Teaser!

Here comes Spring. And here come the flowers, among them the heliotrope. So this is the inspiration for this month’s Ornament Thursday projects. And here’s a little teaser from Linda Augsburg.

And speaking of a little teaser, Linda’s also offering a giveaway, so check back on Thursday for all of the project links and Linda’s giveaway!

OT goes OWOH!

This year the Ornament Thursday Team is putting it's focus on color!

We'll be bringing you projects all year long in different hues to inspire and excite you!

We've also added some neat extras each month like prizes, Q & A's, interviews and more.

And in that spirit, we have jumped on the Gypsy Caravan and are participating in One World One Heart!

Some of the team are giving away their creations this month on their individual blogs, so be sure to click the links below to check them out and comment... but our Featured Artist this month, Deanna Chase is giving her creation away here on the Ornament Thursday blog!

This month's Featured Artist is Deanna Chase!

Hello! Let me introduce myself. I am Deanna Chase, a participant of the Ornament Thursday blog circle and I am a full time lampwork artist. Lampwork is an old fashion term for melting glass, also known as torchwork or flamework. These days we lampworkers work our glass in a surface mix torch of oxygen and propane for a nice clean flame. In the old days they did it over an oil lamp, hence the term lampwork.

My main business is making lampwork beads to sell to jewelry designers. I rarely make my stuff into jewelry, as I find I just don’t have a lot of time. I like to leave that to the jewelry artists. I also make handmade contemporary marbles. There is a small but dedicated group of collectors out there.

For this month, I am offering a prize for One World One Heart to a randomly chosen commenter here! Just post a comment and you'll be entered to win a pair of earring beads (just the beads, you will need to make them into earrings).

Thanks for stopping by!

Deanna

Check out Deanna's designs at Chase Designs... her etsy store at CDLampwork and also Chase Designs and even more here! And do check out what the rest of the Ornament Thursday Team is up to here...

Another OWOH Giveaway!
Michelle's got a LOVELY Celeste prize for you!

Beading Help Web's Ice Blue Topaz Celeste Necklace
Got some teeny tiny beads, sterling wire and a plain toggle? Lynn shows you how to put it all together for a fabulous clasp or focal pendant!

Creating Ice Blue
When a color you love goes out of production, make your own!

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Linda Augsburg shares her celeste-inspired card.

Heather's Ramblings
A bright blue sky and beach scene for dreary weather

Icy Blue Born of Fire
Lisa sees ice in the desert of all places.

Uniquely Mine for $20
Cindy Gimbrone hooks up lovely ice blue cashmere into a celestial colored neck scarf. Finished off with an artist made button - it's uniquely hers for $20!

Last Ornament Thursday of 2008

We have some real dedicated OT'ers who posted their last ornaments of 2008 on Christmas Day!

A big shout out to Cindy Gimbrone...

And Linda Augsburg...

And Melissa J. Lee...

Now go check them out!

BeadStyle magazine
A seed-beaded ornament for the holidays

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy's sharing her favorite OT project!

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off a simple snowflake necklace for her final seasonal piece of the year.

And be prepared for what the Team is up to in 2009!

Ornaments so easy... even a kid can do them!

And kids did!

Today Michelle volunteered in Addie's class and each student made an ornament for their parents.

Easy for them, easy for you, so check out Michelle's blog for full photos, details, and information!

One more OT for the year! Hope you'll join in!

Here's who's ornamenting today at Ornament Thursday!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva

Make a Confetti Ring to Wear at Your Next Holiday Party!

Holiday Sparkly Fan Pull
Lisa creates a dress up look for a ceiling fan

Linda's snowman
Some paper, beads, and fabric are transformed into an adorable snow guy.

Poinsettia Madness
Beautiful poinsettias in glass.

Poinsettia Ornament
Polymer clay and glittery snow recreate a Christmas memory

Strands of Beads
Melissa has a quicker than quick snowball pendant for a perfect last minute gift.

Shiny Little Things
Felting for the Festivities!

Ornaments so easy... even a kid can do them!
A recycled idea from last year using pearl UTEE!

Ornament Thursday #2

Another Ornament Thursday comes again, and we've got some special stuff for you!

Michelle McGee's ornament was inspired by the Graphic 45 Botanicabella collection...

"Using the Secret Garden paper, a tree template, and some Ranger products, I created this lovely little vintage tree complete with a bottle of Christmas memories dangling from the bottom..."

Now go check out Michelle's tree, and the rest of the creations of our team, and 2 very special guest artists...

(If you would like to be a guest artist this month on Ornament Thursday, see this post for details.)

Cindy Gimbrone Puts Up Her Xmas Tree!

Fused Glass Xmas tree ornament sparkles from Cindy's real Xmas tree.

Friendly Plastic Ornaments and Sew simple mittens

This week in the countdown to Christmas, Michelle shares her recipe for Friendly Plastic Ornaments and Helen sews another tree ornament

Gingham and beads and buttons, oh my

Counterchanges smocked gingham forms the foundation for this homespun ornament

HHH Enterprises

We are pleased to have this special guest join us this month!

New Beaded Ornament

See our special guest's beautiful creation!

Secret Garden Christmas Tree Ornament

Michelle's got a special tree from the Botanicabella collection!

Strands of Beads

Melissa shows off a simple winter rose bracelet project this week.

4 Full Weeks of Ornaments starts today! Join us!

Ornaments aren't just for your tree...Lynn Kvigne's quick and easy project using (what else!) wire and beads transforms an ordinary household object for the holidays!

