Listen to Your Heart: A Line-a-Day Journal Review & GIVEAWAY

Live a life you love! The start of a new year is a good time for self-reflection. What better New Year's resolution than keeping a journal? I'm using the Listen to Your Heart: A Line-a-Day Journal with Prompts by Karen Salmansohn. Each page of this journal features a prompt in the form of a question. The prompt is to give you a little nudge. Questions revolve around self-care, personal growth, and success in life. Use the space provided to respond to the prompt in writing. "A line-a-day" means there's room for several words in point form - or a long sentence. The notation or format doesn't matter. Just write. There are 128 pages of prompts. Every page is different. Thought-provoking questions make it easy to respond. The questions inspire you to write - without being intimidating or overwhelming. It is undated so use it whenever you like - go in order, flip to a page that especially appeals to you, mornings, weekdays, etc. It doesn't require a big commitment - only a few minutes each time. This journal is comfortable to write in. Its pages are thick. An attached ribbon bookmarks your spot. The journal's light weight and size make it easy to carry in a purse or bag. Add a favorite pen or pencil. The visuals are lovely. The prompts are heartfelt. The whole presentation is appealing. I look forward to using it each day. Have you ever kept a journal? Treat yourself or a loved one to the power of journaling. See excerpts below. Andrews McMeel Publishing released this 136-page paperback on May 12, 2020. Get your copy below!

Weight ‏: ‎ 293 g (10.3 ounces)

Dimensions ‏: ‎ 14.48 x 1.52 x 19.56 cm (5.7 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches)

Introduction. 

Page 1.

Pages 2 and 3.

Pages 4 and 5.

Pages 6 and 7.

Pages 8 and 9.

Pages 10 and 11.

Pages 12 and 13.

The benefits you reap will be enormous. From page v of the introduction. 

Listen to Your Heart: A Line-a-Day Journal ISBN-13‏: ‎978-1524855666 is available at Andrews McMeel Publishing. Check out their unique catalog at Andrews McMeel Publishing. AMP has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until January 2, 2023. USA addresses only. Good luck!

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Craft Your Own Cosy Scandi Christmas Review

Get that hyggeelig feeling! Craft Your Own Cosy Scandi Christmas: Gift Ideas, Craft Projects and Recipes for Festive Hygge by Becci Coombes. As a child, this UK author spent her winter holidays in Denmark. She grew up learning Danish Christmas traditions passed down from her grandmother. Now she shares fifty of her family's favorite recipes, handicrafts, and activities for you to celebrate the season. Find inspiration for your own Scandinavian Christmas - whether you have some Nordic blood in you or not. In five chapters she covers Christmas decorating, edible gifts, crafts, comfort food, and family fun. Deck the halls with ten handmade ideas for Christmas decorating. The birch wreath is spectacular! I love the easier wreath chandelier, woven paper stars, and hearts. Make twelve seasonal treats for perfect gifting - sugar-roasted almonds packed into paper cones and a crunchie hokey-pokey honeycomb. Get creative with ten quick and easy Christmas crafts. I want the finger-knit infinity scarf. The macrame key tassels look fun to make. For the table is a collection of fifteen traditional holiday recipes - from delicious-looking cinnamon buns and pancake balls to roast pork and meatballs. Gather the family for three fun indoor games to play! They include variations of Secret Santa I've not come across before. Treat your loved ones to a little Nordic festive feel whether you are curious about the Nordic way of celebrating Christmas, want to reconnect with your Danish heritage, or are looking for new traditions. Project templates are at the back of the book. See excerpts below. White Owl Books released this 168-page paperback on September 21, 2022. Get your copy below!

C O N T E N T S

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Introduction

CHAPTER ONE

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS

Large rustic silver birch wreath

Decoupage Advent candle

Julestjerner chandelier (woven paper stars)

White clay ornaments

Julehjerter (woven paper hearts)

Walnut pixies

Upcycled sock nisser (gnomes)

Mini nisser ornaments

Mossed candle wreath

Nordic winter village

CHAPTER TWO

EDIBLE GIFTS

Chocolate salami

Marzipan

Marzipan chocolates

Braende mandler (sugar roasted almonds)

Romkugler (rum balls)

Hokey-pokey honeycomb

Fudgy brownie jar

Brunkager (brown cookies)

