For a number of years, I've painted ornaments for holiday trees. You'll notice that I don't say Christmas... mainly because I don't use religious symbols on my work, and my stuff has been bought and used by many different religions and non-religious folks who just like a nice holiday tree. :) (please don't flame about this... simply move on if it offends you.)
Anyhow, I was doing a craft show back in the early '00s and I had just learned a particular painting technique. While sitting behind my table for my crocheted items, with my mother who had a ton of wonderful photography, I decided to come up with something special for giving to folks that year.2003 Gaston Mall Booth
So I brought my small box of supplies and when it was rather dead at the show, I worked on ideas for ornaments. I had a few floral ones up on a rack, using the technique I'd learned, as well as a number of painted items. Those didn't sell well, but the moment I hung an ornament on the rack with a family of snowmen on it, folks began stopping by. A nice couple asked how much for the one on the rack, with names on it. I stammered out a price which has not changed much over the years. They nodded and moved on. I went back to painting, not thinking much about it.
An hour later, the same couple stopped once more, handed me a list and wrote me a check for what they'd just ordered. My eyes bugged out. He was a teacher and a coach and had bought ornaments for his teacher friends' families, his friends, his family, and the families of the kids he coached. She was a nurse and a Sunday school teacher active in the church. Between the two of them, I had an order for over 30 ornaments, two different sizes. I got them done over the next week, found the cutest little boxes for safe delivery and storage, and a new craft stall was born. :)For several years, the crocheted items became fewer and the ornaments took up more space, until my last two years were nothing but ornaments. The entire 10x10 space was racks of ornaments I'd made myself, a cash register, and a table for storing stuff under and packaging.
2004 Gaston Mall Booth (above)
2006 Gaston Mall Booth (below)
Note how few crocheted sets I have on this one. I think I sold one set, the entire week-long show. Everything else that year was ornaments. :)
Closer shot of ornaments, different number of snowmen on each row, ready for personalization and packaging. The drying rack in the lower left is where things hung until they could be packaged. :)
2007 was the last year that I did the show, I believe. I had no crocheted stuff that year, and several trees set up with ornaments on them. I really wish I'd managed to get pics, but I don't think I did. If I did, I've hidden them rather well from myself!
Anyhow, so the mall shut down and the shows were over, which made a lot of people sad, including me. But about that time, I discovered e-bay and etsy. I posted ornaments in both places and sold quite a few that way, plus I had returning customers from the years at the show. 2009 I also sold them through etsy, but I was a wee bit harried that year, for a number of reasons.
I took the intervening years off, not even painting the ornies for my family or friends, because I was in school or working and I honestly didn't have time.
But this year, a few days ago, a former customer tracked me down and pleaded with me to do at least one for her. When I thought about it and decided to sell them again, I let her know. She ordered more. :) that was really nice. She ordered a LOT more! A Baby's First ornament turned into 18 ornaments! Whew!
This year, after posting a few pics, I've had more orders, enough to put them up on Etsy again (there's a link on the right, just under my pic, if you want to check it out), but I wanted to add something special to my tree this year... something specific to the medieval re-creation society that I belong to and have been active with since 1998. (sca.org, if you want to check it out!)
The populace badge for the people of Atlantia, where I live and play, is a unicornate seahorse named Spike. So I thought I'd try a few different versions of Spike on ornaments. I'm still playing around, but this is what I have so far: (Keep in mind that these are meant to be snow-Spikes, not actual replications of natural seahorses!)
First try: with only white paint and a dot of black for the eye: 
Another try, on a non-shiny ball. The paint tends to give a better texture on satin/matte finish balls. I thought Spike needed a Santa hat and a jaunty red scarf. :) He's on purple because that's what I had on hand to practice with.
This is an attempt at a two-person ornament, my husband and myself. The colors are for our heraldic colors (the colors we use in our 'heraldry', to identify us.) He's black, green, and white. I'm red, green, and white. :)
Note that 'our' tails are curled around each other, just as seahorses do in the wild. :) And because it's cute. And we kinda like each other. :D
Sal's SCA name is Philip, so that's what I put on this. He's also a rapier fighter and has gained sufficient skill and prowess to earn a yellow scarf, so I put that on his Spike's tail. :)
I first had a coronet with six white pearls on the points, denoting my title of 'court baroness'. I changed it to a toboggan, though, and added the 'pearls' to the brim of the cap, instead. If I do another one, neater, I'm sure it will be much nicer. :) And of course, my SCA name is Oddny, so that's beside my seahorse.
This year is the 47th year the SCA has been active as an organization, so instead of 2012, I've done it in the usual style of our society. A.S. XLVII
The feature I like most, I think, is that it looks like the seahorsies are about to kiss, which is only appropriate for Sal and me. :D
I've also done some penguins, moose, santas, peppermint candies, and a number of other Christmassy or holiday themes, but the snowmen seem to be the most popular.
I guess no real point to this post, other than to give myself a reason to look back on the various booths and the years I've been doing this, and sigh happily.
Crafts can give you such a lift, and during this season, because I have seasonal affective disorder, it's a way to remind myself that handmade gifts like this tend to mean so much to folks. Some of my ornaments have become traditions, which saddens me because I had to skip two years. But if all goes well, maybe I can find another Christmas show to set up with each year, and become a tradition to others once more. :)
I love when people come back the next year and have someone to add to the 'family' of snowmen... a new bride or groom, a new baby, that kind of thing. My heart has been broken, as well, when I was asked to do several memorial ornaments for that first couple that got me started on this road. The mother in the couple lost one of her sons, so not only did he disappear from the family ball, but she wanted a special memorial just for him. But there are happier times, as well, like the young couple that stopped by one year with a special request for a pregnant snowoman. :) It's how she told her hubby that they were expecting. I squeeeed! I truly did! :D
I've added animals, on occasion, but those are hard to do and get the breed right, especially when you're making them into snow-critters. :)
Oh, and while making all of these ornaments, I like to put my blu-ray player on Pandora and set it to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra station. I've got a really fine-tuned playlist there, spanning from classical christmas music up to Barenaked Ladies, and everything in between. You'd think it would be jarring to go from Bing Crosby to Christmas Eve Sarajevo, but really... it works. :)
Ah well... I have procrastinated enough, I think. Time to go write! Not much I can do about the ornaments yet... have to go shopping first! :D I know... I'm under such a burden! *dramatically lays back of wrist on forehead* I must.... SHOP! Nooooooo!!!!!! Don't make me go into that craft store!!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!
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