Christmas Links

Hi Everyone
Cold again with lots of 'sheet ice' visible.
The kind of day to stay in and paint . However, lots to do. I'm doing volunteer work at school (most of the morning) and need to be a taxi for my kids after school. So much for painting !! I may have an hour or so mid afternoon for some house decoration or painting !

I worked hard yesterday with my very last Christmas order. Here are a few photos of some of the batch.















They are packaged and about to go. I do have a few left for my own use - unless someone else persuades me to part with them.

On another different subject - a new announcement. I thought (on Fridays) I would share my current reading book. I love to read every night and although I'm usually tired, I manage a few pages. I read lots of different books. Some books are very 'lightweight' novels but I do read all sorts of stuff. My current book is 'Death at Wentwater Court'. It's set in a 1920s country-house and calls itself a 'mystery'. I'm really enjoying the plot and the very unlikely Daisy (main character). I'm almost at the end and I've no idea 'who did it' ! Anyway, I thought a quick book review on Fridays would be a good little chatting focus for the blog. I'm often inspired by things I pick up while reading.



I always use a very old bookmark. I made this bookmark years ago (when my first child was born - he's 13 going on 47) and it's amazingly stood up to much abuse. It's made from some scrap leftovers and very light card. I thought I would treat myself to a new one and am going to use one of my Christmas Angels from this years collection.



I will enjoy making the new bookmark - I may start making a few more - inspired by the books I read. My current book is set in a 'snow' plot so Christmas is a kind of connection although its not been specifically mentioned. The cover looks a bit Christmassy - don't you think ?

Moving on, I've collected myself an old tin from last nights meal. Here it is.


I'm on my way to transforming it into one of these. I've just cleaned it and removed the label but - its a start. !!!!



I love the crochet bit on the top. I will, of course, make a new face of my own.

Well another week gone !! Have a great weekend.

Bye for now.

What do you NEED to do ?

Hi Everyone
It's all white our side - loads of snow in our garden. It looks lovely but causes havoc on the roads adjacent to our house. My car is buried and I don't feel inclined to dig out. I will have to get some food at some point - it's a bit too far to walk and carry much shopping - dilemma !!

Onto more interesting things ...... I had another card order yesterday and after several 'no's', I said yes. The design is simple but there are several layers of prep. with the materials. This equals TIME, time I don't have much of !!!






The photos show early versions of the card design and materials required, there's some machine stitching and hand embellishing going on too. Will post up the finished stuff tomorrow.

Lots of new inspiration about - I noticed this book yesterday and instantly needed to get it. I've known about Creative Thursday for some time, so I know this will be lovely to look at.



It's about to be published this week. I love all this stuff and am keen to get the book - there is a blog too Take a look here Marisa tells her story in the book and it looks so inspirational.

Another wonderful thing - just look at this. The idea rather than the picture - I understand the picture - read the piece to see the story.



This is from crescendo Here I spend much of my spare time looking at this site. It's full of great ideas and thought provoking stuff. More important theres lots of 'crochet' and specifically my kind of 'crochet'. Jenny Doh has a way of combining natural beige colours with red, white and black. Her creations are so stylish and generally 'doable'. This tin is a wacky idea but I love it - it's on my list of things I NEED to do. I can see such a thing for my everyday pencils and more ...... One of my dolls needs be on my can - probably Miss Mitchell.

Not much else to report other than a few hanging baubles - I like these colours and the idea can look fantastic when there are lots of them. I made these to develop my decorated house ! Is this a dream ? or can it happen ?



One last thing to share is this stamp



I have some easy carve material and am thinking about trying to create something similar from scratch ! There are other stamps in this series





The second two stamps look easier to create but I never take the easy route !!! If and when anything develops, I will share.
Am doing some volunteer stuff at school today - so limited time for anything else. Must get on.

Bye for today.

Don't panic - YET !

Hi Everyone
Weather is difficult to gauge at the moment - hard frost earlier but just had a good snow shower. Everywhere is white and the sun is shining ? What next ? I was about to do a run ! Not sure about how 'slippy' it will be underfoot so am delaying the run for an hour to check.

In the meantime, busy - busy again. I've more Christmas shopping to do - had thought all was well but looking at the parcels coming in ? Must not panic !

I've a few orders to finish and I must get onto the crochet card I started a few weeks ago - should have finished by now but ......... anyway, I've done a quick sketch of how I will start the painting part. Just need the crochet bit to finish - only a little to go.



