Snowman and Snow Girl Ornaments - "How To"

Sorry about these photos.  I realized that I forgotten to take pictures of these guys, as we were walking out the door on Christmas morning.  So I just ended up just opening the box & snapping a few quick shots.

Made this ornament for a good friend's daughter.

Here are instructions on how I made my snowman and snow girl ornaments, back in 2009.  You will have to forgive my memory, since I DID make these about a year and a half ago.  Unfortunately, I finding my memory is getting a bit fuzzy with age.
As I stated in a previous post - 
"Last year, I decided that I should try to make Christmas ornaments each year for my family members.  I was inspired by the snowman ornaments that I saw on "Michelle my Belle's" blog.  This woman is SO creative!  I just love her blog.  Since it was my first attempt at making ornaments, I decided to follow the instructions she posted for her snowman ornaments.  I thought they turned out really adorable and my family loved them."
I suggest you follow her instructions, but here are a few things that I discovered as I made my ornaments and/or ended up doing differently.

• I placed a short piece of dowel inside of the snowman, to give the body extra strength.  It ran from his crotch area to his head.  
• The dowel was wrapped with tin foil to form the main body, arms, legs and hat.  
• On two of the ornaments, I used a small Styrofoam ball for the heads, since I was running low on tin foil.  After these were completed, I thought I should have trimmed the ball down some, since the heads turned out a little bit too big. *For the Snow girl ornament - I used a medium Styrofoam ball for the substructure.
• This will be confusing, but...I would suggest embedding a separate small chuck of wood or dowel inside of the head, with an eye hook attached (for hanging).  Our first piece of dowel, that ran through his body, didn't line up with the area we needed to place an eye hook for hanging.  This second piece of wood would be added just under the tin foil, with the eye hook sticking out the top; taking into account that you will need the eye hook to stick out over the clay.  I did not do this and found it difficult to come up with a secure way to add the hook to the top of his head.  If you think about it, the top of the head really only consists of a thin layer of hardened clay with tin foil under it.  You can't really screw anything securely into that?!  We ended up using cotter pins that we purchased from The Home Depot.  They kind of resemble a heavy duty bobby pin without the waves.  
 
After the ornaments were completed -
• We drilled a hole in the head of the snowman.
• Bent the flat ends of the pin apart/out to create tension, keeping the circle at the top tight.  The shape will look like a Tepee with a circle on top.
• Filled the hole with glue and then gently pressed the bent out ends of the pin together.  Eased the ends through the hole, continuing pressure until they were through the hole.  Once the pin was in the hole the ends sprung out some to help secure them in place. 
• After the substructure was completed, I used Creative Paperclay to form the snowman.
• I highly suggest using short pieces of (thicker type) toothpick or wooden skewers to help secure the eyes and nose on the head and to give them strength.  I learned this the hard way when one or both of the eyes kept falling off my first two ornaments.  From then on, I cut off a 1/2 - 1 inch piece of toothpick or skewer, placed a small dab of glue on the end and stuck it into the head; leaving some sticking out.  Once they were secured, I formed the eyes and nose and pushed them on to the toothpicks/skewers.  Make sure you score both sides of the clay and add a dab of moisture to help adhere the clay to the head.  I'm pretty sure I actually used two short pieces of toothpick behind each eye to also help keep them from spinning. *For the skewers, I use the bamboo skewer you would use for Kabob.  You can find a huge packs of them for just a few buck at places like Walmart, etc.  I use them all the time when doing crafts.
• I pushed a dull pencil into the clay to make the dots in the hats, the holes for the mouth and in the middle of the buttons. 
• Once the clay was dry, I sanded the ornament with a fine grit sand paper.
• For hanging, I used a long piece of wire. I attached one end to the eye hook, then wrapped it tightly (about 5 times) around the shaft of a med sized screw driver to create the tight curl and then formed large curls at the top by hand.
  

For paint -

• I can't remember exactly, but I imagine I used a pearlized cream colored paint for the main body.
• For the eyes, I used black, white and a pearlized lime green and light blue paints.
• For the buttons, I used black and a pearlized purple paint.
• After I was done painting the ornaments, I didn't add the thin layer of Golden's Interference Gold that Michelle had used.  My local craft store didn't have it and I didn't have time to run across town to the "big boy" art supply store to purchase it.  Instead, I ended up painting on a few coats of Daler Rowney's, "FW Pearlescent Liquid Acrylics" to the main body (snow part) of the ornament.  The name of the color I used was White Pearl.  FYI - This stuff is very thin in consistency; just a bit heavier than water. You can't see it in the pictures, but this really gave the ornaments a beautiful shimmer. Make sure you let them dry between coats.  

