Juicy Bits

133: merry christmas

Since the season is in full swing, I'm going to disappear for a bit.  Hiding out with the family and just enjoying some relaxing time.

But I wanted to wish you all well and leave you with some holiday pix from my family.

 My mom and I took Aurora to NYC for the first time this year.  It was a totally magical day.  We had a carriage ride, saw the tree in Rockefeller Center, had "tea" at the Carlye (with the best hot cocoa ever), and shopped at American Girl and FAO Schwarz.  

 I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to see it all through a 5-year-old's eyes.  She was so appreciative and excited.

We took the kids to see santa.  The actual pictures we bought were so green the kids looked like aliens!

 Aurora did a little dance dressed as a present.

 

And finally, my tree.  I mentioned before it would be a woodland theme.  

 It's just a small tree...about 4 feet.  I didn't get a chance to make all the ornaments I planned, but I think I'll do the same theme in a year or two and finish it then.  I wanted to make everything handmade, but the straw "star" and heart ornaments are from IKEA and I thought they fit nicely.  

 To carry the colors through I added some green and aqua beads to the basic red strands and painted some of the "berries" on the star.  Next time around I'll make a custom tree skirt.

We gathered all our little woodland friends around underneath it.  Very cute.

  

So everyone have a great new year and I'll talk to you soon...

JT

132: A little Flikr and cheater ornaments

Well, thank you all so much for the owl love.  Those little cuties seemed to have hit a cord.  I wish I could email you all back personally, especially since I seem to have some new readers....but alas with some of the changes Typepad made a while back, that would take me forever.  Curses!  :(

Anyway, I have a NEWSFLASH!  OK, maybe not a such a huge deal to everyone, but I have now officially set up a Juicy Bits Flikr page.  I know, I know, I'm the last one to get on this particular bandwagon.  The reality is I'm a little bit afraid the only pictures on there will be mine.  But, by now enough people have sent me lovely photos of what they have made from my tutorials, that I figure I should be safe.  

So please, please, please come join me at the Juicy Bits Flikr page and show off your handiwork.  We all want to see.  And when the new year comes and Timber hits the store, I'll start a group for that too.

Today's project is kinda a no-brainer, but sometimes the easiest solutions aren't so obvious. 

 

These "almost homemade" ornaments are so easy and fast to make, and give your tree a nice homey feel.

The mushrooms are simply little patches I bought at Fabrichound and stitched a square of felt on the back with the ribbon in between.  Um, can you say "five minutes"?  And there are so many cute patches out there, so can you imagine possibilities?

 

And these are exactly what you think: covered buttons.  Since I'm going for a woodland themed tree I just used little scraps of fabric with critters on them.  

1. Cover the button.

2. Use pliers to remove the back loop or just bend it flat.

3. Cut a circle of felt to match the back.

4. Add a loop of wire and hot glue it under the felt.

 

Presto.  A mini ornament...

You still have what? A whole week til Xmas? Get busy!

JT

131: give a hoot for the holidays

I haven’t made that much this Christmas.  I might make a few last minute gifts, but I feel I have to get most of the shopping out of the way first... especially the online stuff that needs to be shipped.

And no outfits for the kids like last year.  I’m giving myself a break.  Aren’t I nice?

But I did do a little felt hand sewing.  I made the little gnome from the last post and a few other things for my tree.  I’m doing a woodland theme this year.  Hopefully it will be all set up soon for you to see.

 

Anyway, these are the little owl ornaments I made.  And it’s a simple tutorial, just for you!

Download Owl ornament and all you do is cut it out from felt and sew however you’d like.

I love ‘em.

 

And if you make it bigger it would make a cute softie.  I was sewing one on the bus with my daughter’s field trip and a couple of the little girls were begging me for one of their own.  So they could make a cute gift or stocking stuffer.  (Of course, I’d stay away from buttons with real little ones for safety’s sake.)

Enjoy!

JT

*****NOTE: I forgot to mention on the pattern about ric rac.  That's what I used to make the "feathers" on the belly....

130: my new guy (and other randomness)

I have a new plan for Christmas.  A plan of cuteness.  I'm challenging myself to make/buy a super-cute "being" each year.  Last year I got these.

And this year I have a new fella.

 

Please, someone come up with a good name for him.  I'm terrible at that kind of thing.

He's handmade from a pattern by Aimee Ray in her etsy shop (I don't see it right now, but I'm sure it will be back).  I had plans to make a bunch of mini ones (he's 8" tall) as ornaments, but it's clear that's not going to happen this year.

 

In other randomness, there were requests for pictures of me dressed up with the bag from last post.  I wish I could say we got some good shots, but we snapped a few on the way out the door in only 2 minutes, and this is the best.  

 

Finally I made an over-the-top cake I wanted to share. (seen both partially frosted and complete)

  

Now it wasn't the richest cake in existance, but I'm calling it "over-the-top" because of all the steps involved.  Not my usual cake-from-a-box with frosting-from-a-can.  Now I usually only do that, because that's what I LIKE and I love to bake so I was up to this challenge.  

It was based on some specific requests from my 4-year-old niece.  

Here's the breakdown with the recipe links:

2-layer yellow cake - Duncan Hines from a box

Chocolate mousse filling - SO good you could eat it by itself

Martha's chocolate ganache covering the whole thing - I think this may have helped with the stability since the filling was mousse. (This isn't the exact recipe, there was no corn syrup)

Whipped buttercream frosting - I loved this and I don't really like whipped cream type frostings.  I prefer the sweeter buttercreams.  This was like 1/2 way in between.

Overall, it can be summed up in one word:  YUM!

JT