Christmas makes blogging so easy

This is the third decoration I've received from the swap.  I am calling him Whaley and I think he's great!  So shiny - difficult to photograph but lovely to stroke - and made by a lady called Taryn Conway.

The blurry photo above (the Christmas tree kept moving thanks to cat attacks and I don't want to spend all of my Sunday trying to get a better photo) is the decoration I had planned to make when I signed up for the swap.  I made a set for myself and some for friends a few years ago.  However, there were no nice red and white buttons in the shops this year and I couldn't find any ribbon I was happy with. 

I got some lovely giant green ric-rac and made this tree.  I decided it was too messy to send out but now I really like it - very shabby chic!  Still, it was mega fiddly to make and my brain might have exploded if I'd made ten of them.  I might bear this in mind for next year though as it does look really cute on the tree.  Would the addition of googly eyes be a step too far?  Hee hee!

And here is the decoration I ended up sending out.  I used my sewing machine and some sparkly thread (that stuff is so frustrating to use and got tangled up every 30 seconds or so) to sew simple lines on black felt rectangles and left the ends sticking out.  Then I pricked a hole through a shimmery snowflake table confetti thingummy and sewed it on with a bead.  I added a plain felt backing and a ribbon hanging loop.  Voila!  It's meant to look like a frosty night sky with the first snowflake falling... I think!  It's funny when you have to make SOMETHING to meet a deadline.  This is not at all what I had in mind.  Today I like it.  Tomorrow I won't.

Last night I made all my Christmas cards.  I'll share them later, along with the dramatic story of last year's Christmas cards...!