Ornaments. The Homemade Kind

For several years my friend Kristen has been inviting The SM and I to an ornament party. The ornaments have to be handmade and an exchange like none other takes place.

Before the war begins (and you think I am kidding), we are all made comfy and cozy like with good food and conversation. Then, things start to get edgy, the guests start to squirm, and Kristen declares it is time.

The ornaments which are all gift wrapped, are placed in the center of the room. Normally, we are civilized folks. Really truly. What happens next.... well, it's quite a frenzy and when it is all over we return to being civilized and wish each other a Merry Christmas and the hope of seeing them again the following year at the next ornament party!

The rules. There are many and each year I swear a new one is added. Bottom line. We each get a number. The person who drew number one goes first. They open an ornament. We ooh and aahhh. The ornament gets passed around so we can all see which one we want desperately to steal and take home. The next person goes. They can either steal the ornament person number one opened or they can open a new one. Third owner of an ornament gets to keep it. And so it goes. Much strategy involved, emotions get to come into play (I've not played that card yet, but give me two years and when Brennan leaves on his mission you can bet I'll pull out that card and every mother in that room will understand and if I play it right, I'll come home with the entire caboodle of ornaments!).

Kristen gives a good description of her party here. This is from last years party and if she would quit being lazy and write up a post about this years..... you'd be more up to date but...... last I heard she was out gallivanting around town having lunch with her friends. I'm not fibbing! I'm telling the truth! I saw it with my very own eyes! I was witness to the entire adventure!



So, I bring you to this year's ornaments. This is The SM's. We both make two of what we make. One for the party. One for our tree. I think this sled is adorable. He cut the metal and shaped the little sled runners, sanding the edges until they were smooth, then painted them red. The little wood slats are so tiny. Hard to see in this photo but it is just the littlest cutest sled and reminds me of one I had exactly like it growing up.



My ornament. These photos are for you Linda! It is absolutely amazing to me the amount of hours people put into doing tutorials for the rest of us inept people. I am so grateful to these people. Because of Linda's tutorial on these little sweater ornaments, I was able to make one too!



And thank you Kristen for teaching me to felt. The snowman is felted on the front of the sweater. How does one describe felting...... You use this barbaric little needle that has barbs on it and stab the wadding to death! :) Seriously! You take little pieces of fibers and with the needle stab it into what ever you want the felting on. In my case, the front of the sweater. I put a sponge in the inside of the sweater and then started stabbing the colored fibers where I wanted them and where I didn't want them. The carrot nose I was trying to make for some reason kept wanting to slide across the snowman's face..... much yelling and cussing and this is what you end up with! Piece of cake as Kristen says..... Riiiiiiight!