Today I am so thankful for the crafting my hubby and his partner do at our bakery! I finally sent the last of the parcels in the post, a task made easier in that our northern family requests and appreciates Slow Rise Bakery Granola, Christmas Stollen and Garibaldi Cookies. Why not gift someone on your list with our organic, wood-fired, hand-crafted goodies? And remember to treat yourself too!

P.S. This beautiful mug was crafted by my friend Simone Bell, my tea just does not taste the same without it.  A gift of a hand-made mug, locally roasted coffee from Red Roaster or tea from the Cowichan Bay Tea Farm (I highly recommend the ROOSTER chai) would go perfectly with the Stollen from our bakery or cookies from your own kitchen…mmm!

Hello friends, I missed the daily Christmas craft post yesterday as our overnight visit with the grandparents turned into 2 nights of SNOW!  Yes, we were happy to stay put as the snow piled up and by the first morning there was 4 inches on the ground (and larger piles on the road side).  All indoor crafting was put on hold as we donned what meger winter duds we had brought and went out to PLAY.  The snow was moist, perfect for snowballs, snow angels, and a SNOWMAN!

No carrots in the house, Papou lent the girls a screwdriver for the nose, as well as his scarf and hat.  Using their imaginations, their muscles and their mitten, these girls sculpted the best kind of Christmas craft and brought “Fred” to life.  That night we enjoyed a crunchy snow walk before dinner….underneath a sliver moon the neighbourhood lights shone brightly and the girls took great delight in the festive show (it really is a big deal for us rural folks that rarely see a porch light from the road, let alone a light show).

It snowed again the second night, a light dusting that lured us out into the early morning sunshine.  This time to visit with Fred (no mistletoe around, he still got plenty of kisses) and then the girls enjoyed carving FAIRY tunnels in the crust topped snow.  It was an unexpected snowfall and the perfect Christmas gift for my girls, two days of snowy winter play, baking cookies and decorating the tree with their grandparents, making memories of a Christmas season I hope they will always remember.

We returned to our little island today and all is green (it is even more rare to get snow here).  But the girls BELIEVE we might get a white Christmas and I HOPE that we do.  And whenever the snow comes to our own backyard, I will be glad that my art supplies are nearby so that we can try some snow painting as shown here and here!

Here’s hoping we all get a little more snow crafting this Christmas….Let it SNOW!

I love the green swags my youngest has been making at her Crafty Kids class. And you can tell, she is pretty pleased with them too!  Next I want to try a simple nature garland like this one from Soulemama.  And then maybe the great felt garland at Dottie Angel.  Have fun decking the halls friends!

This craft combines two of my favourite things – vintage tea cups and sewing! A tea cup pin cushion is the perfect gift for the sewer on your list and so simple to make.  Head on over to the tutorial at mmmcrafts and you are ready to go.  My girls and their friend Ekko made some to sell at their craft fair – aren’t they amazing (the pin cushions are great too).  A special thanks to my sewing buddy Gabrielle who gifted me with one and inspired all of us to spread the love! Note: you may also want to try making candle filled tea cups, then you can use the cups for drinking tea again too.  

This time last year I was enjoying the exchange of 12 lovely handmade items with 12 other local artists.  Each package was opened with much delight during this special 12 Days of Christmas Art event.  I was reminded of the beauty of home-made, the delight in both the giving and the getting of something handmade with LOVE.  This year, as I remember fondly the countdown to Christmas day with a gift a day, I am inspired to mark the days again.  This time, I will share a craft a day on my blog — 12 Days of Christmas Crafts!   Whether crafted by myself, my kids or someone else, I hope these creations will inspire and delight you as Christmas day draws near.

Today we got our Christmas tree (foraged and cut on a friend’s wooded acreage, so thankful the sun was shining and that all of us agreed easily on the perfect one to bring home).  So it seems only fitting that I should share our favourite ornament designs for this year – needle felted stars and stockings.  But first, a pic of the fantastic tree finding mission! 

Now back the the ornaments….If you have not yet tried needle felting, I encourage you to give it a go. All you need for these ornaments is some wool for the base (we used an old wool blanket and some woollen felt), wool roving (ours came from a local alpaca farm that Raena volunteers at and my friend’s sheep at Fiddlehead Farm), a foam to work on, and some simple felting needles (you can get these at most knitting shops).  Young kids need some supervision of course but you will be amazed at what a 6 & 9 year old can produce – check out the snowman & Santa!

And check out the focus!  Can you hear the happy quiet in this photo?

The girls were thrilled with their stocking design idea, instead of stuffing them, they left them open like real stockings so they could include a candy cane or other gift tucked inside.  They made some to sell at the craft fair a couple weeks ago and are still happy to spend great lengths of time QUIETLY working away on an ornament for a friend or relative.    The stars are another favourite design these days….

This craft is truly meditative and soon you will be creating even more felted treasures!  Look at the treasure pouch the girls made and filled with chocolates for their dance teacher.

I would love to hear about the felting projects you are working on…..anyone have favourite  felting techniques and creations to share?  We have another fantastic one we are working on and I will post about it soon!