Wild Olive

dictionary of embroidery stitches

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you enjoyed the heart stitches that I shared yesterday, prepare yourself for some amazing embroidery goodness here today! Some of the most valuable embroidery information that I've learned over time has come from vintage sources. I love poring over old books showing stitches that people have been using for 100s of years, but I've never even seen before.

The other day while looking through a bag of old knitting needles that came from my grandma's house, I found a new old resource. It's a gem, and one that I'm happy to share with you. This doesn't need much explanation, so take a look!

I love that some of the stitches have notes or check marks, which I assume mean that the stitches had been learned. If you like these and want to see the entire collection of stitches, I've uploaded x-large full page photos to Flickr. See the entire set here.

Are there any of these stitches that you want to learn? I might be tempted to do a series with step by step photos...

stitching hearts

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Recently I saw an adorable ombre counted cross-stitch piece, and thought it would be fun to make my own non-cross-stitch version. Each little heart that I've made is just two stitches, so it goes very quickly. Once I got started, I knew that this would be a lovely little project to share with you! It's such a fun way to spontaneously stitch!

Here's how the little hearts are made (It's a cross between a lazy daisy and the fly stitch!):

Come up from the back, then go back down about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch above where the thread came up. Don't pull it tight yet!

Bring the needle back up again just a bit higher and to the left of where the the first stitch went down through the fabric. Be sure to catch the loose loop of thread with your needle.

Pull the thread to the left, tightening the loop.

Go back down through the fabric, making a little stitch that will hold this half of the heart.

Repeat on the right side.

As you're working these, try to keep the twist of the floss the same throughout. They'll look much tidier that way, but even if some are untwisted, they'll still look sweet!

For my ombre, I chose five colors. I wasn't using any sort of pattern, but just stitched the hearts where I felt like they needed to be. Each heart came out just a bit different, giving the overall piece some character. (Speaking of hearts with character...I love this embroidery by Heidi Kenney!)

Happy Heart Stitching!

snapshot saturday

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

As I looked on this little mess, I had to take a photo to remember that my family very graciously puts up with my craftiness all over the house...

weekend links

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday, friends! I have some things for you to check out over the weekend! They are some favorites that I've found on my sponsors' blogs and shops, so get your Pinterest account ready because there's good things to be pinned!

Harmony makes mixed media pieces...of course I'm drawn to those that include embroidery like this one!

Sara made this lovely wreath going into the Christmas holiday season, but it's got me thinking of Valentines!

Anita has shared some scans from vintage magazines, and these are my favorites! (But there are lots more to see!)

Kelsey did what I've wanted to try, and that is melt crayons into art...now I really need to do this!

Melisa posted the best ever hanger diy! I love these so much!

Ren started a new series called "Things I...", and I really like the idea of this. I might need to write up one of those myself soon...

Liesi has been embroidering arrows lately, and I think she might get me as obsessed as she is!

Angie wrote about the importance of relaxing and taking time to just be. Yep. That's a reminder I need!

Annie shared this skeleton book report, and as a member of a homeschooling family, this idea excites me!

Sécia cooked up some bacon, eggs & toast...all in one! I love cute food, and this definitely qualifies!

(All images are from my sponsors' blogs and shops, and were used with their permission!)

little-house-inspired scarf wrap

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

This isn't a fashion blog, and I can pretty safely say that it never will be. But I'd like to share a fashion post today with some explanation...

While watching the first season of Little House on the Prairie, I spotted Caroline Ingalls wearing a vest type of garment that I really, really liked. It was fairly simple, so I thought I might try and make one based purely on looking at hers. But before I even got to trying, I was disappointed by the fabric options I found for it. Sadness.

But then, on a walk through Forever 21, I spotted these scarves:

They are a wool blend, and were on clearance for about $9 each. My initial thought was to use them to make my vest, but while draping and figuring out how I would do this, I found a way to create a similar look without taking a single cut or stitch.

The scarf fits around my neck and shoulders in a shawl sort of way, and then I added a belt to hold it. Paired with a basic blouse, my denim skirt with petticoat poking out, and boots, and I've got a modern interpretation of something Ma Ingalls might have worn! I find it a little funny that I'm so drawn to her, but Caroline Ingalls was quite the woman, I do believe.

And so even though this is a craft blog, and not a fashion blog, I think that Caroline would have been pleased with this crafting a new look!

project: little-house-inspired bow

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

I don't usually wear bows in my hair. In fact, I don't like to mess with my hair too much. But while watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie, I saw something that made me want to try a bow. Ma Ingalls goes to the theater with Pa, and her hair is all pulled up. Underneath the updo, she has a large-ish pink bow. It was perfection, and I had to create a version for myself!

To make it easy to craft and wear, my bow is made of wool felt, and I've attached it to a hair comb. Consider this a place to start, because I know that you could (and many already have) make this in lots of ways.

To make your own pretty bow hair comb, you'll need:
Wool felt
Embroidery floss
A hair comb (the kind I'm using can be found with jewelry findings)

Cut the wool felt into strips at the following approximate sizes (these can be adjusted to your liking, depending on how big you want your bow to be):

1.25 x 8 inches
1.25 x 5 inches (with angled or notched ends)
.75 x 2.5 inches

Stitch the long strip into a loop as shown. For mine, I added some stitching along the sides of the smallest strip...it's just there to look pretty!

Layer the three elements as shown: notched strip, loop, small stitched strip.

Wrap the stitched strip around the other two pieces, and pull it in to create little tucks in the bow. The two ends should overlap a bit in the back. Hold it tight, or pin it.

Sew the small strip together in the back, catching some layers of the rest of the bow, if possible.

Stitch the comb onto the back of the bow, wrapping it around the bar and through the teeth, then back through the felt.

And here's how I wore mine:

I pulled my hair into a high bun, then slid the comb in right underneath it. Looking at the photos, it's a little more like Pebbles from the Flintstones, but I suppose if my hair was a bit lower it would be closer to Ma Ingalls! Still, it's one of my favorite hair accessories that I've ever made!

More colors may be required...

little-house-inspired pretty mending

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is the kind of fabric that I remember from my childhood. If you watch episodes of Little House on the Prairie, you see prints like this quite a bit. My mom was a big fan of these kinds of calicos, and I had clothing made from similar prints, so when I found this old fabric, I had to use some this week as I share some things inspired by Little House.

Now, in addition to pretty fabrics, I love that in the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder, people not only mended the things they had, but they mended them in a pretty sort of way. Which is where my calico comes in!

I have had this coat for years. It was given to me second hand, and I love everything about it...except the pockets. One of them has always had a tear, so I've just not used it. The other is fine except that it's just too shallow. Why has it taken me years to fix this? I don't know. But now I've mended the pockets, and made them much more lovely than they ever were!

Here's how I did it, although it would be a little different depending on the style of pockets already in a coat.

I measured the opening and pinned the fabric where I needed the seams.

Here are the stitched pockets. After the fact, my mother (a very wise sewer) said I should have stitched over them an extra time. Oh well. I'm not planning on shoving lots in these pockets...just perhaps some gloves or hand warmers.

Then I hand sewed the pockets along the openings.

And now I have two working pockets, with much more beautiful linings! Do you have something that needs a bit of repair? Mend it pretty!

(If you like calicos like this, you'll love this digital kit! I HAD to buy it even though I don't scrapbook!)

expand your blog or shop

2012-01-23T13:03:00.001-06:00

If you're looking to expand your blog or shop and get some new readers or customers, ad spots are now open for February! My traffic stats and ad rates can be downloaded here. If you have questions or want to join me as a sponsor, email molliejohanson {at} gmail {dot} com.

project: little-house-inspired hand warmer

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week I'm happy to be sharing a few projects and posts inspired by my recent rediscovery of Little House on the Prairie. I've been reading the books, and watching the television show, and getting others in the family to join my addition.

Back in the days of Laura Ingalls, traveling in the winter meant loading heated stones into the wagon to keep feel warm. Thankfully that's no longer needed, but keeping hands warm, even with car heaters, can be a challenge. These simple hand warmers are easy to make, and they really do keep your hands toasty warm!

You will need:
Wool felt
Embroidery floss
Rice

For each hand warmer, cut a piece of felt measuring 4 x 5.75 inches. Embroider a design in the middle. I chose a cross-stitched heart because it felt reminiscent of something one of the Ingalls girls might have stitched (I found a pattern with a quick Google search), but any small-ish design will do.

To embroider on felt, I usually trace the pattern onto tracing paper, then stitch through it all and tear the paper away. However, it was a huge pain with these x-stitches, so be warned if you want to try this method!

Fold the top and bottom around to form a tube, with an overlap of about .5 inches. Pin and sew across with the smallest stitches you can make.

Sew one end of the tube closed. It's easier to make these stitches a bit smaller.

Add 1/4 cup of rice.

Sew the other end closed.

Your hand warmer is finished, but you'll probably want to make two...one for each pocket! To warm these, just place in the microwave and heat for increments of 10 seconds until you reach the desired heat. Mine took 30 seconds. They'll stay warm for at least 20 minutes, maybe even a little longer!

snapshot saturday

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've been on a Little House on the Prairie kick lately. It'll find its way to the blog soon...

everyday inspirations: on the shelf

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Everyday Inspirations is a series about the things that inspire me every day. Really, this is about the elements in my home that other people have put in place, but that keep me thinking creatively. Sometimes it's a decorating element, or a handmade object, other times it's just seeing the special things that make our home what it is. These things inspire me.

Since I shared a bit of my love of books yesterday, it seems only appropriate that I share the everyday inspiration for that love. You see, I live in a house full of books, with a family that can't get enough of them! You'll find books in every room of our house, and having them around keeps me creating every day!

We have old books, school books, new books that look old, craft books, cook books, well-read books, practical books, pretty books. I invite you to take a look:

Bookshelves fill entire walls and are added wherever they can be squeezed in. They make me feel happy and inspired!

on the glories of books

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

With Chinese New Year coming up, I went looking for interesting Chinese proverbs and I found this one. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. How completely lovely! It's also rather timely for me, because I find myself in one of my starting a whole bunch of books phases. With any luck, I'll finish a few of them!

One of the titles that I've recently started is Howard's End is on the Landing. I'm only at the very beginning, so I can't say too much of what I think, but so far it's easy to see that the author loves books. I mean really loves them. This proverb could have been written by her because she knows what a lovely thing books are.

Sometimes it seems that I treasure books more than I'm able to read them, but I suppose it's similar to a garden. Times to plant, harvest, enjoy the beauty, and times to let the ground rest while you choose the next seeds to plant!

I'm not certain which of those times I'm in right now, but here's my list of books in active progress: Wildwood, Dottie Angel, Little House in the Big Woods, Howard's End is on the Landing (plus others that I pick up here and there). Also, The History of the World in 100 Objects is sitting here waiting for me to start! What are you currently reading?

Oh, and feel free to download and print the proverb image above. Just click it to take you to Flickr!

pattern: teeny tiny chinese lanterns

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Monday is Chinese New Year, and so I thought it a good time to stitch up some little lanterns. These ones are teeny tiny, which is my favorite kind of embroidery! After I did the lantern embroidery, I threaded a bit of floss through the hanger on the lantern, then secured the ends of the thread in the hoop edges. I like that it looks like it's hanging there!

Along with the design you see here, there are three more styles that I've drawn up for you. Embroider a whole bunch of them! They're tiny and quick to stitch!

Download the Chinese Lantern Pattern PDF

If you stitch some of these up, I'd love to see them! Add your photos to the Wild Olive group on Flickr, or leave a link in the comments.

winter floss palettes

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I think it's been too long since I shared some embroidery floss color combinations! Here are a few palettes that I've put together for winter...

This one reminds me of Hans Brinker. I'm calling it Winter Skates!

In the bleak midwinter, cardinals are likely to be spotted in a tree covered with snow, which is why this set is Winter Trees.

A sunset any time of the year can be beautiful, but in the winter, it gives the sky such warm and brightness! This one is Winter Sunset.

And this last palette is called Winter Freeze. I think it's my favorite of the bunch, so now I need to figure out what I'm going to stitch up using these colors!

Now, go snuggle up by a warm fire and do some stitching!

print: snowflake memory game

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you want to give yourself a bit of a headache, think about snowflakes. Actually, think about making a bunch of snowflakes that are all different. If they only need slight differences, it's not too bad, but when you want to make them obviously different, it's another story. I didn't think it would be so hard, and yet, while trying to draw up a collection, I suddenly realized that my creativity is severely limited.

It's humbling to think that God has created a weather system which produces so many millions and billions of snowflakes, each different. I only made it to six designs! Clearly God is amazing, and I am not. I'm not being hard on myself here...this is just a reminder that we may think we are doing great and amazing things, but compared to God, we're one snowflake in city that has been blanketed. One snowflake that is still treasured.

Hopefully you won't mind my lack of snowflake creativity when you download and print out this snowflake memory game! There are just six snowflake designs on two different colored backgrounds, for a total of 12 cards. Print out two copies. You can use card stock, or regular paper, which you can then mount onto a colored backing (like scrapbook paper). Cut out the circles and you're ready to play!

Even though I tried to make sure that the designs differ enough to easily spot the matches, this will most likely be a better fit for slightly older children. If you've got really little kids who are good at Memory, they may do just fine though.

Download the Snowflake Memory Game PDF

Of course, even though this printable is meant to be used as a game, I'll bet you can find other ways to use these snowflake circles. Garlands? Cupcake decor? Stickers? I'd love to hear how you use them!

snapshot saturday

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

My mom came home with some new spoons the other day. I think I'm rubbing off on her!

look back: building a snowman

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

From time to time, I thought it might be fun to look back and re-post something from the archives. Since it's January, and cold, and snowman weather, I'm looking back to 2010, when I shared this project to build a snowman!

