homemade gifts. they are so much a part of what the holidays are around here. objects that are quiet and thoughtful, that through their making, fuel our creative spirit at the same time. this past year, there were a couple that i very much enjoyed making as much as i did giving and i'd like to share them here with you... the ones whose process during the december days brought true comfort and joy. the first was something in multiple, made for my nieces and nephews (and margaret too) — custom, personalized rubber stamps. i don't remember how or when we came up with the idea but we had a ton of fun creating them.
while the main production work of creating the actual stamp was done by a stamp company, we set out photographing everyone and then did a bit of photoshopping work... turning each shiny, happy face into a nice simple, contrasty image (at times this was a bit tricky... to get it just right for each person). once they were looking good, the picture then got embellished with a cartoon-like blank thought bubble or speak bubble (intentionally left blank, to be filled in later by the stamper themselves — oh, the open-ended potential...). one by one each personality came through, and we laughed... and they were ready to be uploaded for production...
we prepared some simple packaging...the personalized drawstring bags above. i sewed a set of six up one afternoon with some natural cotton fabric and cotton twine and tucked each finished stamp inside with a stamp pad to start them off. i hope that they do continue to provide smiles and laughter as they get used. fun gifts for some very fun kids.
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each christmas there is at least one handmade by us gift for margaret, from us. this year one of those was a checkerboard. the idea here is so very basic and classic. one time we came across a checker board at a coffee shop and started playing a round with margaret and realized that we did not own one of our own... so the intention to make one was set. we eventually got around to it this christmas. with some heavy canvas-like cloth and an old pair of denim jeans the gameboard was created. this gift was mainly done by hand sewing, while sitting around the tree. it was a nice slow process. backstitching square after square.
the game pieces are just wooden discs — half were painted with a watercolor paint wash and are stored in a drawstring bag. ready for a game or two when needed. and there have now been many rounds of checkers since. loving the clinking of the wooden pieces, the frayed denim boxes and the thrill of a triple jump!
it is nice to finally share two of my favorite holiday projects now that they are no longer secret surprises... (all that curious portrait taking and mysterious scraps of denim make a bit more sense now to my loved ones, i'm sure.) the gifts are given and the happiness that comes from creating for others —and cherishing the process — remains. now onto the new year!