Shop Feature: Polka Dots for Christmas

It's December already.  I've been easing myself into the Christmas way of things -- decorating, shopping, baking -- for a couple of weeks now and it's such a relief to hit December with a not-too-long To Do list.  How are preparations coming along for you?

I was really channeling Christmas when I designed these lovely Red Polka Dot Placemats for the Etsy shop.  As with all my hand-printed items, these are cut and sewn from a premium natural burlap that has a relatively even weave and very little of the characteristic burlap scent.  They're printed individually, so no two are exactly alike.  They're in the shop now, along with lots of other pretty things.  Please visit.

SHOP ANNOUNCEMENT:  I'll be closing the shop down for a Christmas holiday on December 10.  This is also the last day that I can guarantee pre-Christmas delivery.  Dapple Design Shop will reopen on January 4, 2017.

String of Stars Tutorial

This is my first foray into Christmas decorating this season.  The Christmas bin is still in the garage, but I was ready to hang something festive in the window.

This string of stars garland fit the bill.  The concept is simple enough to come together quickly.  In fact, it's simple enough that my three-year-old could help.

If you'd like to whip up your own string of stars you'll need:
- wooden popsicle sticks
- glue gun and glue sticks
- yarn in your choice of colours
- more yarn or jute twine (not shown) for stringing the stars

Begin by hot gluing five popcicle sticks into a star shape as shown above.  You'll only need a bead of hot glue at each of the five star points.

When the glue has set, tie one end of the yarn to the star leaving a tail of 2 or 3 inches.

Keeping track of the yarn tail, start wrapping the yarn around the corners of the star.  Wrap around the star in one direction for 3 or 4 turns, then switch to a different corner and wrap another 3 or 4 turns.  Somehow I ended up with a mini star shape in the centre of my star, but random patterns are fine too.

Don't forget to wrap the points of your star too.

Remember that tail of yarn that you left when you first tied into the star?  You'll need it now.  When you're happy with the look of your star, cut the yarn and tie the two ends tightly together across the back of the star.

Trim the ends.  This is the back of your star; the knot is not visible from the font.

Make a constellation.

I mentioned that my three-year-old helped.  After the hot glue was dry, she chose this blue-green yarn.  I tied the first end for her and she wrapped to her heart's content, which turned out to be just one star.  Then the markers came out and she decorated another one her way.

To make your stars into a garland, thread a long piece of jute twine through several strands of the wrapped yarn at the back of each star.  This is easier if you tie a knot near the end of the jute.  The stars will hang more evenly if you thread the jute near the edge of the star as shown above.

Continue in this way  until all your stars are strung.

My garland is hanging in the dining room window, but it also looks nice across the mantel.  

A Personal Photo Challenge: Christmas

Our community goes all in for street decorations and I'm lucky enough to live just a block off the village centre where the lights are brightest.  

Miss S -- aged two and half this Christmas -- is in rapture.  We make every possible excuse to walk down Goldstream, and excuses are easy to come by as that's the logical route to the library, the playground, the grocery store and the fabric store.  

 Now that I've wet your appetite for lovely Christmas light street scenes, I have to confess that my camera has spent far too much time alone at home.  I'm hoping to bring it along and catch twilight as the lights come on one of these days, but you'll have to content yourself with day time photos taken under grey skies.

Linking to Donna's Personal Photo Challenge.  Please visit the other participants as I'm sure their Christmas scenes will get you in the spirit.

Another Busy, Sunny Day

The sun is streaming in through the windows.  Hubby is industriously chopping tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, doing his bit to keep the mound of tomatoes on the counter in check.  This is the mound.  I can't help showing it off a bit:  45 pounds of backyard garden goodness with more to come.

I've been taking advantage of the bright afternoon to take a bite out of my own mound -- all the handmade Christmas goodies that I've been making for the Dapple Design Shop.  Here's your very first sneak peak.

Yes, my Cloth Gift Bags are back for another season.  They're reusable, easy on the planet, and oh-so-pretty.  I'll be listing these very soon, so keep your eyes open.

Today I'm linking up with Angela at Pretty Little Inspirations.  Please drop by and visit a few of the online shops joining her link party.

