diy: frilled pencils

There have been several crafting sessions this week up in the barn studio, with 3 generations of makers collaborating and having fun. One of our favorite projects was these festive pencils that are sure to add a bit of flare to any list making for the New Year.

 Inspired by these pencils my mother had seen at Anthropologie, we decided to make our own. We enhanced them a bit, by making the erasers accessible. Not sure why anyone would want to have a pencil without an eraser! We used bits from my mom's paper collection, but this would be a perfect way to use up scraps of wrapping paper you might have leftover from last weekend. Below my mom "frills" her pencil topper.

 Instead of using one piece of paper and twisting it over the eraser, like the originals, we cut frilled toppers and had fun mixing and matching patterns and colors. Young children can create these with only a little assistance, and the 8+ crowd can make them on their own. Great party favors... or a party activity in itself!

Frilled Pencils

Need:

• pencils
• colorful paper scraps (tissue paper is the most successful, but any thin paper will work)
• glue stick
• standard scissors
• hand paper shredding scissors (optional)
• ribbons (optional)

Make:

1. Cut a piece of paper to be the length of your pencil (but not over the eraser) and the width of a little bit more than it takes to wrap around once.
2. Apply glue stick to the length of one end of the paper and adhere it smoothly down the pencil.
3. Keep adding glue and wrapping around. 
4. Cut your topper: use a coordinating strip of paper that's approximately 2 inches wide. Cut fringe along one side or use shredding scissors like we did with these paper flowers.
5. Glue the frill around the top leaving the eraser hidden but available.Let dry before sharpening.

For my daughter's ribbon adorned birthday pencil, I just wrapped and glued... wrapped and glued from the top spiraling down. A twist of a wire pom pom garland was the final touch.  Isn't it fun to transform something so commonly used? Pencils are part of our everyday... but these are anything from ho hum.

Who knows what this upcoming year will hold? But I intend to greet each new day with a smile and the hope for its potential. Not always an easy task, but a stash of these happy little pencils are sure to keep my spirit bright when I write down my daily "to dos".

Wishing you all a joyful and creative start to 2011! 

six!

 The best Christmas gift we ever received arrived 5 weeks earlier than expected... a little over six years ago! Has it really been so long since our determined, creative, silly, and oh so sweet girl surprised us with her holiday birth? I'm  grateful for each day that we've shared together, and as much as I'd love her to stay little, I'm so very proud of the many ways she has grown. Having a birthday this time of year makes for a lot of celebrating... and adds so much extra magic to the season.

My favorite annual gift to my daughter is also a gift to me. The week following her birthday is filled with quiet time together. All of my big projects and work are put aside, there are plenty of leftovers in the fridge, and  lots of extra hands to help around the house... I'm all hers. So right now: we're writing stories, doing lots of art together and many chapters are being read out loud... to me! When I think back to my own childhood, it's not the things I remember so much as the special moments of my mother close at my side.

I'll share some of the pencils we've been working on tomorrow...

frozen feathers

Hello!  Time sure flew by this weekend... I hope yours was a good one, and that everyone celebrating had a wonderful holiday! Ours was filled with lovely extremes: quiet and wild, slow and busy, full and peaceful. Most memorable were the special gifts that had nothing to do with what was wrapped under the tree: from grandma's many delicious meals to the bliss of having my husband home with us all day long from last Friday into the New Year! And let's not forget the two silly children, giddy with excitement, who kept us all entertained. During a momentary lull on the afternoon of Christmas day, I crept upstairs for a (rare) winter's nap. It wasn't long before my husband gently woke me up to say that I'd better throw on some boots and grab my camera. In the blink of an eye a magical mist had swept over the meadow and enveloped the woods.  He knows me well... who needs sleep?

The mist had clung to each branch and then turned to ice. It cloaked everything in sight with frozen feathers, which reminded me of Margie's Canadian weather, of late.


I didn't catch it at its peak, but it was still quite awesome, don't you think? I did arrive in time for a tremendous thundering of flapping wings, as hundreds of Christmas geese burst through a shroud of gauzy clouds and honked what I took to be their holiday greeting.

I quickly tried in vain to capture them on video for my family who was tucked in by the wood stove... and for all of you, too! I am most definitely a novice film maker.  I don't blame you one bit if you giggle (or wince) as  the camera goes wild when I stumbled from craning my head too far backwards. Needless to say, this may give you a taste of the flying frenzy I witnessed, just multiply it by about 20!

