The Holiday Season

It's been almost a month since I have written anything or posted pictures of my projects. This is the time of year that my depression really kicks in worse than any other time of the year. This year I have tried to do everything in my power to not go into such a deep depression as in years past. I have been trying to keep busy doing something, anything.


 I made Christmas ornaments this year.
These photos don't do them any justice. They really turned out a lot cuter. I use toilet paper tubes to hold the ornaments after I paint them and I use soda bottle caps to hold the flat painted items off the surface of the table. Here is the link for the cute little Santa stars only I used wood cutouts instead of the heavy plaster ones. Star Santa Ornament and the Snowman ornament Textured Glass Snowman Ornaments . I also made some cute little glitter and mod podge bluebirds from some little wood cut outs I bought last year.

I also made some presents for my grand children. I found these cute I spy bags online and decided to make 4 of them. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of them. They really did turn out cute. This is the link where I found the original idea HomeSpunThreads: Eye Spy Bag Tutorial (a year in the making)

Here are the cute alphabet letters I made for the girls. I also made a small bag to put the letters in. I saw these on Etsy ranging in price from $25 to $40. Just type in "fabric alphabet." If you're not to sure you can do them yourself.  I found they were pretty easy to make. I used my word perfect program to find the type of alphabet I wanted and enlarged them to the size I thought they should be. I used fat quarters that I had on hand and ironed on fleece between the layers before sewing and cutting out. I also used a fat quarter to make the bag.

I got all my presents wrapped and mailed out yesterday. At least this year I got everything sent out to their appointed destinations in time for Christmas.

I realize it's probably early, but I am already starting to look for new Christmas ornament ideas for next year. Thank goodness for Pintrest, a place I can locate all the ideas I find and can located them in one place.

Christmas Ornaments, Past and Present

I enjoy a colorful handmade Christmas tree. I have never really liked the plain old shiny balls that always covered our tree when growing up. After decorating it she would put angel hair on the tree, covering it from top to bottom. It's kind of pretty if you like the colored spider web look.

Years ago when I first got married we had our first live tree. My mom gave us some leftover ball ornaments for the tree. One of the first things I remember doing wall cleaning off all the chipped paint on some of the ornaments. I had seen in a magazine how to redo old glass ornaments with colored water and using shank buttons and glue to cover and seal the hole. They were pretty, but they were really heavy and had to be hung on very strong branches.

That same year I had bought the cutest set of clothespin and balsa wood ornaments that you punch out, paint and glue together. That was 37 years and two husbands ago. :) Ever since that first Christmas I have always tried to make something new to hang on the tree and sometimes to give as gifts, if they happen to be really cute. I have missed a few years in the past, but I am trying to pick it back up again.

My children are married with families of their own and I have given each of them a few of my treasured hand made ornaments. I have also started making some new ones again for my tree and some extras to send to the kids to add to their collection of handmade ornaments. Which brings me to the ornaments I am making this year.
I found the projects on Michaels project pages.

I am making the Star Santas from wood cut outs and not the ceramic stars. I think they are really cute. My other ornament this year is the Mr and Mrs Snowman faces. I found large glass balls at thrift store and thought they would be perfect for this project. When I get them finished I will post a picture of them here.

New Look

OK. I have decided to try and give my blog a more appealing look. Even though I might like purple (A LOT). It wasn't very good for a blog and trying to read. I hope the new look is a bit easier to see and read without your eyes crossing. It's really important to me try and make this blog work, if for no one else but for me. 

It's more like a journal of my life and the projects that I enjoy creating or remaking.

The other day along with the sewing accessories I had stopped at a different thrift store and as always looking for sewing related materials. Instead I found some large size gold glass Christmas balls and some ugly gold snowflakes. I intend on spray painting the snowflakes white and covering them in white glitter. The balls I have already painted them with baby blue enamel paint, two coats. I saw this idea on Michael's.com in their project area. I am going to paint girl and boy snowmen on them. They are so cute. Also I have some wooden stars I got last at the end of the year close out sales. I have painted them red. They will soon look like Santas. Yes, I got the same idea from Michael's project area. I think they have some good projects. 

I have two bags bags of the round wooden clothes pins. I haven't come up with anything that just jumps out and says "make me, make me". If they were flat I would make a few of the reindeer. I really enjoy making ornaments and giving them to my children and grandchildren. That way when I am long gone, they can say " I remember Mema made this" Or "ya know, Mema is up there watching us."  Yes, I can become very sentimental at times. Will post pictures when they are done.