A Christmas card and some presents!

This is our Christmas card this year. Every Christmas for the last 21 years, I've done an original drawing and had prints made to send as our Christmas greetings to family and friends. Some years have been wildlife drawings, or more religious drawings, and sometimes they're just plain silly, like the year I drew our likenesses as reflected in shiny Christmas ball ornaments. We call those "monkey balls" because they make everyone look a little ape-like. I even wrote a poem to go in the card that year, to explain about "monkey balls". This year I used the boys as models, or I should say I used photos of them. They don't sit still long enough to pose for a drawing. Unfortunately, I don't do well with likenesses in humans, so the little boys don't look a lot like themselves. The dog, however, you could pick out of a crowd. I really captured him, except he's a bit bigger than the drawing would lead you to believe. Anyway, I'm pleased to make this my first ever on-line Christmas greeting. If you're reading this, please know that I wish you a blessed Christmas season and a wonder-filled new year.

This is the third and final landscape cq piece I'll be doing for Christmas. It has a mother of pearl fish, and a school of fish that I made up, or as my grandson would say, I imaginated them. He thought (or hoped) they were piranhas, and when I explained that I'd made them up, he insisted that I make up a name for them,too. So they are "high-finned yellow-bellied sparkle fish". They were made with a small piece of sparkly fabric appliqued to the background (moire taffeta) and then embroidered with the black, yellow, and pink details. They really catch the light and seem to almost swim in place. The lace fan coral is made, oddly enough, from lace, and the sea weed is eyelash yarn. A lot of the buttons in the rock piles are mother of pearl, as are the coin shaped dangles. There are also some real tiny shells in there, and two tiny pewter charms. Can you find the sea horse? He's hiding in the seaweed on the right. There's very little embroidery in this piece; mostly applique and tacking or couching of the lace and yarn, and sewing on the buttons and beads. This one is a gift for my husband's brother and his wife.

This is for me!! It was made by Sharon Rowe. We both participated in the Victorian boot swap on the CQ4N list. I love the snowy white patches and all the colorful embroidery. I think she did an especially good job on the shape of the boot. And it came with 4 baggies full of threads, buttons and beads, fabric, and trims. I am in crazy quilt heaven this afternoon! Thank you, Sharon!