Demitasse Candle

Easy-peesy!

I melted soy wax candle chips in a

little mason jar in the microwave

and poured it into the wick-ed teacup. 

There was plenty of time to make sure the wick was centered

after I poured the wax in and the whole candle cured in short order.

I didn't add color or fragrance because 

it said on the packaging that soy wax didn't take to these very well.

Has anyone tried and found out what works??

I will be on the lookout for more teacups in the future.

Wouldn't these make pretty gifts?

The little wooden peg doll is from Gail Wilson Designs.

Busytown

I made this felt rabbit 11 years ago about this time of the year.

I was pregnant with Em and had found a Richard Scarry activity book

with the pattern in it. 

I found another copy of the activity book this past summer

and couldn't resist snapping it up. 

This is the pattern for the mouse girl. 

This is my someday book....

someday I might use it....someday I may have little grandchildren. :-) 

Until then I can enjoy the illustrations and ideas for activities.

Richard Scarry books are great rainy day/snow day books

to be poured over, and over looking at all the details.

All is Calm....

Merry, merry Christmas!

Thank you all for visiting and enjoying my year with me.

Take care, stay warm and dry.

I will see you soon! :-)

To Market

I am thinking of a European Christmas Market today.

The stalls filled with all sorts of things....some very strange to us Americans. Like a stall full of socks or brooms and brushes of different sizes.

I wish I could pop over there and pop back without the long flight and jet lag. :-)

A Long Night

We had an evening filled with candlelight and a crackling fire.

Very quiet and soothing. 

This candle holder has been created with a very thin layer of polymer clay on the outside of the glass. I can't imagine making the clay "cane" that was needed for this elaborate picture.

Tick, Tick, Tock

Just so many days.

Not many more.....and a rush of wrapping and final tweeks to handmade gifts.

Sweet

I like that we have a whole week with Christmas landing on a weekend. 

We have time for cookie baking and maybe time to ice the cookies before they are all eaten. :-)

Socks of Blue

Busy, busy, busy!

(Berroco Sox color 1454)

Little ho ho

Gnomish wee santa in green gingham? 

Kind of an odd little bugger.

Loved making the tiny hat and sewing his little pink nose.

Sushi, Anyone?

A felt rice warmer for an ill special someone who adores sushi. 

A new twist on a penny rug, eh?

I filled the felt pouch with rice so that once heated in a microwave for 30 seconds it becomes a cozy warm heating pad.

Frosty

Cold, frosty mornings are sparkley

and lovely holly berries are so cheery. :-)

Christmas in Stitches

A little holiday stitching project for you!

You'll find the pdf HERE.

Please let me know if you have any troubles accessing the pdf. 

I made a wee pillow when I finished stitching.

I had the hardest time finding a fabric in my stash that made the embroidery POP! 

The back of the pillow is dotted (yeh!) from the same fabric line.

Have Fun!!!  :-)

Bumpy Red

Isn't this ornament unique.

It has little bumps all over its surface.

It is on a small tree in our bedroom where the sun pours in each winter.

Ahhhhhh!  :-)

Holiday Notes

Make yourself a little holiday notebook.

Just print off the page below or get the PDF HERE.

Fold it up like the Thanksgiving and Notion booklets. 

Keep track of gift ideas and holiday plans in a booklet small enough to fit any wallet.

Green & Red

Gorgeous colors of the season. :-)

All Set

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving. :-)

State of Being

Mostly, I am happy to live in a semi-chaotic state most of the time.

My house, somewhat messy, everyone going in opposite directions,

and my embroidery floss in a tangled ball. 

And then I go and invite everyone over for Thanksgiving

and I get totally nuts,

with cleaning, organizing and making everything

"just so".

I am happy the house looks so nice, but golly

it will be nice to pull out my messy ball of threads again. :-) 

Jammy Jars

I love red & white string and

I love the red gingham jar lids of Bonne Maman jam. 

