Backtracking To Christmas

I started working on this vintage Christmas wreath when I separated out the decorations for it while trimming our Christmas tree last month.

But, I never got back to actually making it until after Christmas as I had to find a wreath first. I completed it tonight. It really looks better in person. Then, you can really see the bright colors, the depth of the wreath and the glitter.

It has decorations that my daughter and I made when she was little, some I bought way back then, a couple (pink gingerbread boy and girl) from Avon back when I was selling it and a few I bought in recent years. The big elf doll I bought on clearance this year at Hobby Lobby and added buttons to his jacket and bells on his toes. And, the one elf dressed all in blue is a really old vintage decoration.

I hope my daughter likes it as I made it with her and my grandsons in mind. She will be getting it eventually.

An Early Christmas Surprise

Hubby took me to the mall a few days before Christmas so that I could visit Kay Jewelers and get free batteries for 2 of my best watches.

It's a special plan that I bought over 5 years ago. For the life of these 2 watches I can get free batteries for them. I didn't even buy the watches there! I expect when they advertised the special they figured most would lose their receipt and/or their watch would just quit working. ;o)

While we were waiting at the counter I saw hubby go pick up a sales flyer, and asked me if I would like one of these necklaces - Open Hearts by Jane Seymour "If your heart is open, love will always find its way in."

We walked out with me getting this for Christmas! My birthstone is a ruby so this one is perfect. He picked this pendant out as his favorite. I was just looking at and considering the smallest, 2 heart pendant that they had for sale.

Christmas 2011

Some Pearls, Needle & Thread

I saw this idea of sewing pearls into the center of a silk poinsettia to use as a hair accessory and wanted to give it a try.

I cut the plastic center out piece by piece and just used a thin needle and thread to sew the pearls on. Then, I hot glued the silk leaf circle to the underside of the flower, trimmed a bit of the plastic away that pops it onto the stem and hot glued it to a small, metal hair comb I bought at Hobby Lobby. I thought it turned out rather pretty and not cheap looking at all even though I bought the poinsettia bush at Dollar Tree.

Now, all I need is a Christmas party to go to, a fancy dress to wear and I'm set - Well, a girl can dream...Ya think I can pull it off just wearing it to the mall with hubby to look at all the Christmas decorations instead? If both women and men can wear a Santa's Hat shopping, I think yes...lol

More Brenda Brilliance

I finished 3 more of Brenda's bells and finally made her Belle Angel too.

I revised the pattern a bit for mine, but I love her picot cast-on/stitch. That would make a great edging for a hat.

My angel's hands are in a muff, and for the body and head I used the small end of the KK spool and did the e-wrap stitch instead until 4" long. It makes a slightly bigger head and rounder face.

Once again patterns for both can be found at Brenda's BLOG.

Now, I need to get to finishing-up hubby's Xmas present.

Brenda's Knifty Christmas Bells Pattern

I finally got one of Brenda's ornaments done from my on-line looming class. It took me 2 days (or was it 3 (?) to find where I'd put my jingle bells in my craft room...lol.

I used "Home For The Holidays Glittering Yarn" by Darice that I bought after Christmas last year at Michael's for only 10 cents. It was only .3 oz. on a card, and I used almost all of it for this one bell.

I combined it with Hobby Lobby's - "I Love This Yarn!" in Mistletoe Ombre. I think it came out rather nicely only that glittering "yarn" (which is really kinda like plastic tinsel on a string) doesn't stretch hardly at all so I ended-up having to take out the pegs of the KK flower loom to finish it.

I'm anxious to try another one using only 4-ply yarn. I also want to make a gold cord bell and an angel if time permits.

You can find all of Brenda's wonderful patterns here at her blog:
http://loomlady.blogspot.com/