Handmade for Christmas

 

 

Very close to Christmas I decided to make

my daughter

a pair of moccasins.

 

I have only made a pair or two before

so I needed to be brave.

 

I finished these off in the last minutes of Christmas Eve.

 

 

 

Leather decorated with bits of felt

were hand stitched together,

and finished off with a wrap of

beaver fur.

 

 

They made her smile.

Which made me smile.



 

 

Season's Greetings

 

 

 

and Best Wishes

 

 

for the New Year

 

Procrastination

I was supposed to be cleaning my studio. 

I found some strips of card stock to be put away

and then I found some weathered paper that I had painted and stamped on

And ... well, things did not get put away 

the urge to create with them was just to great and I followed along

Until this appeared.

'What FUN that was' I thought, 

now I better get back to cleaning.

Next I found my charcoal pencil 

and an old dictionary that I had ripped some pages from.

And .... well - more creating had to happen.

and I drew

and I drew

and I coloured and I painted

Until this happened.

And then it was time for bed.

Garland

This week's drawing challenge is GARLAND

definition - a decorative wreath or cord, used at festive occasions

Right away I  thought of a lovely garland I made years ago with dried natural elements.  

And then I thought about the new garland I am hoping (cross my fingers ) to make this year.

BUT when I came down the stairs and looked out my window

 I knew I had to share nature's garland 

that is so beautifully on display in my neck of the woods. 

For more interpretations of this theme make sure to visit Nadine!

Little Gem

 

 

There is a little girl in the small town I live in that is very sick and her parents, baby brother and her have travelled to a hospital 1300 miles away from here for her treatment. 

We call her 'Little Gem'

There is a fund raiser for her family, and I made this necklace for the fund raiser

 

 

It has a pearl (little gem) in the middle of a soldered wire wrap nest that I made.

 

The necklace can be worn at different lengths.

 

 

It is quite rustic, but I like how it turned out. 

 

 

 

I also made this necklace this week.

 

 

 

Tea Bags Again

I am back to playing with tea bags

Which I used to make both the inside and outside cover of this book

It is a soft cover book

 made with layers of paper, fabric, tea bags and glue with a paste wax finish.

All ready to be written or drawn in

Today At Work

 

 

Today at work I had to take pictures of animal skulls

(I work at a National Park, and these skulls can be found in the hands on section at the visitor centre)

 

 

a wolf skull

 

 

a lynx skull

 

 

and a snowshoe hare skull

I had set the skulls on the floor to take these pictures, and when I looked up . . .

 

 

 

this was my view out the window.

The sun was just coming up - it was 11 in the morning

 

 

and the sun made the sky behind these trees such a beautiful shade of greenish yellow.

 

It was a lovely day at work. 

Variety

I love making a variety of items.  

My mind is forever busy with new ideas, and I never have enough time to make what I think up.

I imagine that is fairly normal for many creative types. 

Lately I have even less time to create, as I have returned to full time hours at the day job (YEAH!!)

And my daughter is home 

 I am enjoying spending time with her, as soon she will be headed off again.

Many people have asked me if I am going to open my Etsy shop again,

I am just in the process of adding the items pictured here 

(as well as others)

Today I am hoping to add  some adjustable bracelets.

A few original one of a kind brooches

A couple of pairs of etched earrings

  

As well as some small diptych booklets

Looking back through these items reminds me of the joy I felt with each creation

Art On The Outside

I have enjoyed making a new 

hard covered journal.

It is a book waiting for creations on its pages.

It has heavy paper pages 

that will stand up to layers of paint, or glued on items 

as well as any writing and drawing. 

When I made it I kept wondering what its pages will eventually be filled with. 

Art on the outside - just waiting for art on the inside.