You can also peek in at several photos from the weekend right here on my flickr stream. We're enjoying this sweet and slow last week of the year... you, too?

warm wishes

Just a little Thank You! Your loving visits have been such a special part of this year. Wishing you joy and magic today and every day! See you next week... let's ease into 2011 together!
oxo,
maya

winter barn

Hello winter and welcome. We loved yesterday's dusting, but feel free to drop a little more snow our way this week.Your freezing temps are always easier to bare when we're blanketed in white and there's cozy baking going on. Here are some scenes from yesterday at my mom's barn... our kitchen away from home!



Please join me later today (after 2pm EST) over at Apartment Therapy's re-nest, where I'll share my Green Resolution for the New Year.

happy

As my family and I spiral in towards the center of  the holiday festivities, life has taken on a lovely blur. I usually get overwhelmed trying to do EVERYTHING... and do it all well, for that matter. Not this year. I've given myself permission to enjoy the ride and not constantly be in the driver's seat. My daily practices attempts at mindfulness this fall really set the tone for how I choose to greet each moment. My hope is to hold onto this awareness in the new year when I have lots of big projects lined up.
In the meantime, here's a list of what's making me super happy right now:
~My mother returning to the barn just in time for Christmas! And my sweet husband driving into the wee hours of the night to get her when her original flight was CANCELLED.

~Counting down the days "easy style"... lots of treasure hunts and spontaneous games behind each door has made for very little prep and silly nights.
~Knitting and sewing by the fire as we wait for snow. I've been making more wool coil spirals for ornaments, to adorn hats(shhh!), and top gifts. My daughter finally changed from pink to blue wool.  Hickory Cat... just keeping us company seems to suit him fine.

~Learning how to get the surprising mothball smell out of my thrifted sweater dress just in time for a holiday party!  How? White vinegar and sunshine/fresh air (thanks to tweeting friends).
~The Solstice lunar eclipse! Here's some info and tips.
~And lastly... our most savored new tradition: candy cane whipped cream in hot cocoa, on waffles, with chai, or just by the spoonful! You really have to try it... really! December will never be the same.

 And what's making you super happy right now?

Silk Oak Winner!

Good morning friends! Hope your weekend is filled with magic and love... sweep those stress bugs under the rug with the dust bunnies and go enjoy yourself!

Congratulations to the Silk Oak Raven winner:
Mandy
"I love everything about Silk Oak.
Thanks for hosting the giveaway."

Please send me your mailing info so that Jan can send you your goodies! Happy holidays!

spicy chocolate bark

Every year I do a big baking day for sharing with teachers and friends. It's an all day affair. Multiple treats. Fun... but my, does it wipe me out. My sister in-law inspired me to switch it up this year and try a simplified version. Of course, my ears perked up to "SIMPLE". Her advice: one sophisticated and memorable confection. Just one. Sounded good to me. Sometimes you need the objectivity of someone you trust to pull you out of a rut. She recommended her rich and spicy bittersweet bark. I modified it a bit, but it's incredible and far too addicting, nonetheless. The sweet, tart cranberries offset the fire from the chili and salt on the pepitas, but there remains a complex heat after each bite... leaving you wanting more. Oh mercy, it's so good! The original recipe calls for roasting raw pepitas(pumpkin seeds) with salt and cayenne and using dried cherries. I made it even simpler by purchasing  pepitas already spiced in the bulk section of our co-op. These Spicy Pepitas are available on line and just happen to be a part of my cousin's nut and dried fruit business: Tierra Farm. It's a fantastic company with wonderful practices/products, and I'd give them a shout out even if I hadn't known the owner my whole life!
 So do you want to make the easiest and most unforgettable treat ever?

Spicy Chocolate Bark

~Melt two bags of bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Slide it into a warm oven until it looks like this:

~Spread with a spatula until smooth and even.
~Sprinkle with spicy pepitas and dried cranberries or chopped dried cherries. I dusted a corner with cinnamon to experiment with a full Mexican flavor. Delicious!
~Chill for two hours in the fridge and then break into bite sized pieces.
Wash hands well so that there isn't any remaining cayenne or chili left.

If you want to roast your own pepitas, make sure that they are raw. Toss a handful into a heavy skillet with a little olive oil. Watch carefully to ensure that they don't burn. (3-4 minutes). Turn of heat and sprinkle with salt and cayenne to taste.