Some time ago, my young friend Stephanie suggested that I make a snowman pattern. One that could have different things to add onto it...you know...make it modular. (I think I like that word.) And so I sketched it up in my book, thinking it would make a great embroidery pattern for winter. Well...it sat in my book, but thankfully, the idea didn't melt. Instead, it became something a little different. And so I present to you...

Steph's Snowman! (He's longing to go and play outside...)

This is a pattern that you can use for sewing, applique, embroidery or even cutting and pasting. Or a combination of those. So, download the pattern, and get started!

To make a stuffed Snowman (or Snowmam) here's what you'll need:

Steph's Snowman Pattern PDF
Felt: 2 sheets of white, and small amounts of other colors
Embroidery Floss
Stuffing

Cut out 2 body pieces from white felt. From one of those, cut out a face opening. (This is optional, but is so cute, 'cause it looks like a kid dressed up as a snowman!)

Cut out a face (from the second page) and stitch or applique on some features. Using a running stitch, sew the face behind the opening in your front body piece.

To your body pieces, add on any other details. I went with simple buttons, which I stitched around first, then attached with the french knots. The button, heart, bow, flower, coal or necklace are good items for adding on at this point. For these, just cut around the outside of the shape, and add stitched details. Or you can simply embroider them on, and skip the extra felt pieces.

Once you've attached these things, sew the two pieces together, leaving an opening. Fill with stuffing, and then stitch closed. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of this process. I was just too excited to finish him up!

Now, make some removable accessories. I stitched two scarf pieces together, and fringed the ends.

And I attached a hatband to one hat piece, then sewed around the two hat pieces. You can sort of see where I stopped here to leave an opening for my snowman's head.

And he's done! I told my sister, I hope I don't seem vain, but I love this little snowman!

You can also make an apron that has real ties to hold it on. Just cut out the outer apron shape, add some details if you like, and stitch some yarn through the top of the apron, leaving long ties. Or you could tack on some ribbon.

Of course, there are lots of other things that you could add...that's the best part about something modular!

To use this as an embroidery pattern, just shrink it down. Or if you have little ones who like to cut and paste, print out some pieces and let them go to town like my sister did!

Have fun, and if you make one (or a whole snow village) of Steph's Snowman, please add your picture to the Wild Olive Flickr group!

baked with love

2012-01-12T14:53:00.000-06:00

Some of the best ideas come together quickly. I wasn't planning on a new embroidery pattern for Valentine's Day, but then...Baked with Love happened. It's a set of hearts and pink and love and red and...each pattern is a yummy baked good.

Find it in the shop now, and I have plans to get some matching recipe cards set up very soon. Yay for hearts and baked treats!

my new knitting fork

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

My mom is so great about finding fun crafty gifts for me for Christmas, and this year was no different! I received this lovely knitting fork with a bundle of hand-dyed wool yarn. I've wanted to try one of these since hearing about them, and now I can! It works a bit like finger knitting, also a bit like the spool or french knitting, or a knitting loom, but with only two branches sticking up. It's easy to learn:

You wrap the yarn around the "branches" to form a figure 8, then repeat for a second figure 8.

Pull the lower loops over the top loops toward the center, then wrap another figure 8.

As you work, the knitted piece gets pulled through the hole in the handle. It's not very thick, and I haven't decided how I'll use it, but I know that it's fun to work on, and certainly that gives it potential!

Thanks, Mom!

planning out blog posts

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

The other day on Twitter, I mentioned that my January blog calendar was nearly all planned out. Someone replied asking how I go about figuring out my blog posts so far in advance, and her question felt like it deserved it's own post. So, I picked out the first open date on my blog calendar, and planned for writing about a plan.

Lots of people have written about this sort of thing, and I'm adding to the conversation because I think it's helpful to hear it from different people with different styles. My blog schedule is probably the most organized thing in my life, so please realize that I'm not an expert when it comes to things like this. I think I've just found my groove on this one thing!

Before I get to the planning and scheduling, I need ideas. My notebook is never too far away from me because you never know when an idea for a post or project might come up. I like to jot down what it is and sketch it out. Often I'll create several versions of one thing...sometimes I use one of them, other times they become a series. Sometimes I use the ideas immediately, other times they are for months in the future, and sometimes they never end up as anything.

But you have to start with ideas.

I've found that the more ideas that I work on (and trust me, it takes some work to come up with them!), the more ideas I have. My Christmas Ornamentation series was going to be just five posts in one week. It ended up being three jam-packed weeks, and there were some ornaments that I scrapped. How did that happen?

When you start with one idea, then consider the options, then think about other uses, then change out some materials, then try...and it goes on and on...you can suddenly have lots to work with.

Quantity can lead to quality.

Wild Olive has three main categories of posts, plus all the extras. These categories are: patterns (embroidery), projects (crafty diys), and printables (PDFs for you!). Part of planning means looking at what my options are for these types of posts. Actually, these are the areas that I work on the farthest in advance because they take more work up front, before the writing and posting can ever happen.

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess recently shared a snapshot of her planning process, and the color-coded cards above are my own version of what she showed. I'm still just playing with this style, and I haven't decided if I'll use it long term. For now, it's really fun to see a stack of ideas, and have them sorted by color category!

Dividing things into sections helps balance out the ideas.

Once I have the ideas to choose from, I pull up my Google Calendar. It's my favorite tool for organizing blog posts (I still write out some lists and such on paper or a white board, but the main calendar is online). You can click on the image and get a better look at what January looks like (but I did keep a few things hidden...I don't want to spoil too many surprises!).

Even when I'm only working on a particular week, I like to use the monthly view. All I have to do is click on a date, I type what my post will be, mark it for my "BLOG" calendar, and save. It makes an all-day event, which is fine for me. Rarely do I add more information than this, because I just need to see what is happening when.

Usually I start by putting in some posts that are "features". These kinds of things can be a life-saver, for example, my Snapshot Saturdays are always on Saturday, and they are simple to do. I also choose when I'll be doing any posts to feature my sponsors. After that, I consider any holidays or special days that I need to match posts up with. For example, Chinese New Year comes later this month, so I'll have a post or two for that.

Once I have those kinds of things figured out, I fill in with the ideas that I've been accumulating in my notebooks and on my cards. And here's the best part about working in Google Calendar...you can move around the events by dragging and dropping!

I need flexibility in my life. Sometimes I just can't get something happening on a date that I planned on, or I realize that I should slip a post in sooner rather than later. And so I move things. Just because I have a plan all worked out, doesn't mean that I live and die by it. That said, seeing all of those little squares filled in makes me feel a lot more comfortable.

Seeing the schedule prepares me for the work.

Just because I have all of these posts planned, doesn't mean the work is done. Now it's time to do them! The nice thing is that having the calendar lets prepare and pre-schedule posts in advance. Amy from Lemon and Raspberry has some great advice about this, but if I'm being honest, there are times when I post something "just in time". And that's okay! Most of the time, however, I avoid the panic of "what should I post about today?", which is sort of the point.

Wow, that was a wordy post for me! But I hope that my own experience with blog planning has been helpful for you. If you have any questions or tips of your own, please leave them in the comments! I'll be commenting and answering along with you!

PS: If you like planning on paper, take a look at my Blog Buddies planner pages, or the blog planner that Tara and I made!

print: diary cards

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I promised a printable to accompany those fabric flag rings, and here it is!

I'm terrible about keeping a steady journal (unless you count my blog, which really only documents a small portion of my life), so I look for simple ways to keep track and remember. I loved the postcard calendar journal that Design*Sponge featured in 2010, and these printable diary cards came out of that love.

Each card is 3x5 and has a prompt on it. There are four designs on one page, and they are all in basic black. Print them on white or on colors, and make as many as you need. You can also add in plain index cards and create your own prompts!

The idea is to keep it simple when it comes to writing down the things in life you want to remember in the days ahead. Remember the things you love, the important moments, three little things that happened in a day. Jot them down and don't fret about too much writing.

Download the printable diary cards.

And don't forget to check out how to make some cute little rings to hold all of your printed cards!

desserts to be stitched

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading this here blog for any small amount of time, you may have discovered that I enjoy cute things with faces. I really do. Cute foods with faces are even better. You may also have noticed that I don't do very much counted cross stitch. I think it's adorable, but some of it can take so long!

Thankfully, the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery has created some super cute desserts with faces, in little cross-stitch patterns that even I have the patience to work on! Amanda, who you may remember from the Dala Horse ornament, is one of the creator's of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, and knowing her makes these cuties even more darling!

Isn't this little guy sweet?! Here's the fun part...this is a year-long club and the truffle is from January! Every month, a new dessert pattern will be sent to you, and you get all 12 patterns for just $10 if you sign up by tomorrow, the 10th. After the 10th, it's still only $16.95. That's a lot of cute in 2012!

Go check out The Dessert of the Month Club, and if you're looking for more 2012 club fun, be sure to take a look at the Wild Olive clubs!

make: fabric flag rings

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Do you have lots of fabric scraps? If you work with fabric at all, I'll bet you have at least a few. Today I have a little project that will have you putting some of those scraps to use! I've made two kinds of fabric flag rings: one is a key ring, and the other is a binder ring...both are easy and fun to make!

You will need:
Felt and/or fabric scraps
Fusible interfacing (I'm using medium weight Heat 'n' Bond)
Key ring and/or binder ring
Embroidery floss

Cut the felt or fabric into strips, then iron on the interfacing to the back of the fabric. (If you're working with regular fabric, you may want to only fuse the interfacing onto one half.)

Peel off the paper backing, make sure the strips are trimmed to the final width you want them (mine are about 1/2" wide), then loop them through a ring and fold. Iron the folded strips to fuse them together.

Trim the ends to have a little point, and add some stitches if you want.

The wool blend felt that I'm working with here fused so well, I know it's not going anywhere. Felt can take a beating as a keychain, but I have a good feeling about this one lasting a good while.

The cotton pieces that I worked with didn't want to as well as they usually do for me. I think it's because I was putting interfacing up against interfacing, but I'm not certain. Either way, my decorative stitches hold it together. This binder ring version is going to be used to hold some printables, which I'll share here tomorrow!

Happy Monday Making to You!

snapshot saturday

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

My felt scraps have moved from a plastic bag to a pretty jar. Much better.

made for christmas

2012-01-06T12:25:00.003-06:00

I try my best to create as many handmade gifts as possible, and this past year was no different. Here are the big handmade items that I gave on December 25th!

My dad loves TAB, and my brother gave me the idea to embroider a can of TAB with a face. He loved it!

My baby sister received loads of tulle...in the form of a ballet princess skirt (idea found somewhere online!) and a mini canopy tent for her bed. (It's not hung yet, so no canopy pics!)

My brother loves drawing, especially designing little trading cards. For his handmade gift, I pre-cut cards for him to draw on, and wrapped pencils with his name on them. They are all in a stitched pouch!

My sister Anna is now the proud owner of these leg warmers. I rarely knit because of how long it takes me...these 24" ribbed tubes took around 25 hours. Ugh. She's yet to have worn them, but she had better soon or I'm taking them!

My 17-year-old brother was so smitten with this Chewy plush that he's asked me to make more characters. The pattern is from Draw! Pilgrim, so perhaps I'll talk her into making more designs...

But the real star of Christmas was this guy. Bat Cat. He's a character from in the Charlie and Lola television series, and my brother Max just loves him. He creates his own stories to go along with the character, and was completely stunned when he opened this gift.

There's no pattern for this, it was purely based on images from in the DVDs, and I'm quite proud of how he came out. There are some things I would do differently next time, and that may still happen. Why? Because would you believe that this little fella has only been around for a few weeks? Look closely and you'll see that his fleecy face is already well loved.

It does my heart good to see the handmade things I've worked on be loved and treasured. But even when they aren't (because we all know that happens sometimes), I'm happy to be putting time and love into the gifts I give.

coming to the shop

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

I didn't make any official goals for this year, but I do have some mini goals forming for my shop. One of them is to get down to revising some patterns. Another is, at least this month, to release one new item each week. Can I do it? Sure I can!

This week I finished and listed the Crafty Characters embroidery pattern, which combines, refreshes and expands on the I've Got a Notion and Make. Do. Create. pattern sets. I LOVE how this came out, and I'm planning to create a printable which will be listed in a coming week in January.

(The way the stitches look like fuzzy yarn is my favorite part about this one!)

The Pattern of the Month Club members have already received this pattern, but I thought you'd like a peek. In a few weeks, the Musical Folk set will be available in the shop. It's a set of instruments honoring some of my favorite musicians and bands...any guesses on who might play this Stately Banjo?

Oh, and it's not too late to join the Pattern of the Month Club! Sign up any time and receive all of the already released patterns right away, and the rest will come to you as the year goes on.

Finally, I have a question for you. How late is too late for you to start any potential Valentine's Day stitching?

everyday inspirations: hearth and home

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm very excited to be introducing a new feature on Wild Olive. I'm calling it Everyday Inspirations, because it's about the things that inspire me every day. Really, this is about the elements in my home that other people have put in place, but that keep me thinking creatively.

Sometimes it's a decorating element, or a handmade object, other times it's just seeing the special things that make our home what it is. These things inspire me.

Today, I invite you to take a look at our fireplace. This has been in the house for a very long time, but the brick front was looking very tired and dated. And so some years ago, my dad changed it. Tiles surround the opening, but the real art piece is the hearth. Look a little closer.

The brick hearth is now covered with concrete, which my dad tinted. Before it dried, he pressed leaves into the cement, giving it a fossilized look. His idea was that this would appear to be a large piece of rock, aged over the years. He even distressed it and gave it a missing chunk in the front!

Why does this inspire me? Well, because my daddy did it, and because it shows his creativity and appreciation for detail. I love that it uses some of the old, and makes it pretty and new (well...new but looking old!). It's also now a place where you can sit by the fire, and think of new ideas!

Welcome to our inspiring hearth and home.

make a laundry sorting game

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

As a household of eight people, my family has a LOT of laundry. Loads and loads! It's hard to imagine why I would start crafting more laundry, but this was my mom's idea...so we'll blame her.