Christmas tea with orange peel hearts

Grandma's apple chutney

Fruit vinegar

Coffee liqueur

CHAPTER THREE 

QUICK AND EASY CRAFTS

Cosy crochet infinity scarf

Upcycled Nordic cushion cover

Recycled bottle bangles

Wonderful wrist warmers

Felt ball coasters

Dip-dyed key tassels

Christmas tree body scrub

Lavender and bergamot bath soak

Lavender lotion candle

Mini lotion melts

CHAPTER FOUR

CHRISTMAS COMFORT FOOD

Overnight kanelsnegle (cinnamon snails)

Overnight rye bread

Agurkesalat (cucumber salad)

Remoulade

Smorrebrod (open sandwiches)

Frikadeller (meatballs)

Rodkal (red cabbage)

Brunede kartofler (caramelised potatoes)

Flaesk (roast pork)

Brun sovs (brown sauce)

Risalamande (rice pudding with warm cherry sauce)

Aebleskiver (pancake balls)

Glogg (mulled wine)

Homemade akvavit

Wolf's best ever hot chocolate

CHAPTER FIVE

FAMILY FUN

Pakkeleg (The Christmas Present Game)

Gradid (Greedy dice)

The Candy Cane Game

TEMPLATES

Kravlenisser (paper gnomes)

Julehjerter templates

Suppliers

 

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - Large rustic silver birch wreath.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - Decoupage Advent candle.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - Julestjerner chandelier (woven paper stars).

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - Paper scraps turned into ornaments.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - White clay ornaments. "God Jul" means Merry Christmas.

Some excellent candle tips.

QUICK AND EASY CRAFTS - Christmas tree body scrub.

QUICK AND EASY CRAFTS - Dip-dyed key tassels.

CHRISTMAS COMFORT FOOD - Overnight kanelsnegle (cinnamon snails).

QUICK AND EASY CRAFTS - Lavender lotion candle.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - White clay ornaments.

CHRISTMAS COMFORT FOOD - Glogg (mulled wine).

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - Mossed candle wreath.

Craft Your Own Cosy Scandi Christmas ISBN 978-1399093842 is available in Canada and the USA at Casemate IPM and in the UK and Europe at Pen and Sword Books. It is published by White Owl an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, publishers based in England.

Origami + Kirigami for the Home Review & GIVEAWAY

Just released! It's Origami and Kirigami for the Home: Paper Art Decorations, Gift Wrapping, and Handmade Cards by Wei You. This UK paper artist shows how to make paper decor for special occasions. Explore the versatility and beauty of paper with the Japanese arts of origami and kirigami. In origami, paper is folded and creased, while in kirigami the paper is folded and cut. Both traditional and contemporary designs are featured. Easy-to-follow instructions, photographs, and diagrams guide you step by step. Each project is neatly laid out and includes a materials list and difficulty rating of 1 through 5 stars. Not confident with typical origami directions? Go straight to the online video instructions by following the link provided or scan the QR code with your phone. Twenty-seven videos accompany this book. I folded the Hakobu and Hinode - Crane Place Card Holders. Their exotic looks and usefulness appeal to me. They are popular on Etsy. Each crane model has a 3-star difficulty rating. Both designs are first-time folds for me. For the Hinode crane, I followed the online video instructions. The videos are well done. I moved through the folds quickly, easily, and smoothly. For the Hakobu crane model, I followed the printed instructions. Folding symbols and basic folds are explained and shown at the start of this book. This system of symbols, arrows, and diagram notations communicate each step. It's known as the Yoshizawa-Randlett system and has become the standard worldwide. Again I found the directions straightforward. The variety of projects makes this book an excellent year-round reference. I counted 47 projects. Add a handmade touch to your festivities with paper! Project templates are at the back of the book. See excerpts below. Herbert Press released this 160-page paperback on November 22, 2022. Get your copy below!

