After taking a few days off to enjoy the holiday I’m doing something new, today through Friday I’ll be sharing my favorite art and design posts from 2016. It’s been amazing to look back at all of the talent we’ve covered over the past twelve months! I’m pumped to get started with 2017 next week as well because we have some fresh columns that I hope you’re going to love as much as I do!
This Sunday I hope you’ll wake up not too early in a warm, cozy bed with a few butterflies from childhood in your stomach. I hope you promptly have coffee before spending the day in either your pajamas or your holiday finery. I hope it’s 24-hours full of love and laughter and contentment. I hope there’s at least one unexpected surprise. I hope you eat a big, delicious meal and help out in the kitchen. I hope you take a few minutes standing in the woods, or on the porch without your coat, or before you close your eyes that night to reflect on how good most of us have it. And lastly, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. xo, Kelly
Like I’ve mentioned, I’m way behind on just about everything this holiday. Between election madness, the state of the world, and 2016 as a whole I’m just not really feeling the holiday spirit quite like I normally do. I have yet to wrap any gifts other than the ones that have been sent off to faraway friends, zero cookies have been baked, and I still have no clue what to get my 92-year-old Grandma. If you’ve run out of some wrapping supplies or you just like free stuff, download these 24 holiday printables and remember that the season is all about love and togetherness, and it’s the thought that always counts most.
French artist Claire Trotignon employs drawing, collage, screen-printing, and installation as she explores the concept of space through architecture, landscape, and mapping. Claire says her inspiration comes from “everywhere at any moment” and cites music, film, travel, and books as notable sources.
My Grandma’s nut roll, egg custard pie, Hershey Kiss cookies. All of these foods and more remind me of the holidays, including candy bark. What I love about this incredibly easy treat is that it can include everything but the kitchen sink or actually be borderline healthy for you depending on what you add. I’ve rounded up a selection of both, check ’em all out below!
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
Meet artist Sophie Derrick. Yup, that’s her – right there under all of those layers of paint. Sophie uses her own body as a canvas before photographing the results and then painting on top of those as well, blurring the lines between painting and photography in the process.
If you share your home with a cat (or three) they’re in the Christmas tree half of the time it seems. I took a cue from them and created this two-for-one DIY project inspired by their antics and Fancy Feast Feastivities‘ handmade gift guide for cat lovers.
Fancy Feast Feastivities is a celebration of the ultimate ways to delight cats and cat lovers during the holidays. This year’s theme is all about inspired holiday entertaining, so you’ll find the gift guide contains plenty of gifts for the cat-loving hostess in your life. The creativity of the makers involved pushed me to come up with something I knew my cats would love playing with, rather than buying something they’d probably bat around for five minutes and never look at again (like real kids!).
Your cat can play to their heart’s content with their mega glitter pom pom toy, while just the addition of ribbon turns it into a sparkly decoration that can bring a festive touch to a doorknob or tree branch in your home. I plan on making a few more of the smaller ones to add to the outside of gift boxes as well because they’re just so happy looking!
Supplies
• glue gun and glue sticks
• 2-inch styrofoam ball (for the cat toy)
• 3-inch styrofoam ball (for the decoration)
• various sizes of glitter pom poms
• ribbon
• catnip
After heating up your glue gun, start by distributing the largest of the pom poms evenly over the ball’s surface and gluing down. Work progressively through the other sizes (I used three different ones), using the smallest pom poms to fill in any leftover spaces. If you’re working on the larger decoration, make sure to leave a small space to attach a ribbon for hanging with the hot glue as well. Allow to cool for five minutes before placing in a closed ziploc bag with catnip for a few hours. Your own ornament should be ready to hang after those five minutes as well.
My cat, Peanut, especially loved this toy. He batted it around the room for at least ten minutes, picking it up in his mouth and giving a good shake before putting it back on the floor and running around the room like crazy again. I may need to make two more for the other cats! And if you have any of the larger pom poms leftover I guarantee your felines will go crazy for those on their own as well.
This post sponsored by Fancy Feast Feastivities. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help Design Crush create fresh content!
