Roxanne the artist!: Christmas, in the making!

For as long as I can remember I have loved Christmas! My mother had a way of making everything in our home feel special but when the holidays arrived our house became it became a wonderland of glitter, felt, sequins, Styrofoam, tulle, pom pom fringe, velvet, lace, spray paint and paraffin.

I can still remember all the crafts she made to decorate our home and sell at the Optimist Club Christmas Tree Lot. My favorites were the candles that she made with milk cartons full of ice. Although I too young to help, the idea of creating beauty was planted and soon I’d be in on the action.

The first Christmas ornaments I ever made were made out salt dough. My mother made the dough mixture from equal parts of salt, flour and water and our family sat around the kitchen table shaping the dough onto cookie sheets. We baked them in a oven on low heat until they were dry. Later after they were cool, we painted them with acrylic paints. I loved every minute it and must have made dozens. Here are two of them.

As a newly wed working in the Houston Galleria, I made 250 tennis racquets for my employer at the Forty Love Shop.Then when my children were little we made them around our kitchen table. Year after year, I’ve enjoyed making these.

Last year was no different and it brought me great joy to sit with both my mother, daughters and granddaughters and make them again. Four generations creating little treasures to be enjoyed for years to come.