Crafty Christmas

I guess I get crafty around Christmas time because, once again, I got crafty this Christmas.  It was so fun making those Christmas spider ornaments I decided to make ornaments again this year to send to my family.  For whatever reason I immediately settled on making snowmen, without any idea of how to actually do this.  Luckily I found this tutorial, and even though it does not have nearly as many instructions as I like, they turned out so cute and snowman-y.  One thing I learned: sew the buttons on first!  It's so much easier.

This is a partial fleet, as two members were already boxed up.  But you can imagine it.  Can't you???

Then, just because, I decided to make ornaments for my Mama.  These were even easier than the snowmen and I think they look so pretty and wintery.  I kept a few of the uglier ones for us.

I found the instructions here.  I think the model magic stuff gets a better consistency after you've rolled it out and squished it a few times.  I was kind of surprised how light they were once dried...they can look so heavy and pottery-like in pictures.  But this way they will never break, right?  Also I put super glue in the bow because ribbon is slippery, and also because I like to super glue things.

Months and months ago, I had an idea for a present for Drewbles--fish biscuits like the ones on LOST!  I thought maybe you could buy them somewhere, and perhaps one day Harry & David will corner the market on fish biscuits.  But for now, one must make one's own.  Luckily I found these great instructions, and they turned out just right!  Well, aside from me breaking half of the first batch (oops).  Oh, and aside from misreading "quarter" as "half" a bottle food coloring (oops). Here's the process, in pictures:

Also this happened once:

Oh that sneaky Dharha Initiative.  Dharma doesn't even look like a word anymore.

This has nothing to do with Christmas, but I made this today!  

 

I'm so proud, mostly because it turned out so far beyond any of my expectations.  Can I eat turkey every day?  Or rather, can I eat this turkey every day?  I had a goal for the last two years to roast a chicken--I think this covers it.  And just for reference's sake, I basically adapted this recipe for a turkey (ie, lots more lemons) and followed these instructions (I skipped putting liquid in the pan, and it definitely didn't need any).  Perfecto!

This last Christmas crafty is not mine at all, but something Santa gave me (how did he get hold of it???  It's a Christmas miracle!). Drewbles did the sketch during our weeks in London to document some of the highlights as time went on, and then one of Santa's elves colored it, printed it and framed it for me.  Is it not charming?

It will go perfectly with our London-themed living room decor once we hang it up. Man, I wish I could have that ice cream again.  *sigh*

Well, I think that was enough craftiness for one Christmas.  Of course, this is not including the Christmas baking I decided to do in a weekend instead of over the whole month, like rational people.  Who knows what craftiness is in store for next year!