Winter Project Ideas

Well it's getting colder outside and it's really making me want to be working on projects.  Something that lets me sit in a comfy chair by the woodstove and preferably with some soft yarn. 

I've been thinking of a few ideas for the winter that sound really warm and cozy. I recently made myself a cowl from a really soft cotton variegated yarn and it is probably the perfect accessory.  Mainly because it's warm, but also because it stays out of the way (unlike the ends of a scarf) and it looks really sophisticated!  

Don't they all look so happy, wearing their pretty little cowls?  I think I'm going to try making the top left one.  It's from Red Heart.

I was also checking out the pattern for a soft and fluffy rug.  The one shown above is crocheted from recycled T-shirts.  I am hoping you somehow magically don't have to worry about the rug scooting, making you slip and fall when you step onto the rug... otherwise that's going to mean inventing some kind of non-slip texture on the back.  Which does not sound that fun.

This is an image of a "healthy" fudge recipe from Aida S Cuisine.  It sounds interesting.

Here's a project that for sure won't include a non-slip texture strategy: making homemade fudge.   I don't have a candy thermometer, and I don't use the mixer.  I just do it the easy way where you dump the ingredients in the pot kind of like this recipe.

Well I hope to be able to share some of these completed projects with you soon.  It's nice and cold outside now, so I'd better get started on one of these.

What projects are you working on or hoping to get started soon?

Tea Time is here

    I drew this sweet little scene with my favorite Micron artist pens.  It has been safely tucked away in my special sparkly dinosaur sketch book that my sister helped me pick out while we were in Michigan.
  

   Now this little deer is ready to serve tea in her cozy cabin in the woods!  She has finished crocheting her own sweater and has just put her new curtains up.  She is looking out her front window, anticipating the arrival of her dear sister, who is due any moment for an afternoon cup of hot tea.

Would you like to know how you can purchase one of these prints?

You can trot right over to my Etsy shop, {stay tuned to the blog for updates about my new shop venue, coming spring 2012}
or...

You can check out my new place over at Society 6!  At the Society 6 location, you will see the wonderful and exciting fact that you can purchase this little deer as a laptop or ipad decal.  Isn't that fun?

Winter is coming

It may be 70 degrees and rainy in our part of Kentucky today, but I can still feel winter coming as the nights turn colder.  I'm already getting in the mood for cutting out snow flakes!  Here are some really dazzling finds that are keeping me inspired today.

Winter Birch Trees project found here!

Isn't this a neat little project?  You can find out how to make this enchanting little scene step-by-step.  Just visit Kathy Barbro's blog Art Projects for Kids.  I love that Prussian Blue against the crisp white.  I think this would be fun for adults too!

Winter Textures by Grant MacDonald

The long shadows in this photo by Grant MacDonald remind me of our recent time spent in Northern Michigan, my birthplace.  Pretty much all day it looks like it's around 4:00 in the afternoon there during the winter.

How to make paper snowflake ornaments

This simple snowflake tutorial from Martha Stewart makes it very easy to create your own personal indoor blizzard.  I also like to make garland out of them.  I think I will go browse the rest of her neat craft ideas there.   

Snowflake Cake recipe

Isn't this cake pretty?  What an intricate design of white chocolate snowflakes on the top.  The cake is made from a yellow cake mix with pudding added for extra moisture.  Sounds good!


What are some of your winter inspirations or traditions?