 

Here is a bad picture of my dusty, freshly shook bottle.

Here is a nicer picture of their blue color, shown on the Fine Art Store's website. See how beautiful the shimmer is?!

• I antiqued the ornaments by using watered down acrylic paint (probably a raw or burnt umber).  I washed the paint over them lightly and then dabbed/rubbed it off.  You would continue to do this until you like the level of antiquing. I actually had to go back and dab small amounts of paint directly into the hat divots, mouth area and in the buttons, since I didn't think these areas came out dark enough.  I just dipped the tip of a toothpick into paint and dabbed a small bit in each divot. 
  
• We sealed the ornaments with a few light coats of satin acrylic sealer. We found that this also brought out the shimmer of the paint.
• Once they were dry, a scarf was cut out of red felt and added to the snowman ornaments.  *Red and white ribbon was added to the snow girl ornaments for hanging.
  

Blessings, Tracy

A Stroll Down Memory Lane...Funny Commercials.

In honor of Aaron Burr's birthday, here is another of my favorite commercials from the past.  It still makes me chuckle.
Original "got milk?" commercial

Blessings, Tracy

Just part of Henry's daily routine...

And, may I add, we have 3 bathrooms!  So naughty!

Blessings, Tracy

Tile Art

Large (49 1/2 x 16 inches) tile piece we purchased a few months ago from Kirsten Walstead, at SoMi Tileworks.  I really don't think photos do her work justice.  These pieces are so much more beautiful in person.

Sorry for the picture quality.

This piece was nearly impossible to photograph, since it

hangs in a dark hallway in our home and due to it's SIZE.

Blessings, Tracy

Our Beautiful Lily!

Blessings, Tracy

Santa Ornaments - Part 2

Quick overview of how I made these Santa Ornaments for my family this past Christmas.

1. We constructed the ornament's substructure with these items. The three items on the right, plus a short piece of dowel, are the beginning of the substructure; which is assembled on the left. A good base will give your ornament strength. I want these to last a long time, so this was important.

  

All supplies for this project were purchased at Michaels

• I first cut a circle, the size of a quarter, in the bottom of the cardboard dish; discarding the lid. 
• Drilled a hole, the size of the dowel, in the smaller thicker disk.  
• Flipped the dish upside down, applied glue to one side of the larger disk and pushed it all the way up inside of the dish until it was firmly pressed against cardboard; it will fit snugly.
• Applied glue to one side of the smaller disk.  Centered the disk on top (formerly the bottom) of the cardboard dish and glued down; making sure there was enough glue in the quarter sized hole to help bond the two wooden disk together. 
•  Placed glue around the tip of dowel and pushed through hole in small disk, until it rests against larger disk.  Let all dry thoroughly.  
• Sealed the cardboard box with Gesso, since it will be covered with damp paper clay.
• After I took this picture, I did end up trimming the bottom of this dish a little, since it was too long for the bottom of his coat. I then applied Gesso to seal the cut end.
• Screwed eye hooks into the bottom of dish, to use for hanging legs in future.

2. Added Styrofoam balls to make the body and head.  

• I cut the bottom off of the larger Styrofoam ball and trimmed the sides, to make the body bell shaped. 
• Glued bottom ball onto cardboard dish and used sections of toothpicks/thin wooden skewers to secure the head, so it wouldn't spin, on to the larger ball.

3. Used short lengths of thick (12 gauge) floral aluminum wire (very easy to bend) and tin foil to form hat's substructure (sorry don't have a picture of that). The tip and ball of the hat is the most vulnerable to breakage, so a good substructure is important. Please bear with me, this explanation may be confusing.

• I pushed one end of a wire into the head and bent to form the angle of hat.  
• I added two more wires to different areas of the head (3 total) and mimicked hat angle. I added a small piece of twisted up tin foil (in the shape of the hat) inside of the wires to add additional support.
• Once the tin foil and wires were in place, I twisted and mashed the ends together tightly to form the tip of hat.  The wires will kind of resembled a bent cone or tepee.
• I left one wire tip a little longer and curled it tightly to form a tiny ball at end of Santa's hat. 
• I then covered the hat portion, not including ball at end, with a layer of foil. 
• Used additional small pieces of wooden skewers, that I pushed through hat into head to help secure it and keep it from spinning.  

4. Once we determined the height of ornament, the top of dowel was trimmed.  We then drilled a starter hole in top of dowel, added a dab of glue to end of eye hook and screwed in to hole.

5. Formed Santa's main body using "Creative Paperclay", covering the top of the dowel; only leaving the eye hook visible. **See below for tip.

