pamgarrison

full reveal of my December Daily® mini kit!

It's here! The full reveal of my December Daily® 2016 mini kit. I seriously had the best time designing this kit. It opened up a whole new creative world to me- designing product in a way that I had never really participated before. I thoroughly loved it. I'm excited to be able to show you the whole thing vs. just the sneaks. I was going for a very artist inspired kit- meaning lots of designs based on artwork, be it illustrations, or stamps I've carved, watercolor art etc. etc.

This year each mini kit had the same basic elements: 4 6x8 papers with plain grid design on the back, 31 journal cards and a selection of embellishment items. In this picture I've already taken my kit's washi tape and applied it to the pink stripes on that paper. I decided after receiving the kit I liked it better that way... for now anyway ;). I think that the full page of stars is my favorite paper. That was all designed digitally. 

The 31 journal cards are made up of 3x4 or 4x6 sizes. This is side A of mine above and here is side B:

Here is the A side of the 3x4 cards in my kit. Lots of pen work, watercolors, digital design, stamp carving, illustration, etc. 

And here is the B side. I've already taken colored markers to the stars (third one top row), and used the stamp set in the kit to make the holly card (row 2, 4th card), stars, (row 3, 1st card) and snowflakes (row 4, 4th card.) I like to alter things as you know. ;)

This side of the stars is just the grey and white when the kit arrives. I used pen here but also think watercolor, gouache or colored pencils would be great. 

And here is where I was adding the washi tape from my kit to the 6x8 paper...you can see it as it comes on the last row there. Side note, how great is that Merry album designed by Jasmine Jones from this year's offerings? Love it. I also love the 2 other 6x8 albums offered. I'm a 6x8 DD album girl. 

 I started stamping the back of the B side of the cards. I used the stamp set I designed for the kit and Ali's  Crafter's Inks to stamp them and I really like them. They are very wet and easy to apply evenly, and from my experience they dried quickly on paper.   

The embellishments are one of my favorite parts of any kit and so I was thrilled to get to pick which embellishment types I wanted to be in my kit and design them. Star die cuts, some with gold foil, chipboard shapes with sayings in gold foil, star washi tape and a gold alpha with lots of repeat letters for my kit. 

I started playing with it to get some in use photos, and I can't wait for December already. I wanted to confirm for myself that my bright, festive colors would go with traditional holiday colors so I grabbed some pages from a previous December Daily® I have. Yep, to me, it totally works! 

All the December Daily® goodies are now available for ordering (shipping in October) here. You can see all the other mini kits too and see how the different designers chose to create their kits. Ali does a great unboxing of her own main kit (yes, of course I ordered one, love it!) and also scroll down to see what her favorite items from each mini kit are. I loved what she chose from mine! 

I've heard from some of you that you already participate in December Daily®, and a few friends that promise that this year they are really going to for the first time (Paige, Michelle, Amy, I'm talkin' to you!). I am super excited to see how they put these pieces to use. I've placed my order and am patiently waiting until October...no need to rush those holidays, now that I've got my plans made, I can go ahead and enjoy our last days of summer and the beginning of fall too! 

 

It all goes by so quickly

 

Another Christmas has come and gone and all that's left now is the clean up. It all goes by so quickly.

I hope that you all had a nice day and spent it how you wanted to! Ours started a bit roughly with a four hour trip to the animal urgent care, poor pup seems to have slipped a disc. :( We were able to get home just in time to open presents, finish cleaning the house, start cooking and clean ourselves up before a house full of family arrived. As everyone was saying goodbye my daughter and I were able to go and bring the poor pup home; he's got some pain meds and seems to be doing fine now. Throwing something like that in the mix makes the day seem especially crazy. I'm very much looking forward to relaxing tomorrow!

And now that it's officially the 26th...my Painting Petals class is up and registration is open! I'm really excited to share it with those of you that choose to join in. See that sideboard in the photo above? It's full of class materials, I couldn't get it all put away before company arrived and figured it looks so pretty anyway, it could stay there. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to that fun tomorrow too.

If you want more info on Painting Petals or to sign up with early bird discount go here! 

Xo,P

happy holidays!

Hope you all are enjoying the season!

