List-It Tuesday: What's New?

I've been absent from List-It Tuesday for a while! This week the topic meshes so well with my wanting to share the exciting things coming up for me in this new year.

Just a quickly written list...here are the details.

Learning: I signed up for a one-day professional development workshop at the Eric Carle Museum, and I really hope it runs, as they haven't met minimum enrollment yet. It's called Beyond Books: Art Inspired by Eric Carle, and we'll be painting lots of stuff, which sounds good to me. I also signed up for a six-week continuing ed class at the Rhode Island School of Design--Embroidery + Embellishment. I haven't even attempted a night class since having kids. Providence is a 45-minute drive, the class itself is three hours long...but the draw of being in a class where embroidery is considered a valid fine art medium is just too good to pass up. And finally, I'm in Diane's e-book course. It's just a thing I've been thinking about for so long I decided it's time to find out a little more.

Teaching: I'm leading two classes at our winter session of co-op, which is slightly shorter than fall and spring. My printmaking workshop is full (full!) with a dozen kids, and I'm excited and also a little wary, truth be told. I've planned a possibly ambitious schedule of process-based exploration. I hope we can fit it all in without destroying the room. I'm also teaching a class on vertebrate classification--early elementary, so pretty basic, but I've gathered some good stuff together. (I don't use curriculum, generally. I'm a gather-and-be-flexible kind of instructor.)

Sharing: I began the new year at my other blog with a three-part series (one, two, three) on the importance of process over product art for kids, but it's just as relevant to adults, too. I'm pretty passionate on this topic, actually. I also hope to share the details of the five-part printmaking workshop as well as the adorable little animal classification booklet I put together for the co-op class, once I figure out how wordpress hosts documents.

More lists can be found over at Artsyville here! What's new with you?

Three Quick Things

One: A Felt Snowflake Banner

When I took our Advent Calendar down, our window looked so bare. We'd had the calendar up for the month of December, and before that, our Thankful Banner. I decided we needed something wintry to hold us over until February, when I'll make a Valentine's banner, and snowflakes seemed just the thing. (Note the lack of snow outside; I'm fine with that. If you average this January with last January, when we got 30" of snow, I think it's all working out.) I hadn't quite decided how to approach it when I saw the January Stitchalong at Feeling Stitchy would be couching. I haven't tried couching before, so I figured I would.

These snowflakes are far from perfect, but they're still kind of cute hanging in our window. I used felt from my shockingly large stash of the stuff (although this is a blend, not pure wool) and some silver craft cord. I drew the six main lines on with chalk, using a guide so I got the angles correct, and then I just winged it from there. I folded over the top edge of each square and whipstitched it down so I could string it along some cord for hanging. We all (that's me and the kids) think the third one looks like a six-armed sea star. Oh, well. I had to do three different snowflakes because no two are alike! At any rate, I really like having a seasonal banner hanging in the window. I'm going to try to keep up with it.

Two: A Dream/Wish Jar

This fulfills the weekend assignment for the Creative Courage e-course. I will admit this is not usually my thing. It's not that I don't have wishes or goals or ideas and so on, I just generally keep them tucked in, not on display. I'm struggling with the course, to be honest, because I was hoping to clarify what my goals might be, and I feel like I perhaps should have started already knowing. And also, things like meditation and visualization and wish/dream jars are not quite my style. But I'm trying. I threw a whole bunch of stuff in there. I'm sure they won't all happen. I think I'd be overwhelmed if they did, actually. And really, I was trying to focus, not spread a wide net. I probably did this all wrong. But the circles are pretty, aren't they?

Three: The Next Embroidery

 Now that I'm done with making holiday gifts and whipping out blankets in record time, I really want to embroider. This is just a peek because I need to actually begin embroidering it before I show it in full. At this point I've tea-dyed a piece of white linen and used an iron-on transfer pen to transfer a drawing to the fabric. I must have done it correctly this time; it's much darker than the last time I tried. Actually, really dark. I hope I manage to cover up the lines. I'm trying a different type of image for me, and I'm excited about it in the way you can only be excited about something that will either be really amazing or a huge fail.

Weekend Project: Teacher Gifts

Have you been following all of Sew, Mama, Sew's Handmade Holiday posts this month? In the Passion for Writing post, they featured these adorable mini memo-book covers, created by Larissa at mmmcrafts. I've had it in my head to give the boys' teachers, aides, and so on little notebooks along with the coffee gift cards, and I thought I'd make recycled scrappy notebooks, because really? They are very, very cute. But then I wondered if it would look a bit snarky to take all those one-sided pieces of paper from school and send them back to school as gifts, even if a main focus of the school's mission is environmental stewardship. I fear I already walk a fine line. So when I saw these adorable notebook covers, I decided to go with it. I already had everything I needed--except the mini notebooks--right in the studio. (I love that. I love a well-stocked studio!!)

