Boldly off in new directions...

Hello Again! I've been a busy little crafter this weekend, and thought I would share some of what I've been up to. I finally got a screen made with a couple of the drawings I've been working on, so I got on the trusty Yudu, and printed some stuff. First up, the first print in a new series marrying vintage photos with Swedish forest folklore:

This was screen-printed, and then hand-tinted. And at the same time, I printed some copies of our new logo. They sat around for a day or two, and then at 3:30 am last night (when all the best ideas come) I thought, I could make baby hats. We're always hunting around for Griffin's hat, and one hat just isn't enough. So today, I cut up some old t-shirts, sewed on our logo, and made some baby hats. What is it they say about necessity and Mothers?

Griffin was kind enough to be my baby model.

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Ode to January

Hello! So...what are we up to? January is half over already. And I found this lovely quote:

"The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour."

~Vita Sackville-West

Yes, we were just noticing the other day that the days are getting ever so slightly longer again. It's funny how the shortening of days seems to happen so much more quickly than the lengthening. But already it seems as though the evenings become more leisurely.

My knitting has gone from sporadic to regular once again. I finally finished the baby blanket that I began over a year ago. I packed it in my hospital bag, naively thinking I would get it done in the hospital while Griffin slept peacefully (!!!!!!!!!!) It stayed in that suitcase for about six months, until I finally pulled it out the other day, and finished it off. He has been loving it - snuggling it and sucking on it, playing with the holes with his fingers and even toes.

And I must say it is so gratifying when you give a home-made gift, and are able to watch someone truly, truly enjoy it. Hooray for children!

And finally, FINALLY, the "newborn" sweater I knit for Griffin before he was born mostly fits. The sleeves are a little short, maybe, but that just means they don't get in his way, right?

Also, I refined the design of my baby toys. Version 2.0 is stuffed with raw wool, and has wings and a pocket. I figured G would love the wings, since he is always so attracted to tags, and I was right.

So I have placed an order for some real wool felt, and am just awaiting it's arrival in the mail. In the meantime, I am embroidering faces like crazy.

And a few other projects are in the works as well (here's a sneak peek):

I have been trying to approach the work in a slightly more business-y (I'm sure that's not a word that any serious business person would use!) frame of mind. Which basically just means that I have been trying to think of a unifying thread to run behind everything I make, instead of just making things willy-nilly (another great business-y term!) My problem has always been that I feel like I can make Anything, and often do. It results in a lot of orphans. No more! (Or not as much!)

Same, Same, Same

Ah yes, the Life Update. Hmmm. I keep sitting down to write this, and then getting distracted into doing something else entirely. So maybe I'll just let the pictures tell it.

Some days I feel like I could just write, "Same, same, same." Though, of course, they aren't.

Fun with Fabric (what I've been up to) - the Project Update

I thought it might be about time that I do a "Projects" post, to be followed soon by an "Update" post. Project time has been in short supply around here, but I have been trying to sneak in moments here and there. Once in a while they actually add up to a finished product!

First up is a very quick, very satisfying project made entirely of Eco-felt (recycled pop bottles.)

I got this great little sketchbook for Christmas, but I never have been much of a fan of that faux alligator skin stuff they get covered with. This project couldn't be easier when done with felt (oh how I love thee!) And just for fun, I thought I'd add some reverse applique circles and a pencil holder (to keep my pencil away from Jane, otherwise known as That Pesky Cat, for whom pencils are the #1 toy of choice.)

Next up, my first attempt at Screenprinted Fabric.

It's not perfect, but I have decided that it is Quite Good For a First Try. I'd like to try it again, with the designs closer together - the distance was determined by my pressing need to Get Something Done, which meant that I couldn't wait for one pass to dry before doing a second, and instead just put them far enough apart that the screen never touched a wet spot. Sigh.

Anyway, I'll probably cut it up, and use the pieces in some of these:

These are my new favourite thing to make! I get to embroider and sew, and they come together quickly enough to satisfy my general sense of always being in a rush. They are excellent little projects for using up stolen crafty moments. Plus, I get to use up all my little offcut pieces. They are also stuffed with offcuts and remnants, so they are very firm. Griffin loves them!

They are a great size for grabbing,

nice and firm for chewing on,

and cute as all get out. I am totally excited about these little guys, and have Big Plans for making them with fabric that I printed myself. Fun! Big Fun! (It doesn't take much!)

It seems that it may be a while before I am able to be a wood person again. Shop time is almost impossible - it's not something you can quickly do while the baby is sleeping. So... I have been thinking and thinking, drawing and tinkering, to try and come up with something that I can make and sell on Etsy again. My eventual goal is to be able to earn enough to be able to stay at home with Griffin. Anyway, I think I'm getting closer to finding that thing. What do you think? I'm setting this in writing, so there's no backing out. By the end of January, I'd like to get the old Etsy store up and running again. All right. There it is in black and white for all the world to see (or at least those of you who come and visit with us in the Blogosphere.) Wish me luck!