Today

Christmas is here.  I braved the grocery store one last time today and spent the rest of the morning in the kitchen, tucking yummy things away for the next couple of days.  Did I finish everything I wanted to?  No.  Not even close.  But I'm calling it quits and taking a little rest before the fun begins.

I don't feel like I'm really ready for Christmas until I've spent a little time in contemplation.  Something about the season makes old scares prickle and I have to let a few tears fall.  Then I'm ready for joy and peace and hope.

Sitting here by the fire, I'm looking around our home -- all is quiet now -- anticipating.  Will Little Miss S sense the importance of the day?  Will she like the paper and boxes best of all?  Will she know how loved she is as she empties her stocking?  Everything I want this Christmas, I already have.

Wishing you much joy this Christmas.

O Christmas Tree

Tree day came in several parts this year, but not because we love the tree so much that we can't get enough.  It was collision of busy life and a dried out tree from a box store.  With one string of lights around the bottom and two dust pans full of needles we made the anticlimactic call to abort decorating and take it back.  Sigh.

Buying from a box store was convenient but ultimately foolish, so we didn't waste our second chance.  On a misty Saturday morning, with tummies full of warm pancakes, we wound our way out to Gravel Mart, where they sell trees with beads of dew and the aroma of the forest.  

We're real-tree people.  We both grew up that way.  Fake trees just don't do and this year's tree experience (false start and all) reminds me why.  There's something unbeatable about the fragrance of a real tree.  The boughs are still damp.  I catch little sniffs of Christmas with every ornament.  For me, it's worth sweeping up dropped needles and maintaining the water level.

What about you?  Real tree or fake?

It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter

I just looked out the window; the snow is officially melting.  For the first time since Thursday the lawn is more green than white.  My eyes dart around the yard, finding the places where these photos were taken just days ago, and it's hard to fathom the difference.  A couple of degrees on the thermometer and a little precipitation and suddenly the great outdoors is a magical, marshmallow wonderland.  Suddenly everyone wants to play Christmas music and bake cookies.

I really wanted to have a magical snow day, to throw snow balls and do that baking.  It didn't quite pan out.  But I did take my Little Miss outside a couple of times to meet the snow.  We didn't get any last year -- not a single flake -- so this was her first snowfall.  She was intrigued, glued to the window, repeating "snow, snow".  Coat.  Hat.  Boots.  Mittens.  Outside, she was less impressed.  Concern that it stuck to everything gave way to cold hands and we were back inside, crying, in 15 minutes flat.  Oh well.

It's been cold cold cold all week, but with bright blue skies.  Invigorating.  The Little Miss got used to the snow.  Today, however, the familiar grey is back.  Warmer temperatures are pulling things back into equilibrium.  Over the years, living here on the west coast, I've gotten used to the dark, monotone world at Christmas time.  It makes the light even brighter.

Just a reminder that my Give Away will be open all week.  You can enter here.

What kind of weather do you typically get for Christmas?

Crafting with Book Paper

A couple of people commented on the paper ball photo in a recent post, so I thought I'd take a better photo under real light and let you see it.

Do you remember my Wuthering Heights wreath?  This Christmas ball ornament is a riff on the same theme, though I ran out of Bronte pages and had to settle for Hugh MacLennan's Barometer Rising.  (In the spirit of full disclosure:  I have not read Barometer Rising and feel a bit guilty to have dismantled a book I don't know).  

I actually have a half dozen of these balls, which I'm hoping will garner interest at the craft fair in a week and a half.  They're a bit time consuming to make, but I don't mind a little brainless repetition in the evenings.  It pairs well with tea and chocolate.

Pleased with the wreath and ball ornaments, I carried the same book-page technique into gift tags, also for the craft fair.  When something is working, run with it -- right?  Or I'm stuck in a rut.  Either way, I'm amassing a nice selection of tags (not all made from book pages) to compliment my reusable cloth gift bags.

Would you be interested in seeing DIY instructions for either of the projects above?

Craft Fair

Have you heard?  I've signed up for the North Doug Christmas Craft Fair on November 23 with lots of gift wrapping goodies from the Dapple Design Shop.  I'll be partnering with Lorrie from Fabric Paper Thread, who will be selling lots of wonderful items to go inside my gift bags.  Have you seen her handmade journals?

This is my first craft fair event, so if you live on the South Island, I'd love to see your friendly face.