Patchwork
A little of everything
Daddy troll is about 31 cm high, with the hat. The plate is made of particleboard in the bottom and Styrofoam to get to the countryside. Green granules (such as model builders use) covers the ground. Stones and wooden branches are glued on top. The faces and and hands are made of plastic clay. For the bodies, I have used figure wire (plated steel wire) and stuffing. The clothes I have sewn from felt, cotton fabric and thin leather. Hair and beard are made of lamb fur. The blueberries are dried peas, which I dipped in paint and put in baskets.
Ears are small leather pieces.
I made this when I was at the adult technical engineering training school, many years ago. The cannon tube, the round axle and wheels, I have lathes, while the spokes in the wheels and wheel axle, I have milled. Then I took the metal parts to my dad who run a weapons workshop at the time, so he made them black.
Hama beads projects
Stone trolls
I have in my whole life been fascinated by stones. Even when I was little I picked small beautiful stones when I was out in nature. Nowadays it is the larger stones that interests me. Stones that can be beautiful to have in the garden. I usually bring home a few stones in the trunk when we are driving around in the nature in summertime.
These stone trolls I made some years ago. They are glued together with epoxy glue and then lacquered.
T-shirt transfer
I use Flock or flex when I make my t-shirt transfers. I cut out the pattern with my cutter and then iron it on the t-shirt.
Nylon stocking flowers.
Form a loop of the silver wire, then pull over a colored piece of nylon stocking and stretch it properly before you attach it with a thin copper wire that you wind hard on the stem so that the sock will not loosen. Cut off the nylon stocking. Make more of these petals and then put them together with stamen and a pistil (bought ready-made) to a flower. Attach a steel wire to the flower with a thin copper wire. Finally wind a green or brown slightly sticky paper tape around the stems.
Juice and purée
Every autumn I take care of what the garden provides. My special pan that steams the fruit and make the juice to come out in a tube in the bottom is my best friend when taking care of all the fruits and berries. I make fruit-syrup from many different berries as red and white currant, gooseberry, raspberry, rhubarb and ornamental apples.
It became many cans this time! I keep them in the freezer.
Mmm, delicious!
Cakes
I have baked many cakes but unfortunately I often forget to take a photo of them. Here are a few that I did remember to shoot before they were eaten.
Candy
Every Christmas I make several varieties of candy. Chocolates, Fudge, jelly, marshmallows and toffees. Here is a selection of what I usually make …
Bigger things …
My dad has a little sawmill (just for household) and I get the wood free of him. I just tell him which dimensions I need and how much, and he fixes it. The timber is not planed and therefore best suited to larger things.
Woodwork
Gingerbreads
This year I made a big gingerbread Christmas tree. 15 inches high and built of 66 gingerbread cookies in 22different sizes.
The back
We put a lamp in it and it was so beautiful. The children made the small houses and the rockets.
A large gingerbread house with gelatin plates as windows.
Advent Calendars
Advent Calendars with small packages…
Never start with this if you have more children than one! It takes ages to wrap 48 small packets and then tie a string on each so they can be attached to the rings. Yes, they did actually get a package each every day in December until Christmas eve when they where younger.
Other Cristmas things
Plushies
Embroidery
Punching
Misc.
Knitted tablecloths
Crochet tablecloths
Woven table mats
I have two looms. It’s the smaller one you see in the picture.
In the smaller one I weave table mats. The larger one is dismantled and stored in the attic.
For the table mats I often use various knitting yarns (not shaggy) as weft.
I have even tried crochet yarns with good results.
