I am almost finished with these and I would not be sad if my client did not care for  them as I am  rather fond of this piece of work.

Each leaf was hand cut  and bent so that they would look like real leaves. This is the view from the  front This is the view from the side. Lighting with the i pad is never true to color but these  look  amazing in person! 

Today was a  wonderful day! I re purposed a  project that I had abandoned a few years ago.  Now I can  call my 10 year old friend Emma and  tell her that I  have a  Christmas tree after all. It looks amazing in person!  Made out of an old  World War II missile case,  bamboo  from the  backyard and  plastic swirling rods,  tube  lights and  tree lights. see the  short video here.

Clark Elementary School located in Downtown Issaquah has an annual winter fundraiser.  This family fun  event includes gingerbread house making and a spaghetti  dinner for about 300 people.  Local merchants and artists donate to the silent auction. If you are interested in contributing to next years event I am happy to put you in touch with the organizer! I am happy this little bird went to school  and  found a new home! 

All you need to make this lovely center piece: plastic forks,  scissors,  hot glue,  spray paint and a poster board.   this can also be done with  plastic spoons.

Make a cone out of the poster board, I like to stuff mine with paper to help it keep its shape and to keep it sturdy.  I also  hot glue cardboard on the bottom of the cone to  keep everything stable.

Cut the handles off the  forks.

Starting from the  bottom hot glue forks to the cone. Continue working  your way around the cone  up to the  spray paint finished tree when paint is dry  decorate as you  wish!

For the people who love to paint.  This little fork  Santa is  something I started making in 4th or 5th  grade to  sell at holiday  bazaars to earn money for holiday gifts. 

It was cold and rainy when I  left the house , my husband  looked at me and said, “Are you  going hiking in this weather?”  My reply was ,”yes I am  and I promise to stay on the trail and be careful.” Anyone who knows me well knows I love adventure and I can  get caught up in the exploration and lose track of where I am  going and what time it is getting to be.

I feel so lucky to live in a place near so many amazing hiking trails that want to  hike  each one in each season! I am by no means fastest hiker in the world but I am slow and steady and enjoy each step . It was about 36 degrees F today and most the trails were clear of snow but there was lots of snow on the trees around me. I love the cool crisp winter air! 

These photos were taken in North Bend WA.