Christmas Cards

I always try every year to make my own cards, but I always run out of time or materials or design ideas, and end up buying ones I don't particularly want. Instead of trying to indulge in a hobby that I'm not very good at, this year I will be trying to buy a variety of handmade cards online. Not only can I really find ones that are individual and personal, but I always think it's lovely to treat a good card as part of the gift, particularly when there are so many really pretty and/or arty ones about for the buying.

Though I do tend to choose more traditional Christmas cards, what really interests me are the mix of different mediums that people choose. I particularly love cards of material and mixed media creation, partly because I can never get any designs of my own to go particularly well.

 ~♥~ CHRISTMAS CARDS ~♥~  

         

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 ~♥~ CHRISTMAS CARDS ~♥~ 

1) Christmas Card - Wee'uns by Pointy Pix - £1.25

2) Deer Christmas Card by Melanie Wickham Lino Prints - £1.50

3) Foxy with Mittens Christmas Card by P.Noo Industries - £1.75

4) Dogbot Christmas Card by The Doll House - £1.90

5) Handmade Personalised Christmas Card by Jolqa Designs - £2.00

6) Christmas Card Robin by desultory compulsion - £2.00

7) Christmas Card Star by Lilac Elephant Cards - £2.20

8) Christmas Card by LauraFaye Crafts - Cards&Art - £2.25

9) Penguin Christmas Card by Lime in the Coconut - £2.50

10) Elegant Christmas Card by picocrafts - £2.50

11) Christmas Card Large Traditional by more chic than shabby - £2.99

12) Christmas Card Collage Fabric by Crafty Little House - £3.00

~♥~ CHRISTMAS CARDS ~♥~

Notes: These are in order of price only (though I messed up a little with that today!). Please bear in mind that I can't vouch for any of these sellers (these are not things I've bought, but things I want) but I'm sure they are lovely honest people. ^_^ All prices, dates, names, etc, are correct at the time of publishing.

Christmas Stockings

I've been loving all the Christmas things lately. Somehow I've managed to avoid a lot of the Christmas nonsense until now, so it's quite nice to suddenly find myself immersed in it at the appropriate time. I have always liked the idea of stockings, lots of little weird gifty bits and pieces is always more intruiguing than anything bigger. My sister and I used to sit on the bed and unwrap everything together, and though I'm sure it wasn't ever much more than some oranges, plastic toys, a chocolate Santa and Ferrero Rocher (it's been one of my favourite chocolates to indulge in at Christmas time) it always seemed just as exciting if not more so than we sat under the tree later in the day.

These Christmas stockings are fantastic for various different people, from the stylish and quirky to more traditional and personalised. Who says that only little kids should have stockings? I would love to find any of these on Christmas morning!

 ~♥~ STOCKINGS ~♥~  

         

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 ~♥~ STOCKINGS ~♥~ 

1) Christmas Stockings in Holiday Trees by Michael Miller by Seren Designs - £9.50

2) Glitzy Glamorous Xmas Stocking by Mishcraft - £10.00

3) Holiday Celebrations handmade Christmas stocking from Laurel Burch fabric by Boos Creative Corner - £10.00

4) Girl's Sweetie Stocking by HollyJollyStockings - £10.00

5) 'Chic' Heeled Gift Stocking by Reddskinbags - £12.00

6) Personalised Xmas Stocking by Vicky's Pretties - £18.00

7) Pair of Christmas Elf Stockings by BLONDEDESIGN - £25.00

8) Felted Stocking by Lou Tonkin- Artist - £25.00

~♥~ STOCKINGS ~♥~

Notes: These are in order of price only (though I messed up a little with that today!). Please bear in mind that I can't vouch for any of these sellers (these are not things I've bought, but things I want) but I'm sure they are lovely honest people. ^_^ All prices, dates, names, etc, are correct at the time of publishing.

Advent Calendars

So I start posting again and then get ill. Doesn't look like November is going to have that many posts. Ah well, not much to be done about it. Still mildly sniffling, but I can actually look at a computer screen again, which is always nice. I have a minor grumble today though. While I do love folksy, I've found out that the earrings I sell are not suitable for sale within their new guidelines. Among other things, I make charm earrings out of the leftover beads from my necklaces, definitely not mass produced. Despite the fact that the findings are basically silverwire that I myself have cut/twisted up, and have a very specific design intent (for r/p characters), the charms and beads I use are premade (no, I don't have access to a kiln). So that's not allowed. I'm really not sure why. I didn't buy them premade, I designed and put them together myself, and I only ever make one pair of each combination. I didn't handmake the beads in my necklaces, do they count as handmade? Ah, it's all so frustrating... Anyway, I'll be opening an etsy shop for the gemstone work I do, as I have a great many pairs of charm earrings, and not nearly enough time to go to craft fairs, etc. It's a shame, as I've always preferred folksy to etsy, but if folksy is driving me out, then I don't have much choice.

Anyway! On with more positive things. I decided to have a look for advent calenders, seeing as there's really not much time left 'til December 1st, and ended up finding some absolutely fantastic creations. It's wonderful to see what kind of things people are making, and good to see folksy people still putting their wares up, despite the recent technical difficulties.

 ~♥~ ADVENT ~♥~ 

         

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Christmas Wreathes!

Well, that turned out to be a little longer than Halloween, and of course in that time Folksy has re-designed itself! I like almost everything about the new design, except for the Men/Women sections. I've never liked them anywhere but toilets, because really, what does being a man or a woman have to do with your tastes, hobbies, or what you choose to wear? I'm sure we all know women who like stereotypically "male" hobbies (I myself enjoy a good whisky, like robots, and play poker) and men who like stereotypically "female" hobbies. I know that a lot of people fit neatly into one gender or another, but a heck of a lot of people don't. Anyway. Aside from that, I love the changes. I think it looks really neat and professional, with kind of a kitschy retro thing going on. Awesome.

Now, I know I've only just done some Halloween themed bits and pieces, but with Christmas being just over a month away, I thought it best to devote some time to the holiday season. This is also partly because a lot of sellers will be away from their shops over Christmas, so it's best to buy decorations, etc, now :) We're starting with wreathes, both modern and new, in a variety of great styles.

 ~♥~ WREATHES ~♥~ 

         

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