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I snapped this photo last week in Grange Park; right in the heart of the city (would you believe it?) Next up: translating pine cone, with spruce tips, in wool felt. That's my kind of challenge. More, soon!

Year in Review

Is it me, or do all crafters post their year in review mid-January? Darn those handmade holidays!

I'm thankful this year for all of the crafty inspiration from friends near and far. Oh internets, what would we do without you? Here, some of my favourite projects of the year.

Welcome, 2012! I'm hunkering down with new projects and craft room bliss (once the floor is laid, and the shelves are hung). I can't wait for spaces and places for fabric scraps and sketches, wool felt pine cones and vegetable-dyed fabric fungi. There are boutonnieres on the way, and terrariums, too; shadow boxes and wall plaques. In sum, my forest fantasies are taking over.

Fabric Family

Far and away, the hit of holidays were these photo family dolls I made for my nieces. That's my sister Louise, her husband Rick, and Audrey and Violet in softie form. Audrey, three-and-a-half, was a little freaked when she opened these, but they were a hit with the grown-ups, and over time, the wee ones took to cuddling their plushy parents.



Want some? You can make them, too. I based my fabric family on a pattern found in super blogger Amy Karol's "Bend the Rules with Fabric". The toughest part of this project was tracking down an inkjet printer to print the photo faces on fabric paper (purchased from the office supply store). Turns out, ink jet printers are hard to come by. They can't be found in copy centres anymore. If you're lucky (like me) your dad has one in the basement.

Hollydays recap

Handmade presents are always my favourites. So I was happy this year to have a little time to fill my friend's stockings with gifts made with heart and hand:



First up, a (super-luxe) merino and cashmere monkey (lucky Linden!), all soft parts and cuddly. Next: Golly Manor biscotti, anise-almond and orange chocolate.

Not pictured here, two "true-to-life" wool pine cone pins, made for pair of sisters, who (I'm told) wore them to school one day, and before bed, asked if they could sport them again in the morning. There's no higher praise than that!