Please Vote for my *Cheshire Cat* Ornament

From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

"Cheshire-Puss," she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where---" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"---So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

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I normally don't enter contests, usually because I believe they involve a lot of luck and well, I really don't usually feel all that lucky :o) This contest, however, involved entering a handmade ornament and that I have a little experience with so I entered. I guess it still involves a bit of luck but it also involves skill and hard work (both of which I'm familiar with) and to my surprise, my *Cheshire Cat* ornament is in the running for this week's Grand Prize. If it wins, I win $1000 and my ornament could be featured in the magazine. I love Better Homes and Gardens! Been reading it since I was a little girl so being featured in BHG, to me, would be the *cat's meow*, so to speak. So, shameless request for a vote here, I would be so grateful if you could vote for my Cheshire Cat and if you feel so inclined to share this with your family and friends. I know a lot of my blog readers also read my Facebook page and profile so I apologize to those of you who have been inundated with this there also, I'm trying to reach as many friends and followers as possible in the most unobtrusive way. :o)

Thank You All for taking the time to read this and for voting!
Kelly

My *Holiday* Shop is Stuffed!

I have listed almost everything I have made for this season into my *Holiday* shop and I am having a special
(and this truly is *special* because I only do a store wide event once or twice a year!)

From today, November 28th through Friday, December 3rd, 9PM:

• *Free First Class* postage on all purchases within the United States
• Spend $50 or more and receive *Free Priority Shipping* within the United States
• International Buyers: receive *10% off* your entire purchase (contact me for coupon code)

I do have a few more pieces, mostly angels and elves, that will be finished up before the end of the week and will be included in the special.

:o) Kelly

The Junior League's Children's Holiday Palooza

Sometimes you do shows and you don't sell much but they are still worth the time and effort. The Junior League's Children's Holiday Palooza was one of those events for me. Sure, selling out would have been nice but sometimes you just need to get your work out there and get exposure. (Plus, I would have been in a world of hurt if I sold everything since I have two more shows in short succession!)


This event was basically a brunch with Santa, it was day three of fund raising events for the Junior League, and the only one that included the kids. As a matter of fact it was the one built around the little one's. The kids ate brunch, got to decorate cookies and make Christmas cards, shop in the Twigbee shop and meet Kris Kringle and Twigbee the bear. While all this was going on parents could shop the tables.




The best part for me was the look on all the little one's faces when they walked past my table, little fingers grasping retro Christmas lights and joyfully smiling at little elf ornaments. I do consider them my target audience (them and the rest of us folks that are young at heart!:o)

[the other highlight was being able to experience the Silver Grille in the old Higbee's building. Note the well appointed ladies restroom! (below) Love those stainless steel pendant lights!! Sorry, I didn't take photos of the marble stalls, LOL]

OH! I did find that I need to take my tot downtown to see the last decorated storefront window at the old Higbee's site. It's not much but it made my heart skip a beat when I saw it :o)

More WIP

You can always tell when I have an upcoming show, all of my projects reach completion at the same time and I have a plethora of new finished work to show. It is what it is :o) I don't think I would be able to make as many pieces if I worked any other way. Now back to work I go! I still have those pesky Christmas lights and price tags and some more snowmen....

Latest WIP (Warning: Image Heavy)

Happy Snowday!

Here is the new angel design. Much simpler, it really highlights the halo, face and wings.

I embed glass beads into the glue that adheres the halos to the angel's head.
All about the details!

A visual hodgepodge! My first show of the season is this weekend so I have new angels, paper clay ornaments and snowmen. I have also been working on making price tags. I find those little white things they sell rather distasteful and unappealing, so I am making my own. I hope it will look more pulled together than those little white buggers. In the past, I loathed these so much that I didn't use any( I do like to talk to folks!) and learned that that is an awful idea. Some folks don't want to talk to you, they want to check out your prices. So this year and in coming years, I will use and reuse my little price tags.I printed out little blue price points (above) on the same background image as my business card with my business font, cut them out with a paper punch, attached them to a piece of pretty red card stock, punched them out with the punch again and added a little white snowflake to the solid red back. On one side, a little snowflake/peppermint, on the other a lovely price all dangling from a little silver thread. I know, a lot of work but I'm weird like that. It's the little details that get me every time. :o)

The First Star

First finished Gingerbread man.
There are a few more that I'm working on today that are even cuter!

A portrait shot of the first snowman

I got a little carried away on this guys scarf but he's very cute and it's very fitting.:o)

I have so many other things that are nearing completion but that will have to wait until another day or maybe next week, I do have price tags to finish :o)

Newest WIP

I've been in paper clay land for much too long and put off my little felt elves so this post is an update on those little felt folks .


I have been sitting on spun glass halos for about a year. Had every intention of making angels but my original vision included hand feathered wings out of feathers I made out of fabric and wire. I started the wings a long time ago and will get to them some day but in addition to the halos, I also had Dresden Angel wings and, voila!, My very first angel ornament was born. I chose to give her red hair since I am a redhead and while every ugly witch under the sun has had red hair, very few angels ever do.
I also finished another ice skater. Another red head, I realized why she was put on the back burner. When applying her hair, the glue bled through and gooked up her hair. My remedy was to add glitter *snow* to her hair and dress and a little extra embellishment to her headband. The oops is concealed and she looks awfully cute. I don't know if I would do this again unless faced with a similar problem but she was too cute to discard and leave unfinished.


This Poinsettia elf was listed on Etsy and sold within an hour of her listing. She is now on her way to the UK. I hope her new owner loves her as much as I did! They really are like little children. :o)

This Holly elf was a companion to the Poinsettia elf. I have a Mistletoe elf in the works in addition to another set of *foliage* elves done in black and white. Also in the works: More angels, Dorothy, the scarecrow and Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz, Hockey elves and tin soldier/ drummer boy elves. When I start making elves I find it very hard to stop. I also find it very hard to finish some because I need to work out a new idea before I forget it. I hope to share more elves as well as the finished paper clay pieces I've been working on next time. Now I'm back to little felt folks! :o)