Sunday, December 29, 2013

Felt projects from December 2013

Felt projects from December 2013

First of all; I must thank Heather L. for giving me and Dd the ideas for these presents!  I've always wanted to give gifts that people would appreciate.  As an artist, giving people my drawings and paintings has always felt weird and I never liked it---my art is "different" and I never felt like people actually liked it!!!  These felt gifts are so lovely and a treat that I am sure anyone would not have a problem receiving them.  I am really thankful to Heather for sharing these ideas, and the felt with us so I could share the love with others!  Thank you, Heather!!!  Thank you very much!


This isn't a great photo; but this is actually a pillow!!  The pillow has a stuffed red cardinal sitting on a nest with 3 blue eggs. The pillow is made out of a dark denim material.  The bird, nest, and eggs are made out of felt.  I put the pillow on a box and sat in on my stove to take the picture--but it still isn't a good photo.  I bought some organic lavender on Amazon and put some inside of it to make sure the pillow has a nice smell.  It is a gift for my Dh.  His neck pillow for our old recliner has bit the dust; and this one should be a good replacement.


Some of the birds from this year---I still don't have a photo of the one that I made for my Dd in this post yet--


Here is the design that Heather showed me last year, I gave each of these flowers to relatives; I put lavender in each bird along with the stuffing:



We gave this one to Aunt Kate--with the yellow flower that Dd made.




We gave this bird to Aunt April - with the pink flower Dd made.
**There is a second pink bird---that I can't find the picture of--that I made for my Dd.  I'm still looking for the pix.




This one was a gift to Giz--with a mixed blue flower Dd made.



We gave this one to Cari with a mixed blue flower-like the one Giz got.  I didn't get a photo of that flower, so this is a copy of the other one I did get a photo of.


Here is the blank spot for the picture of the bird I made for Dd, until I can find the bird and take a picture of it--here is a filler for it:

(It is a pink bird---very pretty! Like the one I made for Aunt April)



Dh's Birds:
The 4 birds below are the birds I made for my Dh.  I made these first this year; thinking I could make all the birds in more of a 3D model--but it really took WAY longer!!!  I didn't have a pattern; so I just widdled around with each bird and cut and shaped each piece as I eyed what it needed.  I had a lot of fun with it.  I tried to use black thread to be the black markings that are around the beak on the male cardinals...but it didn't look good, like I had hoped.  I had intended the thread to look like shading...but it just looked like thread.  Maybe next time it will look better.



I showed each side of the red cardinal #1.


Each side of red cardinal #2 (with crest)

Each side of female cardinal #1

The top of female cardinal #1, so you can see the red highlights I put on the top of her head.



This is the last one I made--and I like it the best.  For the first time I added wings!  That was fun!  And I added a big beak too!  This is female cardinal #2.


You can see the stuffing down inside her throat.
Instead of putting buttons on for eyes; this time I used black thread to sew eye shapes.








Dd made these 2 wreaths to give--it used a LOT of felt; but the cousins really liked them.  Uncle Jeff's two daughters each got a little wreath in their package.  Their mother; Aunt Kate got a bird and a flower combination.  Uncle Jeff got cookies.


This red poppy was made by Dd for me!  What a nice surprise for me!!!  I just adore red poppies!!!

The females in the family got a flower and a bird in their packages from us.  The males got money or homemade cookies--the cookies are "Ranger Cookies" which are their deceased Grandmother's recipe.
Dd actually made 2 of the blue flowers; but I didn't get the second one in this picture somehow---maybe she made it after this picture?  I'm not sure how I managed to miss it. 








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Core F Week 10 "B" Dec. 23-27, 2013

Core F 
Week 10 "B"
Dec. 23-27, 2013

 
Merry Christmas!

Dd had a blast with this LEGO LOTR's Pirate Ship Ambush! She has been making stop action movies with our camera and the Lego characters with it....she is having a blast with it.  She put it together in hours---I only wish it would have been bigger and more complicated---the Star Wars ship that she put together was much harder and took her much longer; and I appreciated all the brain power it had taken for her to put that together.


Say hello to MOLLY!  She helped Dd win the family game of cards...Dd whipped us all!  Giz and Grampy came on Christmas day and spent the night.  We enjoyed playing card games together...I think Molly did too!


Gingerbread and Sugar Cookies!!! 
These are our second batch--our first batch didn't have icing.  I don't like icing on cookies; but Dd really wanted to decorate---so we did both!  This batch looks much prettier!








Our new birds got to get to their new home on our bird tree!  Our tree has birds from 1998--each year we buy a new "couple" for our tree.  This year I made the 2 cardinal couples for Dh. 








The 2 male cardinals

The 2 female cardinals





Books & Things from this week:

We read Christmas picture books---that was fun!

Reader:

Henry Reed, Inc. (Puffin books) by Keith Robertson

Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson--Completed 
Dd really liked this book.  She said she would laugh out loud reading it; it was that funny!  I wasn't concerned about this one and didn't read it.



 

Read Aloud 1:

Tabitha's Travels: A Family Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide

Tabitha's Travels each night before bed; as a family--this is an "Advent book". (Completed)



Read Aloud 2:

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

 Pilgrim's Progress-this is in the original version-in progress.



Audio 1:

The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, Book 2) by Rick Riordan

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (Completed)



Audio 2:

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, Book 3) by Rick Riordan


Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (in Process for Dd)



Audio 3:

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling 

Since we are listening to this in our van, and it is winter and we don't drive much--it is taking us a while to get through this audio!! 

 


 





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Core F Week 10 "A" Dec. 16-20th, 2013

Core F 
Week 10 "A"
Dec. 16-20th, 2013




We have had a lot of snow!  Dd invited me out for a fun walk in what she calls "WINTERVILLE" and I piled on my Carhartt gear and off we went--with our dog, Sophie too!  We had a blast!!  Snowball fights and rolling around in the snow and getting snow in my ears, throat, and down my shirt!  I lost my walking stick to the dog--who ended up eating it up!  We ALL had a great time!  I'm looking forward to more snow!






We have been playing a month long game of LOTR RISK.  It has been a lot of fun! 



This is my black cricket!  He only lived a little past this picture.





Books & Things from this week:
We read Christmas picture books---that was fun!

Reader:

Henry Reed, Inc. (Puffin books) by Keith Robertson

Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson

Read Aloud 1:

Tabitha's Travels: A Family Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide

Tabitha's Travels each night before bed; as a family--this is an "Advent book".

Read Aloud 2:

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

 Pilgrim's Progress-this is in the original version.


Audio 1:

The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, Book 2) by Rick Riordan

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (Completed)

Audio 2:

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, Book 3) by Rick Riordan


Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (in Process for Dd)


Origami-various books; and she made lots of different things.

Cooking:
Dd made Sugar Cookies by herself; then made Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread cookies with Pappa on a different day.

Bible:
Luke 1 & 2
Believer's Bible Commentary Luke 1 & 2








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