Handmade Christmas Presents

So, I've been meaning to post a couple of things that I bought from various artists on Etsy for Christmas...

Love this belt buckle from Etsy seller Metalogical (bought it for Carlos):

The whole idea of actually forging something in this day and age really caught my fancy. And Carlos likes it too!

Another present for Carlos - a t-shirt with a graphic of a Puerto Rican petroglyph of the Coqui (Carlos used to fall asleep listening to Coquis when he was a little guy):


This shirt is from Etsy seller AmaAmo - I was soooo impressed with her packaging and service. She's a newbie on Etsy but she is just incredibly professional.

And, finally, for me:


Hooray! A ring from TreAnelli that I've been wanting forever! I've been wearing it every day, middle finger of my right hand - that's one of the really nice things about Etsy, you can get something like a ring in whatever size you need, generally.

Merry Christmas to All

Kind of a dark photo, but you get the idea, right? We got about two FEET of snow over the weekend. Crazy.


The kids stayed in, for the most part (painting in the kitchen, here, Bella paints practically every day, but this was Conall's first time - so happy he didn't eat any of the paint!).

I decorate the mantel in our living room differently every year. This year, it's little origami trees - I made one and then couldn't stop. Kind of like chips. Or ski runs.

Carlos and I were up far too late last night wrapping presents... I still have to bake cookies and start crescent rolls for the trip to Ginga's (my Mum's) house, plus we're seeing the Nutcracker today at noon - I have a feeling I won't be sleeping much tonight, either. At least there are no complicated toys to assemble this year! (Best toy of the year, IMO - a Harrisville Easy Weaver loom for Ms. B. I even bought Liz Gipson's Weaving Made Easy for her.)

Merry Christmas to everybody! If you're somebody who normally gets a card from us and haven't gotten it, it's because I'm hopelessly lame and haven't sent them out, I'm sorry. I'm hoping to get some out for the New Year - but, in the meantime, I hope you have a lovely holiday!

Over the Holiday Rush?

I can't seem to relax this week. I'm shipping out my last custom order this morning...

(It's an Ms and os bamboo scarf in shades of brown - had a hard time photographing it, the weather has not been cooperating lately!) I've had a busy week on Etsy and at the studio (Open Studios for the last two weekends means that my house is a complete wreck), but I think things should calm down now for a couple weeks.

But I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something.

Oh yeah! The Christmas tree!

LOL. We're really late this year. But I figure that's one week or so less of keeping Conall from trying to pull it over. And house cleaning, Christmas cards, wrapping presents (which I actually have managed to buy, amazing), weaving a couple scarves for some nieces, the Nutcracker tonight (Bella's first trip to see the Boston Ballet), Conall's second birthday is just two weeks after Christmas...


So I'm working on spending a day doing not very much today. My Mum will arrive this afternoon to go to the Ballet with Bella and I, there's a big snow storm on the way for tomorrow, I'm making slow cooker beef stew for dinner, and I'm thinking of making some little origami Christmas trees to decorate the fireplace mantle. I hope everybody is having a similarly relaxing day!

Fibery Fun

We are so far behind on Christmas this year it isn't even funny... Finally got the tree up and decorated last night (!). I still haven't finished shopping, yikes. I'm hoping to get some done this afternoon - I really *really* don't want to have to brave the toy stores over the weekend, it will be a madhouse.

In the meantime, I have some fun new fibery goodness.

Isn't that felted flower pin awesome?? It's from Liz of MadeInLowell - lovely (check out her etsy shop by clicking on that link!). The scarf is one of mine, that I took out of my Etsy shop to keep, for once, since it goes so nicely with the flower. I have another flower pin, too, that's a lovely combination of green/gold/rust, and a polymer clay barrette that I got for Ms. B. Liz makes gorgeous things!

We have also had some craazzzzy weather, making shopping for Christmas that much more complicated...



Bella's slide out there is nearly buried, too funny.

Three snowstorms in the past week - last Thursday we got about 10 inches, then on Saturday night/Sunday we got more snow plus rain/sleet/general yuckiness, which made a thick crust over all of it (looked like icing, kind of pretty, but rotten for kids - no fun to play in, though Bella sure has been trying!), and then it snowed all day yesterday, too, for another couple inches. Bella is outside right now playing on the deck, making snow castles with her summer sand-digging buckets/shovels, etc.

I haven't wrapped a single present. Or bought the turkey. AHHHHH!

On the bright side, my etsy shop is practically emptied out! My pink scarf sold too - my friend Jake, from college, bought it for his lovely wife for Christmas (hi Cara!!). I'm so happy that it's going to a good home - this is the first time that a friend of mine has bought something from me, and it is hugely flattering. I hope Cara likes it!

I've been weaving a couple of Christmas presents, but have new things in planning stages for the shop...