Embellished Felt Stocking

Amanda and I were able to exchange ornaments in person this year. We moved again this year, and she visited the area twice this year for work.

A Very Cross-Stitch Christmas

Amanda has a long track record of creating cross-stitched ornaments for our exchange. After several years of procrastination, I finally made two tiny cross-stitched ornaments for Amanda, so naturally she sent me two much bigger cross-stitch creations! She selected the succulents because I have a bad track record with plants and managed to kill the succulents I bought earlier this year. She titled this ornament "Succulents you can't kill (a terrarium in cross-stitch)" or "How I spent 30+ hours of my life in December 2022." She estimates it actually took longer than that. I appreciate all her time and effort because they will last me forever!

Ornament Exchange 2017

Because I made so many macarons last year, Amanda decided to make me a macaron ornament. It is adorable! The "feet" of the macaron are made out of a sponge; the shell and filling are clay. Originally they tried to seal a real macaron, but the cream center didn't seal and then the shell broke. It's probably better for longevity not to have a real macaron on the tree!

Ornament Exchange 2017

This "Christmas in Paradise" ornament includes glitter an various summer themed buttons, but the best one is the armadillo!

Ornament Exchange 2017

Amanda and Chris made us a sand couple instead of a snow couple. The base is wooden balls and the sand is from their yard. The noses are shells and the glasses and sandals are buttons. They are a bit too heavy to hang on a tree, but they stand on their own thanks to the little rubber bumpers you put on cupboard doors. It has been really cold even in Florida this year, but not quite cold enough for enough snow to build snow people!

Ornament Exchange 2017

Amanda actually bought this ornament for last year's ornament exchange. It ended up being more appropriate once I moved back to the cold north, and she decided to do a "warm thoughts" ornament theme this year. The frame was originally plain black, but the pink glitter really spruces it up!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2016

This last ornament is courtesy of Chris and his mad crochet skills! The horn is a seashell, which is screwed into the head (and covered in glitter if you can't tell in the photo)! This unicorn will definitely be joining me in the craft room year-round!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2016

Amanda, who must have the patience of a saint, cross-stitched me a unicorn on wood! It sits on a little stand, and will definitely be displayed in the craft room year-round!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2016

Amanda made me an armadillo ornament too! It's way better than the one I made her!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2016

Amanda made me a button tree for Christmas! She loves buttons, so it's perfect!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2014

Do you recognize this unicorn from Despicable Me? After I made the minion ornaments last year, Amanda decided to make a Despicable Me themed ornament as well. It's remarkable how accurate it looks! She actually made the cone herself out of Sculpey, because she couldn't find one the right size. It just cracks me up, it is so cute!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2013

This year Amanda sent me two adorable embroidered felt trees! She loves hand-sewing a lot more than I do! She is also a whiz at French knots, which always give me trouble.

The second tree she designed to look like a candy corn, since we eat a lot of them.

Each tree is about 3.5" tall.

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2012

Amanda also made an adorable button ball by attaching some of her extensive collection of buttons to a styrofoam ball using pins with pretty colored heads. It makes for a lovely effect with all the different colors.

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2012

This year Amanda sent me this lovely flower ball, made by pinning little fake flower buds to a styrofoam ball with pretty pearl head pins. She said she saw an example that used paper flowers, but she thought that paper would get crushed when it was stored so this was a better option.

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2012

This year Amanda and Chris sent a waterless LEGO Santa snowglobe! It's just too cute! I'm so glad I was able to get a picture of it without a horrible glare! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2011

This, I am convinced, is the Christmas ornament that cannot be topped. I mean, it has flashing lights. While Amanda and Chris are no stranger to ornaments that light up, this one required considerably more effort. I'm also not quite sure you can call it an ornament, since it's so big - approximately 5" x 8" and an inch thick, in order to accommodate the battery and the on/off switch.

So why a bus ornament? Zack is a diesel mechanic and he works mostly on school buses. One day he brought home some reflective school bus tape scraps because he thought I might want them for craft projects. I sent some to Amanda, and a foam bus with flashing lights and reflective tape is what resulted:
 

Top light flashing:

Bottom light flashing:

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2010

This is the most amazing creation Amanda and Chris have come up with yet: a Christmas book cart made out of foam! One strand of bulbs even lights up! They went to a Christmas parade where one of the floats for the library had book carts. When Amanda told me about the book carts in the parade, I mentioned Unshelved's Pimp My Bookcart contest. Little did I know, this would inspire them to pimp a book cart for me for Christmas.

Tiny books on one shelf:

Tiny magazines on the other shelf:

It's going to work with me to join my rowdy librarian glasses.

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2010

In addition to ribbon, Amanda really likes buttons. (Hmm, perhaps inspiration for next year's ornaments?) This little felt tree reminded me of the sequin tree ornaments I made last year, so I really should have thought of it myself and made one for her, but I'm sure I don't have quite the collection of buttons Amanda does.

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2010

The tag on this ornament said "Merry Christmas...from your favorite article of clothing." I think it's so adorable that I want to keep it out all year even though it says "Merry Christmas."

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2010

This year Amanda decided to re-read my letters to her for ornament inspiration. The tag on this ornament said "Because you mentioned it in ALMOST every letter." For awhile I was going to Joann's every weekend, so of course I had to relay my fabulous fabric finds! I love my mini bolt of fabric, and I think I'll keep it out all year.