A New Year and Christmas Past

Hello 2012.

Much of what's happened in the last year has been joyful, exciting, and new, while other parts seemed uncertain, painful and sometimes monotonous. I am so excited for a new year- for new beginnings, new commitments and a fresh start.

I've heard before that man is a creature of cycles. We take comfort in the certainty and recurrence of things (weeks, seasons, years, etc). There's something about coming full circle to a time of reflection on the year past and the one to come. There's closure and there's expectancy and even though it's just another year, I am happy to have the reminder and reason to think about the future (and move forward from the past).

One of the last happenings of the year was Christmas celebrations with my family. Somewhere along the way I adopted a hand-made theme for my gift giving. For weeks leading up to Christmas, my room was strictly off limits to any outsider as it was transformed into what I liked to call Santa's Workshop. Card table was set up, sewing machine threaded, ironing board tripped over multiple times, and wrappings strewn haphazardly- it was a pretty awesome (though festive) disaster.

The result? A collection of work that was well received and so joyfully given. I loved the time contemplating and figuring out what I would make for each recipient.

I gathered the supplies for the gift for my brother and sister-in law a couple of weeks before Christmas. The crucial element was picked up from an abandoned, dilapidated barn down the street. I found the idea from this wonderfully creative blog and loved the concept of using the ampersand to convey the unity and love of marriage.

Finished product:

I want to adapt this idea in the future and try out different techniques, letters, shapes and materials. Mine is quite a bit smaller than my inspiration- about 17"x8". I used kite string found at my neighborhood hardware store and silver nails.

"Christmas is not a time or a season but a sate of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." Calvin Coolidge.