After Christmas crafts

On Wednesday I was on a mission to get all of my errands complete before the snow then wicked cold snap was to hit. I went 11 places in just under 4 hours. Shockingly I didn’t spend a bunch of money either. I was hitting all the loss leader deals at various stores while still getting the essentials to last into next week. I wasn’t even planning on going to Michael’s but since I was just down the street from it I decided to check out the 80% off all Christmas deals. I picked up the needed supplies to make a couple of wreaths.

Since we are putting away all of our Christmas decor today, it was now or ~~never~~ next year for wreath making. So I gathered my supplies and set to work.

I also had to find a video tutorial on the process of creating a deco mesh wreath.

This one worked for me.

What I didn’t comprehend was just how huge this was going to be!

It became painfully obvious that the scale of the elements I had purchased would be completely wrong.

I added some ribbon…and what appears to be a nice bow in the photo. Nope…just shoved the rest of the ribbon in there for storage until I can find someone to help me with the bow. Did I mention how much I suck at making bows!?! I called my crafty neighbor for help and evidently she lacks that skill as well. I’m thinking with the addition of a proper bow and perhaps some plastic Christmas balls this would work for an outdoor wreath.

Next I set to work on a winter themed wreath. Something to take you through until Easter.

Deco mesh wreaths | Halle's Hobbies

Did you notice the price sticker on the deco mesh…? Goodwill $2.99 and I used a 25% off coupon so it was really $2.24, sweet! The wreath base was purchased previously when I made my burlap wreath. I started out and realized that the green wire base was showing through in a very unflattering way. First I doubled the number of pipe cleaners on the base but the green still showed through. It needed to be white.

Lucky for me, the temps were hovering around freezing yesterday so I was able to give the base a quick shot of paint in the garage. Honestly, I’m surprised at how quickly it dried. I was really worried since the can said not to use below 55°F.

Isn’t it pretty!?!

I was making it for a gift but it looks so good on my front door that I think I’m keeping it. Shhh…

I love the iridescent shimmer in the mesh. Perfect match to a cold winter day.

Do you decorate for “winter” to carry through until St. Patrick’s Day or perhaps Easter?

Blog | Crafts

Christmas, crafts, frugal living, Holidays, thrifted treasures, wreath

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201601/05

T Tuesday: two posts collide edition

It’s a two for one deal here at Halle’s Hobbies… I’m linking up with both Art Journal Journey and T stands for Tuesday today.

Why you say? I decided to embrace my word of the year and enjoy the meeting of two worlds instead of stressing over it. Technically they’ve met. :) This is one of the things about the blogging community that I really enjoy. So much crossover and one blog leads to another and soon you’ve went down the rabbit hole but learned so much along the way.

The Winter wonderland theme this month on AJJ gave me the opportunity to play with a new supply.

It came in a box of paint from a garage sale. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever use it. Since I was using my sturdy board book heART journal, I knew it would hold up to the weight and wetness factor of the paste.

I am certainly glad I kept it. Look at the texture it provides. And the sparkle! The photo capture of the sparkle is nothing compared to the real deal. It really does look like snow glistening in the sunlight on a crisp Winter day.

Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

I used this stencil with a palette knife to create the snowman.

I wish you could feel this page. So much texture on the background and the snow is soft. A really unexpected result for me even with the jars claim.

I hope my T stands for Tuesday friends have enjoyed my latest journal page.

In keeping with the ~~rules~~ spirit of T day, I’m sharing my beverage as well as the healthy breakfast I enjoyed yesterday.

What else does the day have in store?

For starters, the transfer of important dates from one calendar to the next. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to keep a paper calendar since most everything is kept electronically now. But a hard copy is always good. When I rely on technology, that’s when it fails me.

I’m also going to tackle taking down Christmas decor, get in a little exercise and sort paperwork for taxes. I actually started our taxes yesterday. I hate waiting on this. I really like to know where we stand.

What are you doing today?

Art | Blog | Kitchen

Art Journal Journey, challenge, heART journal, T Tuesday, WOTY

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201601/02

A second look: My favorite quilt

To start out the year we are looking back…wait…didn’t I say I was looking ahead in the previous post?

We are looking back because it’s Second on the 2nd hosted my my dear friend Elizabeth. Each month on the second she asks that we dig into our blog and reshare a post that deserves a second look.

Sewing is a passion of mine as well as recycling. In this post from August 2008 I share my favorite quilt and a little about it’s creation.

We still use the quilt today. It’s now 15 years old and is very well loved.

Take a look…

This denim quilt was my very first large scale recycling project.

I carry it in my van for picnics, beach days, a stop at the park or one of those dreaded winter emergencies. After the latest trip to the beach I hung it on the deck rail to dry. I was taken aback by how many memories this quilt holds for me. I love how it has frayed over time. Maybe others would think of this as a flaw but to me, it shows it has been throughly loved.

I made it when my first born was an infant. Oh, to have that much time on my hands again! I wanted to make something that he could lay and play on, that would be durable, washable, textural and colorful.