The other day in Target's dollar section, my mom spotted these little pen cups that look like miniature laundry baskets. She thought they had potential, and brought them home to me. You get three of them for $1!

I made a little pattern with some laundry shapes, and started cutting out felt.

There are socks, t-shirts and underwear. Underwear is always good for a laugh, right? I made them in three sizes, and in several colors.

The idea was this: a sorting game. Sort by colors, sizes or shapes. Sorting by color, it would make a great way to teach little ones how to sort dirty laundry. Sorting by item teaches shapes, and sock matching. Or, sort the sizes and you've got someone ready to distribute clean laundry!

At this point, it's just that simple. But I think you could make it more complex with minimal effort. For example, you could decorate the shapes with stripes, dots, etc., and you've got a whole new matching game! I'd love to hear your ideas for different ways to play!

Download the pattern for socks, t-shirts and undies.

Just make sure that when you're sorting, this doesn't happen! Yikes!

calendar: print and post for january

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hello, New Year! It's time to start a new calendar, and even though 2011 was good, I still love new years! In 2012, I'll be releasing a new calendar page each month. Unlike last year, they won't just be digital for your computer screen...they'll also be printable!

The pages are sweet and simple. Tack them up on your wall, keep them handy for reference, x each day and watch them fly by!

Download the PDF Printable January Calendar.

But I've still got the digital version for your computer desktop...and now your iPhone too! (The iPhone version doesn't have the calendar, just the snowflake) There are several sizes to choose from:

Download the 2560x1440 Wallpaper.
Download the 1920x1280 Wallpaper.
Download the 1280x800 Wallpaper.
Download the iPhone Wallpaper.

Welcome to January, friends! This is going to be a great month full of craftiness and some new inspiration. Oh, and say hello to my new and returning sponsors!

favorites from 2011

2011-12-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

It has been quite a year for this here blog. There have been some posts that have been viewed nearly 20,000 times! What?!? I'm astounded, and so very grateful for the love that all of my internet friends have shown me, and all of the new folks who have come to visit.

To end the year, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite posts from the last 12 months. Some months it was difficult to choose, but I kept it to 12!

In January, I shared an embroidered locket. Yesterday I gave my baby sister her own, so now all 3 Johanson girls have one!

In February, I let people in on how I pay tribute with the things that I make. So many things have a special message!

March brought Family week, and I told about how my family does things (lots of things!) together.

Coming up on Easter, in April I made a bracelet as a reminder that "All is Well...Christ is Risen."

We had a virtual tea party in May, and Rachel and I revealed the dresses that we've been working on. Kits are still in the works, but we're aiming for spring release!

In June, I showed off my favorite vintage craft kit of all time. Oooh...how I love these Pixie Puppets!

July was when I made a felt yo-yo necklace. It's still one of my favorite pieces of jewelry!

August had so many things to choose from, but my favorite was hearing about the things we believe. It was a great discussion.

In September, I stitched up a little chrysanthemum hair clip. Soon, I'll be thinking about making one with spring flowers!

October was when I traveled to England, and I shared my first batch of photos from the trip. (I've already been trying to figure out when I can go back again!)

A week of favorite things came in November, and my Kermit finger puppet tutorial was my favorite of the week. (Secretly, I hoped that Jason Segal would re-tweet me. He didn't.)

Based on the numbers, The Stable ornament was a favorite for everyone in December. It was definitely the one post that means the most to me.

Wow...that's a lot of favorites from 2011! Do you have a blog? Share your favorite post from the year, so we can all visit!

It'll be quiet here for a few days...I'll see you next year!

print: new year's mini flags

2011-12-29T11:16:00.001-06:00

At my house, we celebrate New Year's Eve with food. (Technically, we celebrate most things with food...) We all stay home, sometimes a friend or two join us, and we nosh through the night (favorites include egg rolls, tator tots with cheese, and this year I'm making Frosty the Cheeseball!). There's usually some games, a movie, and sometimes we even stay up and count down to midnight. I suppose it's not the most exciting, but it's how we've always done it, and I love that!

To go along with the goodies, I've made some little printable flags to help ring in the new year. They say things like "Happy Happy!" and "A New Year!" and 2012 (with a little happy face!). Plus there's patterned flags with no writing. They go well with cupcakes, but you could add them to other food too!

Download the PDF, print and trim, then wrap them onto a toothpick or skewer using glue stick or double-sided tape.

How do you like to celebrate New Year's?

where the ideas happen

2011-12-27T20:30:00.002-06:00

The week between Christmas and New Year's is just the best. It's a time when I feel relaxed and rested, as well as productive. What a wonderful combination!

This week I've been looking at my sketchbook/journals/idea books and taking note of the ideas waiting to happen. I've been thinking about how to take those ideas and make them better and ready to use. I've been making sure that I don't miss something before I start the new books that are waiting for me.

This week, I'm getting ready to put pencil to new paper. The planner can be started any time, but I've been waiting until 2012. The blank books came home with me from London (they're from Paperchase), but I've been waiting until 2012. Oh, the waiting!

For several years I've been drawing and doodling in lined composition books, and I've been fine with that. But now, this year, I have these lovely kraft paper pages just waiting for me and my pencil. Isn't it glorious?!

Clearly, I'm a little over-excited about something as simple as a blank book. But this is where the ideas happen. On blank pages waiting to be filled. Well, maybe in my head a little. And maybe in the things that surround me. But the pages hold the ideas, and that makes them happen.

I'm embracing this week, recharging for a new year filled with new ideas!

m

ps: there's still space for new sponsors! full details here.

merry, merry

2011-12-24T11:38:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas, Friends! I hope your days are filled with wonderful things, most importantly, Jesus.

I'll be back in a few days!

ornamentation: printable trees

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, this is the end of Christmas Ornamentation. I've enjoyed making these ornaments so very much, but as it comes to a close, I find myself short on time. And if I'm out of time, you probably are too! This last ornament is a printable, which is designed to be embellished a bit.

Download the PDF for this printable ornament here.

In the PDF, the trees have the white you see above, but not the red. Why? So you can add some real stitches on there if you want! Of course, they look just fine left plain as well, making them a quick ornament to make.

Here's what you do:

1. Print the PDF on card stock.

2. Cut loosely around the double tree shapes.

3. Poke holes where you will stitch.

4. Stitch the decorations (french knot ornaments, running stitch garland).

5. Fold the shapes in half to make them double-sided.

6. Poke an ornament hanger through the top.

If you're not adding the embroidery, just skip steps 3 and 4. Obviously, I skipped all of the steps, which is why I don't have a photo of it all finished! Somehow, time has been disappearing as I try to finish the last of the Christmas gift making. I'm so very close now!

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed making some Christmas ornaments with me! I've found that making gifts and tasty treats and decorations all throughout December really helps me enjoy the process of of Christmas...and not just the product. Ornaments leading to "the big day" has been such a joy!

Love and blessings to you!

ornamentation: wood and fabric yoyos

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

I was looking for an easy ornament to make for some of my brothers and sisters. I want to give each of them an ornament with their initial on it, but didn't want to spend a ton of time. (As it is, I have more regular gifts to finish! Stitch faster, Mollie!) This was the answer...at least for a few of them!

Hidden on the backside of this painted disc is a fabric yoyo. It's double-sided, can incorporate the recipients favorite colors or style, and is quick to make!

Here's what you need:
Cotton fabric (about 4" square)
Thread
Wooden nickel/disc
Glue
Embroidery floss (or something else for a hanger)
Acrylic paint

Start by making a fabric yoyo that will match the size of your wooden disc. Standard wooden nickels are 1.5" across, so you'll start with a circle that is 3.5". If you've never made a fabric yoyo, I recommend this tutorial from Heather Bailey.

Make a knotted loop hanger from embroidery floss, or something similar. Glue it to the wooden disc, then add glue all over to attach the yoyo. I used hot glue, which dries really fast. If you're in a hurry, this is good. But craft glue will be easier to work with.

Press everything together, and make sure it's good and stuck.

On the wooden disc, paint an initial, or a little heart, star, etc. If you're worried about messing up the painting, you could do this step first, but make sure you allow plenty of time for the paint to dry first!

That's all there is to it! These are great for adding to a gift, or just for something special to hang on your family's tree. You could make new one's each year and eventually end up with a whole tree full of 'em!

ornamentation: happy mittens

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Did you see my printable Christmas tags? Well, I thought it would be fun to take one of those designs and make an ornament from it! As Christmas comes closer, the projects get simpler, so how about some happy little mittens that take only a few minutes to make?

You're gonna need:
Felt
Other fabric (I used corduroy)
Embroidery floss
Craft glue
Mitten pattern PDF

Cut out two mitten shapes, and two hearts.

Stitch some happy faces onto the mittens. Follow the pattern, or just go for it freehand, as I did.

Glue the hearts onto the mittens.

Stitch and knot a length of embroidery floss connecting the two mittens.

Fold the connecting string in half, but not quite even, and then tie a knot to make a loop. Or, you can leave them without the knot. Either way works, and either way, you're all finished!

Two little mitten friends are ready for your tree! These would also be fun to keep around after Christmas and into January. Maybe they could hang out around a doorknob?

ornamentation: put the lights on the tree

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Put the lights on the tree...put the ribbon on the wreath...call your grandma on the phone...

Ah, Songs for Christmas! It's always a joy to listen to music and make and decorate. Stitch up some sweet little lights and add them to your tree while you listen.

Here's what you need:
Felt
Embroidery floss
Floral wire
Lights pattern PDF

Cut out six pieces for the bulbs (I did 2 each of 3 colors) and three pieces for the holders.

Stitch faces onto three of the bulb pieces.

Hold (or pin) the bulb with a face with a plain bulb, then fold a holder piece over the top. Stitch all around the bulb, making sure you catch the holder really well with a few stitches. Repeat for the remaining bulbs.

Twist some floral wire together, string the lights on, then form loops at each end of the wire.

You're ready to put the lights on the tree!

new sponsorship for january! (and a winner)

2011-12-19T18:00:00.000-06:00

It almost makes me ill to think that I'm thinking about January. But I am. I'm thinking about new plans and ideas, freshening up the blog design, goals and intensions, and more. Actually, I've been thinking about these for a long time! Between Christmas and New Year's, I'll probably write more about some of these things. Changes will come, but only the good kind that move things forward!

For now, the biggest change is with how I'm going to handle sponsorship here on Wild Olive. I'll be updating how sponsor posts happen to better highlight the work of each individual, ad sizes and pricing will adjust a bit, and the biggest change is that I'm now offering sponsor spots to select shops as well as blogs!

If you have a shop or blog and would like to reach some new folks who enjoy crafting and stitching, Wild Olive is a great place to do that. (I don't want to brag, but I have awesome readers who are especially supportive...just sayin')

For full information, please email me! molliejohanson{at}gmail{dot}com

And, and, and...We have a giveaway winner!

Congratulations Annemarie! I've already sent an email about getting your prizes to you!

ornamentation: a glittery tree

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-06:00

Back in August, Pugly Pixel released a set of glitter textures, and I instantly knew that we needed to use lots and lots of glitter on our Christmas tree this year. You see, every year (for the last 5 years or so), my sister and I make simple, all-new decorations for the fresh tree in our living room. We choose a new theme or look every time, and glitter was it this year!

Nothing fancy with any of these...but here's a look at what we made.

Yes, those are glitter dinosaurs. Our mom is quite patient with us, as this really is her tree. But they are my favorite part, I think!

While we were making these, there was glitter EVERYWHERE, as you can imagine. Even the cat sparkled! Now it has mostly dissipated, and is only on the tree (mostly!).

Huge thanks to my sister, who always ends up with the hardest part of the decorations! Who knew that it would take so much effort to cover plastic dinos in super fine glitter?!?

You can pretty much get an idea for how these were made, just from looking at them, but if you have any questions, I'll answer in the comments!

ornamentation: for little fingers

2011-12-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

As a part of my Christmas Ornamentation series, a couple of my friends and sponsors are sharing some ornament fun on their blogs too. Be sure to check out these projects to make with kids!

Fingerprint wreaths from Tara

Fingerprint snowmen from Annie

Great ideas, ladies!

ornamentation: a little giveaway

2011-12-17T13:05:00.001-06:00

We've been making ornaments for two weeks here on Wild Olive, and there's still one more week of ornaments coming! Does it feel too late for that? Maybe. But there are still those people and presents that could use something last minute. And then of course, you could keep making things through New Year's, and have them ready for next year!

A few of my sponsors have some ornaments that they've made, and they want to share! In this post, the ornaments are for giving away, as in...you could win!

Kat from Cheshire Kat has been making some cute little mushroom ornaments, and a set of three is up for grabs! They are also available in her shop, and you can save 10% with the discount code OLIVE.

Liesi from Too Crewel has a needle-felted bird ornament that she's made for one lucky winner! (She's made lots of other cute needle-felted fun too!)

And just for fun, even though it's not an ornament, I'm throwing in a Christmas CD that I've been enjoying this season!

One winner will receive all three items (quite possibly after Christmas, because...well...it just might happen that way). To enter, just leave a comment telling us something Christmas-y that you've made (recently or a long time ago!). I'll choose and announce the winner on Monday!

ornamentation: tiny ice skate

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

My mom has a very charming felt brooch that she's had since she was little. It's an ice skate with a paper clip for the blade. (I wish I could find it right now...I hope it's still around!) It isn't an uncommon design, but it is one that I love. I've adapted the idea to go along with one of my Advent Tinies, and created an ornament from it! Of course, you can make this into a brooch like my mom's...if you'd like.

You will need:
Felt
Embroidery floss
Jumbo paper clip
Stuffing (just a teeny bit!)
Ice Skate pattern PDF
(and a pin back if you're making a brooch instead of an ornament!)

Cut two skate pieces from felt.

