We had a great Christmas! Spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my hubby's parents and then came to our house in the afternoon for our personal family Christmas. These are pics of my daughters, their hubbies and the grandkids. Happy!

rag quilt for brother-in-law

Here is the rag quilt I made for my brother-in-law for Christmas. I drew his name. It is a kit by Benertex. Went together really fast and there is no batting and it is still is warm and soft and cuddly.

My swap pin

Here is a pin I got from Sharon Hawkes. She lives in New Zealand and does wonderful needle felted tiny animals. Isn't he the cutest needle felted Rudolf the Reindeer! He is only about 1 1/2 inches big. I don't see how she does it!

Last swap of the year

Yep it is the last swap I am doing this year! But I have already signed up for a Jan swap! LOL

This is two pins for the same partner. The swap was Santa or his elves. I made the Santa but wasn't real happy with him as he isn't smiling. It is a sculpy face. So I made the elf with one of my painted faces on it. I like that one much better. I still sent both out to my partner!

More swaps!!

This is a pin swap on another Yahoo Group. It is going to New Zealand.

The 'Sandy Claus', based on Jack from 'Nightmare before Christmas' got a bit big and turned into an ornament! So I made a ribbon poinsettia for a pin!

The head of Jack is sculpy clay.

My decorations

The Annalee collection is on a crocheted tablecloth that I made 32 years ago!

Here is a collage of some of the decorations that I put up. A lot of the stuff I have made but a lot has been collected over the years like my Santas in the bookcases.

Yeah!

The tree is back up! I only lost one ornament which I thought was amazing. My husband put it back up while I was out at a wrapping party. (We wrapped all the gifts collected for the underpriviledged families in our area that submitted their names) I added a few more ornaments but that was it. The lights and garland got tangles so that was left as is and shoved up the branches! LOL

OH NO!!!

Well this is what I found when I woke up this morning!! Just fell over! Yikes! this is the second year in a row it has done this. As you can see by the ladder and ornament box I wasn't even done decorating it!!! I called my hubby and said he had better bring home a new stand as it cracked this time. And this was one of those stands where you can adjust the tree and lock it in to position. I guess they didn't take into account the fact that my hubby likes large heavy trees. He picks them out himeself.

It is too heavy for me to get up so I guess hubby will have to do it when he gets home!!

It is December!!!

I can't believe it is already December! I have been decorating for two days and I think I am almost done. As soon as I am I will take some pics and post them. I haven't made anything since the Santa. Gotta get busy!! Gotta get shopping too!!

My Round Robin doll is home!!!

This is my round robin doll that returned home to me last Wed. It was a round robin sponsored by Yvonne Nathanson thru DollStreet. It was started last Jan. Ten people's talents are combined in my doll! Isn't she great!!! There was also a journal that everyone wrote in so I will always know what part of the doll a person worked on. She also has a gold purse that got left out of this pic.

A few more village pics

Here are some more pics of the houses and people
The nativity park
fun in the snow

My Village

Here are a few pics of my Christmas village that I finally put up! It is on the side board in my dining room that is about nine feet long.

Santa swap

Yes, another swap!!! I think next year I will make it my resolution not to sign up for so many swaps. Then I might get some things done for myself! LOL
This one is a Santa swap on another one of my Yahoo groups. I am on quite a few Yahoo groups. He is a stump doll and I tweaked hand and head from an Ute Vasina pattern. He is 15" tall.

another pin doll

This is another pin for the Nov black and whlte swap (and accent color) at pindollalley that I made for Lori. She is a new member and this is her first swap with us.

I seemed to have signed up for lots of swaps again. I just love swaps.

I live in California and am in an advent calendar swap with a lady in New Zealand. 25 little presents to open each day and a biggie on Christmas. I had lots of fun with this swap last year so wanted to do it again. It is really exciting opening pressies from the other side of the world! I am also in a pin swap with a different lady from New Zealand. How lucky is that! Two swaps to get from New Zealand! It is a bit in postage for the bigger advent swap, but well worth it. Makes the world seem a lot smaller and makes you feel closer to everyone.

Black & White challenge doll

Well the Black and White challenge is over so I can finally post a picture of the doll I made for the challenge. She won a second in the professional/advanced category. You can't tell but her top is really a little jacket that is removable. I really like her. Here is a close up of her shoes. They are black leather.

I never got around to putting up my village as I felt sick on the weekend and slept a lot. I am starting that today finally!

new swap stuff

In my CRAFT yahoo group I am in a block swap. I made this 12" block for MaryAnn in Maine. Her favorite colors are blues and yellows. This is the Storm at Sea block.

