Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come: Benzie color guides – kits available!

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is the fifth pattern in my Ebenezer Ornament Series. Here are the detailed felt/floss/sequin/bead color guides for you so that you can easily make spirits and gravestones that look like my Benzie felt samples!

Benzie Design has long been one of my favorite places to purchase wool-blend felts. They have stellar customer service, quick shipping, and their felt, floss, sequins and beads are an absolute joy to work with! They will be very happy to help you with what you need.

First, some handy links to get you started:
To buy the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come pattern: mmmcrafts.etsy.com
To buy the Modern Pastel or Victorian felt palettes shown here:
Benzie Ebenezer felt palettes and notions kits
To shop their sparkle and shine:
Benzie sequins and beads and also their metallic felts

OK! Here are the color guides:

MODERN PASTEL GRAY GHOST

and MINT GRAVESTONE

BENZIE FELT COLORS:
Silver: Robe/sleeves/hood, body

Fern: Gown

Ecru: Trim on robe/sleeves/hood

Julep: Gravestone

White: Snow

Gold Metallic: Petals

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*
All trim: DMC 580, D3852
Berries on hem: Benzie Rose Quartz and Red seed beads

Button combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie Gold seed bead

Hood Tassel: DMC E3821 (or sub E3852)

Robe: DMC 934 (stems), 3814 (thorns)

Combos: 5 mm lime green sequin + Benzie 4 mm Kelly Green sequin + Benzie Red seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Rose Quartz and Red seed beads

Petals: DMC 3705

Sleeves: DMC 934, 3814

Berries: Benzie Rose Quartz and Red seed beads 

Gown: DMC 934, 3814, 3705, and D3852

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Rose Quartz sequin + Benzie Red seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Rose Quartz and Red seed beads

Gravestone: DMC 991 (name only), 501, D3852

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Jade Green sequin + Benzie Teal seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Gold seed beads 

Years on back: 

Robe: DMC 3814

Gravestone: DMC D3852
*All sequins/beads sewn with gold metallic sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together. 

OTHER NOTIONS:
Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent
Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5282 (gold)

*****************************

MODERN PASTEL PINK GHOST

and GRAY GRAVESTONE

BENZIE FELT COLORS:*

Ecru: Robe/sleeves/hood

Ochre: Gown

Pink: Trim on robe/sleeves/hood, body

Silver: Gravestone

White: Snow

Bronze Metallic: Petals

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:
All trim: DMC D301, 3705
Berries on hem: Benzie Gold seeds beads

Button combo: 5 mm gold sequin + Benzie Gold seed bead

Hood Tassel: DMC 3705

Robe: DMC 501 (stems), D3852 (thorns)

Combos: 5 mm gold sequin + Benzie 4 mm Rose Quartz sequin + Benzie Red seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Gold seed beads

Petals: DMC 3705

Sleeves: DMC 501, D3852

Berries: Benzie Red and Gold seed beads

Gown: DMC 501, 830, D301, D3852, 3705

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Rose Quartz sequin + Benzie Gold seed bead.

Berries: Benzie Foxglove** seed beads

Gravestone: DMC 535, D3852

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie Rose Quartz seed bead

Berries: Benzie Red and Rose Quartz seed beads  

Years on back: 

Robe: DMC D3852

Gravestone: DMC 535
*All sequins/beads sewn with gold metallic sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together.
**Foxglove is discontinued. Sub in Rose Quartz or other pink bead

OTHER NOTIONS:
Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent
Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5282 (gold)

*****************************

VICTORIAN CHARCOAL GHOST

and DARK GREEN GRAVESTONE

BENZIE FELT COLORS:
Graphite: Robe/sleeves/hood, body

Turquoise: Gown, gravestone

Midnight: Trim on robe/sleeves/hood, body

White: Snow

Copper: Petals

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

All trim: DMC D301
Berries on hem: Benzie Graphite seeds beads

Button combo: 5 mm black sequin + Benzie Graphite seed bead

Hood Tassel: DMC E301

Robe: DMC 943 (stems), 831 (thorns)

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Rose Gold seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Red seed beads

Petals: DMC 831

Sleeves: DMC 943 (stems), 831 (thorns)

Berries: Benzie Red and Rose Gold seed beads

Gown: DMC 823, 831, 3705, and D301

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Rose Gold seed bead.