Because I am absolutely enchanted with Kraft card stock lately, that's what I used to print out the template. I made a couple on Friday night, and learned that the fastener has to be quite loose and that I didn't like using embroidery floss so much for the tie closure, because it frayed quickly. (I think waxing, as she suggests, would help there. I did that on the second one and it was better.) Then the next day I began making these eight assembly-line style.

Here's a notebook-in-hand photo to give you an idea of scale.

I just can't get over how cute these are! I used the same paper on the spines of all eight (assembly line!) and twine for the closure, because I thought it went well with the brown cover and the colors of the paper (which is from the "Down Under" assortment of these decorative papers). These took the weekend mainly because of the gluing. At each gluing step, I pressed the join between the pages of a heavy book (my art history book gets so much use in the studio for pressing leaves and gluing things) before moving on. For the flaps on the side with the fastener, I had to do one flap at a time, with the covers sticking out from the book at an angle. The fastener gets in the way of doing both flaps at once.

Some of the notebooks wouldn't fit into the book covers correctly. For five of the eight, I sliced a teensy bit off one of the notebook covers--front or back, doesn't matter-- and that did it. I swapped them around to check; it wasn't the covers, it was the notebooks. A wee bit off is all it takes, since these covers fit just right.

When I began, I was thinking I'd stamp the front covers with something, but I don't know. I kind of like them plain. What do you think?

Preparing For The Countdown

December starts next week, which means it's almost time to fill the countdown calendar with surprises. I have some things I keep in mind when making my list:

• I include things we're going to do anyway, like cut down the tree and then decorate it.
• I make sure to ask the kids to tell me their must-do activities for the holiday season; those go on the cards, too.
• I like handwritten cards, so if I need to change something, it's not a hassle. For instance, if I see a local activity coming up that sounds perfect, I'll trade out cards for that day; or if the weather doesn't cooperate on tree-cutting day, we'll adjust.
• I like a calendar that allows me to peek, because I'm liable to forget what's coming up.

I printed out some simple business-card-sized rectangles in Publisher, using a green or red star border. I printed eight per page, for 24, but it'll be easy enough to print some spares in case I need to change anything. I also have some chocolate and I'll make sure each child gets some. (We have three kids, and the calendar has three colors--easy enough to assign and keep track!)

Here are some of the items I'm including in our countdown calendar this year. Some are more involved than others, and some--such as reading Christmas stories and listening to music--we will likely be doing all month long. However, experience has shown that even the simplest activities are special and exciting when packaged in a special envelope and opened one by one.

Make bird seed "cookies" to hang outside

Hot cocoa & marshmallows for after-school snack

Make presents

Go ice skating

Wrap presents

Make luminaria for solstice

Listen to Christmas music

Watch Christmas specials

Take a drive tonight to look at holiday lights

Celebrate solstice

Bake cookies

Track Santa

Make a frozen wreath

Make countdown rings

Write letters to Santa

Send out cards

Plan Christmas dinner

Buy gifts for donation

Read Christmas stories

Make ornaments for our tree (I like this time capsule idea!)

Are you planning a countdown calendar this year? Do you have any suggestions for activities?

Saturday Links

Back again with some interesting things I've pinned lately (and not-so-lately).

Source: zaaberry.blogspot.com via Pinterest

 Zaaberry posted this tutorial in May as a teacher gift. I agree, it would make a great gift, teacher or otherwise. She's got quite a few lovely tutorials on her site. I should make some of her toy bags, since my daughter also hoards and steals plastic Ziploc bags for toys (I know not why, but at least  now I know it's not unusual). I have to get over my fear of sewing vinyl first, I guess.

Source: whipup.net on Pinterest

Then there's this amazing Creative Suitcase Tutorial that was featured on Whipup. Honestly, I'd like this one for myself, but if you have a favorite child and lots of time, what an amazing holiday gift this would be! I have children (no favorites, of course) but doubtful that I'd be able to claw out the time to make this. Isn't it wonderful, though? All those pockets! I'd have loved something like this as a child (did I mention I still would?), and it's just too fabulous not to share, in case anyone out there hasn't already come across it.

Source: showtellshare.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Speaking of finding time, I really, really want to set aside time to play around with a bleach pen. Look at the lovely linen table runners created by Dora at Show Tell Share. She also shares some tips on using bleach pens. (The problem I've been having is that almost all of my t-shirts have stuff printed on them, so I don't have an old beat-up solid color shirt to upcycle.) But I love these table runners; the colors are so brilliant, it really goes well with the bleaching. So simple, yet so pretty, and wouldn't it make nice napkins as well?

