destination already!  And another!)

Comfort and Joy

Noshing...on cookies (delivered from a friend, which makes them even better), Turkish Delight, and Coke in a glass bottle....

Inhaling...just-in-bloom Paperwhites and Christmas tree....

Snuggling...under the pretty new/old quilt my mama got me for my birthday (and this one's NOT a "project"--hell yes!)....  

Watching...Christmas movies...Did you know I've never properly watched Miracle on 34th Street before today?  Such an incredible movie, and I love Love Actually.  One of my favorite topics of holiday conversation is which love story in that movie is the best one.  (I'm torn between the kid and the Portuguese woman and the lady taking care of her brother...but the guy that falls in love with Keira Knightley is so sweet...and the guy that goes to American is so funny...SEE IT'S HARD!)

Thinking...about baking up a storm this evening...if I make it off the couch!

 

Cozy Little Winterized Acorns

Don't these look like acorns with sweaters on?  They're not, but that's what they remind me of.  

I'm not one hundred percent sure what I'm going to do with them.  Maybe ornaments?  Present toppers?  Maybe just put them out in a little bowl?  But, the thing is, they're cute enough that I really don't care.

To make them, first you need to go for a nice walk and find some empty little acorn caps.  Then....

 

Get some wool roving.  Wind it into little balls just a teensy bit bigger than you want your finished "acorns" to be.  Then, using hot, soapy water, felt the wool.  There are many methods for doing this, but what I do is....

1. Wet the wool ball.  Get it really soaking.  (Hint: Do this in a sink for less mess.)
2. Add some dish soap.
3. Knead the ball back and fourth between your hands a little bit, forming it into a ball shape.
4. Once the ball starts to form, start rolling it between your hands like you're rolling balls of play-doh.  If you can kind of do this step with your hands and the ball underwater, all the better.
5. If at first it doesn't seem to be working, don't give up.  It can take between five and ten minutes of working with it to get a really tight ball.  Also, you may get a little nubbin that won't felt into the ball no matter how much you work it.  If that happens just snip it off with scissors and keep rolling the ball.

Last, throw your balls in the dryer with a load of towels to really tighten them up.  Then smush them into your acorn caps.  Hot glue will make them extra secure, but isn't strictly necessary.

Plugging Sweet Husband By Giving You Stuff

Hey there all you local people!  Be sure and stop by the Lawrence Art Guild's Holiday Art Fair tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lawrence Art Center.  Sweet Husband and Nice Friend Calley will both be selling their lovely wares (with their powers combined they are "Oread Designs") along with over fifty other local artists.

For all you local people and non-local people alike, in order to drum up some love, I'm going to give away a piece of Sweet Husband's jewelry.

Here's what to do.  Go check out Sweet Husband's etsy shop.  Look around, get comfortable, feel free to stop and shop, but before you leave be sure and pick out your favorite piece of jewelry.  Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what it is.  I'll randomly pick one winner tomorrow morning, and you get whatever you picked!  How's that for fun?

UPDATE: And the winner is Jill!  I'll be in touch for your info Jill.

Moe Speaks: This is Also INAPPROPRIATE

In addition to carrying me like a goat, Dad thinks it's funny to put me in boxes.

Don't worry, he doesn't seal the lid or anything.  He just closes it lightly over the top of me, then laughs as my head pops out.  

He likes to do it with laundry baskets too.

I apparently don't understand his twisted sense of humor.

(Incidentally, the chew marks on the box--totally Porterhouse!)

Some Snow Please

I sometimes think I need to move North.  I don't mind winter at all, but, gosh darn it, I want snow!

I don't care that it makes things difficult.  In fact, I suspect that's part of the reason I love it.  

"Opps, sorry, too much snow.  Must work from home in my jammies!"  

"Drat!  Can't cross all those things off the to-do list--must stay home where it's warm!"

Of course, no matter how bad it is out, nothing could ever stop me from donning thick winter gear and going for a romp in winter wonderland with the dogs.  Let's be sensible, after all, not everything can stop just 'cause the weather's bad!

No major snow for us yet this year--just a little mid-November dusting--but I thought that maybe if I cut up some paper snowflakes Old Man Winter might take a hint!