Here is what Lynn has in store for you over at her blog...

And also in store... join us!

And also in store... join us!

Ornament Thursday is officially one year old, and we're up to our ears in ornaments!

This month all 4 Thursdays before Christmas will be Ornament Thursdays, and we're looking for a few good ornaments!

If you'd like to participate this holiday season along with the OT Team, we'd love to have you!

Here's how you can join us...

• Create an ornament, and if you follow our project, you'll know, we use the term "ornament" loosely... anything ornamental qualifies.
• Post the ornament to your blog on the Wednesday before the upcoming Ornament Thursday
• Email Michelle at: eggsb@comcast.net with a direct link to your posting, (this should not be a link to your general blog, but to the posting of your ornament.) To be included in the posting on our Ornament Thursday blog, you must have your submission to me by midnight EST the Wednesday night before the scheduled OT
• Voila! You're part of Ornament Thursday!
• If you miss the deadline, you are always welcome to post a link to your creation in the comments section of the OT blog posting!

Happy Ornamenting!

And here's what the Team's been ornamenting!

Brandi's keepsake childrens coaster ornament! Super fun and easy ornaments to make for the whole family!
Christmas Past and Needle Magic at http-design.com Michelle is addressing the ghosts of Christmas past and Helen gets down and dirty sewing a Christmas ornament - stand well clear, she is dangerous with a needle.
It's ORNAMENT Ornament Thursday! Michelle's got some cheap, easy mini clipboard ornaments to share!
It's Ornament Thursday Again: Icicle Time! Lisa takes a look at handmade icicle ornaments from Ruskin Designs
Needlepoint Stocking on BeadStyleMag.com Linda's ornament this week is a mini stocking in needlepoint.
Strands of Beads Melissa makes cute and quick Christmas tree earrings this week.
Beading Help Web's Holiday Candle Wraps Super easy and festive "ornaments" for your candles!

It's Ornament Thursday... Big Time!!!

Our post today comes from Linda Augsburg!

An Ornament Thursday note from the Ornament Thursday Crew

It’s the 1-year anniversary of Ornament Thursday (or something like that). And to celebrate, we’re offering our readers four weeks of ornaments (or decorative items) to celebrate the season. Our incredibly diverse and talented group of artists have created a bevy of beautiful and ornamental items for your enjoyment, so every Thursday between now and Christmas day, you’ll have a new batch of ornaments to inspire you. If you want to join us in Ornament Thursday, leave your link in the comments each week so visitors to this blog can check it out.

As for me (Linda), my way of welcoming you all is to offer these yo yo trees. I found them in a magazine years ago—a magazine I have since misplaced, so sorry to whomever designed them, I tweaked your design a bit and can’t offer you credit. The original pattern was for the little trees, as I recall. But I though they seemed too small, so I cut out a bunch of yo-yos to make bigger trees. I ran across some finished and some unfinished yo yos the other day on another cleaning binge in my craft/sewing room and thought “Ornament Thursday!” So I’m sharing them with you.

Yo Yo Basics: It’s as simple as cutting out a circle of fabric and running a gathering stitch 1/4” from the edge of the fabric. Make sure you’ve got a good knot at the end of the fabric, because you’re going to need it to hold the gathers in place. Once you’ve stitched all the way around, simply gather the fabric up along your stitches until you have a little fabric ball—the opening should almost close. Take a few stitches around the knotted end to secure the two thread ends and knot the thread.

To make the trees: For the smaller trees, I cut circles with the following diameters: 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, 3”, 3.5”, and 3.75”. For the larger trees, I cut these sizes: 1.5”, 2”, 2.5”, 3”, 3.5” 4” 4.5”, 5”, 5.5”, and 5.75”. You’ll need a cardboard to put in the bottom one, 2” diameter for the small one, 3” diameter for the larger one. Before you close up the largest one, you’ll slide that cardboard inside and make sure you flatten the yo yo so the gathered opening is in the center. Attach a jingle bell or a brown pompom to the center of the ungathered side of the largest yo yo by sewing or gluing it in place. Once you’ve made all your yo yos, flatten them with the gathered edge in the center. Stitch your hanger on the smallest one, having the flat side up. (I just cut a strand of pearl cotton a little longer than I wanted my hanger to be, knotted one end, stitched through from the gathered side to the flat side and back through from the flat side to the gathered side, and knotted the ends together.) Hot-glue the yo yos together, gathered side up, placing the glue about half an inch from the edge of the largest yo yo and stick the next smaller one to it, having it centered. Continue building your tree until all but the one with the hanger are attached. Glue the smallest one in place hanger-side up, gathered-side down. You can add a bow to the top of your tree, or a star, or whatever you’d like.

The thing I love about these trees is that I used up some Christmas prints that I got for free. For my taste, they were prints that I wasn’t going to use in a Christmas project like a quilt or a stocking where their unusual prints would be very visible, but gathered up in yo yos, you don’t really notice the print as much as you notice the festive colors. Also, you could probably mix the fabrics if you wanted to. I can’t decide if they look more like bells or trees, but I’m calling them trees. And since I cut these circles out a while ago, the colors are pretty traditional red and green, which is fine for me. I think they’d be very retro in some of the new Christmas fabrics or in some of the more modern Christmas color schemes.

So join the fun the next four weeks and post your link in the comments each week.

Happy Thanksgiving and here’s to the holiday season!