Stitch a face and some laces onto one of the pieces.

Start at the top and stitch around the edges. When you get to the bottom, stitch the paper clip in place as you stitch the bottom seam.

Add some stuffing, then sew the opening closed.

Sew on a hanger (with embroidery floss) so that it looks like it's the laces of the skate.

If you're feeling extra industrious, you could make two of these to hang together. But even just one skate is rather cute, don't you think?

ornamentation: felt photo frame

2011-12-15T14:13:00.001-06:00

Remember those curtain clips that I used to make an easy zig zag ornament with? They are back again today with a photo frame ornament that you and your child can make together!

Here's what you need:
Felt
Embroidery floss
Photo
Curtain clips (The ones shown here are from the drapery section at JoAnn's. They have cheaper ones in the jewelry section, or you can find them at IKEA)

Cut out two felt circles. Mine are about 3.5" across. From one of the circles, cut out a circle in the middle. Mine is about 1.5".

Thread a needle with embroidery floss, and let your child add some stitches. My brother PJ (who you see pictured) stitched these stars, but any stitching will work. Depending on your child's age and embroidery experience, you may need to help hold the felt circle.

Cut the photo to be slightly smaller than your large circles.

Sandwich the photo between the layers of felt, then stitch around the outside with a running stitch. This might be easier for you to do, depending on your child's age. I used matching thread, but a contrasting color would be nice too.

Clip the curtain clip on top, and your ornament is ready to go! This would most certainly be a treasured gift topper for a grandparent, don't you think?

If you've made this, or any other ornament, I'd love to see! Blog about it and link up! (Oh, and be sure to check out all of the lovely things that have been added to that page...you people have wonderful things to share!)

ornamentation: string balls with janee

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Janee from Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard is an absolute sweetie. She shared a tutorial on her blog for making string ball ornaments, and has kindly offered to share it here too. This works out well, as I planned to make some of these this year...and never quite got around to it. Janee to the rescue!

xoxo
Janee

Thank you, dear! Next year, these are on the top of my list!

ornamentation: handmade joy

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I have two special joy-related things for you! First, an ornament! Surprise! Oh, wait. You were probably expecting that. Well, check out this easy ornament, then when you reach the end of the post, I have an actual surprise for you!

Here's what you need:
3 wooden nickels
Acrylic paint
Twill tape/trim
Craft glue
Embroidery floss

Paint the wooden nickels to spell out "JOY". I started with a thin coat of gold paint, then added the letters and border.

Once they're dry, glue the letter discs onto the twill tape. Trim the bottom edge to have a little V shape.

At the top of the ornament, fold over the twill tape, and sew it down with a few running stitches. Use this to form the ornament hanger.

Display your JOY on the tree...as you listen to some Christmas music!

Here's the real surprise! My brother and I led music at church the other day, and we had so much fun working together, we decided to record the songs and share them!

Handmade Joy by Wild Olive

This isn't anything fancy, just us singing and celebrating. We had fun making this little EP, and hope you enjoy listening. Sing Joy!

ornamentation: christmas pudding

2011-12-13T18:00:00.000-06:00

Today's ornament is easy to put together, and is a good example of how you can take many of my embroidery patterns and convert them to felt.

This is what I always think of as a Christmas Pudding. And in fact, when you google image search for "christmas pudding", you see something like this. My dad and sister saw this and thought it was a cupcake. What? Oh dear.

Anyway, this is taken from my Advent Tinies pattern and then enlarged. The elements have been separated for you in the pattern PDF, but you can take lots of different patterns like this, and cut apart the pieces to make a felt ornament. I've made mine the fast way, with glue, but you can stitch it together instead.

Here's what you need:
Felt
Craft glue
Embroidery floss
Christmas Pudding pattern PDF

Cut out the pieces.

Stitch on the face.

Add some glue along the top, then stick on the white frosting.

Glue on the remaining pieces, then add an embroidery floss hanger.

If you're feeling extra industrious, you can stitch on all of the pieces. This is the ornament that my baby sister made. I cut out the pieces, and she pretty much took care of the rest. She's almost 7, and clearly I've been training her well! I just love the face she made!

Maybe you've got some little ones around who are making ornaments? Blog about it and link up!

ornamentation: ribbon candy from erin

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

How is your ornament making going? So far there has been a lot of felt and fabric and stitching, but today Erin is here to share an ornament you can make with polymer clay! Erin's blog, Sunshine and Carousels, is one of my favorite places to find recipes for sweet treats, so it's only right that she is making some clay candies!

Hi! I'm Erin from Sunshine and Carousels. I run a full time handmade business during the day and I'm a craft/bake-aholic by night. I'm so happy to be here on Wild Olive sharing an ornament tutorial with you today. I'm really obsessed with polymer clay as of lately. I find taking blocks of clay and making magical things out them completely therapeutic. Today I'm sharing a ribbon candy ornament tutorial with you. It's extremely easy and kid friendly too.

You'll need:

Polymer clay in colors of your choice
A small polymer clay kit (optional ... you can use household items too)
Floral Wire
E-6000 (optional...only if you want to glue your hooks on instead of looping in floral wire)
Baking Dish
Oven

1. Roll out small portions of your polymer clay onto a smooth clean surface. It takes a couple of minutes to warm up your clay and make it pliable.
2. Roll out all of your colors, be sure to wash your hands between the white clay and the dark colored clay. Small bits of dark color may stick to your hands.
3. Lay out three to four rolls of colors right next to each other (see photo for example). Make sure these are nice and close to each other, almost pinching them together.
4. Using your small roller or even a kitchen rolling pin and/or glass cup would do the trick to flatten out the colors evenly. The clay will stick to each each other and have a nice smooth finish.
6. Use a knife or clay cutting tool to cut off your ends forming and nice clean end.
7. Use a toothpick, polymer clay tool to poke one hold into the end of your ribbon strand. This part is optional. You can also use E-6000 to glue your wire or a hook to the back or side of your ornament when it's finished.
8. Roll and bend your clay ribbon strand to form your ribbon candy shapes.
9. Place all ribbon shapes into a baking dish and bake at 260 degrees for 25 minutes or as your polymer clay package directs you to.
10. Once your clay has baked and cooled, should be hardened, loop some floral wire into your hole and you are ready for tree decorating.

So easy and fun! You can even add glitter to some of them right before baking if you wish.

I think these would make great gift toppers too.

Have fun and thanks for having me Mollie!!

Love,
Erin

ornamentation: the stable

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Throughout 2011, I chose a story to highlight each month here on Wild Olive. It seems only fitting that December's story be that of The Stable. Where Christmas all began. And yet, that wasn't really the beginning, and certainly wasn't the end. Before we get too far though, let's make an ornament!

You will need:
Wool felt
Embroidery floss
The Stable pattern PDF
(Oh, and pins are helpful!)

Cut out all of the pattern pieces.

Hold the faces onto the bodies, and stitch french knot eyes through both layers. These will hold the faces on, and no other stitching is needed.

Pin the stable frame onto the backing and stitch around it with running stitch.

Place the remaining pieces in place as shown, then stitch around each item with running stitch. Try to keep the back side of your work as tidy as possible.

Also, even though the star only overlaps with the stable a bit, stitch all the way around. This running stitch is part functional, part decorative.

Knot a length of embroidery floss on as a hanger. It should connect at where the roof and walls meet.

Your Stable ornament is ready to hang!

Now, about this story. We think of Christmas as starting on a wintery night in Bethlehem. And it did...sort of. But you see, long before that, God knew that He would need to send His Son as a baby. He knew from the moment that sin happened. He knew that once people messed up, there would need to be a way to make things right. As humans, we can't fix things to how they were meant to be, but God can.

So long before that first Christmas, God planned to send His Son, and He told His people to be on the look out for this Savior, the Messiah. And Jesus came. He laid in a manger, and then He grew up, and then He died and rose again to fix the problem of sin. To forgive us.

But that's still not the end of the story. We each are given the chance to be a part of this amazing story of Christmas...of Jesus! It's an open invitation for forgiveness and love that will go on until Christ returns. He loves YOU, and He wants you to join His story.

christmas memories

2011-12-10T11:55:00.001-06:00

Christmas brings with it memories and meanings. Sometimes those include the lights, gifts and decorations, and sometimes they are separate from those. They all come together to make Christmas a very special time, and today a few of my friends and sponsors have some stories to share.

As I was reading these, I literally laughed and cried. It was wonderful! I invite you to read their stories, visit these lovely ladies, then share your own story. Here's the question I asked:

What Christmas memory means the most to you?

I grew up as a foster child. I spent the first 7 years in foster care with the same family, but I ended up moving in the middle of 7th grade because my foster mom's health had declined to the point that the family was no longer able to properly care for me. In the weeks leading up to that first Christmas after the big move, I still felt unsettled in my new home. As odd as it sounds, one of the things I missed the most from my old home (besides the people of course) was my feather pillow. I was so used to sleeping on a feather pillow that any other type of pillow just didn't feel right. On Christmas morning, I came down the stairs from my bedroom into the living room and joined my new parents along the tree. The first gift I opened was a feather pillow, and it meant the world to me. —Amber

My favorite Christmas memory is being with my little sister. She would come into my room and wake me up early on Christmas morning, eager to get started. Our whole family would gather in our pjs while my sister and I opened our stockings, and then we would move to the tree to pass out our presents and dig in. I recently got married, so this will be the first Christmas not living with my sister. It did not sink in until the Christmas season was upon us, and now I find myself getting choked up when I think about it. We will still be together on Christmas, but it will be different now. I will always treasure those memories. —Kat

The Christmas Memory that means the most to me are the ones where I get to enjoy the company of my family. I haven't spent a Christmas with both of my sisters in about 13 years, so the last one we spent together means the world to me. For me it isn't about the gifts, it's just about being with the ones I love. —Liesi

The Christmas memory that means the most to me involved a shocking revelation.... We were staying at my Granny and Grandpa's house for Christmas one year and, as tradition dictates, we left out a glass of whisky & a mince pie for Santa. When I raced downstairs on Christmas morning to see if Santa had been, I was shocked to discover that he'd stolen my Grandpa's best whisky glass... (in actual fact, my Grandpa had enjoyed his extra Christmas Eve whisky dram and from force of habit, then washed, dried and put the glass away!) I spent months telling everyone I met that Santa was a thief... and my Granny & Grandpa always backed up my story with straight faces! —Victoria

My best Christmas memories come from all the times we went to my Grandmother's for Christmas Eve to sleep over. I was always allowed to open 1 present, which was always some nice new jammies. My Grandmother was terrible at waiting and sometimes we'd end up opening more and more. Once we even did the whole thing the night before. It was so fun to see her like a little kid, crazy excited for the big event! —Tara

Now it's your turn! What Christmas memory means the most to you?

ornamentation: along the line

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you've been thinking of doing some embroidery, this one would be an easy place to start. All you have to do is stitch some lines! But even if you've embroidered plenty before, maybe you haven't tried it with these exact materials.

The fine folks at DMC sent me some of their needlework fabrics to try, and I've been saving this linen for just the right use. (It's so pretty!) The thread that I'm using is a cotton #4 for tapestry, which I bought in England. It feels a lot like cotton yarn, so you can use that if you aren't able to find this type of floss by you.

Cut two strips from the linen. I used a pinking shears, but the edges don't keep the zig zag. Instead, they'll end up with a rougher edge. The choice is up to you.

Tie a small knot, and stitch some horizontal lines.

Now some vertical lines. Continue with alternating lines, changing colors as you go. If the lines and your fabric don't come out right space-wise, you may need to trim a bit of fabric.

When you're done, stitch the second piece of linen to the back. This will cover up the back of your work, and add a bit more weight to the ornament so it hangs nicely.

When you do this, leave a long tail at the top when you start and end your work. These tails will become the hanger!

Tie the ends into a knot and you're ready to hang this, or add it to a package!

I like how the fabric, the lines, and even the colors give it a more natural feeling. It's the kind of thing that I would expect to find with the african ornaments at a place like Pier One Imports. (Or at least it's what I would have expected back in the days when I worked there. But that was a while back...!)

Be sure to add your ornaments to the page for linking up! We all want to see what you're making!

new club memberships for 2012

2011-12-08T18:00:00.001-06:00

In 2011, I started my first ever Pattern of the Month Club! It has been so much fun that I decided to continue it for another year. Yay!

This time around, most of the patterns will be available to everyone, but being part of the Club means a bonus pattern, a bigger discount on patterns, early release of the patterns, and perhaps a surprise or two.

Membership registration is available now in my Etsy shop or below through PayPal.

This year, I'm very happy to announce that I'm also adding the Project of the Month Club! Members will receive a newly designed project PDF every month...it's a bit like a subscription to a year-long crafting class!

All of the projects use simple, inexpensive, easy-to-find materials, and are on a beginner/intermediate level. There will be a bit of embroidery, applique and hand sewing, and each PDF will have pattern pieces and a full step-by-step tutorial with plenty of pictures.

I've made sure that each of these projects has a distinct "Wild Olive" feeling to them, incorporating cute characters with sweet faces. They include a travel wallet, friendly clipboards, a celebration banner, dress-up dolls, and more!

Read more about the Project of the Month Club in my Etsy shop, or use the PayPal button below to sign up now.

I might also point out (hint, hint) that Club Memberships make excellent gifts. They bring crafty joy all year 'round! If you're interested in giving one of these for Christmas or another occasion, send me a note letting me know, and we can set up the gift subscription for you!

I'm really, really so excited about both of these clubs! They are just one of the many things that I'm looking forward to in the upcoming year, and I hope that they bring as much excitement to you as well!

ornamentation: don't be crewel

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

One of my goals for 2011 was to try out some other types of embroidery. One that I've really been itching to experiment with was crewel. Well, I haven't played with it too much, but with today's ornament, I've at least gotten my feet wet!

