Happy Solstice! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Welcome to the reveal of the Art Elements Ornaments challenge!
Tray of cookies? Tray of terra cotta!
I have an ornament making tradition of my own. Every year I make one “batch” of ornaments in terra cotta. I have my Grandmother’s vintage metal cookie cutters – now used for clay. I like the sense of tradition and connection to her, as I dont really bake cookies often, and the vintage shapes never go out of style!
These terra cotta ornaments are once fired, and use my “faux majolica” technique. They are first glazed with an opaque white glaze, on top only, like icing. They the colors are layered over. They fuse together in the firing. this color over white method is similar to traditional majolica.
This year I had another idea I wanted to try:
These beaded beauties ( if I do say so myself) were inspired by The Palette and the Page gallery in Elkton Md. Lynn, one of the artist/owners does the most inspired window displays. This year she called for snowflakes of any size or medium, but limited to white, silver, cream, gold. So I HAD to bead. The snowflakes are beaded onto 4″ circles of stiff felt. I lightly marked off 6 segments to start, and built the designs out from the center. It was almost meditative, like drawing mandalas!
Im sorry I didn’t get a picture of the windows at night. It was magical!
Detailed view of my beaded snowflakes.
So pour yourself a cuppa – tea? coffee? cocoa? and sit by your tree… and journey through the ornament challenge! Have a bright New Year, see you all in 2018!
Jenny Davies-Reazor 
I LOVE those cookie cutter ornaments, and so special! I have my grandmother’s cookie cutters, would love to do that! I’ll maybe have to learn what my kiln can do in terms of clay! And the stitched ones are so awesome, all a different pattern and so intricate! Love them! Happy Holidays!
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Both of your ornament design types are so sweet. The connection to your grandmother in the terra cotta ones makes them exceptionally special. As for the felt ones, they capture my attention for sure. They do sound like mandalas and came out beautifully. I love the subtle palette of them. Makes them kind of dreamy.
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OH WOW!! I love your beaded ornaments. They are so elegant and sparkly. They would look awesome hanging in a window. And your terra cotta ornaments…look good enough to eat! At first glance I actually thought they were cookies;-)
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I love your jolly cookie ornaments but the beaded ones really speak to me as the neutral colours go with my own tree theme. Merry Christmas and a very happy new year.
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I love your tradition! There is something magical in christmas ornaments specially made for every year and combined with the cookie cutters of your grandmother, I am just sniffing her and smiling! Your beaded ornaments look stunning, too! 🙂
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I love them all. I especially love the idea of using your grandmother’s cookie cutters to make ornaments, The last ornament is perfect for the window display, Well done!
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I love the limited colour palette of the beaded ornaments and the terracotta ornaments are stunning.. the majolica is a beautiful finish.
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those are beautiful, I love the traditional cookie shaped ornaments too there is something about memories on the tree that I love 😀
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How lovely! Those snowflakes turned out just precious and I love the idea of using family cookie cutters for art. ❤
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Thanks to you, I came to know that terracotta can be glazed like ceramic clay. Thanks for sharing the information
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I love the snowflakes. So gorgeous and the colors are magical. Love em.
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Those cookie cutter ornaments are such a unique way to bring some history into your handmade ornaments. I love the colors and the stars on your beaded ornaments. Such an elegant palette.
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Keeping the memory of your grandmother in this way is so touching, love the ornaments. And the snowflakes are really pretty and a great decor!
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Aren’t those snowflakes gorgeous! And infinite possibilities with colour palettes and snowflake designs too. And the ceramic ornaments are cute and a great connection to your family.
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Oh, Jenny… those snowflakes are just absolutely gorgeous! I love the beading you did on them, each one unique. It’s fabulous that you have the tradition of making terra cotta ornaments each year too, that’s so special. Sorry to be hopping so late… Happy New Year!
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Your ornaments look fabulous!! Happy New Year!
Laura xo
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Your ornaments look fabulous! Happy New Year!
Laura 🙂
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