Note: much to the disappointment of my daughter this is too spicy for her, and she wants you to know that this is not really a little kid treat. As I said... "sophisticated". I give you my word that she is not being deprived of holiday sweets, but she's definitely missing our usual peppermint bark (we always make Martha's recipe, but this triple layer via Amanda looks pretty darn good), so maybe a small batch of some other kind of bark will happen next week. In the meantime, these are being packaged up with some other goodies for the wonderful grown-ups in our life!

sponsor give away: Silk Oak

Are you feeling festive? It's time for the second give-away of the week! I really love have some of my local peeps as sponsors, and today's give-away is from none other than Ithaca's celebrated silk screen company: Silk Oak! Owner, Jan, believes in "growing a business that nurtures our families and strengthens our community, while working every day to show respect and concern for the earth".
 Here's a little bit about their process:
"We hand silkscreen our original designs on a variety of media, primarily organic cotton clothing, with a focus on made in the U.S., sweatshop free. We love color, cool design and the hands on feel of our traditional, low tech process. For each color in a design, a separate screen is used, registered by eye and printed by hand, so that each garment is slightly different from all the others. We use water soluble, environmentally friendly dyes that form a permanent bond with the fabric. Our process is safe for us and safe for the consumer, resulting in a garment with a soft feel, vibrant color and easy washability."- Silk Oak

Jan enjoyed offering a family set  for her last giveaway so much that she's doing it again! Featuring another of my favorite images, the mischievous raven, Silk Oak is generously offering one lucky winner the following:
-parent hoodie #1 (the fitted pullover version)
-parent hoodie #2 (the roomier zip version)
-baby onsie
-child longsleeve T

 That's one of each pictured above... not kidding! The winner picks the sizes and gets to outfit a bunch of happy folks. How fun is that!? Please leave a comment between now and Friday at 9 pm EST. I'll announce the random winner on Saturday morning. And please do give Silk Oak a visit. I believe you'll find some fantastic last minute gifts for everyone on your list. Good luck everyone!
Etsy
website

Art Kit winner!

A big thanks to reCREATE for all of the wonderful work they do. For more info on reCREATE and their mission to make creativity and conservation meet check here.
 And the winner of two of their Art Kits is...
Jenny-
"Oh I've been eyeing those! I was thinking of making my kids' friends my own recreated craft kits for Christmas, but time has not allowed. :( I'd love one for our house and for inspiration!"

Congratulations, Jenny! Please send me your mailing info (mayaluna(at)yahoo(dot)com and I'll forward it to Donna at reCREATE! 

simple gifts: oat floats... or oatmeal "sachets"

During my first winter on the east coast I discovered the damage that an extremely cold and dry climate can do to your skin. Yikes! I combat our chapped and itchy skin with all kinds of balms and salve, but my favorite remedy is an oat bath. It smells delicious, feels so soothing and is quite miraculous. We made bunches of oat sachets for giving this year. These oat floats make a great addition to a gift basket and a perfect stocking stuffer. I love that they're inexpensive, simple and fast to make... but most of all they make skin soft and happy! I took some pictures to show you how we do it, but it's a basic concept open for your own interpretation. Filling each sachet is a great job for a small helper. Be prepared for scattered oats, but a little mess makes everything a bit more fun, but you know that already. Not a sewer? I bet you could gather oats into the center of a circle of muslin and cinch with a string... make sure it's tied tightly!

Oat Floats

Need: 

• muslin
• wool or cotton string
• organic oats (pulverized a bit in a blender or food processor)
• sewing machine
• pinking shears

Make:

1. Take a long strip of muslin and fold it over lengthwise.
2. Sew compartments all along the folded strip, keeping a channel between each one for snipping them apart. See photo below in window.
3. Fill each compartment with a few tablespoons of oats
4. Slice through each channel with pinking sheers to separate.
5. Fold over top and pin with a loop of string.
6. Sew top shut.

 These should be added to a warm bath and can be used as creamy sponge during the soak. My kids love it and so do I! Compost when done. We're filling up "holiday buckets" with these, felted soap, and something yummy I'll share next time.

