Christmas Project # 15 - The Favorite, a Pegasus-Unicorn!

My son, aged 4, finally did a christmas ornament!

He creates about 100 animal sketches a day and it is impossible to make him change subject. So every time I asked him to do christmas stuff, he refused.

Until he got this idea himself. "Mummy, a pegasus has wings just like an angel. And we can decorate it with a corn so it becomes a Pegasus-Unicorn".

I cut it for him and was in control of gluing, he added the glitter.

Oh, I enjoy that ornament!

And if he wanted, he could make enough to cover that white branch we have. But nope, "no more", he says.

Christmas Project # 14 - Felt Stockings

I have a huge collection of ribbons. I love all of them and find great pleasure in matching them with fabrics. But, I find it very unsatisfatoctory to know that even if I start sewing and crafting with them now, I'll probably not have used them all by the time I'm 95! Unless..... I make a project that needs just a little bit from each!

This is how my stocking project started. After I made 50 different ones, I felt very contented and ....very ready for another project.

Christmas Projects # 13 Tags from Vintage Books. Or not?

Am I bad?

I'm not sure if I should post this or not.

But, let me confess: I make craft projects where I use pages from old books. Many projects. Very old books.

Like these tags with illustrations taken from a 150 years old book with descriptions of every major city and it's buildings in this country. Sheets are very thin, so I glue it to card board, cut it, decorate it with white paint and glitter and finally trim it with mat silver ribbon or tassel. I have a crush on these colours and textures together, sigh... And, ehm... pangs of conscience because I ruin this book.

My vague excuse is that this book was going to end its days in the waste bin. It belonged to an illustrator friend of mine. He was clearing up his studio and took this to an antiquarian who rejected it. Then asked me if I wanted it.

Christmas # 12 - We Want a White Christmas!

In this country we can never be sure to have a white christmas. So this year we captured a snowman, put him in a jar along with some snowy weather and secured with a lid. And voila: White Christmas!!

Christmas Project # 11 - Wallpaper Range

A stack of beautiful printet wallpaper from here made it into this series of cones (again, I must have at least 75 by now), woven hearts, paper covered boxes, cards and a bunch of tags made with my heart shaped puncher.

The photos are taken in my own kitchen and were published in a Danish magazine last month. I noticed that the magazine had retouched my wall tiles away. Hmmm, something to think about...

Christmas Project # 10 - Glass Ornaments

Whenever I see clear glass ornaments, my fingers are itching to decorate them.

These are painted with enamel paint and outlined with glitter. Of course.

Christmas Project # 9 - Cones

This project is actually from last year. However, I still do these cones as I really love the combination of antique book paper and the sparkling spangles! The cones are made of rectangular sheets , which give them a peak where I can add a handle. I think that way of making a handle, makes them hang more beautiful on the tree than if I make the side-to-side handles.

Oh, and the wooden tool in the front? I found it on a flea market. I'm not sure what it is for. Some says it's a gardeners tool, others that it is a confectioner's tool to make cornets for whipped cream. Anyone knows? Anyhow, it's a very helpful tool for folding paper cones. Productivity increased by 400% when I found that one.

Christmas Project # 8 Forrest Ornaments

These ornaments are made of cones with white acryllic paint on the leaves and an animal fastened with wire around the belly.

I snatched the critters from my son's drawer with literally hundreds of animals. But only as long as the photo shoot lasted. The morning after I made the ornaments, the hare and the pheasant were reported missing! And they are not even among his favorites at all. I still wonder how he knew..... I, of course promised to look for them and dismantled the ornaments right after photos were taken.

Christmas Project # 7 - Pixy Clogs?

Recently, I was asked to do a contribution to an international Christmas book. One of my first suggestions was to do something with red pixy clogs. And I was so surprised to be told that it wouldn’t work because pixies (and their clogs) are only a part of the Danish Christmas tradition. Really?? I had no idea!
Anyway, I had already made a few projects with them, so here are 3; a wreath, a badge and a candlestick. Tell me, is this completely strange for my - possible -non Danish readers??

Christmas Project # 6 - Captured Snowbird

This little bird is captured in a glass ball with painted snow dots. Bottom is filled with washing powder, a white painted twig is pushed through the hole and the bird is suspended from the lid.

Christmas Project # 5 - Bird Lantern

I guess Alicia’s cagelets inspired me when I wanted to decorate these lanterns.
I dotted them with white acrylic paint before adding a bit of ribbon, a bird, some toadstools (of course) and a twig of spruce. Right after the photo was taken, a smell of toasted/melted toadstools appeared. These candles where too big! Use small tea lights!!

