Cotton Pickin' Cute!

I simply love visiting blogs this time of year to find the most wonderful Christmas projects to make and display in my craft room. Imagine my delight at coming across these two adorable felt holiday shakers at  Cotton Pickin' Fun. 

Oh my gosh! Holly's patterns charm me no end with their simplicity of construction and charming circle features. I love the tilted hats and stripy stick on Mr. Snowman.

Holly shares easy to follow directions and tips to make your own shakers Cute as Can Be. I love the expressions on her frosty couple!

And just look at the cute seam down the middle of her Gingerbread Man Trinket Box. I love that detail!

I made her adorable Snowman Trinket Box. I love the dripping icicles.

Thank you Holly for so generously sharing your patterns!

For the Love of Red

A dear blogging friend has recently lost her father. She has expressed so eloquently about the process of grief and how after a time, those closest to you hope that you will "cheer up" and carry on. It is at this moment you are left more alone than is nearly bearable.

When I posted my first story here about my parents, I made the conscious decision to strip away all that may have been difficult leaving behind only what was good and funny, kind and caring. In the process I was able to view my parents through an adult's heart and understand their human frailties. I found myself falling in love.

I am so happy that my friend found much needed solace for her grief in a group setting with individuals going through the same emotions. They are celebrating their last day together with a party honoring their loved ones.
 

In this special place I call my own, please know that my characters tell the stories of my life. For every time I have crafted with red, I have sent an "I love you." to my father.

Snowman uses Lady Liberty Pattern and Uncle Sam Hat

 

Gooseberry Patch

I know by heart the story of how JoAnn and Vickie began their company after numerous chats over their adjoining neighborhood fence printed inside of all their published books. I read it again as though a greeting from old friends knowing that I live just streets away from where they met and that for a time I was a member of the Gooseberry Patch family.

Imagine a place to work where offices have window sashes hung with aprons for curtains, walls of lavender and yellow, spring green and robin's egg blue. A real front porch for your supervisor to supervise and shelves upon shelves filled with vintage inspired wares to sell. Magical, simply magical.

I learned so much as a Personal Shopper whose job it was to describe and assist customers with their purchases. I might say things like, "If you are getting our latest Christmas cook book then you must get our vintage inspired cookie cutters. They are as cute as can be and are wonderful stored all year round in a glass jar on your kitchen counter."

It was my job to know 101 additional ways to use items you just knew you could not live without. It is from my time with Gooseberry Patch that I have a blog cute as can be to share. I was surrounded on a day to day basis by the most creative people and artist I have ever had the honor to know. I absorbed every single detail of every moment there because it was all so inspiring.

"Welcome to Gooseberry Patch, my name is Elizabeth." is how I began each call from a customer. A smile in my voice, sincerity in my heart to share with others my love of all things Gooseberry Patch. Today I welcome you!

Snowmen on a ME Monday!

Did we know to love snowmen before Mary Englebreit? I don't think I did until seeing her personal collection in her wonderful magazine Home Companion.

I can't tell you how many years I have wished at this photograph for snowmen of my own.

Snowmen used in crafts? How perfectly perfect! A snowman craft to share with you.

A small jar with lid becomes a cute as can be place to hold red buttons. A Christmas ornament looked at in a new way is hot glued to a round topper. A strip of  felt pinked to make icicles glued around the rim of the jar, a little glitter, ready to go!

You can't have a collection unless there is two! Another snowman craft for you. (Please for one moment make this your screen saver....got it?..... Wishing you a joyous holiday season! Elizabeth)

SUPPLIES: Large and smaller Styrofoam ball, paper clay and water, toothpicks, peppermint stems formed by twisting two white and two red together, hot glue. Paints; white, black, red, stiff larger brush, thin liner brush.  Tacky Glue or Modge Podge, varnish, clear glitter.

Step 1: Use thumb to press small amounts of clay onto smaller head form until a thin layer completely covers all Styrofoam. Form small ball, score both surfaces, use a we finger to smooth away edges of nose.

Step 2: Insert toothpicks 1/4th way into bottom of head.

Step 3: Insert arms and legs into body to designate placement. Remove and set aside. Do you see the little snowman in the background? My inspiration for this craft!

Step 4: Body covered in clay, stems inserted, head positioned leaving just enough space for clay to dry. (I also inserted ornament topper to create holes) Set aside to dry overnight. On to the cutest trees ever!

SUPPLIES:  1 packaged same color mixed sized flowers. (Michaels $4.99 will make 5 trees), Wilton's candy sticks (extras will be used in up coming peg dolls as arms), miscellaneous buttons, thin red ribbon, hot glue.

