300 Days till Christmas Project -- March 5-7, 2011

A quiet few days of what I guess you could call craft "grunt" work.  Doing some prep so I'll have supplies all set to go when it's time for something major.  On Saturday, I trimmed and decoratively cut the pieces that I'd embossed the day before {see my last post for photos of the embossing}.  So they're all set to be layered, glued or whatever on cards or collages or even an Advent calendar.
Yesterday, {Sunday, March 6} was spent working on some templates.  Downloaded a couple of templates - a mitten and a stocking; and used cookie cutters for the rest.  Traced onto cardboard and cut out {the white ones in the photo}.  Then traced onto some felt and cut out.

I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time with these templates over the next few months, as the resulting shapes can be cut from felt, paper, cardstock, fabric, etc.  I'm planning on using them on cards, ornaments, Advent calendars, stuff like that.  The larger sized stockings I will also make into stockings, to fill for little gifts or surprises.  I'm also thinking of making some into "kitty sachets," stuffed with organic catnip for all the kitties in my extended family.  They have to get some fun at Christmas, too; other than the piles of wrapping paper to tunnel through!
Today's work will involve more of the grunt/prep work - cutting cardstock for cards, more work with the templates in the photo, things along those lines.  As much as I enjoy the completion, I find that I also enjoy the ritual of the prep work.  Getting things ready, thinking about what is to come -- the theme of Advent is right there in what I'm doing.
-Jayne
PS - Almost forgot - I have my FIRST follower!!  Thanks, Elise!