Copper Star Creation

There is a wonderful ADVENT CHALLENGE which runs each year

over in the laughing purple goldfish group on Ravelry

click here to check it out

Each day during DECEMBER, a nominated member will post a

Christmas Decoration they have made using recycled goodies

It's truly incredible to see how creative some people can be!

I’ll be honest here…

I didn’t really have much time to allocate to the challenge this year!

Even all my brain space is currently occupied with a million other things at present…

But somewhere in the deepest, darkest corners of my mind, 

an idea started to filter in - and I just couldn’t shake it.

I wanted to create the most glorious Christmas star

using some of the copper wire I have been stripping from old electrical cables…

In my mind it was perfectly shaped from all angles, each arm was identical,

 and the centre of the star was slightly raised to form a small peak…

In reality, it’s a little quirkier than that - AND I LOVE IT

Best of all - since I already had the wire stripped - this star took about three minutes to make!!!!

(it’s taken me longer to put this post together, than it took to make the decoration)

I just formed myself a basic star shape, 

wrapped the arms a few times to bulk them up,

 then a few wraps around the centre to bind it all together…

Oh - and a tea bag string for the hanger! Of course.

Soon to be Finished

Another batch of ornaments to share with you today:

Tammy commented yesterday that she loved the googly eyes... so I'll start out with this little mouse:



This is supposed to be a Church... but in my opinion it actually looks more like a house...



A drum:



I'm guessing that this guy is Rudolph, complete with googlies, just for you Tammy...



We have a candle:



And a dove:



That's 15 decorations down.. and only NINE to go!

Hurry Up

Serious work has begun on the Advent UFO

As well it should, since we are already at December 12 - the Advent is HALF OVER ALREADY!!!

So here's a selection of the Tree Decorations I've completed so far:
















And the Tree itself is almost complete...



Still need to number those pockets along the bottom, and add the buttons so that the decorations can be hung. There's also a heap of embellishing which I'd love to do, but I think I'll be waiting until next year for that.

Oh... and I need to scrounge around for another STICK in the garden for the casing along the bottom.

Master Twelve has already informed me that the 'stick' idea is an EPIC FAIL - but I love the character it lends the calendar...

When it came to the pockets, there wasn't really enough felt left - and no instructions either!

I was going to add each pocket separately, using random felts... but there wasn't enough space on the backing to do that. So I made some scrappy strip pockets instead.

Advent UFO

What do you do with an UnFinished Object (UFO) that you are never EVER going to finish?

Seriously...

Like one that has been hanging around in your craft cupboard since the 1980s?

Do you trash it?

Or donate it to the Op Shop?

Or tuck it back into the cupboard - JUST IN CASE you decide to finish it one day?



This one is an Advent Calendar made from felt.

It's a wall hanging - the Christmas Tree has buttons on it for the decorations, which hide in the pockets at the bottom... until it is their turn to hang on the tree.

Totally gorgeous, and the kids are excited about starting this tradition in our home.

But first I need to make it!



The project was started by my friend Adele, but she donated it to me after it has spent TOO MANY YEARS languishing in an unfinished state at her place.



Mind you, I think that Dellie has done most of the hard yards already. All of the pieces for each decoration have been cut from the felt, and placed in individual bags.

In fact, two of them have already been constructed.



Katie was very helpful, and has filed each little baggie in the order she would like me to make them.

Notice our stylish File Box?

We call it 'The Vaalia'... very IKEA, don't you think???



But before I get started on the decorations, I guess I should prepare the Tree!

The instructions for this part seem to have gone missing, so I'm just gonna 'wing it'



Stitching by hand, because I don't trust myself to get it right using the machine...

Plus I like the look of the contrasting embroidery:



I figure that if I can get the Tree done in the next day or two... then maybe a couple of decorations each day after that, we can 'kinda sorta' use it this year...

Or maybe NEXT YEAR!

Thanks Adele.