Easy Christmas craft

You will need

- clear glass or plastic ornaments
- acrylic paints in at least two colors
- narrow ribbon for hanging ornaments
- small paper cups, the 3 oz. bathroom cups are the perfect size, but you can use other sizes
- paper towels or cleaning rags for wiping messy fingers and paint spills
- vinegar

Preparation:
The day before you want to make the ornaments,
- take the tops of the ornaments, store where they won't get lost
- mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a measuring cup or pitcher, something with a pour spout

Rinse the inside of each ornament with the vinegar-water mix, then rinse with plain water. Turn upside to drain, let dry.

To make an ornament:
Start with a rinsed, dry ornament. (It's ok if a few drops of water remain, as long as it's not enough to be able to pour out.)
Choose your first paint color. Squirt paint into the ornament, letting it run down the inside of the ornament. Repeat with your second paint color, and all remaining colors you wish to use in this ornament.

Rotate the ornament so the paint covers the entire inside surface of the ornament.

Turn the ornament upside down and let rest on the top of a paper cup, so the paint inside the ornament can drain out.

After a couple of hours, turn the ornament right side up to finish drying. Keep the paper cup with the drained paint in it handy.

After another hour or so, put the top back on the ornament and add a ribbon for hanging. You now have a one-of-a-kind ornament to keep or give as a gift.

If you like, you may use the paint that drained into the paper cup to make another ornament. Just pour the paint from the paper cup into another ornament. Rotate the new ornament so the paint covers the interior, turn upside down on a paper cup to drain, just like you did the first one. This ornament will have the same colors as the first, but the markings will be much more subtle.

I'll post photos later today, maybe video, too.

I found the original instructions for these ornaments in a craft magazine in the mid- to late-90's. Unfortunately, I don't remember which magazine and I no longer have it, so I can't credit the right source. Oh, well.

What happened to 2010?

My last post (Good heavens!) was titled "What happened to 2009?" and was made in January. Now I'm asking, "What happened to 2010?"

Let's see:
March - broken arm
May - cast comes off
June - early December - physical therapy

So, that's what happened to 2010.

In between, there's been quite a bit of crafting. I found that tatting was very good physical therapy, and much more interesting and enjoyable than the exercises I was supposed to be doing. :-)

I've started selling at the McKinney Farmer's Market (3rd Sat of Nov, Dec, Jan, and Feb, weekly Mar 19 - end of October).

I've added polymer clay and air-dry clay beads to my repertoire. Polymer clay is a little stiffer than gum paste, otherwise, the techniques are quite similar. I do have to keep the cats out of the room when I'm working with polymer clay - they always want to see what I'm doing and I don't want them getting clay in their fur.

I donated five floral arrangements to the Heritage Guild of Collin County for use in the Johnson House during the 37th Annual Tour of Holiday Homes - can't wait to see the Johnson House with its Victorian doll collection and my floral arrangements. I'll also be selling my wares at the Holiday Bazaar during Tour hours. It's this weekend (Dec 4,5), so it's a big weekend coming up. The photo is of my favorite arrangement of the five.

TIme to get busy. I still have to work today at my real job.