Gnomes

I love gnomes.  I love in the hoop embroidery designs.  I love these.

That Christmas Spirit

I have been busily sewing and quilting, embroidering and knitting, trying to get gifts finished and ready for mailing and wrapping.  Planning the Christmas eve dinner, putting finishing touches on things, I love this time, I truly do.  A couple of minor surgeries on my leg (2 more to go) have taken some wind out of my sails, but the breeze has picked up, and I am back on track!

Lovely Deb at Seeking Lavender Lane has a drawing regularly to share her Favorite Things with her readers.  I was lucky enough to win December's box, and it was indeed filled with goodies.  They will make my decor better and prettier and softer..... thank you Deb!

The quilts are my latest, but some aren't yet done....they will get there, there's plenty of time!  

I can't put one up yet, the recipient visits occasionally.  I will post more as I can.  I would rather create right now than post!  I am sure you can relate....

That Time of Year

It is time for the Gnomes and the colors are bright!  I have some more subdued ones waiting to be made, but these just happened.....

Second Sunday in Advent- Love

Thanks to Mary Rodriguez for the beautiful photo

Dear Lord,
Through the darkness, I look for your wisdom.
I want my heart to be open to you.
But sometimes in these days, it seems that
so many things come between us.

Help me to be awake and aware
of the radiance you bring to my life.
Help me to be grateful each day
for the blessings of family and friends.
Let me be a peacemaker
in my own life, and in the world.
Let me pray especially for this difficult world
and those who are so in need of an end to violence.
My heart begs for this as my Advent prayer today.

It's Beginning to Look....

Dear Hubby got the outside lights up, and the snowman panel I whipped up last year.  Speak about a fast project!  I have another panel and this winter I will make a quilt out of it... but that is for after Christmas.  I have been baking cookies... yummy Orange Snaps from the Lake Eden Cookbook, and then, because I can never let well enough alone, I added chocolate chips to the snaps.  Orange and chocolate is a combination made in heaven, to be sure.   I still have the Ginger Spice cookies, and Cherry Cookies, and Peppermint cookies to go, and if I have time, Mexican Wedding cookies.... messy, but worth it.  I think I will have to have some help baking, if I am to finish. 

Creche 2011

I look forward to putting up the creche every year, and this was no exception. I have had a bug of some kind, so it is a bit late, but it is up at last! And I feel human again, though I am not quite over whatever it is. I was hoping to get a cave made as the stable but maybe after Christmas. Until then, the building with the donkey in it will have to do. One of these days I will make a wooden platform with roads and sand and all on it too, but right now, I have no place to store it, so cloth is the fallback. I also want to paint more of the figures, especially the bases, so you see less of them and more of the figures themselves. All in good time.

A Little More

Food! I made food! Soup and cheese and bread (baked and unbaked) and olives and apples and one lonely turnip. Was supposed to be an onion, but looks more like a turnip! This is too fun.... I can't stop!

Some more done

I really enjoy the making of things, but sometimes it seems I take the hard way rather than the easy way. I still have alot to do, and the photos really show up the flaws, but progress is being made. The well really needs a coat of paint, and I still have to make bedrolls for the camel drivers and more food for the Kings and the workroom for the potter.... maybe I will finish by next year, not this year! The coast of everything has gone up, what a surprise. I will be getting sticks from the woods next week.... three tiny two inch bits were $3.99! Can you believe it? Who would pay that? Well, maybe someone who lives in a concrete jungle. Not I. My creche won't be as professional as others I have seen, but I am having fun doing it anyway.

The Beginning

I have begun to get my creche set up.... just the bare bones so far, but it is a start. I haven't felt very festive, and the last 4 months were pretty ragged, but things are getting better, so here's a start. I have plans to build a workshop for the potter this year, and a nice display for the kings. I have two tents, I need a third, and a set up with a well/oasis and campsite. There is more to a camp than tents, after all. I have plans for next weekend, so the building will need to be done this week, at least for the workshop. I will keep the carpet seller under the bridge... I rather like that. I want to combine the potter with another workshop... I am thinking maybe an apothacary. I saw a nice figure of a boy selling herbs this weekend. I got an olive press last year at half price since the mechanics didn't work.... but I don't mind. Still is fine. So I need an olive shop too.... maybe that will be a good combo. Then the herbseller next year.....