Christmas Project # 4 - Glitter Pine Cone Trees

Christmas or not, I rarely waste a chance to ad glitter to my crafts. So here are some of natures innocent pine cones painted with white, pink and green before they are poured over with clear glitter. To make the look like little christmas trees, I secured a little star at the tip. They are placed in a baking tin along with tea lights and glass ornaments.

Christmas Project # 3 - Marzipan Toadstools

I just love toadstools. From a design point of view, I mean. Not to eat the real thing, of course. But I do love to eat marzipan. So I was quite curious to se if marzipan toadstools would work out as little decorative goodies. They where surprisingly easy to create and they didn't even stick together in the cellophane bag. I used half plain marzipan and half marzipan with red food colour. Shaped stem and hat with my fingers and simply pressed them together. White dots are added with white glazing. Bon appetit!

Christmas project #2 - Angels

Who says that only the beautiful can be good, gentle and devout??

I'm Back!

Finally Christmas time (well, almost...) so I can get myself started again! Because I do craft for magazines, where deadlines are 2½-8 months before publishing, my projects are always "out of date".
But now, it's the perfect time to show some of the projects, I've been working on earlier this year. Here is one: A ribbon filled stocking as a gift for a friend who loves sewing. The stocking is cut in translucent pink (back) and clear (front) vinyl and then sewn together on machine. Ribbons and hanger are sewn first to the front.

Souvenir

I took me around 10 years to collect all the bits & pieces from the beaches around the World. One little souvenir brought home from each vaccation. Finally they hang on my wall and bring me memories of India, Bali, Africa, Egypt, ... and I love the colours!

Rubens 4th Birthday Party: 1,2,3,4......over!

Hats are made ...




...table is set ...




... sweet chirping around the table...




....and bye bye...

Cool link!

I just love the newspaper generator link seen at Snowbears blog. So far I have used it for an invitation for my son's birthdayparty to put up in the kindergarden. But the ideas are endless...

More Showing Off!!

So, Pam was kind enough to ask for more of Rubens drawings (Thank you, Pam!).
To be honest, I would love to share this phenomenon with you.
As you might see, even if we take away the biased mothers pride, it is quite unusual for a child to draw animals like this starting before his second birthday. Or what? Am I just a foolish mother?

Well, here they come. A whole lot! I have listed his age and his own pronounced title to the drawings. He will be 4 years later this month.

1 year+11 months: "Foals." (He always insisted that they were foals, not horses.)

2 years+ 1 months: The artist doing "Foals" on our house.

2 years + 2 months: "Donkey and zebra"

2 years+2 months: "Dangerous Foal."

2 years + 4 months: "Ruben on the Horse" (Himself)

2 years + 5 months: "Rearing horse with wings"

2 years + 5 months: "Snail" and "Dog with spots"

2 years + 10 months: "Whales"

2 years + 11 months: "Elephant spraying with dust"

3 years + 5 months: "Buffalo leaving the water. No! It walks"

3 years + 11 months: "Kangaroo with young one"

Special Delivery!

I have got mail. It made me speechless for some days. I wish I could describe the whole experience in my own language. Because this is something special! But you will have to deal with my limited vocabulary in English.

Super inspiring Theresa proposed a love-of-glitter-and-paper swap and it was my very first. But what a swap! I send my package early and she got mine before sending hers. I'm glad I did so. Otherwise I would have felt so sheepish when I saw what I got in return.

There was beautifully wrapped packages containing a signed copy of her oh-so-lovely! Snowbear book, lots of her sweet artwork, both printed and one-off, a super nice selection of patterned paper, a calendar, real vintage die cut scraps and all kinds of christmas details for paperwork.

And there was a freaking cool christmas stocking package including every little christmas thing I could dream of; spangles, American X-mas stamps, two fine pipecleaner characters (did you do those, Theresa??), gold and silver leaves, ribbons & glitter trim (ouuuu!!), handmade tags and stickers, beads, a fantastic snowman garland and more!!

I am so absolutely fascinated by the fact that someone living 1000's of miles away and whom I have never met and only known since beginning of this year, can send me such a personalized and appreciated gift! Not even my family or close friends understand theese little nuances in my world of paper, glitter, vintage stuff and christmas crafts. Amazing!!

Thank you so much, Theresa! It was a great experience.