I had a ton of jeans that were never going to fit again plus my hubby’s worn out ones to cut into circles. I used a plate to trace each and every circle by hand then carefully trim with scissors.

The colorful squares (trust me there are squares under there) were from a stash of fabric I had gotten as a teen when my “grandma” across the street moved from her home to her daughters in CA. She knew I loved sewing and crafting more than her own granddaughter.

My mom had somehow collected tons of small spools of thread in various colors, not sure why since she didn’t sew but did own a machine. Maybe just wishful thinking on her part. Anyway, I figured that I could make the quilt even more colorful by using different spools of thread throughout the quilt. Generally the bobbin thread and the spool didn’t match as I sewed.

If you’re curious how I made it check out this tutorial. I think I got my instructions from a magazine but the tutorial has excellent instructions.

Around home | Blog | Crafts

quilt, Second on the 2nd, sewing

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201601/01

2016 Word: Enjoy

After reflection on last year and thinking of what is to come…I decided that enjoy would be my best choice of words.

Enjoy the process of creating and blogging. Enjoy and embrace the fact that I am a stay-at-home mom of teenagers and enjoy the time I have left with them. Enjoy more time with Mr. G since the kids aren’t needing or wanting our undivided attention. Enjoy being driven around by my son. Find a healthy lifestyle we can enjoy. Dig in the dirt for enjoyment of gardening and the nourishment it provides our family. Enjoy friends, good books, wine and walks. Enjoy the little things in life.

I think this should be a pretty easy word to keep in mind this year.

You could do it too… ENJOY

Looking back at 2015

As I started thinking ahead towards the new year and all it has yet to bring, I decided it was time for a bit of reflection before letting go of 2015. Briefly my thought was, “Not much happened this year” and then the memories started to filter through.

This year, collectively, our family has had the following…in no particular order:

knee surgery

small kitchen fire

resort vacation

night classes

new driver

honor choir audition

wacky injuries including a 911 call

volleyball camp

computer programing

pneumonia

new (to us) vehicles

job interviews

neighborhood campfires

published article

mother/daughter retreat

choir concerts

deans list

student council

phase 2 braces

and a new teenager(just yesterday)

Whew! That’s quite a list even without the minutia of everyday life and events I’ve likely forgotten or perhaps blocked out. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So how did I do with my word of the year?

Not so great, honestly. I can’t say I entirely failed on my word. I did focus on my family when issues arose throughout the year. I had the intention of focus on myself and what I needed and wanted out of life with this word. But really when I think about it, focus on my family is the reason I am still a stay-at-home mom the majority of the time. I was gifted with a wonderful life and family. One that appreciates the gift it is that I am home most days to take care of the little things. Perhaps my thoughts on my success with focus were a little flawed, My focus was just where it was meant to be last year.

Happy New Year! Be safe.

Around home | Blog

day in the life, Holidays, WOTY

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201512/29

T Tuesday: Christmas wrap(up) edition

Welcome to the very last T stands for Tuesday of 2015.

We had a lovely Christmas with family. We had my mom over for a big meal at noon. Then I started cooking again for brunch the next day. Getting everything prepped so I’d have an easy morning. We played a board game then watched Home Alone. By that time, I was so exhausted that I told everyone that they had to go to bed otherwise Santa was skipping our house. ;)

Christmas morning brunch with Mr. G’s side of the family was great…all the hard work the previous day payed off.

I have to show you the gift Mini-me put together for her brother…

She bought him a gift card but wanted a clever way to give it. She used a photo from Pinterest as inspiration. She thought a Mountain Dew reindeer was needed as well.

So darn cute. There is a kit-kat bar under the gift card. Good thing Santa put new toothbrushes in their stockings!!

Big J bought his sister this cute mug and a Minnesota Vikings T shirt. Skol Vikings!

I did make one additional Christmas card this past week.

I tried out my new water color brush marker to give some dimension.

Today we’ll be shoveling snow and baking a cake for Mini-me’s birthday tomorrow. 13…I can hardly believe it! Now I’ll have two teenagers in the house.

I am also giving some thought to my 2016 word of the year as well as reflecting on 2015.

What are you doing today?

Around home | Blog | Crafts

Christmas, greeting card, Holidays, T Tuesday

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halleday

201512/27

Time warp journal

After a little post-Christmas cleanup, I rediscovered my worktable. Sad but true…it had been buried under things I was setting there “just for the moment”. I should know that means weeks around the holidays.

Never being one to leave an open space open for along…I grabbed my Gypsy journal and began this new journal page.

I used some of my favorite techniques. They are my go-to whenever I’m feeling the creative bent but not knowing the direction I’d like to go.

My go-to formula is drywall tape for the background, a focal image of a person and found text to end it off.

I really enjoy creating little tales such as this one. Even though it may not make any sense to others…it makes me smile none the less.

Do you have go-to techniques that are seen in your work over and over? I used to think this was a bad thing as I wasn’t growing artistically. I now see that that for me, using similar techniques over and over actually help me grow creatively.

What is your favorite technique?

***I’m linking up with Art Journal Journey today with my time warp journal collage. ***

Art | Blog

art journal, Gypsy journal

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