craft: ornament for a secret santa

I didn’t grow up playing nor ever really participated a lot in that holiday game where you pick a number and wait your turn to open a present while coveting and strategizing how you would steal someone else’s gift. I played the other night that game called Secret Santa or Dirty Santa with my slow sewing circle, which I mistakenly called the white elephant game in an email and was told, no it’s an ornament exchange and then later was reminded during the game that you have to steal someone’s gift before you open a wrapped present. Doh! Last night I opened a box containing a lovely glass ornament of a sewing machine and then tried to replace it AFTER I opened it by stealing Amy’s Santa Claus ornament. No, no, no you have to steal BEFORE you open a present. I was embarrassed because I unwittingly revealed I was NOT into an ornament of an old fashioned Singer. And I was kind of embarrassed that I painted an inexpensive chip board house as my ornament gift. Over the weekend while cooking up a storm, I crafted that ornament for this exchange. It started with this modern house ornament I bought at World Market. It’s one of three.    

All 3 are so adorable! I wanted all 3 for myself! But no, get just the 1 for the ornament exchange. I reminded myself not to be a greedy Gus and remembered Patrick’s admonishment to not be obsessed by tree ornaments. I chose the pink modern house because well, it’s pink, and its lines remind me the most of the suburban tract home in which I grew up in my Californian hometown and even though I loved the rooflines of the other houses more. But then I was a thirsty bitch and decided to keep the cute pink home and let it be the color reference for painting a similar wood house from the craft store.

I decided instead to paint it the same colors of the Modern Quilt Guild logo, but didn't have any gray paint for the roof. Doh! Helen said mix black and white. I went a bit too dark. I wish I had painted it a lighter gray or just kept adding white to the palette. Or just adhered glue to the roof and covered it in much more white glitter.

While at Mary's house for the ornament exchange and sewing, I admired her wreath wall quilt. This is the perfect pattern for using up my Kona solids. And I've all manner of greens to make it an interesting or variegated wreath. 

Here's the ornament I stole from Amy because thank goodness someone stole my sewing machine ornament. 

I stole well--my final ornament was "locked" or mine, all mine after my steal and Patrick quite liked this ceramic Santa when he asked what ornament I got. We've a collection of Santas on our tree--all given by his mother in a manner of styles from folksy to ethnic to midcentury and in wood or glass or tin or felt. Such a fun and sewy night.