Hand Painted Crèche

I was painting ceramics in the 80s at a local gals shop.  I painted a lot of things at that time enjoying the fun of doing a craft and visiting with other young mothers doing the same thing.  I took my daughter S along with me as she was not old enough to be in school yet and they allowed her to paint pieces too.  I wonder if she kept any of those kittens and other things she made.


In 1986 I made this Crèche for our home.  The standing figures are about 1 1/2” tall and  I display it in the china hutch in the dining room.  I started doing that when we moved here as the grandchildren just couldn’t leave the figures alone and after all who could blame them.  I remember rearranging the nativity figures in our Crèche when I grew up too but they were plastic and didn’t break.  The grandchildren knew that anything in the china hutch was “look only” and they could stand and look through the glass doors at all the pretty things. They are old enough now to display them other places but I like the way they look in the hutch with the mirror backing.

John made the wooden stable for the figures and the star was a gift ornament that I thought was perfect for our Crèche.  Another one of my “most favorite” Christmas decorations!

Tonight is Christmas Eve....My wish for you is to slow down your busy life and enjoy the reason for the season. 

Lynn

Today’s Ornament

The ornament I am showing today is one that my in-laws gave us for our first Christmas together.  It is a clear glass ball with a gold foil angel hanging inside.  It isn’t anything expensive or maybe even remarkable but it is special because Mary and Merlin gave it to us.  It has a special place on the tree each year and has hung on a tree in our house now for 39 years.

Using Windows Live Writer again….let me know how it is showing up for you and how you like it.

Hear the carols, smell the hot chocolate, taste the goodies  and prepare your heart for Christmas.

Lynn

More Special Ornaments

Since I have no sewing/quilting projects or progress to show you I am going to post 2 more of my favorite Christmas ornaments.

This is an ornament I purchased a few years ago.  It is entirely covered with seed beads that are glued to an egg shape.  As you can see the holes of the beads are faced up.  I don’t remember but am thinking this was made in a country other than the United States.  John and I had attended the National Finals rodeo in Las Vegas and I purchased this at the merchants/vendors building.  I should have written down the information at the time … oh well, I still love it and it reminds us of that trip.

While I am showing beaded  ornaments the one below was given to me by Fay this year (two beaded ornaments in one year – wow!)  This three dimensional Santa frog she didn’t make though.  She purchased it but isn’t it the cutest thing.  I had to take a photo with my  hand just to show you how small it is.

Am trying something new as I write this blog entry.  I am using Windows Live Writer.  It has a few more bells and whistles than the blogger posting page.  Let me know how it shows up or if you like or don’t like reading it this way.  I have no idea how it will publish.


Enjoy the sights and sounds of the season!
Lynn
PS - Live writer if from Windows.  You can learn more about it here and download the add on to your computer.  I have Vista on my computer.

Hand Made Ornaments

I love, love, love hand made ornaments and here are three I received from three dear friends this year.  We met for lunch, gabbing and gift exchange last week, a tradition we started many years ago.  We meet for each others birthdays and for QuiltNebraska, the Nebraska State Quilt Guild quilt convention each summer.  One friend has a December birthday so we combine the birthday and Christmas celebration.

This first ornament is beaded over a 1 1/4" glass Christmas ball ornament and is so small.  The beads are Delica sized seed beads done in the peyote stitch.  Fay made each of us one of these tiny exquisite ornaments with different designs.  Mine has snow men and cardinals on it - cute, cute cute!

Ornament #2 was made by my long time good friend Janet.  Actually Janet and I were in highschool and best friends many moons ago.  We stayed friends over the years but only wrote once or twice a year until we both started quilting and joined the Nebraska State Quilt guild at the beginning of the organization in the mid 80s.  (Almost giving my age away aren't I?)  We became closer and have enjoyed all the social times and quilting things we have done together over the years.  She even opened a quilt shop which is a great place to hang out.  Too bad I live about an hour and a half away.

This ornament is one of the cute kits Janet sells from her store, Quilter's Delight in Holdrege.  Different sections of the fabric are lightly colored and then the designs were all hand embroidered by Janet with a single strand of floss and are so delicate looking.

Ornament #3 is adorable and made with stacks of buttons.  Shirley gave this one to me last week and it came from a store called Ten Thousand Villages.  There is a store in Kearney and one in Lincoln and they have the most amazing merchandise.  Isn't this little man cute!

This is what it says on the website about Ten Thousand Villages -"Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit program of Mennonite Central Committee.  Ten Thousand Villages' mission is to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long-term fair trading relationships."  (There stores in other parts of the United States too so check them out and help out a fellow artisan.)

 

Maybe these will give you ideas to make for next year as it is probably too late to get any of these things made this year unless you are super organized and a fast worker.

Lynn