I had a coil of wire. Like a Slinky but not. For years, there it was. Housed in a small box alongside my tool box. I knew not its intended purpose nor what I might do with it one day. Until this year's Christmas. I was sure that a star atop our tree felt right.…

Yesterday, I took a monoprinting class at The Crossing Arts Alliance in downtown Brainerd (Minnesota). "Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has lines or images that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, which allows for multiple originals." To print shapes, words, lines, etc on paper, the instructor provided a wide variety of…

Looking for a a sweet spring craft that can be easily transitioned into an Easter basket? For bird assembly, I extend grateful thanks to the creator of an instructional video titled "Paper Crafts for Kids – How to Make Paper Bird (Very Easy)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n64xhcD_wg  To add my own spin, I created a simple nest for…

In March, before the first sign of tree budding or greening of vegetation, I walked along the edge of our woods to gather crisp oak leaves and tall thin spires of dried grasses. To create a bird's nest. Formed in an aluminum foil lined paper soup/cereal bowl, glue-soaked tufts of dryer lint act as a…

I could not resist. A valentine fox made with strategically placed hearts. Eyes that melt, as long as you don't gaze too long and deeply into them to see a not-so-Pollyanna-ish motive under the surface. Nearly nine years ago, there was a fox that didn't bother to read the memo sent out regarding the invitation…

"As per Smithsonian, the smiley face as we know it today was created by Harvey Ross Ball, an American graphic artist. In 1963, Harvey Ball was employed by State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts (now known as Hanover Insurance) to create a happy face to raise the morale of the employees." Emojis, used…

Springtime. Farmer's markets. I'm in. With a few simple folds and some quick stitching, I've got the sweetest bag to hold freshly cut ruby red rhubarb and asparagus, deeply hued leafy greens, a dozen farm fresh eggs (to fill in until my hens begin laying), a loaf of homemade sprouted grain bread, a jar of…

In my previous post, I wrote about the book I am reading titled Dinner a Love Story It all begins at the family table by Jenny Rosenstrach. I wrote about a corner of our kitchen table where Dick and I ate our lunch of fish and zucchini fries. A table and chairs. Seemingly unimportant, but yet…

A trip to our daughter Lisa's home in New Jersey wouldn't be complete without a stop at Parcel, a precious little shop in the city of Montclair. One look at this Christmas window display… well, need I say more? A vintage television console housing a Santa. How sweet. The sweetness spills over into the shop's…

With Heather and Patrick's three kids in tow and their newborn discovering the big world for her meer second time, we ventured out to New Paltz, New York. There we attended a Winter Faire at the Waldorf School where their eldest daughter had been a student. Musicians melodies provided a calming backdrop as kids busily crafted at stations set up in…