Holly Jolly Decorating!

I really have a deep love for all my deer. I can't wait every Christmas to take them out and this year I have been lucky enough to receive three red velvet ones as a gift. Oh happy days!

Since I have been collecting vintage christmas ornaments they have really thinned out in the Thrift Stores. I did find a trio of these sweet pine cone and pipe cleaner elves on ski's. I love them!

I did not hang my very old real glass ornaments as the kids did the hanging this year. And believe me it is a work in progress. For me liking things a certain way, it is a bit of a challenge but so far we have only broken two ornaments!

And here is my little girl in front of our tree. I took this photo just after she received these dress up pieces from her teacher as a gift!

Sowa Holiday market

So, tired achy but very happy is how I feel this morning.
The Sowa holiday market was great! I was lucky to be next to great crafters and that always make it so much fun.

The market was really well run and very well attended.
Thanks to everyone that came to visit.
The space was really tight and it did take me a while before I could figure out how to use the 7x7 space, but in the end it all worked out really well.
Here are some photos of the space.

SOWA holiday market

It has been so crazy around here. I hope I am ready for this two day event this weekend.
If you are in the Boston area , please come and say hi.
SOWA is always a great show to visit. There will be a lot of vendors with lovely handmade goodies to sell.

I have made a lot of new pieces and have not even had time to photograph any of them! You will have to come visit me at the show!

Wish me luck!

I am so happy with this new screen I managed to convert into display space.
Check back later for before and after!

Hope to see all of you local to Boston readers in Jamaica Plain today for a Craft Fair at the First Church from 11-5. Music, good food and lots of talented vendors.

Buy local, buy handmade!

Chaos in the studio

This time of year I am surrounded by quite a big of chaos!

 I m getting ready for a show this saturday and I find myself stepping over piles, or rather groups of work that is half done, almost ready to pack and boxes already packed and ready to go. How is it that towards the end my table is so full that I have to work on the floor?

Look at all those scraps on the floor....a BIG cleanup is in order!( for house and studio)

Stocking time!

For those of you that love quilting , celebrate Christmas and love to sew, look at these great stockings from Denyse Schmidt Quilts.

I think these are so amazing and you can use some of those scraps! 

Five more days to the Holiday show in Jamaica Plain!

Using vintage finds

Remember the great vintage finds form a few weeks ago?

Today I am giving you a peak of how I am using these.

On this houndstooth cape/scarf I used this leather and gold bead piece to hide the snap.

This is my favorite so far for the season (have I said that before?)

The leopard and red and white stripe knit just asked for this leather flower.

Happy Monday!

A cozy cape or is it a scarf?

I love this new scarf. I have been wearing one of these while working and it is cozy, warm and looks pretty good!

I hide the large snap under  a trinket. In this case a vintage buckle.

 The back is not too long and this helps so you can wear it over a jacket or even inside a coat.

Would you wear one? Do you you like the idea?

Have a sunny weekend!

Artist Market at the Store at DeCordova museum

Stop by for a walk around the pond and peak into the Store, it is packed with amazing work from a lot of artists!

November 13—December 31, 2010

The Annual Artists' Market opens at The Store @ deCordova with Extended Holiday Hours:
Monday—Thursday 9:30 am—9:30 pm
Friday—Saturday 9:30 am—5:30 pm
Sunday 10:30 am—5:30 pm

Mark your calendars for the biggest shopping weekend in Boston!

I am super excited to take part in the Sowa Holiday Market this year.

Mark your calendars and come visit me!

Tie one on!

While reading through blog land this weekend nursing the flu, yes I had my flu shot, I found this site and thought it lovely.
The idea is to take a baked goody or bread, wrap it up with a note of good wishes  and take it to a neighbor or family member that you know that is in need of a kind deed or word.

Oh and you have to wear an apron!(LOVE)

Try taking part in this

Halloween mermaid costume

This was the fist year that I made one of the kids a costume for Halloween. It was so much fun that I think that I would like to make this a tradition form now on. It was so much fun seeing her in the outfit and to hear her tell people that her Mom made it. 

Also it was easy. It's a costume and its Lycra. You don't have to really seam everything and it really only has to last for a weekend.

I used a pattern for the top, and cut up pieces of contrasting lycra in strips to sew into the sleeve before sewing it .

The "skirt" part I just cut in a basic shape of a "tail" and gathered at the waist. It worked really well. I had a lot of fabric left over , so I made a three tier frill in the back to add just a little more.

The crown closes in the back and I use the hot glue gun to add the "pearl treasures" on the front.

The belt came as a after thought. the skirt part looked too full. I attached a imitation pearl brooch to the front .

I love this photo of her looking at her brother.

A Sweet Mermaiden doll.

Be still my beating heart!

I am so in love with this little mermaid, I love her, love her, love her!

A is going to be a mermaid for Halloween (costume pictures to follow). To go with the costume I decided to make this dolly for her to carry around as company.
I came across this free download from Hillary Lang's book: Wee wonderfulls. She also has a great blog with fun pictures of her creations .

This was a fun, easy project to make. The pattern was very clear and clever! She is small, just as long as my hand, so you do need a knitting needle or such to get all those corners turned out and the stuffing in all the right places.

 I did not have flannel for the body , so I cut up an old pillow case . I love the vintage velvet for her hair. I also think it is easier to turn inside out than corduroy.

I am not very good with embroidery, but I managed to make her face look OK!
If you have time I would recommend you try this lovely project. Took me just under two hours. Great weekend project.

Halloween crafts

The past weekend the kids and I made some fun Halloween crafts.

It is always fun to work with hand prints. You start by  painting the hand , not the thumb, with black paint and print one hand  then the other, overlapping the palms. 

You can add eyes and paint the face with white paint.

The other craft that is also fun to make are spiders out of egg cartons. 

The kids loved painting them. After they dry add eyes, nose, mouth and teeth if you choose!

I used a hole punch to make the holes for the pipe cleaners to go through .

The kids liked choosing different colours for the legs.