CHRISTMAS CARD - NOT

For the last few years I've been making our annual Christmas cards. I was taken by surprise when I realized it was December and I hadn't even thought about a design.

I'm always at a loss for an image. I struggle and procrastinate and usually settle upon something I'm not really happy with.

Then once the image is created, I have to figure out how to translate it into a print, and make them.

I did manage to come up with an image I liked. I found a piece of mahogany plywood and even carved it out. That's when I realized I had picked the wrong wood. The mahogany was too splintery. I needed a good wood with a different grain. I ran into problems trying to carve out such fine lines. It didn't work....see the image below. I was so disappointed and frustrated I didn't even bother to put any ink on it and try it. So....

This year I'm saying to hell with it. I'm going to buy some and mail them out at the last minute.

So, if you are expecting something different, I'm sorry but I was just too (insert adjective here).

P.S. if you want to be surprised next year, forget you saw this.

SNITZELS - BALANCE

This is the initial drawing of a few lines in a small square, where every line must touch the edges.
I colored them, then cut them apart, reversed some, and moved them around into different designs and patterns.

Then we drew our initials in a square, repeated the pattern, rotated, reversed and generally had fun with our initials.
Mine are TSP...I didn't like the curves, so I straightened them out into this:

Then I repeated the square and went nuts.  I would really like to make a quilt with this block someday.

I colored the block, took it to a copy machine, made a bunch of little squares, cut them out, laid them out and started twisting and turning.  I laid them on a table and took pictures with my camera.  I didn't notice until later that there was a shadow across them.  Oh, well.  You get the idea.  

And there are even more!  It could go on forever.

I really need to make this quilt SOMEDAY!