Father Christmas and a Christmas Mystery

I am in the middle of Alan Bradley's newest Flavia de Luce novel titled, I Am Half-sick of Shadows. If you are not familiar with this series I highly recommend them especially if you are a science geek. Flavia is an eleven year old girl who has taken up an interest in chemistry following in the footsteps of a great uncle. Flavia's lives in the family manor of Buckshaw where she dabbles in the chemistry lab in the abandoned east wing. Most often she likes to brew up all types of terrible concoctions in order to get even with her two infuriating older sisters.



Images of Father Christmas
better known as Santa Claus

In this story she is out to capture Father Christmas in order to prove that he exists. Her sisters have told her that he doesn't. She has brewed up a batch Birdlime hoping to coat the chimney hence trapping Father Christmas. In the meantime holiday festivities are starting up and a movie crew is in the house having rented it as the backdrop for a new production (Flavia's family is a little hard up for cash at the moment and her father is trying to raise some by letting the house). The murder has occurred, sorry no spoilers here, the police have been called in, and Flavia's ready to give a hand to solve the crime. It's a good read. Plus as a chemistry teacher it's a tad bit of a busman's holiday.

These are all examples of cross stitch ornaments featuring Santa that I have done over the years. Most of them are Dimensions Designs.