The Snowlady Mantel

My Cold Hands/Warm Heart snowlady wall-hanging comes out each January to dress up our mantel.

It might look a little familiar to fans of this month's banner.  (The blog banner, not our vintage New Year's banner.)

It's amazing now to think the original pattern was worked in blacks and tans like some of my other snowmen.

My colors were inspired by the turquoise snowman fabric I used as my border.   I like to think that I couldn't have resisted those colorful snowmen even at quilt store prices, but at fifty percent off--well, I'm not one to quarrel with fate.

I started shopping our cottage for anything that reminded me of snowmen, snowladies, or snowflakes.  Glass candleholders from the dining room, silver vases hidden in the laundry room cupboard, white mini-lights from atop the china cabinet...

A platter usually on the holiday table instead of the mantel, a tall wedding and a short anniversary vase, old christening cups...

eventually a bit of lace as an experiment to disguise the electrical cord and a mental note to find a long enough scrap for future use.

I discovered that an unused spiky vase, turned upside down, made a great pillar candlestand.

I stacked and tweaked and gathered more, then rearranged until I was satisfied.

The Christmas mantel seems like a dream from a distant time now.

My four little elves are enjoying their well-deserved rest in an out-of-the-way corner of the workroom.


Instead our benificent snowladies watch over us while we are cozily tucked up on the sofa. 

Netflix watched by the light of snowflakes are even more magical.

Joining Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home--so many wonderful ideas, so little time!