make Christmas presents

But it’s okay! I’m not seeing Tomasina till tomorrow.

I painted two more bird houses in different color schemes. Made photo greeting cards for my mom.

Today I assembled a scrapbook of photographs I took at my friends’ request at the memorials for her parents (both this year.) I don’t think she’s had the energy to put anything together and another friend thought it was a good idea. I did it in scrapbook format so she can write in captions if she wants. I’m including extra pages she can add if she wants.

I’ll give it to her tomorrow and a bird house is going to my other writer friend. yay!

I feel pretty good about everything I made this year.

Well, almost. The cookies are baked though, I just have to put them on a pretty tray for Tuesday to take to moms.

I wish I had taken a photo of just how badly I’d botched the paint jobs on these before. But I persisted!

I had to tell myself that when you haven’t really dabbled in paint for a few years, it’s quite silly to think you can just sit down and do something fabulous. Had to think about what I really like to see and what I am honestly capable of. (NOT sharp geometric shapes right now.)

I’m so pleased with these that I’m going to make one for my friend Braveheart, too.

I hate the way the first painted birdhouse looks. Will repaint it. I want simple designs. I am probably being too much of a perfectionist. I just want my homemade gifts to be lovable!

Discovered that the 2nd birdhouse is broken, so will go back to Michael’s and exchange it. What’s creepy is that it looks like it was returned before because some one already started to paint it!

The colors of paint are really bright. I can tell that Hydra doesn’t really like them and am torn between my idea and what he’d like. Our tastes are pretty different, but we come together in the middle and choose some good stuff.

Frustrated and feeling in a little over my head, but I’ll fix that.

I got all of the ingrediants to make cookies this weekend and next so that’s going to be my main gift to my family and close friends. I wanted to do more, but without a roommate the money situation has been very tight.

I just got a sewing machine as well, so I might make a few toys for my parents dogs to test them out.

from photographs. I made 6 each of three designs that I’d given her before that she wanted again. And then 1-2 each of about 15 more that I took on our France trip.

Bought the cards from JoAnn Fabrics and added 4×6 photos, and captioned them on the back.

Now… We await the brilliant flash of inspiration regarding what to paint on the sides.

Hmm. Start with a base coat and see what happens.

The basic houses were only $5.49 at Michael’s and the paints were about $10 because I bought a mixed pallet.

FINITO, FIN, FINISHED!!!!!
and they look AWESOME

I’m going to include these in the boxes I send to people. One will be traditional Christmas carols and the other will be jazzier and more pop songs.

My sisters and I all agreed not to exchange gifts this year because none of us can afford it so I am just going to make cards for them. I have to get something done for mom and dad though, and probably the grandparents.