Christmas Paper Cuts

I'm a guest today over on the lovely Pickled Herring, as part of her Scandinavian Christmas series, with a tutorial on how to make your own paper cuts. They are really easy, and make great last-minute decorations.

Please stop by, if you get a chance! She's also got some delicious-looking recipes for some traditional Scandinavian treats, which are well worth a look.

Moose Rattle

Here's another simple little toy to add to my "Ready for Baby" box! Again, the pattern is from Lotta Jandotter's "Simple Sewing for Baby", and again, it was incredibly easy.

Just a bit of pinning, cutting, machining, and then stuffing with poly fill and a little bell.

Lotta's example in the book was a sweet little giraffe, but somehow mine came out looking more like a moose! I think it's the uneven seaming on the nose which creates a moose-like bump!

Bella goes a bit crazy over this rattle, and begged me to let her model it, but I didn't think it would last longer than me taking the photo if she had!

Interview

The job interview today went well, and I should hear tomorrow if I got it. It'll be two evenings a week, caring for elderly patients at the hospital, so I think it should be very rewarding.

And, with my mind on interviews, I couldn't resist posting this:

Yay, IKEA! How I love assembling things... our baby is definitely going to be an IKEA baby through and through!

These are the IKEA things I have my eye on so far...

Duvet for future Traffic Wardens

Funky wardrobe that I always wanted for myself as a kid!

(Um... when I say 'kid', I mean fifteen-year-old)

And yes, it really is a Rocking Moose!

I can't wait to start decorating! (I do need to keep reminding myself, though, that no, baby won't need a rocking moose ready and waiting as soon as we get home from the hospital!)

Stockings

I recently hung up the felt stockings I made last year, and felt a resurging of pride! I'd really wanted to make stockings that we'll keep for a long time, and I definitely still love them one year on!

Here's Justin's, with a grizzly bear and Christmas trees:

And mine, with a moosie and folky hearts:

I need to make one for Bella, too, for this year, and now that work is over, that should be easy to find time for. I can't decide whether to put her one of her favourite animals on (a beaver or a hedgehog) or do a dog that looks like her. Maybe both? I do know that I want to do little paw-prints on the white band at the top!

So, yay for hand-stitching and hand-made all the way! I hope Santa notices!

Hus of Moose

It's hard to be a moose in the season of reindeer.

Hus of Moose

...And all this poor moose wants is a bit of colour! I think I might do a proper version of him this weekend for this year's Christmas cards.

Hus of Moose

Even mooses get affected by the iCraze.

Hus of Moose

Sillyness.

Hus of Moose

Here's a little drawing.

Mod Moosies

What with all this knitting, I've been neglecting my other favourite crafty pursuits. Like paper!

These little square frames were a dollar for three a while back at Target, so I got myself a few sets, and filled them with fun squares of scrapbooking paper and cut-out moosies in contrasting colours and patterns. Very Ikea, no?

And speaking of moose, I thought you might like to know that I've started on a whole new series of paintings, inspired by our antlered friends. I've got three designs ready to go, and a heap load of inspiration still bubbling, so... watch this space!