Christmas Tree

Christmas trees with ornaments from throughout the years are my favorite because they are so personal. As each ornament is hung you remember that person and that year. Some of those people are still in your life, others lost to time and moves.

Our tree for the last 10 years has been an artificial tree with attached lights. After several years we quit using the bottom and now have it smaller on two of my old iron ladies, treadle sewing machines. This is the view entering the front door, the teapot wall, turn top card table and tree.

The next view is from the livingroom, all set up with a cozy fire and mantle decorated with silverplated Wallace bells. The first bell was 1979 from my boss, Ray Wilshire, when I worked for him in Hanford, California. It was such a beautiful large jingle bell I collected a few more over the years and even found an older one with a 1971 date.
(Click on Read More to see some of the ornaments)

Little nutcracker and glass bell ornament was from Sandy Smith about 1973 at Barber's Point, Hawaii. Sandy and I were good friends for several years till she moved to Memphis and over the years communication dwindled. She changed her first name when she remarried, just doesn't seem like the same person I once knew.

Cornucopia is made from cardstock, rubber stamped 4 times, gold embossed, painted, cut out and assembled. I designed this for my rubber stamp business in the 1990s. The design was drawn in Adobe Illustrator.

The  woven heart basket, below, is also one of my designs from a rubber stamp. It is like the Scandinavian plain woven hearts but I drew the roses and vines when  it was designed, also for my rubber stamp business.

Little baker nutcracker carrying a cake, 1992, was from Jeanne Malone when I lived in Holland. We were friends when we belonged to the American Women's Club of Amsterdam.

Cardstock boxes and cornucopia in several sizes throughout the tree were designed by me on Adobe Illustrator program and were printed on an Alps printer that actually printed with ribbon cartridges and printed gold. I miss that printer, printed about 1998.

Boxes and cornucopia fold flat, flaps interlock at top. The designs were originally from my rubber stamp business, I used to like making three dimensional items with my designed stamps.

Fleur de lis, swags of dots like pearls and diamond shapes were drawn in Adobe Illustrator, bottom also interlocks. Here you can see the gold Alps ribbon printing, looks great after years.

Marsha Haney gave us the cute little Hallmark mice the year we married, 1996.

Throughout the tree are clear glass ornaments that look like bubbles and reflect light from all the little bulbs, the one on the left has a frosting of glitter.

My sister, Mary Jane Larson, made the beautiful white and gold ribbon pine cone ornament with white feather detail on top.

The Christmas tea cup ornament was from Linda Olson, 1997.

Small patchwork stocking, made on a treadle sewing machine, of course.

This glass and glitter sewing machine ornament was from my treadle sewing machine buddy, Sheryl Fogal, about 2000.

Cute little felt snowman says, "Jesus loves you snow much! This was from an ornament exchange.

Dear hubby painted the original unlikely snow scene of the Fresno, California water tower with huge wreath. It's one of my favorite paintings he has done. We printed photos and made glitter edged ornament cards for friends in 2002.  

Every tree needs a star. I designed this quilted star that is two sided and slips on the top. It is yellow fabric and rows of quilting in gold metallic thread, stitched on a treadle sewing machine.

Frosted plastic candy cane was a gift to each of the dinner guests at Janet Pamplin's home a couple of years ago.

Just last week Lisa gave me this clip on butterfly that came from Pier 1 Imports.

Last of all is the Elvis Jukebox ornament that plays an excerpt of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and moves to three pictures. Janet Pamplin gave it to me about 2004. I hope you can enjoy the short video that follows.

Merry Christmas!