The sledding hill

I like taking the kids out sledding as long as:

A) Everyone can get up & down the hill themselves.

B) I can go inside to get coffee whenever I want.

AND most importantly C) I can bring my camera!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute cloche for an even cuter girl

I don't know which is cuter -- the hat or my model. I've been feverishly making these hats for weeks now and finally have one to show you.

I gave this to Kallie when she came to play last weekend and, like always, forgot to take a picture. I was so happy to see her wearing it at the elementary school holiday concert.

This, and most of the others I've made recently, are from the many balls of acrylic baby yarns my mom gave to me in the fall. Pretty sherbert-y colors.

The child and adult sizes are made with two strands of yarn but I have also made delicate little ones for babies and American Girl dolls with single strands.

Look for them on Etsy soon.

Walking in a winter wonderland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See more photos here.

Our Christmas was white

The drive to Rutland, Vermont yesterday looked like a picture postcard at times. The higher elevations were partially surrounded in fog and the trees looked like they were topped with confectioners sugar.

As we drove into town, I was concerned there wouldn't be any snow on the ground at all for the kids to sled on. My inlaws' new house is on a hill and was blanketed in white. As we got out of the van, I noticed not snow on the trees but white spikes.

These might look like needles on the tree branches

but they are not.

It was rime or hoarfrost, I'm not sure which.

I spent about an hour walking up the hill, taking photos of near and far objects, and of all the cousins having a blast sledding. Working on all of them now and I will put them up on Flickr when I'm done. Hope your holiday was as merry as ours was.

My favorite creations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter white pincushions

Day two of assembling pin cushions -- while sitting under a big fluffy blanket, with an always-full cup of decaf and movies on tv (and the kids playing nicely around me for most of it).

Today's theme was winter white fabrics, trims and buttons in aluminum Jell-O and other gelatin molds. Just like yesterday, it was fun to see how each one progressed as I added more and more layers to each piece.

 

On tap for tomorrow? A variety of silver pieces. Not sure if I'll stay with the white-on- white. I'll see how I am inspired in the morning, but I am liking the combo here in these photos.

 

 

What I made today

Sorry for the poor quality photos but once this came together,

I just couldn't wait to share it.

I've been pulling together all sorts of  little containers to make pincushions, including lots of metal since I sold the last of these shabby ones last week.

 

When I started, I had no idea how it would turn out. The vase is marked "Porcelana Schmidt Brasil by Leart." I cut a small circle from a pale green remnant with tiny embroidered flowers, made a fluff-filled yo-yo and glued it in place.

Since the vase top's radius was so small and flared, I was having a hard time encircling it with trim. Yellow braid to the rescue! This is actually two layers of it -- one on top of the flare and another glued perpendicular to that.

 

It still looked unfinished, but I knew exactly what would work, I just had to find it! It is a strand of small beaded flowers I've had for years. OMG, could they be any more perfect? This little piece stands all of 3" tall but is a powerhouse, I think.

I only hope I am as equally inspired with the rest of the materials now scattered on my work table.