Ode to 2009.

Goodbye, 2009. What a very good year it was.

The year Jai got his job at the Bookmobile.

The year we went from being a couple to being a family.

The year we got to meet Griffin!

Yes, 2009 saw some very big changes in our little lives. It all went so fast! It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was just starting to look pregnant. Jai hadn't started his new job yet. We couldn't believe that our friends (who already had two kids, and a third on the way) weren't able to stay up until midnight to ring in the New Year. How little we knew back then! (as opposed to now, when we are oh, so wise.) So it seems fitting somehow that 2010, which we expect to be another very big year, should begin on a quiet note. A soft hush of snowfall, rather than a big bang. It is the Universe saying, "Hush now, here is a chance to regroup, to take stock, to make ready for all that is to come." Here's to 2010.

The Baby Food Saga Continues

Hello! Hope you all had an excellent Christmas! We sure did! Griffin had a great time opening and playing with presents.

But his favourite part was definitely having all the extra people around. He has been LOVING having all the extra love and attention, and just general noise. I don't know what we'll do when it's just the two of us again. I guess there's always the cats!

Thanks for all the food-eating tips! I tried squash and pears and was beginning to despair. The problem was that he wouldn't even open his mouth. As soon as he saw that spoon, he clamped his lips shut down, waved his arms around, and threw his head back and forth. He wouldn't let the food get anywhere near his mouth. I went on-line and saw this thing about Baby Led Weaning, where they give babies solid food right from the beginning, and let them feed themselves (no spoons!) Of course, he loves that. He's had banana (very messy!), frozen strawberry, and toast fingers. But I really wanted to get some rice cereal in there, because of the iron. So I got sneaky. Now I give him some "real" food, some rice crackers, and his very own spoon. Whenever he lifts his spoon to his mouth to chew on it, I sneak some cereal in there, super fast, with the second spoon. At first, he would make the most horrible faces, but he's starting to get into it now. And after he's had most of his rice cereal, I've been giving him dessert (mushed pears, apricots or apples.) Last night he even reached for my spoon, and pulled it into his mouth. Hooray! Plus, now he has a beautiful high chair to use while eating, which makes him feel pretty special.

So that's our eating saga, as it stands now. Today, I'm bumping him back up to two meals a day. Oh yeah, and my theory about him sleeping longer once he started eating more food has not proved true. So much for that. Now that it seems we've got him eating again, the next great hurdle will be getting him to actually sleep. Lucky for him, he's adorable!

Anyway, I've got to run for now. We've all been pretty busy this month, and I hope to share more soon. Until then, though, Happy New Year!!!

Ho Ho Holidays

Hello! Happy Weekend! We're pretty excited around here, because Jai has the next two weeks off work! Pretty nice. We had a light dusting of snow, which looks very pretty on the ground, especially with the sun shining.

Jai is trying to nap with Griffin right now, but Griffin is having too much fun to sleep.

The other night he slept through the night for the first time ever. It was so amazing! I woke up and briefly (foolishly) fantasized about how great it would be if he just slept like that every night. Actually feeling rested in the morning was so nice. My theory is that it is because he actually ate a good amount of rice cereal for dinner. I haven't really been able to test this theory, though, because ever since then he has absolutely refused to eat any more cereal, and cries if you try to feed him. And subsequently has gone back to waking up every hour or two, all night long. Help! What do parents do in this situation? I tried mixing the rice cereal with apple juice, then with breastmilk, and he's not having anything to do with any of it. I am thinking tonight I will try introducing some other kind of food (squash, maybe?) but even if he eats that, I still need some way to convince him that cereal is yummy. Hmmmm... anyone have any good tricks?

Other than that, we are still working at getting ready for Christmas. Yesterday I made everyone some new Christmas stockings out of felt that I had lying around. I used the stocking my Mom made for me when I was little as the template. It's getting a little worn, and it was time for new ones for the whole family. They were so much fun to make, and came together really quickly - my favourite kind of project!

Anyway, I better run - still got LOTS of baking to do. My peanut butter balls have been sitting in the fridge for two days waiting to be coated in chocolate. Little steps, in the right direction. Tonight, we are heading out to see some friends and eat some treats. Have a great weekend - full of winter sun streaming in the windows, and quiet, potent, moments.

“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.” ~Louisa May Alcott

Ready or Not...

Hello! I can't believe it's already been a whole week since I last posted anything! This time of year always goes so fast. I think by January I'll probably be ready to celebrate Christmas. But it's coming, ready or not.

