Tag: cards

Ornaments and Angels

I was on vacation last week, which was a good thing. I spent a lot of time making the ornaments to send out as Christmas cards. I would never have gotten as many made if I hadn’t had the week off.

Some of the ornaments for cards on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament cards for Christmas

Another batch of cards done except for the hangers.

More ornament cards for Christmas on wandasknottythoughts
More ornament cards for Christmas

These all have hangers now. There are still a few that need tatting as well as the hangers.

The good news, most recipients have theirs. Some were to be mailed yesterday but didn’t get picked up. I don’t know if the mail came early or we didn’t have a postman come by, so I’ll drop them at the post office today.

While I was tatting small things for these ornaments, I took a bit of a detour and did a small angel.

Small tatted angel on wandasknottythoughts
Small tatted angel

This is one of the few times I jotted down some ideas and a drawing before starting to tat. I had to make an adjustment due to a slight miscalculation, but it came out like I wanted it to. I even jotted down the stitch counts – amazing! I might get the pattern out later this week, though maybe not the nice drawing. We’ll see.

I was very busy last week with more than just the Christmas cards. There were so many things that had to be finished before this last weekend. The good news is that those things did get done. Now I can do a few of the other things that didn’t get done yet. Like putting up decorations in my house. But I have to clean a bit before that. Christmas is how many days away??

Are you ready for Christmas?

“It’s true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you’ll find you’ve created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul.” Caroline Kennedy

Christmas Cards

Have you sent your Christmas cards yet? I have not. Have you received any yet? I have not. And when you receive them, how do you display them?

Displaying Christmas cards is a conundrum for me every year. Every year I receive such beautiful cards and I don’t have a way to display them. Some years I’ve had a string where they can be clipped to and be seen. Some years I don’t have a place to do that. One year I had a cute basket I put them in, but they did not display well. Then when the season is over I hate to throw them away because they are so beautiful and some have wonderful messages or greetings. I keep a lot of them, but really, then what?

This year I decided to make them. Now, I’m not much of a card maker. I have a cousin who does that sort of thing beautifully, and tattingmargaret at Margarets Designer Cards does lovely cards. But I thought I’d do my own cards this year, at least to the few that I’m sending them.

Ornament card 1 on wandasknottythoughts
My first try at an ornament card

This is my first try at making a card that is an ornament as well. It can be hung as an ornament on the tree, or where-ever, and saved for another year, too. It incorporates some of the hymnal pages and a little bit of tatting. I was pleased with the first one, so a made a few more.

Ornament 2 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #2
Ornament3 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #3

I suppose they are not really cards, though I put our Christmas greetings, the year, and our names on the back. Does that make them cards?

One of my daughters was over and I drafted her to help me cut out the paper. That made things go a lot faster.

Ornament 4 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #4
Ornament 5 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #5

Some I like better than others. Some worked, color and tatting wise, better than others. But the over-all look of them came out better than I was thinking they would.

Ornament 6 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #6
Ornament 7 card on wandasknottythoughts
Ornament #7

I even incorporated a decorated button on one. Right now on Facebook the wonderful Lace-lovin’ Librarian Diane Cademartoi has started another group, this time with decorated button ornaments. I’ve done a lot of decorated buttons before, but the group inspired me to do a few more. This decorated button decorates an ornament.

Seven Christmas ornaments on wandasknottythoughts
All seven Christmas ornaments I’ve made so far

I gave out five of these already and they were well received. But I’m going to need a few more. Good thing I have the circles cut out already! But, wait! I don’t have enough tatted parts yet. I’d better get on it!

How about you? Do you have your cards done?

“The Church knew what the psalmist knew: Music praises God. Music is well or better able to praise him than the building of the church and all its decoration; it is the Church’s greatest ornament.” Igor Stravinsky

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I’m a winner!

Linda, over at “A Swap For All Seasons” had a drawing the other day and I won!
I have recently started following Linda’s blog of decorated cards and tags to be inspired and get ideas for more uses of tatting. I have not actually made any cards or tags yet, but I hope to.  When she had her drawing I thought it couldn’t hurt to enter and I got lucky!
Look at all the goodies she sent!
There is the ‘fly’ card and ‘Dad’ tag she made recently, dimensional stickers, washi tape, string, ribbon, lace, buttons, blank tags, background paper, a stamp and material, all in shades of black and grey.  Even the tissue paper they were all wrapped in! This is so cool!  Thank you, Linda!
We were on a family vacation when the package arrived though I had been told I’d won and knew it was coming.  It was nice to have such wonderful mail waiting for me when I got home!  
Now I’m imagining how I can incorporate some tatting into decorating one of those tags she sent!
“You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.”
George Lucas
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