Friday, December 23, 2016

Five on Friday

Good Morning! Two more sleeps ... are you ready?! I'm not, but it's not for lack of trying. I still have two more things to finish up. One is a painting project for my husband and the other is stuff for my brother. Wish me luck in finishing them in time!

I'm joining Amy of Love Made My Home for her final installment of Five on Friday for this year.

This is just a sort of wrap up of all the Christmassy things the I've been working on for and with the daycare kids.
❄❄❄one❄❄❄

I bought the book "The Mitten" by Jan Brett for one of my charges. I really like this book and bought it myself a few years before I had kids of my own. I bought the board book for this little girl, although the story is much condensed from the large hard cover book. Basically, the story is of a little boy who begs his grandma to knit him mittens as white as snow. Grandma tells him if he drops it in the snow, he'll never find it. Of course, that's exactly what happens, but all sorts of woodland creatures come and find the mitten and crawl inside it stretching it out of shape. 

I made eight felt animals to go with the book, and also knitted up one snow white mitten. I was in a frenzy of stitching these darned animals up all this week, and even when the girl's mother came to collect her yesterday, I was still stitching the last animal closed (I embroidered details on the front and stuffed them). Unfortunately, I did not get time for even one photo before I shoved the entire project into a gift bag and raced downstairs to hand it over. All I have to show you are the paper pieces I used to cut the animals out of felt. I use freezer paper for this, and highly recommend it for making felt pieces. You just draw your image on the paper, iron it onto the felt and cut out the shapes. It was a fun project even though I was crazy rushed.


❄❄❄two❄❄❄

The kids have been happily working on some little Christmas decorations all through the month of December. I think this little guy was my favourite ;)  I had these tiny baskets on hand, and the kids painted them up. Then I made some very dense pom poms for the cardinal bird baby, and they glued in the paper beak, the googly eyes and the feather tale and added details to the basket. It's stuffed with Spanish moss inside.


❄❄❄three❄❄❄

Other decorations we made were paper mache balls that the kids painted and decorated with glitter and beads.  Rudolph made with handprint hands and the face is their footprint.  Christmas trees made from jumbo popsicle sticks and other decorations. And jingle bell bracelets that we made up and then spent some crazy time dancing and singing Jingle Bells accompanied by Michael Buble!


❄❄❄four❄❄❄

I finished up the two scarves for the older kids. I know the girl will love her scarf as she seems to wear a different scarf every day. The boy ... not so sure. I was about three-quarters of the way through making his when he told me he "hates scarves that you have to wind around your neck". sigh..... He's getting it anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if I never see it wound around his neck. They turned out so nicely I thought, and they are very squishy! I knit the orange/grey scarf with a basket weave stitch, which looks really nice. It isn't reversible, but the pattern isn't too awful from the back (you can see it in the photo).



❄❄❄five❄❄❄

Yesterday was my last day with the kids until the New Year. I'd had enough of crafting and knitting and sewing, so I took them for a very enjoyable, very quiet, magical walk in the snowy woods. We were the only ones there. I would very happily have laid down in the snow and watched the snowflakes come down through the branches ... something I did often as a kid when out tobogganing with my brother on our own hill. Simple pleasures :)

Instead I enjoyed watching the kids running and falling into the snow and giggling the entire time. The big white pines in this forest are my favourites, and I took a couple of panoramic photos to share. Apparently there is a great horned owl now living in these woods. I'll be keeping my eye out for him when I visit again.




❄❄❄❄❄❄

And that's my "five" for this year! It's been a real pleasure joining in with you Amy, although I haven't always had something to share. This is a nice meme to join in to share something simple that's happening in your week. Thank you for hosting.

Merry Christmas Everyone!
God bless you all and enjoy the time with family and friends.

Wendy


PS Just wanted to share a couple of pottery decorations I purchased at the Pottery Guild Show in Dundas back in November ...



19 comments:

  1. I love the birds in the baskets, so cute and so creative. I love the book the Kitten too, use to do a similar project with my class when I taught. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  2. I love the birds in the baskets, so cute and so creative. I love the book the Kitten too, use to do a similar project with my class when I taught. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  3. Lucky kiddos. I love all the crafts you made with them. The scarves are great. And wonderful woodland views. Happy holidays!

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  4. What a super festive post. I love all your crafts especially the idea of the animals and the one mitten and the baby cardinal is gorgeous. The scarves look lovely and warm and your winter woodland scenes are beautiful. Have a wonderful Christmas:)

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  5. Oh Wendy, I want to come to your house to play. That Jan Brett book with the felt figures you made, oh my, what a wonderful gift. Years ago now, Hubby bought me a big hardcover book with most of Jan's stories in it. And all the other little treasures you created. I'm delighted to partake just looking at it all. Those pottery pieces you found are exquisite.

    I'm so glad to have been for a visit before Christmas. Wishing you all the joy in the world for a beautiful holiday.

    Brenda
    xox


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  6. Wonderful goodies! Love the scares, always welcome at this time of year. The cardinals in the baskets are so very cute. As a parent I loved receiving the homemade ornaments the teachers had helped the children create.

    Happy Five on Friday

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  7. You've got quite a bit of snow around! I do like that little cardinal.

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  8. I've said it before but you really do some wonderful things with the children you care for... They are so lucky to have you. I hope you get your projects finished Wendy. Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas x

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  9. I'm sure the recipients loved your charming handmade gifts. If the boy isn't a fan, he can pass it on to someone who needs it!

    I'm admiring the star and angel ceramic ornaments. How'd I manage to miss them at the pottery show? I must have been preoccupied with the teawares. Hee! Merry Christmas, Wendy!

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  10. Always like the walk in the woods. Merry Christmas to you.

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  11. A fun and festive post. Happy holidays my dear friend.
    Amalia
    xo

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  12. Everything looks lovely Wendy, wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas. :) xx

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  13. Inspiration and lovely pictures!
    Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS, take care...
    Titti

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  14. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours, Wendy!

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  15. A walk in the snowy woods. It even has a nice sound to it. I have no woods and no snow. My grandmother used to have wild areas for walking, but now I have sidewalks. And no snow. Christmas was 62 degrees F here in southwest Missouri, so snow is out of the question. Thank you for the photos.

    Wishing you a perfect 2017.

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  16. The children you look after must enjoy all the creative projects you do with them. It's certainly kind of you to make them all gifts. The scarves are beautiful. I hope the little guy gives it a try!

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  17. Those are the sweetest little crafts, Wendy! Love the 'Rudolph's' made from the hand and foot prints! The little ones must have so much fun with you and the parent's must love all the gifts! Your scarves are wonderful, too. Walking in those snowy woods must be so peaceful and magical. I hope you get to show us the Great Horned Owl someday. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for your very kind and dear comments on the passing of my MIL. It means so much to me. Hugs xo Karen

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  18. Awe...love those cute little crafts. Your pictures are always so stunning. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  19. Hi Wendy, I love all the kid's decorations - how cute! I had to laugh about the boy's comment about the scarf - hopefully he wears it at least once. The walk in the woods looked wonderful - I was right there with you. Something I have always enjoyed but never seem to do anymore. I love the decorations you bought in Dundas, they're so unique.

    I just wanted to drop in an wish you and your family a Happy New Year! Kelly

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Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it's nice to know when you've stopped by! :)

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