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Saturday, November 16, 2019

Sari Silk Christmas Tassels ...


Hello my dear friends,

I should have shared this post months ago when it was still July and therefore "Christmas in July" was still that time year and when I made what I am sharing today but for some reason I didn't get to it but like I sometimes say, it better late than never.

I was up early again, sitting quietly drinking a cup of tea, wanting to be creative but not knowing what I really wanted to do but that didn't last for long thankfully. I don't know what made me think of my newest making but the thought of Christmas in July just wouldn't get out of my head, so I gave in. I love to combine different things but still keep it simple but then also beautiful and then again maybe even a little rustic. I basically wanted a bit of every look I love and to use things I love. Easy but also a little difficult at the same time to balance it just right with the right bits and pieces. I have made tassels before just not as Christmas tree ornaments and I think I have found the right balance for my Christmas/Winter sari silk tassels. I like that the don't shout out Christmas but just gently tell you it instead. I used some sari silk ribbon in a beautiful shade of rich cream and a hue of pale blue in a few places. I combine it with hemp string and gold eyelash yarn from Martha Stewart. I added a golden colored larger pine cone charm and because of Christmas, I also added some little golden jingle bells too. I am so pleased with the way they have turned out, everything is just right and I like the look of them so much.

And this is what I came up with ...








I made one set of 4 of my Christmas tassels as of right now and it is now available in my Etsy shop.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me here at Todolwen, it is always so nice when you do.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Time To Let Go ...


Hello my dear friends,

it is time to let go some of my past Winter/Christmas creations again.
I have relisted some and newly listed some of my creation in my Etsy shop today.

Here are the pieces that are looking for a new home ... 

There is this one that I am relisting with ...




... and this one.



And are these creations, that I am listing for the first time.




... and this one.




There is also this one ...




... and this one too.




All these are now available in my Etsy shop.

I am hoping to have some time to list a few more of my creations this following week or possibly even make something new, so do pop over some time again and see what I have been up too.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

And Another Pumpkin Re-Do ...


Hello my dear friends,

I think I am getting fond of doing re-dos of my creations these days because I am sharing anther one with all of you today.

This time it is a Winter pumpkin re-do. I had made this pumpkin last Winter and it didn't find a new home, so I decided to give it a makeover and I am love the way it turned out.


I love this pumpkin but it is time for a change.
"Good-bye' to the silver wire tendrils and silver jingle bells and 'Hello' a different look, a  more subtle, naturey and farmhouse look in my eyes and I really like it! 

Here it is ...

... my 'Frosty Winter Pumpkin'.










 I really like this new look and I think it might be the nicest look for my Winter pumpkins so far but you be the judge of that. This wintry pumpkin is now listed for sale in my Etsy shop. And for those you would maybe like to know, my ball jar creation is also now listed for sale in my Etsy shop.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by here at Todolwen and I hope you have enjoyed your short stay.

I hope you are well and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

My One And Only Ball Jar ...

Hello my dear friends,

today's creation is one that I started and finish almost 3 years ago (yes, you did read right) but I never shared it because after it was completed there was a sort of "technical" issue with it which I didn't foresee. It unfortunately didn't work out the way I had hoped it would and the jar ended up in a back corner of one of my shelves ~ not forgotten but also not often remembered.

Back then, in 2016, I even I started to write this post but also never finished.
 I wasn't sure how I was going to fix what was wrong with my creation and make it the way I saw it in my mind but I did it now and I am so happy! I am finally ready to share it with all of  you. 
I am leaving the original part of this post as it is from 3 years ago and just adding on to it.

June/July 2016 ...

I own many mason jars but ...


... I only have one single old ball jar and it is a beautiful shade of blue.

Wanting to create something every neat with it, I have been putting a lot of thought into what that could be. It took a little time but it then suddenly came to me. Since I love Christmas and Winter the theme was now set. I don't know why but I always seem to end up picking Christmas as a theme in the summer time when it is hot outside.

