Transition to Christmas!

It's a time of transition in my crafty world to focus more clearly on what has always been my number one crafting passion - Christmas.  There are lots of new developments on a new Christmas is Magical Etsy Shop, Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, and an online Christmas Craft Show concept - a Magical Christmas Craft Show - so welcome to the North Pole.  Please come and visit me at my new blog dedicated to Christmas - The Handcrafted Christmas where I'll soon be caught up on transitioning the Christmas posts.  Then it will be all Christmas, all the time, except perhaps when it's another holiday with lots of fun things planned. Read more ...

Simple Recipe for Chunky Knit Headbands

The decorations are down - well, for the most part.  No doubt I'll be finding the odd little thing for the next few weeks as there always seems to be straggler items that I don't notice because I've been living with them so long. Oh well, the bulk of the work is done so it's time to start getting sorted for this year's projects.

Turning 50 - Goodbye 2013

50 Years Old - Before and After

The last post of 2013, I thought I'd leave you with a little magic.  2013 was a year of turning 50 - many of my friends, myself, OF COURSE Doctor Who, skateboarding, Johnny Depp, Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt, even Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream speech, hypertext, the nanosecond, and the zip code all reached this major milestone - along with my little Christmas tree.

Christmas Wrap-Up

Twinkle Effect with Google+ Auto Awesome

There are Beads in these Christmas Stickers!

Christmas Gift Tags with Pop-Up Santa Stickers

Although I have far too many Christmas bits and bobs - well, too many for their space as there could never really be too many, could there? - I just couldn't resist these adorable Pop-Up Christmas Stickers I saw the other day.  Lovely vibrant colours and sweet graphics, the piece de resistance is that the puffly little stickers contain tiny shiny beads.

Getting Festive in Old Montreal

I've been having a lovely time in Old Montreal this week, and they are beginning to decorate for the holiday season.  These lovely lit up trees - this one in Place d'Armes between the Maisonneuve Monument and the Notre Dame Basilica - have a dripping motion which is really magical and I would have been able to show you if only it had occurred to me before today (back home now) to use the video setting on my pocket camera.  I'm afraid you'll have to use your imagination for this magical effect. as I never think to use video.

Glittery Snowflakes in Red and Lime Green

Glittery Red Snowflakes with Pearls

We achieved some productivity yesterday, the cats and I, making up a few batches of glittery snowflakes, photography them, packaging them and posting on Etsy. Aren't these red ones festive?  I must say, the cats really aren't much help at these things - quite the opposite - but it's always nice to have their company, even if they do end up sparkling for weeks and helping to spread glitter about the house.

Sonic Screwdriver Beaded Icicle Ornaments

Craft Show is over and it is back to the bling. I have been working up more of the beaded icicles on beaded spiral hangers that I love, and this time I've incorporated the rhinestone encrusted beads.  Serious bling!  Don't the shiny silver beads go lovely with the deep rich colour of these cobalt blue faceted beads?

Craft Show Dress Rehearsal

Coco Chanel is famous for saying that before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror, and remove one piece of jewelry. Those were different times, of course, but it is in the spirit of Coco Chanel's words that I am stripping back a little bit of what I have on offer for my craft show table this weekend.  This, you see, is my dining room table serving as the practice hall for the craft show table dress rehearsal.

Beaded Icicle Ornaments on Beaded Spiral Hooks

Beaded Icicles on Beaded Spiral Hooks -  Red & White

November.  Yikes!  It's been a busy few days with Halloween and a few birthdays in the mix. As one of the birthdays was hubby's, I had a couple of days off of crafting and I was a cooking dynamo. A chocolate cake with no icing was requested - so that was as easy as could be - but I went on a cooking blitz and have filled the freezer with many of his favourite meals for weeks to come.   Marathon cooking sessions on blustery grey days of autumn are almost obligatory, and I must say I enjoyed it tremendously.  I know for sure I will enjoy not having to wonder what to make for dinner as things are about to get super busy.

