Thursday, November 29, 2012

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Deborah Hale

I'm delighted to be part of Cheryl's Christmas Tree Tour, which I've enjoyed as a viewer in the past! Part of me would love a theme tree, perhaps Regency or fairy tale inspired. But my family Christmas tree is a homey hodgepodge of (mostly) hand-crafted ornaments I've made over the years. These include blown eggs decorated with pictures from Christmas napkins or tissue paper, beads and glitter.
 
I also have a set of angel ornaments I cross-stitched and a set of crocheted snowflakes.  Those are supplemented by collector ornaments we've been given, picked up on our travels or bought to celebrate special milestones.
 



Every year I give each of my four children an ornament to add to their collection (most of my daughters are penguin-themed). When they have homes of their own (a day that is coming way too fast!) they will be able to take their ornaments to decorate their Christmas trees!
 

In The Baron's Governess Bride, Lord Steadwell's three motherless daughters were heartbroken when their last governess ran off to elope. In her dowdy cap and spectacles, Grace Ellerby seems an ideal replacement—a nurturing, intelligent woman uninterested in marriage. No wonder Rupert doesn't recognize Grace as the golden-haired vision at a masked ball, who slips away before midnight….


Frightened by the unwanted attentions of previous employers, Grace resolved to hide her beauty…and her growing feelings for Rupert. One enchanted evening changes everything. For with Grace's
three adorable charges playing fairy godmother, Rupert may discover his happy ending is closer than he thinks!









                                         ORDER A COPY FROM AMAZON

18 comments:

  1. Good morning! I love your ornaments! I try to do the same thing, except I'm making mine for our grandchildren ! Lovely idea! I would love to win your book..it looks like a wonderful read!

    Blessings,
    Gert
    Gertom86@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Deborah,

    I love your angle ornaments! They are very pretty, and unique with the lyrics cross stitched on them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful ornaments. The book sounds (and looks!) great, too. I write contemporary, but I think historicals have it all over contemps when it comes to covers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. those egg shell ornaments are so beautiful. Wow, how much work are they? And you never BREAK THEM?
    I'm impressed.
    And the book sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Seriously egg shells? I have been known to break a regular ornament or two. They are amazing. Charlene Raddon intricately painted me an amazing egg at Easter and it is safely encased in my office curio.

    Good morning, ladies!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such beautiful ornaments! It's a lovely idea to give your children ornaments to add to their personal collections.

    By the way, I read The Baron's Governess Bride, and I really enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Deb, you are talented! In more than one way! Bravo!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks, Cheryl C! So glad you enjoyed the story! It was one I'd had on the back burner for a looooong time, so I was thrilled to get to write it.

    The egg shell ornaments take some work, though not nearly as much as the amazing Ukrainian ones like Charlene made for Cheryl. They are actually less fragile than many commercial ornaments because they have so many layers of glaze. My Mom's tree once fell down with a whole load of egg shell ornaments on it and I think only one broke.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful ornaments. Are those eggs where you have to pop holes in each end with a nail and then blow the white and yolk out so then you can paint them? I'd swear when I was little bitty in school we did that for Christmas tree ornaments or something.

    Yours look a bit more intricate- are the sides cut out? They're very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Taryn -- that's right, you poke out the ends and blow the white and yolk out. With some of them I cut out part of the front and put little figures inside. That part is really tricky - I do it with a needle, but sometimes too much breaks off.

    I'd like to make some more this year because I've found some very cute Christmas napkins. The hard part is finding the little toppers that hold the loop of gold thread. I couldn't find any at the craft store. I think I need to take my search on-line...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I wouldn't have guessed the shells are that durable, Deb. great story, btw.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Deb, how nice to see you here. *wink* The ornaments are gorgeous! You are so talented.

    And for any of you who haven't read it yet, I highly recommend "The Baron's Governess Bride."

    Marcy Shuler

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like the contemporary stories better than the historicals. The ornaments are great.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I LOVE the angel ornaments. I collect angels and have them in every room of the house. Yours are beautiful.

    Blessings,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Marcy *big wave* - thanks for the plug! :)

    Betsy, my sister is an angel collector, too. I think she also cross-stitched a set of these ornaments for her tree.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Deb you are a talanted woman -the oraments are beautiful, I dont have that talant, I do gather angels and bells and put them on the mantle by fireplace each year. Christmas is a beautiful time of year..
    Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Deb, I love your idea of a Christmas tree. Ours will never be in any showroom, but is rather just ornaments that mean something to me. And I have already given our daughter those ornaments special to her. She loves that idea. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I especially love your angel ornaments. I, too, have crocheted snowflakes for our tree. I also made fans of various print materials, added a bow of matching ribbon at the top and matching braid along the bottom edges. The fans are starched and pleated and can be turned in various directions on the tree.

    ReplyDelete