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Did you all remember to celebrate Krampusnacht on December 5th? “Krampus Night,” that time in Eastern European cultures (and now many other places around the world) held the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas. Krampus, who is everywhere now, is that big half man/half goat being with horns, fangs, and hooves. He wears longs […]
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I know we have all seen it in magazines or on social media: the haunting of the dollhouse. The easy concept of turning an old foofy pink and white plastic doll house into a gothic spooky Halloween season home decoration has been all over the crafty influencers’ feeds for at least a couple of years, […]
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I’ve seen Woobles ads on Facebook for a while now, but, since I already knew how to crochet, I hadn’t ever tried out one of their kits. Their kits look pretty awesome for people just learning to crochet, and you end up with a cute animal or other item in the end. But what did […]
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It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these, and while I’ve done some work on a few projects, nothing called to me to post about until now. I’m still very much learning in the painting process, but I do feel like I’m making progress at leveling my skills. Again, I am very aware […]
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Oh, TOFT! Last Christmas I gave you my heart, and the very next day I spent more money on you than a person should spend on imported yarn and patterns. In the mid-pandemic Christmas of 2020, my middle son gifted me a book of crochet patterns from UK-based company TOFT. I began with a sheep, […]
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Unfortunately, the Make/Play/Watch/Read series has been a little sporadic of late. The Evil Genius Family, like millions of others, is currently in COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, Australia. It’s not ideal, but we are managing with Lockdown Learning, Zoom calls, and the brilliantly-timed Birds in Backyards Spring Survey—thanks to Birdlife Australia. Because if there is one […]
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Last year I had one child in middle school, one child in virtual school, and one pre-schooler running around yelling “Pants! Who needs pants!” It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had to think about elementary school. Snacks, change of clothes, lunch they won’t discard, snow pants for the winter, getting on the bus, and […]
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If you love cross-stitch and lean toward the dark side of Disney’s storylines, this pattern book and kit might be just what Dr. Facilier ordered. With 12 patterns and enough materials included to make two of them, this Disney Villains Cross Stitch kit is all you need to get started. They even include a hoop […]
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When I was a child, I was afraid of bees. I had gone on vacation with my grandparents to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, Wales. We were staying in a caravan, and the people next to us had a beautiful old English sheepdog. One day, I wandered over to visit him and was stung by a […]
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Once upon a time I was sane, and then I encountered Kerry Lord, Edward’s menagerie, and joined a whole new family of fellow crazy people; Toft addicts. Having mastered the art of the menagerie, and begun my adventures with miniatures, it seemed time to partake in something that I have avoided for years; the craft-a-long […]
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My trusty old Cricut has been well loved. It has made party decorations, lettering for Scouting events, it has scrapbooked hundreds of pictures of at least one of my children. We have made robots and dinosaurs, we have made Batman and Elmo. Cricut has come a long way in the last ten years, and so […]
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Everything is cuter if you make it smaller. People are cuter as babies. Cats are cuter as kittens. Those miniature tents they have on display in camping stores are far cuter than the life size ones. When I began my adventure with Toft’s collection of crocheted animals, it was not long before my offspring requested […]
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The first half of 2021 promises to be filled with a lot of fun, interesting, and engaging new LEGO sets for people of all ages and interests, from toddler to adult. With new products ranging from freeform build-what-you-like sets to kits to wearables to licensed and themed items, LEGO continues to come up with bold […]
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My mother in law taught me how to crochet almost twenty years ago. It was my first harsh winter in Maine, and I was so nervous about finishing it off that I made the entire skein into a 12 foot long scarf. It was only two inches wide. Eventually I grew more confident in my […]
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Can you believe it’s already time for the final Between the Bookends of 2020? While many of us will be glad to see the back of this year, we’ve also read many wonderful books during months punctuated by lockdowns and quarantines. Today, Sophie and Rebecca are here to share six of the books they’ve been […]
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