…there is always an alternative!

(The bird is from clay, the basket from cork, paper and hay, the balloon is standard paper mache technique with decorative paper.)

But still, Friday Bunny has got real friends. One of them, Sve, asked me very nicely to try and make one pair of sport shoes for her.

I can’t resist a good challenge, so I didn’t refuse. Sve bought the shoes and the fabric colours and presented them to me this Friday evening.

My fingers were seriously itching to start the process immediately:

Finally, the result::

It’s not like some good factory print, but hand-made is a different thing, so I feel it looks alright.

Hope that Sve is going to like the shoes – she still doesn’t know they are ready, this post should be a surprise!

Two of the cookie cutters seemed perfect for making some pigs 9and one with a banjo, of course!):

Then I wanted to sew something and that’s what happened:

And I guess all this was just not enough, so I’ve made some felted little things and added them to every present:

I hope that everyone of you is having happy holidays. I did what I could.

Well, I kind of like the idea for having many small cakes than one big, so the result was satisfying and pleasant for the eye as for the palate.

This kind of “projects” attract many assistants by the old principle of “Tom Sawyer and the fence”.

Some white paint, decoupage glue, nice paper serviettes motives and enthusiasm and that’s the result:

I kinda like it, even if it is far from perfect.

It was fun to make and it makes me smile when I look at it now.

Probably every house can make a good use of one of these. It’s comfy when you are putting on your shoes, you could use it to reach most of the shelves at home, and it’s priceless if you have children to play with it.

Yes, I know that like the meerkats, the lovebirds also look better without the final varnish, but still cannot find a better way to preserve them.

To remind me of the first real champagne that once celebrated our first year together with Michel.

The tom-tit fell in love with the robin and they decided to live together.

They chose a branch of floating wood from the sea, to remind them of all the travels they dream to make.

(I was looking to upload the photos from the process of making, because I thought it would be interesting, but when you postpone something for too long, it’s getting hard to find it…)

I think it came out pretty good this time, too. The little one is my favorite.

I hope my brother is going to like them.

Few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I will accept an order to make some clay figures. He wanted to make a surprise gift to his girlfriend, which apparently is a great fan of these lovely animals.

And because meerkats usually live together in families, the only condition was to make more than two figures.

Finally, I made five of them. I am proud to present them to you:

As far as I know, the receiver is very happy with them. And so do I, since the making was such a big pleasure to me.