The pin I made for my Pindollalley swap. Black and white for Nov. This one is for Patti. I am making another black and white pin for one of the new memebers Lori.

I am also going to start putting up my Christmas village today. I will get a photo when it is all done!

charm squares

I am addited to those fun charm square packs that the fabric companies put out containing all the fabrics in one line. I must have 30 packs! LOL Anyway, here is a table runner I made for my quilt guild secret sister. It is made with the Victorian Holiday line charm pack. Quick and easy and it looks great!

mailed swaps

I finished my swap for the Rainbow dolls a club I belong too online and based in England. It is between the Rainbow Dolls and Patti Culea's doll club. I am a little late but wanted to make sure Patti is safe back in her house as she is going to San Diego. She has wings to fly back and forth across the oceans between the doll clubs.

The black kitty and pumpkin is for Sherrie for the Pin Doll Alley yahoo group swap for October. Sherrie is on vacation but will get it when she gets back.

They both went in the mail today and hopefully will get to their destinations safe and sound.

Another ATD

Here is another Artist Trading doll I made. It is for a Yahoo group challenge. I put many things in this one. I sign up to make an ATD and then go overboard on buying stuff to make it. I probably have enough stuff to make Halloween ATD's for 10 years! LOL You can see the tiny bat brads holding the wings on. The body is actually pumpkin paper. It is hard to tell.

Fall and Grandkids

Well the grandkids were here this weekend while mom and dad had a nice anniversary weekend.

Saturday they went down the hill to grandpa's garden and picked some pumpkins. Some weren't really ripe but were picked anyway. The huge one is grandpa's pride. We didn't carve that one but did the others. Kassy and Calvin both helped with creating faces for their pumpkins. Aren't the cute!

Sunday was play in the leaves day. They had fun raking them into piles and jumping in them! The smallest neighbor boy came over to play with Kassy and Calvin. I managed to get my grandson's pirate costume finished while he was here so mom could take it home. Notice my grandson's gap in his smile. He lost another tooth while here so the 'tooth fairy' had to come to grandma and grandpa's house! LOL

ATD for Oct

Here is my ATD for October. The person recieving this one is Betsy Orlando. Some of the detail is hard to see. The head is a pumpkin face. There are bats and moon brads attaching the arms and legs. The trick or treat bag has tiny candies on it. There is a spider on one leg. I hope my swap partner likes it!

bag and swaps

I made another bag for Mary's scholarship fund. I am having fun with these!

The swaps I recieved in the mail this week. I got a school teacher ATD from Lily for the Sept Back to school swap at my Artist Trading Doll Yahoo group. I got a witch named Hazel ATD from Kathy for the Oct swap in the same group. Aren't they great!! I got a great Autumn Annie and her ghost Boo, both wearable pins, from Sherri on my PinDollAlley Yahoo group.
I love swaps! I am working on my Oct swaps now and will post pics when I am done.



I finished my Black and White challenge and got those pics off to Sandy and on time too!

Mary's Bags for scholarship

These are bags I made to be auctioned off at Mary Tressler's site..... http://www.uncommonfolk.org./ They will be under the scolarship button once posted. The first is her handbag pattern to hold a key or small item. I beaded on it and added a 3-D butterfly. I love the fabric. It is a butterfly wing fabric.



The second bag is called the body bag! LOl I made it from an embossed velvet. I added sequin trim at the top and pearls down the front and a heavy beaded fringe on the bottom. These are to hold scissors or items of that size.

The scholarship is to send someone to the Creations in Fibers Doll event in New Mexico. Hopefully we will raise enough to pay for their classes and hotel and travel fees. Maybe even to send more than one person. Go to her website (Link above) and check out all the lovely auction items!

I am in the process of making yet another bag that is bigger still! LOve it!

Quilt tops I made on retreat

Here are the quilts I made at the retreat. The colorful one is a tilt and turn block. I was in a swap on an online group and I asked for a center cat fabric and outer bright fabrics.


The star quilt is a block of the month quilt and a calendar quilt. I fused appliqued the centers of the stars and they represent each month. I still need to put the green border around but need more fabric.


The red and green quilt is from charm square packs and and matching striped holly fabric.
I still have to put the red border on this one.

More retreat

The lake was gorgeous. Here is a nice view thru the trees and across the lake. It snowed Wed morning. Isn't it beautiful! The grass back of lodge covered is covered with snow and the area where you access the dock is covered in snow! I had such a great time! I will take pics of the quilt tops I made and post them later.