Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

  17 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - Christmas Mail . Today I am remembering Christmases past where lots of cards and letters would be written, posted and received during the season . Probably the most famous Christmas letter was written in 1867 by 8 year old Virginia O’Hanlon to the New York Sun asking for the truth about the existence of Santa Claus and of course, the newspaper editor replied to her letter publicly. While emails, e-cards and messages are allegedly more efficient and eco friendly, here’s a big hurrah for post offices and their staff everywhere - some of us still love ‘snail mail’. Today’s envelope is a ‘handwritten’ themed paper collage with a free motion stitched motif of an old fashioned letter box.

  16 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - Christmas Carols ... This postage stamp designed by a 5 year old child reminded me of the Carol ‘The First Noel’ . The First Noel, the Angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay In fields where they lay keeping their sheep What is your favourite Christmas Carol? Which Christmas Carols annoy you , particulary when they are played over and over in shopping centres? Today’s envelope is a free motion stitched motif on a background of rice paper and a used envelope from a Christmas card .

  15 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - ‘Home for Christmas ‘ This morning, when I saw this Christmas issue stam,, a child’s drawing of the Nativity, I recalled the first line of the carol ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed ...’ and how we all love to be home for Christmas. M y thoughts today are on this envelope - a stitched collage of a path leading home ... I hope you all find comfort in your home this Christmas. Please also spare a thought for the homeless in your community during this festive season..... Children and their families shouldn’t be homeless. Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a leading cause of homelessness. Someone accesses a homelessness service due to DFV every 7 minutes. 2   Every Australian should have a safe home this Christmas.

  13 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - Family Christmas . Today was the Simmons Family Christmas get-together. This is an annual event - some would say a family tradition. This year, a slight change from the traditional party in someone's home, we had a picnic in the park under the shade of big fig trees on a mild summer’s day - perfect! Today’s envelope acknowledges the togetherness of this loving and supportive family with a stitched paper collage and a celebratory postage stamp

 #25envelopes  01 December - Summer Christmas  02 December = Tree of Joy  03 December - And heaven and earth sing ...  04 December - The Little Match Gir  05 December - Mistletoe  06 December - Christmas Markets  07 December - Dia de las Velitas ( Day of the Little Candles)  08 December  - Red and White  09 December - Holly  10 December - Peace ( International Day of  Universal Human Rights)  11 December - NSW Christmas Bush  12 December - Gingerbread ( National Gingerbread House Day) 

  1 2 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - today is National Gingerbread House Day.   From  National Day Calendar : Gingerbread House Day on December 12th recognizes a family tradition for many around the country.  We can thank the Brothers’ Grimm for a gingerbread house ... . Through their tale of  Hansel and Gretel , they introduce an evil witch who lives in a house made of gingerbread. It didn’t take long for the German gingerbread guilds to pick up the idea. Soon, they put gingerbread houses to a more festive use making snowy cottages made from the spicy-sweet treat. I didn’t realise until this morning that there was even such a day ! It was then obvious that today’s envelope had to relate to gingerbread - one of our family’s favourite Christmas treats. This wasn’t as easy to interpret this in fabric and paper as I thought it would be ... I used free motion stitching , lace , ricrac braid and coloured pencil to represent the traditional white icing...

  1 1 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes - NSW Christmas Bush . Yesterday the first Christmas card of the season arrived with this beautiful stamp - Australian native flowers in a Christmas stocking. The 2020 Australian secular Christmas stamps all feature Australian flowers and these summer flowers - waratah, kangaroo paw, flannel flowers and bottlebrush are great inspiration for art. While we have quite a good native garden , my favourite Christmas flower is the NSW Christmas bush ( Ceratopetalum gummiferum). I picked some this morning for a vase inside, so today’s envelope is my interpretation of these lovely flowers. I used the envelope from yesterday's card and attached a fabric collage with stitching and coloured pencil sketches.

 10 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes : Peace Today is United Nations World Human Rights Day....  I was inspired by this Christmas stamp image of the Madonna and Child, to focus on one of those precious rights we cherish and aspire to globally . Today's Countdown art is a paper and fabric hand stitched collage on a used envelope, in commemoration of the United Nations declaration of human rights and the spirit of Christmas... may we all enjoy the peace of Christmas every day of our lives .

