Making Time to Craft

Such a busy time of the year!  No matter how prepared and organized I am, it still seems to be rather frenetic.  Not sure why; I don't have near the people to buy gifts for anymore.  Hardly anything to ship out.  I do send lots of cards but I don't have the time to hand make them and the list of 'homemade cardworthy' people has grown to epic proportions.  I used to do 15-20, but with everyone on FB now I run the risk of hurting feelings if I send to one person who publicly thanks me and other people feel slighted that I didn't deem them homemade cardworthy when they see it.  So my solution has been, unfortunately, to not do it anymore.

But I've still made the time to do some crafts in between decorating, dealing with a sick dog last week, errands that never seem to end and preparing for my other craft show at the Sandwich Legion.

I have been wanting to try floss wrapped bangle bracelets with jump rings and charms.  Rather than using a solid colour, I broke out the variegated floss.  I ended up replacing the seahorse with a 3rd turtle and sending it to a cousin's daughter, who has 3 turtles.

As usual, the project took way more time than I'd expected.  Wrapping alone took over 2 hours, close to 3. And then I remembered how much I really hate working with jumprings.  

I'd like to keep the purple one but sadly bangles have always been way too big for my hands/wrists and they slide off easily. The red and black one was done with 2 skeins of floss in those colours and wow what a pain it was to wrap!

I realized I never did post the pics of the 2 jar snowglobes that I was able to get to seal and not leak.  This one got a little cloudy because the paint has probably washed off a bit.  It's hard to tell but it's a snowman with a big hat and holding a pole with a hanging lantern.

I really like this one with the white tree and lamppost.

Then during my decorating spree, I unearthed some balls that I forgot I had.  I got those plain jewel tone balls many years ago at Costco and then the following year they came out with the same balls, with gold glitter designs and I started to use them instead.  I also got those smaller glittery balls a couple years ago for a potential project that I don't even remember now.  So I spent some time tying more fishing line to them to make another ball chandelier.  

Came out really pretty but to the detriment of my neck and upper back.

This coming Wednesday night I'll be stepping WAY out of my comfort zone, craft/art wise.  Stay tuned.....

Thanksgiving Weekend

I am so sick of eating.  And I really didn't eat all that much this weekend but still.....so much food in the fridge, so many leftovers....so much is gonna end up in the garbage.  We did a 12 lb turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, corn, cranberry sauce & gravy, PLUS a prime rib.  And we had Dutch apple pie for dessert.  Of course we are all about speed and ease, so everything comes out of boxes, cans and jars.  The pie was from the grocery store bakery.  

My stepkids came over at 2 to dine with us and we were all stuffed to the gills.  They still had their mom's to go to later on for 2nd dinner!  They are lucky they are so young and slim!!!  

My bday was the same day and it was mellow.  I felt the love on Facebook with all the greetings and messages.  That was so nice.  The next day, my mom took us to lunch, but not before she gave me this gift to usher in my 50th year.  A cane with horn and rearview mirror.  

Stuffed from lunch, I wasn't hungry again till well after 8 pm so I made myself a very small turkey sammich. Turned around to find myself pinned against the counter once again by my silly boopies.  Sagan is so focused on the plate with my sammich in this pic.

"But...but...but....you haz turkey sammich and we haz NO turkey sammich."  Poor, poor starving, unspoiled furkids.  Don't worry....they both got a little bit of turkey after I took this picture!

Gorgeous moon.

Yesterday, I made this 'Christmas ball chandelier' that I saw on Pinterest.  Came out pretty good.  I think it needs some more balls and the next one I make will have more; I got tired of tying fishing line.  This was, as always, just a prototype. 

It's started to get super icy cold again.  Makes for pretty pictures but taking the dogs out after dark really sucks, despite bundling up, esp. at 3 AM.

Couldn't resist taking another one of these last night when the sun went down.  We only get to see it like this from late November to early January.  Would like to get another snow pic of it but I really don't want any snow yet!!!

I've got all my Christmas cards done and ready to go, and most of my shopping is done, not that I had that much to do anyway.  I don't do Black Friday and I find people's shopping conduct sickening. I called this 'The Season of Brotherly Shove.'  Online, small business and craft fair shopping is the only way to go.

It's time to take down the Thanksgiving decorations and put up the Christmas ones!  I will be working on that today and that usually takes quite a few hours.  I also have one more craft show this coming Saturday at the Sandwich Legion.  

How was everyone's Thanksgiving weekends?  Did you do the Black Friday insanity?  Sick of turkey yet?