This one is inspired by my first Christmas stocking. My mom made it for me 32 years ago, and it continues to make me happy! On the stocking are some little trees, and so I used that design for this. It was easy to do, and didn't require learning any new stitches!

Here's what you'll need:
Fabric with a semi-loose weave (I used osnaburg)
3" embroidery hoop
Water-soluble pen
Wool embroidery floss
Felt
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Ribbon

Place your fabric in the hoop and draw a simple triangle tree.

Fill in the tree and trunk with satin stitches. Add some straight stitches for garland, and french knots for ornaments and a star.

Trim around the fabric, leaving a border of about 3/8". Use hot glue to hold it onto the back of your hoop, working a little at a time. Be careful! The glue dries fast, so you have to work fast, but that means that it's going to be really hot and it could squish through the fabric onto your fingers!

Cut a piece of felt the same size as the outer embroidery ring. Again, working a little at a time, hot glue around the edge and press the felt on. This part is optional, but it makes the back nice and pretty.

Tie on a little bow and add a ribbon for the hanger. (I just love this really skinny grosgrain!)

And there you have a modern twist on a pattern from over 30 years ago! These stitch up quick, so I'm tempted to make a lot more. Perhaps I'll try the little train engine from my stocking next!

ornamentation: amanda's dala horse

2011-12-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas is best spent with friends and family, and hopefully those count as people you actually like! Well, I invited a few folks to join in the Christmas Ornamentation fun, because...well...I like them and want to celebrate together! Amanda and I only recently "met" online, but I've been secretly admiring her quilting and sewing and photography for a long time. Please welcome her, and be sure to pay her a visit!

Hello Wild Olive readers!

My name is Amanda (aka Mrs.McPorkchop) and today I'm going to show you how to make a Dala Horse for your tree or even as a cute sweater broach. This is a great way to use up little scraps and bits of trim.

I've used:
2 5x6 inch pieces of Weeks Dye Works Wool
Pastry Twine
Scissors, Thread, Hand Sewing Needle, Disappearing Ink Marker, Sewing Machine

Download the Dala Horse Template Here.

You can feel free to use other materials, embroidery, sequins, vintage fabric, etc. The list goes on and on and you can create a bunch of little horses in whatever fashion your little heart desires!

Start by gathering the materials. Trace the template onto the wrong side of your fabric. If you want to decorate or embellish the fabric, now is the time! Next lay your wrong sides of fabric together.

Decide where you'd like the trim loop for hanging to be. I placed mine on his back and I think my next one will be closer to the horses neck so he hangs a little nicer. Have the loop face into the horses body with the raw edges hanging towards the raw edge of his back.

Follow the line you've drawn on your fabric with your sewing machine. Go nice and slow around the curves. Stop and back stitch after you've sewn his front leg and again under his chin. This is where you'll turn him right side out!

Clip his seams! This step is important or his body won't be nice and smooth. But make sure you don't accidentally clip the threads of the stitching though! When I have to turn something, I like to cut a larger seam allowance, it makes it easier to get a nice even outer seam after turning.

After you turn it you might end up with a little lump! That's ok! Use a paint brush end, a skewer, a knitting needle, etc to gently push his legs and horn out. Make sure you don't push too hard or you'll poke through the fabric. If you desire, you can add a little stuffing to him at this point.

Hey! Look! A little cute Dala Horse!!

Grab your needle & thread and slip stitch (or stitch of your choice! Or machine top stitch! Or embroider little x's! whatever you'd like!) his opening closed.

And now you are done!

I decided not to add a loop to the red & green horse, I might attach a bobby pin to him & wear him in my hair or a safety pin & wear him as a brooch! Sky's the Limit!

Thanks Mollie for having me!!!!!!!! Your blog is a great source of inspiration & cuteness!!! :):)

And thank you, Amanda! My mom is going to have me making dozens of these for her...we're very Swedish at my house!

ornamentation: stuffed zig zags

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Some of the best ideas come not from one new idea, but from several existing things coming together into something new. Such is the case with today's ornament. I just didn't realize that until after I made it.

Last year, Michelle made a super cute embroidered ornament, which she reposted a couple days ago. Also last year, I saw an idea for using curtain clips as an ornament hanger. (It was on BHG.com, but I'm not sure exactly where!) Apparently these concepts were floating in the back of my mind when I created this:

It's a combination of those two!

Here's what you need:
Felt
Embroidery floss
Stuffing
Curtain clips

The idea of using these clips feels like pure genius, so I've been trying them out with several kinds of ornaments, and you'll see another one here next week...and the week after that. They're so versatile and easy to use!

This pack came from Ikea, near the fabric and drapes. They are really affordable there. You can also find them at places like JoAnn, but they're a bit more pricey.

Cut two circles from felt. I used a glass for a template.

Add a bit of embroidery. Mine is just some zig zags (hence the name of the ornament), but you could stitch just about anything on there!

Stitch around the edge with a running stitch, leaving a spot to stuff the ornament. Add some stuffing...just enough to make the ornament slightly plump. Sew it closed.

Add a clip at the top. (It's a great place to hide a knot from your stitching!)

Hang your ornament! Doesn't the metal clip make a perfect substitute for the traditional metal piece on a glass ball ornament? Now, imagine clipping these onto all kinds of soft little guys to make ornaments!

If you make one of these, or any ornament this Christmas season, be sure to link up!

ornamentation: st. nicholas day

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Nicholas Day! I've been familiar with this day, and with who St. Nicholas was, but this year I learned a little more. Where did I learn my new information? From the new What's in the Bible? DVD! Actually, this DVD is filled with all kinds of things that I learned, and I recommend it for both kids and parents.

Finding out exactly how St. Nicholas become Jolly Old St. Nick and his connection to pawn shops (really!), and even the Santas we see collecting money for charity, was enough to inspire an ornament. And since today is his special day, it's the perfect time, right?!

Here's what you need:
Embroidery floss
Flesh colored felt
White felt
Red fabric
St. Nicholas pattern

Cut out the large face piece from flesh colored felt and stitch on a face. (Remember Coneheads? I'm sorry to say that I do, and this photo reminds me of them. Let's fix that fast!)

Cut out the beard from white felt, then stitch it along the bottom of the face.

On the red fabric, stitch the cross lines. You can do small stitches, or large ones like I've done.

Cut out the hat shape from the embroidered red fabric. I cut mine to be just a teeny bit larger than the template. It may look a little strange, like mine here, but don't worry! It will come out fine!

Stitch the hat onto the Conehead...er, I mean the top of the flesh colored backing.

Take a piece of embroidery floss and thread it through the top, between the felt and the fabric. Tie a knot to make a hanger.

At this point, you can leave it and be done, or if you'd like to cover up your stitches, add a second large face piece from felt and glue it to the back.

St. Nicholas is ready to go on the tree! Keep him close as a reminder that we have a responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

ornamentation: on sunshine and carousels

2011-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00

These simple felt ornaments have been a favorite of mine for years, and I've whipped up some new patterns so you can make some too! Head over to Sunshine and Carousels for the patterns and tutorial! While you're there, take a look at all of Erin's Making Christmas posts so far. It's going to be a very crafty Christmas!

ornamentation: cuckoo clock

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the first day of Christmas Ornamentation! This will be three packed weeks of ornaments, leading right up to Christmas. That might feel a little late for you to still be making decorations, but it's not. Why? Because there's always room for adding ornaments to your tree, garlands, or just around the house. And better still, ornaments make wonderful last-minute gifts and present toppers!

Today's ornament was inspired by the Cuckoo! pattern that I sell in my shop. This one is much, much smaller, and has some 3D details on it!

Here's what you need:
Cotton fabric
Felt
Embroidery floss
Thin metal jewelry chain
Pattern PDF

Begin by transferring the pattern for the clock body to your fabric, and embroidering it.

Cut out the pentagon template from the PDF. Center the embroidered design within the pentagon, then cut out about 1/4 inch around the outside of the template. Cut a piece of felt the same size as the pentaagon template.

Pin the pentagon in the center of the fabric piece, then fold over each edge and baste them down. A stitch or two at each angle of the pentagon will hold it. Secure the thread and remove the pin.

Embroider the little lines on the felt and cut out the pine cones. Cut two short pieces of chain (about 1-1/2 and 2 inches long), then sew them to the top of the pine cones.

Stitch the chains to the bottom of the cuckoo clock.

Sew the felt piece to the back of the embroidered pentagon. When you've made your way around 3 or 4 sides, carefully pull the paper out of the center of the pentagon. Finish stitching on the felt.

Add a piece of chain to the top as a hanger.

You've got an ornament ready for the tree!

I've been making other little ornaments like this, substituting hexagons, and stitching on initials or other small designs (like my Advent Tinies). They are much simpler than the Cuckoo, and are fun to whip up for all of my family members!

Don't forget, all this month you can link up with your own ornament blog posts. Share them here!

a handmade advent wreath

2011-12-03T16:47:00.001-06:00

Just a quick, spur of the moment post to show you this advent wreath that my family made the other day. This is a plain wreath from the dollar store, with four wooden candle holder cups (from Hobby Lobby) hot glued on. We wove in some pieces cut from inexpensive garland, then added some tiny floral bits.

Now we've got a wreath for celebrating the remaining Sundays in Advent! It didn't cost much, and I think it came out simple and sophisticated!

ornamentation: link up!

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Starting on Monday, and leading up to Christmas, nearly every day on Wild Olive will have an ornament DIY project. That's a lot of ornaments! (Don't tell, but some of them will be going to my bloggy friends!) There will be things from me and from others, but I thought we could get a few more. So, all this month, this page will be available (and linked to) so you can add your own ornament projects!

They can be your own designs, or you can show off how you've made one of the ornaments you've seen here or someplace else. Blog about it and link up!

review: embroider everything workshop

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm gonna start out by being honest today (As opposed to the days when I start out with a lie? Whatever. You know what I mean.) When Workman Publishing contacted me about reviewing their new book Embroider Everything Workshop, I took a look at the cover, and was unsure. Yes, I do judge books by their cover. I'm not exactly sure what it was about this, but I just didn't know if I would like it.

But I got over it, and said that I'd do a review. And thank goodness I did! I love the whole thing! (You can officially consider this to be a "glowing review".)

Inside the cover is a pack of iron-on transfers so you can stitch all the designs shown in the book. They vary in style, and all are wonderful.

This book is comprehensive and teaches multiple styles of embroidery, but manages to do so without feeling overwhelming. I love this stitch practice card, which would be great for beginners. You follow the steps and stitch through it in the prescribed spots. Easy!

But even as someone who has been stitching for years, I found so many things that I had never learned. Already I've tried one of the methods that author Diana Rupp suggests for starting a new thread, and it was so helpful! There are also different types of embroidery that I haven't tried, like Needlepoint, and this book is what I need to get started.

The first section of the book is instructional on tools and techniques, but it also has a lot of history, which I love! Did you know that Grace Kelly was an avid needlepointer? Needlepointist? She did needlepoint. These extra bits of information make learning to stitch all the better.

The second half of the book is filled with projects, and I hope to make nearly every single one at some point. They're all that good. The Sashiko Dress and Folk Art Skirt are just my style, and the Victorian Tic Tac Toe and Skeleton Key Ring are just the start of the gifts I'll be making from this.

Embroider Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp

List price is $24.95, but this is worth far more. If you're just getting into embroidery, or if you've been at it awhile, you really should check this one out!

stitched: an online video workshop

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about STITCHED? STITCHED is a collection of 20 online video workshops by 20 amazing and talented fabric artists. Each workshop provides you with high-value and high-content information to get you sewing, designing and creating.

I'm excited to a part of this group, and doing my very first video workshop! Let me tell you, the whole process has been an interesting one. Video in a busy household is tricky, and then of course there's my tongue-tied mouth! I'm still in the process of editing the final videos and making them all pretty, but I thought you might like a look at what has landed on the virtual cutting room floor:

Did you just love that little hand that passed (in slow-mo) in front of the camera? Yeah, I'm still figuring out how to edit that away and have it all work.

But now that you've had a laugh with me, here's a look at my contribution:

An embroidered clutch purse! In my workshop, you'll see the full step-by-step for making this bag, including some basic embroidery, as well as a few ideas for adapting it from a purse into other types of pouches.

But as I mentioned, I'm just one of 20 instructors. There are going to be so many amazing workshops in this, and I'm really looking forward to learning as much as I am teaching. All of the projects use fabric in some way, which is perfect for someone like me (maybe you too?).

The STITCHED workshops open up on January 1, but registration starts today. And if you sign up by December 15th, I'm offering a pack of 3 embroidery patterns (your choice!). They can be used as a part of my workshop, or for anytime stitching!

Click here to view more details

When you register, you'll be directed to the main registration page, but don't worry...I'll receive notice that you signed up here and want the 3 embroidery patterns.

What are you waiting for? Get ready for some stitching in 2012!

the story of: the december desktop

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

All this year, I've shared a story each month, and we've reached the last story. I considered a few Christmas-themed stories, but you really can't beat the original. So for December, our story is...

More about The Stable a little later in the month, but for now, you can decorate your computer's desktop with a calendar wallpaper in JPG or PNG formats. They are one-size-fits-most, so be sure to adjust your settings for the best fit.

I'm really looking forward to December, and I hope you are too!

print: christmas gift tags

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

December will be here oh so soon, which means lots of wrapping gifts. Or, if you're like my mom, you may already have wrapped most of the presents. (She figures it's safer to have them wrapped and hidden away as soon as possible!)

Well, I thought it would be fun to make some gift tags for you, using a gift that I just received. You see, for my birthday, I got a Bamboo drawing tablet, and I needed to practice using it a bit. So I doodled up these tags!

The style feels a little different from what I usually do, but I like that, and I hope you do too! I left off the "to" and "from", making them a little more versatile.

Download the PDF Gift Tags, and have fun wrapping things up!

winning

2011-11-28T18:00:00.000-06:00

As promised, I have some winners from last week's giveaways! Big news here, so a drumroll please!

