• Art - Blog - Kitchen

    T Tuesday: two posts collide edition

    It’s a two for one deal here at Halle’s Hobbies… I’m linking up with both Art Journal Journey and T stands for Tuesday today.

    Why you say? I decided to embrace my word of the year and enjoy the meeting of two worlds instead of stressing over it.  Technically they’ve met. 🙂 This is one of the things about the blogging community that I really enjoy. So much crossover and one blog leads to another and soon you’ve went down the rabbit hole but learned so much along the way.

    The Winter wonderland theme this month on AJJ gave me the opportunity to play with a new supply.

    Winter Wonderland supply | Halle's Hobbies

    It came in a box of paint from a garage sale. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever use it. Since I was using my sturdy board book heART journal, I knew it would hold up to the weight and wetness factor of the paste.

    Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

    I am certainly glad I kept it. Look at the texture it provides. And the sparkle! The photo capture of the sparkle is nothing compared to the real deal. It really does look like snow glistening in the sunlight on a crisp Winter day.

    Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

    Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

    I used this stencil with a palette knife to create the snowman.

    Winter Wonderland supply | Halle's Hobbies

    Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

    I wish you could feel this page. So much texture on the background and the snow is soft. A really unexpected result for me even with the jars claim.

    Winter Wonderland art journal page | Halle's Hobbies

     I hope my T stands for Tuesday friends have enjoyed my latest journal page.

    In keeping with the rules spirit of T day, I’m sharing my beverage as well as the healthy breakfast I enjoyed yesterday.

    T Tuesday enjoying healthy breakfast | Halle's Hobbies

    What else does the day have in store?

    T Tuesday | Halle's Hobbies

    For starters, the transfer of important dates from one calendar to the next. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to keep a paper calendar since most everything is kept electronically now. But a hard copy is always good. When I rely on technology, that’s when it fails me.

    I’m also going to tackle taking down Christmas decor, get in a little exercise and sort paperwork for taxes. I actually started our taxes yesterday. I hate waiting on this. I really like to know where we stand.

    What are you doing today?

  • Around home - Blog - Crafts

    A second look: My favorite quilt

    To start out the year we are looking back…wait…didn’t I say I was looking ahead in the previous post?

    Secondlook

    We are looking back because it’s Second on the 2nd hosted my my dear friend Elizabeth. Each month on the second she asks that we dig into our blog and reshare a post that deserves a second look.

    Sewing is a passion of mine as well as recycling. In this post from August 2008 I share my favorite quilt and a little about it’s creation.

    We still use the quilt today. It’s now 15 years old and is very well loved.

    Take a look…

    eyes

    This denim quilt was my very first large scale recycling project.

    I carry it in my van for picnics, beach days, a stop at the park or one of those dreaded winter emergencies. After the latest trip to the beach I hung it on the deck rail to dry. I was taken aback by how many memories this quilt holds for me. I love how it has frayed over time. Maybe others would think of this as a flaw but to me, it shows it has been throughly loved.

    I made it when my first born was an infant. Oh, to have that much time on my hands again! I wanted to make something that he could lay and play on, that would be durable, washable, textural and colorful.

    I had a ton of jeans that were never going to fit again plus my hubby’s worn out ones to cut into circles. I used a plate to trace each and every circle by hand then carefully trim with scissors.


    The colorful squares (trust me there are squares under there) were from a stash of fabric I had gotten as a teen when my “grandma” across the street moved from her home to her daughters in CA. She knew I loved sewing and crafting more than her own granddaughter.

    My mom had somehow collected tons of small spools of thread in various colors, not sure why since she didn’t sew but did own a machine. Maybe just wishful thinking on her part. Anyway, I figured that I could make the quilt even more colorful by using different spools of thread throughout the quilt. Generally the bobbin thread and the spool didn’t match as I sewed.

    If you’re curious how I made it check out this tutorial. I think I got my instructions from a magazine but the tutorial has excellent instructions.

  • Around home - Blog - Crafts

    T Tuesday: Christmas wrap(up) edition

    Welcome to the very last T stands for Tuesday of 2015.

    T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

    We had a lovely Christmas with family. We had my mom over for a big meal at noon. Then I started cooking again for brunch the next day. Getting everything prepped so I’d have an easy morning. We played a board game then watched Home Alone. By that time, I was so exhausted that I told everyone that they had to go to bed otherwise Santa was skipping our house.  😉

    Christmas morning brunch with Mr. G’s side of the family was great…all the hard work the previous day payed off.

    I have to show you the gift Mini-me put together for her brother…

    T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

    She bought him a gift card but wanted a clever way to give it. She used a photo from Pinterest as inspiration. She thought a Mountain Dew reindeer was needed as well.

    T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

    So darn cute. There is a kit-kat bar under the gift card. Good thing Santa put new toothbrushes in their stockings!!

    T Tuesday : Christmas wrap(up) edition | Halle's Hobbies

    Big J bought his sister this cute mug and a Minnesota Vikings T shirt. Skol Vikings!

    I did make one additional Christmas card this past week.

    Christmas card | Halle's Hobbies

    I tried out my new water color brush marker to give some dimension.

    Today we’ll be shoveling snow and baking a cake for Mini-me’s birthday tomorrow. 13…I can hardly believe it! Now I’ll have two teenagers in the house.

    I am also giving some thought to my 2016 word of the year as well as reflecting on 2015.

    What are you doing today?