MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From Our Family to Yours

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Christmas Gift ~ Hand Blown Glass Ornament

Take a look at these beautiful hand blown glass ornaments with a Seussian swirl!  Aren't they absolutely lovely?  My son purchased both of these at a craft fair last November in Elizabeth, Illinois from a local artisan.  They are marvelous. 

 

Here is the first ornament. It has a swirl made up of 8 different colors divided by cobalt blue glass.  It almost looks air brushed from far away...

 

 

 Upon a closer inspection, the viewer can see the different bands of color.  My son chose this ornament for himself.

Here is the second ornament.  He surprised me with an early Christmas gift of this lovely ball.  It is so cool.  The colors are mixed with the same cobalt blue glass.   It reminds me of an ornament out of one of Dr. Seuss's books!  I just love it!! 

The gentlemen that sold these told my son that if they should ever be damaged, he will gladly do repairs.  How odd is that to hear nowadays?  I try so hard not to be a part of the throw away society movement.  It warms my heart to know that my son values the work of others and purchases gifts that are true heirlooms. 

**Note**  Farmerboy also picked up a hand painted ball ornament with an old Minneapolis Moline Z painted on it.  The Artist said that she likes to pick an odd tractor here and there to grace her ornaments.  She made my son very happy. :)

It amazes me how my kid can gift me with items that I haven't even thought of, and they are so perfect for me.  This ornament is a true treasure.  I was informed that the artist also creates ornaments in different shapes.  I can see this as the beginning of an amazing collection!

How to Make Rice & Wool Microwaveable Hand Warmers from an Upcycled Sweater

Here is a quick "how to" for an inexpensive Christmas gift -- wool and rice microwaveable  hand warmers.  Not only is it a present that is absolutely perfect for the chill ridden season, it is also a fun project to get you into that Christmassy mood!   If you don't have a wool sweater laying around your house, head to the local thrift store and give them a sale for the holiday season. :)   Purchase a 75% to 100% wool sweater that is dry clean only (the ingredients for a great felting sweater ;) ).   Next, wash the sweater with some detergent on hot.  Once the washing is done, you should see that the knitting stitches are almost lost in the intermeshing of fibers.  Finally, throw it in the dryer and get ready for a wintery project.

 

Here is an oversized vest that I felted from my local thrift store.  It came to the store with a few holes in it.  The ladies are smart enough to still put it out for sale, because us wool lovers are waiting to snatch up a deal! ;)  Just think of how many warmers a crafty seamstress could get out of one oversized vest... *sigh*

 

Originally, my thought was to do two different sizes of warmers.  But after getting the first set made, I decided the second size would be too big for my needs.  So, the template size for my hand warmers was 3 by 4 inches.  Four rectangles will be needed to make a pair.  Place them wrong sides together and fastened them well with pins, since wool has a tendency to shift shape while sewing.

The best thing about this project is that you simply just sew around the outside edge of the rectangle, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.   Start sewing your warmers by going forward and reverse to lock your thread and start to head around each side.  Stop within a half of an inch of the starting point, lock your thread again and cut your piece free of the machine.  Using a funnel (I bought a cheap 3 pack from the dollar store.), fill your little bag 3/4 full of rice (also purchased at the dollar store).  To finish, you can either sew the hole by hand or use your machine.

How much simpler can it be?  (This project would be great for me to  use up some of those sweater remnants that are in my stash.  Yay!)  They are perfect for holding in ones hands, placing in  pockets or sticking inside mittens.  All one has to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 to 35 seconds to warm them up.  I know it doesn't seem that long, but they can get REALLY hot... Trust me.   So, be careful handling them and make sure that they are not damp- prior to heating- in any way.  These of course are not washable but can be cleaned on the surface with a wet cloth.

This particular pair is heading to the home of my younger sister for a test run.  She works for her local school system (First through third grade... YIKES) and her normal routine has her outside with the kids for short periods of time.  Similar hand warmers have been rumored to hold heat for up to 25 minutes.    I will let her put them to the test! ;)

Children's Book Fabric ~ Seuss, Schulz & Berenstain

I hope that everyone had a Spooky and Happy Halloween.  It was dank, misty and cool here.  Thank the heavens that the misty part let up during the bewitching trick or treat hours.  I had plenty of popcorn balls and candy bars waiting for the little ghouls.  It stayed steadily busy and was a fun time getting to see the trick or treators from previous years bring their little ones.  Time marches on! :)

 

And what have I done on these chilly nights?  I have been catching up with the designs from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  You all know my love of children's books, and Kaufman Fabrics with their rich colors and fine details capture the spirit of some of my favorites perfectly.  I thought I would share a few of my latest purchases...

 

Fat quarter bundles have not been an area that I have stocked up on, but it is a nice way to get a smattering of a line to throw into a quilt.  A nice solid could be purchased at any time to get the project underway.  Here is a bundle of  "Green Eggs and Ham"  (I do... I do... Love Sam I am!) and "Oh The Places You'll Go".  "Green Eggs and Ham"  is classic Seuss, and "Oh The Places You'll Go"  was one of Seuss' later books that has always struck me as being a reflective look at life in general... an inspiring read.  These fabrics and those that follow will be used for gifts or donations and will have a book to go alongside them.  I am loving these themes! :)

 

 

EBay anyone?  This was put up for auction at 99 cents.  It was an untouched package from the Fat Quarter Shop.  It contained over 6+ yards of Berenstain Bear fabric and an additional 3+ yards of plain navy.  The auction ended with my spending  $8.99 total to get the package to my door.  Score!!

