Christmas – Play. Create. Discover…

art, Blog, Crafts, creative living, Events, Fidget toys, Market, Monster Monday, Monsters, puppets, Sensory, Toys

Home Gnomes & Goblins & Cards- Oh My- Sharing the Art of Nonsense

December 5, 2023 Kristy Fae

Phew, is it just us or is this a busy season?! You’ll have to excuse the monsters and I for being late with our Blog, but here we are!

Last weekend was a big eventful one for us creatures here at Art of Nonsense! We took a trip to the Winter Art Market in Fernwood, Victoria B.C. where many-a-monster found their way to new loving furever gnomes… I mean homes. But also gnomes.

Kristy Fae & Super Max with the Art of Nonsense Booth at the Winter Art Market in Victoria, B.C.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped us with the event and/or dropped by the booth to share in the love of monsterly nonsense and creativity last weekend! It means so much to us to have our monsters and creatures invoking smiles, spreading positive messages, and encouraging self-love. We so appreciate your support!

Back to Gnomes…Gnomes are abound this time of year, and we didn’t want to be left out! So we’ve welcomed handmade Home Gnomes, as well as their mischievous Hobgoblin counterparts, into our Monster Studio for the first time ever! They were a huge hit with their squishy bodies and beany-bottoms, not to mention those dangly legs and tiny shoes. Oh my, the cuteness!

We also introduced another new product into our line: Art of Nonsense Greeting Cards! First up we have the Dancing Dino, who’s sure to bring delight to any welcoming recipient. And in the name of the season, we have our West Coast Christmas Cards featuring a wildly enthusiastic rider on an orca, hauling a sleigh above the roaring ocean waves!

These new products, along with many others such as our Whimsical Art Prints, Beanbag Buds (sensory & fidget toys), fleecy Hand Puppets, and more, can be found in our online Art of Nonsense Shop or on our Facebook Page. Feel free to send us a message at kristy@artofnonsense.com with inquiries about currents products or custom orders!

We also loved the feedback we received at the Art Market about which products our monster-loving fans would like to see, including Gratitude Monster Greeting Cards and a restock of Monster Magnets! Please comment below with which monster products you’d like to see, along with your favourite current ones. The feedback helps us get the monsters you want into your monster-ready hands!

A big bunch of gratitude goes out to the organizers of the Winter Art Market from Island Community Mental Health and Greater Victoria Social Gathering Place. We so appreciate your hard work and all the care that was put into making such a beautiful event happen!

Oh, and if you’re looking for “Creative Homework” this week, try designing your very own whimsical Christmas or Seasonal Greeting Card using your favourite local creature as inspiration. All you need is some folded paper or card stock and either some coloured pencils, crayons, paints, or markers. Feel free to share your creations below or on social media along with the hashtag #artofnonsensecreations

Have a creative and joyful season everyone!

Play. Create. Discover… Be sure to subscribe to the blog to receive Biweekly reminders when we post! Also find us @artofnonsense on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or visit the Art of Nonsense Shop for adoptable monsters and other products!

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Pssst- what I write in this blog is a reflection of my own ideas and experiences and/or interpretations of any referenced material. The content of this blog is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. I am not an expert or therapist and cannot be held liable for any content provided or how it is used. Please enjoy at your own discretion. I reserve the right to change the content or management of this blog at any time. That said, I hope you enjoy it! © 2023 Kristy Anne Fae All Rights Reserved.

Blog, Crafts, Monster Monday, Monsters

“The Winter Yeti: A Crafty Creation”

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020 Kristy Fae

Hello my fellow monster-lovers, I’m excited to share something special with you today. Last week, we were talking about how to get creative with celebrating this holiday season by coming up with new ideas and traditions. To back up a bit, when I was young, my Granny (with Grandad’s help, I’ve been told) began a tradition of making all of us Grandkids a tree ornament every year. They were always unique, beautiful and whimsical and it became something we really looked forward to. My loving, wonderful Grandparents have since passed, so opening my tin of decorations every December brings an especially warm glow of memories to my heart. That’s why I decided to continue the tradition, to honour them and to celebrate the season— this year, by making my own Christmas ornament! I would love it if you joined me in making your very own Winter Yeti decoration as well!

Now, you can be as creative as you like and use whatever you have around to make your unique handmade ornament. By all means— make anything you want! It doesn’t even have to be a Yeti, it could be an animal, a snowman, or just a beautiful thingamabob…but to give you some inspiration, here is a list of my supplies (with alternatives in brackets) and the steps I followed to make mine:

-A dry pinecone (piece of driftwood, stone) for the body

-Assorted felt (craft foam, googly eyes, fabric scraps, cardstock)

-Fake fur (cotton balls, pom-poms, feathers)

-Faux leather string (pipe-cleaners, ribbon)

-Ribbon (string, twine)

-Glitter glue (sparkles and white glue)

-Any other crafting materials you want to use!

-Hot glue gun and extra glue sticks (white glue)

-Scissors

Step 1: Gather Supplies. Get creative and cover your craft table! NOTE: A hot glue gun should only be used by adults. White glue can be used by children, just be patient while it dries!