I'm busy as a bee putting the finishing touches on the class website before it releases for sale 12/26!!

 

Wishing you all a very merry & happy holiday season! XoP

happy new year!

Hello and Happy New Year to you!!! I'm super happy to be home and feeling all sorts of excitement and enthusiasm for the new year. This morning I couldn't resist watercoloring a little ode to 2015. The inspiration is flowing and I'm excited to finish up some of last year's projects and move onto ideas that have been brewing for too long. So much possibility with a fresh start! Cheers to you and yours! xo

more ongoing december fun

Here's that table shown last post. Still covered in my stuff. I'm slowing working on my December album and somewhat enjoying my slow pace. "It is what it is" is on repeat in my head, not, "it's December 17th and I'm on day 11". Whatever. It's not fun if I approach it that way and who wants to voluntarily add something to December that's not fun?!? 

Speaking of adding some fun to December, don't know if you caught this in the first photo, but we've added something big to our December:

We're going to Paris for Christmas!!! Kind of crazy, but we 4 Garrisons had such a great time when we went to Rome over the holidays a few years ago that we think it'll be a good idea. I always hesitate to leave home at the holidays, but it's one of the easiest times to use our British Air frequent flyer miles, and we have some buddy passes on those miles expiring so...we're going! I hope Paris will be as incredible as we found Rome at Christmas. We plan to arrive just in time for midnight service at Notre Dame. That sounds pretty magical to me!  I'm sure that the upcoming travel plans and preparing for same have something to do with my lack of enthusiasm for holiday decorating and my desire to streamline the holiday around here too. 

The above is a page I'm prepping ahead of time...next week will be here soon enough and the travel to-do's will take first place over the December memory documenting. 

Although I said that the bad white pen writing on day 3 didn't bother me enough to fix, I changed my mind. As I flipped through the book in progress, it did annoy. I decided to make the effort to write on the photo in PhotoShop instead. I even figured out how to curve the lines ever so slightly. I couldn't figure out how to use PhotoShop well enough to make it perfect (I couldn't figure out how to change the font size or placement on some of them for the life of me), but this time I really am certain that it's good enough as is. I added a little silver star seal too. 

It's fun to go back and futz with it. 

It looks better from the page before too. 

And here is my spread for December 4. 

As I watched my daughter was look through last years December Daily, it hit me that of course, all she cares about is the photos, but the fun paper bits and embellishments make the whole project more fun to do for me. There are so many fun things in the Gossamer Blue kit. I've never used the enamel dots before, but these in the kit are too cute to resist. Plaid?!? Yes please. And now you can purchase parts of the kit too, not just the entire December Memories collection. 

I'm finding 6x8 photos a good way to get the days done this year as well as last. (I bought the tag at Ikea's paper shop in November. Although I was super excited about the new paper shop in Ikea that I made the trip for it, I was disappointed. Maybe it's better now, haven't been back for the holidays, but just letting you know in case it requires a special trip for you too.) 

And now I'm off to pick my son up from finals. Kind of nice to have that behind him for vacation as well. After his last final, both the kids are officially on school break. Now the holiday fun will really begin here. Hooray!

 

making upcylcled ornaments

As you may know already, crafting is my favorite form of procrastination. The last two nights I've been indulging my desire to check out of my mental loop of a to-do list and craft. The simplest things bring me so much pleasure. 

I went to my favorite cardboard source- the Studio Calico boxes my monthly kit comes in. The graphics on the box make such a great backside for hanging things (meaning things that might twist when hanging, like galands etc). 

Some sturdy scissors, acrylic paint, sometimes touches of a paint or chalk pen, and a hole punch were my supplies. No templates or references, just imagination and freehand fun. Would be a great holiday craft for the kiddos too. 

If I were a perfectionist, I might take some sandpaper to the edges, but let's be honest, if I were a perfectionist I wouldn't be making ornaments out of cardboard in the dark of the night. These are perfectly imperfect which is all I'm going for. 

The ideas for using these are multiplying, I'd love to make so many more. For now, I'm going to pack them up (excellent that they are light as air) for a trip over the holidays- decorations to go...and maybe some gift tags too...

and now it's time to stop indulging myself and crack the whip a little over here! I can always make more if I get my to-dos done, right?!?

