Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season

Sign

I find this sign alarming.

A Study in Red

With Christmas soon to be over, the next card giving holiday will quickly be here ---- Valentine's Day. Instead of buying red paper, I decided to paint my own. This was infinitely more fun and my plan is to cut this sheet into multiple hearts.

Storage

How do you record/store your treasures? The book was made by my sister, Shell, and is decoupaged. I use it to keep track of the ornaments I have made and to whom I have given them. This box made by my friend, Jann, is where I store the beaded treasures until I give them away.

Maggie, once again

Last summer, while still in Maine, I started this drawing of Maggie. Last week I got it out and have continued working on it. Whether it is finished or not, I don't know. I'll need to live with it a few days to see how I feel. Sure do miss my Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils. I finished this piece using Derwent's regular watercolor pencils but they just aren't quite as nice. Santa will be coming soon so perhaps he will bring me some Inktense pencils - especially now that they are available in 72 colors.

2008 pages/reverse side

Thanks everyone for your comments. For the reverse side of the ornament, my plan is to put information about the person the ornament honors. After stitching the front side, I add another piece of stiffened felt and join the two pieces using a three-bead whip stitch around the edges. I found this tag among my mother's things and it will be mounted on the reverse side of the Swan ornament. The handwriting is my Mom's and she wrote my younger sister's birth information on it. On the other side is my birth information as filled in by the hospital.

Sis - today is the big day - Happy Birthday.

BJP 2008

After completing my butterfly wings for BJP 2008, I came up with the idea of beading "memory" ornaments that I will hang on my Christmas tree. When Robin announced that another year was going to happen, I decided that these ornaments would be my project for the year.

SEPTEMBER -
This page is in honor of our 39 year marriage. My younger sister, Shell (my maid of honor) made the center coin while at Disneyland. It reads "Dee & Bob Happy 4th anniversary". I beaded both sides of the "do-nut" so the coin can hang freely.
OCTOBER -
This page is in honor of my husband whose birth month is October and features his gold baby ring. The sequins on this piece were a first for me.

NOVEMBER -

This page is in honor of Shell whose birth month is November. When we were children we used to ride the swan boats in Boston Commons - of course, the water wasn't quite this blue! The swan bead is carved from a piece of shell. For many years Shell sent us an anniversary card that featured swans but it has been awhile since she has been able to find any "swan" cards.