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simple paper circles wreath


Now that we live in a massive, meandering apartment complex with multiple wings and fire doors placed with a frequency optimal for hindering those attempting to lug overfull hampers to the laundry room, I’ve noticed a need for door decorations. Two needs, actually. First, there’s keeping up with the Joneses or the Smiths or whoever the heck lives next door. Many of our neighbours’ doors are decked out in Christmas wreaths and smiling reindeer, and despite the reindeer being rather tacky, it does at least show that those people are making a holiday effort. Until yesterday, our door looked woefully out of date, because I still hadn’t taken down the Remembrance Day poppy wreath since I didn’t have anything to replace it with.

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by on December 16, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Decorations, Holiday/seasonal, Paper Goods
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Posted by Tally on December 16, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/12/simple-paper-circles-wreath/

leafy paper chains

I’ve been wanting to do some Christmas decorating, but a few things have been holding me back. First and foremost is my total lack of time, as I desperately try to get ready for Christmas and do a hundred other things. This past week I’ve been working on a very neat commission project, and completing my first attempt at making a dress without a pattern from a non-stretch fabric. (It’s for the fancy schmancy Child’s Play charity dinner that my friends and I are headed to today – or yesterday, by the time you read this. Pics of that later.)

Anyway, my boyfriend and I are also going away for the holidays this year, so there’s no point in putting up a tree. Which is just as well, since I’ve not had time to start a fight with the building owners over their “no real trees” rule. Their argument being that they’re a fire hazard, but given that there are no rules against candles, hair straighteners, curling irons, incense or toaster ovens, I feel this is pretty feeble logic. But hopefully there will be time to take up that cause next year. For now, there’s no tree, no time, and I’m trying to find some way of making our place look a little more festive. Read the full post »

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by on December 9, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Decorations, Holiday/seasonal, Paper Goods
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Posted by Tally on December 9, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/12/leafy-paper-chains/

derpy penguin dolls & penguin bowling

Tis the season of penguins! And a lot of other stuff, like eggnog and pretty lights and reindeer antlers and super annoying pop remixes of Christmas carols. But for today, we’re focusing on penguins.

These little guys are adorable as decorations or as playthings for the kids in the house. If you fill the bottoms up with rice or beans (a simple process explained in the tutorial), you can make them into little bowling pins to make a game for the little kids in your life.

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by on December 7, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Children, Felt, Plushies, Sewing, Toys
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Posted by Tally on December 7, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/12/derpy-penguin-dolls-penguin-bowling/

Desert Bus for Hope 5 – how to lose a week of sleep in the best way possible

There will be no tutorial this week, as I have been helping to run a 24-hour a day marathon fundraiser since 6pm on Friday, Nov. 18, and crafting has, this very once, taken a back seat. I would, however, like to take a moment to reflect on the week. Desert Bus is without a doubt one of the most unique and amazing things in my life, and this Desert Bus just past has topped all other, previous Desert Buses, which I didn’t even know was possible. Through the incredible support and generosity of thousands of wonderful people, Desert Bus 5 raised over $379,000 for the children’s charity Child’s Play.

I am utterly flabbergasted by this number, flabbergasted and delighted. And I feel deeply deeply honoured and privileged to be part of such a phenomenal event, and to be able to work with all the other wonderful people who put so much into making this week of insanity happen every year.

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by on November 27, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Children, Events
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Posted by Tally on November 27, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/11/desert-bus-for-hope-5-how-to-lose-a-week-of-sleep-in-the-best-way-possible/

microwavable wheat bag monsters

safjsadjdlksajkljfowieafenvlkdsnv!!!

That there is an alphabetical reflection of how my insides are feeling right now, as I and the rest of the Desert Bus team scramble to finish every last bit of prep for the big event, which starts at 6pm today. A mishmash of excitement, anxiousness and oh-my-holy-bus-I’ll-never-get-everything-done-in-time dancing around in my stomach, which is not helping at all with the digestion of what little breakfast I managed to force down.

I have spoken of Desert Bus before, but for anyone unfamiliar with the event, it’s a week-long fundraiser to raise money for Child’s Play. The whole thing is based around one horribly boring video game, and streamed live online. Get the whole bizarre rundown here.

As weird as it may sound as events go, it’s utterly amazing to experience, and it has proven the incredible generosity of the online community for four years in a row, going on five. Over that time, Desert Bus has raised more than $400,000, and we expect that number to rise rapidly over the next few days!

Today’s craft is one of quickness (it’s a week of having too  many things to do!), comfort (a little stress relief is needed when organizing something this big) and cuteness (there can never be enough!). A quick and simple wheat or rice filled monster to keep you company and warm your toes as you while away the chilly nights in front of your computer, watching crazy people do crazy things for a charitable cause.

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by on November 19, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Events, Plushies, Sewing
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Posted by Tally on November 19, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/11/microwavable-wheat-bag-monsters/

needle felted birds – and an Iconocraft Christmas!

After all I said last week about holding off on Christmas decorations, it my seem a bit ironic that my friends and I held a Christmas craft fair last night. But with Desert Bus starting next week, and the venue being pretty much booked solid through the rest of this year, we had to make it happen early. And none of us are decorating our own living rooms just yet. (In fact, our Halloween lights still haven’t come down…)

In June I posted about our first DIY craft fair, where I taught people how to needle felt, and everyone made the most wildly wonderful array of monsters and other creatures. This time I brought the needle felting back again, but taught people how to make little birds. They’re great anytime decorations or Christmas tree ornaments, and they’re deceptively simple.

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by on November 11, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Decorations, Holiday/seasonal, needle felting
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Posted by Tally on November 11, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/11/needle-felted-birds-and-an-iconocraft-christmas/

paper poppies

So now that Halloween is over, it’s time to get out the Christmas decorations, right?

WRONG!

But without any other big holidays between now and December 25, people apparently get antsy and just can’t help digging out the tinsel. Still, before you start jingling the bells, let’s pause and remember that there is one official holiday between Halloween and Christmas: Remembrance Day.

Granted, it’s not a big holiday for most people (those being pretty solely defined by the presence of huge shop sales, *sigh*), and it doesn’t come with gifts or candy or any kind of seasonally specific headgear. However, there is a decoration of sorts associated with Remembrance Day, and that’s the poppy. So if you’re one of those people who took down their Halloween decorations on November 1st… well first of all, cool it. You’re making those of us who leave them up for two more weeks look lazy (which we are, but have the decency not to make it so obvious). And second, before you reach for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer, why not make a nice little red poppy wreath for your door? I’m begging you, just give us a couple more weeks without the holly and the ivy. Please?

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by on November 4, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Decorations, Flowers, Holiday/seasonal, Household goods & decorations, Paper Goods
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Posted by Tally on November 4, 2011

http://tallystreasury.com/2011/11/paper-poppies/

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