Griffin and I have been adjusting to settling in for the winter. We've had a few days where it was just too cold to spend any time outside. So we are looking for indoor activities. Since we basically live in one room during the winter, it's been a little bit of a challenge. A few of the toys that were meant to be for Christmas have been wandering in to our play area, in order to stave off baby boredom. Only ten more days to wait!

During short naps and down times, I have been desperately trying to get projects done. I did manage to finish the legwarmers I was making for Griffin. This sock wool was so pretty, it was really fun to work with. I think I'll turn the remainder of it into pompoms.

And I've been trying to play with screenprinting as well. For my birthday, I got the amazing book, Printing By Hand

and I've been dying to try absolutely everything in it. Anyway, I managed to do a quick screen using drawing fluid and screen filler:

I have no idea what to do with it now. But it was pretty fun to do! When things settle down a little, I look forward to playing with this all a lot more.

As usual, I have big, big plans. Okay, they might not sound that big to anyone else, but at the moment, they seem massive!

a.) finish buying/making Christmas presents

b.) wrap Christmas presents

c.) mail Christmas presents

d.) make Christmas cookies

e.) make more Christmas cookies

f.) clean and babyproof the entire house

g.) shower

But for now, as Griffin naps by the fire, I think I will make myself some dinner, and see if I can read a little bit of my book. Sounds like a little piece of heaven.

A Touch of Christmas Fever

Hello Again! Christmas is drawing ever closer. Almost all the shopping is done. The tree is up and decorated. The cookie recipes are out. The snow is on the ground. Whoooo boy!

We're getting pretty excited around here. We got an amazing tree at the farmer's market for $20 (8' tall and perfect! another one of the things that are cheaper in rural Nova Scotia.) Griffin's been hanging out in front of it on his cozy sheepskin. He likes to touch it, but he's very gentle.

He likes to touch everything!

We had a bit of a slowdown the last couple of days, because our boy has had a fever, and a corresponding crankiness. He's doing really well today, though. He slept until almost noon, but when he woke up he was all smiles, so I've got my fingers crossed that he's almost done with that. He handled it all very well, but it was a very cuddly couple of days. If he wasn't feeling so yucky, I wouldn't mind at all!

Sarah, Erin and I shared a booth at the Annapolis Royal Christmas show. It was good fun - hung out with some great ladies, got a little knitting done, sold some things, watched Griffin smile at everyone. And now those little gears in my head have been turning, turning, turning. Slowly, I am gathering the materials, plans, and drawings. Soon... soon.

VideoPalooza

Hello! It's been a while! The camera was missing in action for a couple of days, but mysteriously reappeared on my keyboard this morning, after I casually mentioned to Jai (at four a.m. last night) that I couldn't find it anywhere. Thanks, Jai!

Griffin had his six month check-up last week, where he was weighed and measured. Our giant boy is tipping the scale at over 20 lbs now! Go Griffin! And the Doctor mentioned that it was time for Griffin to start eating solid food so he can get some extra iron in his system. So...

We have a video of Griffin eating for the first time! It's a little long, so I imagine only the die-hard Griffin fans out there are going to make it through right to the end, but it's all cute :)

So, eating has received mixed reviews. He loves doing it, but he's been getting belly aches, we think, because about an hour later, he gets really fussy and unhappy. I think we'll try a different kind of food, and see if that makes a difference. He just looks so proud to be doing something that Mommy and Daddy do all the time.

Also this week was the First Annual Bridgetown Craft Fair at Midnight Madness. Sarah and I thought we would share a table, just for a bit of fun. It was actually a great time, and good to see people's reactions to some of the stuff I've been up to. Here's some pics of our table.

This Saturday, we're sharing a table with another friend at the Annapolis Royal Show, if anyone in the area cares to check it out.

And we finally made it back to the Tree Lighting Ceremony. We missed the last two years because Jai had to work at the theatre both times, so it was great fun to make it back, watch the Grade 3 choir sing Christmas Carols, and exchange some old lights for some new LED lights. Jai took a video of it, too, so here it is, our Second Annual (After a Two Year Hiatus) Video of the Tree Lighting at Bridgetown Town Hall.

Hmmm, hopefully those videos actually work- I've never done that before.

We're starting to get pretty excited for Christmas around here - hopefully we'll pick up a tree on Friday. I can't wait to see Griffin taking it all in - a tree in the house! Talk about fun. And I'm going to win the lottery tonight, so all in all, we've got a pretty exciting week coming up.

Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention the Bridgetown Video that Jai and I were in. Here's a link to it on YouTube, if anyone wants to watch a video about why Bridgetown is great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thQrN4iyG3g