Berries: Benzie Red seed beads

Gravestone: DMC 823, 831, D301

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + 4 mm Benzie Copper sequin + Benzie Rose Gold seed bead

Berries: Benzie Rose Gold seed beads  

Years on back: 

Robe: DMC 3705

Gravestone: DMC 823
*All sequins/beads sewn with copper metallic sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together.

OTHER NOTIONS:
Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent
Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5283 (silver)

*****************************

VICTORIAN BURGUNDY GHOST

and LIGHT BLUE GRAVESTONE

BENZIE FELT COLORS:
Burgundy: Robe/sleeves/hood

Blush: Gown

Copper: Trim on robe/sleeves/hood, body

Swan: Gravestone

White: Snow

Peacock: Petals

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*

All trim: DMC 154
Berries on hem: Benzie Rose Gold seeds beads

Button combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Rose Gold seed bead.

Hood Tassel: DMC E301

Robe: DMC 760 

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Aquamarine seed bead.
Berries: Benzie Aquamarine seed beads

Petals: DMC D301

Sleeves: DMC 760, 350

Berries: Benzie Aquamarine and Rose Gold seed beads

Gown: DMC 154, 350, D301, and 3844

Combos: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Aquamarine seed bead.

Berries: Benzie Aquamarine seed beads

Gravestone: DMC 924, 3844, D168

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie Aquamarine seed bead

Berries: Benzie Rainbow Iridescent seed beads  

Years on back: 

Robe: DMC 760

Gravestone: DMC 3844
*All sequins/beads sewn with copper (ghost) and silver (gravestone) metallic sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together.

OTHER NOTIONS:
Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent
Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5283 (silver)

*****************************

 METALLIC GRAVESTONES

These two ornaments were not part of my 'official' samples because the metallic sheen makes them problematic to photograph legibly, but that doesn't mean they won't look great IRL with your set. 

GOLD GRAVESTONE:

BENZIE FELT COLORS:

Metallic Gold: Gravestone

White: Snow

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*
Front: DMC 500 (name), 501 (sprigs), D301, 3705

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Copper sequin + Benzie Rose Quartz seed bead.

Berries: Benzie Rose Quartz and Red seed beads

Year on back: DMC 500

*All sequins/beads sewn with gold sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together.

OTHER NOTIONS:

Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent

Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5282 (gold)

*****************************

BRONZE GRAVESTONE:

BENZIE FELT COLORS:

Metallic Bronze: Gravestone

White: Snow

FLOSS/SEQUIN/BEAD COLORS:*
Front: DMC 823, D168

Combo: 5 mm translucent iridescent sequin + Benzie 4 mm Teal sequin + Benzie Teal seed bead.

Berries: Benzie Teal and Rainbow Iridescent seed beads

Year on back: DMC 823

*All sequins/beads sewn with silver sewing thread. In addition to the DMC colors listed, you will also need matching floss or thread to sew pieces together.

OTHER NOTIONS:

Gravestone glitter: Medium grind white iridescent

Hanging Loops: DMC Metallic Pearl 5283 (silver)

*****************************

I hope this was helpful! These color guides can be followed exactly, but feel free to vary the choices to match your tastes and make your own unique combos. The way I've combined the Benzie Victorian and Modern Pastel felt colors are just a few of the possibilities! I'd love to see what you make. :-) #ebenezerornamentseries

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come pattern now available!

I'm so happy to say that Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is now in my Etsy shop. This pattern is the fifth in my Ebenezer Ornament Series, which is inspired by my love for Charles Dickens' spooky Victorian novella, A Christmas Carol. Besides the ghost figurine, there is a second bonus ornament included in this pattern: Scrooge's gravestone!