It wouldn't be the holidays for me without some holiday crafting. You too?  Have you made any holiday crafts this season? Those of us addicted to making want to know! 

 

december downloadables & a few other things of interest

 

Download PG December Memories

Here's the design I made to use with the Gossamer Blue December Memories Kit. I'm using it as a title page in my album documenting December, and you are welcome to as well, the free downloadable is available above (personal use only thank you). 

Also, in case you are new here, there are other free holiday downloadables by me here, and more here too. 

and a few other things...

I recently discovered Trouvé magazine and think it's beautiful. In their words: "celebrating the creative lifestyle and those who live it".  The first two issues of it are bundled for sale right now. Go here to learn more. 

And one more thing... my friend, artist Jennifer Mercede has illustrated a book for her friend, Shawna O'Neal, and that friend is doing a kickstarter to publish it in the USA. If you are in need of a unique gift for a young one, there are a couple more days left to check it out and support the kickstarter here. 

Happy Tuesday!

 

more fall decor, more pumpkins

Thought I'd share this recent patch of home grown pumpkins. You may remember earlier this year, my friend Mary Stanley gave me a little tutorial on how she makes her rug hooked pumkins and I made this one.

Last month, with my Halloween born and holiday loving SIL's b'day coming around the corner, I started another. And then I made two more. 

The white guy cracks me up, he seems so not sure about how he ended up here.   

I used Mary's technique to close it up. Mary teaches these and other things like owls and birds, crows and rabbits and more in live classes, and also sells them on her etsy and in shops like our friend Syd's Art Hus in Solvang. 

Because a huge motivation for lots of my nostalgic crafting is so that I can hand them down to my children who will hopefully put them out on occasion for years to come, I wanted to have them labeled so they don't forget they are hand made and pitch them ;). I used labels I bought from NameMaker. 

It's finally starting to feel like fall around here...well, occasionally...this weekend it did, today, it's more like spring again. Southern California continues to have strange weather. 

Hopefully we'll get some more fall before the calendar says it should be winter...

 

fall felt wreath

I couldn't resist a little fall fun with felt. It's becoming a yearly tradition. (like previously here and here) I only had a little bit of time, so was wanting a craft that was pretty quick and easy. A wreath...bingo! 

Here's how I made it:

I cute fabric into 1.5" ish strips and wrapped it around a styrofoam wreath form bought at a craft store. 

Every so often I would put a pin in to keep it in place. 

Next I started going through my felt. I found that polka dot felt above on sale at JoAnn's in the clearance isle. its very easy to pull out the polka dots and it's nice thick wool. I have collected felt for as long as I can remember, especially wool felt or wool blends. I've found it at antique stores, thrift stores, flea markets, and friends have even found it for me (thanks Holly!). I have found bolts of it at a fabric store and bought a yard of each color. Heather Bailey sells a blend on her website and Benzie Design too. 

Once the felt palette was selected, I just went to town cutting leaves. 

I cut these tiny leaves out of the scraps. I'm going to use them for something else. 

Then I just started pinning groups of leaves into the wreath form with dress pins. 

 

 

See the pin? 

Now you don't, well, not totally- if you try you can see it. But layering is the trick to hiding it. 

I thought about leaving some open spaces and letting the fabric show, but as per my usual, I went for abundance instead:

Abundance and color, two of my favorites, felt puts it over the top!

And that's all there is to it!!!  

Hmmm...would be pretty in paper too....

  

rug hooked pumpkin!

I mentioned in yesterday's post that my rug hooked pumpkin was so cute he deserved his own post. Don't you agree? He just makes me smile, he's such a goofy, happy guy. 

Here is is with his cousins that inspired his very existence. I bought the two pumpkins on the right from my friend Mary Stanley. I adore her version of modern folk art rug hooking, I can hardly resist them whenever she makes a new patch;). She makes all sorts of rug hooked animals and shapes, and she'll be teaching her rug hooked creations again soon.

Anyway, when we knew we were going to be meeting up for a little art-friend fun, I started asking her what materials I needed to purchase so she could get me going on my own. Mary, being the sweet spirit that she is, brought everything I needed, I just brought a little bit of wool felt I had on hand. 

