Each year since 1990, I have put together a collection of ornaments. The first year I just made random designs, all basically one of a kind. Maybe I would make another of a particularly cute design if it sold right away. The following year I decided it would be fun to create them in limited editions. I chose to do five of each design. I thought that would be a manageable number. I was also doing five holiday craft shows that season, so I figured that is one per show. And that is how the tradition of my limited edition designs started! I have now created somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 designs. Multiply that times five and that's a whole lotta ornaments that I have cranked out, individually, by hand, over the years. It sort of makes my head spin!!
Every year I think it's going to be harder and harder to come up with interesting ways to portray the classic Christmas characters we all know and love. Santa. Snowmen. Gingerbread. Baby Jesus. I admit, it does present a challenge, but somehow I am still able to pull a few new ideas out of my head each year!
Snowmen are a perennial favorite. Who doesn't love Frosty? After making dozens of designs in the classic, perfectly-round-ball style, I decided why not switch it up a bit? Give him some personality. A few quirks. An odd-ball shape. Here are two designs in which I have done just that:
I happen to love this one! I was inspired by my own collection of Quirky Snowmen that were published in the 2012 issue of Holiday Crafts Magazine. (More about that here.) I like the flat oval shapes of their heads, contrasted with the unusual shapes of their black hats. Even the size and shape of their carrot noses is something out of the ordinary. I placed these two quirky guys on a light blue pearl background scattered with snowflakes. All of my ornaments have the year on them in some way.
I took the oval shaped snowman and turned it on the side to create these two tall skinny snowmen. (Well, one is a woman of course!) This happy couple is dressed up in sweaters, scarves and mittens and each wears an unusually shaped black hat. She is holding a long candy cane. I built this ornament on a background of light blue pearl clay scattered with snowflakes, and a drift of snow. It's edged with silver and a sprig of holly adorns one corner.
Each of these designs is currently available in my etsy shop. But you should hurry if you want Mr. & Mrs. Snow, because as of today there are only two left in the edition.
Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa
