Another busy week has flown by. The weather here in Denver is mostly weird. Definitely one of the wetter Mays that I remember since moving here. 18 years ago, this summer. Wow! It doesn't really feel like it, probably because I'm always discovering new things about Denver and Colorado, and about myself.
Because I was outside doing yard and garden stuff most of the week (thank you to all my neighbors who have complimented the yard!!), I took it a bit easy on myself this week. Tired arms and shoulders don't always make for major craft projects!! At some point I'll have to post garden photos here so you can see what I do (and love!) when I'm not doing Christmas crafts and looking for a job.
I knitted for a couple of days, continuing to work on the knitted tree chain. They "sell" that project by making it sound so easy and short -- just use your leftover yarn and whip off one of these when you have a moment. Right. If I do it at that rate, I won't have any kind of close to completed chain for a couple of years!! So I plug away on it, now that my fave shows are done for the summer, while I listen to baseball games on mlb.com. It works.
Then, one day, I wrapped some empty oatmeal canisters with Christmas wrapping paper. I'll use those to package Christmas baked goodies for people. I only had two though. Gonna have to start eating way more oatmeal!!
Then, I remembered cross-stitch. I used to love to cross-stitch, and haven't done it in quite a while. Of course, I still have all my stuff -- canvas, thread, hoops, patterns, several unfinished project -- you know how it goes!! I've got a ton of ideas of what I could do with Christmas cross-stitching. So, grabbed the graph paper and created a few simple designs and stitched them up.
Since I'll be away from my craft room for part of the Memorial Day weekend, more cross-stitch and knitting will be happening, since those two are very portable. Since I'm thinking that these will become card-fronts, I'm sure I'll be card-making in the very near future, as soon as I've completed several more.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. While we all enjoy the three-day weekend, pause a moment to remember why we have it. So many men and women have bravely served and heroically died for our freedom. I may not agree with every war or conflict, but I deeply admire those who serve, and those who serve and have died for the United States. I pray for peace.
-Jayne
It's been a much better week, creatively, than last week was. Feeling back in the groove! Of course, it didn't hurt any that there were a couple of very dreary, rainy days where I was stuck inside. I watched the lawn get greener and the weeds get bigger from my window as I worked on Christmas project.
This week there have been three projects completed.
First up, I had a few mini canvasses lying around. I decided it was time to try something with one of them. I wasn't really in the mood to paint, so I "painted" a tree on with some markers. Added some bling to be the ornaments and the star. Added a cut-out package, and there it is. Just a fun little thing.
Yikes! I can't believe, on the one hand, that it's been 8 days since I last posted!! On the other hand, given my mood and motivation, and the amount of yard/garden work I've been getting done, as well as the rest of crazy stuff that's keeping me hopping, I guess I'm not surprised.
As the weather has made overall improvement outside, I've felt the call to do more and more in the yard. It's hard to resist. I've spent several hours out there some days (big yard, needs lots of work!), and when I come in, well, all I want to do is sit and do nothing. I've also struggled a bit with motivation for this project in terms of what to be doing. It's obviously still too early to do some things, like baking, but other than make more and more cards, I was feeling a bit stalled out about what to do next.
And yet, I didn't just want to stop, so I didn't. I've written a couple of haiku on a couple of days. I've done a fair amount of knitting. I made another button candy chain. I hung some Christmas lights on the loft banister. I made a card with one of the doily wreaths, but I really don't like it, so I won't be using it. Or showing a photo of it. I did something related to Christmas every day, but I didn't love everything I did.
Then today, even after spending almost the entire day planting flowers and mowing the lawn outside and baking lavender pound cake inside, I had a good healthy urge about the Christmas project!! So, I think I'm over the hump. Or maybe it's out of the rut. Not sure, but I was glad to feel it again.
I remembered that I have a tin full of small jigsaw puzzle pieces that have all been spray-painted dark green. Years and years ago, at an Advent workshop, we made wreaths by gluing puzzle pieces together and then decorating them. I still have the one I made, and have put magnets on the back of it so I can put it on the refrigerator at Christmastime.
Tonight I glued together three of the wreaths. So much fun. Really cute. Really easy and relaxing. I seem to remember it was a good one for many ages. Anal adults like me made very impressive little wreaths, but kids could also do it and have fun with it.
Here are some shots of the puzzle-piece wreaths:
Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!
-Jayne
Happy Mother's Day to all who are or act as mothers! Besides my own mother, there have been many who have "mothered" me, and to them I am forever grateful. I am also fortunate to have mothered my own boys, Matthew and Samuel, who are now young adults and never fail to make me feel proud and loved. Today, Sam and I spent the day together (Matt is in New York.), going on our traditional trip to the Denver Zoo. This is something that the boys and I started doing years ago, and Sam and I have kept the tradition going.
I have to confess it's been a super busy weekend, so yesterday and today, I kind of skated by with knitting. I knitted a bell and a couple of strips for the knitted chain yesterday. I knit another strip today and put together the pieces I've done into the partial chain. It's starting to look good. Let me get a bunch more done and added, and I'll post an updated photo of it.
Earlier this week, right after my last post, I spent a couple of days making some of the cutest Christmas cards. I just love them!! If you decide to try them, prepare to get one of your thumbs dirty, because they're thumbprint cards. Just print your thumb on a bunch of card-fronts. I did at least two thumbprints on each card-front. Then add antlers with a Sharpie marker; googlie eyes and a nose; and there you have reindeer thumbprint cards!! So cute! All I did with the inside was to stamp "Merry Christmas," but I've also thought about leaving some blank. Way fun, even if it did take a couple of days to get my thumb completely clean!
