So much has happened, and yet it's all gone so quickly hasn't it? You feel like it's all moving along, and then you find it's not moved along so much. I feel so much more experienced as an artist and a teacher of art, yet I'm still not making enough money to 'more than' cover my costs. I'm not even covering my costs mostly...! I feel like the kids have 'got it', or at least substantially, and then they revert to 'monkey' again.
This morning was a case in point. Matilda woke us up by literally 'stomping' into our bedroom at 4.40am...clutching her present gorged stocking, sister in tow and 'stated' that it was time for the opening to begin. I said that it was too early and that they should go back to bed, but she just re asserted that it was time, that she'd been waiting for ages, and that she was not going to be going back to bed....in a verbal equivalent of stomping the feet. Daile duly got up... to my surprise and went off with them, and I was left to sleep.
In fairness, I'd only been asleep for an hour and a half... It's always a late night on Christmas Eve, and this year it was because I was finishing the thing I'd been making for Daile.
It's a T-Bag dispenser! It has an internal slope that feeds the bags against the front opening at the bottom. It's really like this with Daile and PG Tips! Sublime contentment or crisis when she's run out! She's usually got it in stock to the tune of up to 5 to 6 boxes of 80 bags. It's her only vice!
Matilda bought herself a box of antique hammer heads and a 'stirrup' (singular) the other day, so that she could have the American axe head that was for sale with them! The head predates 1955 we were told because it had been stamped with the markings of a Queensland railway company that went out of existence in 1955. So then 'we' needed to make a handle for it! (The Royal 'We'...it happens all the time here). So I said I'd make her one for Christmas. We went off to buy some suitable wood as we didn't have anything big enough or hard enough. This is Jarrah, and it's more like metal than wood!
Here it is, all done, with an oiled handle, polished and sharpened head, and a traditional leather safety cap.
You can see the 'USA' stamp in this pic.
Phoebe wanted these pants....so I went to find some lightweight orange/red fabric. I coudn't get the exact colour but did OK.
The shirt is based on this black and white thing that she loves....
Here they are before the buttons went on the shirt..
... I forgot to photograph her in them, till the end of the day today...so a bit crumpled looking....but you can see, and she loved them! Woohoo.
Matilda and Phoebe also made their own this year...;
This is one of Matilda's acquired hammer heads, with a new handle fitted and oiled and a leather belt holder that she made for me.
This is a sock snowman that Feeb made for Tild...
A 'Santa' cup with a buckle made from a ring pull, that Phoebe made for Tild with Tild's (current) favourite chocs....Ferrero Rocher.
This is a wooden spoon that Tild made for Daile...
A cup of sweets that Tild made for Feeb...
...and a Sculpy heart that Feeb made for Daile...
I must say, Christmas feels quite a bit more like 'Christmas' when you go to the effort of making something. It's strange, but I felt quite excited by the process in a way that I've not felt for years. We all liked how it felt and we're going to do more of it next year I think.
Meantime, here's a pic of Matilda, who for some strange reason came over all knackered this afternoon at Andrew and Lee's house! Can't think why that would have been!