The difficulty level is intermediate – not for beginners. If you've completed my Twelve Days Ornament Series, you are likely ready to step into the Ebenezer series! (Twelve Days is a great primer as it builds your skills when you do the patterns in order.)

Skills needed for this particular pattern are backstitch, whipstitch, detached chain stitch, drawing on the face with pencils, precision cutting/sewing/glueing of very small pieces, and working with pipe cleaners, beads, and sequins. 

As with the rest of my ornament patterns, Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is organized into detailed step-by-step instructions with scads of diagrams and tips.

The pattern includes 15 years to trace and embroider on the back, if you like.

This eerie, silent spirit is described by Dickens as dressed in black from hood to toe, with the only distinguishable feature being his pointing hand. You can see I took some artistic license in my choice of colors and in the fact that the spirit's face is visible within the hood. Feel free to be more faithful to the text and use only shades of black felt and floss, if you like! I just couldn't do it. #becausecolor

The dirge of spirits you see above were all made with the same two Benzie Ebenezer color palettes I curated for the rest of the series. Nary a black robe among my samples because I just can't resist using lots of color, y'all. My apologies to Mr Dickens, but I have it on good authority from a Dickens scholar that he loved to dress in garish colors, so I'll just say this is a tribute to his personal fashion sense! I had fun coming up with the thorns/wilting flowers on the robe and skull embroidery motif for his gown, and wanted them to have some nice pop! 

Because this pattern has two ornaments, it will take about three or four crafternoons to make a Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come set. Put on a good movie or podcast, make a hot cuppa, and enjoy the process. It will be worth it!  :-) 

And don't forget the Victorian glam! Choosing to add some metallic embroidery, metallic tassel, and metallic wool felt accents (like the petals) will level up the holiday sparkle.

This ornament is best constructed using Sulky Stick 'n Stitch (aka Sticky Fabri-Solvy) which makes the process much faster, easier, and more accurate. If you already have the materials on hand to make the other patterns in the series, you might just need a few more things like a flat scrap of Pellon 70 Peltex (or sub a white piece of stiffened craft felt), colored pencils, white gel pen, and some white or iridescent glitter. There's a full materials list on the first page of the pattern shown below. Click to zoom:

I will be publishing detailed color guides for these samples soon. Ish. Those will coordinate directly with the amazing felt/floss/notions kits put together for your buying convenience at Benzie Design! 

To purchase the instantly downloadable PDF pattern, visit my Etsy shop. :-) 

What I'm up to

A good bit of my time is being spent on finishing up my ongoing website revamp, which has been a huge project and will continue to be for a while. All that behind-the-scenes work is partly why GOCYTC has not been released yet; the other part being after finally completing the pattern itself, I decided I don't like two of my finished final samples. After mentally wrestling with that I finally gave in, and I'm currently remaking those and will hopefully find a day to take photos later this week.

Also, I was cruising through Michaels the other day to pick up some DMC floss and saw this pack of already-smiling wood beads by Creatology. I bought them out of curiosity, and as you can see in the photo, they do appear to be the correct size for my ornaments! So if you hate adding the faces and have a Michaels handy, there you go! Just add hair. (Found them online also.)

(I did pause to wonder if the appearance of these 20 mm wood smiley faces might have something to do with all you busy Mmmakers out there? Is that even possible? Maybe just a coincidence?)

And just for fun, a shot of my achievement juice brewing into a fun new hedgie cup my daughter gave me. Isn't it cute? Me 'n hedgie gettin' things done.

top nine 2023

A little late to the new year party thanks to the flu virus, but here are my #topnine posts from 2023, as far as IG likes go. It was a very creative year for me, and that is exactly how I like it. I'm looking forward to more new designs in 2024, and I hear you that more beginner-friendly designs would be welcome. That's on my list. Also on my list is finally kicking this residual cough. Gah! I hope you guys are having an awesome (crafty) January. 

Mr Yet To Come 3.0

Here's Mr Yet To Come 3.0 (right) hanging out with Mr 2.0 (left). I think most of the design kinks are worked out on him this go round. I will change only a couple minor things for 4.0 and I have a good mental outline of the order of steps needed for his build. I'm still trying to make a gravestone I like, though. It's fighting me. 