Congratulations, ladies! I have email addresses for Maneki and Diana (you'll hear from me soon!), but Modern Buttercup, please email me at molliejohanson {@} gmail {.} com with your info.

Also, if you missed out on these, there's another giveaway from me (for some embroidery patterns) over on An Old-Fashioned Girl. Go check it out!

my new lost scarf

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've been loving square scarves lately, and decided that I needed one for the cold weather. I already bought one for my sister and she wears it and looks adorable. So I thought I could make one. And I did!

What you see here is a large square (about 32 inches) of what JoAnn calls "specialty cotton". It's a cotton/poly blend that is lightweight and drapes pretty nicely. I just snipped a bit and then tore the fabric so that thee edges get a nice frayed thing going on.

Then, in one corner, I stitched some simple circles. Like these. They are done in a red that is close, but not exact, to the scarf, and in a running stitch like sashiko style. Look closely and you'll see them.

I love my scarf. You just fold it into a triangle and wrap it around your neck as you see. Simple and sweet.

But did you read the title of this post? After I took these photos, I lost my scarf. This was literally the only time I wore it, and I'm pretty sure that it has to be in my house someplace. It's making me crazy, and all my whining about it is making my family crazy!

Where's my pretty new scarf? Did you come and hide it somewhere? It looks like I may be making another one soon...

my favorite things: my family

2011-11-26T16:18:00.001-06:00

The last day of a week of favorite things. Really, I have so many favorites that I could share one every day for a year. And maybe some year I'll do that. But for now, I'll wrap things up with a big one...

There are eight of us in my house (counting the parents), and things get a little crazy. Sometimes a lot crazy. But I love my family sooooo much! Every one of us is different, and yet we all manage to work together as a team. Where would we be without each other?

I'm going to go and enjoy the rest of the weekend, and I hope you do too! Enjoy your favorite things, go find those giveaways that are still open, and we'll meet back here on Monday.

it's my birthday sale!

2011-11-26T00:30:00.000-06:00

Just popping in really quick to say, it's officially my birthday! That might not seem all that exciting to you, but it is. Because starting now, you can get 29% off your entire purchase in my shop. A deal this good doesn't come too often (thankfully...otherwise I'd age much faster!).

To take advantage of this offer, just enter the Etsy coupon code MOLLIE29 at checkout. The 29% discount will be deducted from the total immediately. Sale ends Monday night, so hurry and check it out!

talia's favorite thing: christmas

2011-11-25T18:00:00.000-06:00

When I decided to do a week of favorites, it was because this month's story is the story of YOU! So even though I've shared some of my own favorite things, I've wanted to hear yours too. Today my favorite thing is...

And I've got Talia from Number 19 here to share one of her favorite things! (I have a feeling many of you may share her thoughts on this too!) Please welcome Talia!

Christmas is most certainly my FAVOURITE time of year! I love everything about it! Where I live Christmas is always very hot and humid, and when I was a kid we always got pool toys that we could use that day! I’m already planning for this Christmas, and these are some of the traditions and things that I’m looking forward to!

1. Decorating the house- I love making my own decorations, and doing things a bit differently. We don’t do ‘Christmas tress’, so I have a wall that I cover in decorations, and put the presents beneath that!

2. The advent calendar- this year I made my own, and I’ve put some pretty fun things to do inside each one, so I’m looking forward to going through that!

3. Christmas music. Confession- I’ve had Christmas music playing since the start of the month. None of this December 1st business for me!

4. Seeing family- I’m pretty lucky in that I see my extended family fairly regularly, but I do love having everyone together!

5. Christmas treats- I love cooking, so baking almond bread, christmas pudding, candy cane rum balls and things like make me feel super Christmas-y!

6. The heat- I love summer, so I love lazing around in a singlet and shorts with the fan blowing on me. Not sure how I’ll go this year being 8 months pregnant at Christmas time!

7. Jacaranda trees in flower- There’s a song that goes “When the bloom of the Jacaranda tree is here, Christmas time is near”. I always think of it this time of year when I drive down the street and there are purple flowers covering the road.

8. Christmas crafts- I love making things for people. For some people that’s just the card, but for a lot of people this Christmas I’ll be making bath salts, body butter, coasters, personalised books and embroidery hoop art!

Thanks, Talia! I think it's so great that you love the heat at Christmas...I love the cold and snow that time of year!

my favorite things: sponsor giveaways

2011-11-25T09:19:00.001-06:00

I've had posts all this week, dedicated to some of my favorite things. But one of those things hasn't had it's own post...instead, it's been more implied. It involves giving things to others. I love that! And I love when I get to be a person who helps give things away.

But today, I have a couple posts to share from one of my favorite blog things...

I'm not just saying this because they help support me and my blog financially...my sponsors are wonderful! Friendly, generous, lovely to know. Be sure to give their blogs all a visit. And if you're interested in joining the Wild Olive sponsorship family for December, just send me an email.

But now for a little giveaway from two of these fine ladies.

Liesi from Too Crewel is offering you a $10 shop credit, so that you can choose your favorite thing from her shop!

And Kelsey from Simply Beautiful Thoughts has made a card for the winner, too!

To enter, just leave a comment telling one of your favorite things in life (it could be anything!), and make sure we have a way to contact you. This giveaway will remain open until Sunday the 27th at 10 CST, and a random winner will be announced on Monday.

Also, don't miss the other giveaways running this week: Mollie's Signature Embroidery Colors and Garlands from Pink Olive!

my favorite things: thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:18:00.001-06:00

Having a week of favorite things, and having it be at this particular time of year is perfect. Why? Because my favorite holiday is...

We watched the parade. My sister took this photo today of our pineapple turkey. I've been getting food ready, and enjoying this most wonderful day.

Whether you're in the United States, or someplace else, I hope that you remember to be thankful today. We are all so very blessed.

And I hope you also remember how thankful I am for you! Every comment and email and link I receive means so much to me...connecting with everyone is so very lovely. Thank you!

my favorite things: olives

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Day three of my favorite things! Yay! Some favorite things start out small, and they grow into some really big ideas. Who would have thought that a food I enjoy would turn into a name that I've embraced, and bigger still, the thought of being part of a great big family?

Today's favorite thing is...

Yes, olives. I think they are so very tasty. And quite lovely to share with friends. And to wear on one's fingers. And to read about. And to name one's blog and digital items after.

Being someone who loves olives as much as I do, it's wonderful to connect with others who have a similar passion. Recently I met Grace via email. She is the proprietor of Pink Olive, a New York boutique filled with the most whimsical and wonderful things. Can you imagine pink olives! I would so eat those! Truthfully, we haven't discussed our olive loves, but we have shared some of the other things that have in common...far away internet connections are so amazing, aren't they?

You can get a feel for the shop from these photos, and there are more on her site. If you're in the New York City area, perhaps you've been? I know that I would be making a point to visit if I get the chance to go to NY. But the good news is that you can still shop her lovely choices online.

And...

You can enter to win this Petit Collage Garland, generously gifted by Grace! Go give Pink Olive a visit, then come back here and tell us what your favorite item was that you saw.

Leave a comment (make sure we have a way to get in touch with you), and you'll be entered to win. The giveaway is open to all US Residents, and will remain open until 10 CST on Sunday, the 27th. A random winner will be announced on Monday.

Good luck, and thanks Grace!

my favorite things: muppets

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Ho! It's a week of my favorite things here on Wild Olive, and you would think that Jason Segel planned the release of his new movie just for me. Why? Because today's favorite thing is...

While I may be getting older at the end of this week, I'm not quite old enough to remember watching the Muppet Show when it originally aired. But my parents must have had a way of showing it to me, because I have very early memories of watching. That said, I can safely say that I have loved all things Muppets for my entire life.

My shelves are filled with the most wonderful Muppet things, including my newly acquired Top Trumps Muppets game. But instead of showing off my favorite Muppet things, I thought you might like to make one of your own!

How about a finger puppet to wear when you see the new movie as it comes out tomorrow?!? (Actually, I'm going to see it on Saturday for my actual birthday, and I'm dragging along my whole family. Including my 6-year-old sister who has an aversion to puppets...it's MY birthday after all! No spoilers, now...mmmkay?)

Here's what you need:
Green felt (mine is a wool blend in a Kermit-y shade from JoAnn)
Small amounts of red and white felt
Embroidery floss
Craft glue
The pattern PDF

Cut out two body pieces from green, two eyes from white, and one red mouth.

Use the patterns in the PDF to stitch on a green collar, the centers of the eyes with black, and a pink tongue. The eyes are just a straight stitch with a big french knot in the center.

Sew the two body pieces together with a running stitch. It's a good idea to take an extra stitch or two at the ends, as they'll get the most stress...although, they don't get much tugging.

Use craft glue to attach the mouth and eyes. Make sure the eyes overlap the top edge a little.

Yay! You're all finished and ready slide your new finger puppet on. Oh, and for some embarrassing info about me and my use of the word "yay", be sure to read this.

Oh yes, I do love my Muppets. They're a favorite thing! Yay!

Tomorrow, a favorite food, that became a favorite idea, that became a favorite name!

my favorite things: embroidery floss

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

This coming Saturday, it's my birthday! Should I cheer? Should I cry? I'm not sure...but I do know that we like having a "birthday week" at my house. Instead of doing birthday things all week long, I'm going to share some of my favorite things!

A little like Oprah, but not at all like Oprah. You know, because I'm not a bajillionaire. I don't watch her, but you can't not know about her favorite things, am I right? Now...Ready for my first favorite thing?

(Did you read that in your best Oprah voice? I hope so!)

This may come as a surprise to you, but I really like embroidery floss. I do!

I may have a serious problem. I can't get enough of this stuff! Recently I went to the needlework shop and bought all of these lovely types to test. I'll let you know how these go for me once I've given them a try.

That last one is #1 pearl cotton, with regular six strand floss in there for scale. Crazy, right?

No joke, the day I bought this floss, this was the fortune I got in a cookie. "Be careful, you are easily tempted." Really?

I love that floss can be so pretty, just like a bouquet of flowers. Look at all those colors! These happen to be the colors that I've chosen as my "signature colors", and after months of working with them, I'm still loving them.

Perhaps you'd love them too? I've got this set of 23 DMC flosses that I'd like to give away to one lucky reader! (Oh how I wish I could send a set to everyone!)

To enter, leave a comment with your favorite color (the name, or the floss number...I'd love to read either!), and be sure I have a way to contact you. The giveaway will remain open until Sunday, November 27th at 10pm CST. A random winner will be announced on Monday the 28th.

NOTE: International Readers, please enter! I'm happy to ship these anywhere!

Good luck, and watch for another favorite thing tomorrow! (I'll give you a hint...this one will involve some making, and a bit of green felt!)

thinking about december

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

As this is Saturday, I would usually have a Snapshot Saturday post. A photo with only a few words. But there are too many things to fit in this month, so today I'm sharing some things that are coming up in December. I figured you wouldn't mind a peek at what's to come...

But first, I need to express some thoughts. I've already been seeing so many posts about Christmas projects, and I understand why. I mean, you need time to get things done before the big day. But...I'm still treasuring November...and I'm saving my Christmas posts for after Thanksgiving. I hope you're all okay with that.

Mind you, I've been working behind the scenes on Christmas, because for the three weeks leading up until Christmas, we'll have Christmas Ornamentation here on the blog! We're talking lots and lots of ornaments to make. It's going to be big and exciting, and you're gonna love all that is planned (at least, I hope so!)

And with all the crafty project posts in December, it will be a great time for your blog to sponsor Wild Olive. Details will change for 2012, but for this last month of the year, you can still get an XL ad for $20 (just one available!) or a L ad for $10. Email me at molliejohanson at gmail dot com for more information or to book your spot.

I feel as though I'm running a million miles an hour right now, but it's only because I'm on some sort of crafting high! Things are making me all kinds of excited!

elsewhere: guest post and giveaway

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today you'll find things from me on a couple other blogs!

Printable Thankful Cards over on Whatever Dee-Dee Wants as a part of her Give Thanks series!

A bunch of Cookies for Santa items are up for grabs in a giveaway on Adorkable, along with lots of other goodies!

Be sure to visit these lovely ladies and say hello! (Oh, and I'm getting very excited as I prepare for some special fun coming here in December...a few more details coming tomorrow!)

the story of: there's a design

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

I am someone who believes that God has a plan and a purpose for His people. I believe that there are reasons why our lives follow certain paths, why we meet certain people, and why things happen they way they do. I believe that God writes our stories. I believe that there is a design.

Sufjan Stevens wrote an amazing song for his friend Vito Aiuto, and every time I listen, I'm reminded that God knows us and has plans for us. It's up to us to live those plans. I don't believe that we need to get hung up on little things, but seeking to follow God is undoubtedly a good way to be living in His plan. Living in the fullness of His love, grace, and mercy is a good way to be living in His plan.

When thinking about your story, I invite you to listen to this song, and then tell me...What are some ways that you are purposefully living out your plan, your story?

PS: I know that this post contains views that not all agree with. Not even all Christians agree with all of this! I'm fine with that, but I'm also very fine with sharing what I believe.

pattern: look right

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

A few years back, "Mind the Gap" was a popular phrase to see around. It was, of course, based on the London train reminder. Recently, we've been inundated with variations on "Keep Calm and Carry On." While I was visiting England, I asked Katie what she thought the next phrase would be to come out of London's common culture, and after a few days...it was settled.

You see, on the streets in London, they have printed the phrase "Look Right" with an arrow. Why? Because it will save your life if you are not from England. No joke, without these, and the help of Katie, I would have forgotten about different flow of traffic when crossing the road. I could be dead! And so I made a pattern to commemorate the phrase...

After I thought about it more though, I rather like the idea of it...separate from the concept of a car coming at you. Look Right. Sort of like, keep your head up, stand tall, do your best. I shall hold onto this phrase, and you're welcome to do the same.