After my doodling a rough pumpkin, and asking Mary to sort of improve on it a little, she gave me a few tips and tricks and I was off. I was instantly in love. 

By the end of day 2, it was really adding up. You can see a few changes I'd made from previous hooking. It's such a forgiving art form: you don't like a color or texture or location? Pull it out!

Once home, I got it to a point of alllllmmoooost done (above)...and then decided I needed to move the eyes, and replace a few colors that were a bit too distracting. 

A few more switches and I was ready to really call it done and stitch it into a little stuffed pillow. 

I sent Mary some late night photos sking if there were any obvious no-no's I wasn't seeing...

I found it suprising how different my pumpkin looked from hers, even though she had added some of her touches to my rough sketch. Of course, color choice has an impact, and the rug hooking itself, but still, beyond that, I see a very obvious difference between Mary's and mine. Hers have much more of a folkart flare than mine. I really, really love that about art. 

Finally, stitching it up! When making projects, specific crafts; those with a beginning, middle, and end, (different than when engaging in art that's all about the process, the play that's open ended), I love completeing them. The closer I get the more excited. At this point, I was feeling unstoppable, so close...

I do wish I had machine stitched on my label before sewing it on the back; but I didn't. Frankly, it's pretty much made to sit on the couch, so I'm sure it's fine. I imagine a future where my children have it in their houses, and their children become familiar with his appearance each fall, looking at him and flipping him over to see their grandma's (my!) name. I want them to know I made it with love for them. (Of course, this is all imagined, my kids might not even have kids I know, but one can dream...)

I guess I best make a second so both my kids will have them in their homes....oh darn! ;) 

 

home made love

Making valentines is always a favorite yearly activity. This year I had to start earlier to get my daughter's in the mail on time. 

I saw a papercut on instagram by @hesperdoodle and that was it, I was soon papercutting my own version for my girl. 

Here's it is before I did a little more sprucing (fine cutting). As this was my first ever papercutting, I had a bit of a rough result, but I love it none the less. I look forward to doing it again and I think I'll do a little research before I do another, and invest in a finer razor blade! To send it to her, I just glued it to a hot pink piece of paper so I could write a love note on the back.

While I had the brush script out, I made some custom gift wrap for my friend Jenny's belated b'day gift. I posted before about her solo art exhibit (called "I see boat people"), and I thought it totally appropriate theme for her paper:

She liked it ;). Love this pic of her too!

I love hand made things.

And Valentine's Day is especially fun due to giving love being the theme and all...

 

and another anthro inspired felt garland

If you've read this blog for nearly any length of time, you know I love garlands, and felt, and Anthro, (remember this one from a few years ago?)...and when they all come together in a new craft diy, I can't help but share. It may be a little late for this holiday season, I'm putting mine away today, but hey, you can get a major head start on next year's holiday season! Of course, depending on the colors you choose, it could be appropriate all throughout the year too. Here's how I made my version of this Anthropologie garland:

I grabbed my pile of felt scraps to begin. I have always loved felt, especially wool felt, and  have bought it through the years at flea markets, thrift stores and fabric stores. I also bought some wool blend from Heather Bailey and love it, her colors are really great. I started cutting it by hand, but soon realized that was going to be a long, arduous process, so I switched to a new plan:

 

Out came my rotary cutter and self healing matt and a ruler that has my little brother's name scrawled in 8 year old penmanship on the back (I treasure it). 

As you can see, the pieces cut are imperfect, and about 1/2 and inch wide and a little over 2 inches tall. I cut the tails on some but didn't end up using them for this garland. 

I wish I could tell you how many I cut, but I truly, have no idea. I just used scraps and small pieces and called it good. You can always cut and add more to your garland at any point. 

I used an embroidery needle and some DMC "coton perle" to stitch the garland together. I decided to pinch the strip of felt together with my fingers and went through the felt in 2 points that way. 

It looks like this after the first go through.

I then went back through, going close to, but not through the first stitch, and going the opposite direction as the first stitch was made. 

That way, when you pull it taught, you get a nice pinched effect. 

