Holiday Happenings!

This has been a whirlwind week, as I am sure it was for everyone. I wouldn't say it was the perfect Christmas, but I enjoyed time with the family and that is all that counts. I have been working on a new project, already planning for next year, so that will be done for next week.

The good thing is Bill is home, the bad thing is, Bill is home, lol. We are able to get out and enjoy a few nice days and he is working on the bathroom, so we might actually have it done in the new year.

One fun thing we got to do was, see the otters on the pond. I noticed people getting shots of them, so we went to check it out and I was able to capture this guy, finishing up his last fish.

Afterwards, we got some time at the beach. We had the beach to ourselves and lots of area to explore, but the wind got too cold, so just an hour of treasure hunting. The pink piece is in the shape of a heart, that was my treasure of the day.

I also get to enjoy the winter birds who are visiting my feeders. This is a Dark eyed Junco.

We also found some old graveyards, I love the old stones. This one was  in the Hopkinton cemetery, I loved the saying on the large stone. It is a shame that so many are so worn, the sayings are worn off.

And in Jamestown we got to explore an old graveyard with a lot of nice angel stones.

And of course there was Christmas. Bean got a little Zealous while I was wrapping and started opening one of Nick's presents. He was not too happy about getting yelled at, but thrilled when he got his own.

We had the kids over Christmas Eve and let them open their presents then. The boys loved their guitars and we decided to keep them here, I don't mind if they want to be noisy. We had Christmas dinner at the kids, and I save a few presents for them, but none of my pictures came out well.

Yesterday was a rest day, though I had a ton of laundry and things to catch up on, but the rest of the time, I rested. Today it was time with the boys. We took them to a thrift store, which they had a ball exploring, then a picnic at the point to watch the ferries, then time on the beach. As usual the wind picked up and it got colder, but the boys definitely got worn out. Alex fell asleep and Nick said he was going to go home and chill.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to creating in the new year.

Friday finish and Freebie!

I hope everyone is done with their holiday shopping and can enjoy some time to relax and enjoy the holidays. We will have the kids over on Christmas Eve, so dinner and gift giving, then on Christmas Day we go to their house. I always save a present for the boys and I will have a little something for guests. 

This week I wanted to try something new, a cookie cutter gingerbread boy. The first one I kept simple and the second one, I added a fun outfit and bells. I love doing these and I think it would be fun to make more as gifts for next year and make them in different styles to fit the person, who gets them.

Another item I made was a gift card holder. I needed something to put the kid's card in and made up a mitten with a nativity scene. The nativity is a design I found on the web and then fit it to the mitten. The mitten is a pale green and the cuff is a green roving that I needle felted, into the felt. The appliqué is all wool, and a few touches that I add as I go. My shapes were different than the original so I just added some facial features to fit. 

The  mitten is a little over 6" long. The stitches are done with a khaki wool thread, but it stands out more in the photo. It's a great, last minute gift idea, that can be done in a day. 

May you all have a wonderful holiday week, no matter how you celebrate, may peace and love fill your lives and homes this year.

Friday Finish and Freebies!

It seems I have more energy to make things at Christmas, even though it is too late to make gifts, some I can hand out to people and others I can save for next year. I actually have a stitchery and punch needle, waiting to be started, so hopefully I can make at least one for next week.

This week I was in the mood to needle felt. The plan was to make a simple gnome santa, one for each of the boys, but I got carried away. He got bigger and then I went off on my own, as usual, so he is simple but more detail than the original which was just a blog with a beard, lol.

I was trying to make his cuff at the bottom, look like it draped over his boots, but didn't come out the way I planned. Some day I want to make a nicer old world santa.

I also made up some ornaments from a design by, Downeast Thunder Farm. She has a lot of nice felt designs that she offers for free and these were perfect for Christmas giveaways. I didn't have any white felt, so I used wool, which isn't as stiff, so I put a piece of felt for the back.

Another ornie I made was these fun stockings. I saw them on  pinterest and I saw that they are being sold from an import company, so I took the liberty to make my own version. I just traced out some mini stockings and added things by hand cutting, so no pattern. Simple enough to copy to make your own and put your own touches to. Mine are about 3" long. I may try some with carrot buttons, I do have a lot of chenille that was gifted to me.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I still need to come up with a good idea for the boys. I have bought them some things, but Nick wanted an electric guitar. I don't know if he will take it seriously, so I want to get him something with strings, but also fun buttons and I can get Alex a button one, but so far, they all have bad reviews. Not sure if it is worth it, so will see what the stores have, at least I can take it back if I have to.

It is also a time of remembering, not a day goes by that I don't think of my daughter and Christmas was always her favorite holiday. This guy is a frequent visitor when I sit on the porch.

Friday Finishes and Freebie!

I have been busy this week, finishing up things and now I am done with gift making. I will make more Christmas for fun, which I love doing at Christmas and I will have them for next year. I have tons of snowmen stitcheries that I can do. One thing I am thinking of is, making the larger ones into pocket pillows, so I can just send that and the recipient can put in their own pillow form. It will be easier to ship and less cost, what do you think? Would you be happy if you received just the pillow cover?