The soap was created without any instructions... just ready hands, a pot of warm water, my friend's handmade soap, and wool roving (mostly from Kate's sheep!). A bit wonky, but very fun.

sponsor give away: reCREATE Art Kits

Happy Monday! Hope you had a festive weekend. We're in the thick of making, frolicking and general merriment around here, and I wanted to pass on some of that magic to you this week. I'll be sharing some of our projects and offering a few give-aways to boot! The first up comes from our top sponsor: reCREATE! They will send one lucky reader two of their Art Kits. These art kits make me so happy... here's how they are described:
"We work with businesses to collect things they don't want, that we think have value in the creative process, and we use those materials to make our reCREATIONS.   These are not mass produced kits, but rather, one of a kind activites packaged up for your creative enjoyment.   Our kits are meant to help you explore a hands-on, tactile art experience, as a family."
   
Fantastic! Incorporating recycled goods into our crafting is a sustainable practice worth teaching early. It fosters ecological awareness and hones cleverness as we look at materials with a keen eye for their multiple uses. Doesn't that sound like the perfect gift to give our children?  ReCREATE will send two kits ready for making. Here's the selection the winner will get to choose from, and you can read more about them right here:

Please leave a comment by Tuesday at 9pm EST. The random winner will be announced on Wednesday morning. Good luck!

diy: coffee sack stockings

This stocking was made with a coffee sack that had originally been printed with green coffee vines and red coffee "berries" for organic Guatemalan beans. It was just begging to be repurposed for the holidays. I had so much fun making coffee sack stockings last year, that I made several and Parents.com discovered them. I was contacted  this fall about featuring them in their 100 days of Holidays... if I would consider sharing a how-to. But, of course!  Here they are on Parents.com with a nice selection of all kinds of stockings to get inspired by.

These burlap ones couldn't be simpler and make such a great gift for coffee lovers. Stuff one with some fair-trade beans and a handmade mug and you've got an unforgettable present. Source used coffee sacks at your local coffee roasting house. Here we go...

Coffee Sack Stockings

Materials:

    * recycled coffee sack
    * lightweight cotton or linen for the lining
    * jute twine
    * neutral colored thread
    * newspaper or kraft paper

Tools:

    * scissors
    * pencil
    * pins
    * sewing machine

Make:

   1. Trace an existing Christmas stocking onto paper. Add 1 inch around the entire shape and cut out to use as template.
   2. Using template, cut out two stocking pieces of the lining and two pieces of the burlap.
   3. Pin together stocking lining (right side to right side) and sew up all sides, leaving the top open.
   4. Do the same with the burlap and turn right side out.
   5. Insert lining into burlap and fold the tops in towards each other. Pin in place and add a loop of jute on the back at the seam. Top stitch all around the circumference of the opening. Done!

shop update

Well, hello there! I always forget how long it takes to list new items on Etsy, but Mr. Cardinal is right:  "slowly and steadily" I've been adding new items to my shop. It always feels so good to have some fresh stuff in there! Yippee! If I can, I'll add a few more little bits later on, but for now I've come to the end of my ability to sit in front of this computer screen! Time for stretching, some lunch, and then packing up a few of the buckets that already slipped away. I included a few photos here of some new junior journals and this burlap envelope I just love. You'll find them and much more right here. Have a great day... the weekend is just around the corner!

late night sneak peek!

Well, it's quite the late edition, but here's a little advanced look at some of what will be in the shop tomorrow at midday. Several (8x10) prints have just arrived and more may follow... The barn, embrace and bird photo were big requests... the eggs are just a personal favorite and would look so perfect in a kitchen. And guess who gave me that lovely collection of eggs from long ago? Kate from Woolen Moss! Oh, and please ignore the December lighting I shot this montage in... the actual photos are bright and beautiful!


I'll have several buckets of various styles and sizes (including, but not shown, a good ol' WIP)...





I'm having a fantastic time putting together a holiday paper pack. Printing, punching, and recycling... love it! Each pack will contain at least 2 of everything shown below and maybe even a surprise or two. All tags are made from paper bags, kraft paper, envelopes, mailers, and cereal/cracker boxes with craft punches or hand cut by me. They'd make lovely present toppers but are sturdy enough to hang from a tree.

