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Gingerbread House 2014; the Holly & the Ivy Inn and Ski Slope

This year, taking a more humorous route, my Gingerbread scene was based on the idea of what elves get up to in their after hours...so the Holly & the Ivy pub was created! Complete with an outdoor beer garden, and a ski lift.

Some elves just can't hold their drinks!

The ski lift was an especially fun feature this year! Sure, maybe not as magnificent as Hogwarts last year, but nice to have a simple structure but a funny theme to work with. Happy holidays!

Franken-Hoot Plushies

I got the idea for this project as a means of using up scraps from my fabric staff over the summer. Finding a pattern on Pinterest and adapting it, I loved the ideas of mish-mashing remnants of fabric together (thus the Frankenstein concept) to make a one-of-a-kind plushie. Owls are adorable, from their pet appeal from the Harry Potter franchise, to their quirky large eyes making them different from other birds, and even their symbolism for Wisdom. Working with the bird theme for our Christmas table this year, I’ve made a felt version for this project.

Here’s a template for the pattern I adjusted from pinterest. You can make them as large or small as you like! I added the wings and little pouch on the tummy for this particular version to paste the names onto, but you can do as you wish with them.

Felt is a lovely fabric to work with, since you don’t need to hem it! Unlike my original ‘Frankenstein’ concept though, I kept it to the chosen color scheme, golds and silver, blues, purples, and pinks. The pieces were put together in a combination of machine and hand stitching, with a little stuffing for a 3D effect. 

I’ve had a great time putting this flock together, and can’t wait to see them on the table Christmas Day. But if I have any fabric left over I’d like to make some true to my original design, complete with more colors and even eyes in different colors.

Materials:

Owl plushie pattern

Felt fabrics in various colors

Needle

Scissors

Thread

Sewing Machine (optional)

Toy stuffing

Buttons

For Table settings, print out or hand written paper slips with names

December Book Review: The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown

OK, so I’ve officially run out of craft books to review for the time being. However, as a fan of books revolving around crafting, I’ve decided to continue these monthly posts and write about them instead. And I’ll be starting with a title that I loved so much, when reading it on the Tube I missed my stop!

‘The Great Christmas Knit Off’ is one of those books I categorize as part of the ‘Changing Life through Creative Work’ genre, or sometimes ‘Club’ books when it’s focused on a group of characters being brought together through the love of a hobby craft. 

In this title, the protagonist, Sybil or ‘Sybs’, still heart broken months after being left at the altar and experiencing burn out in her finance job, when paying a close friend a visit in a tiny village of Tiddendale in the English countryside finds her life changed. It’s lovely to read about that picturesque Christmas scene we all imagine in the UK, the image of snow covered cottages and yummy pub lunches (I laughed when Sybs exclaims ‘oh my god, I’ve stepped onto the set of Frozen!). And just as Sybs is saved by the warm kindness of the people of the town, from Leo the fabulous gay B&B owner to Ben the gorgeous local GP, she in turn gives back. In hopes of living her life long dream of owning her own knitting business, she aids struggling pensioner Hettie by breathing new life into her beloved House of Haberdashery. When Sybs’ Christmas Jumper designs become particularly popular, she launches Operation Great Christmas Knit Off, bringing the entire village together to produce a massive sweater order to save Hettie’s livelihood. 

As I said, it’s a wonderful read for the holidays, and made my fingers itch to get a hold of some chicks and yarn, and even comes with a knitting pattern! I’ve begun reading Ms. Brown’s previous series based on a department store, but am particularly looking forward to hearing more from Tiddendale. Happy Holiday reading!

Final Score: 5/5 (good for it’s festive feeling, but also well balanced with a truly lovable protagonist)

Dancing Sugarplums Snowflake Tutorial

 This will be my fourth year helping out backstage for the West London School of Dance’s annual run of The Nutcracker...and I am so excited! The experience really makes the holiday season for me, and it has been an utter pleasure being part of the crew backstage for this wonderful program.

After seeing this on Pinterest gave me inspiration for doing twist on the traditional paper snowflake project. The ballerina silhouette is so beautiful, and I've used it again and again in my artwork. The drawings from my Prima Donna watercolors collection make the templates for Sugarplum fairies.

