Only Stars for the Top of your Christmas Tree? NO!

Happy Holiday Season from Tennessee!  I bet all of you are planning your holiday shopping list for "Black Friday" (what a depressing name) for Christmas presents and all the holiday trimmings. Well don't neglect to adorn the top of your Christmas tree with something special this year; a snowman!!!

Two of my favorites are the snowman angel and the traditional top hat snowman, that coincidentally I make and sell in my Etsy store for $18.00 each plus priority shipping. A bargain considering even the cheapos are easily over $35.00 each.  And wouldn't you rather have something that is individually handmade with thought, care and a sprinkle of love? I would! 

Aren't they sweet? I think so!

 

Let me tell you about them: each one starts from tea-dyed fleece, the heads are sewn separately and hand painted with cheeks and eyes, a tiny wooden dowel is painted and placed for the nose, top hats are rolled of black wool felt, or a copper wire halo bent to shape is added. The snowman angel has wool felt wings that are sprinkled with glitter. The traditional snowman has a blue checkered (or similar) flannel scarf and a snowflake embellishment added. The snow angel has a rusted star attached to tea-dyed cheesecloth. Finally a "vintage" Christmas season tag is added.  Sweetness!

 

What makes this tree topper different, besides being adorable? You can add a gift card tucked into the hem, or you can use this tree topper as a gift jar topper instead! Make a special holiday dry mix, say cookies for instance, in a mason jar and top the jar with the snowman! The hem is open at the bottom so it'll fit right over. You can also put him on top of a wine bottle for a cheery hostess gift. Perfect to take to holiday parties!  You could even stuff it with tissue and use it for your holiday table centerpiece.

So come on over to my shop and give your tree a warm fuzzy this year. You'll cherish him for years to come!!!

Snowmen Fall From Heaven Unassembled

Love that don't you?!  I do so love snowmen. They have a way of putting a smile on your face. It's so simple. I never get tired of painting or making snowman crafts.

I wanted to leave you a bit of Winter as we make our way into Spring and soon after, Summer. Sort of sad...but for us holiday artists, snowmen live year round, as do witches and pumpkins and all other ghosties as well.

Enjoy some of my favorite snowmen.

 

Oh-So-Cuddly Snowmen

I've been busy painting lately. Snowmen. Lots and lots of snowmen!  These are a few of my favorites. I paint this little guy on all sorts of things; wood, rocks, canvas, clay - anything! I just think no matter how you paint snowmen, they are always cute! I have these for sale in my Etsy store and they've been selling out as soon as I list them. Must be lots of snowmen lovers and collectors, like me out there!

Painting a little bit of Winter

These are my latest little creations. I say little because these are petite canvases of 4 x 5. They are done in acrylics, then embellished with decorative papers and distressed letters. I was so charmed by them when they were finished, I didn't want to sell them!

I'm working on a few more right now. I know, it's close to Christmas and I'm a bit behind in my seasonal creations, but I can't create by the season. I have to feel it, or it doesn't happen. I could paint snowmen all year long, even in Summer. Right now, I'm feeling a bit candy cane-ish, so we'll see what I might come up with! Ho Ho Ho!

Snowmen; My Favorite Winter Friend

There's more to a snowman than meets the eye! He's the icon of Winter, our childhood, children's books and movies, and this lovable character is everywhere! On coffee mugs at Starbucks, plates at Pier 1, napkins at grocery stores, greeting cards, door hangers, gift wrap, Christmas ornaments, holiday sweaters bound for the return counter, and so much more. And who can possibly pass up a huge field of snow and not at least think about building a snowman? Not me.
I myself have a huge collection. Every year I set out to purchase at least one thing "Snowman". My collection includes gift bags, decorative tins, soft sculptures, carvings I bought in Switzerland, candleholders, ceramic statues, german glass ornaments, Bob's boxes, tins that were once filled with chocolates, even greeting card boxes I had to save because the snowmen were too adorable to just toss out. They're so cute and cuddly, I don't know how anyone can resist them.

Do you know who built the first snowman? It was in Eau Claire, WI in 1809 by Vernon Paul and his little girl Yetty. How about the world's tallest snowman? Apparently that record was set in 2008 in Bethel, Maine as a way to put Bethel on the map. The snowman stood 122 feet and 1 inch! How did they get up there??

One of my favorite books as a child was "The Littlest Snowman". As I remember, it was a story about a snowman that came to town and brought joy. As the thermometer went up, the snowman started to melt. The snowmen went and got every flavor of ice cream and ate it, then sat upon the town Christmas tree. A northwind came and blew all the ice cream flavored snow all through the air. A beautiful written classic children's book that every family should have. So wonderful...wish I still had mine....
If you've been following my art and blog for any length of time, you know I incorporate a lot of snowmen in my art. I've painted, stuffed, glued, and glittered them and I never get tired of seeing their cherubic faces. And I'm always on the search for more to add to my personal collection.


Snowmen bring smiles to our faces. They're a way of celebrating the bite of Winter, young and old alike.

If a snowman had a voice, who do you think he'd sound like?