Source: blog.kiwicrate.com on Pinterest

And my last link for today--these surprisingly (given the method) beautiful acorn cap jewels featured on the Kiwi Crate blog. It's just acorn caps, markers, and glue--really. Last year we had so many acorns that they covered the driveway. We drove on them, we crunched on them, they were everywhere. This year, not so much. We're going to have to go hunting for some, because truly, these are so pretty.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Handmade Gift Ideas {Links}

I love a good handmade gift idea when I see one (and thanks to Pinterest, hopefully I don't forget about them!). I especially like gifts that can be made in multiples, too, for grandparent-aunt-uncle gifts, or for teachers-etc gifts. Items that can be made by the kids, really cute things that can be made rather quickly--these are all excellent qualities in a handmade gift. Of course there are times for the hand-knit socks, or scarves, or mitts...but for those other times, having some ideas on hand is golden. In pursuit of my goal of 30 quality posts in 30 days, I decided to share some of what I've pinned for later with you.

Source: twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com via Pinterest

DIY Glass Magnets from Two Girls Being Crafty. I found this via Pinterest, and it's such an easy how-to but with such satisfying results. I'm keeping this one in mind for future use. I like the idea of a little set of themed magnets, perhaps to go along with another kitchen gift, like dish towels or a cookbook.

Source: everydaybitsandbobs.blogspot.com via Pinterest

This is one I pinned with my 7yo, who recently proved he could sew, in mind: Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments from Bits and Bobs. He said he'd like to give them a try, so we'll see how many he makes and then decide where they'll be gifted. And, of course, he wants one for our tree. I think these are adorable and we just might have to have ourselves a little sewing bee, he and I, because I want to make some too!

Source: wendigratz.blogspot.com via Pinterest

And finally, Wendy just posted this tutorial on making an embroidered fabric bookmark. When I saw her pendant kits, I was one of several people who thought those narrow designs would also perfectly suit a bookmark. My daughter is making bookmarks for gifts this year (unless she decides to keep them all to herself, because, interestingly, bookmarks are one of the items she hoards, along with everyone else's books), but again, I have this in mind for future gifts. This particularly lends itself to stitching up some motifs here and there and assembling several bookmarks at once, to have on hand in the gift closet. How nice to tuck a handmade bookmark into a gift book!

I fear the layout on this post is sort of wonky (and I just learned that I can embed pics directly from Pinterest; how cool is that??), but I hope it's a bit inspiring nonetheless. Do you have any go-to handmade gift ideas or great links? I'd love to know about them!

In Progress

I feel like I haven't completed anything in quite a while. However, I've started my latest knitting project three times, and it's presently still a ball of string. I'm trying to make le petit sac. The first time I cast on, I missed a plain knit stitch on the first pattern row and had to start again. I struggled mightily trying to make do with the only pair of size 2 needles I have, an Addi Turbo circular that's too slippery for linen and too long for the project, and finally after messing up too badly to fix it, I gave up and bought a 16" bamboo needle. Then I messed up because the frogged yarn has lost its twist and is splitty. I'm going to cast on a fourth time with fresh yarn and bamboo needles because I really want that bag, although I plan to line it because even though it's knit at a small gauge, the pattern stitch still has yarn overs, and not lining it seems a good way to ruin it way more quickly than I'm able to knit it.

So fighting with that yarn has eaten up quite a bit of my crafting time, with nothing to show for it. I did finish one thing, but all I had to do was install a snap.

I really, really like it! This fits more snugly than the first one I made. My daughter immediately tried to claim it, so I agreed to make one that's toddler sized, using the same blue fabric but embroidering one pink and purple butterfly in the center. "Do that right now," she said. I swear, my kids think I'm some sort of short-order crafter. I've told my boys that if anyone asks what their mother does, simply to say, "She makes things."

Speaking of my daughter, I was making quick progress on her rainbow girls (until I took a break to ruin some nice linen yarn).

I picked it up again last night and began the blue girl. The plan is to make bean bags with them, sewing each girl onto her own bag. That way, G can carry them around with her, which is what she wants to do. (Thanks so much to Wendi for the bean bag suggestion!) So you can see that when I'm done with the embroidery part, I still have some work to do on the sewing machine.

I'm also waiting for an order from Dick Blick that will have way more stuff than I have time to use. While I wait, I've been reading Making Monotypes Using a Gelatin Plate. The instructors from the printmaking class I took had a copy and said it was THE book on the process, but it's out of print and used copies start at about $60. So I requested a copy through our library system--there are three copies in the state--and I read it straight through then started again at the beginning, in hopes that it sort of buries itself in my brain. I plan to take notes too, of course. A gelatin plate is just that, a printing plate made from unflavored gelatin. In other words, something easy enough to do at home and safe enough to do with kids. I do a lot of art activities with my kids (although school is a huge time suck, in my opinion). I am brewing lots of ideas for all of us.

Now, though, it's time to turn on some baseball and decide what to work on tonight. Another go with the yarn? Or the satisfaction of finishing the blue girl first? I think I'll go for the sure thing...