Now just need to do it - hopefully today. I will make an envelope too.

As I was looking through some regular blog reads I came across this book



Looks great ! Wish I'd seen this a few months ago. Looks great. Maybe someone will buy it for me ? Do any of my close family members know about this blog ?

Also saw these hanging decorations- Ive seen them before and we are making them for our school fair - to decorate the school. They look so good (if there are plenty and use lovely paper.)



These come from a Folksy shop Take a look here

Must go. Bye for today.

Christmas Wreath Chat

Hi Everyone
A very 'wintery' scene outside today. Cold and a low early sun is making the light very pretty.

I'm still finishing off cards today - will take a few photos before they are packaged and sent. My orders (together) would make a great display for my own house. Sadly, I need to start again for my own decorations. Talking about decorations,my thoughts have turned to Christmas Wreaths. Several years ago, our school PTA organised a wreath making workshop for fund raising purposes, it was a great success. As a result there are now a few additional sessions at various schools and village halls in the area. I will be making a wreath for our house and I will try and go to a workshop next week - if I don't get to the workshop, I will do one myself and try and persuade one of my friends to do one with me. I was looking around my blogs today for wreath inspiration and came across a great mini video. I thought I might get a link here. Not done this before on the blog ie linked a video.
Check it out. There are lots of different styles of wreath but my dream is to make a wreath like the one someone made at the original PTA workshop a few years ago. It was a bit wild and had lots of long wispy bits sticking out - a 'Miss Haversham' shabby chic-like creation. My own version that year, was bit restrained and not quite me ( or the image I would like to have of me ! - obviously two different things !!) However, we will see how things go.
On another matter, I thought I would share an image of the stuff I created at the weekend crochet workshop. Before I show the photo, it's NOT finished ! I've placed the elements together but need to spend some more time developing extra elements and decide how I want the piece to look. Eventually, it will be a broach for me - to wear on me or a bag ?



I hope I can remember everything I learned on the day. If not, I will be calling one of my friends (she was there too) for help. The picture here looks surprisingly good ( in my humble opinion !) so far.

Other news, again linked to crochet. I was sent this yesterday





Obviously, it doesn't stand a chance of being made. I would need to follow a pattern and there are not enough weeks this year or next to finish it. My crochet course was covering something called 'free form' crochet ie no patterns or rules. This is my kind of crochet. I do 'aspire'to follow a pattern but maybe life (at the moment) is too short ? I would need to be 'bed bound' to have the time to master 'a pattern'. My connection here, is about a new crochet magazine coming out about crochet and the magazine was advertised 'on the back' of this bell pattern. It looks as if its worth a few months - available for £5 for 3 months from the same outfit as Molly Makes. I think the first one comes out in Jan 2013.Im tempted to subscribe for a few months.

Managed not to paint this week- very disappointing ! I want to do a little today - no time like the present !

Bye for today.

Tales of the weekend !

Hi Everyone
A wonderful bright and sunny day today with a thin layer of snow ! It's beautiful.
I had a lovely weekend - full of 'nice' things. One of my boys played in a steel pans event in our local town on Sat morning and it was lovely to see all the Christmas 'shoppers' smiling as they paused to listen. I had intended to stay for a few songs and move on but found myself watching and listening for about two hours. The whole band were great.

Then, I went to my much awaited crochet workshop. Lovely ! - a few hours spent chatting and learning some new crochet stitches, drinking coffee and eating mince pies. I need to practice but I think I got it ? I hope to introduce some ideas into my work in the future.

I also bought some sock wool for a pair of socks - this wool has been passed over until Christmas ( it's my usual approach to getting the 'stocking filler' I like to find !!!! So, I can't share the wool until after Christmas - it is lovely, I need to immediately forget I have it.

Christmas prep 'goes up a gear' for me this week. I've generally gone online and almost done it. My shop orders are almost done and I'm not taking anymore. I'm definitely spending my time doing up my house for Christmas and doing Christmas things. I'm determined not to leave things until the last minute.

On the creating/inspirational front, I saw these lovely things and thought I would make some



I will use my own colours etc but they are Fimo tags. I saw them on Elsie's blog @ See project here. I will get some photos up when Ive done them. I can share the process that I take.

I'm also doing more star garlands (see Day 11 of the Christmas prep @ thepapersac) and am looking at what else our house needs. I hope to use all my preparation stuff and keep it simple.

Not much else to report for today.

Bye for now.