At Last ... It SNOWED!! ...

Hello my dear fiends,

I am one girl with a huge smile on her face, even though right now I am worn out a little.
Why? ... It has snowed at last!

 I have been very busy first thing this morning at 7 am, clearing driveways and sidewalks and even some it of the road in front of our house too. I have wonderful neighbors and to help them, I also clear theirs since they are all elderly and I would hate to see them struggle or even get hurt.

The beautiful white stuff had started to fall all day yesterday and continued into last night. I think we may have gotten about 20 to 25 cm or 8 to 10 inches of snow ... YAY! I because I don't like keeping nice stuff to myself, here are some photos for all of you that like the cold stuff as much as I do.

This was yesterday afternoon just a little after it had started to snow and it stuck and didn't melt.

I am sure my little Peter Pan was happy to see the white and pretty flakes falling from the sky again too.

The little black squirrel that lives in our willow tree, made it all the way to our deck for a few treats before it got too cold.

The lights were strung in our 'fairy bush' just waiting for the darkness of the day so they could shine again and it didn't take long for the evening to arrive.

My 16 year old so happy to stand in the fresh fallen snow and just to gaze at it.

Then it was time for the colors of the lights to sparkle in our trees and bushes. The snow tried to hide them underneath it's blanket but it didn't work.

This picture is a little blurry but that is because the lights ...

... are twinkling ones.

I just love it when colored Christmas lights meet the snow ... magical in my eyes.

In our backyard ...

... our garden lights were given white little hats of snow ...

... that after a while started to melt and become ice and looked so pretty.

And this is what it looked like this morning in our back yard.

Lots of snow ...

... Peter Pan almost up completely covered up.

Everything just looking so lovely.

The little black squirrel was hungry and back again. It made the long walk from the willow tree in the deep snow to our deck for a few peanuts.

 

She waited patiently in the fairy bush for me got throw some out and ...

... then came down to search for them. Once she found one ...

... she stood up, not to get too cold and would eat it.

After several peanuts, she returned to the bush and then finally went back to her nest in the willow tree at the end of the garden.

I save this photograph as the last one.

 It is the view of our neighbors shed, a bit of the cedars in our garden and our other neighbors trees. Doesn't it just look so lovely? I have been to Austria and Switzerland and it looks just like this in the winter time. You could say picture perfect!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and visit me for a little while. 

I hope you have enjoyed your short stay here at Todolwen.

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Adent, Advent ... Three Candles Now Burn ...

Hello my dear friends,

I just wanted to wishing you a blessed and peaceful third Advent.

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

Hugs.

'Butterbrot Tueten' ~ A New Ugly Duckling Transformation ...

Hello my dear friends,

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several weeks ago I found a very neat German tutorial an how to make paper stars from German 'Butterbrot Tueten'  (sandwich bags). German sandwich bags are a little different from the ones we can buy here in Canada and the US. The don't have a flat bottom that makes the bag able to stand but instead they have a gusset only and those were the ones I needed. All I had to do was to find them.
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 I checked out Etsy but didn't find what I needed. Ebay.com didn't have what I needed, so I also checked out the German Ebay site. It did have what I needed but the smallest order you could place was for 1000 bags! ... Far too many. I almost wanted to give up and then I thought of a lovely lady I know, who lives in Germany and could maybe help me out.  My dear friend Ines is so sweet and kind. I asked her if she would mind purchasing me a packet of  'butterbrot tueten'. I would send her the money for them and the postage but she insisted that she wanted to gift them to me. What a kind thing to do!  Just over a week or so later my mail arrived from Germany. Two packets of 'butterbrot tueten' were here and I was so excited! (forgot to take a photograph again) Now all I needed was time to turn them into something very beautiful.
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These are some of the bags I was gifted.

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I am quite busy with all sorts so it took me a little while to get to make my first star and that is what I am sharing with you today. Unfortunately so far I haven't had time to make anymore just yet.
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The German tutorial gives you the simple but beautiful star how-to. I wanted mine to be different though. I wanted to make snowflakes instead of stars. After making the basic star, I did few random snips here and a couple more of them there and it was done ... from a star to a snowflake in few moments.
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Just take a look ...
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This new 'ugly ducking' transformation now hangs in my studio.

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Isn't it just lovely?!

I am so happy with the way my snowflake turned out and I am hoping to make a few more before Christmas is here to hang in our home. If  I don't get around to it this year, I sure know what I am going to be doing for next Christmas.
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 Isn't it just so neat that you can take something so basic and plain and turn it into something so beautiful?!
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Thank you again so much my dear friend Ines, for being so sweet and kind!
Sending you many, many hugs.
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I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.
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Have a peaceful and creative day.

An Old Christmas Tree Candle Clip ..

Hello my dear friends,

do you remember my antique Christmas tree candle clips?

 I had bought them from the UK several years ago now but I never got to creating anything with them until some time later. Even when I did make something using one of the old beautiful clips, I didn't share it with you for some reason. I think I was just very busy and forgot all about it. That will change though because that is what I am sharing with you today. A little creation for the most wonderful time of the year, all Christmassy, snowy and sweet.

And this is it, my newest Christmas creation.

'An Old Candle Clip'

A little bunny sits peacefully under a snow covered Christmas tree that has been embellished with dark red pip berries that glisten as if the frost has kissed them. 

Don't you think it almost looks like the little critter is listening out for something?!... Maybe  he is waiting to hear Santa's sleigh bells in the distance.

The old candle clip itself is just so beautiful!

I am so happy with the way this little Christmas creation has turned out and I hope you have enjoyed my newest creation too.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me today, 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.

Hurry, Hurry ... Christmas Is Coming ...

Hello my dear friends,

( 'broken record alert' and possible over usage of the word ' again'!)

I can't believe that I have done it again ... I am behind with all sorts of things again. 

I have had and still have so much on my 'to do' list these days and again I only got some of it done. I think this happens every Christmas time. All year long I could work on  doing all sorts but I decide to put it all on my winter/Christmas 'have to do' list and then run out of time or just feel overwhelmed. Maybe next year I will finally do it different?!

This is what is one my work table right now ...

... there is some embroidering of seam binding roses ...

... which are turning out just so lovely.

They look like an 'old' English rose and so beautiful.

I am also adding that little special touch ...

... to the Christmas cards that I am sending out this year.

Remember my little how-to do little things that make your cards just look that bit nicer?!

Here is the link to that post ...

That Special Little Touch For Your Christmas Cards

One of the other things that I am working on as well is a new little tutorial for my tutorial page here on Todolwen. I am just hoping that I will get it finished in the next week so I can share it with you soon. I am also working on some gifts for friends and family and a creation or two on top of that. As always too many things to do all at once but I think some of you might just be in the same place I am when it comes this time of the year.

Last but not least ...

... I just have to share a few photos of a very neat little furry girl squirrel that visits our garden every day now since weeks. She is so pretty and has such lovely fluffy ears. She loves to jump up on the railing of our deck, right at the kitchen window so that when I notice her, I will give her a little treat in the shape of a few peanuts or a piece of apple.

Isn't she just so cute?!

Well, that is what is going on here right now. I am sure it won't take too long before I have something new to share with all of you, so do stop by some time again and visit me here at Todolwen. You never know what I might have been up too.

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Advent, Advent ~ Two Candles Are Now Lit ...

Hello my dear friends,

I would just like to wish you all ...

 

... a lovely and peaceful second Advent.

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

Hugs.