I haven't been keeping up with the designs coming onto the market and absolutely flipped over finding this postcard fabric from "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  The black background makes the gorgeous fall colors pop off the fabric.  Plus... a scene containing my favorite line of the holiday special "P.S.  If you really are a fake, don't tell me.  I don't want to know."  *Priceless*

After finding the tip of "The Great Pumpkin" iceberg, a little more digging found a panel and individual scenes from the holiday special.  You have to see this in person.  The colors are so spectacular, and the large panel with Linus in the middle of the pumpkin patch melts my heart.

The fabric with the sprinkle of pumpkins and the title "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" will be great to mix into the fall themed quilt.  I also spotted some panels of  "A Charlie Brown Christmas" that had to come home to me.  My only regret is that they neglected to add a scene of Linus telling the Christmas Story, which I felt was the main point of the program. ** Plus a little added factoid, it was the part of the special that Charles Schulz himself insisted would stay as written, after sponsors requested that it be cut.  Bless him for staying true to his beliefs.  So... if any of my blogging friends know of this scene being produced on fabric,  would you please let me know.  I cannot ever see completing one of these quilts without it.  :( 

  

Just a little life note...  As of October 1st, I was moved up to full time at my job and given an extra task to take care of during the upcoming year.  The past few weeks have been a boot camp of sorts, but I am happy to report that I have survived, and the scheduler in me should have my daytime work hours running more smoothly.  Yay! 

Meanwhile back at the ranch ;)... I am back to creating in the evening hours and blogging, and it feels wonderful.  I finally have a set schedule!

To celebrate the impending holiday season, I have left the television on the Hallmark channel this weekend, as I move around the house.  They have some fun original holiday programming.  The story lines remind me of the old AMC movies but in color.  :)   A cup of tea, some wool, and a creative project on a frosty Sunday morning is just what the serene doctor ordered.

On a funny note... I took a huge amount of mugs to the thrift store at the beginning of this year but look at what I just had to have from the Dollar Store... I fell in love with it... And the spoon is ceramic, too. ;) 

A Giggleswick Blog Hop Win from Charmed Confections

I entered the 13 Witches of Giggleswick Blog Hop to welcome in October, and I won a darling Spider Bite from LeeAnn Kress and her blog Charmed Confections.   LeeAnn is extremely talented at sculpting figures and has mastered many forms of clay.  I found her blog on a visit to Sweet Bear Creek Whims.  Jody had LeeAnn's polymer clay lollipops in her tutorial section.  They look so real!!  And to my surprise, they both participated in the spooky blog hop, and I was blessed to win LeeAnn's wonderful creation.

 

You can imagine how exciting it was to receive this package!   

 

My photo does not do this spooky yet sweet little girl any justice.  Can you see the little ghosts coming out of her hat?!?  It is a mark of a true artist that I stop and marvel over the details on this piece.  Look at the stripes on her lollipop limbs... hard to believe that LeeAnn rolled these out of clay!  The cupcake body is amazingly realistic, and her hand sculpted sweet face makes me forget that she could be a lethal spider! LOL ;)

If you have the time, hop on over to LeeAnn's blog and check out her Etsy store.  She is always coming up with new heirloom quality creations to captivate her readers.  And I cannot forget to mention...  She also was chosen to join the team at Creative PaperClay.   Way to Go LeeAnn!!  I look forward to reading her tips... and maybe even trying my hand at some clay creations. ;)

Autumn ~ Recycled Cutter Bar Bug

I do so love the fall season.  Doesn't the sound of Autumn conjure up a multitude of wondrous colors?  Of course, all of them are my favorites!   Plus, the chill in the air makes drinking hot chocolate an absolute pleasure. *Sigh* 

 

Farmerboy has harvested his Indian corn.  It is always a thrill to pull back the husks to find a colorful surprise. :)  When these mini beauties cease to be decorations, they are also able to be used for popcorn.  How's that for recycling?  ;)

 

 

 

 

 

As you all know, Farmerboy collects vintage farm implements.  He broke a cutter bar over the summer and decided to recycle it into some bug art! ;)  Here is his latest welded creation.  He is made from a single tooth from the bar, along with a bolt, nails and some odds & ends.   I am just captivated by this little guy.  Farmerboy hasn't noticed him missing from the table where he left him, yet!   

I stole him!  He wandered out from my studio area for these photos.  Don't tell Farmerboy that I have him... ;)

Sphinx Hummingbird Moth

Look who came to visit my plants.  Although I would have swore it was a mini version of a Hummingbird, this little guy is actually a moth.  He is a Sphinx Hummingbird Moth that sports the most beautiful brown and burnt orange colors.  (My favorites! :) )  

 

 

It is so amazing to see how fast his wings flutter.  He has such an exotic "zebra-style" print on his head.  :)

His actions and movements are spot on for a Hummingbird.  I followed him around for 20 minutes and came across a second one that was photo shy.  It decided to flit across to the neighbors plants.  :(

This picture was taken by a group of plants directly under our Hummingbird feeder.  Right now, the Hummingbirds are fighting like mad!  This little guy paid no attention to the feeder, and the birds hadn't the least bit of interest in him.  :)