i was so inspired creating my postcard for the stitched postcard swap, that i decided to use that same technique for louise’s ornament swap!

i have a huge appreciation for stitching. it’s something i’ve always admired, but never had the patience for (at least with clothing). and so, stitching on paper seems to be my thing.

but that’s not to say these little ornaments didn’t give me any trouble. i ended up with four (one for my tree too). and each one its own original collage!

i started with high quality prints of my mixed media painting fresh from the ocean. then i had fun with the embellishments. each ornament got its own colored triangles (made from vintage wallpaper) and green glitter for the grass.

then i readied my sewing machine with red thread and stitched each one to a sheet of gold origami paper. for some, i stitched around the edges, for others i used a zig zag to emphasize certain parts.

the problem that came up here was that i completely forgot to add some sort of cut-out at the top for hanging. so i cut out the square around the stitching, leaving a bit of the gold paper shining around the sides (this actually turned into a happy find, because the shiny edge looked quite nice). you know how it is, when you completely forget something so obvious! and it didn’t happen just that once. nope. i went ahead and forgot to add the cut out three times!

then i folded a new piece of gold paper in half and made a hole punch at the top, cut it to a width that worked for the size of the ornament, and sewed around the outside edge again with a new sheet of paper as my backing, careful to slip the hole punched piece between the two pages before closing up my stitching at the top.

i added a few more embellishments to each one (a bit of ink outline and a happy holidays sign at the center).

then i got out my beeswax pellets and iron and made each ornament into its own encaustic collage! the beeswax gave each piece a matte finish and really added to the aged look and feel of the original painting.

to finish off the ornaments, i tied on a bit of gold ribbon!

to me, all of the handiwork that went into these creations makes me appreciate them even more. and my hope is that the people i am sending them to for the ornament swap will admire them in their homes too!

i hope you all had a lovely thanksgiving holiday!

19 comments on “ornament swap!”

B @ Sweet Limes

November 26, 2010 - 2:19 pm

Those are utterly amazing! That's something I'd love to have hanging in my tree.
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lezlielenz

November 26, 2010 - 2:56 pm

Too cute. Love them.
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danielle

November 26, 2010 - 3:09 pm

These are totally beautiful Juliette! I am sure they will be hearted by many. ♥
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Isa

November 26, 2010 - 3:24 pm

I like this!
Have a nice day !
Isabelle from France
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Dianne

November 26, 2010 - 4:16 pm

They are just beautiful…
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Nelly

November 26, 2010 - 6:08 pm

Very pretty!
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A.S.K.-P.

November 26, 2010 - 7:00 pm

*LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!* Juliette, these are AWESOME! LOVE THEM!
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Joyelle @ An Artful Endeavor

November 26, 2010 - 8:44 pm

These are stunning! Thank you so much for sharing them, and the techniques you used.
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Createology

November 26, 2010 - 9:08 pm

Your ornaments and creativity are fabulous. You are brilliant to finish them with the beeswax. Very beautiful just like you. Happy creating…
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Louise Gale

November 26, 2010 - 9:31 pm

So gorgeous Juliette. Ive been making more ornaments today too, been keeping me sane for a few hours. Love your ladies. xx
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Carola Bartz

November 27, 2010 - 4:37 am

Gorgeous ornaments, Juliette!
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Juliette Crane

November 27, 2010 - 3:59 pm

Thank you! These were so fun to create and the perfect project to experiment with new techniques!
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Susana Tavares

November 28, 2010 - 6:58 pm

They are wonderful 🙂
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Diana Evans

November 29, 2010 - 3:08 am

Oh wow Juliette….these ornaments are amazing…very unique and beautiful…and the glitter is a wonderful touch!!!

I know these will be loved!!!
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SaraLynn

November 29, 2010 - 4:01 am

These are stunning! I adore the gold edges, they definitely add a beautiful, magical holiday touch! The image is perfect for ornaments – the girl looks so lovely and angelic. Wonderful job!
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naomi orana

November 29, 2010 - 10:16 am

Thank you for introducing me to your wonderful blog, you are one talented artist!
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Vanessa Brantley Newton

November 29, 2010 - 10:40 am

These are just beautiful and fantastic!!! You are brilliant. These are going to wonderful on the Christmas! Truly the talk of the town and the season. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my blog. I love your work. You've done a marvelous job!
V
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Carrie Schmitt

November 30, 2010 - 2:03 pm

I love these! You should sell them too:) I hope next year I can participate. I'm hopin to start blogging again soon. I'm still enjoying yours and your new artwork!
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Siggadisart

September 17, 2012 - 3:28 pm

I think they are gorgeous like everything you make 🙂
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HELLO

I'M JULIETTE

A painter, writer, and creator of The School Of Happy Painting, online courses to help you loosen up, let go, and develop your own unique style.

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ornament swap!

19 comments on “ornament swap!”