... on cat toys.

I don't have a new cat, not yet. I hope to, soon. Recently over at Design Sponge I was rather impressed by Kate's cat toy tutorial, so I thought I'd have a go at some kind of flicky-pompom-feather-wand-thing for this as-yet-non-existent-next-cat-of-mine.

I have used extra-thick leather cord, knotted through a drilled hole in a sanded casuarina stick that I did have earmarked for a wall-hanging. Oh well.

It has a casuarina wood bead, which moves up and down the leather cord, and a pompom and a bunch of feathers on the end (thankyou chickens). Instead of sewing these on as Kate suggested, I have tied them to a knot in the leather. I have my suspicions that the feathers will last exactly 0.05 seconds once a kitten gets hold of them, and the pompom not much longer. If so, I can easily tie on a new pompom/feather-bunch once these get shredded.

Maine coon proof? We shall see. Thanks for the inspiration, Kate!

... on this year, next year.

It's new year's eve. That means today is probably the day I should take down our christmas tree and pack away all signs of noel. I always feel a little sad about doing this, as I just love the fairy lights and sparkles, the glitter falling off ageing decorations, the big old stick-o-bling standing over there in the corner. Putting them all away is going to make the house feel a little empty for a bit, and me, too.

This year I made a few tiny pompoms out of embroidery thread to add to the cacophony.

So carried-away was I by pompomming, they made an appearance on gifts. This year I used these lovely die-cut gift-tags from Polli, which come with a length of string so you can assemble them into a garland if you wish. 

I made bonbons - I started making them years ago when I was disappointed by all those plastic trinkets you generally get in bonbons. Even though they may rattle promisingly, the contents are usually a let-down, right? In these you get a scratchie, a Lindt ball, a party popper, a home-made hat and this year, instead of a joke, an 'interesting christmas fact'. For example, did you know that the first commercial christmas card was produced in the 1800s, and if you had one in decent condition these days it would be worth many thousands of dollars? Interesting!

This year, as I no longer have convenient access to a paddock containing a tree dripping with the real stuff, I made us a bunch of paper mistletoe. I had an old atlas that has maps in the most lovely blues and greens, so I tore out a page (which did indeed feel wrong!), cut and scored the leaf shapes (to give them twists and bends) and attached them individually to twigs using floral tape.

Time to put it all away! The boxes are ready, tissue paper awaits. Goodbye little pompoms. Goodbye twinkly lights, glitter, mirrors, sequins and stars. Goodbye little bunch of paper mistletoe. See you all again next year.

I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday, and a most happy new year to you!

... on more christmassing!

There has been quite a lot of christmas action happening around here.

 There has been the making of cards and the sprinkling of glitter.

 There has been much construction of lunch-paper pompoms to adorn presents and bonbon hats.

There has been the acquisition of a casuarina for our family christmas tree, undertaken with a certain degree of stealth, at dusk. (Thinned from the side of the road down near the creek... since the bushfire two years ago they've grown up so thickly they can't all survive!)

There has been the cutting of my Ma's christmas cake.

There has been a daily inspection by the chooks about how things are going inside the house. "Get out, Boyd!"

... and there has been some degree of craftiness going on. It's time to clean up! Wrap those last presents! Crack open a bottle of Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime cider and... "ahhhh!"