A classic Christmas conundrum, cut for copious collages:
On the giving side: My hobby, plus a well-stocked craft room and no daughters of my own means that my five-year old princess-obsessed niece has hit the lottery:
Red velvet dress with pendant sleeves, wirework details at the neckline, and big honking shiny buttons. The velvet is old enough that it could probably vote in the next election; got the buttons from a Scadian yard sale.
A tiny secret pocket, to hide notes and magical charms from evil wizards and scheming queens. The belt is made from the satin ribbons Amazon.com uses for its gift-wrapped items. White satin ribbons from the same source cover up the seams visible in the pendant sleeves.
All right, yes, the hennin is from a different period than the gown. But it is the princess hat. All five-year olds know this. A long, narrow scrap of real silk is the veil. I had intended to make it out of a party hat, but at the last minute, I couldn't find one. That's an 18-oz plastic cup under there. I love you, Red Solo Cup.
And of course a princess needs some bling! A lone Target earring front and center, its mate gone who-knows-where; the rest from my jewelry-making supplies.
I cut a quick cloak from grey PolarFleece and donated an old brooch to the cause. And the only things I had to buy were the plastic cups and the mounting tape I used to stick the velvet to the plastic cup!
This was a lot of work (about eight hours) but a lot of fun. I'll be seeing her tomorrow - here's hoping she loves it!
And now - To Receive!
Cigar boxes!
...No, just the boxes.
A week or so ago, I posted a photo of my "student lyre" to my Pinterest board and captioned it using the words "cigar box lyre," referencing cigar box guitars as to the quality of construction of the instrument. And then I thought... why not? Why not get a cigar box, nail some uprights to the sides and slap a cross-bar in there? BOOM instant lyre.
I had planned to drop by a local tobacconist after the holidays, but my dear husband beat me to it! Unsure of what shape I needed, he bought a variety at $5/pop. (Which is not much cheaper than a generic craft box of the same shape, but boy do they have more character!) I have high hopes for the Cohiba box - it's nearly the same shape as my first lyre. But I'll give the others a whirl for the heck of it.
I think I'll leave some in all their original glory, maybe paint some with period designs, and do a couple of fun ones - maybe "frankincense boxes," if frankincense were sold like cigars? "Hand Harvested in Oman - Accept No Substitutes!"
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