Now, at this point, if you wanted to, you could come back up from the center of the pinched piece, but I didn't, I wanted the sort of off-centered, gathered look, so instead: 

I just pulled the thread up from the side where it came out after the second pass through, and started with a new piece:

After doing that about 500 times (really, I have no idea how many, but the thought did come to me that if I was able to find one at Anthro after the holiday on sale, it might be a better use of time, haha), I had a sweet garland. 

When I asked my daughter to hold it for a photo today, she couldn't resist using it as a boa...it does remind me of that...

But we're going to stick with it as a garland around here. Elise had a different diy inspired by the same Anthro garland, you can see hers here. Let me know if you make one, I'd love to see! Happy end to the holidays!!! 

december may be fast, but it's festive too

Like I said in the last post, December is whizzing by...but, I was thinking, it's full of fun and festive and merriment. I suppose if it wasn't so fun, it wouldn't feel like hours go by in minutes (well, maybe anyway...). Here's some more fun in the works around here: 

I have always loved honeycomb...the older the better usually, but this year, Ikea had sets of honeycomb ornaments and I could not resist. Just a couple days ago I also couldn't resist messing with them a little. Not that they aren't perfectly fabulous as they come (round balls), but I took a pair of scissors to them and started shaping them a little like ornaments. (You can also buy honeycomb sheets on amazon.)

Always a good day when a Harry & David package arrives on your doorstep!

I truly love packaging and the details. This "gift" was cut from a Target PaperChase line of gift tags (couldn't find link) and is now being used in my December Daily. 

Even better than Harry & David are roses...well, to me, anyway! Never heard of "Passion Roses" but love the tag and their "live life with Passion" motto.

I mentioned I had a few more crafting ideas percolating...and this wasn't one of them. Not what I was thinking at all, haha, we'll see where it goes. 

Oh gold...you've really come on strong this year and "struck gold" and are experiencing quite the trend! ;) I have a renewed appreciation for you. 

But trends come and go, we'll always be fans of traditional and vintage Christmas around here too. 

It's Friday, December 20th, for sure we'll be doing at least 3 of these things on our favorites list today. Here's to celebrating whatever you celebrate, in whatever way you want to. Like I said, it's Friday...I'm a fan, and am betting you are too!

 

around here

Checking in with a currently-around-here report, photo essay style. I'm regrouping this first Monday morning of December and have big plans for a full week of getting.things.done! Wearing festive sweater and all. As a matter of fact, my entire outfit is from Target...not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but I have to tell you these Denizen dark jeans I bought there are one of my favorite wardrobe staples. I give them two thumbs up! (No affiliation whatsoever.)

 There's  a little mending of a holiday sampler from last year in progress...

and Fall decor is being gathered and put away. Although Thanksgiving was later this year, it felt like a short, but sweet, fall season. Kinda wish it would have stuck around a little longer. 

When pulling the doilies off the pumpkin I'd covered, I realized that I now have some lace bowls...I've seen them before on pinterest and other sites, now I'm yearning to make one intentionally. All I used was ModPodge. Easy peasy. 

Haven't gotten out the holiday decor yet, but trying to gather up the items I've found here or there during this past year, like these above found in Kansas while there for Whatever Craft Weekend. (If only I would tuck all finds in the same place, it'd make it so much easier to remember where I put them!)

Pepperberries are being collected on each walk...a wreath might be in order this year...

Christmas cards were ordered early this year and are in the house! Time to get to the addressing. Usually, I try to take a photo of my kids during the holiday season itself, which with a daughter away at college makes for short turnaround time (and a bit of stress). This year, I decided to use one of the photos taken while we were in Spain this summer. (I used Minted, as I have for the past 4 years, and am pleased with the quality again.) Every year at this time I realize that we just don't take photos of our family of four...gonna work on that this year...even one would be an improvement!

Lots of printing of photos and printables going on right now. One of the best things I did this year was get over my fear/dread/ignorance of printing at home. Cute printables were free from Cathy Zielske.  They'll be used in my December Daily™. Speaking of...

I've got my  Studio Calico December Daily kit  out and am tossing some of those treasures collected through the year in there to use as well. 

