O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!!

Ha! Finally, I have some more tree photos to share. Yesterday, I decorated the tree in our family room and baked up some cookies, too. I have two more goodie items to bake and then I can make up plates for friends and family. I love to sample the goodies fresh from the oven with a glass of milk. Cookie Monster isn't the only one who can devour lots of cookies!!!
I liked this tree when I got is all decorated. I just wish that the colored lights would show so I think I will have to study my camera manual and figure out how to take a "higher quality" of picture and some night shots, too. I know the camera has those features. I just haven't learned how to use them. This is probably because I enjoy crafting and sewing more than reading instruction manuals. :-)
All of the ornaments on this tree (which is about 6' tall) are ones that I made and taught in classes at community ed or at Murphy's Landing Historic site. I had so much fun when I taught those classes. Kids love glue and glitter and I do, too!!!!
Here are some close-ups of some of my favorite ornaments on the tree.............

.......a felt cookie tree with tiny handmade candy canes. I used Sculpey clay to make the candy canes..........
..............a little snowman that I drew on a Styrofoam paper plate, then I covered him all over with white sparkly snow glitter and added features with puffy paint and a yarn bow...............


..............a couple more trees...........one made with a cookie cutter by cutting out a clay tree then slicing out the middle and filling it with left-over Cooking Crystals (I always knew I'd use those someday!).............and another felt tree decorated with lots of colorful little pom-poms in assorted sizes............

.............I have lots of wool and felt scraps (imagine that!!!) and used some to make these heart and tree ornaments. I cut various pieces of hearts and trees, then glued the shapes in layers and added some yarn edging......

...........the little wreath is just twisted fluffy chenille stems with felt holly........and the glass globe is filled with a bit of glitter which sticks to the inside of the ball because of static, then a little fluffy snow is added and I placed a pretty sticker on construction paper and rolled it to fit it inside the ball. I used a long skewer to get some glue in there to hold the angel sticker in place............and old, worn glass balls or cheap, new colored balls can take on new life when you buy a bunch of glitter and draw with glue or just buy glitter glue and the designs are endless for this project. You will need a place to hang the balls as they dry so this is a good project to do once the tree is set up and you can decorate the ornaments and hang them right on the tree. And the little snowman ornament.......well, how I made him is a secret that I am keeping for a January post. "Keeping" is the key word there. I am going to "keep Christmas all year long" and post an ornament tutorial each month throughout 2009. So is anybody interested in that?

And speaking of posting for 2009, I will be posting a block of the month and will post about that between Christmas and New Year's.


So what else is left to share today......ah, swaps.......about a week and a half ago, I received a package in the mail from Australia. I loved getting all the packages in the mail this past couple of months. This one was especially fun because it was bright green and inside was this package wrapped in the cutest paper. Nothing said I couldn't open this one so riiiiiippppppp - it was opened..........and here is what was inside!

Sheila was my partner in the Secret Santa Honeypot Ornament Swap and she made this lovely tree wall hanging and sent a beautiful 2009 calendar of Australian Wildflowers! I loved the button details on the tree and she also made a lovely card that she enclosed and I forgot to include in the picture. I can't show you what I sent yet as I only sent off my package to my partner a few days ago.
Underneath the tree are two of my favorite ceramic bell ornaments. I don't really have a "collection" of them but I do have about a dozen that I really treasure. My mother gave me the lady in red and I love Teddy Bears and had to buy the one with the little bear on it.

And the last thought for today is the weather........like anybody wants to hear about the weather because it seems all across the U.S. there is snow - even in Las Vegas!! I think that is just amazing to think of 3" of snow covering the sidewalks of Las Vegas! I thought I'd share a shot of our backyard and the snow. I shared so many photos of the leaves on these trees and this is what they look like now. More snow is on the way so they will be covered by tomorrow morning. This shot was taken mid-afternoon yesterday and I liked the way the sun was shining along the wall at the back of the house. Lots of snow assures a white Christmas. It also means good business for hardware and supply stores that sell shovels and snow blowers, gloves, hats, and scarves. Must be good for sales of hot chocolate, warm cider and all that stuff that puts us in the mood for winter. I love the snow if there is someone to shovel the heavy stuff, like my husband. I am only good at the fluffy stuff. I like the snow if it doesn't blow and keep us from getting out to do Christmas gatherings this weekend. Whether I like the snow or not, though, it will come, so I will pray for safe travel for us, for you, and for everyone who is out and about in these few days left before Christmas ....... and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too.
Now I must get back to the holiday projects I need to get finished so I'll have something to post about in the coming days. Have a good afternoon and evening!
Sandi