Finished in the nick of time

These stockings were totally inspired by SouleMama.

When I saw the one she did for her youngest I thought what a lovely idea and I would love to have a go at one for my little ones.

I have to say that I was totally hooked on the cross-stitch, despite having to do it by head torch!

The little elf came from Wee Wonderfuls elf pattern.  Which was very easy to make and so cute I thought.  Little Roo chose this for his stocking but when he saw the snowflakes I was sewing on his sister's stocking he had to have some of those too!

The snowflakes came from Modern Folk's through The Bitter Frost and Snow.  Such lovely designs and I have a couple of other ideas for these snowflake crossstitch - watch this space!!

I can't decide what I love about these stockings most, the metallic red embroidery thread I found, the gorgeous patterns and designs or the gold satin I lined the stockings in!  The Little One's are very pleased with their stockings, mainly for the presents they will hold!  Little Roo has informed me that he wants Santa to bring him 10 and I wasn't to worry about them not fitting in as Santa squashes them down apparently!

Well that's it from me for this year!  Have a very Merry Christmas and New Year and I look forward to being back in 2014 with a few more crafty endeavours!

Merry Christmas!

The presents have been wrapped and labelled.  Goody bags have been filled with this, these, and this . . . (lovely family please don't look at the links!!).  The house has been decorated and there are more lights around than ever before!!  The crib has been filled and is being played with.  We've been jingling all round the house to Christmas music.  I think I'm ready - oh no - I keep forgetting there is one present left to finish off . . . !!

Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Old and New

It is going to be a Christmas twinged with sadness this year, with the loss of both my grandmothers.  But although I miss them, miss buying presents for them, miss seeing them, they are both with me.  My dad's mother, who was a great horder, had this little gem hidden away in her box of Christmas goodies, still in the orginial packaging and still working if a little wonky.

Something old, that's new to us and that we will treasure and bring out every Christmas from now on.

Sat beautifully on my mother's mother's writing desk!

Finished Gifts

If last week was a 'making' week, this week is definitely going to be a 'finishing off' week - well it has to be as time is ticking by.  So remember these little gorgeous cut out Christmas shapes?  Well we left them to dry over night and they turned a lovely white colour and quite hard by the morning.  Then the fun began.  I decided on a minimal colour palette, mainly because the cost of the little bottles of acrylic paint would soon mount up.  So just metallic gold and silver and a blob of red glitter glue for Rudolph's nose!  Flopsy Bunny and I had a great time paining, leaving everything to dry and then painting the back.  Then the ribbon box came out and much ooooing and aaaahhhing went on as we selected the best ribbons.  And there we have it some very effective, if I can say so, Christmas decorations, I'm rather pleased with them, I hope the teachers will be too!!!

Well, they weren't all for teachers . . .!  A few managed to find their way onto our tree!

Making Gifts for Teachers

This post should really be called 'presents in progress', but I felt I had a bit of a 'making' theme going on this week so couldn't wait for the finished item!

 

As usual I've been totally inspired by SouleMama's blog and her post where they were making Christmas decorations which got me thinking that they would make really nice presents for the children to give, teachers, family and friends!  Especially as I had already made the teachers Peppermint Bark in the summer . . .  So I just happened to be passing Hobby Craft the other day and had a bit of a trip down memory lane when I ended up in the modeling isle and saw DAS.  It bought make memories of my mum making a nativity village out of boxes and then fashioning little people out of DAS which she painted.  We loved getting the village out every year, playing with the people and the crib scene but also loving the little people we had made.  It was that childhood memory which made me want to continue the tradition with my own children and prompted me to buy the crib set.  Anyway, I seemed to have drifted off the point!  DAS is a wonderful air drying clay which we just rolled out and using cookie cutters, cut out Christmassy shapes, added a hole to thread ribbon through later and we are now waiting for them to dry.  The next step - painting!!  Hopefully I'll have some finished articles to show you next week.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.  We will be spending the weekend making our house Christmassy and I can't wait!

Making Gift Tags

Its full swing on the making front at the moment.  Our after school activities are all geared up for present wrapping and card writing.

