Christmas Crunch Time

My days have been filled with work preparations for our family's Christmas celebration. I have been decorating. I have been baking.  I have been celebrating the Christmas season with family and friends.  Here are a few pics of what we have been up to around here. 

Decorating stocking.. The kids decorate their own stockings each year, glitter, glue, wiggly eyes. I have a pile of stockings that are dated for each of the boys.

Decorating the piano and putting up the stockings.  Each of the kids stockings reflect their own 'unique' personalities.  

Decorating the tree - We decided to go with a live tree this year.  The decorating ended when the tree was so full that every new ornament made another ornament fall off the tree.

Decorating for the annual Christmas party

 In this quirky house, a traditional single wreath just won't work.  So our interpretation of a snowman wreath.

The Christmas party - a joyous occasion filled with family, friends, food and fun.  One of my most favorite days of the year.

The food 

The family and friends

The crafts 

The fun - The left / right game with kids that don't necessarily know their left hand from the right hand.. interesting to say the least.

It seemed that a fun time was had by everyone.  Now for Christmas ..... 

Much love,

Shell

Some Easy Peasy Earrings

Brenda Sue Landsdowne of B'Sue Boutiques is hosting an Easy Peasy Earring Design Challenge on her B'Sue Boutique Creative Group on Flickr.  I was finally able to sit down with some components and create today.

The first pair includes raw brass eyepins that I bent into earwires (*see B'sue Youtube video to see how its done) , 2 different size brass ox jump rings, and some brass ox dove charms (all from B'sue Boutiques). I believe that the connector is also from B'sue but I didn't write it down :( Then I added some lovely blue ceramic beads from Seven Seas Beads.  

 This second pair also uses the raw brass eyepins, 10mm brass ox jumps and Tim Holtz Philosophy tags: the left one says Breathe and the right says Simplify from B'Sue Boutiques. The beads on the earwire are 8mm baroque cut Czech glass beads from Gypsy Spirit Studio, and the focal bead is a blue ceramic from Seven Seas Beads.

This third pair includes another set of 8mm baroque cut Czech glass from Gypsy Spirit Studio. Then brass ox connectors, brass ox jumps, and raw brass earwires (from B'sue Boutiques). Finally, the focal beads are another set purchased from Seven Seas Beads.

I have been hoarding the adorable diamond shaped owl charms from Menagerie Studio and decided that this is the perfect project.  In addition to the cute charms, I have used raw brass eyepins, and 9mm rose ox filagree balls from B'sue Boutiques. The chain is a copper chain that I received in my Lima Beads challenge set, but I cannot remember what it is called. :(

 This last pair is my favorite overall. Again, I used the raw brass eyepins to create the earwires, added 10mm brass ox jump rings, double posie heart charms, and kissing doves on a perch charms both from B'sue Boutiques.  I added rectangular etched copper charms from Orrtec and the chain in the back is rustic antiqued copper flat oval link chain from Antiqued

I hope that you enjoy my spurt of creativity.  I know that I had fun creating these sets.

Much Love, 

Shell

How time flies...

Oh how time flies for me this time of the year.  With a house full of boys, my job and my schoolwork, I have disappeared from the jewelry making world.  I haven't even looked at my jewelry table in about a month, and most obviously I haven't blogged since the beginning of November.  Life is hectic for just about everyone this 

time of the year with Thanksgiving, Christmas and all of the other holiday celebrations.  Even though the winter months seem to be the most hectic in my little world, they are my happiest times of the year.  

Thanksgiving was a wonderful celebration.  I was able to spend time making pies with my second mom, help my husband with Thanksgiving dinner, spend time with my best friend, and enjoy the company of my sister and her children.  A couple of extra days off from work always makes me smile smile smile.

All of my Christmas shopping for the kids is complete - I have no idea how that happened, but it did and I didn't even step one foot into a mall or Walmart or other store - it makes me want to jump jump jump for joy! We will be going off to the Christmas Tree farm this weekend so that the kids can pick out their very first 'real' Christmas Tree.  I have a feeling that I am probably more excited about it than they are.

Our annual Christmas party is in the planning stages.  The kids (*and I) are very excited about this annual tradition.  We are making lists of foods, games, crafts and fun to share with family and friends.  The wearing of pjs is highly recommended in order to enjoy the movie The Polar Express properly ** and of course hot chocolate is served.

Shortly after the Christmas party is the annual jaunt around town to take in the sites of the Christmas spirit.  Christmas lights, decorations and manger scenes are a delightful way to spend a night with the kids.

Then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with all the joy that the holiday brings.  The special light that shines in a child's eyes as they prepare for Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve - reindeer food is a necessity along with cookies and milk - and again on Christmas morning when they wake to see what is waiting under the tree.  I only have a few short years left of 'Santa Clause'.  Christmas dinner with family and friends finishes off the day. 

I hope to spend more time with my blog and jewelry as the new year dawns.

Much Love and Blessed Holiday Wishes

Shell