Work: A jewellery making workshop

This week we hosted a jewellery making workshop at the shop.

I am very impressed by the joy women younger and older than me felt by creating their own stuff. 

We'll do it again!

12 Christmas Crafts n' Gifts

Hello,
I hope everyone is happy and well
and looks forward to the most rebirthing time of the year.
Christmastime is all about nesting and spending time with loved ones.
It is also about presents and dreams fulfilled to the best of our abilities and imaginations.
Even if we aren't anything close to Martha Stewart, there is always something that we can make, craft or cook, to give a little joy and satisfaction to ourselves and our loved ones over Christmas.
Here is my pick of crafts and home made presents for this festive season

::make::

1.Owl ornaments

These are so whimsical!
The Owl being the symbol of wisdom and knowledge, the owl is also a meaningful ornamnet for the Christmas tree, encouraging the quest for self-development in our children and ourselves.


{via}

2. Holiday Burlap Pillows

Very classy and now, they will grace the holiday home for seasons to come.

This one is a particularly good craft for classrooms and the Boy Scouts.

If you do a holiday sale, this will work marvelously.

{via}

3. Cross-stitch winter scenes

Cross-stitching is simple, quick and heartwarming.

Plus, red, green and white is a Christmas classic.

{via}

::Cook::

4. Deeelicious and eye catching candy bark

Put in crispy clear wrap, add red and green tape

and gift around or sell at the school fair.

{via}


5. 12 Days of Christmas cookies

Stop by the Food Network and take your pick!
My favorite?
These chocolate cheesecake candy bars,
a very happy marriage of a brownie and a cheesecake!

::Gift::

6.Candy coloured sewing kit

This is so clever!

Who doesn't need a sewing kit?

If it is a little fancy and sweet, too, all the better.

I love this useful, beautiful and frugal craft!

{via}

::Write::

7. Quote art

Now, supposing sewing or cooking is not one's best pick.

What can one offer to a favorite person?

A word of advice

A wise word

A favorite quote

Something needed and longed for.

Pick a nice antique or handmade piece of paper

a fountain pen

or crayons

and scroll away.

::Read::


8. Kids' Christmas Books



 I can never get enough of kids' Christmas books. I love the happy tales where the tortured being ends up loved and warm and the beautiful paintings make me sing my heart out like a child in a blizzard.

::Listen::

9.Make a list

Make a list of your favorite songs. Christmas songs, love songs, children's songs.
Share the music, make the air vibrate with happy sounds.


::Drink::

10.Apple Cider

Tea, yes.
Something more festive and of the season, perhaps?
A glass of hot apple cider?
I say yes!

{here}

::Print::

11. Mail or Frame

Free, high quality printables are easily accessible.
Have them print professionally or home print
and add an instant stylish update to the home gallery artwork.
Mail, e-mail
or make a totally personalised calendar to gift
and bring a smile to the loved ones' face every day of the year.

::Be::

12. You and Him

Remember
the biggest gift to your loved ones is YOU
and the greatest gift to us all is HIM.
Remember and rejoice!

Friday's Fabulous Finds:Quirk

 

My eldest picked the shoes and fisheye camera.

I picked Francoise Hardy, the striped cloth and golden chain.

Perfect clash of colours: Blue and Red and Yellow.

And some cheeky gold at the bottom right.

 

I like the olde world feeling of this composition 

and that proud mushroom lamp, 

perfect for a child's room...or my desk.

 A contemporary sampler. 

Perfect as a Spring craft under the apple tree.

Spring...and yet not Spring yet...

Just rest a little bit longer

...

Credits: 1,2, 3, 4, 5

Holiday Crafts: DIY winter village

{The sweetest...and friendliest}

{From here}

Christmas Crafts

A cinnamon and heart garland via Modern Country Style

A Christmas wreath via Tchoubi

Christmas painted pillows via Tartelots and Jello

Friday's Fabulous Finds

Hello dear friends,
As the week draws to a close, I am going to share with you the finds of the week: blogs, photos and links that I picked up and I'd like to share with you.

My perfect spot to enjoy a fall afternoon with my cross stitch and a nice book.

First of all, I want to introduce you to a beautiful, warm and right now perfect for me, and the Autumn season, blog, called Little Red House.

 Browns and yellows with burgundy reds are my favorite colours. I also love the plates and the hount.

Did you notice the plaid walls and flower curtains?
I bet Ralph Lauren takes his inspiration from Mary Caroll!

Mary, the author, is an admirable photographer and a thoughtful and sweet blogger.

This forest looks very much like one I remember from my childhood.

Mary also hosts Mosaic Monday that you may want to join.

I also found a tutorial for a Thanksgiving Garland. It's very beautiful and doable. 

I am always considering the amount of time, effort and materials one might need to put into a project. If I can do it, then we all can!

This one is by Tartelots and Jello, a very nice visual and crafting blog, but I found this project via Ucreate.

Last but not a least, as I've said before, in the past couple of years I am experiencing a yearning for things vintage, loved and beautiful.

Sewing, and all of the home arts.
 The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & the Comforts of Home
 is my desert island book.

loving a time more innocent and smiling

  Magic Moonlight offers free images that you may use to embelish your desktop, your inspiration board and your crafts. I loved the Halloween images, cause they are not scary, only mellow and sweet.

I hope you enjoy my links. Have a lovely, spice scented, crafty, loving weekend,

Grace Kelly paper dolls

Uber shic moms will introduce their sweet little daughters to fashion and style with these lovely Grace Kelly Paper Dolls by paper doll master Tom Tierney. To continue a girl's education in high style,there are the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Paper Dolls and Chanel Fashion Review Paper Dolls. Without forgeting the original chic lady of our times, with the Marie Antoinette Paper Dolls.

And here is some more:

The list of the titles available is long, so are the creative opportunities with these beautiful little gems! Have fun!