And Thus We Enter An Age Of Peace ...

Matt Smith aka "Eleven"

Well, that is another Apocalypse season tied up for another year. It just seems like we had the rapture not that long ago and already we are looking at the Mayan apocalypse in the rear view mirror. My, how time flies...Or doesn't, it can be a little wibley-wobley that way.  What's that you say? What am I talking about? Well, Dr. Who, of course. Still not clear?  Not to worry, I always take care of my own - have a watch below of 47 years of Dr. Who to get caught up.  Go on. I will wait. 

Ah, that's better! Really a straight forward show, is it not? 

Whovian Overload

 Okay fine, it is a whole lot of show, but that's why we Whovians love it so, and why I am counting just as much down to the DW Christmas Special as I am to Christmas. Eventually I will be doing a Dr. Who tableau (although I do have a few DW references I have snuck into my work already...but that is for another day).

Anyway, I think my greatest disappointment about the Apocalypse is that I suppose I really have no excuse but to clean house now. Oh well, I am sure another apocalypse will be coming shortly and I can slack off again. 

We can also get back to Christmas, as it isn't like I haven't spent the last month on it or anything. Perhaps today we will take a look to see what the MECO Crew gets up to when it comes to Christmas and winter themes, shall we? (Yeah, like you have a choice...insert evil laughter here). 

Christmas Tree Scene

This is so sweet, and again - no clue who made it, but I love the colors and the story.

June's Pony and Sleigh

This tableau was done by Member June. I believe she started out with a Breyer horse and remodelled it.  The detail on this little model is exquisite, right down to the traces. She even has some broken branches beside the sleigh, which of course always happens when you are loading and unloading a pine tree. I want this but so far she hasn't just outright given it to me. I think it is just unreasonable that people just don't give me stuff because I like it, but I guess those are the breaks. 

Sleigh

Isn't this just gorgeous. I have a soft spot for horse drawn vehicles, almost as much as for the horses themselves. Sleighs in themselves are very romantic things, it brings to mind sunny crisp days where the snow covers everything like royal icing, and we think of  happy singing that is accompanied by merry bells, perhaps a big mug of hot chocolate and shortbread at the end of the ride - no one ever tells you that you are not getting the prettiest scenery,  considering you are staring straight up the back end of the horse and all, and I have to tell you - horses aren't polite about natural bodily functions. Not to mention a sleigh ride on a bitterly cold day will make you never want to go out in one ever again (or for that matter outside ever again ) but...I think today we will listen to the poets, and not the realists. 

Two team Sledge

Another working team. I always have had a big soft spot in my heart for the big draft horses, so this is another one that Member June won't just be handing over to me because I like it. 

Christmas Rug by Kimi B.

 This is a little rug I designed many years ago. I used very tiny cross stitch patterns from a book I found with tea towel designs - never discount big patterns because you never know what you can scale down. I tell the truth when I say I like sleighs, because low and behold, there is one in the top centre. I used graph paper to put down the original design and voila! Some of the bordering may have just grown organically as I did do a little design while it was on the hoop.

Poinsettia from Barb

 Two things - at long last I figured out how to use my camera, just moments before it became obsolete. I have only had it for 5 years. Second, when you can get in this close to a miniature and not have it look like Fakey McFakerson from Fakeslyvania, that is a quality miniature. 

Christmas Stocking by Kimi B

 This is one of my stockings, knit from a pattern in a magazine. I have been crazy enough in the past to actually knit these things on 4 needles in order to do away with the sewing of the seam, which is my least favourite bit, mainly because it slows me down. Life is tough for the extreme knitter, as you might well imagine. 

Gotta Post Card, with a Chimp-an-zee...

This is another one of my knitted toys. I adapted it from a baby layette pattern, the above sock pattern, and of course my own spirit of "lets see what happens when I do *THIS*!" (people duck and cover when I say that out loud, I am not sure why). Not a real sock monkey, of course, real sock monkeys are sewn from ...well...socks. But I still like him. I made a twin of this one for a lady in Texas, who wanted the more classic red heel built in. This fellow I was just being lazy by not adding just one more colour. Still adorable though, even though I do say so myself. 

Christmas Carol

 One Christmas, back in the heyday of on-line mini swaps and probably more than a decade ago now, I participated in a Christmas swap. I made 12 of these little girls. I think I varied the dresses - there were green ones as well as red ones.  She has freckles, and beautiful ringlets (embroidery cotton which was wrapped around a knitting needle and "set" with glue).

Swap Swag

 These are some of the swaps that I got back, minus the teeny little snowman, which I made from polymer clay and a bit of embroidery thread. I think there are more of my gifts kicking around my house, put into other projects, so not available for the photo shoot.  

Centerpiece

This is a centerpiece that I received from member Marianne a few years ago for a Christmas party gift.

Stockings and a plate of cookies for Santa

 
This was the rest of my Christmas gift that year. Very generous indeed. Note the tiny presents in the stockings, as well as the beaded embellishments. 

Snowman centerpiece by Marnie

 Look how sweet this centerpiece is! There is the penny lurking below, just to give you scale. 

 And with that, I have exhausted Christmas, and just in time as tomorrow is Christmas eve. Here is hoping that Christmas finds you in the company of hope and cheer, and may your new year be bright and brilliant. 

Merry Christmas, and until we meet again!