It is a well known fact that the economy is in the dumps right now.  Gas prices hit record since-the-80′s highs, real estate sales and prices are down, commodity prices are creeping up and we have been no exception for experiencing it.  Since my mother and father divorced, I’ve always had an enjoyable time (read: not) of shuffling back and forth for the holidays, trying to fit in my schedule with everyone else’s: step parents and their kids, extended families, boyfriend/husband’s family… it’s not something I ever look forward to because someone’s feelings are going to be hurt and I just can’t please everyone.  In the past couple of years I’ve just let everyone tell me what they want me to do and I’d find a way to work around it.  The older I get and the less flexible my life has become, the less I can make my obligations and everyone else satisfied.

Continuing, traveling to all of these places requires the purchase of gifts.  Now, while shuttling back and forth between the places and the resultant drama that preceeds and follows are not things I enjoy in the least, I do love giving presents.  The anticipation when the gifts are piled under the tree, excitement when they’re passed around, the studying of the wrapping and finally the smile on people’s faces when they have seen what was given.  The only problem is the economy.  My mother and father have both remarried, and with the new step mother or father comes their kids.  Now while the opportunity to give more presents isn’t daunting, the cost of such things are.  In the past, I’ve just charged whatever I was going to give and pay it off throughout the next half of the following year, but this year I’ve lived a bit leaner than others.  I’ve paid off a good deal of revolving credit accounts and racked up a bit of savings in the meantime.  The thought of charging stuff after all that hard work didn’t sound great to me, so this year I decided to only get what I could afford, or afford to make.  This year is the year of the Industrious, Creative, Crafty Heather that comes out in a pinch.  Here are some things that I’ve made for gifts:

The bag on the left was for my stepmom Carol.  The one on the right was for her son’s wife, Amy.  They’re floppy reversible totes that are ideal for small grocery shopping trips, gym bags or whatever else might be handy for having a shoulder strap bag.  There is a pocket on the inside that is big enough for a phone, keys or anything that might need to be separated from the main contents.

Soap making is a new thing I am trying, and so far it’s fun but very messy.  Above is a new concoction that I created for my stepmother’s daughter and her wife.  These soaps are made of animal free glycerin and human grade food ingredients.  I call them “Chocolate Pomegranate Cinnamon Tart Soaps.”  I haven’t actually used them in the shower like they are intended, but they were ok when I used them to wash my hands.  Hopefully Debbie and Betsy will be able to get good use out of them and give me decent feedback on what I need to improve them.

This is for my grandmother from Mexico.  The last time she came to visit, she came to my house for a taco dinner and kept telling my mom that she liked my paintings.  I figured I could make one up pretty quickly for her to take back to Mexico.  It’s not finished yet as of this post – I need to refine the hands a bit with the shadowing and length, but as I probably won’t repost a finished image, here it is unfinished.  Perhaps in the next post I will, as I need to finish up some other homemade gifts for people that will receive them for Christmas.

I’m hoping that over Christmas break I’ll have more time to work on some crafts that I’ve had piling up – reconning some clothes, making new clothes, a laptop sleeve I’ve needed recently and some Nintendo coasters for a friend out in California.  I just have to remember to wake up before 11:00am.