 Update - People have asked how I made his textured beard, mustache & eyebrows.  I added the shape of these things on his face, then lightly scratched the clay with a pin to create the hair texture. Really easy to do.

  

Leg on left in process.  Right leg completed and waiting for clay.

6. Used same 12 gauge aluminum floral wire and tin foil to make the substructure of legs. Then formed legs and boots with paper clay.  Let dry completely.

7. Sanded ornament thoroughly with fine grit sand paper.

8. Sealed ornament with Gesso and let dry.  This is needed, since the paper clay is very porous.

9. Painted ornament and let dry thoroughly.
10. I signed and wrote the year on the inside (were legs hang from) of each ornament.  

11. Applied 3 light coats of satin acrylic protective spray finish; letting dry completely between coats.

12. Attached ribbon to the top eye hook for hanging.

** TIP - For the last three Santa ornaments, I finished the top of the Santa ornaments completely (formed body with clay, let dry, sanded, painted and signed) and then covered the whole ornament with plastic wrap; poking the leg eye hooks through the plastic. I then started the legs.  Once the legs were finished (substructure built, legs formed with clay, legs dried, sanded, painted and thoroughly dried), I ripped the plastic off and sealed the ornament with acrylic spray.  I learned from the first three ornaments that those darn dangling legs were impossible to work around.  They REALLY got in the way while painting, scuffing and transferring paint from the legs to the main body and back.  This added TONS of touch up time to each ornament and made me pull out at least a few fistfuls of hair from the utter frustration.

I originally wanted to antique these ornaments, to bring out the facial features and the creases in his hat and coat.  I unfortunately ran out of time though; barely finishing them up on Christmas morning.  I really wish I would have had time to antiques them, since I think it would have given them more depth and character.

Here are pictures of the last 3 Santa's I made, before I added the top ribbon.

My favorite Santa

 Santa #2

Santa #3 (a.k.a. - "The Big Faced Santa") on left

I made 6 of these ornaments.  You can see the first three Santa ornaments, with hanging ribbon, in this post.  Sorry to say there is only 3 or 4 pictures in this post, but you can see how my technique improved as I made each one.  By the time I made the last one, "my favorite Santa" (shown above), I really had the process and Santa's look down pat.  It really was a learning process.

Blessings, Tracy

Those Angels are Singing Again?

After digging through several of my OH SO messy drawers...just looking for 1 (frickin') item, I decided that I could not take it another day!  Last Friday, I drove directly to The Container Store and purchased a boat load of "Interdesign" clear drawer organizing bins. I decided on this brand, since they had both a 2 and 3 inch deep version of these bins. From past experience, I was tired of shallow drawer organizing bins that hold maybe one brush or tube of toothpaste and leave a lot of wasted space remaining up to the top of each drawer. Since we could fit the deeper bins in our drawers, I bought these in several different sizes and shapes.
Over the weekend, I tried different bin combinations to find the best way to utilize each drawer and the items that I kept in them.  I organized the top drawers in 3 bathrooms (5 drawers total) and our huge junk drawer in the kitchen.
Now that it is completed, I find myself wandering around the house randomly opening drawers...just to feel the rush of happiness when I see how tidy they look.  My husband even noticed and gave me a compliment on how nicely organized everything is.
As you might see in the pictures below, I got so excited I forgot to remove the tags/packaging from a few of the bins.  I will have to go back and do that.  I also have to return the bins that I didn't end up using.

I AM IN LOVE!!!

Here are picture of just of few of my bathroom drawers.

 And 2 pictures of my junk drawer.

Whoo Hoo!!! My drawers look amazing!

If you decide to do this, search the web for coupons before heading out.  I found a 10% off coupon, just for signing up to The Container Store's website.  I use a secondary email address for things like this.  This way my main email mailbox doesn't get clogged up with sale ads and advertisements.

Blessings, Tracy

See...I told you!!!

I knew it!  I have been telling my husband for years these little devils were dangerous! ;-) EEK! They terrify me.

Blessings, Tracy

Daily Reminder!

I recently purchased this charming print by Katie Daisy.  It is bright and colorful and makes me happy when I look at it. We framed and hung it by the door we walk out each day.  It's always nice to have this daily reminder to keep you in check, as you make your way out in the world.

This print hangs in a dark hallway, so these photos really don't do the artwork or beautifully ornate frame justice.

Blessings, Tracy

It's fun to be 1!!!