I'm also pleased to report that I did day one! I loved this photo from yesterday and tried to write on it in PS...wasn't totally successful (that program gets me every time- in a bad way...so much to learn), but still pleased that I tried and got it done. I plan on 2014 being to PS what 2013 was to home photo printing for me. ;)

Last night's remains of Project Life® found on the family room floor where I was futzing while watching The Good Wife...(still love that show). I snapped some "animals in their natural habitat" ;) shots yesterday while my daughter was getting ready to head back to college and my son was reading his assigned reading material. I wanted to get the photos in the book while it was all still fresh in my mind. I like it much better when I enjoy the process while feeling caught up. (It causes me take a lot more photos, participating in Project Life, and I like that, even the photos that won't make the book, like this one below. Real life captured.)

I'll be putting away the poker chips. I instagrammed over the holiday about how our latest family game has become poker, and how while it is fun, it is bittersweet, because I don't think of poker as a younger child's game. In other words, my kids are getting really old; yay! and boo! both, emphasis on the boo! 

And I'm going to photograph and wrap up the quilt I finally finished (photos to come!) and take it to the post with my etsy orders. (Speaking of which, thank you for those. I don't say it enough but really appreciate the orders!) 

Ok! Enough talking about what I'm working on and time to get back to work! Hope you're feeling hopeful about the week and off to a good start yourself!

 

field trip • día de los muertos, santa ana

This past Saturday, my boys and I ventured out to the Día de Los Muertos celebration in Santa Ana. We loved it.

There were so much to take in, I was disappointed that the light was fading fast, but I was happy I shot some sights to share.

 

Attendance was assigned by my son's Spanish teacher as they had been studying the tradition in class. (Sad how something can be pretty close, and pretty easy to partake in, but unless forced to...)  

We're already looking forward to going next year!

another fall felt garland

I had a few felt leaves left over from the last garland, and decided to make another version for another area of the house. I simply threaded some brown baker's twine onto a needle and quickly attached them using a basic running stitch. Without the wire, it's a much looser, more typical garland in my mind, but lovely in it's own right, and so much easier!

I did cut an extra top for each acorn and stitch through all three layers so that the pieces would look good from both sides when hanging, and tried to put the acorns toward the ends of the garland so they'd hang the right direction, but as you can see below, it didn't always pan out. 

 I put the leaves in both directions, as you can see in the photo below:

I mentioned over on my InstaGram that DIYs have become a procrastination or escapism technique for me.... I think it's because they they are so quick and satisfying.

 

Speaking of DIYs, here are a whole bunch more for your perusal as found over on Apartment Therapy. Thanks to Kim McCormick for including one of mine among her selections! 

weekend DIY #2

Is this just about the prettiest pumpkin you ever did see?

Wish I had thought of it, but nope, it was Allyson Baker of Day to Day Wonderment's idea I saw by way of Creature Comforts' Fall DIY post. Allyson's is actually the prettiest pumpkin I've ever seen. Just perfection! Go see and follow her DIY if you want to make one. I don't believe I did anything differently when making mine. 

Again, like yesterday, I just used what I had on hand. I happened to have bought one small orange pumpkin last TJ's trip, and had some doilies already. Honestly, I like the shape of her doilies better, and if I were to do it again, I might just keep an eye out for some special ones before jumping in. And a bigger, rounder pumpkin might be more pleasing too, but I'm nit picking. 

I couldn't stop taking pictures of the pretty little pumpkin. Here it is on the dining room table, on top of the doily runner I made. It's a doily lovers dream in there right now, haha. Poor boys that live with me!

I want to make some more with white pumpkins and colored doilies! 

Again, thanks to Ez for adding my fall felt garland to this DIY by Allyson, I love having all three added to our fall decor! 

weekend DIY #1

My fall felt DIY garland found itself amongst some good company over on Creature Comforts last week. I was very happy Ez asked me if she could include my project in her post about 3 fall DIYs. I think she has excellent taste, so to be included was quite the honor. I love the other 2 projects as well, and being the crafting addict that I am, I couldn't resist doing them myself. 

This is my take on the first DIY project, a place card design by Anne Weil of Flax & Twine. Aren't her chalkboard place cards so great?!? I plan to follow her instructions one day, but since I didn't have the materials on hand today, I adapted it to what I had here already.