For the star stamp we used Flopsy Bunny's lino cut, but this time instead of a roller and some paint we used a gold ink pad.  It had varying results and we both got covered in gold - which was fun!  Flopsy Bunny went round the outside of some of the stars in glitter pen, we really did have some fun! 

 

I love this time of the year, there is something magical about Christmas and not just for the children.  I love decorating the house, getting presents together, wrapping them up into gorgeous parcels.  Lots of glitter and sparkle, just wonderful! 

 

PS . . .  the second roll of wrapping paper has been printed and I think I'm going to leave it as that (mainly because I don't have anywhere to keep the paper while it's drying!!)

 

 

Making Wrapping Paper

 

I got busted today.  DH had tootled off to see Flopsy Bunny in the Nativity and his parting question was 'what are you up to today?', 'Oh working' I said nonchalantly . . . Cut to 40 mintues later, the front door opened and DH was back (he was meant to be heading off to London on the train straight after) 'Ah working heh?' he said as he saw me, with a long roll of brown paper, a lino cut and some red paint . . .!

Well, what can I say, except when the mood takes you, you just have to go with it AND I've been itching to print my own wrapping paper for years now!  In fact I was looking back to this post, where I had mentioned wanting to do it!  I've always loved lino cutting, I got into it as a teenager and loved carving out my design.  I've had yearnings to print my own fabric one day and now that I've finally got round to printing the wrapping paper, who knows where that will lead . . .!

 

 

It definately has the home made look about it . . . but I'm happy with that.  One roll done, two to go and then there are the star gift tags and the 'hand' christmas cards!!  Watch this space . . .

 

Pre-Christmas preparations

There is a rule in our house - nothing Christmas related until the 1st of December.  It is one of DH's rules and I have to say that he is quite right to be laying down the law like this as I would start Christmassy things way back in September given half a chance!

But I couldn't resist a little bit of pre-Christmas preparations as I like to call them!!  I have been meaning to do a little bit of lino cutting each Christmas and using it to stamp onto brown paper as our wrapping paper.  This year I finally got it together and Flopsy Bunny and I (but mainly me) enjoyed a lovely rainy afternoon, drawing onto lino to create our stamps.

 

Here's an almost finished one - just ready for next week (as everything Christmassy starts on the 1st - my CD is lined up and ready for action!) when I will be rolling paint and stamping to my hearts content!

 

How are your Christmas preparations going?

On the twelth day of Christmas . . .

we dressed our front door

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and here's hoping you have a wonderful 2012

On the tenth day of Christmas . . .

. . . three little doves

Not a finished project yet, but I thought I would give you a sneaky preview of what I'm working on at the moment.  Imagine 7 more with embroidered eyes too!  I'm really enjoying this one - a little Christmas present to myself . . . !



On the ninth day of Christmas . . .

. . . I filled two tea cups with pretty bulbs

It is always tricky to know what to give my two grandmothers.  Yes I am blessed, both are going strong at 96 and 102 and its good to know there are longevity genes on both sides!  But then what to give . . .  This year, having seen this idea in a number of florists I decided to give it a go myself.  So off I popped to our local antiques and brick a brack shop - Oh how I love that shop - a real aladin's cave and I always find what I'm looking for!  Do you remember these? - well as I said this shop rarely fails to deliver, and this time I am really happy with my kingfisher cups - rather lovely don't you think?  Then it was just a case of putting some compost in, popping in a bulb and topping with moss and hey presto, gorgeous granny presents. 

On the eighth day of Christmas . . .

. . . we added some sparkle and shine

A friend has noted that I had been on the 'seventh' day for longer than a day - I think she noticed the flaw in my little plan . . . !  Luckily while it has been quiet on the blog it has been super busy behind the scenes.  Presents bought and wrapped, cards written and plans made.  I think I have managed to get all my Christmassy things done this week and I'm hoping to devote next week as Christmas craft week with the kids - watch this space!

