Instagram Flashback: December

Happy new year to you! Happy 2013! Two-thousand and twelve was a great (one of the best really!) year -marked by some big transitions for my family -one finishing school and one starting school. Both of these events allowed me to make some creative magic at Benzie. My customers have been nothing less than fabulous -and truly creative beings. I thank you!!! But there is one last Instagram flashback. The month of December. The month of Jesus's birthday...

1. Dala horse cookies to celebrate Santa Lucia. And to brush up on my decorating skills. I used to be pretty good, I guess. Good enough to get into a book!
2. Mermaid for my daughter and my niece! Pattern from Bit of Whimsy.
3. Giraffe for my son -pattern also from Bit of Whimsy. They have patterns great for the beginner -I feel a bit more confident to move up to the more complex!
4. Christmas card season!!!
5. Christmas tags -thanks to my 6 year old. Handwriting is just so sweet at this age!
6. And off to visit family -the best part of the holidays. This is the little town in Iowa I grew up in. Full of frosted, snowy trees. I wish you all a beautiful 2013!

@benziedesign

Felt like a tutorial: Christmas Trees

Celebrating the classic holiday centerpiece: the Christmas Tree!
1. Can't go wrong with this scallop cut tree by Allsorts -and the pattern is easy to understand!
2. Stand up trees by Joggles.
3. These little brooches by Purlbee are perfect for passing and adorning gifts!
4. Super excited about these bright and easy trees -must go see them at The Creative Salad.
5. Little embroidered trees by Cynthia Treen at Martha Stewart.
6. And a great craft for the kids by The Magic Onions.

Happy merry making to you!

Instagram Flashback: November

1. One of the things I love most about Benzie (which is a lot!) is building customer orders. One by one the colors come off the bolt to create the custom picked rainbow. Oh, the things it will become!
2. Every year the youth group in my church host a bake sale called Yule Time Market -it's a way to raise money for summer camps and service projects. My part is designing and creating the packaging for the cookies and soup mixes we sell -I love that I can use my ribbon gifts in this way!
3. Did you see the most recent tutorial round-up at Benzie? Seriously fun!
4. I was in charge of making place-settings at our families thanksgiving celebration. Each leaf was made individually using polymer clay and alphabet stamps. It was baked then painted with metallic acrylics. Totally want to make more!
5. I'm thankful for my husband. We may be totally different on the Myers-Briggs or Ennegram scale -but we both take our oath of "for better or for worse" seriously. There is unique sort of intimacy that happens under the umbrella of commitment and I'm thankful that I get to do life with him!
6. And closing out with this custom garland for a christmas tree! In Red, Fern and Sky.

See you next month!
@benziedesign

Felt like a tutorial: Thanksgiving Feast

Here in the U.S. -it's the month of thankgiving and feasting and Benzie is celebrating with our own Thankgiving dinner! This entire dinner is made with only 10 colors of felt -and even has it's own Benzie Collection. Thanks to all the wonderful crafters who put together these tutorials! 

1. Thanksgiving is complete without the Cranberries -and this tutorial is one of Benzie's very own. 

2. Hot cross buns! by ShellyInspired. We used Benzie felt in Toast and Ivory.

3. Turkey leg by Art Threads. Cinnamon and Latte felt was used.

4. Sugar snap peas (a favorite in our house) by Craftiness is not Optional in Zucchini felt.

5. Cutest little corn cob ever! Derived from While Wearing Heels in Ochre and Ivory.

6. And pumpkin pie from Little Dear at Sew, Mama, Sew in the color Pumpkin (of course), Ivory, and Latte. Go check out the original -it includes some great embroidery!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Jello -diy and pattern

Thanksgiving classics -turkey, green bean casserole and.... cranberries! And what better way to serve cranberries than in a jello mold?! Here's my contribution for the big day -a pattern and diy instructions so you can make your very own felt cranberry jello side dish!

1. Supplies: Benzie felt -I used Brick and Fern (and a scrap of Zucchini), matching thread, needle,  scissors, thread, bit of poly-fill (not pictured) and pattern.

2. First -cut all your piece out of the felt. The trapezoid and flower shapes are for the jello mold and the leaf shape is for the lettuce. First sew the trapezoid shapes together. I used a mixture of the back stitch and blanket stitch. You could also whip stitch but small and neat stitches are key. Then add the top and bottom of the mold and a bit bit of stuffing. 

3. Cut out mint leaves -and attach.

4. Cut out the lettuce leaf. To make the veins -I machine sewed the crease. This could also be handstitched. 

5. Lettuce!

6. Cranberry jello mold is complete!

Instagram Flashback: October

1. There's my cute kiddos in their school uniform shirts -if you look closely one is wearing a praying mantis as a brooch. Stylish.
2. We harvested the rest of our little garden this month -and still have a large bucket of tomatoes in the fridge waiting to be made into tomato sauce. We roasted the carrots up with potatoes and peppers and onions. Teenagers even eat them -it's that good!
3. You didn't miss the launch of Benzie's two new colors did you? Love them! We also said goodbye to Sunset and Slate.
4. Benzie is also offering custom, multi-sized garlands in the handmade shop! Any 3 colors at 3 yards or try the 6 yards at a discount. Custom garlands are very popular on Benzie and now even easier to purchase!
5. The kids had several days off school -it was wonderful to have them home and confirmed even more that I'm a much better fit for school aged children! We had a fabulous time visiting family, crafting and loads of game playing (our current favorites being Chess, Go Fish, Uno and Farkle). We also tried waxing leaves by dipping them in paraffin wax. Just so you don't go to 6 stores like I did -you can find it in the candle aisle of big box craft stores.
6. Annie. I've been a Little Orphan Annie fan for years. I've seen the broadway production twice. I broke up with my boyfriend after each time (different boyfriend) -luckily I haven't made my husband see it with me. I want to keep him around for a while yet.

See you next month. For more instagram fun my name is @benziedesign.

Finding your wings

This past summer I had the privilege of mailing a lovely package a felt over to Ashley Ann, my favorite blogger, hands down. She picked out the Geranium felt collection in the 12x18" size and said it was going to become a gift for her daughter. A beautiful gift of wings.

Ashley Ann talks about how the wings and headband was constructed on her blog but the original tutorial can be found at llevo el Invierno.