This week was the new stitchery from Kathy Schmitz, so I had to do that and have one more gift. I wasn't happy with the bright colors so I antiqued this one.

I also made the last of the snowmen pillows. I wish I had more to give, it seems everyone likes this one, especially my family members, but I will have to decide who gets one, since there is no more time to do more.

Another project I worked on was, my pillows I made last year. I never got a change to send them out and I decided I should add a touch of color. I used a red and gold trim, so it pops, but not in the photo.  I like how it looks on the square pillow better, the wonky one would have looked better with a bulky yarn to hide the bad shape.

And this week's freebie is by Diane Knott. I made mine more simple, in the penny style, but it is a fun idea to use with thick wools and small designs. We all have patterns that can be reduced and fit into a smaller circle, so it is a great project to use up leftover wools. You can find the pattern at her facebook page, with the link above. I over cut the scarf pieces, so they are not placed right.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and time to enjoy holiday making, without the stress. We did some early shopping for Bean. We got a new couch and I am retraining him, to stay off. He is not happy but he loves his new bed and gives him his own comfy space.

Friday Finish and Freebie!

This week I made another stocking from the stocking design I found at Cheri's facebook group. I used designs from her old books and added my own touches. Now I have one on each side of the skinny walls, that are on the big, useless opening in our kitchen. The wall will be coming down and we plan on putting in an island.

For now it is a great place to hang things. I hung it on a knob with better lighting, but I can never get a good shot of wool items.

Tuesday was a beautiful day and I wanted to get out. No crowds and Bean got to enjoy getting out too. This is how Bill looks for glass, I was digging too, lots of rocks with glass, hiding underneath.

And we found some nice pieces this time. I really need to organize what I have found lately and start making things. Winter is a great time to create, so hopefully I can get more done this year.

And for this week's freebie, a fun little star that I saw online and no idea who made it, but it did have a pattern. I redid it a bit and made the hat simpler, as well as changing the face. I like things I can make up quickly, since these are things I give away. I think it will definitely bring a smile, to the recipients face. Something fun to make and you can change it to suit your needs and change the expressions. I may do some with button eyes.

And here is the pattern, simple to make with felt or wool. You could even sew some with lighter fabrics. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Monday Finish and Fun!

I finished a piece on Friday night, so today I can show it to you. I made this months ago, but never finished it, so I decided to leave it as is, and make a pillow. I meant to tone down the snow, but forgot, but I am still happy with it, it was a big piece to work on.

The design is by Michelle Palmer and is 10" x 8".

This weekend was cold, so we went for a ride to Connecticut to do a little shopping and watch the ferrys at the point.

On the way to the point, I spotted this guy in a nearby pond. It is times like this, that I wish I had a larger zoom.

One place I love is the thrift shop, I found some fun goodies. I like buying little things that they boys can play with and not worry about breaking, the total cost was four dollars, can't beat that deal. The house is a music box and the santa flies around it, Alex loves watching it.

And to end my weekend, the boys stopped by for a late Birthday dinner. The boys gave me the best present ever, hand made cards and a mug that brings a smile, every time I use it. And that is about how I look and feel in the morning, haha. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday week.

Friday finishes and Freebie! - Plus a Holiday recipe!

I have been busy this week, a great way to keep my mind and hands busy while I finish off the last of the flu. My first piece is the second of the set from Blueberry Backroads. I colored this one with pencils, but it didn't pop, so I used my ink markers and love how that looks. I will recolor the first one, as well.

The second piece I finished is a stocking with a design from Cheri's Friendship group on Facebook. The design is free and another member did a design on a stocking and gave us the template to copy. She had machine sewed her stocking and I left the seam allowance on mine, so a little fatter, but it is nice for those wider design elements. The stocking measures 10".

I also tested some recipes, this one is my new favorite. It is Sweet Potato flat bread and so easy to make and only two ingredients. I was doubtful that it would work, but it does and it is delicious. Today I made up some apple - pineapple jam and it went great with them. For Thanksgiving I plan on making small ones and using cranberry and fruits to go with them. It stays moist in a sealed container, so you can make it ahead and just reheat before dinner.

And for Friday's freebie, a cute little reindeer. I found the photo at another foreign site and no pattern, so I did up my own. The wools I used were not as dense as I thought, but they still came out nicely. I will definitely make more of these, great to hand out or add to gifts. These are about 4 1/2 x 3 1/2.

And here is the design that I used. You can add your own buttons, different appliqués and colors. I hope you have fun, making your own. Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finishes!

This weekend we went for a few drives and found out, one store was closed on Monday, but the good thing was, Colchester Mills was open and I was able to get some nice muslin and a new pattern, as a treat.

This design is by Blueberry Backroads, called Just for You! I love the fact that it is small and has the perfect saying for gift giving. I made the first one into a pillow, but they also have a flat version. I think the flat one would be fun to fill with balsam but I didn't get any this year. It is also nice since the flat version can fit in a small yellow envelope, along with a card.

I gave it a little color and some bells.

My freebie for the week was a design I found online, a simple tree with cut out hearts, but I decided to try some of my buttons. It was simple and quick to make up, so a great giveaway item, and something simple enough for kids to do. I think I like the smile face trees, better.

