Sunday, December 26, 2010

A Few of My Favorite Things

As adults we aren't supposed to anticipate Christmas like we did when we were young-- after all, we are now the ones rushing around buying the presents, figuring out where to put all the holiday guests, planning all the festivities and paying all the bills. For many people, what's really special about this time of year just gets lost in the shuffle.

Although my husband and I will soon be celebrating our 10th anniversary, we still count having each other as our “bestest” gift at Christmas. And we're both still healthy and fairly active and that is quite a lot to be thankful for at our ages.

But I would be remiss if I failed to thank each and every one of you who reads this blog for making my days so enjoyable as I write down my thoughts and observations, knowing that someone is actually out there who shares my passions and takes the valuable time to visit and comment. I am so thankful that I have many good friends online that I feel closer to than any I have ever made in my lifetime, although I have never met you in person. Can creativity operate in a vacuum? Probably, but it's not much fun. I treasure the ability to share my discoveries, experiments and musings with all of you and am humbled by your enthusiasm for them.

I'm just bubbling with new ideas I want to share with you -- some of them are already scheduled to be out there in a public way around March. My wish list this New Year of 2011 includes making it to a major bead show, where I can meet in person some of the creative friends I talk to almost daily online.Also in the works in the next few weeks is a major update to my studio space, so I can get my kiln going and play with metal clay, as well as set up my bench with my flexshaft drill and soldering station. It's time to add in metals to my polymer creations in a big way, something I've been planning for over a year. I've used some found metal pieces and some  repoussé that Douglas makes for me but I've always had a better marriage of metal and polymer in mind for my designs. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait to get started!

Yesterday I played around with some old glass storage containers I found at a local yard sale. I plopped in some bits and bobs and built some seasonal tableaux with some of my latest polymer experiments.

Silver Leaves tableaux

Pinecone tableaux

Globes and Stones tableaux


  Here are some toys that Santa left under our tree.

"Red Fox" felted wool pin, from Under the Moon, Amanda Wiesenfeld, VT Handcrafters

Antique store find tool box, lovingly restored by Douglas

Present for both of us-- yipee! new techniques!


Polymer lentil bead from Mindy Jackson, Stray Cat Jewelry, VT Handcrafters


Lampwork bead from Wandering Spirit Designs -- present from my sis

And for a happy ending to the busted stove story, today I'm happily baking cupcakes and a pumpkin pie for Douglas. A wonderful repair technician named Gary from the Dead River Company in Woodstock, Vermont persevered through a snowstorm to repair my oven on Thursday night. Now, THAT'S customer service, Sears! I'm glad I went with a local company and supported my community.

Happy holidays to all and I'll see you again after the New Year!


8 comments:

  1. what a wonderful post - so filled with joy and giving... the tool box is fabulous as are your tableaux...your baked goods sound yummy...and i too am grateful and count this forum of blogging as a gift... for without it, my world would be neither as vast nor rich as it currently is...

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  2. Christine,
    I'm happy to read that your oven has been repaired! What poor timing for it to break - seems like Murphy's Law happens like that for me at the worst time as well. But there IS a happy ending to this story!
    I hope your Christmas day yesterday was beautiful. Looks like you received many wonderful gifts to inspire you well in to 2011.
    Thank YOU for being you and writing such a thought-provoking blog. And for being the best kind of friend....I treasure our friendship.

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  3. Your tableaux are just breathtakingly beautiful! Love them.
    Thank you for sharing yourself - it has been so wonderful to connect with you.
    Wishing you wonderful holidays.

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  4. Love the tableaux and I really LOVE that old toolbox!! Must go antiqueing!!!

    The unknown bead looks like Wandering Spirit, I love her beads and she rarely seems to have much available in her etsy shop, when she does they go fast. http://wanderingspiritdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/11/babe-2010-and-beads.html

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  5. It sounds like you and Douglas have a marriage made in heaven! Love the photographs of the tableaux (how do you make that plural?)! What a wonderful guy Gary is to come and fix your stove so you could make some yummy things! Merry Christmas, Christine!

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  6. i came back to tell you i thought it was wandering spirit as well - good call, kristi!

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  7. I believe you're never to old to anticipate Christmas!

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  8. Happy New Year Christine! It will surely be a productive one...

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