Happy New Year to you all. I hope Christmas was enjoyable for you, whether you spent the time with family, friends, or doing something you love. I very much enjoyed lying in bed with a good book and a cuppa, only emerging to each some more chocolate and walk the dog! I decided I was going to thoroughly enjoy it though, as the run up to Christmas was a very busy time with markets and orders. Plus I managed to work on a very special Christmas commission, and a few presents for my own loved ones. Oh, and we brought my parents an exciting Christmas gift which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare to keep secret, but more on that later.
The special dog Christmas stocking commission in the making
Over the course of last year I had a lovely customer who commissioned me to create themed reusable crackers featuring all her dogs faces. Do you remember the purple and orange witch crackers from my last post? Well she got in touch to see if I could create a Christmas stocking for her little girl, embroidered with all four dogs, ready for the big day. After some tweaking I was able to update each dog design to add a Christmas twist.
Moon, Maple, Meggie and Milo in all their Christmas finery
Moon got a red bow, Maple got a Santa hat, Meggie got a scarf, and Milo holds a sprig of mistletoe. As the recipient was called Luna, my customer requested extra embroidered stars to create a celestial theme. Sometimes it is so nice to create something a little different and I must say I am so pleased with the result.
The finished stocking complete with stars and name tag
Whilst I was on a dog theme, my goddaughters have been asking me for years for an English bulldog design. They have a lovely chunky boy called Cassius and I thought it was about time I sorted something out for him. I had created the outline quite a while ago, but with one thing or another I had just not gotten around to filling in the fur. Revisiting the original sketch gave me a new appreciation for the motif, and I have fallen in love with the squidgy nose and little teeth. I can feel a new addition being added to the pack any time soon.
English bulldog motif with the finished stocking all wrapped up for my goddaughters
My last Christmas gift was incredibly niche but thankfully well received. Every Wednesday, me and my better half have been playing bridge with our lovely neighbours. Rob has been playing for years and the other three of us just try and keep up! As a silly gift I created name badges embroidered with some of Rob's catchphrases. And as Rob is from Kentucky, all the badges have to be said in an American accent.
The very niche Christmas gifts I made for my bridge playing neighbours
And the gift for my parents that was hard to keep secret? A little tabby kitten they have called Holly. Having lost their cat Puzzle a few years ago, they were both missing him very much and felt the house was empty without a little creature getting in the way. Well now they have Holly, who has decided it is her mission in life to destroy my mums spider plant, and thinks George's tail is her own personal cat toy.
Holly, the new addition to our family, and the hardest secret we have ever had to keep!
I hope you enjoyed seeing a little behind the scenes from the studio. Thank you all for reading, and here's to a happy New Year everyone.