I saved the site these came from, but it seems to be an iffy site, isn't taking me to the same post, so I am including the pattern I downloaded and it does have the name of the site it came from. I wouldn't bother though, I already cleaned out my cache to be safe.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. It is going to be cold again, so we won't be hitting the beach, anytime soon.

Friday Finishes!

This week I was able to make two items and one is a freebie. The freebie is offered by Michelle Palmer on her facebook page, Michelle Palmer Artist. She offers one each year, and I love this new one. It was fun to do and can be done in primitive wools or bright wools.

The stocking is about 9" tall. I think it makes a nice gift that you can add some candy to, or some lip balm, etc. You can find the pattern at the link above. You can see a little shading on his head and tail, I used walnut ink but it faded as it dried, so I can add a little more.

My next piece is a design by Kathy Schmitz for her One Stitch Club. I decided to do it in Christmas colors,  on a tea towel,  perfect for a gift.

This week I was able to get in a beach day. Bill has his laser surgery and a late appointment the next day, so we got in a  few hours at the beach. I got  quite a few nice treasures, that large chunk is an old green piece and the larger rock would make a nice shape to do a nativity scene.

Do you see that smaller dark piece above the green and yellow one?

Well, I got a nice surprise when I put it to the light and saw that it was a piece of red glass with a gold decoration on it.  I almost threw it away, thinking it was a piece of a new bottle.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and not snow bound. It is colder here, but it will be sunny.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had another nice weekend, even though the cold is coming in early this year, it felt nice to be out without getting wet. On Saturday we tried a new area, Old Saybrook in Ct. It is a beautiful town which has a lot of history, but now it is more of a tourist area. It would be a wonderful place to stay in the hotels and condos that surround the beach area.

We explored the town and historical waterfront, then took a walk on the town beach. I found a few pieces of glass, but the tide was coming in, so I am sure there was more at low tide. We also stopped at one of the oldest cemeteries, lots of old stones from the founders of the areas and a view of the Long Island Sound. We started our day here and headed up the Connecticut river, where we passed by Essex, a village with a train museum and you can take rides along the river from there.

We enjoyed some stops at local graveyards and vistas along the river. I had hoped to spot some eagles at an island, they are known to winter at, but nothing on this day. Our destination was Gillette castle, which was open again.

It was nice to get out for a walk, and Bean was happy to get out, and say hi to everyone we passed. Do you see the kitties on the top? The man who built the castle, loved cats.

We got to enjoy a nice walk around the main areas, lots of paths with bridges and a little covered bridge. Some areas still had vibrant colors, but most of the area is turning to dark red.

On Sunday I wanted to go for a ride to Woodstock, they have a prim shop, a Christmas store and an antique consignment store. Not much this time, but the ride is on scenic roads and we got to enjoy a few stops, One at Roseland park, and another at a Rhode Island cemetery. I even found these cute snow dolls, online it said they are snowmen, but I think they look like white owls, lol. I know the boys will love them, they are soft and fluffy. I like to have a kid's display with their nativity, so they have things they can touch and play with.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish and wanderings!

This week I tried a stitchery from a free painting design at Deco Art. I modified it a bit so it fit into a smaller square, since it is something I will give away as part of my DSmiles4miles group on facebook. The material was horrid to work on and the photo makes it look, even worse.

I think it is a fun design to give to people during the holidays, we can all use a smile. It is a painting on wood, so I maybe see if I can find some mini wood pieces and paint some, It is a fun design and easy to do, even if  you are not a painter. It could also be adapted by making the bird with applique, which I will try too.

We also got an extra day this week, since my husband had to work on Sunday. I picked Tuesday since the weatherman said it wasn't going to rain. It didn't rain but it misted all day, so it was damp and wet and we got out for a ride, but most visits to places had to be quick, so we couldn't enjoy any long walks.

One place I had seen online was Pumpkin town, we took a little detour and I got a few shots from the road. It wasn't worth going in, since it was too wet, but it would be a fun place to take the boys, next year.

This guy was hitch hiking on the side of the road.

We were lucky that the mist stopped long enough to visit the falls. I found a new function on my camera, so I was able to take a nice photo with a smooth look to the falls. It was gorgeous and the area was surrounded by color, but too wet to hike up the hill to the view point.

And no visit to the park would be complete without a photo at the covered bridge.

I got photos of churches and grave yard stones along the way and our last stop was the castle. I really wanted to see the views from above the river and the castle would give me some cover from the mist. Well, it was closed for repairs, so no castle this time. We went down to the ferry landing and watched the ferry go back and forth, this one is fast and always on the move, since it is easier than driving to a bridge area.

I thought it was fun that they decorated the area.

Tomorrow we are going to try another ride, this time going down the coast to an old coastal town, then up river and back across, and hopefully the castle will be open. I plan out our route online and look for interesting things along the way. So, a few old cemeteries, ocean views and hopefully some eagles along the river. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and made it through the last storm without damage.

This is what I woke  up to, but at least no trees fell this time. Bill had started putting up new sides and they made it through, but all the old ones are gone.