Happy Birthday to my Grandma

My beautiful Grandma

My Grandma would have turned 98 today, and it is the first birthday we are without her.   She would likely have recieved as many cards as her years because my Grandma would talk to people and make friends wherever she went.  People always remembered her with a staggering amount of birthday and Christmas cards.

She was an amazing woman to me, and certainly a source of inspiration in the crafty arts for my family. 

Grandma's biggest craft skills were knitting and crochet where her work was pure perfection.  She made me such beautiful things throughout my life and it gives me enormous pleasure that some of these things still live on - new like the day they were made - so much so that I have been able to  pass them along to friends' children. 

Grandma enjoyed food like she enjoyed life and it would be nice to think that somewhere out there she's having a big birthday feast in celebration.  I'll just bet there's ice cream!

I'll always love you Grandma and feel like you're right here with me.  Switching the numbers this year doesn't get us a lot, but happy 89th birthday!

Multi-Dangle Christmas Earring in Red, White and Green

Christmas Present Earrings in Red, White and Green

Well, I must say, I tried to be nothing but festive while working on these multi-dangle earrings but quite a few swear words were uttered. Under my breath, and to myself, but nontheless, some frustration.  I don't remember it being quite so difficult when I made my first attempt with some Halloween earrings, but I am still new to the multi-dangle style and to working with jump rings.

More Diamond Dangles with Acrylic Paint Splotch Beads

Acrylic Paint Splotch Beads in Purple

Back to the Christmas ornaments today. October seems to be flying by, and with Halloween this week and the calendars turning to November (must remember it's husbands birthday!) it's going to be full on Christmas soon and hopefully I'll be busy with sales. Certainly I'll be busy with other things.  I've done a few more wreaths for our Craft Show which is now two weeks away and am playing with space layouts to see what's what, so it was time to get back to some Etsy focus.

Fussy but Royal Beaded Ornament Hooks!

My beaded ornament hooks are getting fancier and fancier these days.  I keep being drawn to these fabulous special beads - in this case more rhinestone bling, in silver - and when I saw these deep midnight blue faceted crystal beads I just couldn't leave them as a bracelet.  The colour is so deep and rich and they shine like crazy.  I knew they would look great paired with the bright silver gems and the style puts me in mind of the 'royal ring' that once belonged to Diana and now belongs to Kate.  I've always loved that ring.

Santa's Beaded Ornament Hangers

Santa's Beaded Ornament Hooks?

These - I like to imagine - are the beaded ornament hooks that Santa might have on his tree. They couldn't be any more Christmas-y could they?   Bling and shiny in holiday colours of red and green with crystal icy accents, surely these are what Mrs. Claus would choose.

Plush Toy Wreaths

Here are some of the wreaths I've been working on.   Cute little Christmas plush toys are wired into the center to give them an uber-festive look.

Christmas Cards and Wreaths

'I Love Snow' Snowman & Snowflake Cards

I've been making steady progress with my mini trees and their tree skirts, and there is a nice little blizzard of snowflakes ready and put away for the craft show.  With the holidays getting closer and the fact that my supply was quickly dwingling, it was finally time to get back to some cards and gift tags.

Mini Skirts for Mini Trees #2, 3 and 4!

Last week I posted about my first mini skirt for my mini trees, and this week I am happy to update that three more are complete.  There are at least four more to do, if I can manage it, and perhaps more hiding in boxes I haven't yet opened.

Shiny Silver Snowflakes

Wowza, talk about shine and sparkle!  Working on these silver snowflakes at my craft room table,  with the sun streaming in, I was tempted to put on a pair of sunglasses.  En masse, they were almost blinding with their shine, sparkle and close friend glitter.  I just love them.

Seussical with Large Diamond Dangles ... & Snowflakes

It's a drizzly day and there is a Doctor Who marathon on television. In short, it's a perfect crafting day.   Really with conditions like this I should be working on my Tardis Christmas Ornaments - I got some fabulous charms to work up - but I think those will wait for next week when the End of 10 will air.  I`ll need something to distract me from crying through the entire episode.