There will  be a return of the cardinal on some moleskines and a few other assorted items I think you'll enjoy. See you at the shop!

deer grandfather

I have spoken with you at length about my amazing and talented grandfather. What I haven't stated is that he is struggling through the late stages of Alzheimer's Disease. It has been painful to watch such a brilliant man forget... forget so very much. My grandmother has asked me to write little stories and sentimental snippets from my life with him so that they can read them together. I may post bits here, like the piece about the hardware store, so I thought it important to share the significance with you. I will be sending him a few stories for Christmas with these newly carved deer gift tags. They are a simple ode to the beautiful block print cards he created  for the holidays throughout the 50's and 60's which often featured a deer silhouette. This framed one hangs in our living room and the block is one of my most cherished posessions... it lives in my studio. I look at it daily.

I'll be sharing more photos of my shop update offerings later in the day, but since these gift tags will be part of a larger holiday tag set, I didn't want them to get lost in the shuffle...or considered just another (trendy) deer silhouette. Nope. I knew you'd be interested in just how special they are to me. You're thoughtful that way. Thank you. The birch forest tags? Oh, I just love all things snowy and white. I pass by this forest everyday so they are always on my mind.

(green) handmade holiday round up

I'm bringing out some visual cues to remind you (and me!) of projects and traditions from winter's past. A good idea is a wonderful thing to recycle. And below are some of my favorites.

Above your find some simple decor for setting the scene. Links are from left to right.
Row 1: burlap forest, snow covered pine cones, cranberry wreath
Row 2: rag wreath, newspaper snowflake garland, batting scrap wreath ornament

 The following are links for simple gifts you still have plenty of time to make. Once again from left to right.
Row 1:  elf slippers, card holders, milk carton cookie houses
Row 2:  napkin rings and other security paper ideas, gift bag/boxes, leather leaf cuff
Row 3:  wrapping ideas, child's travel pillow, paper whites
Row 4:  love letter pillow, travel felt board, envelope purses
Row 5: quick personalized stationery, memory game, last minute treat bags

I have a long way to go before I'll feel a dent in my gift list, but I love the process so much that I refuse to let myself get overwhelmed. I'm also going to enlist the kids' help with a series of afternoon making sessions... starting with these stars that should prove fun for all ages. What are you making these days?

soon

A winter shop update is in the works for Thursday. Returning favorites will be joined by some fresh offerings that I'm super excited about! I'll share sneak peeks on Wednesday. Oh, how I love this time of year! Happy day to you all...

Everyone is a winner!

Hope you all had a great weekend! It's with great pleasure that I get to announce the winners of the Craft Hope give-away. Now only one reader will actually have the book sent to her mailbox, but each of you will get to make one of the projects from within Craft Hope!  Lark has generously given me the instructions for Betsy Greer's  fingerless gloves( in PDF format) for sharing with all of you. Yay! It feels a little like everyone wins, doesn't it!You can download it right here.

And the book winner is: Kelly
"I would love a copy of this book, it's one I keep thinking I need for my collection. My girl scouts would have a great time helping out organizations with the ideas."

Congratulations! Please send me your mailing info so that I may pass it on to the publishers.

BIG thanks to Betsy and Lark!

sponsor spotlight: Woolen Moss

 I'm very happy to officially introduce you to my very talented and dear friend Kate and invite you to get to know her wares in her brand new shop: Woolen Moss. Oh, I've wanted to say that for so long! Kate is a friend, neighbor, fellow mother and artist. But I also know her as the champion seamstress I enlisted to help me through a huge wholesale deal. Her workmanship is impeccable and I can attest to this personally. Now she's putting those skills to use to highlight her own beautiful designs. And did I mention that she lives on a sheep farm with a creek running through it? This influences her textiles greatly and the focus tends to be wool.  She also incorporates tiny smooth stones into some of her work.

Here's what she has to say:
"I'm Kate of Woolen Moss Farm. I am a shepherdess, a sculptor, a seamstress, and a mother. I earned my BFA in Sculpture in 2000. Although I have been sewing with my mother and grandmother since I was a child, I did not sew professionally until I returned to college and rediscovered my passion for making. The birth of my son in 2003 only fueled that fire, and the purchase of my sheep a few years later seemed to bring it all together. Combine my tea drinking and my insatiable stone collecting, and you've got the person I am today. I believe that my work is an honest reflection of who I have become."

Thanks Kate! I'm so glad you're here. If you're looking for something exceptional and handcrafted with the utmost of care, look no further than Woolen Moss to find: cushions, handbags, coasters and a wide variety of cozy, practical, and stylish skirts.