Materials:

Ballerina silhouette design

Watercolor paper or some kind of stiff paper

Scissors

Pencil

Crafting glue

Jewelry making Jelly Cord

Needle

Paper

Tracing Paper

Clear Sticky Tape

Blue tack

1)Draw out your ballerina design onto the stiff paper, and cut out.

2) Flip the ballerina cut out and glue onto more stiff paper, cut around the outline to make a thicker cut out.

3) Cut your paper snowflake, with a slip in the centre wide enough for the ballerina cut out to slide through

4) Slipping your ballerina in the snowflake, secure her snowflake tutu into place with the tape

5) Using needle, thread the jelly cord through the ballerina, tying a knot to make a loop. 

6) Using blue tack, hang your sugarplum dancing ballerina from a place of your choosing, and enjoy her performance in your holiday season!

Exhibition Review: 'Fashion Rules' at Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace is one of my favorite museum spaces in the city, up there with the V&A! The approach their curators take to presenting their exhibits is lovely, for old and young alike, because it draws out our inner child. For a site with such a rich history concerning the English monarch, it makes it interesting. For instance, their wonderful ‘Enchanted Palace’ exhibition some years ago I still remember for their intriguing and, yes, magical displays, combining history, fashion and art installation. Weaving together memorable stories of female monarchs, in each room in the palace they had different designers decorate, including Vivienne Westwood. They make fact seem fantastic, flashing descriptions of the displays on the walls with projects instead of the typical laminated description. You can almost imagine little fairies hiding around you, secretly watching the public as they wander the walls. And their lightning always has an air of mystery, and what better way to get one’s interest than adding intrigue?

I’ve already visited the Fashion Rules exhibition before, but on this wet cold November morning I wanted to experience that nostalgic wonder Kensington Palace holds. Going on until summer 2015, the exhibit is another of many to present dresses worn by royals, including Princess Di, highlighting the changes in the attire of the royals, the leap from regal to chic. 

Working from the 1950’s to the 80’s, it was interesting to learn again how the mind frame of the royals changed when their place in the public’s eye shifted their approach to fashion. Sure, they’ll always have stunning gowns, such as these featured by Norman Hartnell. But it was interesting to look at the wardrobe of Princess Margaret who, unlike her sister, had a little less pressure to look the part in the public’s eye and therefor was at liberty to be more fashion forward-even risqué, like this number!

Of course, there was a whole room for the late Princess of Wales, one of the most fashionable monarchs in history. It was interesting to learn how her wardrobe was influenced by the ‘bigger is better’, ‘power dressing’ prerogative of women in the 80’s, ergo forging a flashy, fabulous collection of gowns.

The exhibition is insightful, well curated, and not the first of the museum’s collections of royal gowns-and surely not to be the last. I say go, not just to see this exhibit, but the Museum itself for a wonderful day out for all the family!

Eliza Wray Brand

For the first time in years I visited the Spirit of Christmas Fair in London. First, to finally get a jump start on some gifts, and second because the stalls are wonderful inspiration for festive decorations.

One stall was truly memorable, the Eliza Wray stall. Formed by two country neighbors based in Surrey who share a love for interior design, the brand has been seen at several fairs and shopping evening events. However, at once I recognized a subtle rustic aesthetic, that seemed to have some Scandanavian influence! The adorable pastel palette is so refreshing and welcoming.

Although the majority of their products consist of home decor (picture frames, lamps etc.) but for the fair they mainly presented their toy range. And they were gorgeous. The idea were simple and charming, but the quality amazing. I bought several to decorate the table for Christmas, in refreshing shades of silvery-grey blue and beige, that have given me some ideas for little felt birds for place settings...

What I loved their play sets. One such item was the little box holding a simple wooden bed piled high with mattresses and a little knitted pea for a rabbit Princess. Another was an inviting circus, complete with a standing tent and a full colorful cast. But the cutest had to be the wooden match boxes with beds inside for their tiny occupants! 

That’s what I found so delightful about their products, how they drew back to simplicity and natural materials, and didn’t need expressive colors to blare out! It’s times like these I wish I had kids of my own to pass these beautiful play things onto. So for all mothers out there looking for gifts alternative to today’s high tech products and complex machinery, I totally recommend visiting Eliza Wray’s site at www.elizawray.co.uk and enjoy!