Monday, January 14, 2013

The other side of the holidays

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Every year, the day the last shipments go out I get to start working on holiday presents for my own family.  This year, the last shipments went out the evening of December 21, 2012.  That left me just three days to get everything together for Christmas, and one entire day was devoted to preparing for our annual Christmas Eve party.

For the last three years we’ve invited our family over for Christmas Eve.  The group has been growing every year, and this year it was 26 people (in a pretty small house). The first year I made Christmas stockings for everyone who came and told each person they had to bring a handmade gift to put in everyone else’s stocking.  The next year, I made the newcomers stockings, and this year I did the same (we have a total of 34 stockings now). 

Most people bring food to put in the stockings – totally fair, since I really don’t expect everyone to tackle a craft project for a group that large.  The first two years I made food, too, but this year I figured I could do something different.  So I carefully crafted 30 leather flower ornaments (I figured extras were never a bad idea) to put in everyone’s stockings.  They’re cut out of a single piece of leather, with a grommet at the top and a suede string with little glass beads.

I love the way these all turned out, and they’ve sparked a few new ideas for spring.  I have some flowers cut out to make giant, layered, flower pins out of, I just have to find that sweet free time to do it…

xo

C

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