Let the Christmas Crafts Commence

While my last gift from last Christmas is still yet to be delivered*, I have already started on next year's gift for the same recipient. I love to learn new techniques, and to expand my crafty knowledge. Inspired by all of the incredible felt food options available on Etsy, I decided to try to make some myself. My mom made a comment about my lack of embroidery skills, so it is also an attempt to prove her wrong by showing off my stitching (which really is a bit crap).

So far, I have made, or am working on, a few varieties of pasta, an heirloom tomato, some adorable strawberries, a baby carrot, a couple of carrot slices, a fried egg, two cherries (currently without stems), and a single pea. I'm also working on a can of tuna for my cats (to be filled with catnip). The item I like the most, though, is a little tea bag. I drink copious amounts of tea every day, so I had to make some tea bags. I couldn't find a pattern or model I was happy with, as I wanted realism, and most of what is available are made of just squares of felt and a bit of string. I'm not really one to follow patterns anyway. Winging it, I ended up with an adorable little facsimile that I'm quite happy with (though the original was destroyed in a tragic over-cutting accident). I plan to have a tutorial up later this week (update-tutorial is available here), but to whet your appetite, a few pictures of what I have so far, along with last year's gift (click to enlarge).

Modified Helena sweater and High Energy Baby Socks

* It was at my mom's apartment, and since she has been staying with me, we were only recently there to pick it up. Now, it must be mailed.

Spring Gift Guide - Part Two

Part Two of an Ongoing Series to Help You Find the Perfect Gift.

The Natural - He keeps his own bees, she shears her own sheep. They prefer the comfort of nature to the complexity of life in the city, even if that is where they are stationed. They yearn to feel the grass beneath their feet and sunshine on their skin, to experience things in a form as close to their original state as possible. 


Botanical Perfume 
Roxana Villa of Illuminated Perfume turns out some extraordinary scents, but Chaparral is the essence of a personal drive to connect with with the natural world. It will appeal to anyone who, for even a moment, has had the overwhelming urge to "be in nature". I don't have the expertise to properly describe it to you, but I'm going to try anyway; it is the scent of slightly singed sage, the lingering remnants of an extinguished campfire on a crisp night. See, I can't describe it, you just need to buy it. I have only tried the solid version, and love the added depth provided by the beeswax. 

As if all of that weren't enough, it is beautifully packaged for gift giving. Not only would I buy from Illuminated Perfume again, I have. I've also added some of the adorable little samples into gift baskets. 
I'm having to take breaks during typing to huff the scent from my wrist. Have I mentioned you should really just buy this, and try it for yourself? (I should point out that sticking your nose down in the little container does not provide an accurate representation of what it smells like on a person. It needs to be tried properly.)


Wood Turned Vessel
Jerry Smith of J&L WoodTurning creates incredible pieces of art out of the generally humble wooden bowl. He gets bonus points for being a West Virginian. 

Spring Gift Guide - Part One

Part One of an Ongoing Series to Help You Find the Perfect Gift.


The Keeper of Pets - Their schedule revolves around their furry or feathered pal. No outfit is complete without a locket of hair bit of fur from their friend, and their house is optimized for play on four legs.

I'm a cat person*, so this list may be a little cat-centric, but I aim to be inclusive.

Art - There is a huge selection of animal inspired artwork available through sites like Etsy and Artfire. Here are just a few of my favorites.

ursuladodge

A custom pet portrait made up of glass mosaic tiles! 

SunDog Mosaics

Have Some Pi

Look at me not paying attention to the date. It's Pi Day, pie for everyone!