Christmas Creatures

It all began with an ornament, my nemesis. Someone, I think an old girlfriend, had given my husband this little ornament,

A skier made from clothespins. He loved it. So began my 26 year quest to trump that ornament. I bought ski ornament after ski ornament. Each year when the ornaments came out I would ask which was his favorite. To no avail, it was always the clothespin guy.  Urgh!!!

Two years ago, still determined, I made this little guy, skier dude. You can see the post and more pictures here.

He loved it! Finally, I was successful. So began a new tradition. Rather than buying an ornament, I've been making them from all the bits and pieces I collect on my travels.

 Last year I made a wacky Rudolph out of pine cones, sticks, seed pods and acorn caps.

He's a skier who is completely out of control, a little like my husband at times.

I even found some seeds that had a furry sprout to them and made a furry tail.

The first year I thought that I would not be able to top what I made, but when I finished Rudolph, I loved him more than the skier dude. Now the challenge was on for this year.

And here's my little creature, a troll of sorts. His face is made from a walnut shell that I found. The body is made from a black walnut and the hat is of course an acorn cap. The scarf is a piece of wool I had left over.

His shoes are tiny little seed pods that look like pine cones. His sticks are the stem from some very large leaves I collected for an arrangement. When I cut the stems off the leaves, I realized that they had a wonderful cup to the end. Hey, ski poles!!

 We ski every chance we get, but we manage to get in a little snowshoeing as well. So rather than skis, he has snowshoes made from pine cones.

 I just love his quirky little attitude. He is my favorite...for now!

My little family of Christmas Creatures.
I told my husband that I had finished his ornament and I'm so excited that it's killing me to wait to give it to him. But Christmas will arrive quickly and probably, a little too quickly!