by Susan | Dec 8, 2024 | Bird Patterns, Odds and Ends, Projects
A few years ago, I turned my Joyful Owl into a tree topper that now sports a jaunty red scarf. This gray-colored owl looked sweet on past trees, but not this year’s Christmas tree, which has a more natural white, green, and brown theme. What to do? In October, I...
by Susan | Nov 29, 2023 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Oh, it’s my favorite time of the year! WHRL’s Winter Festival & Auction is just around the corner. I’ve felt time-poor this season leading up to the event, but I’ve got new designs and some old favorites for auction entries. I love Charley...
by Susan | Aug 2, 2023 | Odds and Ends, Projects
When I came home one day with a picture of a “mud kitchen” and asked Paul if he would make me, he agreed – as he almost always does when I volunteer him for a project. He’s been busy working on my Women for Healthy Rural Living “honey...
by Susan | Nov 13, 2022 | Projects
This Joyful Owl in the Square is my latest submission for WHRL’s Winter Tree Festival. The felt owl (download the free pattern here) resides in a wood frame embellished with artificial pine, berries, and a lotus seed pod. Paul made the simple 12′ frame...
by Susan | Nov 12, 2022 | Projects
It’s less than three weeks to WHRL’s Winter Tree Festival & Auction on December 2-3. That means that the ribbon, baubles, and crafting supplies have exploded throughout the house. My first entry, which started this summer, is complete! A few years ago,...
by Susan | Sep 24, 2022 | Odds and Ends, Owl and Raptor Patterns, Projects
Last weekend I started working on felt Joyful Wreath Owls – thinking ahead to this year’s Winter Tree Festival and Auction. I love making these gray felt wreath owls. Then I started thinking about something a little different. How could I switch things up....
by Susan | Jun 19, 2022 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Some time ago, Paul asked me to convert my Downeast Thunder Farm logo owls into an image file he could use with his X-Carve machine. His first test run with that simplified design was on the garden trug he made for me a couple of weeks ago. Last week he started...
by Susan | Jun 3, 2022 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Each year, Women for Healthy Rural Living has a raffle auction – except for the last two COVID summers. I’ve often been able to talk Paul into making and donating an item. In the past, he’s built a rowing dinghy and a child’s pedal Bugatti car,...
by Susan | Feb 8, 2022 | Odds and Ends, Projects
In December, I shared my first project created with my Cricut Maker 3 – Downeast Thunder Farm birds made from wood veneer. At the same time, I was working on another Cricut Maker 3 project that I couldn’t share until after Christmas. Inspired by round wood...
by Susan | Dec 14, 2021 | Projects
I splurged this fall. One little idea spotted on Pinterest that used wood veneer, and I went down the rabbit hole. After tons of research, I purchased a Cricut Maker 3. A couple of small projects behind me, and I started devising wooden birds from my designs. It took...
by Susan | Dec 3, 2021 | Projects
Holy moly, it’s been a race leading up to WHRL’s Winter Tree Festival. While I’ve shared some of what I’ve been working on, Hannah has invested her energy into two things. The first is a Whale in Sweaters wreath that is just darling. However,...
by Susan | Nov 26, 2021 | Projects
This entry for WHRL’s Christmas Tree Festival and Auction is a trio of minimalist vintage Maine Map Christmas Trees. A vintage map tree I spotted on Pinterest from Bombus in the UK inspired these designs. Paul cut three triangles of wood culled from his scraps....
by Susan | Nov 7, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
The Enchanting Winter Woodland Owl Wreath is my second entry for WHRL’s 2021 Winter Tree Festival. Inspired by a wreath I spotted on Pinterest, I scoured the woods for some young trees with thumb-sized branches. Four lengths snipped 14″ long were left to...
by Susan | Nov 2, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
With WHRL’s Winter Tree Festival & Auction just a month away, I’m relieved to be ahead of the game and have my first entry finished. This summer, I spent many hours on my porch painting these little wooden lobster buoys. I strung the individual buoys...
by Susan | Aug 17, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Since working on the Maine Lobster Buoy Adirondack chairs for WHRL’s Chair-ity Auction, I’ve been in a buoy frame of mind. I started thinking about a buoy-themed tree for WHRL’s Christmas Tree Festival. I rummaged through Paul’s scrap wood pile...
by Susan | Jul 23, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
In the last few years, Women for Healthy Rural Living – or WHRL (formerly Women’s Health Resource Library) has had a summer auction. Two years ago, I created my Navigating Maine Coffee Table for the event. Last year, we decided to have local artists...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Do you know those Honey-do items that languish on the to-do list? This one has been languishing for about 15 years. In part because there have been so many projects on the list and in part because I didn’t nag. Years ago, I refinished this old chest of draws...
by Susan | May 17, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Maine Cottage has beautiful furniture and fabrics. If I had the means, I just decorate my entire home from their catalog. They were gracious enough to donate fabric to WHRL for curtains and pillow cushions in our new office space. The fabric is priced out of range, so...
by Susan | May 1, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
I received so many messages when I shared my grandma Jordan’s quilts last week. Everything from suggestions for displaying them and things to make with them. And full out horror that I would consider cutting them up at all and ideas for restoration. Susan W....
by Susan | Mar 12, 2021 | Projects
I’ve been working from home almost exclusively for a year now. You’d think I would have spruced the place up on the front end of the pandemic and quarantine. Paul says it’s because it took me this long to figure out how I should arrange the furniture...
