Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy to New Year.

Hold everything, I found the Lights!

"Hold it everyone, I found the lights! Now we can put them on the tree." If your house is anything like mine, this is how you probably found them as well. Now to hope they all work.

I found the little wooden lights at a craft store and bought every package I could get my hands on at the time. They were NOT strung, so I used dark green button thread doubled to get the job done. What fun tangling them around his body!

His little white hat was hand felted from Cotswald wool by a friend, I cut two small slits on each side for the pointed ears to come out, added the band and the feather and fell in love with this little guy.

Check out the stripes on his legs, I am very proud of how well they match up, they are only about 1/8" wide. Let me tell you, it was a challenge. They match on both the front and back, as they do on the arms and the body. Lots and lots of little pins!

Tomorrow is Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your day is filled with the love of your family and friends, and may all your Christmas dreams come true!

Elf with Bead Garland

This is a nice closeup of one of the elves faces. Although none of my shots captured the ears, they are sewn on separately and are pointed as elf ears should be. I tend to make all of my elves as young, so I add freckles to capture that youth.

This particular elf, in her beret and apron has been busy in the workshop all morning and is taking time out to help trim the tree. Her small Nantucket basket is filled with the beaded garland.

When she is set up in the Christmas elf display, the end of the garland is in the hands of the purple elf who is perched on the ladder to get it high up on the tree.

Working with the tiny stripes is a challenge when you are using them horizontally, but it's worth it for the overall look. I now have a collection of tiny stripes in all colors, just waiting for more elves to spring forth someday when I retire.

Elf with Bear

What fun making this elf was. I loved all the fabrics and putting them together. The bear was hand stitched using a pattern, and I really wish I could remember who created the pattern, it's not my original. The bear is made from ultrasuede and is only about 3" high with arms and legs that move.

I found some miniature holly leaves and berries at a craft store which were perfect to add to her hat. And of course, someone had to have some fur on her boots - it IS the North Pole after all.

Don't forget to enter the drawing for a free painting, submit a comment or follow this blog bt 12/31/10. Winner announced in 8 days on 1/1/11.

Bear detail (left) Face detail (right)

Purple Elf

This elf usually is perched on a long red ladder helping to string garland onto the Christmas tree. Her hat and scarf and hand knitted from the fine crochet thread used to make doilies and table clothes. Her boots were painted in the same manner as Jules' boots were, the cuffs are also leather.

As you may have noticed by now, even though I made them all from the same basic pattern, each one has their own personality. I love doing the needle sculpting, as I never know who is going to come out when I am done. The techniques are the same, but end result is always a surprise.

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas elves, some of my favorites are yet to come, so please do come back tomorrow.

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Jules

Jules is an elf that can sit on a chair, in the tree or on the edge of the mantle. Like all the elves, her fingers are pose-able so that they can hold objects. I frequently sit her on the back of a metal reindeer with a trumpet in her hand, heralding Christmas.



Her boots are fabric, which was painted with acrylic paint after her feet were stuffed, and then varnished. A leather cuff was added after the varnish dried. Jules is one of my favorite elves, she reminds me of a relative I care deeply for, and one day Jules just might be hers.




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Bearing Gifts

Tis the season, and today I got out the Christmas Elves to go on the mantel. Several years ago, although it seem like only yesterday, I made one of a kind art dolls. Among the most popular were the elves and fairies. I sold several that I made both on spec and as commissions. Each one is one of a kind.

When I no longer had the time to create them on a regular basis, I decided to keep the remaining elves for the enjoyment of my family and perhaps something to pass on in the far distant future. There are six elves in my collection, and I will post one every day between now and Christmas. Each one is mounted on a wooden base painted to look like snow and stands between 11' and 14" tall from the base to the tip of the hat.

The pattern is an original, they are made entirely from cloth with needle sculpted, hand painted faces. The eyelashes are created from silk organza, and the tiny hands are complete with fingernails.

This elf is the Elf Bearing Gifts, she was one of the first ones that I created. Her skirt and boots are made from hand painted fabric, her hat is leather. The gifts are fabric wrapped small wooden matchbooks. The hair is dyed Cottswald wook. A close of detail of both the hands and face are below.

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