I just love Christmas, it has to be my most favourite time of the year.  Decorating the house and tree gives me a real thrill - even if Little Roo has taken to pulling the christmas tree over for the second year in a row!  For me the best part is rediscovering my decorations and adding to them.  I'm also enjoying Flopsy Bunny's little contributions.   She rearranged my deer, which are a new addition this year, but she made it into a game, I could hear her softly speaking to the deer as she put them in their new places and has obviously decided that the candle holder is their food trough!  It did bring a smile to my face.

On the seventh day of Christmas . . .

There was some sillyness!

Yes, knitted paper chains, or should they be called knitted wool chains.  Rather silly I know and I'm not sure what came over me, except I saw some really lovely felt ones recently and thought felt, wool, knitting!!  I'll have a go.  I've never been one to see the point of knitted cupcakes and vegtables but I'm beginning to see the appeal  now- it's more in the fact that you are able to do it rather than for the finished object but then that's my take on it!  DH is slightly concerned that our house is going to resemble this!

The beauty of this chain is that it is mighty quick and easy to make and you can keep adding whenever the urge takes you.  One picture frame this Christmas maybe a whole room next year!!! (Sshhh - better keep that quiet!)

On the sixth day of Christmas . . .

. . . a sparkly forest grew

Inspired by my holly leaves, Flopsy Bunny decided she wanted to do something with green felt and after her attempts at drawing holly - which didn't go as well as she hoped she settled on Xmas trees.  Using her template I cut out the felt trees and she set about with the decorating.  As you can see she definately believes more is, well, more!!  A girl after my own heart - you can hardly see the outline of the tree for all the sparkle and sequins.  These little trees have had ribbons added to hang them and are going out to family and friends this Christmas!!

On the fifth day of Christmas . . .

I made a holly decoration!

There must be something in the air at the moment with lots of thoughts of holly.  Over at Attic 24 there has been some lovely holly making.  I'm wondering if my holly looks a bit bat like?! Ho Hum!

As you can see I've got a little behind on my days - well there have been some very special birthday celebrations to prepare.  Now Little Roo is well and truely 3 and has been sung to everyday, I can turn my attention to Christmas!!

On the second day of Christmas . . .

. . . we made some paper stars

Flopsy Bunny was off sick this week with a little bug, so it gave us an opportunity to do some Christmas crafting together.  After much deliberation she choose these beauties.  Lots of fun to make and even more fun to decorate with the glitter glue!  We will be sticking them on to ribbon to hang in Flopsy Bunny's bedroom.

O the weather outside is frightful,

but the fire inside's delightful

and we've really no place to go

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

Advent Slippers

I just fell in love with these slippers when I saw them a couple of years back - not a great photo of them I know.  The first year I filled them with little toys and sweets and then last year we didn't get them out - too much going on I think.  But this year I thought we must have them on display and started to think what to put in them.  I didn't really want to fill them with toys and sweets when the little ones will be having so much of that anyway.  So I decided to put a piece from our nativity scene in a slipper each day.  Flopsy Bunny just loves our little nativity scene and has really enjoyed adding a bit everyday, and I just love how she has arranged everything - entirely without prompting - very neatly!!

So a week to go to the big day and I've been doing a bit of totting up of what needs to be done.  Two presents need finishing off and one started (and finished!).  Oh and I was going to print some wrapping paper too - Hmmm I wonder how that is all going to get done with two little ones skipping around the place!  Hope your Christmas preparations are going well :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Now that the birthday celebrations are over (mine and Little Roo's) the serious business of Christmas can begin!! It was great to see Kirstie back on our screens with her Christmas show, which inspired me to go out, buy some red card and gold glitter and get sticking!! I'm rather pleased with my stars. Flopsy Bunny got in on the act and her stars are going to be Xmas tree decorations and gift tags. I was going to get my lino cutting stuff down to make some reindeer stamps but couldn't find anywhere that sold lino so I guess that will have to wait until next year.

So this will be my last post before Christmas and I have 10 more rows to knit and then the small issue of sewing up but I'm hoping to get a picture on Christmas morning for a post-Christmas post. All that's left to say is

Merry Christmas
wishing you all a fabulously festive time x