Snowflakes on a winter day

Every christmas time we make paper cutting snowflakes, and whenever possible we make it coincide with a snowfall, last year in the tropics that was obviously not possible. We have had snow for the past three days, yet no accumulation to speak of. This morning the children put on their snow suits and went hunting for ice cycles,  something that always fascinates them...

 Once back inside we made hot chocolate, that is Kaleena made hot chocolate and Keenan made whipped cream while I started the fire

 And then we set about making our snowflakes. Kaleena absolutely loves to make these, from the folding to the cutting and the excitement of unfolding them to find each time a completely unique design.

Throughout winter we will make many of these which we then stick to our windows with sugar water.

(some sugar and a bit of boiling water to dissolve it)

 

 Even Keenan gets involved, although the thickness of the paper is difficult for him to cut through, so he ends up simply cutting into it without cutting out pieces.

~wishing you a wonderful day~

Christmas tree ornaments and doll clothes (Handmade Holiday)

I have not been so very good at posting lately, it seems the spirit of winter, going within, slowing down has very much come over me, and while this certainly is a very busy time, I find my inspiration and crafting comes in waves. Yesterday we had snow for the first time, where we are it did not really stay, though it was enough to send the children hurrying outside to experience the flurries of snow.

Once inside again we set out to make a few christmas tree ornaments. Our tree will usually have mostly homemade decorations saved from year to year, but of course this year we are using my sisters decorations and she has a different style, just the same we wanted to add a bit of homespun ornamentals to her tree

 Kaleena, and Keenan as well, got to work felting within the cookie cutters, we made stars, and Kaleena wanted to add buttons and glass beads to them, they came out so sweet.

 On the second day of the advent bags, the children found one each of these hearts, hung on a pine branch, and that day we went out to get our tree. I had convinced my sister to get a tree with the root ball, yet once we got there, the sweet man who has been planting and selling trees most of his life, told us that due to our elevation it was unlikely that the tree would survive, a couple of years ago I had that experience and the tree died by the following summer. So we ended up getting a cut one.

I always have mixed feelings in regards to this practice, on the one hand I absolutely adore this tradition of bringing a tree inside, adorn it with home made gifts, dance around it singing

 (as we do each christmas eve) , however I also feel a bit selfish that the tree should be planted, grow and then be cut just for me and my families pleasure (in the case of our tree). Despite my conflicting feelings we always have a tree and I love it, like the good christmas tree man said, if we did not buy these trees, they would never be set or get to grow for 6-7 years before being cut.....

 I also found this at my local ~by the pound~ thrift store, and made it into 

 this cape and..

 this shirt and skirt for Kaleena's doll Daisy

(loving that sewing machine:))

 I also knitted this sweater and leg warmers and made the skirt from wool felt for Daisy.

Next I am going to up-cycle some more baby clothes for the doll I just received for Keenan, I will post pictures of his doll when I have the clothes ready. I have long been wanting to make a doll for him, but have not found the time, so I ordered one from Figandme, he just arrived today and I LOVE him.

 

 I also made this block crayon holder for Kaleena. Since starting the home schooling lessons, she has really been enjoying drawing with the block crayons and I find that we are going through them so quickly, so from my parents I got her these and made this holder made from wool felt for them.

~Hoping you are enjoying this lovely time of year, nice and warm~

This Moment

A friday ritual inspired by Soulmama

A single photo, no words

A moment I want to pause, treasure and remember

~A lovely weekend to all~

Woolen Lovelies; Handmade Holiday and beyond

 In a post a few days ago I mentioned how I was making a wool blanket for Kaleena for Christmas, and here it is all finished, except for a few loose strings that still need to be cut:)

I really love how it came out, I must say though it was more work than I had initially thought, and the fact that this is only my third or fourth real attempt with a sewing machine certainly shows...

Still with all the little imperfections I do adore the feel of it, the colors, the heart detail as well as the binding. I feel certain that Kaleena will love it.

 Kaleena was needing a good woolen hat that she will actually wear, so the other day as I was cutting the sleeves from one of my woolen sweater finds, I thought it might make a good hat, I rolled up the edges and it just looked so darn cute on her, and she loved it as well...yeah...

 She wore it like that for a couple of days and today I put the finishing touches on it.

The folds kept unrolling as she was wearing it, so I sewed it around with the sewing machine (now I just cannot get enough of using it). She also wanted me to somehow finish the part that hung loose at the top.  I tied a dark piece of yarn around it, cut it into thin strips and braided the strips with pieces of yearn in between. I really love how it turned out and will definitely make more of these easy and cute looking hats.

Sunday morning as we went out early to find the pine branches for our wreath, it was quite cold, a perfect morning for mittens, as I searched through our winter things all boxed up, I realized that I had none for Keenan, and promised him that I would make him some when we got home that day.

I had seen this tutorial here, and had been wanting to make some. I really love the multi colored look, so cute. Kaleena wanted some as well, and she wanted them to match her hat, so fortunately I had enough left of the same sweater to make her a pair as well.

I am so absolutely amazed at the unlimited possibilities of felted woolen sweaters..

 These are the initial pieces I made

 and this is what it looked like sewed up before turning right side out

 Keenan loves his new mittens, but did not want me to include him in the photo:)

 And yet another really quick felted sweater creation.

Mama Rae from Morning Sun Rae shared with me this patten the other day, and as I was looking for a place to keep and wrap a present for Kaleena from my parents, I decided that this bag would be the perfect place to keep the hand puppets they got for her. This project is super easy,  three cuts and one sewing at the bottom. I did also add some stitches around the edges, for a little detail.

A sweet and simple place for her puppets to live.

Love love love felted wool sweater projects:)

~Happy creating~

First sunday in Advent, Advent wreath and œbleskiver

 A tradition I remember from growing up in Denmark is that we always had œbleskiver on the first sunday in Advent, and to this tradition I have added the making of our wreath, I always had an advent wreath at home, but we rarely made it ourselves. I would traditionally also hang our advent bags today, yet being at my sisters house we have mixed our traditions up and will hang them on the first of December instead.

This morning bright and early the children and I set out to find some pine branches with which to make our wreath. Jack frost had come to visit in the night and everything looked as if it had been sprinkled with sugar.

It was a cold and lovely morning..

 In the afternoon we set out to make our wreath, the children always take part in the ceremony of creating the wreath, even if simply with their presence.

I make a very simple wreath, and make much the same kind every year.

I start with a grapevine base, and with green wire attach the pine branches and the little cups to hold the candles, I keep wrapping until the base is covered and the cups secured, then I add red silk ribbon around the candle holders and this year I added a few pinecones as well.  

This year the wreath will be our dining table center piece, although I really love to attach long red ribbons and hang it from the ceiling.

 As I mentioned, we light our first candle when we sit down to enjoy this Danish speciality called œbleskiver.

It is much like pancakes really, the batter is anyways, but it is cooked in one of these cast iron pans with 7 little holes in it, I actually got my pan in the states, perhaps it is traditionally used for something else here though, not sure?

Anyways, the batter is a mixture of butter milk 2 cups, flour 240 grams (I used half whole wheat pastry),

1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 Tbl sugar and one egg, the egg whites are beaten stiff and added last, then the batter rests for a half hour and is cooked in the hot pan with butter,
and turned with a knitting needle.

We then dip them in our homemade jam and in sugar, not very healthy, but very delicious!

 Then we light the first candle on our wreath, sit together around the fire

and the children can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here...

 ~may you have a wonderful Christmas season~

This Moment

A friday ritual inspired by Soulmama

A single photo, no words

A moment I want to pause, treasure and remember

~sweet blessings~