Samhain

Samhain (pronounced sow like the female adult pig-in) is the first day of the new year and the first day of winter on the Celtic calendar. As we gather in for the coming dark, let us renew our creative spirit and inner strength.

Folded Heart Valentine

Hearts and Valentine's Day go together. Here's a simple folded heart for the occasion. Once you get the hang of it, they are easy to make in quantity. I used the label from a large can of tomatoes. I cut it down so that the paper was about twice as wide as it is tall.
Turn the paper over and fold up a flap about 1/4 the height of the paper. To be more precise, you can fold the paper in half, open it, and fold the the bottom edge up to the center fold.

Fold the paper in half with the flap on the inside.

Open the paper. Bring the bottom right side of the paper to meet the center fold and crease.

Bring the bottom left side of the paper to meet the center fold and crease.

Turn the paper over.

Bring the right edge to meet the right edge of the folded flap and crease.

Bring the left edge to meet the left edge of the folded flap and crease.

Fold the inside folded edge of each flap on the diagonal to make a triangle. This is the center of the heart.

On each side, fold the outside edge on the diagonal to form a triangle.

Turn over the paper to see the heart.

If you attach your heart to a card, it is helpful to glue down the triangle folds first. You can also combine hearts to make a wall piece. I used tomato can labels again. There are two layers of cereal box pieces. One is covered with plastic netting from a grapefruit bag. The hearts and the box pieces were attached by poking two holes with a needle and inserting and then twisting wire. You can also use white glue.


View a video on how to make this heart from a dollar bill.

Directions for a more (but not too) complicated folded heart.

Forcing Forsythia

The vibrant yellow forsythia, which blooms here at the end of the April, is always a sign of spring. In January, I like to bring some branches inside and watch them slowly bloom.


Cut stems on a diagonal.



Pound the ends with a hammer or a rock. This will help the woody stems absorb water. I covered an old catalog with a plastic bag to protect the table.

Place in a jar of water or a vase. I don't always do it but it's a good idea to change the water every week to keep it fresh.

Tea Light Snowflakes

The new year is always a time of beginnings and resolutions. I have been becoming increasingly aware of the impact we have on the environment and the amount of waste we generate. In 2007 I began to use recycled materials almost exclusively in the bookmaking workshops I teach in schools and libraries. Since I have become more aware of the creative uses for things that were headed for the trash or the recycling bin, I find myself looking at things with fresh eyes to see what else they can become. In 2008 I am extending my creative use of household waste in new directions.

When I went to replace the burnt candles on the Christmas mantle, I was struck by a discouraging thought. These candles are wasteful. For that little bit of wax, I have a small metal container to dispose of. Before I even had a chance to see if they would be able to go in our recycling bin, I had an inspiration. Snow has been on my mind as of late as we have had lots this winter. The metal containers would make wonderful snowflakes!

MAKING THE SNOWFLAKES
Because snowflakes are hexagonal, cut the sides into six equal parts. I find it easiest to use one pair of opposing dots to determine where to make the first two cuts. Then I just judge by eye to cut each half into thirds.
The next cuts you make will start to design your snowflake. Snip a triangle or other shape away from the edge of each of the six parts.
Continue snipping away shapes until you have a snowflake you like.

CAUTIONS
1. I do not recommend this as a project for children.
2. The edges of the snowflake are not particularly sharp, but the little bits of metal pieces can be. I did my snipping over a cardboard box so that the little pieces wouldn't go on the floor but a sweep or vacuum after is a good idea.
3. Because the metal is thin, it is easy to cut but not particularly sturdy so the finished snowflakes should be handled with care.

SNOWFLAKE BOOK
Because I spend much of time teaching and creating projects for making books with children, my first thought was to make a snowflake accordion book.You can find out how to make one on my Making Books with Children blog. Since I only wanted to make one book and I had lots more candles, I needed more ideas.

IN A VASE
The vase has a cuttings from the red twig dogwood mixed in with pieris. The snowflakes are tucked in among the leaves. They could also be hung with wire.

ON THE DOOR
The snowflake is on a purple square cut from a gift box on a square cut from a Lindt chocolate wrapper on a square of cardboard wrapped with a mesh bag that contained red potatoes. I attached the snowflake through all the layers with wire and a push pin at the end. It was a little tricky but I felt it would be more secure than if I had used glue.

IN THE WINDOW
The snowflakes were strung on thread and hung in the window.