Mollie Makes- A Makers Magazine

I was recently introduced to a British magazine called Mollie Makes. It is all about the art of making and is filled with ideas that I want to try. I have been entrusted with a friend's precious three issues to look over. When she handed them to me, she looked at me seriously and made sure I understood that they were to be thumbed through lovingly, but returned. Once I had a chance to sit down and really spend some time going through the magazine, I understood how precious this magazine is and why she cherishes it so much. It reminds me a bit of CRAFT Magazine before it stopped being published on paper and went to an online magazine. The added bonus of Mollie Makes it that each issue comes with supplies to make your own craft. I promptly added Mollie Makes to my Christmas list and hope I may also get my hands on the back issues.

Let's hope an issue or two come for Christmas so I can include a picture of the magazine soon!!

Paint Chip Holiday Sign

Paint chips cut into letter created this holiday sign. I cut pieces of reclaimed card stock for the background. A local food processing company saved their misprinted and discarded card stock for me to use for projects I did last year for Art Week at a local elementary school.

The paint samples cards came from the paint store. I wonder how many of these I can take for free before they notice and say something...

The only thing I had to purchase was the decorative ribbon.

Beer Advent Calendar

My husband is a beer guy. Not only is he a beer enthusiast, but he has also worked in the brewing industry since he graduated from college. I recently heard about the idea of making a Beer Advent Calendar for the 24 days leading up to Christmas. (Thanks Violet!) What a perfect gift for someone who enjoys trying new beers. I headed to my local beer shop, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, to find 24 different kinds of beer to wrap up for my husband. The kids each chose a beer or two they thought their dad would like to try. When we got home the kids helped me wrap up the beers and attach a tag to each beer numbered 1 to 24.

I thought wrapping them individually would add to the anticipation of discovering what new beer awaited him each day.

I also included beer notebook made from six-pack packaging so he could critic each beer and take notes... something beer enthusiasts do. The kids and I could not wait until he got home to see his gift. I haven't seen him that excited for a long time! It was a hit!!!

Here's what you missed...

The season has begun for holiday craft sales. Yesterday was a sale called Boutique in the Barn in North Plains, Oregon. Although it was a little slow, I enjoyed the day talking about crafting with the other vendors and meeting my customers. Here is a little sample of what to expect at my upcoming winter sales.

Winter Craft Sales and Events

I have been frantically getting ready for the many winter craft sales I have signed up for this year. I will keep updating the list of sales I will be at as the confirmations come in. Here is the list so far:

October 22nd
Relay for Life Kick Off- Craft Bazaar
Elks Lodge
Hood River, OR
9am-1pm

October 29th
Boutique at the Barn
12040 NW Jackson School Rd.
North Plains, OR 97133
10-4pm
http://boutiqueatthebarn.blogspot.com/

November 4th, 5th
Llewellyn Holiday Market
6301 SE 14th Ave.
Portland, Oregon
Friday 2-6pm
Saturday, 10am-4pm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Llewellyn-Holiday-Market/162190073809671?sk=wall*-`

November 5th
York Elementary School Holiday Bazaar
9301 NE 152nd Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98682
9am-3pm

November 6th
Abernethy Craft Fair
2124 SE Orange Ave
Portland, Oregon
11-4pm
http://www.facebook.com/events/create/?eid=201629876575347#!/event.php?eid=201629876575347

November 12th
Check 'Em off Green Holiday Sale
Marshall Community Center
1009 E McLoughlin Blvd.
Vancouver, WA
10am-3pm
http://reusing.blogspot.com/p/green-your-holiday.html

November 19th
St. Mary's Bazaar
1112 Cherry Heights Rd.
The Dalles, OR
10am-4pm

November 27th
Hood River Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
Best Western
Hood River, Oregon
10-4pm

November 29th
OHSU Heart Research 2011 Holiday Bazaar!
Center for Health and Healing- OHSU S. Waterfont District
3303 SE Bond Ave
Portland, OR
10am-5:30pm
http://www.handmadenw.com/events/#39

December 1st
Mid-Columbia Medical Center Holiday Market
1700 East 19th Street
The Dalles, OR
9am-4pm

December 3rd
Hope for the Holidays
Hood River Fairgrounds
Odell, OR
10am-3pm

December 4th
Laurelhurst School Winter Artisan Bazaar
840 NE 41st Avenue Portland, Oregon
9am-5pm
https://www.facebook.com/laurelhurstbazaar

December 4th
Cornelius Pass Roadhouse 4th Annual Holiday Sale
McMenamins- Cornelius Passroadhouse
4045 N.W. Cornelius Pass Rd.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
noon-5pm
http://www.mcmenamins.com/events/95566-3rd-Annual-Holiday-Market

December 16th-18th
Hood River Alternative Artisans Market
111 3rd St. Hood River, OR

the old Candyland space across from Flow Yoga
Friday, 5-7pm

Saturday, 11am-7pm

Sunday, 11am-7pm

December 18th
Formal Artisans Fair
The Acadian Ballroom
1829 Northeast Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211
11am-5pm

Mittens

One of may favorite projects to make is mittens from recycled sweaters and afghans. Since all of the sweaters are different, it is hard to make two pairs the same.

They are all lined with super soft minty fleece. I love watching people try them on to see their expression when they realize how cozy they are.

Some mittens are made using wool sweaters, but some are made with thinner cotton sweaters. Both kinds are surprisingly warm.

I love finding old afghans that look like they were lovingly made by my grandmother, but washed wrong and shrunk. These are always the mittens that are talked about the most. I love seeing who is drawn to the crocheted chevron or granny square afghan mittens.

I no longer look at sweater the same way. Whenever I see a beautiful sweater, I wonder what it will look like made into a pair of mittens.

Pillows

Any easy way to make something new and practice a new skill is to make a pillow cover. I used recycled t-shirts to make the pink and orange flowers.

The Oregon pillow cover is made from the scraps of fabric I can't bear to part with. I was also practicing my hand-embroidery.

The multi-colored flowered pillow was my attempt to make a flower garden using hand-embroidery and recycled t-shirts. Not my favorite pillow...

The yellow and red flowers are made using wools scraps that were intended to be a jacket. I bought a whole bag of wool scraps already cut into jacket pieces then abandoned as a jacket.