C O N T E N T S

Introduction

Paper and Tools

How to Read Origami Instructions and Symbols

TABLE DECORATIONS

Centerpieces

 Pretty Pentagon Flower (cover)

 Fabulous Flower Vase (cover)

 Majestic Swan

Place Card Holders

 Hinode Crane

 Hakobu Crane

 Geometric Base

Napkin Rings

 Eight Petal Flower

 Flamboyant Flamingo

HANGING DECORATIONS

Colorful Doves

Beautiful Blossom

WALL ART

Rose Wall Panel

Brilliant Butterflies

Square Flowers

TILES

Windmill Tiles

Diamond Tiles

Square Flower Tiles

PAPER GIFTS

Cranes

Basic Crane

Feathered Crane

Sandhill Crane

Exotic Crane

Tant Crane

Romantic Rose

Proud Parrot

GIFT WRAPPING

Basic Wrapping

Pleat Fold Wrapping

Kimono-style Wrapping

Pocket Wrapping

Suit-style Wrapping

Wine Gift Bag

Ribbons and Decorations

 Fan

 Leaf

 Rose

 Miniature Crane

 Simple Ribbon Bow

 Ribbon Knot

 String Flower

 Collage Gift Wrap

GREETING CARDS

Kaleidoscope Flower

Paper Doll in Kimono

Let it Snow!

SEASONAL DECORATIONS

Paper Strip Decorations

 Hearts

 Baubles

 Balls

 Assembling the Links

Spooky Bat

Halloween Garland

Festive Ornament

Christmas Tree

Patterns

About the Author

Place Card Holders - Hinode Crane project.

Hanging decoration.

Paper Gifts - Introduction.

Wine Gift Bag project.

Wall Art - Introduction and Brilliant Butterflies project.

Proud Parrot project.

Kimono-style Wrapping project.

Paper doll in a kimono for a greeting card.

Paper strip decorations -  hearts, baubles and balls.

Gift Wrapping

Wrapping plays an important role in Japanese culture and key wrapping styles are practiced and explored in this book.

Table Decorations

From centerpieces, to place cards and napkin rings. Making table decorations is a fun introduction to decorative origami.

Seasonal Decorations

Create your own gorgeous origami Christmas Tree or a Halloween Garland to add a chilling touch to any trick-or-treat party!

Wall Art

Paper art panels are becoming increasingly popular for all kinds of event.

Paper Gifts

If you are looking for handmade gift ideas, papercraft is more beginner-friendly than other art forms and the creative opportunities that it offers are endless.

Hanging Decorations

They create a romantic, dreamlike atmosphere when made in batches and hung together in an impressive display.

Above and below is the Hakobu crane - place card holder I folded with a single sheet of 15 cm square (6") Chiyogami paper. The handmade Japanese paper has a leaves pattern. For the place card, I cut a piece of white paper. It fits perfectly.

 

Origami and Kirigami for the Home ISBN 9781789940824 is available worldwide at Bloomsbury Publishing. They have generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until December 10, 2022. Canadian and US addresses only. Good luck!

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Traditional Japanese Origami Kit Review & GIVEAWAY

New! From the Editors of Chartwell Books, it's Traditional Japanese Origami: Easy to Follow Instructions for 10 Classic Folds. This attractively boxed kit has everything you need to get started. It includes a 64-page instruction booklet and 80 sheets of origami paper. The paper is beautiful - I love the Asian-inspired designs with their elegant gold reverses. There are twenty colorful patterns in total. Each sheet measures a classic 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15cm). The paper folds very well. It's loose-leaf paper held together with a paper band. The booklet has diagram and text instructions for ten traditional origami models - traditional meaning they have existed in Japanese culture for a long time. The instructions utilize the Yoshizawa-Randlett system of folding. It's a system of symbols, arrows, and diagram notations that communicate the steps. This system has become the standard worldwide - making it possible for anyone to learn origami. There are ten models to choose from - the classic crane, a practical star box, an action model fox head, a fir tree that looks like a potted Christmas tree, and more. My personal favorite is the star box. This beautiful kit would make a great gift - or a fun Christmas Eve activity! See excerpts and the table of contents below. Chartwell Books released this kit on September 6, 2022. Get your copy below!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Origami Folding Symbols

Japanese House

Fir Tree

Sailboat

Swan

Flapping Bird

Crane

Fox Head

Starbox

Sumo

Rabbit

Origami Star Box. Folded with paper from the kit.

Origami Star Box folding instructions - continued on page 48.

Origami Sailboat. Folded with paper from the kit.

Origami Folding Symbols

Origami Folding Symbols continued.

This shows four of the beautiful paper patterns found in the kit.

My kit - book and paper pack in the box. 

Traditional Japanese Origami ISBN-13 : 978-0785841340 is available worldwide at Chartwell Books. Chartwell Books is an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. They have generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until December 5, 2022. Canadian and US addresses only. Good luck!

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