My top priority is getting this pattern released before the end of the year. Will it happen? *suspenseful music plays* No one knows! Stay tuned...

(This Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come ornament will be the 5th in my ongoing Ebenezer Ornament Series. The first four patterns are available in my Etsy shop: mmmcrafts.etsy.com)

ghost couture

Making steady progress on the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. Forgive my artistic license here, but I find I just can't restrict myself to varying shades of black. My apologies, Mr Dickens. 

The pointing hand is made with cotton pipe cleaners. It's easy, no worries. And I've decided I don't want to cover up any portion of his robe, so I think I will make the gravestone a separate ornament and throw it in as a bonus. 

I posted this initial test hood/head earlier and I'm still working out how best to do his facial features, which according to the text can't be seen at all. But there has to be a bead inside the hood, so I'll settle for casting his creepy face in deep shadow by wiring the rim of the hood. 

See other patterns in this ongoing series:

https://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/p/ebenezer-ornament-series.html

humbug for my schmoopie - handmade gift 2022

I'm married to a tall, slender, wonderful man who does not love the hurry scurry flurry of December. He's all about faith, family, humor, and good times, but he is just so not about the long train of sparkly events and gift wrapped expectations around Christmas Day. 

In contrast, that poor man is married to me, a procrastinating perfectionist Christmas addict who loves everything about the holidays, even the hurrying, scurrying, and especially the flurrying. So much so that I often create more hurry and scurry than strictly necessary. 

He does his best to put up with the yearly cavalcade of Christmas crazy with no comment and only a little bit of good natured grinchiness. Bless him. So this year I crafted him this specially made-with-love Humbug ornament. Cute little guy! With his grumpy wumpy face and curly green antennae. So fun to make – I was smiling the whole time.

I put it together (at the 9th hour of course!) by modifying the head of Mr Scrooge, the body of Mr Marley, and the hat from Lord a-Leaping. I used a 22 mm head instead of 20 because I wanted to exaggerate it a bit, and I elongated and slimmed down the legs to look more like my beloved real-life six-feet-four-inch Christmas curmudgeon. 

His hair, insect feet, and hands are made from mini green chenille stems, which just do not photograph very well. They are not this neon bright in real life but somehow that particular shade just really blows out in my photos.

It will be so fun to put this Humbug up on our family tree year after year! And I hope it brings a grinchy smile to my sweetie's face every time he sees it.

happy 2023!

Happy new year! I'm ringing in 2023 with my first case of covid! It finally got me. I've been exposed so many times over the last two years I was starting to wonder if I had some kind of weird super-immunity. NOPE. 🥵 Blurg. But this must mean the new year can only get better from here! Right? Yay! Let's toast to all the possibilities! *hoists mug, slurps herbal tea loudly*

Image above: The top nine most-liked posts from my Instagram account for 2022. I was going to write a detailed, reflective review of the past year with nicely articulated thoughts but NOPE I will go downstairs and take more cough medicine.

#mmmcrafts #topnine #happy2023 #stupidvirus #ebenezerornamentseries #twasthenightornaments #twelvedaysornaments

Ghost of Christmas Present pattern now available!

I'm so happy to say that Ghost of Christmas Present is now in my Etsy shop. This pattern is the fourth in my Ebenezer Ornament Series, which is inspired by my love for Charles Dickens' spooky Victorian novella, A Christmas Carol. 

You'll find the difficulty level to be intermediate – not for beginners. If you've completed my Twelve Days Ornament Series, you are likely ready to step into the Ebenezer series! (Twelve Days is a great primer as it builds your skills when you do the patterns in order.)

Skills needed for this particular pattern are backstitch, whipstitch, French knot, drawing on the face, precision cutting/sewing/glueing of very small pieces, and working with chenille stems, beads, and sequins. This one is more complex because of the many small details, not to mention the hidden figures of Ignorance and Want inside the robe! 

As with the rest of my ornament patterns, Ghost of Christmas Present is organized into detailed step by step instructions with scads of diagrams and tips.