The weather is gorgeous here, so I'm sure I'll be splitting myself between the Christmas season project and the Spring season outside this week. The garden is calling my name!! But so is Christmas!! :)
-Jayne
It's been a scherenschnitte obsession since my last post!! I had found a bunch of pre-printed scherenschnittes and started cutting. I kept at it for about five days!!! And I completed all the Christmas themed designs. They look great! I won't add any more photos to the ones I've already posted, at least not now. Now, I have to figure out what to do with all of them. Some will make terrific ornaments. Others will probably look good as card fronts. It's just a matter of spending some time on that aspect of the project. Once I get some completed, I'll post more photos. Now, I'll be searching for more scherenschnitte patterns!! I probably should have scanned all of the ones I originally found, so I could cut multiples, but I didn't think of that until I was just about done. Oops! You know that when I find more patterns I'll be scanning or copying them.
Okay, I did some knitting, too!! More bell ornaments - different sizes and some fun colors - one looks more like an Easter Egg than a Christmas bell!! I can probably knit these in my sleep now. I also knitted some more strips that will become part of the knitted Christmas tree chain. I'll add them on soon and post some more photos.
Today, it was time to start something completely different. Something I've been thinking about for a while. Doily wreaths. I painted several doilies a couple different shades of green. Next, I'll add some sequins or other doodads for decorations and finally a ribbon. Not sure what I'll ultimately do with them, but wanted to try them. They'll probably work well on card fronts. I might also work them into an Advent Calendar or some other decoration.
Here's a shot of a couple of doilies, two shades of green.
A fun byproduct of painting these wreaths is that I got a couple of stencil effects on paper that I put underneath. Only two were really nice and usable, so I've saved them. Just have to figure out what to do with them.
More in a few days!
-Jayne
Wow, I've been doing this project for two months now. 60 days. In some ways much easier than I thought it would be, but still a bit daunting as I realize how much time is left. Now that spring is springing outside, there are some days that will be harder than others to work on Christmas, but it will happen!! :)
One brand new project this week. Fun and super easy. I bought a couple of packages of button candy. Cut them into strips, and have created a button candy chain for the Christmas tree. Really cute, and it's made me think how fun it would be to do a candy-themed Christmas tree. Hmm .... might have to seriously consider that one. I'll have to start cruising garage/yard sales and try to score some small artificial trees. I have several ideas for theme trees.
Here's what the chain looks like. I only used one package for this one, and it goes completely around the tree,
I also worked on some knitting. A few strips for the knitted tree chain, and I started another bell. This one isn't really in any Christmas colors, just various shades of blue. Got to mix it up a bit!!
And today, I'm back working on schrenschnitte, the paper cutting. It's very intricate and time-consuming, but so satisfying when I'm done with one. As I said when I first wrote about it, I found all of these printed on heavy, parchment-type paper, so there's no tracing or transferring of the patterns. Just grab a small pair of sharp scissors (I use the kind that I think nurses use for bandage cutting.) and start!
Here are a few photos of a couple that I've recently completed and the one I started today.
Just looked at my logbook and realize that I haven't made any cards in almost a week!! Well, I have, but the ones I've been making aren't Christmas cards. I've been working on birthday, thank-you, anniversary, etc. I just might have to make some Christmas cards tomorrow. Or over the weekend for sure, since the weather is supposed to be pretty cruddy.
Take care,
-Jayne
Happy Day After Easter! We enjoyed a nice, small celebration here, including an Easter egg hunt. People driving by must have wondered at the sight of 5 adults running around the yard in search of candy-filled eggs. Now we have more candy than we know what to do with. Happiness for a girl who gave up chocolate for Lent!!
Since my last post a few days ago, I've worked primarily on the paper prep work for the Advent Calendar that I've designed in my mind. The template was traced over and over; the heavy paper was cut; and all the templates have now been folded. I'll start playing with the rest of it soon. Putting the numbers on will be easy. The "windows" are big enough to hold a square of Ghirardelli chocolate, but I want to mix those with Christmas-themed photos and some Bible verses of the story of Jesus' birth. Finally, I need to start thinking about how to attach all these parts, and to what.
Today was a dreary, mostly cloudy, kind of damp and cool day here in the Denver area. The kind of day to curl up with a kitty or two, maybe a book, maybe a nap. I did read for a while, curled up with a cat. Skipped the nap though. And spent part of the afternoon working on some of my knitted Christmas crafts. First up, I finished some more bell ornaments - stitched up the sides and attached the jingle bells. I've run out of jingle bells, but not the knitted bells, so I'll be picking up some more soon.
I started working on my knitted chain. Remember how we used to make the chains for our Christmas trees with construction paper? Well, my Mom told me about making them by knitting strips with your leftover yarn, and then stitching them so that they make a chain for your tree. Very cool idea. It will, however, take a lot longer than a construction paper chain!!
Here are a couple of photos of the start of the chain.
Luckily, I have lots of yarn!! It's going to take a bunch. My Mom has knit some strips as she finishes some projects, and sent those along, so that helps a bit. Hers is the purple one in the photos. Thanks Mom!!
It's supposed to be dreary again tomorrow, so maybe some more knitting.
-Jayne
