Paper Balls

NO not what you are thinking!!!!!!  The paper balls I showed in a recent post.....I have had a couple of really nice comments about them and a couple of requests on how to make them...so on this cold and icy afternoon, while the soup pot bubbles and the cat takes a nap....another one!!!,  I will tell you how to make them.  I made one ages ago, put it away and promptly forgot about it.  I found it again while going through a box a couple of weeks ago and with scrap book paper in hand, proceeded to go nuts and make far too many.  BUT, they are very nice to look at and very easy to make....

Pictures might help....

Cut 16- 4" x 1/2" strips of heavy paper....I used scrap book paper.....I collect it!! Make holes about 1/8" from the end. Use an awl, a very big needle, or a tiny paper punch.....your choice!!!

Cut two 1'' circles and make a hole in the centre...

Cut a piece of wire about 5" long and make a loop on one end.

Make a tube of paper 2" long and close with tape.

If you want, you can add a bead to it, but you don't have to. If you want a circle on the outside cut two more circles out of the paper you use or something that compliments it.

Put the bead on the wire...put the strips on the wire...add one of the 1" circles, the tube and the other 1" circle.

Now taking the bottom, or first, strip, feed the wire through the hole.  You will have to bend the wire a little bit to accomodate this move.

The picture below shows the paper being fed from the bottom of the stack....

Continue putting the paper on the wire until all the strips are on.

Put the circle on, if you are using one, the bead and make another loop in the wire and cut the excess.

VOILA...you have a paper ball.

If you make one, show me....please?

I made up my own measurements and ended up with this.....Easter anyone??

or if you don't put in the tube, you get a Sultan's Hat??!!!

You have to do a couple more things, but that is for another day.......maybe.

Ok, have fun and show what you've done,

the cat is up and giving me that look,

that means playtime is over...

she wants attention, food, and attention.

Happy New Year

and may we all be healthy and happy.

and a happy new year....

As you can see by the header picture and the one on the right, we are being covered by ice.  Nothing to worry about, "they" say, just a passing ice storm.....well, we'll see!

'tis not fit for man

nor beast..(is she singing my tiny hand is frozen???)

the stars are froze

the concrete too

the iron is bent

but I'm warm.....are you???

Whiskers wishes you a very happy new year and so do I,

and so does the man in the room on the right!!!!

Merry Christmas

to all

 near

and far.

The march of the penquins...

Well not quite!!! 

They came in twos..

They came in fives.....

They came in sevens.......

One even flew in 

Well, you get the picture!!!

(Took a lot to get them to stay and have their pictures taken.)

They can be very skittish....

the new ducks took off before I had a chance to snap.

(I'm sorry these are a bit blurry, but I didn't want to miss it.)

It's back...

entry to the outside world, that is.  Last evening the plows arrived, actually two enormous graders, and cleared a pathway out. I like the feeling of being cut off, for a while, and when the machines arrive, I miss the pristine look of the fallen snow. 


Now, I understand people have to get out, but while it lasts, it's magical. We live in a subdivision that is at the end of the "line", and in years past have been left to our own devices, and it seems, we still are, last that is.  The hubs worked very hard at clearing the snow from around the house and the driveway, and of course, the plows blocked us in again.  They can't help it, but this morning a very sweet and helpful stranger, just driving by with a blade on his truck, pushed the snow aside and now it's clear again.  Such a kind gesture.....there are still those to be had.

 I wonder how humans survivied in the old days.  Have been reading about all the chaos and mayhem, here and in Europe, over the last few days. It's like it's never snowed before and the systems seem to be very fragile.  My sister lives in Canada, and she told me last week that the transport system up there had fallen apart with the first bit of winter weather they had. If the CANADIANS can't deal with it....how the hell are the rest of us supposed to!!! 

I must tell you about this....on the right side of my page you will see the list of blogs I read.  Click on the Chronicles of a Country Girl and look at her slideshow.....she explains how to link the music to it.  It is just beautiful......and her dog........George.

I'll be back!!!

As the sun sets

on the shortest day of the year

and I know the little creatures who share our space

have had a little something to keep them going

through the long night

I wish you a Happy

 

Stollen...

Solstice....

Yummmm

Just one last post today

to show you this...

They came in all at once and it looks like they'll stay overnight.

There is a little bit of ice that has formed and they seem to be staying by it.

There was also this that I almost missed....

not too bad for a quick shot.

Tomorrow we will have a complete change of subject...

it will include the word

"YUM"!!!

Here is a clue!!??

El Sol

has returned.  For now.  What a sight upon awakening, even before the light hit all the white. Anyway, it is over and we survived it and I guess we'll have a "White Christmas", (detest that song)  The guy on tee vee said it was the worst storm for December, ev-er, and the 6th worst in whatev-er. Who keeps all these records?!! Anyway, sick of hearing about it already, it's here and there isn't anything we can do, so here are a couple photos and then that's it for the snow. Unless something happens of course.  And since no one reads this anyway.....!!!

just before the sun came up over the horizon

first light

just because..

The necklace

is finished. I love it...

Had some help this afternoon!  She stayed with me the whole day.  I think her masters' boots scared her as he went in and out to shovel the snow. Or she is thinking of making herself something with the wool that looks like her!  Or...she's thinking of decorating her bed with an English Style!!

I love this little ball of fur so much!  Especially when she gets "kitty spit" on the wool!

I'm dreaming of a...

sometimes we think we would like something.....so I made a whole bunch of these...

and then they announced that the storm of all time was coming to get us.....and they predicted many inches, if not feet.

But who believes the weatherman anymore???

WHO?

It snowed!!

.....Oh yes it did, and we have maybe 24 more hours to go!!  They got it right this time, damn them, and it is definately going in the record books. There is nothing we can do about it, so let's just enjoy it......

seasons greetings!!!

I have just discovered that I can fool around with my photos before posting them.

DUH!!

So here is just a taste of what I can do.

This is the hutch dressed for  the season.!!

Cool HUH!?

I will do another post in a little while.

Have to gather and load something to put up....

so see ya soon.

Click on the photo and you will see what I did..

on purpose!

The sunset

tonight was most colourful.  We got a dusting of snow on Saturday, that was just a big nuisance and we are expecting more bad weather tonight and tomorrow.  But this evening it is just lovely.  I spent some time making paper ornaments and intend to get a few decorations out this week.  Just something to jolly the place up a bit.  We have the standard grocery store poinsettia, so I guess the "season" has begun.