The pattern includes 17 years to trace and embroider on the back, if you like.

This short lived spirit is the favorite of many Dickens devotees because of his cheerful demeanor and the fact that he represents the joy, peace, and plenty of Christmas day itself. He is written as a jolly giant, wearing a long, fur-trimmed green robe and holding a magical horn-of-plenty shaped torch with which he sprinkles Christmas joy. He is wearing a holly crown and a jeweled belt, from which hangs an empty, rusty scabbard which represents the absence of war and brotherhood of man. And the best part for Dickens fans: Inside his robe are hidden the pitiable figures of Ignorance and Want, which make their startling appearance toward the end of Scrooge's time with this spirit.

Because of the many pieces, it takes about three crafternoons to make a Ghost of Christmas Present. Put on a good movie or podcast, make a hot cuppa, and enjoy the journey. All 101 steps. :-) 

Don't forget the Victorian gleam! Choosing metallic embroidery threads, tinsel/iridescent chenille stems, and metallic wool felt accents will add even more holiday sparkle to the already glittery sequins and beads.

This ornament is best constructed using Sulky Stick 'n Stitch, which makes the process much faster, easier, and more accurate. If you already have the materials on hand to make Scrooge, Marley, or the Ghost of Christmas Past, you might just need a few more things like metallic wool felt, tinsel and regular chenille stems, and an optional mini jingle bell. There's a full materials list on the first page of the pattern shown below. Click to zoom:

The sparkle of spirits you see above were all made with the same two Benzie Ebenezer color palettes I curated for the rest of the series. I exercised a bit of artistic license in the color of the robes and crowns #becausecolors. I wanted to show you some possibilities with different hair colors too. (Did you know the spirit's hair is initially brown but turns gray with age by the time he disappears?) I also wanted to show the option to make the mustache from card stock (zoom in on the gray haired spirit) if you don't want to purchase a sheet of wool felt just for that tiny mustache. 

Pro tip: If you are buying it anyway or have some already on hand, check out the wool sides of Benzie's metallic and glitter felts for possible mustache colors. The back of the Bellwether bronze metallic felt is a nice warm brown and made excellent mustaches for both of my brunette samples, and the mustache on my redhead is the back of the Bellwether copper glitter felt. As a bonus, the backing makes the tiny tiny pieces less likely to fray apart.

Because chenille stems come in limited colors, I recommend buying the chenille stem for the beard first and then choose matching DMC floss hair and felt (or card stock) for the beard to match. 

I will be publishing detailed color guides for these samples soon. Ish. Those will coordinate directly with the amazing felt/floss/notions kits put together for your buying convenience at Benzie Design! 

To purchase the instantly downloadable PDF pattern, visit my Etsy shop. :-) 

Update on Mr Christmas Present

UPDATE: For those of you waiting patiently on the Ghost of Christmas Present pattern, I thought I’d jump in here to say that despite having high hopes of adding it to the shop in time for my Thanksgiving sale, that just ain’t happening. I must accept. Hopes dashed. 

It’s just physically impossible with the samples I need to make and the photos which need to be taken. So I will let myself enjoy some turkey and my girls being home from college and I’ll shoot for releasing just as soon after Thanksgiving as I can possibly make it. That will hopefully be plenty of time for your Dickensian Christmas crafting.

In the meantime here are some supplies you might need to gather: 

All the usual items needed for my people ornaments (wool felts, wood beads, floss, cotton pipe cleaners, Sulky Stick N Stitch (2 sheets), fabric markers/pencils for faces, Tacky Glue, stuffing) but here are some others for this ornament:

1) One or two chenille stems for his twisted holly crown (I like two different colors or finishes, like one regular and one metallic)

2) Metallic or iridescent chenille stem scraps in one or two colors for the torch flame

3) Metallic wool felt for his belt and scabbard and possibly his torch

4) A tiny jingle bell (4-6 mm) as an optional decoration on the scabbard

5) A chenille stem for his beard in any shade of medium brown or red, plus a skein of matching DMC floss for his hair, plus a tiny tiny scrap of coordinating wool felt for the mustache. In the photo, you can see the reverse side of the bronze metallic felt does well for a mustache, but you can also source a brown felt from your felt stash. Another option is to cut his mustache from matching sturdy card stock if you don’t want to buy a sheet of felt just for that. In that case I recommend adding a coat of Mod Podge to make it more durable.