Our boy Henry (a.k.a. - The Big Galoot) turns 1 today.  Henry weighs 14 pounds now, but feels and looks much heavier.  He is always looking to play and his favorite thing is to chase his poor sisters; especially Lily.  Our boy also gives the word "naughty" a whole new meaning.

From this, about 9 weeks old...crying for food.

 To this, a month ago, "trying" to fit on my laptop briefcase to sleep.

We adore our boy.

Blessings, Tracy

Santa Ornaments with Dangling Legs...Finished!

Here are a few of my finished Santa ornaments; waiting to go live their new lives with my family members. Each one is a little different from the next; some fatter, some have bigger beards, hands in different positions, etc.  I was in such a hurry on Christmas morning, I didn't get a chance to take many pictures of them.   I thought they turned out pretty cute and my family loved them.  I'll try to post more on them later.

**You can see Santa's humble beings here or brief instructions for these ornaments here.

Blessings, Tracy

Is that you Mr. French???

Last year, I decided that I should try to make Christmas ornaments each year for my family members.  I was inspired by the snowman ornaments that I saw on "Michelle my Belle's" blog.  This woman is SO creative!  I just love her blog.  Since it was my first attempt at making ornaments, I decided to follow the instructions she posted for her snowman ornaments.  I thought they turned out really adorable and my family loved them.  This year, I came up with an idea to make Santa ornaments with dangling legs .  I am way behind with making these, since I just finished forming the main body of...OMG (sweating and wringing my hands)....the FIRST ornament last night.  Oh yes, did I forget to mention....I have to make 6 of these guys!!!  I seriously think my brain has been in denial that Christmas is only a week away!  While making my first Santa last night, I thought he looked familiar, but couldn't put my finger on who I thought he looked like.  The first thing this morning, I looked and him and thought, "Oh my gosh...Mr. French!"  Not sure any of you are old enough to remember the television show Family Affairs; which aired possibly in the late 60's, early 70's? One of the characters was a very proper gentlemen's butler named Mr. French; played by the actor Sebastian Cabot.  I faintly remember the show, since I was pretty young at the time, but I do remember the characters.  Don't you agree that my Santa looks like Mr. French?

Left to right - Mr. French, Uncle Bill, Jody, Sissy, and Buffy. Not pictured, but also a popular character on the show, is Mrs. Beasley, Buffy's doll.

 

Here are the snowman ornaments I made last year. I will try to post more on them later. 

**You can see the completed Santa Ornaments here.

Blessings, Tracy

OH, OUR ACHING BACKS!!!

We had to go remove some 4+ foot snow drifts from my mom's roof yesterday.  She was in the 20 inch range from the snow storm last weekend.  After blowing and drifting, her house and roof were buried. The bad thing about removing snow from a roof, is that when it falls to the ground, it packs really hard.  This make shoveling miserable.  First, you almost have a heart attack struggling to get the snow off the roof, then shoveling the (packed) snow from the driveway and sidewalk almost killed us.  It doesn't look it, but the snow bank on the right side of the sidewalk is just shy of 5 feet high, at the tallest point.  I'm 5'8", so it was up to my shoulders.

I ache so badly this morning, that it almost hurts to take a deep breath. GOD FORBID I have to cough...ouch.

Blessings, Tracy

Thankful

Our brother-in-law returned from his second tour in Afghanistan on Wednesday.  Since his return, he has been at a base in Florida and was supposed to arrive home today.  BUT, as luck would have it, we are having a good old fashioned blizzard today (ahem, 2 feet of the dreaded white stuff), so the poor guy is stuck in an airport in Florida.  Even though he is safe, I know we will all feel better when he steps off his plane in Minnesota and is truly home.
He has been gone for so long and we have all been very worried about him.  For me, this type of anxiety/worry almost feels, at times, like it takes my breath away. I know it is odd (and proves I need some type of therapy), but I have been almost afraid to say his name out loud while he was gone; worried it would jinx him in some strange way.  If I utter his name or my worries out loud, it makes them real.  Strange and dysfunctional....yep, but that's how I dealt with the craziness that swirls around in my head each day.  I am now also feeling guilty for being relieved that he is home, when so many soldier remain in harms way.  I know....I am a lost cause. I may as well just start blocking out weeks at a time for therapy.
After he returns home, he will have some time off then return to his other "not so safe" career doing police work.

Blessings, Tracy

Amazing Stained Glass Window!

