Christmas gifts ... and new year! x

Good afternoon, its Friday and the weekend is before us ... full of lots of wonderful adventures!

 

For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive lots of crafty things ...

 

 

 

A tiny little sewing machine, I do have a proper size sewing machine that I had for my 18th but have never really used it and it is so heavy to move. So, I thought if I had a little one that I could keep on my crafting table I could get used to using one more often, and then, hopefully my bigger sewing machine will come out of its box!!

 

I think that is logical in my own little world ... but if it works for me ...!!

 

 

Oh and can you see all those lovely lovely crafting books hiding behind the sewing machine ...
 

 

 It was certainly a Cath Kidston themed Christmas ... I do love her crafty books and I have been lucky enough to receive Patch! Sew! and Stitch! along with Make a Rag Doll for Christmas. Then during the Christmas break I found Make! at a charity shop ... yipppeeeee!!

 

And then there is little mouse who is just so cute ...

 

 And then there is my new salt and pepper pots ...

Aren't they just good fun!!!

I was truly spoilt by the fabulous people in my life and may I thank them all for my wonderful presents that I will treasure always!

So, 2013 will be full of yet more crafting and during the Christmas holiday that crafting began with a few purchases ... oh joy!!

I just happened to find myself in The Knitting Parlour in Malvern, and a truly fabulous shop and the day I popped in it was busy!! One customer was sat at the table trying her hand at a little bit of knitting, other customers were buying the wool for projects they wanted to begin in the holidays and those patient husbands and boyfriends were reading magazines that the shop kindly puts out for them while the girlies have a browse. It all made for a fabulous atmosphere and the shop assistant was fantastic helping us all with our little questions and purchases.

And my purchases were ...

A ball of rico baby yarn and buttons to create my very own pair of Victorian Gloves.

My next purchases were purely impulse buys, one was influenced by the free patterns they have available around the shop ...

Its a Bernat pattern for a shopping bag and as you can see I have started it already ...

And then because you never know when you'll want to make one ...
 

 

A pom pom maker!!!!!!!

To make tiny pom poms ... so next years Christmas presents are going to be covered in pom poms!!

 

sigh!!

 

Before Christmas I brough myself a little present from White Elephant Vintage, Jo has stalls at a number of vintage fairs in Herefordshire and Worcestershire ... including the Malvern Flea I go to. At every event she's at she puts a photo onto facebook of her stall and one day I noticed a fabulous Granny Square Blanket.

 

 

It needs a little bit of repair but I love it so, a lovely lady somewhere made this from her left over stash, the colours are fabulous ...

 

 

Its living in my conservatory ready for those summer evenings when its a little cool I can wrap myself up snug and warm in this.

 

And so onto the New Year ... I will be doing some swaps and a couple of challenges that all of which I will keep you upto date with. So firstly ...

 

Helen at moonstruckcreations has a Make it Big Challenge to in her own words ... "complete a few much bigger scale projects during this year." and the idea is all those that join in ... and those that just watch the projects grow encourage each other so by the end of 2013 we have created three BIG projects

 

 

 ... and mine are ...

1. To finish my granny stripe blanket ... this maybe a cheat as I have already started but it is such a big project I feel its fitting and it may take me 2013 to finish it!!

 

 

2. To finish the Green Man cross stitch I started ages and ages ago ...

 

 

If you look ever so closely you can see the small amount I have done ... and in black and white this is what he'll look like once completed, although he will be in green!

 

 

 3. To create a top to my bargain footstool

 

 

So the next time you see this it will have either a crochet ripple top or an embroidered one inspired by Cath Kidston ...

 

 

 My next challenge is 52 Weeks of Happy with Little Birdie so in Jen's own words ...

 

 "The idea is that we focus on the little things that make us happy. So it's the bowl of homemade soup, a cuddle from our kids, watching the sunset, a kind word from a stranger or even the smell from a flower. I'm sure you get the idea!"

So every Tuesday I will share with you four things that made me happy from the week before. It seems such a simple idea ... its those small things in life that make it so fabulous!!

 

And there's the swaps ... for the next month I will be doing ...

 

Bobo Bun's Four Happy Things Swap ...

 

 

In Bobo's words the swap will mean ... "each swappee will swap four things that make them happy. Ideally one should be handmade, one thing in a favouite colour, one a vintage, retro or kitsch thingamebob and lastly one a thing from childhood (sweeties or small toy an idea).

 

All swaps will be done by the end of February.

 

And then with All4meggymoo I will be doing the I Love Hearts Swap ...

 

each swapee will send five heart themed items one of which must be sewn, knitted or crocheted and the parcels will be sent in time for Valentines Day.

 

And if I enjoy these swaps I may take part in a few more during the year ... I am quite looking forward to 2013!!

 

bye, bye for now

xxx