wrapping up Christmas

Our Portland snow event closed roads, made traveling a nightmare for many, many folks and canceled holiday plans in our family. We moved our get together to the weekend after the New Year but that did not work out either.

The stack of gifts we were taking sat on the kitchen table.

I had planned on making sets of coasters as stocking stuffers but never got around to doing them as we never went anywhere after all. Wednesday was a bonus day off-perfect for whipping them out and mailing off everything, thus literally wrapping up Christmas at long last in our home.

First I whipped together a few gift bags. As you can see, they turned out acceptable. I used perle cotton to baste and close the small bags...worked like a charm.

Next-the coasters. I pulled up the tutorial from here, and made one perfect coaster. The next three went together and then I noticed something the same about those three, can you see what I mean? Yep, a fatal flaw. So, I made another three and took a photo to share.




I will use the rejects here at my desk and at my office. I put the special heat reflective batting stuff in them and a nice green batik on the back-the green side works great. Making something that you end up turning right side in really challenged my brain in a different direction.

So, the box was sent off along with a few others I needed to get out as well and Christmas around here is over. As the day was a sunny, albeit cool 45 degrees I also took down the outside lights.
I am always sorry to take them down-twinkling fairy lights are just so magical in the dark, dark night. When I turn the corner at the top of the street and see them at the bottom winking at me, it always makes me smile and ever so glad to be arriving home.

Christmas may be gone for another year, but, Valentine's Day will be here in no time..I think this year I may decorate for it. After all, wouldn't red twinkling lights be romantic?