Giveaway!

Christina, of Akane Designs has interviewed me about my work, and is running a feature of my shop on her wonderful blog.

I'm giving away a fancy li'l Stand Mixer Rubber stamp to the lucky winner of her draw.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win, leave a comment under the interview. She also has a few more special instructions if you'd like to enter the draw more than once.

Hope you're all up to your necks in merriment and mistletoe, and preparations for Christmas day!

In case i'm unable to post until after the festivities, Merry Christmas to all!

Some Carols, for you

Every year during the Christmas season, my sisters and our very bestest friends (three other sisters, and a few others) get together for our wee night of christmas fun. It usually results in singing, (drawing and singing are probably our favorite combined hobbies) and by the end of the evening, it gets sillier and sillier.

We start out calm, and sing a few traditionals...then we end up botching every other christmas song we can think of.

No real picture here, just sound. (and that addictive laugher at the end of the last one, is Laura. I love Laura's laugh. It's a laugh that makes your heart happy;)

Enjoy!

Gloria

Rudolph

Ring Christmas bells

God Jul...or Glaedelig Jul, Tomato, ToMAto

I absolutely adore the simplicity of Scandinavian art & decor.

I find this surprising, because I, an artist, am very eclectic, and scatterbrained. Maybe that's why I like the style- it keeps me grounded.

Maybe it's because i have a second home at Ikea...

And maybe, it's because I'm actually Danish/Swedish. (Somehow though I doubt that has anything to do with it. My dad's family landed 4 generations ago, most of the "old country" ways have probably rubbed off by now!)

We do follow a few of the traditions as a family, such as Lucia Night. Because I was the oldest, while growing up it was always my role to wear the candles. (and usually only long enough to take a picture!)

We also made hundreds of the paper heart ornaments, which we were ironically taught to make by a cantonese girl.

Most of our Scandinavian traditions end with Christmas and a few recipes. (Because our family is such a mixed bag of backgrounds, we have a lot of traditions to squeeze in. Just wait, you'll see...Hanukkah is coming up soon!)

While I'm not sure I could decorate my entire house in Scandinavian style (I just don't have that kind of self control!) -I really admire a good Scandinavian Christmas.

I found these lovely items on Etsy (of course,) and thought I would share.

Enjoy!

1. Strawberriesandcream 2. heiDesign 3. Madgemdesigns

4. Pingvina 5. RoddyandGinger 6. Syko

3 PM

Our house, from our back yard, at 3 pm this afternoon.

It's way too dark outside for 3 pm. I don't like it.

And it it's going to get this dark out this early, there may as well be some pretty, soft-lit glistening snow. Where are you snow?

Just sayin'.

(ps. Obviously we didn't like the carpeting around here either, seeing as now it's tied up out back and ready to go to the dump. Take THAT, ugly carpeting!!)

Advent

I have a huge stash of vintage maps sitting around (because I'm a paper junkie) and for years I've been meaning to use them for something fun.

I wanted to make an advent calendar for the boys, and originally I was thinking of sewing a bunting with pockets, or something similar.

The problem is, we've just moved, and I honestly don't know where my sewing machine IS. (I have a vague idea, but even if I could dig it out, where is my fabric? And my scissors? and needles...too much to think about!)

Then I remembered my maps, conveniently tucked away here in my still very unorganized studio. (This will soon be tackled...it's driving me absolutely batty!)

Using a pile of boxes as a table for my paper cutter, I managed to quickly slice up some 6x6 inch squares.

I then folded them into this really simple origami pattern:

Rather than folding the tops down, I left them up, (to hide the surprise) and sealed the bottom "wing" looking flaps with a tiny sticker. (Normally these stay shut when the top flaps are folded down, so I had to improvise.) Seeing as I needed something to write the numbers on, this worked out well.

I then attached them to a piece of bakers twine with masking tape, and hung them on our living room door.

Next year I think I'll hang them a touch higher or seal the tops shut, as I now know that they can see everything in them!

Bubby is 7

That's right, I had twins for 15 days. But it's all come to an end now that the Bubbs has turned 7.(SEVEN!! that's, like, a real kid!)

Not a baby anymore, losing all his teeth, doesn't need my help anymore making his breakfast, takes a shower by himself, goes to the "men's" room at McDonalds...Yikes! When did this all happen?

Happy Birthday Reuben!!

I smell Christmas...

I hope that you all had a glorious Thanksgiving holiday! Because we're in Canada, we already had our Thanksgiving back in October. (when it actually still looked like autumn around here...)

I can't help but feel a little need to still celebrate the American dated one as well, so we opted for some turkey soup with cranberry sauce on toast. Yummy!

I don't know why, but this year I'm so excited for the Christmas season. Some years I dread it, because I know that it will fly by and I'll have only accomplished a few of my projects out of the many that I'd hoped to complete. That, and I'm not a big winter junkie.

I like snow...for a little while. Like, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing day. Outside of those three days, I can't stand the stuff.

But alas, this IS Ontario, so I'd best learn to live with it.

(we're not in Kansas anymore Toto!!)

This year is different though. I'm eager! Maybe it's because we have a new house that will be fun to decorate, maybe it's because we actually have a fireplace to "hang our stockings with care"...

This year I'm not stressed, and I don't care if I get everything done that Martha Stewart lays out for me in this month's issue.

There will be tree decorating, hot chocolate, popcorn, "Christmas vacation" and "Muppet's Christmas carol", Bing Crosby, Glogg, Dad and his stinky pickled herring, silly crowns from Christmas crackers, the boys in their Jammies for days on end, and my feller to cuddle up with.

There will be gathering of friends and

family,

love

and warmth.

And that's all I ever really wanted anyway.

Let the festivities begin!!