clay garland + merry chrismis + see ya later

We've tried salt dough ornaments in the past, but this year I wanted that super white porcelain look and was really happy with this recipe, found through Pinterest (duh, of course).

Using just baking soda, corn flour and water this couldn't have been easier. Some advice I'll add to her very clear instructions though would be to just roll and cut small bits at a time, keeping the rest in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. Also keep a cup of water on hand to moisten the dough with your fingertips as you re-roll the scraps to cut again. This stuff dries fast!

I baked the ornaments for about 45 min a side at 80 degrees Celsius. And had to sand off a couple of rough patchs after they'd baked, but that might not be necessary if you use sharper metal shape-cutters.

Of course a fair number of them had to be painted and be-glitter-rated.

And then strung on ribbons and festooned about the house!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, enjoy your hols etc. I'll be back here sometime in the New Year. For the next while (like my 'pic a day' project, ahem), I hope to be completely inconsistent, unreliable and uttery spontaneous.
Isn't that what the summer holidays are all about?

18 Dec

xmas tree craft

We made these a few weeks back. It was an overcast day and the girls mostly insisted on completing them stark naked. Not ideal photographic conditions.

But never-the-less, behold the egg box Christmas tree!

Sunday prepped the egg boxes a few days before. Fully clothed and under the close scrutiny of a baby doll.

Friday cut them up. Semi-clothed, if a plastic raffia hula-skirt counts at all.

Constructed (in the nude) by lacing pieces onto a wooden skewer, random bit of polystyrene holding it upright.

Topped off with an angel and some glitter be-spattering. Sunday's angel's facial expression is unreadable, Friday's skewer out the top of the head (first pic) was non-negotiable. Wings their own design.

Fun.

16 Dec

Christmas carols on the water. With bag-piper under the new, new moon. Magic.

15 Dec

Rudolph, the red-nosed vlei-deer.

14 Dec

Festive fillet.

12 Dec

... on the 13th ...

I finally unpacked my printer's tray. Can you see the Mandela for President badge, circa 1994? I've been reading and re-reading this great article about Madiba, sad, but so sensible.

11 Dec

Ack! I didn't take any photos today! So ... I'm later-gramming. Yup, just when I thought instagram couldn't get more laughable (follow the link, you'll thank me), I discovered #latergram - when you post a pic you took earlier, to post later, so it's not, like, instant - see?

These from the last day of school. Our Sunday, being the most delightful little flirt.

10 Dec

I like to have a presence, as it were, on my own Christmas tree. A little reminder that Mummy's watching ...

wall tree

The previous owners of our house had a Very Serious Home Office. All wood paneled and cork floored and harsh lighting.
This is the room which has temporarily become our 'Art Room' - as in the room in which we can toss glitter and splatter paint and hammer nails into things without being precious about the decor. It's rapidly becoming my favourite room in the house.

I've come across lots of pins (as in, on Pinterest) lately of play-play Christmas trees for littlies to decorate - ones made of fuzzy felt and cardboard etc - all of which sparked the idea for this: a wall tree for endless redecorating.

Masking tape tree onto wood paneling ...

... thumb tacks hammered in a little to make sure they're pretty secure ...

... and a basket of old or mismatched Christmas decorations.

Endless fun.

And especially popular with my smallest Christmas elf.

Now hopefully they'll leave our 'proper' Christmas tree alone!

9 Dec

Eyeball piñata. Best 3rd birthday party ever.

8 Dec

What???

lovely people making lovely things

It's that time of year and as I'm lucky enough to know lots of lovely people who make and do lovely things, I thought I'd share some links here ... you know, for Christmas present purposes.

Blossom Creations ~
Lots of simply gorgeous products for babies and mums, Jan's selection of fabrics is heavenly.

I have one of the very lovely cellphone wallets - perfect for your phone, Driver's Licence, debit card and an emergency R20 note when you're just popping to the shop or gym etc.

Make. Believe ~
Beautifully folded origami beauties ... these strings of birds,

... and Wendy's now famous exquisitely balanced and delicate mobiles, as featured in the latest House and Leisure magazine.

Lemon & Lilac ~
Specialising in paint techniques, reinventing old furniture and some gorgeous home decor, Lisa has a shop in Chenoweth St, Durbanville, an exquisite home in Observatory, a talented eye for spotting a treasure and lots and lots of energy!

Little Fire Company ~
Sponsor of my recent giveaway, the Little Fire Company has oodles of goodness for the babies and kidlets in your life, all of which can be purchased online.

Go shopping!

*All photos shamelessly lifted from their respective websites and facebook pages!*

7 Dec

A visual manifestation of happiness.

6 Dec

Last day of school for the year, and last day for both of them at their respective schools. On the way home:

Sunday, 'I also got an old school now.'

Friday, 'Lots of new people are going to come into my life soon hey Mum?'

I am immeasurably grateful at how well they embrace change.

5 Dec

We went to the SPCA to look at dogs (not for us alas) and came home with ... a unicorn. Not the adoption we'd anticipated, but she couldn't be happier.

4 Dec

With a grandfather and an uncle as eminent botanists is it any wonder she knows how to pontificate, at length and with varying degrees of bullsh*t, about various plants?
This game was called 'Kirstenbosch'.

3 Dec

At first I was dismayed to see a whole roll of sparkly tape disappear, but then I reminded myself that this is what it was intended for: to bring joy.

2 Dec

And to continue a theme ...

My first favourite thing about Christmas (the list gets longer as the season goes on), is feeling justified in making frivolous crafty things and festooning the house with them. Not sure why I need any justification to do that at all, but I seem to think I do!

1 Dec

Despite their Ouma giving the girls 'real' advent calendars this year, I'm determined to re-use my matchboxes. 

I got this little guy in the post-Christmas sales at Checkers last December and thought I'd have some fun hiding him around the house with each day's matchbox.

(The first person to say 'Elf on a Shelf' gets a punch in the throat okay?)

P.S. Where have I been you ask? Two words: Downton Abbey. I refuse to apologise.

P.P.S. We have a winner! Thanks to everyone who participated, and to the Little Fire Company for a gorgeous prize.