Last weekend, I saw a story on CBS Sunday Morning, showcasing the completely refurbished Eldridge Street Synagogue and Museum.  This synagogue was originally built in 1887 and is located in lower Manhattan; in the heart of New York's Chinatown. Due to a shrinking congregation, who were unable to maintain it, the worship area was closed in the 1950s and soon fell into disrepair.  It has taken 20 years to refurbish the synagogue to how it looks today.  As part of the renovations, they had a magnificent stained glass window designed by avant-garde artisit Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans. The story on CBS Sunday Morning, highlights the design, construction and installation of this stained glass window and how the design is carried out on to the surrounding wall.  The pictures below don't really capture the true beauty of this piece, so if you have a few minutes, I highly suggest you watch this short video on the process.  

The Synagogue is a National Historic Landmark and after watching this story, I understand why.  So beautiful!  If I ever get to visit New York, this will be a "must see" for me.  

Photos via The L Magazine & CBS News 

Blessings, Tracy

Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow!

I used the Picnik website to edit this photo of my mom's house.  I like the Picnik site for the days I'm not into dealing with the complexities of my  photo editing programs. The site is so quick and easy to use! 

To edit this photo, I converted it to black and white, then popped just the colors of the house and, last but not least, added the effect of falling snow. I think it looks so pretty. 

Blessings, Tracy

A Stroll Down Memory Lane...Funny Commercials.

I haven't seen this commercial for a few years, but it still kills me.

Nissan "Doggie Mind Control" commercial (Dogs Driving SUV) w/ Clint Culp...

Blessings, Tracy

Happy Thanksgiving

Henry is so thankful that he picked us to go home with from the Humane Society last spring....AND (apparently) for his beautiful teeth. He is such a goof.  Our boy has a can do attitude & thinks every encounter is an opportunity to play; as demonstrated in the picture below.  
"One minute I'm sleeping, the next she's approaching me with a camera, so I give her this look.  OK, she's smiling...now maybe I can get her to come a little closer, so I can bite her."

 Blessings, Tracy

Damn You Old Man Winter!!!

The old SOB arrived at our house in the middle of the night, so we woke up to THIS!

This isn't bad, but it is still snowing heavily at this point and it is going to continue until tomorrow morning!

Excuse me, while I weep gently for a moment...

We are on track to get 7 to 12 inches; most likely in the 10 inch range. It is really heavy wet snow, so the poor trees are just hanging from the weight of the snow. I love the 4 seasons and all, but I like to ease into winter gently, not be thrown in full force!

Our poor birch tree is leaning from the weight of the snow.

It is really BEAUTIFUL...

...if you don't have to DRIVE in it!

OH YES!  I am one of the lucky few that has to work this weekend.  The drive alone will make for an exciting day.  Fingers crossed!  Wish me luck!

Blessings, Tracy

Do You Hear The Angels Singing?

I have to admit that we occasionally waste money on things that are not that important, but when it comes to the items that makes every day life easier...we are tight fisted with the cash.  Not sure what that says about us, but I know it probably means we have some deep seated issues that I'm not sure I want to know about.  We generally keep things FOREVER!!  We have a hard time replacing something if the one we have works perfectly fine or at least is serving the purpose. So, making a new purchase is a big fat hair deal for us!   
We finally got tired of playing the mismatched food storage container game.  This game has two parts.  The first part of this challenge is to try to get ONE food storage container out of the cupboard without every single piece popping out.  Note - you can earn extra points for actually retrieving the exact size you need.  The second part, is to try and find a matching lid to this container.  OK, you have five minutes to complete this task...GO!  
After years of discussing us getting some new food storage containers, we finally took the plunge (a.k.a. - I had an unstable moment in Target).  I purchased the new Rubbermaid "Easy Find Lids" food storage system.  The beauty of this set, is the lids snap on to the bottom of the container and each other, so they STACK and NEST neatly.  I checked out the box sets and settled on the 20 piece set (10 containers with matching tops), which came with a bonus 11th "Produce Saver" container and lid.  Be careful when purchasing box sets.  Take note what size containers and how many of each size are included in the different sets.  I found the larger set (at Target) just gave you additional ultra tiny containers that most people rarely use.  To supplement the set I purchased, I bought a mix of 4 commonly used larger sized container (7, 9 & 14 cup).  The total was about $30 for 15 pieces.  You can find these cheaper if you shop around...which I did not, since I lost my ever living mind in isle 32 at Target.  
I can't believe how nice our cabinet looks.  It created room for us to move some items around, thus freeing up storage space in other cabinets.

                                              

Before

Believe me, the items on the bottom two shelves are CRAMMED in there tightly. One wrong move and they will all spring out of like one of those joke cans filled with snakes. You know, the ones that scare the hell out of you when you take the lid off and they all pop out! Does anyone else remember this practical joke back from days of yore?

After

Yep, I hear those angels singing too.

Blessings, Tracy