Foxtail and Flax

I don’t know if you’re like me but if you are then your holiday gift giving experience sounds something like this: November 1^st rolls around and you think, “Hmm, I need to start putting some serious thought into what to get my people for Christmas.” You might have done some casual thinking about what gifts you might give earlier in the year, and if that’s the case, you might have some check marks next to some names. Or you completely forgot your genius idea because you thought of it in July and didn’t write it down. Its 50/50 either way. Anyway, you put some thought into it and you, being a crafter and all, come up with several people you want to make gifts for. Excellent! Plus there’s nearly two whole months for you to get them all done. Easy-peasy. Give me a real challenge.

Several weeks go by; Thanksgiving is barreling down the pipe and family and friends are starting to make plans for Christmas. And that reminds you…. You haven’t started those Christmas crafts (or even given them a second of thought) since you thought of what to make! Well, that’s fine. There’s still a month before you have to show up at family and friend holiday parties and shell out the gifts. But somehow, the weeks get away from you, and you look up a week before Christmas and are filled with a sinking dread. It’s time to re-visit your list to start cutting out projects and replacing them with books. Only the quickest, most essential crafting gifts get to stay.

Is this just me?? I think not.

I did have to cut a couple gift projects off my list this year but I did keep a few. Back in November, I ordered several needle felting kits from Felted Sky. I was introduced to their business at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival this past September. My eye was caught by their toadstool kit displayed so nicely in their booth, and knowing how much a little girl I know loves mushroom and toadstool decorations, I decided to try my hand at needle felting. And since I was buying one kit, I figured I might as well buy a few more.

I have never needle felted before and making some Christmas gifts out of the all-inclusive kits I bought from Felted Sky was a great way to dip my toes into a new skill. I spent the last 3 days before the holiday working on these three gifts and it was a lot of fun. Although, I have to admit that it would have been a lot more fun if I hadn’t left them to the last possible second to get finished. I decided that I preferred the painting project over the sculpting but it was really cool to make a 3-dimensional project out of a bat of squishy wool. The company claims that needle felting is a therapeutic and stress relieving activity and I would have to agree with them. It’s a satisfying feeling watching a fluffy piece of wool turn into a sculpture or become a part of a piece of fabric. So if you are looking to learn a new skill this Winter or just want to shake up your current project list, I highly recommend needle felting!

On a completely unrelated note, it’s been on the warm side lately here in Wisconsin and Christmas Day was heralded in with a good amount of fog. But I couldn’t complain too much because it frosted the trees and vegetation giving the world a sparkly, diamond-like appearance. Very beautiful! I had to share 🙂