Exterminate Winter Cold

We seem to be welcoming 2018 here with more snow and cold temperatures. This after a week of the same. My favorite way to chase away the winter blahs is with new winter hats. I've wanted a Dalek hat for a while but had trouble finding a pattern that I really liked. This hat was the product of a combination of a few different patterns. It may not be my warmest hat but I think a fleece liner will make a difference.

UPDATE: Based on the advice of a friend, I've added a small, battery operated light to the eyestalk. The effect is pretty excellent.

 

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 1

I've had a lot of fun playing with Christmas images this month but to close this list I felt it was important to focus on what Christmas really means. So I'm closing with this nativity image. It was a really fun repainting project, starting with a Halloween decoration I found on clearance, making the transition from dark and lurid to meaningful with a little acrylic paint.

 

Merry Christmas, friends and may God bless you.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 2

When I first started making puppets I admired Muppets but figured they were far beyond anything I was capable of creating. Yet the notion won't leave me along. So for one of my final crafts this Christmas season I thought I would make a first attempt, with this penguin. It's a little rough, especially along the top of the head but a hat covers that flaw well. 

 

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 3

Last year I added stars to the lights I hang over my bed. Since I still haven't gotten around to adding the flamingo covers to my lights, I thought I'd decorate them again. This is another idea I found on Pinterest, and it's super simple. All you need is some drinking straws and tape. What better way for a geek to decorate.

 

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 4

When we were kids, my mom taught us to make snow globe type decorations out of cotton balls, bouillon jars, beads, and the like. When I found myself in possession of an empty bouillon jar I knew just what to do with it. And, it turns out, Tsum Tsums make great snow globe fillers.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 5

Today's craft is another kit. Actually, it's part of a kit. The box included the entire nativity set but I've only finished a few pieces. Still, with the holy family and a few animals I feel like the essentials are present.

 

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 6

This is a case of a craft I saw on Pinterest, was inspired by, but didn't have the exact same materials. The original was made out of a soda bottle and paper clay. As our soda bottles have a deposit, I substituted a sports drink bottle. I used tissue paper, cardboard, and hot glue in place of the clay. The result is more of a gnome home than a fairy house. It's just the right size for a flocked owl I had lying around.