You can download the free embroidery pattern here as a PDF, or on Flickr as a JPG.

But a trip like this does more than just inspire one pattern...I had to make a whole set devoted to London! It's called Jolly Spiff, and has things like a double-decker bus, the Tower Bridge, a phone booth, etc. The name comes from Katie's dad. He didn't know it, but when doing his best posh accent, he uttered the phrase "Jolly Spiff!" and thus, named this set. It was just too good to pass by.

You'll find this new collection in the shop now, ready to spiff up a few gifts for the holidays!

Now, look right dear friends!

celebrate color: embroidered accessories for your table

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that Celebrate Color is nearly over. During these three months, I've shared fall colors that I love, embroidery floss color palettes, embroidery patterns, and now today I have a couple projects that incorporate a few of those patterns.

Before I get to those, I do want to remind you that there's still time to enter the Celebrate Color contest. There are some really great prizes for all of the categories, and for the Needlepoint category, you can win my PDF embroidery classes, and a credit from The Split Stitch. It's worth the effort to whip up something special!

Since Thanksgiving is getting oh so near, I thought it would be a good time to put together some quick and easy accessories for your table. The nice thing about these is that, although mine have fall embroidery on them, you can change the design to use any time of the year!

For each napkin ring, you will need:
2.25 x 7 inches wool or wool blend felt
embroidery floss
1 button
lightweight tracing paper

Make a template and cut out the strips of felt.

Embroider your designs onto the center of each strip. Do this by tracing the design onto the tracing paper, pin the paper onto the felt, and stitch through the felt and paper at the same time. Carefully tear away the paper when you are finished.

My napkin rings have the Leaves on the Sidewalk pattern...I've just split up the four sections so that each square is on it's own napkin ring.

At one end of the strip sew on a button.

At the other end of the strip, cut a slit for a button hole.

Repeat with each strip, and wrap your napkins up for the table!

To make a hot pad, you will need:
heavy fabric for the top (the size you want your pad to be)
cotton fabric for the backing (a little larger than your front)
embroidery floss
cotton batting (or Insul-Bright)
pins

Note: Using Insul-Bright will make this much more functional and safe when using with hot dishes. Cotton batting works when this is meant to be more decorative

Embroider the top fabric, then cut to the size you wish. Cut the batting to the same size. Cut the backing fabric to be a little over 1 inch larger on each side.

Layer the fabric as follows: backing (wrong side up), batting, embroidery (right side up).

Fold one side of the backing in to the edge of the batting, finger press, then fold it over again to overlap the top fabric. Pin.

Repeat the folding on the opposite edge, then pin.

Fold one corner over to make a triangle, then repeat at the other end of that side.

Fold down the edge to the batting, then fold it down again, forming a mitered corner.

Pin, and repeat on the remaining side. You may need to adjust these edges a little to get everything to match up correctly, but they will work out!

Additional instructions (which I found to be extremely helpful!) can be found in this tutorial.

Stitch around the edges, making sure you sew the corners. You can do this with a sewing machine, but stitching by hand didn't take very long at all.

You're ready to add some pretty new items to your table decor, as you Celebrate Color this November!

visiting london

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's now been about a month since I returned from my trip to England to see Katie Green, but I finally have finished the bulk of my photo editing! Yay! Today I want to share with you some of the pictures that I took on the London half of my trip. You don't mind looking at loads of photos, do you?

Upon arriving back in London after being in the Bristol area for a few days, we visited Eton and Windsor Castle. No tours or anything, just walking around. And it was beautiful! I was really taken by the old castle...especially the gargoyles.

That same day, we also visited with Katie's grandparents. They are so delightful, and I'm so happy to have met them. I did consider sneaking them home with me...but thought that Katie might want them around.

The next day, Katie, her parents, and I went into London and had breakfast along the Thames. Like, right near Tower Bridge, which we walked over a few times. Then Katie and I set off to make a grand walking tour of the city.

St. Paul's Cathedral was a. maz. ing. As were the squirrels in St. James' Park. And yes, I did just place squirrels and a cathedral on a similar plane.

As a lover of ancient Egyptian studies, I've wanted to visit the British Museum for ages, so the following day we did. And seeing the Rosetta Stone was a big deal. The whole place was somewhat overwhelming, and overall, wonderful.

We ended the day with Covent garden and the Royal Ballet. Thinking about it still makes me smile.

On my last day, we started at the Victoria & Albert museum. I could spend days there! The best part of what we saw was the special exhibit, The Power of Making. If you are in the London area, I highly recommend it. Is it silly that I was enormously happy to see the carved alphabet pencils by Dalton Ghetti in person?

This was a day for visiting plenty of shops too, like Harrod's (would you even call that a shop?), Liberty (true love), and more. We discovered Things British, where I saw some items by Claire, a past sponsor of mine...so fun! And we walked through The Cloth House, which I really want to return to.

But who am I kidding? I really want to go back and do it all again...see more sights...soak up some more tea...and especially spend more time with Katie and her lovely friends and family.

Thank you for indulging my need to show off photos! (There are more in my set on Flickr) Ooh...and on Wednesday I'll be sharing some fun things that came about from some inspiration I got while I London!

snapshot saturday

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

This week I've been doing a bit of video. Yes, soon you will see me talking, moving and trying to be somewhat intelligent on your computer screen. It's as scary as it sounds.

the story of: us

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

This month's story is your story, and in keeping with that, I asked my sponsors to share something about themselves. Some fun little fact that helps us get to know them a little better. Here's mine: I'm not afraid of messes, except when it comes to children helping me in the kitchen. It causes great anxiety!

But this isn't really about me...so here's what my sponsors shared:

Kelsey from Simply Beautiful says: i'm very creative, i love photography, and i'm obsessed with southern accents.

Ashley from After Nine to Five says: I like to take risks and generally stretch myself a little to thin. I feel like I'm missing out on something in life otherwise!

Talia from Number 19 says: I just love Christmas, but my husband is a bit of a grinch. I always win though, and we have a lovely decorated house at Christmas time!

Victoria from Bramble Bird says: I love to organise and plan ahead... I'm a total list freak and have to-do lists coming out of my ears. But despite all of the organisation & planning, I never seem to leave enough time to get anywhere so will almost always be on the verge of being late & in a mad-rush!

How about you? What's something fun that would help us get to know you a little better?

by the sea

2011-11-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

Do you see this book? Do you see those embroidered crabs? Do you see my smiling face because I have a project in this book and it's on the cover?

Seaside Home doesn't come out until spring 2012, but it is available for pre-order. And that's me smiling again...

a small obsession

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Up until recently, I had a few pairs of tights. Black, brown, gray...and wild and crazy dark plum. But now I have a new obsession with finding pretty colors and patterns (and not spending too, too much on them...although there were some $50 tights that I really, really wanted...).

Now I have new eggplant, olive, and rust, plus heathered brown, and brown and tan fair isle. I'd like to think that I'm done for a while, but I fear that more will be purchased. No, I KNOW more will be purchased.

It's a problem, but one that I'm okay with having.

a simple gift

2011-11-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

Every year, Samaritan's Purse and individuals like you and me bless children with a simple gift. A shoebox filled with small toys, gifts, treats, and necessities. If you're not familiar with the Operation Christmas Child project, I encourage you to check it out. I also challenge you to watch some of the videos of children receiving these boxes, and then not bawl like a baby. It doesn't matter how many times I watch, they get me every time.

This year, I was thinking about some of the quick and easy things that I could make to include in the shoebox I send. I love giving handmade to my friends and family, so why not for the child I send this gift to? After a look back at my blog, I've found a few ideas and suggestions. These don't take long to make, but would be appreciated, I'm sure.

Felt Friends are easy to make, and they would most certainly be loved by a child.

Puppet Mittens (perhaps with a story book?) or a Fish Puppet make for some fun times and warm hands.

Mini Books (with or without the embroidery) or Notepads (converted to a Christmas or any time design) are simple to make yourself, and kids of all ages love drawing and writing in them. You can make a bunch to share!

A Felt Friendship Bracelet lets a child wear and remember their gift long after Christmas. For a quicker version, how about a Mystery Braid?

These are just a few ideas, but whether you make something special, buy items at the dollar store, or anyplace else, remember that a simple gift will make a huge difference in the life of a child.

Are you sending an Operation Christmas Child shoebox? Do you have any ideas for handmade gifts that could be made and included before it's time to send off the boxes? Please share!

make: a hanky watch

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Source: liberty.co.uk via Mollie on Pinterest

I've gushed about Liberty before, and I must now again. When I visited, we stuck to a few areas, and it's probably for the best that I didn't spot this watch. It's about $87, which is much more than I've ever considered spending for something that I rarely wear. But it's so pretty!

Fortunately, this lovely piece inspired me to try making my own. I grabbed a watch with a face I love and a vintage hanky and I set to work. (I rather like that the watch has the Liberty Bell on it...it makes it a real Liberty watch!) Here's how to make one of your own:

The first step is to remove the old watch band. A pin was helpful in popping the little spring loaded pins out.

Slide the metal pins out of the old band, then put them back in place on the watch.

Carefully fold up the hanky diagonally to form a strip that will fit through the pins on the watch.

Slide the hanky between the pins and the watch face. This is the hardest part because it can be a bit tight. Work it through without tearing the hanky.

Tie the watch on with a knot. I love that it's nice and soft, which is so much better for me while working at the computer. Usually watches make my wrist crazy!

The hanky I used feels a little larger than it should, so it's a bit bulky at the face of the watch. It doesn't bother me too much, but this could be fixed by using a smaller hanky (that would still tie), or by cutting two opposite corners off and sewing it into a tube. I've been thinking of trying the sewn tube out and adding some embroidery. What do you think?

Quick, inexpensive, and girly. I like it!

the story of: making your story book

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

This month's story is YOUR story, and to properly tell most stories, you need lots of time. But sometimes, it's more important to just get the story told, even if it's the short version. And that's what this little book does. Each page of the book is an envelope. It can hold a little or a lot, depending on the size of your envelopes and what all you decide to include. However you tell your story, this is a fun way to do so.

Here's what you need:
Envelopes (mine are tiny #1 coin envelopes, but you could use larger)
Fabric
Fusible interfacing
Embroidery floss
Cards or paper

Cut a strip of fabric that will be a little narrower that the envelopes. Iron the fusible interfacing to the back. My strip is wide enough to cut two long strips from this.

Cut the strips to about 2 inches long.

Peel the backing paper off of the interfacing, then fold each strip in half over the sealed end of an envelope, leaving a tab of fabric free from the envelope. Iron the fabric. This will fuse it to the envelope, and itself. Repeat this with each envelope.

Stack all of the envelopes together, making sure that the flaps are going the direction you want. With embroidery floss and a sharp needle, sew through the tabs of fabric. Tie a knot or a cute bow.

On the cards or paper, write down the parts of your story that you want to include.

Slide them into the envelopes.

Add a title, and share your story!

In mine, I'm including some big things, like "When I was 4 days old, I came home to my forever family", "I learned to love Jesus when I was still a little girl", and "I found my love of embroidery while working at the library."

Who will your share your story book with?

snapshot saturday

2011-11-05T18:59:00.003-05:00

Recently I've remembered how wonderful it is to wear slips with skirts and dresses. Especially when they poke out a little. This week I got brave and used a slip as a means to make a dress a little longer, as in, several inches of slip showing, and much less bare leg!

share the story of you

2011-11-04T11:02:00.000-05:00

This month, I'd like to invite you to tell your story. Write a post on your own blog, then leave the link here in the comments. Or, maybe you have a short story about something in your life. Share it in the comments.

The point is, you have a story, and believe it or not, your story is better than any of the folk and fairy tales that I've featured throughout the year. Seriously.

crafty fun for preschoolers

2011-11-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today I have the honor of speaking to the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at our church. If you're visiting my blog because of MOPS, welcome! I'm so glad you're here!

I love working with kids, and sharing ideas of crafts and activities to do with preschoolers is such fun. And because I know that a lot of my readers have young children, I thought you might like to see a little of what I shared. Ready? Here we go!

When I saw these on Pinterest, I knew that I had to make them. This is a paper cup with the bottom cut out. A knotted balloon with the top cut off is stretched around the end. You stick a marshmallow inside, pull, and pop! I sent this gingerbread man marshmallow flying, and my sister suggested that he needed a little parachute! (Also, I did discover that grapes shoot really well with this...just sayin')

Recycled crafts are a favorite of mine, because the materials are cheap and easy to come by. Cereal boxes and other cardboard packaging has become almost impossible for me to throw out.

Right now this looks like a strange postcard to send our Papa, but after my little sister adds a drawing to the blank area, it's a mailable piece of artwork!

I've shared these mini books here before, but I can't get enough of them, and neither can little kids. This isn't something they can make on their own, but they do love having these around to draw in!

Just cut a cover from recycled cardboard and some paper pages a bit smaller than the cover. Fold everything in half, then staple the spine. You can keep a bunch of these around, have them in your purse, etc., and kids will stay nice and busy!

Toilet paper tubes are another recycled item that can be used in many ways. You can find loads of ideas by Googling "toilet paper tube crafts". This bracelet is made by cutting the tube lengthwise, then cutting around for a cuff size bracelet. I've covered mine with tissue paper, but you could decorate them lots of ways. And if you make them a little bigger, they make excellent super hero cuffs!

This tree is pretty easy to figure out, but there are so many options...little ones can make trees all year round, and every one will look different! Since it's fall, I used an orange bingo marker. You can also glue on colored tissue, rice for snow, or cereal. Stickers are fun for this, as are finger prints, or just plain crayons. The top is half a paper plate slid into two slits in the toilet paper tube. Easy!

If you are a coffee person like myself, you probably have coffee filters around. Which is good, because there are lots of fun things to make with them! This leaf was cut out from a coffee filter, and then I colored it a bit. Then you mist it with water and let it dry (on some newspapers...it can be drippy and colorful!). So pretty! Try cutting out different shapes for other times of the year, like eggs for Easter, or as brightly colored Christmas decorations!

