Busy Day

It's been just me at home all day today. Tad and Hailey went to Boise for the weekend, so there have been no demands on my time except things that I've wanted to do. I haven't cooked, I haven't cleaned, I've just been crafting up a storm. I've been having a blast painting, cutting, gluing, and wrapping (and listening to Christmas music while I've been at it. I'm not going to listen to Christmas music again until probably after Thanksgiving, but I wanted the Christmas music while I was making Christmas ornaments).Now at the end of the day, this is what I've gotten done:

Bead wrapped Filigree Stars (Kit of 3 from Michaels, I changed the beads from green to red.)

Shell encrusted woodsie stars wrapped in raffia.

My efforts at creating wire wrapped filigree stars from scratch.

Star Hangers

A Craft-lifted star which was originally a gift from our RS presidency when I first moved into the ward.

and a miniature hanging ornament version of a Tiny Terra Cotta Nativity set that I made in RS many years ago--I can't even remember which ward I was in when I made them, but they've long been favorites of mine.

Here are the originals. They are about twice as tall as the hanging ornaments.

This is not really a Christmas Tree in my dining room.

It's a baby spruce tree that we bought at the local nursery about a month ago, and which we finally brought inside the house last week so that it wouldn't freeze during the night. It really should have been planted the weekend we brought it home, but that day got away from us, as well as every other Saturday (and Monday night, and Tuesday night, and Wednesday...) since then. I'm thinking now that I'll just leave it in the dining room and let Hailey decorate it as a Christmas tree with her favorite ornaments and decorations, since she informed me that she doesn't like the Nativity Tree as well as the traditional ornaments and decor.