Ringing in the New Year!

Happy new year everyone!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed ringing in the new year!  We went to dinner, then came home and watched a movie until it was time to watch the fireworks from Seattle's Space Needle.  Can't believe we've been doing this for twelve years now.  We moved here in 2000 and have enjoyed sitting in the warmth of our family room watching this on TV every new year's eve since.  However, I DO have it on my bucket list to go to the Seattle Center and watch this spectacular show in person...ONE DAY!

We are looking forward to the new year.  Our daughter is getting married in June and we are hoping to have lots of family come out from around the country.  So I expect a very busy six months ahead planning the wedding with my daughter, working in my home and yard, and getting my body in shape for all those photos! LOL!  With all I plan to do, you probably won't see much of me or my primitives until late summer.  I don't plan to quit sewing completely, but I won't be listing as much...and only listing what is already made.  I will miss my normal activity and all the interaction with my customers, but I plan to be back full force in August.

I DID want to share one last project I made back before Christmas.  This is a Christmas ornament I made for my daughter.  She works for the Seattle Times and is a big sports fan.  So I took a clear flat shaped glass ornament (I preferred this shape over the round ball shape) and used the sports section from the Times to make her ornament.  I liked the red in the title...it gave it more of a Christmas feel.  I made sure to get in key elements on the ornament, such as the Seahawks, Mariners and the date of the paper.  This way she will always know what year I made it.  I finished it off with a light coating of glass glitter and some silver accents.  I love how it turned out and Katie loved it as well. 

I ripped significant pieces and head lines from the sports section and used Mod Podge to glue all the pieces on, making sure the entire ornament was covered.  Once it was completely dry, I coated it with Mod Podge again and sprinkled the glass glitter on.  After that dried, I made the bow and accents using three different ribbons.  I used one of the ribbons as a hanger, too.  I chose the red side for the front and below is the back side.

I bought her a nice large decorative ornament box from Jo-Ann's.  

The newspaper ornament went in her stocking, but I also made the ornament below for the both of them and put it in the box along with a couple of other handmade Christmas pieces I had bought from craft shows.  The photo is from their "Save the Date" they sent out recently.

 I then wrapped the whole box and put it under the tree.  So when we take down the tree in the next couple of days, she will have a nice ornament box to put all HER ornaments in for their first tree together next year....ornaments from since she was a baby.  My tree will seem a little barer next year, but their tree will have a very nice start!

I've begun my first major "home" project...cleaning my craft room.  It's amazing how bad it can get in just a few months, when I get busy with orders.  I recently sold a couple of things off my web site that I couldn't even find!  It took me a couple of days and lots of frustration before I finally found them!  So I don't want THAT happening again!  I'm also going through tons of craft supplies from years ago...trying to figure out if I can use or need to finally depart with!  I'm amazed at some of the things I had totally forgotten about.  It's been kind of fun going through everything.

Well, not sure when I'll be back.  Until then, hope you all have a healthy, prosperous and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  ~~Annie