Coffee filters also make excellent turkey feathers! A template for the body of this turkey can be downloaded here.

They also work well for cutting snowflakes or making flowers!

Tissue paper is another item that most people have around for wrapping gifts. If not, you can usually get a big bundle of it at the dollar store. Just cut it up and have it around for adding to lots of things.

The stained glass look above is done by rubbing cooking oil onto waxed paper with a cotton ball. Then you just overlap the pieces of tissue. To make the finished product a little less messy, add another piece of waxed paper over the tissue.

If you have children, you may already know that kids love office supplies. Sometimes, it's annoying that they take your stuff, but instead of keeping them from this joy, get them their own! Let them have a roll of tape to play with...help them learn to use a stapler (obviously this is for older preschoolers)...give them envelopes (business reply envelopes are great for this...buy them little sticky notes to use as they please.

Above is a two-part activity that kids can use a hole punch for. First, let them punch holes in plain paper. Lots of them! Little ones love this, and it's good for little hands. Save the dots, and use them to glue onto paper. Older kids can glue them onto an outline, but even teeny tinies can have fun with this. They make fun ornaments on a picture of a tree, snowflakes on a background of blue paper, flowers in a garden...you name it!

This last one is an idea from the queen of craft, Martha Stewart. She suggested coloring white sticker dots with a permanent marker to have any color sticker you choose. How about using crayons and making the project child-friendly? Older kids can draw tiny pictures if they like; younger children can color them in solid, like I've done. Either way, you've got personalized stickers...and really, what kid doesn't love stickers?

I really can't take much credit for these ideas...I've seen them done in many places over many years...I just know that they are fun to make and share with young friends and family. I hope you find these useful for the preschoolers in your life!

simple, stretchy belt

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I was over in the UK, we stopped at a lovely haberdashery called Bedecked. They had all kinds of trims and ribbons and buttons, and I managed to escape without buying a thing. I was so proud of myself! But then Katie showed me what she bought...and one of her choices was this floral velvety, elastic trim. I was smitten! And instantly I knew that it would be mine, and it would become a belt.

I remembered that I had some old belt pieces, and that there would probably be one that would look nice with the trim, and I remembered right! All I had to do was sew the elastic to the buckle. Because of the texture, it grips enough to hold it in place when I wear it.

There was even enough left over to make a little bracelet! It stretches right around my hand to fit my wrist perfectly.

Eep! I love them!

So far, this is the only patterned elastic trim that I've found like this, but you can find solids lots of places. Here's some from Etsy. The good news is that you can order this particular floral trim directly from Bedecked. The bad news is it will cost quite a bit to ship it to the United States.

a winner and a reminder

2011-11-01T19:27:00.001-05:00

Just popping in with a few quick announcements...

First of all, congratulations to Kayla, who won the coffee cozy giveaway!
Thank you to all who entered!

Now that we've hit November, I'm reminded that before long the year will be over. But before then, the 2011 edition of the Pattern of the Month Club will be over. This is the last month to sign up and receive all 12 of these exclusive pattern sets. December 1st it will go away to make room for the 2012 membership.

...service announcements over. Let's get to enjoying this November!

the story of: the november desktop

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

This month, our story will be the story of you! (me too...) Throughout the month, I'll have special posts that are about sharing our own stories, and I really can't even express how much I'm looking forward to this.

For now, download the November calendar desktop in PNG or JPG. It's one size fits all, so use your computer's settings to get the best fit. Happy November!

happy halloween

2011-10-31T13:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not usually one to repeat Halloween costumes, but I made an exception this year. When I was maybe 5 or 6 I was Little Red Riding Hood, and that's who I am again this year. I wish I knew where a photo was from back then, but oh well.

The cape that I'm wearing today was knit for my by my grandma when I was a little girl. It still fits me, just a little differently. Oh, and the hood is too small now. Still, I love that I get to wear a costume that she made.

Special thanks to my sister for taking the pics, and my neighbors, who didn't know I was taking these photos in their yard. Although their cat found us, and wasn't too pleased.

Also, remember that all day today, you can get a free Sweet Treats item with any purchase in my shop. Just ask for your treat in the message to seller!

trick-or-treat sale

2011-10-31T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'll be back again later with some Halloween photos, but for now, how about some trick-or-treating?

Today only, receive one free Sweet Treats item (your choice) with any purchase in my shop!

To take advantage of this offer, just be sure to fill in the message to seller box on Etsy, and tell me what your trick-or-treat Sweet Treats choice is. (If you leave it blank, I'll choose a treat for you.)

Happy Halloween!

snapshot saturday

2011-10-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

This is my sister playing, but I also did a bit of playing this week. Mine involved shopping for tea and craft supplies...

coffee cuff cozy giveaway

2011-10-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

Today you have the chance to enter a giveaway that I'm so happy about. I'd like to say that I planned this all out, but it just worked itself out!

The lovely Isabela from Ooh Leela! has a pattern PDF for making your own leather coffee cuff. It makes me think of the "Leather Together" song that the elves sang in my favorite version of the Elves and the Shoemaker. You can use her instructions to make some sweet little gifts for others (or yourself!)

And the equally wonderful Tara of Sew Tara would like to make a surprise coffee cozy for you! Tara makes all kinds of handmade things, and I'm certain that you'll love this gift that she's made. Secret surprise gifts are more meaningful, aren't they?

So, you'll have the chance at making some coffee cuffs AND having one made for you. Isn't that so sweet of them?

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment. But do please let me know how to contact you, in the event that you win. This giveaway will end Monday, October 31 at midnight central time. One random winner will be chosen and announced on Tuesday, November 1.

Now, be sure to give these ladies a visit!

video guest post: talia's help book

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am so very happy to have Talia from Number 19 guest posting today. She has a really lovely idea to share...it's crafty, helpful, and so very thoughtful, just like the story of the Elves and the Shoemaker!

Hi Wild Olive readers!

Talia from Number 19 here. When I was thinking about Mollie’s topic for this month, helping people, I thought about all the times people have helped me. Sometimes my husband tries to help me, and while I always appreciate the help, sometimes it’s not quite what I need. So I thought of this little ‘help book’.

The idea is that each person in your family makes one of these books that list 5 ways other people can help them. You display them all somewhere central in your house, and then when you feel like helping someone, you can read through their book and find things that would TRUELY help them, without having to ask!

Include things like some of your most hated chores, or things around the house that aren't anyone in particular's responsibility, but annoy you (like the water jugs for me), or even just 'nice' things people could do for you—saying thank-you, writing you a love note, give you a massage et.

Here’s how to make it:

Step 1: Cut out 3 pieces of card, approximately 4 x 6 inches (they can be any size you want really).

Step 2: Decide on your 5 things people could do to help you. The ones I’ve chosen are:

1) Do the washing up for me
2) Clean the toilets
3) Take your washing and put it away
4) Make sure the water jugs in the fridge are full
5) Wash the dog

Step 3: Stack all three of your pieces of cardboard together and punch a hole in the top left hand corner. In pencil, write the page numbers down the bottom right hand corner, so you know which way is ‘up’ on each piece of card. You’ll be working on these double sided—so on pages two and three, page two will have the hole in the bottom left corner, and page three will have it in the top left.

Step 4: Start decorating! I’m not going to tell you how to decorate these, but go ahead and use your imagination! The idea is that these are YOUR cards, so you should personalise them as much as you want.

A few things to remember:
1) It’s important that the helpful thing is easy to read
2) Remember which way is ‘up’. I find the easiest way to do this is to have my ‘book’ set out on the table, and as I finish a page I flip it up, that way I know my pieces are always facing the right way.

Step 5: Thread some ribbon through the holes and tie a loose knot.

I’ve created a video to show you the finished product, and also help you with working out which way is ‘up’ on the pieces of cardboard! Enjoy!

Enjoy,
Talia
Number 19

make: a mini-spool necklace (with the kids!)

2011-10-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I shared a necklace that I made with a vintage spool, and today I have something similar that you can make with children (or by yourself, just because). This one was a combined effort from me and my baby sister who is now six. We made a sparkly one, but you could do this with lots of other options, like lace, yarn, or regular embroidery floss.

You'll need:
Mini spools - these are 1/2" and were found in the wood section at Hobby Lobby
Metallic floss
Craft glue
Ball-chain necklace

Glue one end of a piece of floss onto a spool. Let it dry. Depending on the age of your child, you may want to do this ahead of time for them.

Let your child wrap the floss around the spool, then secure the end with some more craft glue. The wrapping doesn't have to be perfect, because it's nice with a little character, right?

Once the glue has dried, thread the spools onto the chain necklace, and it's ready to wear!

Not only are these fun and easy to make, they make pretty little gifts for ladies of all ages!

review: last-minute knitted gifts ebook

2011-10-26T13:24:00.003-05:00

SPOILER ALERT! If you're my sister, you shouldn't read this post! If you're not my sister, please read on...

It's not very often that I knit or crochet, mainly because I like a nice quick project, and these things take time. And so when Last-Minute Knitted Gifts came out a few years back, I knew it would be a good one for me. I picked it up at the library, but never made anything. But then I recently learned that STC Craft now has some of their titles in eBook format, I was reintroduced to this very useful title. The fine folks at STC Craft sent me a copy of the eBook to check out, and I'm so happy they did! (Christmas is coming, after all...)

Take a look at this video showing a little about the books that are now available in this format, and the art of knitting, then scroll down for my review and plans for gift-making!

First of all, this is a really great book with plenty of projects of varying skill levels and time commitments. The content of the eBook matches the hardcopy, but I was curious how I would feel about the photos when viewing them on my mom's semi-generic e-reader. But I was pleasantly surprised! It's difficult to capture the quality when taking a photo of the screen, but you'll get the idea...

Before loading this book onto the device, I looked at it in Adobe Digital Editions. In that program, the table of contents is linked to take you directly the sections and projects you're looking for. This isn't possible on the e-reader I'm using. However, I'm still a little new to eBooks, so I may just be doing something wrong. Or it could just be that this device isn't as fancy as Kindles and Nooks and such. Maybe one of you has more experience with this type of feature?

But I think my favorite thing about this was that I could take the whole thing with me when going to buy yarn. It was handy, and it made me feel technologically superior. (It was all in my head...) Since the store I went to didn't have exact matches, I spent a fair amount of time comparing yarns, looking at all of the information provided so I would have a close match to the weight needed.

I'm so excited to be making these leg-warmers (for my sister, who tells me that she doesn't read my blog specifically because of possible gifts), and if all goes well, I might be making a set for myself! Even I can handle knitting some tubes...right?

If you're a knitter, and an eBook reader, I highly recommend that you check out these eight titles from STC Craft. I'm already eyeing which ones I'll need to purchase (hint: they all involve small and easy projects!)!

my trip to england : part 1

2011-10-25T09:27:00.002-05:00

It's been weeks since I got home, but at last I have some photos ready to share from my trip to England! I was there visiting my friend Katie, her boyfriend Luke, and seeing Katie's friends and family too. My trip was split into two sections, the first in Bristol (where Katie lives) and the second half in London (where her family lives). To keep myself sane (you too!), I'm splitting the photos into two posts, and today we start by visiting Bristol.

I flew into London (on a buddy pass, thanks to a helpful friend!), and although I was really tired (midnight Chicago time), it was early in the day, so there was lots to be seen and done!

While still in the London area, we started out with a little stop in the village of Denham. We walked through, saw some very charming houses and such, and I think this was Katie's way of warming me up for more walking.

We then traveled by train to Bristol. I really can't remember the last time I was on a real train (unless you count monorails at Disney...), but of course, this was the first of many train rides on my trip.

The rest of my first day, and all of day 2 were spent enjoying the city. On foot. I thought my legs were going to turn into rubber. But it was worth it, because Bristol is so beautiful. Colorful buildings, lovely shops, and a really spectacular suspension bridge.

Katie and Luke had a surprise trip planned for day 3, so we left the house at 6am, and hopped on a bus:

We arrived in Hay-on-Wye, a town in Wales known for its book shops. As in, there are 31 book shops in this little place. Amazing! After some breakfast, we explored, and I managed to only buy a few things.

The book shop in and around the castle was pretty special, but I was so very charmed by the pub we ate lunch at. It was built in 1600, and the building looked just as it would have. (At least, as far as my knowledge of 15th century pubs goes...)

The next day, we headed to Bath. Everyone who's ever been there has the same reaction: Isn't it beautiful?!?. Yes. Yes, it really is a beautiful city.

I think that Bath Abbey was my favorite part of the day. Not only is the church stunning, but they had on display a series of 35 diptychs made by Sue Symons. The exhibition is called One Man's Journey to Heaven (also Bath Abbey Diptychs), and tells the story of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. One side is calligraphy and the other is embroidery. In just one year, she did all of the work for this...a full time job! Between the environment and the devotion it took to create these, I was a little emotional.

And apparently, when visiting Bath, you're supposed to take jumping photos in front of the Royal Crescent. I just took pictures of other people doing this. It saved some energy. Although, after several days of walking, walking, walking, I was now used to it, and I'm missing it now that I'm back at my computer for working.

Our last day in the Bristol area was a Sunday, and so we visited a very nice church called St. Stephens. It was fairly different from what I'm used to (which I expected it to be), but the people were so welcoming. After church we walked along the harbor, saw a steam engine, and took a self-portrait of our rained-upon selves.

That night we played games at home, and had a really lovely time. There were several mini game nights throughout the trip, and all were such fun. They taught me Carcassonne, and I brought Apples to Apples. Seeing all of the sights was wonderful, but being with friends (and making new ones!) made the trip perfect.

Did you make it through all of those photos? That was the short version! I have more pictures in my still-expanding Flickr set, and when London pics get edited, I'll have another post to share!