  December 8 Christmas Countdown #25envelopes ... Red and White . We can all guess why Santa Claus wears a fur trimmed suit - for warmth in the cold Winter of the North. But, why is his suit and matching hat red and white? The colours come from a very successful Christmas marketing campaign by Cocoa Cola in the 193os, and in Western countries, Santa has ever since been seen dressed in the image created by the Coke brand . from :  YES VIRGINIA, COCA-COLA CREATED SANTA CLAUS!!! (decktheholidays.blogspot.com) To be fair , there were previously images of Father Christmas and St Nicholas which depict a bearded man in long robes and from 1850’s English postcard Father Christmas images favour a red pointed hat and a long red coat . My envelope today is a collage of red and white paper and fabric with sketchy snowflake stitching and a beautifully coloured and festive Christmas Island stamp. It’s a shame the postmark stamp obscures it a little , but the Local Post Office doesn...

  7 December: Christmas Countdown #25envelopes . Dia De Las Velitas Today is Dia de las Velitas ( Day of the Little Candles) It is officially the beginning of Christmas in places like Colombia where rows and rows of candles are lit in celebration, to mark the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception . My interpretation is a paper collage on a used envelope featuring this beautiful Christmas stamp from 1966 .The original artwork appears to have been etched, but I cannot find out who designed this stamp. I created the candle by hand stitching some interfacing which is chose instead of paper or cotton fabric, as I didn't want the candle to look too solid. I achieved the look of a flickering flame with Inktense and watercolour pencils.

  6 December, Christmas Countdown #25envelopes ... Christmas Market . Today , this recycled envelope had roses printed in its corners and features an Australian Celebrations stamp with Christmas presents... so today's theme is roses and Christmas shopping. Today, at Lambton Park bordered by beautiful rose gardens, the Hunter Arts Network held the first Art Bazaar of 2020. It was the annual Christmas market and was the first this year because of previously Covid restrictions . Of course, our local Christmas market is nothing like the traditional, renowned Christmas markets in Europe, but it is a Christmas event we all look forward to. With more relaxed restrictions outdoors here in NSW , there was such an atmosphere of excitement and Christmas spirit, despite the very hot windy weather. Thanks to all the shoppers who were looking for unique handmade Christmas gifts in a unique year. This envelope is collaged with paper and cloth, with papers torn from magazines, maps, and ol...

  5 December Christmas Countdown #25envelopes ... Mistletoe is one of those plants nostalgically associated with Christmas . Once , mistletoe was believed to have magic powers and later in England and USA it became part of a kissing ritual, most often leading to marriage . However , as a parasitic species , mistletoe can be such a nuisance, so I often wonder why it remains so popular at Christmas time - just an excuse to kiss a loved one ? . I chose to i stitch and applique a motif of mistletoe on this fabric collaged envelope because I love this particular Christmas stamp . I noticed that the Angel holds a sprig of white flowers . I thought it was mistletoe but on closer inspection , the flowers are lilies! I am enjoying the daily practice  of making art again . During the #100dayproject, I discovered that I like this discipline - so satisfying to do something creative every day... 

  Christmas Countdown : 3 December - #25envelopes  Today, inspired by  some lyrics of the Christmas carol "Joy to the World" , I collaged some green fabrics and handprinted papers  on to a used envelope. This envelope  was  already decorated with a stamped plant image when I received it so it just seemed logical to add to it in the traditional red and green of  the season.  The  beautiful stamp, also used,  repeats the colours  And here's a 50 second video of the stitching on the envelope 

  Welcome December 2020 - I love to mark Advent with my own sort of calendar, counting down to Christmas. In the past, I have celebrated marvellous trees, Christmas firsts, an Advent alphabet and even much maligned fruit cake. In 2019, I completed #the100dayproject by creating collages on used envelopes. For this series, #25envelopes, I am revisiting that idea with of course, a Christmas theme.  "Summer Christmas": 1/#25envelopes 1 December: 'Summer Christmas" ... Officially this is the first day of Summer here in Australia and thoughts of the beach and sunshine came to mind, especially when I found this 1977 Christmas stamp of Santa Claus riding a surfboard. The day here is Newcastle was an intense Summer day - very hot and humid and then a wild storm at night.... Christmas weather! The paper collage on this envelope tries to capture the colours of the beach with a threatening cloud forming, warning of a summer afternoon storm.  "Tree of Joy ":   2/ #25env...