Merry Christmas

Avery and I hope everyone has a great Christmas! Hope Santa finds you!

Christmas Gifts

I finally finished painting my last gift last night. This poor rocking chair has about six layers of paint. The plan was to spray paint it all and it would would be a super quick project. Doing the seat was fun. I sprayed it with a dark brown, and then I cut up a lace curtain and laid it on the seat. The plan was then to spray over the lace and rest of the chair with pink. I loved the way the seat looks, but wasn't happy with the rest of the chair. So I painted just the spindles dark brown, and still wasn't happy. Next I painted just the arms and the corners of the back pink, and it was better, but still didn't like it. The solution was to dry brush over the brown with the pink.

I stamped her name on the back, and again didn't like it, lol. So I attempted to paint over it. The ink seaped through the pink, and surprisingly I kinda like the faded look....

Another gift I made where these bottles. I got the wording and the rooster (used a stencil for the pattern), and traced the designs on the bottles with carbon paper. Then I just took a dremel with a diamond encrusted bit and engraved the design. It's basically like coloring, you just have to stay in the lines. I rub a little white paint in the engraved areas to get the design to stand out. I get the pour spouts from a bar supply company, but you can find them lots of places. They work great for dish soap, cooking oil, salad dressings.

It's a Party!

There's a party over at A Soft Place to Land and I thought I'd join in. I just wanted to share my small collection of Santa's that I've collected over the years......

The following two where made by a good friend of mine. We both do local shows, and always have a blast trading each other.

I got the tree up!

Finally! I didn't think I would ever get to decorate this year. Craft Shows are over, the house is somewhat reorganized, so it was time to put up the tree. Do you have ornaments that make you giddy? I remember getting so attached to certain ornaments when I was little. I thought I'd share a few....

Here is my tree topper, nothing exciting just a simple star. The banner I got at Canton last year. Notice the little elephant? For some reason I always think of watching Rudolph when I put this cutie up. He looks like he belongs on the island of misfit toys.

While we are on the island of misfits, here is another resident...

This is my new favorite ornament. I received it in an ornie exchange last year. The candles and holly are done with paper quilling. Its really a beauty in person...

How about a cute horse made out of corks?

Or a little drummer boy?

If you are in the area Saturday I will be at the Old Fashion Christmas show in Castroville, Tx. There will be over 250 vendors. Hours are 9 to 4.

A few of my favorite things...

Wow this is first for me, two posts in one day, but I saw that Thrifty Decor Chick is have a Favorite Things party over at her blog and I had to join in.

My favorite handed down Christmas decoration is the a ceramic nativity scene that my mother painted for my Great Grandmother and then was passed down to me....

My favorite boys, Avery and Miyagi...



My favorite things to paint are Santa's....

A few other random things.....Favorite Drink is a Fountain Diet Coke, Favorite Subway sandwhich is their new Chicken Floretine on flat bread (its fantastic!), favorite TV show is Ghost Whisperer, favorite Reality show is.....a tie between So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and Survivor. Dang I forgot I really like American Idol too....

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Craft shows just make me happy. I know its a funny thing to say, but it's the truth. Nobody is ever in a bad mood (until teardown), you get to see lots of friends (customers and vendors), and you get to make new friends. Saturday was my second holiday show and it was fantastic. The weather was perfect and there was a steady drove of customers. With the economy the way it is, I didn't know what to expect. I think a lot more people where shopping for gifts than usual, so it actually helped sales. Charla from A Cowgirl at Heart stopped by, and we laughed about how blogs make the world a little smaller. She and her mom are some of my most favorite customers. After the show I had a really special dinner with some old friends. We live so far apart that we haven't been able to get together in years. One lives in Tucson, and the other lives in Canada. Saturday night we got to go to dinner and have a really nice visit. They are the kind of friends that even if you don't talk to them for months, its like no time has passed when you do talk to them. Hope every one had a great Thanksgiving!