Christmas Crafting and Fall Foliage

Since I can't do much because of my knee, I've been working on some small projects, getting ready for Christmas decorating on Black Friday. Yep, I don't go shopping that weekend; I spend it getting everything out of the attic and closets and decorating.

It's been raining which makes it easier to stay inside and create:

Rain on window looking out at Fall Foliage

I'm adding to my rustic ornaments for the farm tree...making felt owls and reindeer and a burlap tree skirt.

Plus I want to make some of these burlap snowflakes Gail over at Purple Hues and Me makes. Pop on over to see how she does it here. I'm going to use white burlap for mine and glitter them up.


While you're there, check out her super cute owls, like this one.  I need some. :-)


I'm on the look out for twig balls also. Not sure how much they will cost...I might end up making some using burlap and twine like my cone Christmas trees:

Twine Christmas Tree

I picked up this paper mâché reindeer. He is going to get covered in Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer book pages .... I won't tear up the real book. Instead I will photo copy them. I will use the same technique I used on my book page pumpkin. I need to find another one…

And I'm making one of these wreaths here from Virginia at LiveLovelyDIY. I bought a bunch of ornaments from Wal-Mart in blues and silvers:

Not using the grapevine wreath…instead I have a styrofoam form

Other than that, I am working on my ornament for the blog land ornament exchange and putting together a gift box. Mine came in already from Colorado. I'll be sharing that soon and linking up with  Vicky so we can see what others also got.

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?

Enjoy your Thanksgiving. I will leave you with pictures of our Fall foliage at the farm - it's been a good leaf year here for a change.

going through the gate

Looking back through the gate towards the road

Top of the driveway

Looking towards the shop from the house

Looking through trees down the driveway

Front yard

In back, looking toward barn

Buddy 

Herbie and Buddy in back

Back pasture looking back 

The rain has caused all the dry creeks (water drains) to flow

Dogwood tree leaves and berries

The road going to the B Farm road

Many blessings!
Cecilia

Felt Owl Ornaments

Last year I decided to do a rustic, woodland theme for the farmhouse Christmas tree. I wanted to make some owls so looked for ideas. In Michael's I found this kit:

Cute owl but the colors were not what I had in mind for my tree. I decided I'd buy it anyway for a pattern. They turned out so cute and I've decided to make more for this year. I've included a tutorial on how to make them. It's not perfect but here goes...


Felt Owl Ornaments

Materials needed:

Pattern
3 colors of felt (I bought brown, grey and off white)
Embroidery Floss or Heavy Thread
Large needle
Hot glue
Scrap material or ribbon for scarf/bow
Twine or ribbon for hanger
Stuffing

Print and cutout pattern. (Sorry, I know there's a way to have the actual size pattern added but I don't know how. sigh, my lack of know-how is frustrating sometimes….This should be about twice this size):

First fold the 1st color of felt in half. Pin on body and cut out. You should have 2 pieces. Fold the 2nd color of felt and cut out the outer eye pieces and wing pieces. Again, you will have 2 of each piece. Finally, fold the 3rd color of felt over and cut out the inner eye pieces so that you have 2. Also cut out the beak from the 3rd color. I have found it easier to just cut a triangle shape on the fold so that when you open it, it makes a diamond shape.

Now for the fun part! Take one body piece and glue the outer eyes in place with a small drop of hot glue.

Thread your needle and double your thread (or more if you want a heavier line ) and sew 8 lines to make a star shape:

 When finished with that, glue the inner eye on. (I used gold thread on mine…should have sewn the lines closer to the edge so more would show from under the inner eye circle.) Also, glue the beak into place.

Next glue the wings on.

Stitch the feet to suggest claws - I make 3 stitches like so:

Bad drawing, I know...

Cut a piece of twine or ribbon for the hanger and knot the end. Glue in place (small dot of glue).

 Place body pieces together and starting between foot and wing, stitch together using a running stitch, leaving the bottom opened. Taking a small amount of stuffing, lightly stuff the body, then stitch the bottom closed.

Cut or tear fabric for bow. Tie bow, glue to owl. Or cut a piece long enough to go around owl and knot in front, gluing down so it stays in place.

All done! Isn't he cute?

Again, I'm sorry for the blurry pictures and undersized pattern. Someday, I'll learn how to do it better, I promise. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

Cecilia

This and That - Things I'd Overlooked

So, while I'm laid up with my knee, I was trying to figure out what I was going to post about….

