Christmas Candles

Our Craft group met for the last session of the year, with Jane leading us through a project. A battery candle was to sit on a little box, then be covered with a tall pyramid of vellum, decorated with Memory Box diecut snowflake trees. We chose our colours and off we went. It was a lot of fun to make, topping off with little stars, glittering to be done at home.

Christmas tree lights

The crafting was followed by chatting and eating. Some of us had our Christmas cards ready to give out, and nameless ones didn't... LOL. There's nothing worse than making a card for a crafter - they pore over it and minutely dissect how it's been made!

We're Walking in the Air

My sequin ball globe map made it onto the metal Christmas tree this year, so it was time for some new white ribbon with "We're Walking in the Air" lettering.

The supermarket threw up a surprise product - a giant stick of Candy Cane rock - made in my favourite holiday spot, Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast!

Hand-made in Scarborough

Catch up with you again soon I hope.

Christmas Focus

Christmas suddenly takes on a new focus when you have a little one around. Evan is far too young at eight and a half months, Leo five months, to know what's going on, but Grannies and Grandpas are looking forward to it.

Baby food jars are handy when travelling so I saved one for a tealight holder for my daughter-in-law, by wrapping wire and beads around the neck, with holographic peel-off snowflakes. Using a battery-operated flickering tealight makes it safe too.

I bought some 1st Christmas ornaments and put a recent photo of the family in the teddy one.

From us both, have a great Christmas!

Waxing Lyrical

Once upon a time there was a crafter who thought it would be fun to decorate candles. Now the mat she used is covered with candle wax and her thumbs are very hot.
I suppose it is a new form of waxing as the hair was burned off my hands.
Now...the heat buddy has a wide nozzle hence the hands nearly going on fire as the hot air (or hair) covered a large area so it had to be changed to my blue narrow nozzle heat gun.  Also it is good to have an extra long piece of greaseproof paper...a plastic clothes peg is not really any help, just in case anyone is thinking of trying it. The coated candles had a life of their own and melted all over the place as you will see in the flower sample...I think it got sunstroke as decoration was taking place.
Can anybody suggest asbestos gloves size 6?
However, it was challenging and fun and will be mastered once I get the overheated hands sorted. If you see me over the next few days with bandages on both hands you will know I have not been successful.
They say decorated stamped candles can be used as presents...my craft friends would  really appreciate them as a gift. By the end of the year I should have mastered it.

Your associate in craft – Whippet