Terrariums

These dreary winter days make me wish for the green days of summer. I have a lot of hens and chicks (Sempervivum) left over from several projects for my wedding this past summer, and I'm thinking of using them to make a terrarium for the house. Here are some great terrariums I found online.

I love that this one from here uses part of a glass light fixture.

This one uses mason jars and some really cool rocks:

I love the glass globes and the color of the plants used in this one:

And I love the stacked rocks and use of jars from around the house in this one:

I'm heading to my parents' house in New Mexico for a few days, and I hope to work on my terrarium while I'm there. I'll report back on my progress!

Myra Copus ornaments

While I was in graduate school in West Virginia I had the great fortune to meet my friend Kelly--she loves crafts and handwork items as much as I do!

Kelly has the ability to find the most amazing items at art and craft fairs and local shops. My Christmas present from her for several years in a row was a gorgeous handpainted ornament by Myra Copus. I grew up riding and showing horses, so each year Kelly picked an ornament with a horse on it. The snow on the ground today made me think of this ornament--it's one of my favorites.

Myra lives in Annapolis, MD, and I imagine that you can find her work at art and craft fairs or at local shops if you live in the area. Otherwise, you can check out her website here.

New Year's resolution

Here it is, three whole days before January 1, 2009. There is snow on the ground, and although it is time for our morning walk, my dog Sadie can't be convinced to leave her spot approximately six inches from the woodburning stove. I don't blame her. So I guess now is a good time to start on one of my New Year's resolutions--to organize the wonderful things I find that pertain to the many interests in my life.

I am always looking for new ideas that I can incorporate into my projects, and I'm always hunting for helpful hints or good solutions to problems or questions I have in my pursuit of handwork items. For years I have saved these ideas in the form of magazines, pages torn from magazines, photos cut from pages of magazines, random downloaded photos, and random links that I've saved on my computer. Invariably, they get lost in a move. Or lost in a file folder in a box at the back of the shelf in the closet. Or lost in the mass of information contained on my computer... I never have them at my fingertips when I need them.

One of my resolutions for this year included developing a fabulous organizational system for all these thoughts and bits of information. And it occurred to me that perhaps other people can benefit from this information, too. Thus, The Handwork Chronicles is born. Handwork (noun): Work done by hand rather than by machine. Chronicle (verb): To record or register.

I'll use this blog to share with you the neat finds I uncover and those fabulous tidbits of information that might just make all the difference for you in one of your projects. I'll also share great projects you can do yourself, and I'll keep you updated on my own handwork adventures.

I hope that you'll join me in my pursuit--please feel free to share with me your own tidbits of information or do-it-yourself projects. And if you know of a master of handwork who deserves to be highlighted, please let me know.