Some simple craft cardstock cut down to 3.5" wide, some standard washi (the red), with some thinner tape which I found in the sewing supply section in JoAnn's Fabrics as well as glue, glitter, and an ink pen were all it took.

I simply brushed on some ModPodge and coated the glue with that same inexpensive gold glitter I've been using on the pumpkins. 

I learned to remove the strips of tape in the reverse order they were applied, so that the other pieces aren't lifting off paper or glitter along with them. 

So pretty! 

Even the trash pieces are pretty. I still haven't thrown them away, they'll likely end up on a journal card for my Project Life. 

Nice and clean. Once they fully dried, I simply wrote names on with an ink pen. 

I do believe they're going to be a big hit with everyone at Thanksgiving dinner, especially my glitter loving, sign loving (remember last year's sign/decor they made?)  nieces!

Thanks again to Anne for the inspiration and Ez for curating the DIY collection!

The 2nd DIY coming tomorrow...

pretty pumpkins

Oh, for the love of pumpkins and pinterest and pretty 8 year old nieces whose eyes light up at the sight of glitter.

A super simple way to fancy up your fall. There are other glittered pumpkins on pinterest pins, like a whole pumpkin for one.

We bought some 99¢ pumpkins, added some white glue with a paintbrush, and sprinkled on some gold glitter we had on hand. 

It's easy to wipe off stray glitter before it dries, and after it dries both. After seemed easiest for little hands.

We were disappointed that one of our pumpkins lost it's stem, until we realized that that enabled us to turn it top down and dip it in a pile of glitter, and the white glue didn't run in the meantime. 

A lot of bang for the buck, right? They'll be so pretty on the Thanksgiving table too. Next I'm got to try horizontal scalloped lines...and a written word or two...you'll see, if you do these too, they are addicting! 

fall decor has begun

Even though it was in the 90's where I live this weekend, I started getting out the fall decor. It is fall when you look at the calendar, and my neices are coming to visit this week and they loooove seasonal decorations. 

First I had a little pumpkin repair to do. Truth be told, I was not happy when my online order of  pumpkins (on sale from Shabby Chic) arrived with the one just as you see it above. Boo. (and not the seasonal good kind of boo) I did email their customer service, but I never heard back. I should have marched it into a store, but I didn't, so this year, I'll fix it.  I see there are a lot of velvet pumpkins and velvet squash by different sellers on etsy, if you're in the market. I also made some of the pumpkins myself from a kit I purchased from OliveJuice&Co a few years ago, but I don't know if Kim has sold them since then or not. 

I plan on  replacing the stem with a bigger one I saved from last years carved pumpkins, so that I have an easier time closing the gap. 

Of course my favorite family of pumpkins made by my sweet friend Mary Stanley were brought out, as well as the fall felt garland I made a few years ago. That comes out in fall and stays out through Christmas usually. 

And while I was in that cupboard, I couldn't resist pulling some felt out for a new  fall decor diy. 

My lap last night.

Checking last night's cuttings this morning. 

A new garland is in the works, and likely a few other things. When I first started the project, I envisioned it mostly cream and tans, neutrals, like above. And then I added a little more contrast:

And then a little more:

Even though I've started working on it, I still am not sure which way I am going to go. I like them all for different reasons. Maybe I'll have the patience to make 3 versions, but probably not. 

Oh, how I love wool felt. I purchased some a few years ago at a local quilt shop that is no longer in business, and some of the above is cut up old hats that have been thrifted. I also ordered wool-blend from Heather Bailey, she's got a great assortment of colors sold in sets so you can get a good variety for a reasonable price. I have been drawn to felt and felt crafts since childhood, something so nostalgic about it. 

I thought if I took photos of the colors in a group, I'd be able to choose which way I wanted to go, but the photos didn't help. I like them both. It does change things though, having that very dark orange in there for strong contrast. Same with that hot pink and orange, changes it from what I was orginally envisioning, not that that matters. I'm just enjoying the process of seeing how it comes together. 

Enough blabbering on about it, time to get back to making it!

I'll share the finished garland soon!