 
6) Metallic sewing thread for attaching sequins/beads, plus the usual seed beads and sequin array needed for the Ebenezer series. In this case you will need an 8 mm one for the belt buckle and it’s good to have both 4 and 5 mm to alternate for the holly berries if you like. Using one or the other is also an option if you don’t have both.

7) Metallic DMC Diamant is such a nice option for some of the embroidery — it just adds Victorian glam.

 
Alright! I hope that is helpful for your planning. 

(Shown above: Ghost of Christmas Present redhead in progress featuring a side part and an unfiled thumbnail in serious need of a manicure)

a host of ghosts smiling at me

I'm certainly in cheerful company over here as I work to get this Ghost of Christmas Present ornament pattern in the shop in time for Christmas makings. Besides the smiling host of ghosts, a lot of espresso, chai tea, and old episodes of NewsRadio are helping me along. I'm still deep in edits and sample makin'.

More info on the Ebenezer series and where to buy

what's your favorite color?

One of the best things about making your own wool felt ornaments? Choosing your very favorite colors. Apparently, I like pink. What's your favorite color?

Now's the perfect time for cozy handmade Christmas gift making, and heirloom ornaments are always treasured! I offer hand sewn step-by-step PDF patterns for confident beginners as well as intermediate challenge seekers. 

Have a look round my blog for lots of ornament info:
https://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/p/ornament-series.html

and my Etsy shop to purchase the patterns:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/mmmcrafts

Happy to answer questions! Contact me via my shop for a speedy answer.

Maybe choosing your own colors is not your thing? No worries, I also have curated color guides on my blog with materials kits available from Benzie Design and Felt On the Fly.

Pictured above: Hand embroidered wool felt ornaments made from my patterns: Twelve Days Ornament Series, 'Twas the Night Ornament Series, Ebenezer Ornament Series, and also Snow Bird.

details, details...

Details, details...
Trying out the best way to include the pitiable little figures of Ignorance and Want while still keeping the outward cheerful Christmas Present aesthetic. I confess I had ruled out including these two hidden children for simplicity's sake, but a comment from a follower on Facebook sent me down this irresistible rabbit hole. (You know who you are, Ursula. :-) Thanks.)

It is an interesting challenge to hide them well underneath the robe, and they will make a lovely little Easter egg for any Dickens fan who peeks inside the robe just in case. 

I'm rolling my chair across the carpet from my work table back to the Mac now, armed with a new round of adjustments for the next version. It should go much smoother adding these details as I sew instead of after the fact, like here. Better finishing.

I'm also still working out the details of the magical torch (mostly happy with it) and the best method to hang the empty scabbard from his belt. I'm leaning toward something allowing a little free swing action and maybe a tiny bell somewhere. Because bells are fun.

Simplicity. *snorts* Bah! 

sneak peek of next Ebenezer ornament

Guess who? Here is a sneak peek of the next ornament pattern in my Ebenezer ornament series, straight from my work table. This prototype ornament is fairly close to final, but he’s missing his magical torch and empty scabbard. 

He's been living on paper and in my head for a long while so he leapt out fully formed and didn't give me much trouble design wise. A refreshing change! I'm hoping to have this finalized and in the shop in plenty of time before Christmas -- wish me luck.

*New* Ebenezer 1-3 pattern bundle in the shop!

*New* discounted pattern bundle in the shop! The Ebenezer Ornament Series 1-3 bundle! Buy it as a bundle and save a little jingle. This PDF pattern bundle includes:

1) Mr Scrooge 

2) Mr Marley and 

3) Ghost of Christmas Past 

As the Ebenezer series grows, I'll add more bundles.
To shop: mmmcrafts.etsy.com