Step 2: Cut Out Details. Use the felt for the eyes, mouth, teeth, and hat. I cut a half-circle for the hat, a long strip for the base, and found a pom-pom for on top. Cut half-oval shapes from the fake fur for the feet and moustache. Cut faux-leather string into two legs, as long as you wish!

Step 3: Glue Details Together. Glue the pupils onto the eye whites and the teeth onto the mouth. Glue the hat into a cone shape, then add the base and pom-pom.

Step 4: Make the Legs. Glue each leather string to the centre, backside of a fur foot, then fold over each foot onto itself, fastened with glue, to make furry feet! Tie a knot or two into the legs for character.

Step 5: Glue Details Onto Body. Glue on the eyes, moustache, mouth, and legs. Hint: Position the eyes above one of the pinecone’s scales (the bumpy parts!) as a nose, using the larger end of the pinecone as the top of the head.

Step 6: Glue on the Hat. Apply glue around the lower edge of the hat and fasten it to the top of the pinecone.

Step 7: Glue on a Ribbon. Cut a 10″ piece of ribbon and knot the two ends together to make a loop. Glue this to the back of the hat. Make sure all the glue has dried completely before moving to Step 8.

Step 8: Glitter Away! Apply glitter to your Yeti as desired for extra glam and hang to dry! Isn’t it CUTE?! Now your Winter Yeti is ready to make its journey to your tree or other special spot. Make as many Yetis as you would like for yourself, your family and your friends to share the magic of the season!

We really hope you enjoy this abominable craft as much as we do and we would love to see your Yetis, ornaments, or other creative projects you came up with this season. So please, share in the comments below!

Happy & Creative Holidays to All!

Thanks for joining! Find us for more monsterly fun @artofnonsense on Facebook and Instagram

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Blog, Crafts, inspiration, Monster Monday, Monsters, play, Self-Love

The Hungry Monster: Let’s Celebrate!

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Kristy Fae

For anyone who’s noticed a gap in blogs here, don’t worry, the computer has not been eaten by a monster (though there may have been a few innocuous attempts!). No, we are all safe and sound here, and I promise, we have been anything but idle in the area of Nonsense— we’ve just been busy with it behind-the-scenes. We have been scheming, gathering, pondering and learning all kinds of wonderful things in order to bring you the ultimate goal: oodles of top-notch NONSENSE! We have been very creative-hungry monsters and I’ll be dropping a few hints today as to what is coming, but first—

Let’s turn to another important subject, one that we think greatly deserves the Art of Nonsense theme of the month for December 2020: Celebration!

I know COVID-19 has brought a tough year for many, and I’m not minimizing that— AT ALL. But let me explain myself before you will a monster to actually eat my computer. Despite any and all hardships, I think it’s important to take some time to celebrate in new ways that are safe and yet still meaningful to us. To celebrate making it through this hard year; how resilient we have been; how adaptive. Yes, many of us have slogged through seething swamps, tamed herds of wild, bouncing beasts, and put on more creative caps than we can count just to get here today. And of course let’s not forget to celebrate those incredible beings that have journeyed alongside us, keeping us hopeful, cared-for, and afloat. Let us take time to celebrate the lives of those we have sadly lost, keeping them close in our hearts and minds. Let us celebrate the holiday season, even though it will look different than usual this year. Let us celebrate all the small achievements and joys we’ve found amidst the chaos (really, no matter how small!).

For me, one such thing has been having the time to give my creativity and my monsters the attention they so deserve and crave (and believe me, their appetite is relentless!). I’ve been celebrating by investing in myself, starting off on exciting new endeavours, and following my dreams. I started writing a book about the importance of play, am at last finishing some of my children’s books, and am getting Super Max into the limelight he so loves. For me, the symbol of all these accomplishments is my new and improved Art of Nonsense “Monster Studio”— which I’ve now got set up properly, stocked up sufficiently, and ready for creation, unequivocally! How great is that?

Super Max and Friends Hangin’ Out in The Monster Studio!

As for different ways of celebrating the holidays, I’ve brought back some childhood traditions like advent calendars and Christmas candles, I’m finding dates for group video calls with friends and family, and am planning a special evening with my significant other. Also in the name of spreading joy this season, I’ve got a few more fun surprises coming your way— including a free and whacky tree ornament craft tutorial (if you’re eager to prepare, go gather and dry out a few medium-to-large sized pinecones: driftwood pieces or smooth stones would work nicely too). I’ll also be introducing a fresh batch of monster hand puppets into the Shop in new and exciting colours very soon! Make sure you’re subscribed here to the Blog and are following us on Facebook or Instagram to get all the updates!

Collect a few pinecones to prepare for our *upcoming* craft tutorial on how to make your own fun ornament!

In conclusion, let’s all try to take more moments for gratitude this month and celebrate what we do have and what small or big joys we are blessed with. Oh, and spread that sentiment like jelly on toast— remind those around you, young and old, friends and strangers, that we all have something to be grateful for. We have the power to make a moment or an occasion special if we are creative, mindful, and compassionate enough. Perhaps we can all help lift one another up with kind will, a promise of hope, gentle words, and loving actions.

Now it’s your turn. What can you celebrate this month? Or this week? Or even just today? How can you get creative this year to celebrate the holidays safely? What new traditions might you start? What can you and your loved ones plan so that you have something to look forward to, despite external factors? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading and have a safe and happy holiday season everyone!

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