 Already a picture started to appear in my mind of how I would love it to look like once it is done and now all I had to do is work on it actually happening. My idea was to create a Winter scene behind the lovely old blue shaded glass of the jar with snow, glitter and sparkles and then it should have that special 'thing' as well. Some more thinking was required and I had the perfect idea to make this creation with that very special little touch.

And this special touch was this ...


... a small solar light.

I purchased it from Michaels and was so buzzed I that I did.



 I removed the solar part from the tin lid and then fixed it to an old mason jar lid. Some fake snow and the look was perfect! I finished the inside of the jar as well and it looked just like I wanted it too.

Continue 2019 ...

That is how far I got in 2016. After finishing the jar, I placed the lid on it and then sat it on the windowsill in the sunshine to charge the solar panel. Not a good idea at all because that is when things went wrong. Within minutes the jar started to show signs of condensation which is an awful thing when it comes to fake snow. It can cause it to go damp and even moldy, so off came the lid right away and back to the drawing board I went. I looked but didn't find what I needed to make my little Christmas jar light up the way I wanted it to, so I just put it aside.

 That was until a few days ago. I was again was at Michaels looking for some beads when I stumbled across some Fall jars that had little lights that were meant to be fireflies in it and that was it ... finally the solution to my problem! I bought a few of them and back at home I headed into my studio and grabbed my ball jar once again from the back of that shelf. A little later and it was finally fixed and completed once again and this time the proper way. And I am one happy girl!

Now after 3 year I am finally able to share this creation with all of you today.

It is my one and only ball jar creation and I named it ...

... 'Noel'.

And this is it! ...


I chose to create a little Winter scene inside the pretty blue glass jar. 

And this time I left the original lid ...


... as is without any snow.
You know that less is more thing I like to do at times.


A simple tag all stained and glistening ...


... on a seam binding bow is all the embellishment this piece needed in my eyes because the inside is where all the prettiness lives.


A little bleached bottle brush tree all covered in glistening snow and ...


... one of my little pewter rabbits lives under it quite happily.


The tree is all decorated with a sparkly star ...


... and with pearls and more little sparkles.


And here is that little special thing about this creation.

Once it gets dark outside ...


... you can light it up ~ just as if the moon and stars would shine on a cold Winter night.
And it even has a timer! Perfect in every way in my little world.

This creation at last looks just like the way I wanted it to.
It has the sparkle and glitter I wanted it to have ...
... the Winter feel and snow I wanted it to have ...
... and most of all ...
... that special little touch I so wanted it to have.

I am so pleased that I was finally able to finish and share this creation with all of you and I hope you have enjoyed it. It will be listed in my Etsy shop later on today.

Thank you so much for visiting me here at Todolwen, it is always so nice when you do and maybe you will do so sometime again.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Friday, November 8, 2019

More Winter White Fruit ...


Hello my dear friends,

 I enjoyed making my Winter white pears so much that I just wanted to make more like this and I did ... well, not exactly actually.

I didn't make more pears but instead I made another Winter fruit ornament. I got the perfect idea right from our back yard. We have lots of squirrels in our neighborhood and they tend to bury all sort of stuff in our garden including crab apples and as annoying as they can be, I really like their look. So that is what I made ... little Winter White crab apples. I used my pear pattern and tweaked it and changed it and went to work. I started with one but soon after that here were half a dozen of them and I am so happy with they way they have turned out again or almost. I shared them with my Instagram friend Becky from 'Flax and Willow' and I was asked if  I was going to add little glitter to the fruit and not just the leaf. I had already thought about it but just not decided on it. But Becky gave me that little push I needed and I am so happy she did! It was that final touch they needed to look just perfect in my eyes!

Festive and simple but yet very lovely!






They are perfect to be "paired" with my little Winter white pears.
My little crab apples are now listed as a made to order item in my Etsy shop.


 They will come in sets of 6 and would look great in any Winter/Christmas decor, so if you need a little something wintry white and naturey for your Christmas tree, these might just be right!

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting me today, here at Todolwen. It is always so nice when you do.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.