Who knows what the New Year will bring? Since so much of my focus this year has been on hot rods, prints and other custom art, I may continue the focus for awhile as I work towards fulfilling a list of potential products. I know that there are a number of products that I want to finishing designing like peacock leggings and other clothing. Plus, I want to go back to caning and making beads. For now, I will work towards cleaning up my studio and putting all of the tools and supplies back where they belong. It was a wild Christmas season this year!
Harry is bigger and less inclined to sleep while I work, so I get 10 minutes of work and then 20 minutes of cleaning up whatever mess he made while I was not looking at him for those 10 minutes. Soon, he will be a dog and past this funny puppy stage. I will miss it as I forget about the times he ate my hairbrush, bank statement, rough manuscript draft and all of the other things that found their way into his mouth.
For now, he is enjoying being a puppy and going to puppy kindergarten. Harry’s first Christmas with his gift from his cat friend in Rhode Island, Gonze.
What’s New
Key rings: I am taking the key rings one step further and creating purse charms and rings. With lots of beads and things. Have them started, but nothing to show yet. Soon ...
Cuff Bracelets: I added peacock bracelets and matching earrings to the stock here and for the show. I am going to take the peacocks and create bookmarks as my newest project.
Magnets: WOW—lots and lots of them and all types of images.
Things to Look Forward To:
New Products:
Leggings: My supplier has added a great legging line, so I have been experimenting with design and element placement. I have one new set ready in my shop and more in design mode.
Posters: Many of my bible verse posters are available in my Etsy shop and soon to be in my webstore.
Bookmarks: I decided that some of my beads and images would translate nicely to bookmarks. Those are on the bench.
For many of us, 2018 has presented us with challenges that we have never had to face before, and for others, this year has brought peace, prosperity and a sense of accomplishment. No matter what you had to deal with this year, the one consistent thing in all of this is that we could count on each other to lift us up and help us propel ourselves forward.
Comforting words; gifts that delight; and virtual hugs have been a mainstay this year as our little group faces the passage of time. While not everyone was able to participate this year, they were always in our thoughts as we shared our wares.
Old times should never be forgotten, and old friends should always be held dear. We should drink a cup of kindness for the sake of old times.
This 1788 song may not be a Christmas carol, and quite frankly, we have exhausted the carols of old and new over the last few years, but it is a song that should have us all pause to link arms and sing from the heart.
Whether from the decks of the Titanic or the dance floor in When Sally Met Harry, this song will bring a tear to your eye while warming your heart with hope and good cheer.
It is a song of endings and beginnings, so we shall end our Countdown to Christmas 2018 and begin our preparation for the Countdown to Mother’s Day 2019 with this traditional song.
I hope you enjoy this rendition of this old Scottish tune.
Hurry and stuff the stockings! Here, we will help you get started!
Filet Crochet Art For Hanukah Celebrations with a Lit Menorah and White Bird
Don’t see what you are looking for? Maybe you will find it in some of the following showcases or ask one of our talented artists to design something special for you.
I begin this way because it is the proper, orthodox, respectable way to begin, and I have been brought up in a proper, orthodox, respectable way, and taught to always do the proper, orthodox, respectable thing; and the habit clings to me.
Of course, as a mere matter of information it is quite unnecessary to mention the date at all. The experienced reader knows it was Christmas Eve, without my telling him. It always is Christmas Eve, in a ghost story,
Christmas Eve is the ghosts' great gala night. On Christmas Eve they hold their annual fete. On Christmas Eve everybody in Ghostland who IS anybody—or rather, speaking of ghosts, one should say, I suppose, every nobody who IS any nobody—comes out to show himself or herself, to see and to be seen, to promenade about and display their winding-sheets and grave-clothes to each other, to criticise one another's style, and sneer at one another's complexion.
Finish reading the above book about ghost stories on Christmas Eve here. It is also available in Kindle format, and I have to go back and read the whole thing now that I am hooked. It is part of the Guttenberg project to make old manuscripts available to new readers.
However, this is the very rabbit hole that I fell down while doing my research on our next song, and soon, you will see why.
This 1963 creation was the result of a collaboration between Edward Pola and George Wyle. This is the only song written by either one of these folks that has made a mark in history; although, Mr. Wyle, along with Sherwood Schwartz, did write the theme song to Gilligan’s Island. We all know THAT song, and we all know THIS song.
Since it was written for him, it was only right that Andy Williams took it to the charts on his very first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album. I bet all of us have this album, heard this album or our parents had the album. This song was never released as a promotional single, as Columbia Records decided to promote Andy’s version of White Christmas from the same album for the Christmas season.
This celebratory song is comprised of all of the activities associated with the Christmas season, and puts the focus on family gatherings and meals together. People got together on Christmas Eve and told “scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of long, long ago.” See where the rabbit hole opened up?
The closest to scary ghost stories we have today is the telling of A Christmas Carol.
Originally, the song was for The Andy Williams Show, and he sang it every year, and from there, it expanded to other artists and became a lovely standard that we enjoy every Christmas season. It was never a chart topper, but it has been included in the list of the top holiday songs over generations. It has a lot of fans, and we all know the words.
Covered by the likes of Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, Patti LaBelle and by Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat for The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas, the original Andy Williams remains my favorite, and I hope that it is yours, too. Note the Moon River intro.
Sing along!
It's the most wonderful time of the year With the kids jingle belling And everyone telling you be of good cheer It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings When friends come to call It's the hap-happiest season of all
There'll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year There'll be much mistltoeing And hearts will be glowing When love ones are near It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year There'll be much mistltoeing And hearts will be glowing When love ones are near It's the most wonderful time Yes the most wonderful time Oh the most wonderful time Of the year
On those notes, let’s load up our gift bags and start to finish up our shopping.
