I've been working on some projects for a craft show that's coming up in the beginning of December. I spent most of yesterday making these fabric and ribbon rosettes that will be part of a bigger idea.
They're easy to make, but after cranking out 30-some, I decided I'd better take a break and grab some shots of them.
I wanted something super easy but festive to hang up for Halloween decor. It also needed to be something that wouldn't take me very long to make. I decided to use colorful washi tape (available here), white string, and black sparly mini-poms (which I picked up at a craft supply store.) I threaded the string onto a thick sturdy needle. This part was a little tricky. Then I threaded on all my poms for the length of string that I had cut (about 6 feet.) Once the poms were strung, I could slide them on the string any distance apart from one another. When I was satisfied with the number of poms and their placement, I cut short lengths of the washi tape and taped it around the string and back onto itself wherever I thought I neeeded a flag. I varied the color and pattern of the tape I was using so each part had visual interest. Lastly, using a scissors, I trimmed the tape flags to a pretty point.
So friendly and Halloweenie!
For the third year in a row I've invited some friends over and asked them to each bring a yard of fun fleece from which we make 2 cat beds for the Animal Humane Society.
Here's the invite I sent out.
These blankets are really simple and I'm sure others have seen these made out of outrageous fun fleece. There are some good instructions online. We're using a yard of fleece to make 2 beds, so they're quite small, but perfect for purrs. The best part is how many goofy fleece fabrics are out in the world and seeing what patterns friends found and chose (sombreros! dogs working out?! trippy paisley! pirates! koi fish!) for the cats' beds.
We made 35 beds this year! That's a record.
The Humane Society will put a blanket in each cat's cage when they're on the adoption floor. It helps them to have a snuggly place to sleep and makes them feel more at home while they wait for a family.
It was a great afternoon of visiting, laughing and making for a reason which left a wonderful feeling inside of all of us.
Yesterday I sent out my ornaments for the 2009 Ornament Swap hosted by Freshly Blended! I was happy with how they turned out and what they looked like all packaged up. I hope everyone who receives them in the mail enjoys them.
This is my 4th year doing the swap. Here are two of my previous ornaments (I sadly missed photographing my 2007 edition.)
Last year's (2008) vintage inspired glitter light up houses on my studio table.
And 2006's hand felted snowman with a jaunty pom hat, bead eyes & coal and a Fimo carrot nose.
It's great to look back and remember creating each of these in anticipation of the holidays and it's been so much fun to check the mail each year and see how creative and clever everyone has been. Here's hoping all your holiday crafting/gifting is going well!
