Christmas Is Approaching

It has been a while since my last post, and there is a good reason for that—this is the busiest time of the year as Christmas approaches. It is also one of my favorite periods because I get to hear so many ideas from clients about what they would like me to make. My ears definitely perk up when there is an opportunity to try a new design, experiment with new techniques, or simply meet new people.

What’s been happening in the hobby house?

Some of my frequent clients are family, and then there are new clients reaching out and trusting me with their ideas. That trust never goes unnoticed, and it has been awesome.

Last Christmas, I think the largest ornament I made was probably 8–9 inches tall. I decided that 2025 would be different, so I am excited to tell you about the 48-inch Grinch decoration I cut on the laser. Right out of the gate, I went big.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the build was heading to the hardware store to pick out the green and red paint. Did you know how many different shades and brands there are? I enlisted the help of a young saleslady, and together we nailed the color choices. Once the paint dried, it was obvious we had chosen very bright, vibrant red and green colors. As I like to say, the colors really popped. I built him on speculation, and he has since found a new home at my son in-law’s parents house. It is the perfect spot, because my grandkids can still see him when they visit Nana and Papa. The kids became quite attached to him after he was built.

Another client asked if I could cut old vinyl records into snowflakes. I said, “Let me try one.” I ended up cutting around 30 records. The client took them to their radio station office and hung them from the ceiling with fishing line. When they sent me a photo of the final result, I have to admit—it was a pretty neat idea that I never would have thought of myself.

I was also asked if I could cut and construct a large outdoor nativity scene. Once again, I said, “Let me try.” I used ½-inch birch plywood and cut Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus in a bassinet, a manger with a large star, and a couple of wise men. As the story goes, there were three wise men, but I could only fit two into my scene. It came together really well, and I was happy to take on another new challenge. Outdoor nativity scenes are now officially on my list of available items—and, in fact, I am just finishing my second one.

The heat press has been busy as well with t-shirts, arena blankets with tote bags, nameplates on hockey jerseys, and hats.

I have been busy making lots of ornaments—both longtime favorites and several new designs using new techniques.

Recently, I gained access to AI-generated tools for images, edited photos, music, voice narration, and text editing. Honestly, it has become a very useful time saver, especially for image creation and editing that I would normally do the old-fashioned way in Photoshop. For the first time, I used AI-generated images and voice in my latest Facebook reel. I had to try it.

If you have not noticed yet, Harvest Time Designs now has a dedicated Facebook page where I can post photos and videos of my work. I found it necessary, even though I might be late to the game and Instagram may be more current. It is just another platform to keep updated—along with this blog and my website—and all of that takes time. The process generally looks like this: listen to client ideas, design the artwork, import it into the laser software and edit it for cutting or engraving, cut or press the design, photograph the finished product, edit the photo if needed (because I am not the best product photographer), upload it to the website and Facebook, then add another 24 hours if a video needs editing. Then, as they say—rinse and repeat.

I am retired, so I have time, right? Yes—and I love it. I was just thinking the other day that all this variety in my tool pouch has to be keeping my aging brain firing much better than sitting around watching bird feeder YouTube channels. I love challenges and learning new things, and I sincerely thank all my clients for pushing me to do both.

Please visit the Harvest Time Designs Facebook page, and like and follow it to get my latest posts in your feed. This is what I signed up for when I ventured down this path and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Thank you to my customers