December Theme Challenge – Handmade Christmas

2014 Christmas Ornaments given as gifts to the Studio b Zumba instructors

This month's Art Elements theme challenge - Handmade Christmas. This was a fun challenge because it allowed me to go back and look at the things mom and I have made, in the past, and have given as gifts. So this was a nice stroll down memory lane. Though I don't have pictures of all the gifts I have given in the past, which was dumb.

Mom and I did want to work on a piece to make in December. We were lazy though and didn't get them completed (I should I say I was lazy and didn't feel like enameling - though I should have when it was 61 degrees out).

Mom found the pattern for the cat and dog Christmas ornaments. I think mom is almost down filing and sanding the dog (the cat was already done). If it is warm again I will work on enameling them. Once that is done we will display the two pieces in small shadow boxes.

Mom and I have created Christmas ornaments in the past to either sell or give as gifts. I think we even have a few left in the Etsy store. We even have done a Christmas ornament swap, but it has been a few years.

2016 Studio b key chains

This is the year mom helped me create key chains with the sayings from each of the Studio b instructors on them. It is hard to see what the key chain says say, but the all start with "b" because of Studio b. If you want to see how they key chains were made you can go to our EB Bead and Metal Works Facebook page. There is an album about the key chains there.

2017 Studio b instructor initial pendants

In 2017 mom helped me created 20g copper pendants with the initials of the Studio b instructors. I then tried to be sneaky by asking them all what their favorite colors were (I asked for three or more colors). Once I had their colors I went to town on the enameling. Mom was great on sawing out the initials for me (because I would have never done the initials as intricate as she did!!!!).

2018 Studio b bowls for the instructors

In 2018 I decided to go with enameled copper bowls. I still had the FB message from 2017 with the instructors favorite colors. So, mom and I sawed out the bowls and then mom pounded them into different shapes for me. There is actually a video from when mom was pounding them into shape that I posted to FB.

2019 Soap Sack for Work

This year I decided to crochet soap sacks and give soap as gifts to my co-workers. In July I started crocheting my own wash clothes, loofah and soap sacks. I also started buying handmade, local soaps to use.

I found the soap sack tutorial on YouTube. The first one I made was awesome. The next 10 I made just seem to get worse and more worse (mom said they looked fine, but I could see all the mistakes).

Mom could tell I was very frustrated. I finally told myself to stop, watch the video and write down the instructions (the links to the instructions no longer work on the YouTube video). Writing down the instructions seemed to help.

The first 10 soap sacks I made I will donate to S.A.C.K. They give out soap sacks to the homeless (I plan on making more later, but need a break) to use with soap.

The soap I gave with the soap sack is from a local business woman. She is normally at the farmer's markets and she was actually at one of the shows mom and I attended in November (I bought more soap). You can find her business on Facebook called Next to Godliness. Her soaps are amazing!!!! I highly recommended her soaps if you are looking for homemade soaps.

These are the soap sacks I made up for my co-workers. Each soap sack has a different soap for the person. I know two of my co-workers were just leaving the sacks on their desk so they could smell the soap :)

Mom and I haven't been lazy all of December :) We have been knitting preemie and chemo caps to donate. These are the preemie hats we have completed and mom has boxed up to mail to various hospitals.

We just have started on knitting the chemo caps again - I think we only have four done right now.

I am also teaching myself how to crochet finger-less gloves. I would like to see if I can also donate these for people who are going through chemotherapy. I have been told that those individuals become very cold. So, thought this might help too.

I am using YouTube videos to teach myself. Again I am doing something wrong, not sure what I am doing wrong, but I have written the instructions out. So I am hoping that helps me figure out what is going on. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am stubborn and I will persevere, dang it!

So, that is it for the handmade Christmas.

I hope you check out everyone who is participating in the blog hop.

Guests: 

Sarajo

Kathy

Mary

Hope

Tammy

Evie and Beth (here)

Divya

Merja

Sarah

AE Team

LindsayJennySueKarenClaireNikyCathy

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a great New Year! I can't wait to see what 2020 brings!

Sale in the Etsy Shop - 20% Off

There's still time to give the gift of handcrafted jewelry, bowls, key chains and metal prints. Visit the shop on Etsy and get your orders in by December 18th to meet the USPS shipping deadline.