Merry Christmas

Joy and Peace come to you...

SNOW and a few thoughts

There is SNOW! Real snow, thick snow, 12" of it! So pretty. The roads are not pretty. If you don't have to go out, better you not go. If only it would stay until Christmas.... but we are supposed to have highs in the 40's next week.

I am well on my way to finishing the "muslin" for my coat from Lord of the Rings. It is in pretty greyblue floral velvet, very silky, and has a gorgeous drape. I got a fur collar on one of my thrifting trips, it is really dry and fragile, but I am working with it. Only the hem left to do, and a little handwork around the collar. It has definitely been a learning process. I haven't ever worked with fur before, and not much with velvet, but that will help with the coat. The fabric for that is a fabulous mohair clipped pile wool coat-weight, heavy and rich.

I am almost through with Christmas too. I still have a bit of work to do on a couple presents, and a bit on decorations too. Here is the first go at the shepherds for my creche, the town is under construction, and the stable nearly empty. Mary and Joseph are travelling, and the Kings not yet seen. More as they appear. I encourage all of you who blog to put up photos of your decorations (especially my favorite, creches) and if you facebook and it is appropriate, to join Calling all Christians... see how many we are!

Finished with Christmas

I have packed everything away, but not stored it yet, because I wanted to go through everything in all my boxes. I did that tonight, whew! I got 1 1/2 bags of trash and donations, and have only to store everything to be done. I made the Father Christmas years ago, but really like him, so I thought I would share him. Even if it is past twelth night! The other is a box I did to hold all my pins. I sometimes raid it to get just the right piece for a collage or book. I figure it is better than sitting in a box... or even getting worn occasionally! As you can see, I have help from a kitty... this one is Crosby, and it usually takes me no more than twice as long to do anything! Now I really have to get a couple pins completed to fill the box up. I have been working on woven hearts... I never knew there were so many variations. Since I am a weaver, the various renditions of overshot patterns are fascinating... I will take pictures tomorrow. I am not long out of bed tonight...

Happy New Year

I wish I could have stayed home today and enjoyed a day off, but retail is retail. I do work in a fabulous fabric shop, and enjoy my work, but it was dreadfully slow today, boring.

I am missing my dog today, this was the first Christmas without a dog since , well, I can't remember one without a dog. My 16 year old border collie died in March, and I am not ready to replace her yet. I have the two blonde monsters to keep me amused, but even though Trouble thinks he is a collie, it isn't really the same. Ever see a CAT try to strong eye someone? He is a hoot! She was his role model growing up, and has taken on many of her roles. He even sits at the table and begs, though it is more for attention than food. She was special, but aren't they all.

May we all have health and prosperity, good luck and increased skills in the coming year, but also lots of ART!

Frantic

Today was enough to make the greatest lover of Christmas reconsider. Why is it that when some people shop, normal ordinary people, they turn into the worst discourteous rude and obnoxious folk ever? If I don't shop again for a year, that's okay with me. No, wait, that means I would be out again before Christmas. I don't care what happens, no matter the disaster in handmaking, no matter that the book didn't come, no matter, no matter, I am NOT shopping for gifts in December again. There, I have had my rant. I feel better now.

So the rest of Christmas decorations got up okay, even though last night was spent in an ER with a truly colorful bladder infection. Yuch. All better today, thank goodness. I can't wait until the cats get a little saner, and we can go to a full size real tree again. They are going to get saner, right? I mean they are only three...

Yesterday someone down the street tossed out a perfectly good side table, just a small one, perfect for behind the loveseat. I actually had to flag down the trash truck and get them to unload it again! I am afraid my son was a bit embarrased about the whole thing. He with a cast on his thumb, and me with my bad foot must have been a sight. It is now the cleanest table in the town! On it are my two big indoor plants and the little Christmas tree. Perfect!

I have to work Sunday and Monday, but there's still stuff to be made, so it's down to the studio (such as it is) to do elfly duty...

Finally

Yippee! I finally got the new camera to disgorge its pictures! So without further ado, here is my creche a (and a few little vinettes). Tomorrow, the Singing Animals!