Photographer for Hire, Susceptible to Cute Families and Sweet Babies

So, the other thing I've been doing lately is taking a lot of pictures...which isn't really new, except now I'm taking them of people--strangers even--not just my dogs and family.  The engagement pictures I took for my friend have set off a chain reaction, and, well, looks like I'm in business for the Christmas card picture season, at least!

Last weekend I shot two sweet little families....

OK, but really, I have to confess, my favorites were these two....

 All together now....awwww!

But, just as a note, if you're local and you want some pictures taken, drop me a line.  Sweet Husband says my rates are horrifically low, so come get a deal before he talks me into raising them! 

A Very Knitted Christmas Tree

Long time readers will know that I am a huge fan of the Lawrence Festival of Trees--an annual fundraiser for our local emergency youth shelter, where organizations donate Christmas trees which are then auctioned off.  Sometime last year, I put my name in to make a tree for this year, and whaddaya know, it got picked!  

Not having any other organization I could think of to get my entry form back in a hurry, I put down "The Mirth Knitting Club", volunteering the little knitting circle that I'm a part of, just hoping they'd be as excited about it as I was.  

My wonderful knitting friends threw themselves into the project in their usual style--Nice C came up with the awesome design for the tree, Nice S gamely and happily knit "whatever we told her to", and Nice R worked the branches onto the wire form--a very tricksey thing.  And they all sweetly put up with me.  (I'm kind of a worrywart when it comes to things that have to be done in a certain amount of time, I get all antsy and demanding, I know it....)

In the end, we made what was, indeed, a very knitted Christmas tree....

 

In addition to the branches of the tree being knitted (chunky i-cord over a purchased, "skinned" little artificial tree), the trunk is crocheted.  The lights are also covered with a crocheted garland, and the ornaments are knitted sweaters, mittens, stockings, and scarves.  The topper is--what else?--a stocking cap!

 It was called everything from a "cactus" to "Scandinavian", and it raised $300, which tickled all of us!  (We were a little worried about what we would do if no one bid!)  The lady that bought it was a knitter, of course, and came over and let us know how much she loved it.  I was a little sad to give up our pretty tree, but I'm convinced it was going to a good home.

 If you're local, you can go view the trees all day tomorrow (Wednesday) and all day Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Liberty Hall.  It's $2 to get in, but the money benefits the Shelter and it's well worth it to see all the gorgeous trees!

A Merry Garland

Garlands--those drapey, festive bits of this and that--why do they make me so happy?  Who cares?  They do!  

As you can see, this is actually two garlands strung up together.  (Click on the picture to make it bigger.)

The one with the words on it is so easy.  Some note cards, a printer, a whole punch, and a length of ribbon--that's it.  (And if that's too much work for you, go buy this one from Cozy Rosies.)

The little dots are a little more difficult, as you will have to get out the sewing machine, but other than that it's just little circles all sewn together in a line.  You could buy a scrapbooking punch to make cutting out the circles easier, but scissors work too.  I used a combination of scrapbooking paper, sequins, and holiday catalogs.  The sequins were a bit rough on the old sewing machine, but I love the sparkle-y-ness they add!  (Wanna just buy it?  Check out this one by oldyarns.)

(P.S. Just as a disclaimer, I'm not getting anything for mentioning these etsy shops.  I don't know the proprietors, and I haven't ordered anything from them so I can't vouch for anything.  I just think they're awesome, and--since they've obviously inspired me--I hope they inspire you too!)

A Crazy Crafty December

 

I think it's the new house.  That's my official excuse anyway.  So many new nooks and crannies to decorate.  Figuring out where the stockings will go--very important, you know.  

Or it could be just that I've always been a fan of decorating for the holidays.  While I can appreciate themed and tasteful and "understated with a bit of sparkle", my chosen brand of decor is more "Why yes, a Christmas fairy just threw up in my house--isn't it awesome?"

Whatever it is, I've gone a little crazy with the making-things-for-Christmas this year.  And because I do like to share my little crafty projects here...well, let's put it this way, the explosion starts tomorrow.

Consider yourself warned!