I know I don't have to do anything; y'all would totally understand but I'm bored, to be honest, so I started looking through my pictures to see if I'd overlooked anything from the past 2 visits to the farm. Of course, I did! :-)

When we were there a couple or three weeks ago, Bruce found a coral snake in the front yard -shiver-
I don't mind snakes far, far away but I don't want poisonous ones close to the house. He killed it and I made him bury it so the dogs wouldn't accidentally end up eating it.

Later, I was cleaning up the front flowerbed and decided to dump some of my clippings over the snake grave…you know, to bury it more.

While walking back, I saw a peculiar hickory nut…

It moved…Oh my goodness, cute! A very tiny, baby box turtle. I had to pick it up. Look how small it is. I put him down and sent him on his way…

I hope he finds a warm, safe place for the winter. I've always loved box turtles from the time I was a little girl and hope we'll cross paths again.

Then just this past weekend, my twin sis and I were there for the Canton Market Days. The farm had gotten a lot of rain during the week. The gauge was overflowing so 5+ inches. Bruce asked me to go check the pond to see how much water was in it. We found this:

It's full, y'all!! It hasn't been this way for the entire almost 2 years we've owned it. It's just been a small puddle. We even scared 2 ducks that were swimming in it.  :D Yeah, I get excited about my pond being full.

I left the Halloween stuff up intending to switch it out this weekend. Now alas, it will stay until probably after Thanksgiving. When I do get back up there, this will go back over the mantle though. It'll be a good reminder for me as I heal:

It still remains as one of my more favorite projects. You can read the original post here.

I want to make some more signs with different sayings on them. It is on my project list for next year.

I'm also going to make more of these for the tree this year:

I will post a tutorial on making them. They are so easy to make. Plus I promise to take better pictures this year. :o)

This whole knee thing has thrown me for a loop. But as I was looking through my pictures, I came across this one. It was made as the sun shown through my blinds into the kitchen:

sunlight on kitchen floor

I had never seen it before and haven't since either but I like to think God is reminding me He's in control and everything will be ok.

My surgery is Monday. It might be awhile before I'm back. I'm hoping I'll be up crafting and painting ( I can do that sitting!) in a very short while. Until next time, be blessed.

Cecilia

Ouch

My day started off just like any other, feed the dogs, eat breakfast, go out to fill the bird feeders. The dogs always get rambunctious that first trip out. As I was walking out to the feeder, they ran full force into the back of my knee.

Yeah, you know where this is going...

They were just playing, I wasn't paying attention and I ended up on the ground...in.pain. It took awhile but I finally made it back into the house, unable to bend my knee or put weight on it. My son was home fortunately ( had to wake him up ) and he got me into a chair and some ice. Called my husband. He called the dr and got me in.

It's officially broken.
Here's praying nothing was torn. I'll know that Thursday. For now, I'm laying on the daybed with a brace on my leg, pain pills to dull the ache, and ice on the knee. I'd appreciate prayers for healing. Thanks,
Cecilia

Thursday: thankfully nothing is torn. Will have outpatient surgery to remove bone fragment. Guess I won't be doing any big projects for awhile.

A Christmas Ornament Exchange and Some Pictures

I am going to participate in a blogland Christmas Ornament Exchange and I'm excited!!

Check it out here:

http://lifeonwilliemaelane.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-ornament-exchange.html

I meant to post this last week. Then things just got crazy. Hope it's not too late for anyone to get in on the fun.

On another note, we didn't do a lot at the farm. Just enjoyed being there. The pups got me up early…they wanted to chase the deer, I think. As I followed them around the side of the house, I saw this and ran inside to get my camera:

 Isn't that sky gorgeous?

Those were taken at the side of the house facing the front.
Then I walked to the back and saw the sun kissing the trees at the back of the pasture:

Sigh. I love Autumn.

 The clouds were pretty too!

Slowly, the trees are turning colors. We won't have peak color (it's not like some places but works for me ) until closer to Thanksgiving as long as we don't get a freeze that just turns them brown. Each time we go up, a few more are gold or red. I love it!

I've been busy trying to finish up a painting for a client. She wanted a large canvas with poppies for her dining room. Here's a portion of it:

I actually finished the painting this past week but she wants part of 1 Cor. 13 on it so I need to add the words as soon as the paint dries. I'll share the whole painting when I'm done. And I'm excited to say, I have another commission to start on too. Love that I can actually do a painting for someone. It's pretty exciting!

I hope you have a blessed week.
Hugs,
Cecilia