Poncetastic 2017

[Annwithnoe]

Since there doesn't seem to be a poncetastic thread, and to avoid confusion with thread titles, would I be out of order to start this one?

First order of business, a toast to our dearly missed Fellatio Nelson, wherever she may be and a quote from her original thread:

^
"OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom. A bit like the war in Afghanistan, only with nicer food and sparkly shoes.

So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobsworth ponce, join me on this thread.

Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapes and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.

Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessies' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

^

1983 please can you tell me what length of ribbon you've used to make your links? Is it a glue gun job? Do you have to run a flame along the ends of the ribbons to prevent fraying or does the glue do that? ..........(eyes glue gun and thinks about all the ribbon to be bought)

Not the not sure exactly because I have measured them against the pattern on the old placemat I've used to rest my glue gun on! Probably about 5-7cm? I have made a mini one too, it's very fiddly though but looks cute.,

So far this month I have bought and used over 100m of ribbon!!

Oh, well done 1983, very well done indeed - that's some impressive ponce-ing

Yes, just need to sell the bloody things now! 3 craft fairs booked plus a local cafe and salon have agreed to put some in their cabinets in exchange for a freebie for their tree.

@notthemrmenagain how do you make you Pom poms?

How much do you sell them for @thenewaveragebear1983? Do people buy lots of just one? I can imagine they look particularly good when there are lots. Or are they v long?

sing I've got plastic pompom makers in a variety of sizes - they're so much quicker and easier than the old school way of making them with cardboard rings! The smallest pompom maker I got from poundland, think they still sell them in their 'bits and bobs' section.

For very tiny ones I use a fork - wrap the wool around the prongs, then tie in the middle and cut.

For big ones, for a scarf, I wrap the wool around my hand with my fingers spread out to make it wider, ease the ball off my hand, tie in the middle and cut. They're not quite as tidy as when using a pompom maker, but they trim up nicely.

Wow. I had never even heard of a pompom
maker. Off to google...

Today's poncing- it still needs some sort of strip to cover the joins and a bow, and maybe some holly if I have enough green left!

Finished!

That looks lovely 😊.

Looks great!

That's lovely! My mum has one she made in the 90's, it still looks great and makes me smile when I see she has it up.

Oh I love this thread!

I haven't had much time for Christmas poncing over the last few years, but I'm determined to embrace it again this year.

So far I have made green tomato chutney and spiced plum chutney, baked my Christmas cake and started cross stitching Christmas cards. I've booked a place on a table centrepiece workshop at a local florist mid December. I've also bought some paper and ribbons for wrapping.

I borrowed Nigel Slater's new Christmas book from the library today and that is really inspiring me to up my game!

Somebody stop me! I made another one, this time with lights......still needs finished off, but I think it's quite sweet.

I’m hoping you clever MN’ers can help me, I’ve got a large holly bush, I never know what to do with it. I usually cut a few sprigs to put on the table. But, that’s exactly what it ends up looking like, Holly plonked on the table. Any ideas for something more artistic?
Inspired by this thread, I’m making my own Christmas garland for the front door. Although, admittedly though I’m doing an NT workshop

MrsK, how about an arrangement using holly, fern leaves, fir (real or fake) and poinsettia, perhaps with some decorative-looking twigs? Places like wilkos and garden centres will have fake twigs for flower arranging, often with fake snow or glitter on them, or you could do your own from the garden. Kind of like this (with or without candles as you prefer):

Givenethetea thank you, that is the type of look I’m striving for

Finished my gifts for my colleagues. Chocolate orange covers

They're ace, Woolly!

This fell off my TIO but I am now back.

Project Crochet Snowflake starts this week, now that other projects are finished. I got through 20+ as gifts and gift wrapping last year so I know I need to get on it.

The chocolate orange covers are genius! LOVE them!

I need help from fellow poncers. I did two more watercolours today for cards (see pics) and this time did them landscape rather than portrait on some new lovely card blanks. The problem is they don't really stand up on a table (in the pics I had something behind to keep them upright). They just slide down flat. They are fine if I turn them portrait but I don't want them that way. Any thoughts?

I string them up away (straddling ribbon) so wouldn't be a problem chez Hath!

Lovely paintings btw.

Wiifit could you put a piece of card inside the card to join the front and back when the cards open? If you used a folded strip of card, the card would still close, but would hold it rigid in a triangle when open. Or you could stick a similar weighted card on the inside to write on, as it could be that the weight of the paper is pulling the card down? They are lovely by the way!