Christmas Ornaments In March?

I realize that very few of you out there are thinking about Christmas already.  Afterall, it's only March!  But I was at a community woodworking guild the other day that is already making toys for needy children. It got me to thinking that if I intend to sell handmade Christmas items this year, I better at least make some plans on what, how many, and so on.  One of my thoughts was to make some hand turned ornaments on my lathe. They are pretty time consuming projects, so I know I will need to start early. 
Pictured is an example of one I made out of walnut and maple.  It is actually made from 3 seperate pieces.  The center maple portion of the ornament is hollow to make it lighter in weight. 
If you have never used a lathe, it is incredibly fun.  I would recommend taking a class and getting some instruction before you jump in head first, but turning items like this on a lathe, is not difficult.  Like anything, there is a learning curve, and once you get the hang of it, you can add one more item to your craftsperson resume and a ton of new items to your inventory. I intend on doing a tutorial series on using a lathe at some point.  Meanwhille, be sure you don't wait until November to start thinking about what to make in the way of Christmas projects.  Most big retail stores know pretty much what they will be carrying for Christmas by June.  I even managed to make some notes last Christmas on some cool stuff I could do this year. Now, if I could only find my notes.....

-Rory-