I drilled a hole in the top of the lid and waa-laa I have a string dispenser.

Be careful drilling the hole because the drill can skip over the smooth surface.

I ended up with an off-center hole and had to even it up with tin snips. (not very easy or smooth)

I colored around the hole with a silver marker to cover-up the scratching I ended up with.

I made a second string dispenser for my sister

 which because of my practice with the first one was much easier and not as messy. :-)

Vintage Applique

Unbelievably small stitches on this vintage cloth hand towel. 

The rolls at the bottom of this picture are a collection of paper tapes by Martha Stewart called "Vintage Girl"

As usual, loving the gingham. :-)

Note Taking

Here is a little notebook for you to print out.

You can keep track of your plans for Thanksgiving.

I'm going to keep a grocery list, guest list,

and notes on equipment needed (dishes, chairs, etc.)

for our Thanksgiving get-together.

This little notebook is small enough to carry with me,

tucked into my wallet.

After you print it out,

 slice an opening along the center line between the center two blocks.

Fold to make a small booklet.

Please see my past post HERE to see pictures how.

***Sorry if you tried to print this picture and couldn't get it

--I had it as a PNG file and not a jpeg.

Hopefully changing it helps--let me know if you still have trouble.

Sunny Autumn

I finally put together a leaf collage from this years bounty. 

Over the weekend, a walk in a little nature preserve nearby was a delight.

Who doesn't love watching a sun-dappled creek. 

There are little creek trout in the upper center of this photo.

Years ago, when Meg was in second grade

 we kept a little creek trout all winter long in a plastic milk container.

When spring came we let it go in the creek we got it from.

I home-schooled Meg for a few years back then 

and have many fond memories of our time together. 

The pink along the creek is an old-fashioned kind of burning bush.

It has a very open, loose growing pattern

and smaller leaves than the style you see in many yards.

Little red berries hang from the stems in the fall.

Mouse Mansion

This is a gorgeous flyleaf from the Dutch book "Het Muizenhuis Sam & Julia" by Karina Schappman.

Please check out the posting about the book on Dutch Sisters HERE.

There are more pictures from the book there, including an adorable built-in bed.

The author's website is HERE with a bit more info.

I sure hope there is a plan to publish this book in English.

Wow!

This photo is from a pinterest board and I just love this mushroom house.

A gypsy caravan playhouse in one corner of the yard, and this in another.

I could so easily collect playhouses! :-)

Road Traveled

A milestone passes today.

One year ago I woke with Bell's Palsy.

It has been a long year.

The worst symptoms passed by April,

but I'm left with a bit of remaining stillness and/or twitchiness on the right side of my face.

This is minor, for which I am glad and also, I notice it more than others do.

At this point I can't imagine that my face will ever feel like it did on November 2nd, 2010 and for that I am sad.

But, it could have been so much worse

so I can deal with it

and thank goodness that I got my smile back which is what I wanted the most.

I was helped very much by those on the internet willing to share their experiences with the illness.

There is even a woman who video-taped herself each month trying to move her face in the mirror.

Unending thanks and love go out to my family and friends whose support I needed so badly.

And Now Featuring Autumn....Back Again For a Second Call

Weird weather recently.

We had another episode of thunder snow on Monday. 

I feel for those in the Eastern US though, with all the snow bringing down all those trees and wires.

Power outages stink! 

Cool old  fence wire that has become part of this tree

which was then downed by a storm some time ago. 

Does anyone know if a mushroom can start out in this star pattern

or does it take on this shape as it ages and cracks?

I wish I would end up star-shaped instead of just cracking and aging. :-)

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween!

A wee felt pumpkin brooch that I put together this month.

The eyes and nose were so small I resorted to needle-felting to attach them. 

Another brooch I put together for Em's "Professor McGonagall" costume.

I used cardboard, hot glue and foil with gems attached.

I used the technique that I used for last year's Christmas ornament project in Em's class.