As busy as Santa's Elves

Well I can't quite believe it's Christmas Eve!  The last couple of weeks have been so hectic, what with Dad being in hospital & his health going up & down the whole time I'm not certain if I'm coming or going.

I've been keeping myself busy as usual, last Saturday we were snowed in and I couldn't get to the hospital or use the tickets I had for Panto.  So I made some Tea Cup Candles as little Christmas Gifts for friends.  They really are so easy & I don't know why everyone isn't doing it!

Melting the wax

Poured Candles

One finished Tea Cup Candle, albeit a milky one!

I had also made some handmade lipbalms in different flavours, when I wrapped them in tissue paper & a pretty organza bag I decided to embelish the little bag with a tiny beaded Christmas Angel, sometimes inspiration strikes & you have to act upon it!

Beaded Christmas Angel

Christmas Angel on gift bag.

 

I also wanted to share a picture of a Christmas Card I commissioned from my friend at work, we're a secretly talented bunch in the office.  I wanted a special card for my other half; we'd both visited a lot of penguins this year, at Edinburgh Zoo where we watched them go for their afternoon walk, & for my birthday I got to feed the penguins at Bird World so I wanted penguins on the card. My friend Meagan made the card and it's brilliant.  My other half loves the style because it's tactile & reminds him of lego! 

All that's left now is for me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! 

Kendra x

A Bit Of Christmas Nostalgia

This week I've been finding it difficult to get into the Christmas Spirit.  It was all going so well, my presents were wrapped & my cards were written.  Last Saturday I also did my last stall before Christmas, at St Peter's Church in Staines.  It's the 2nd time I've taken a stall there, most of the stalls are run by the church community with just myself & another stall (Wine, Cheese & Chocolate - yum!), that are invited to take stalls.  They are such lovely people & I always have such a fun time with them & I thoroughly enjoyed it, got me feeling really festive & I came away singing the 12 Days of Christmas, and then on Sunday we put up our Christmas Tree & decorations at home. 
Sadly I had some news about my father on Friday which means he'll need to go into a Nursing Home & now I need to start clearing my parents place that was their home for the last 35 years, that's a lot of memories and a lot of things that need to find a new home & recycled/re-used where possible.  Being so close to Christmas I've found it all a bit overwhelming but I'm determined to take it all in my stride.  

It's got me thinking about when I was a child looking forward to Christmas & I was busied with tasks of making paper snowflakes & covering them with glitter & making those paper chains out of gummed paper.  So to make me feel better (& sometimes you need a bit of distraction) I got my beads out & made a berry coloured beaded snowflake, a bit too late too late to start making & selling for this year, but I'm so pleased with it I may make a few as little gifts for friends & add them to my repetoire for Christmas 2011.  

Frosted Snow Queen

Until almost a year ago I used to love the snow, until I slipped in the ice & broke my arm in 5 places (ouch!).  I don't remember the last time it snowed before Christmas in the area I live & although it looks really pretty & gives me that festive feeling ... I've not ventured very far!
So with the snow & my Lego Advent Calendar making me think even more about Christmas, I busied myself yesterday writing Christmas Cards & wrapping Christmas Presents to stave off the cabin fever ... all very well & good until I realised I have to venture to the Post Office at somepoint to buy stamps to post the cards. 

I was pondering upon the snow & wondered what jewellery the Snow Queen would be wearing, so I made an EmBracelet & some earrings fit for a Frosted Snow Queen, & I thought it would be fun to photograph them in the snow.  I think the Snow Queen loved the jewellery so much she stole the earrings out of my pocket when I wasn't looking, I had them in my pocket when I went out the front door, but after the few steps to the table where I was doing the photography they had disappeared!

So I sulked a little at losing the earrings (I'm sure they'll show up) and made some skull earrings from the hematite skull beads I brought at the London Bead Fair!  Both the skull earrings & the Frosted Snow Queen EmBracelet are available on my Etsy Store.

I'm off now to see how slippery it is outside before deciding about the stamps...


Kendra x