Step 5:  Small amount of hot glue at top of candy stick, spiral ribbon down length, secure with hot glue at bottom.Vintage buttons turned over make perfect bases for the trees. Make one tree without a base for your snowman! I had to slightly enlarge slits in centers of flowers to slip onto sticks. I added a little hot glue after each layer added to hold in place.

My tree without base made,  now back to my snowman!

STEP 6: I have used a stiff brush to paint my snowman all white. (It is very easy to paint around stems) Use pencil to draw eyes, go over with black paint. Paint nose and mouth. When dry, cover eyes and nose only with varnish.

STEP 7: Use Tacky Glue with drops of water added for ease in spreading or Modge Podge just as it is. Completely cover head area avoiding eyes and nose. Sprinkle with glitter. Tap off excess. Cover half top of body with glue and glitter, tap off excess. Hold by leg stems to complete rest of body area. Let completely dry. Now for the fun part...

I think this is one of the cutest crafts I have ever made! I used my "What's on Hand" motto to complete my snowman. A large vintage spool of ribbon becomes his base, buttons his snow. I made little mittens with red felt scraps, and a little buckle found at the scrapbook store many years ago.

My little brother in his Christmas red striped pajamas was the inspiration for my snowman's legs. Oh, the sweetness of memory is such a blessing!

Mary Englebreit, I love that you shared your vision of the world with us through your wonderful Home Companion and I especially love being able to share Snowmen with you on a ME Monday!

Snow Cute on a ME Monday

Since becoming a part of this creative community, I am having such fun revisiting the pages of Home Companion with the thought that perhaps I can make for myself some of the wonderful crafts to be found. I thought I would share with you my attempt to recreate this adorable snowman candy container in the hopes that you will be inspired to create one as well.

With my "use what's on hand" crafting philosophy, an empty vintage jar with a lovely shape will become my base. A Styrofoam ball becomes the base for my snowman. Creative Paperclay purchased at Michaels for $6.00, a bit of water to wet your fingers.

I am like you in that I don't know if I can make something I see, but I do have faith that I can "work at it" until the cuteness reveals itself to me. Flatten Styrofoam by pressing it on hard surface. Keep clay you are not using in saran wrap to keep from drying out.

I have no idea what proper technique I should be using, but I know I need a snowman shape! Press small amounts of the clay with your thumb onto the surface of the ball. You want to "feel" the same thickness under your thumb. A thin layer will dry more quickly.

I notice in the photograph the cheeks seem slightly raised, two round balls created as well as carrot shaped nose; I have used my pencil point to scar the clay for attaching pieces.

Press shapes onto surface. Dip fore finger into water and begin to smooth edges of shapes. The paper clay is magical and very forgiving to beginners. I just kept working at the shapes until they appealed to me.

Check the photograph in the magazine, check my work, close enough! Let dry overnight.

While my snowman is drying, I work to create a base for him to rest. My jar does not have a lid, thinking cap on again. I have traced the mouth of my jar on cardboard, and then cut slightly larger to accommodate the jar's threading.

Trace cutout cardboard circle twice onto printed paper, pink around drawn line. Cut strip of paper to fit over threads of jar neck, two printed paper, one card stock. I have pulled them between my thumb and pen surface to give them a rounded shape. Glue stick layers together, the "Sandwich Method".

Fit strips to jar neck, hot glue overlapping edges.

Bead of hot glue along strip edge, center round base. I have created crepe ruffles for the snowman's collar.

 Hot glue edges of ruffles to form circle. Apply dollop of glue to center of round base, form rosette twice.

I have used craft paint and a slightly stiff brush to apply the simple colors shown in the magazine example. Paint white, repaint cheeks white again adding small amount of pink while still wet. Back of paintbrush is used to make black face dots.

At this point I'm not sure my funny little snowman will end up looking like the example, but I forge on!

A step I should have thought of earlier but didn't, my pencil inserted in the bottom to hold the head as I glitter. I used Modge Podge as my adhesive because it is what I had on hand, but any white craft glue with a little water will work just as well. I used MS glitter purchased at Michael's. It is very fine and just wonderfully sparkly.

A Very Merry hat is made from a paper cone and tinsel stem, hot glue in place. My little snowman is as sweet as can be and a perfect place to hold my white poms, a little skier girl add charm to the scene.

 

This is my hard working snowman. He's all business keeping my Christmas red ribbon collected in one spot. I'm smiling, I hope you are as well.