Ornament swap tree

Each year I host this swap and each year I love what is lovingly made and sent in.
This year was no different.   

I admit, I was so busy that I almost didn't host it but then I decided to do it anyway....I had an email from someone unexpected asking when I was hosting...and I just couldn't say no!

 Hosting takes a lot of time.  The hardest part is sorting the ornaments to give "balance" to everyone's return box...it is no easy task.  

That being said, I always make a few different ornaments as I try to give every box at least 1 little "extra."

Here is what I received this year:

A sweet snowman atop a jingle bell (and YES, my daughter absconded with it right after the photo was taken!)  I'll be stealing it back when I pack them away!

A fun santa in a boot scene, reminiscent of the vintage style I adore.

A cute Ruddie!  Simple and sweet with a cute scarf.  Some even had glitter noses!

and a fun lollipop!

A few people made me an extra for hosting.  Some I had to use to balance out a few boxes, but I did get to keep this lovely doe in a storm of words....she is much prettier in person, all glittery and perfect.

and this wire and beaded tree topping star....

I put them all on a small tree I made for the bar using another urn. (yet, another craptastic to fantastic tree.)   

I filled the rest in with some other ornaments I made or received from past swaps.  


Here is one side:

and the other....

Peeking out from the back is the snowman head I made this year.  I truly adore all my handmade lovelies and thank all the participants who work SO HARD to create lovely ornaments to share with the group.

Missing Leonardo Da Kitty

This time of year has us jumping.....

Our annual donation to the pet shelter.   I managed to make  25 beds again.  It was a busy few months, crocheting and sewing them. (see, told ya I was doing stuff!)

Leo went missing the day we dropped off our donation.  Here he is in the last photo I took of him.  Look how handsome.  He was a mellowed out guy by this age.

We it was risky, allowing him to become and indoor/outdoor cat.  But he was a miserable indoor kitty....stress related health issues and basically unhappy.  We almost put him down he was so sickly.  

I guess the trade off of him being happy and healthy for close to 9 years outweighs the sadness I feel now.

The not knowing is tough.  Even Osa still looks for him.  

Wordless Wednesday

craptastic to fantastic~November's craft along challenge!

Okay, so I couldn't resist that title

Last January, I found a crappy little tree on the clearance shelf at a local store.  It was 90% off.   Yes, I spent 2 bucks on a broken tree....

So I took it home and found the broken light and fixed it.  Then I drug out this urn I had in the garage and painted it a goldish color.  After stuffing it with floral foam, I shoved the broken end of the tree into it and stabilized it with more foam.  I covered the whole mess up with a bag of mixed moss.

It was meant for my kitchen bar but Kaela wanted a tree for her room this year.  So, I swapped this out for the 4 footer I had at school.    This sits on the back table and all the kids love to come check out the hand made ornaments on it.

I have another urn and have been eyeballing these same little trees....just waiting for a good sale.  They were originally 30.00, no way am I spending that!

Where to begin? Next Generation gala!

I haven't had time to post in so long that I'm not sure WHERE to start.   I've been super busy this year and the last two months have been crazy.  

Dean and I  attended the "Next Generation" gala.  Here we are, all spiffy.    

we met this couple, they flew in from California for the event!  Nice people...

Here we are at our table....we didn't get a round table shot.  Boo....

So we snapped a couple on our way out~  

It was a fun night, with great friends!

Crochet Club

I co-sponsor a crochet club at our school.  It is pretty neat teaching students this fiber art.    We keep it simple and just teach the basics.     

It amazes me how many children don't know how to make a slip knot but each year we have to teach this simple knot.    Growing up, I knew all sorts of knots.  The kids I grew up with could turn a blade of grass into a whistle and weave pine needles into bracelets.  Now, kids are so wrapped up in video games, they don't have the patience for actually learning something useful.
I fear knit and crochet will slowly erode and become one of those lost arts like canning and pickling has become in mainstream America.  

The students come in every Monday and we split them up according to skill level, pass out any needed supplies and get to work.   (We supply the yarn)  They love learning and we can hear them chatting, explaining it to each other in "kid terms."  They are so proud of their creations. 

Each month we choose what to make for this little tree in the front office.   This was the beginning of our Halloween tree.  By the time they were done, it had spiders and kitties and black popcorn garland ...lots of twirlies too.  

As for me, I don't know where my time goes.   This is about the only knit/crochet I've been doing of late.    I am hoping that I'll find some time settle on the couch and create something pretty...and soon!

Halloween Night

                                                                 

Today we are busy with cross country meets and dog parks and baking and cooking Halloween treats.....so I offer up a little poem I wrote when I was a kid, just for this night!

Halloween Night

The cold wind blows on Halloween Night
Witches take to their brooms in flight
They soar through the air and across the moon
Faithful black cats, perched on their brooms.
Ghosts and goblins float all around
Shaking their chains, they make horrid sounds
Bats fill the air, with a flutter of wings
To join the others and do scary things!
They all come together, to give you a fright
Each cold and windy Halloween Night!

Here is hoping the rain holds off but that the wind does not.  Afterall, what would Halloween be without a little wind blowing through the trees to make things interesting!