Christmas is Coming...

It's getting near to that time of year again, I love Autumn and look forward to Halloween as it means Christmas is next! I have been getting into it a little earlier than is sane and have cracked these beauties out...

Apple and Cinnamon Candles:

And these give me the background smell of christmas for a little inspiration for some christmas makes:
A little felt beaded Christmas Tree:

Some wire beaded snowflakes in Christmas colours, I think I will hang these on fine ribbons and hang about the house, I have a few more to make:

Since attending the Craft Fair I have been 'into' my beads again and have made some big blingy rings from some chinese doughnut crystals, I love these beads:

I had left over beads and made some earrings to match.I quite like the look of the red velvet and opal stones and they also remind me of Christmas, I think I might keep these for myself and I have just started a matching bracelet in the same colours.

Have you got the Christmas bug yet or is it far too early, and am I insane?

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Finishing Old Makes

This last week after bragging that my heavy intake of Echinacea tea is the reason why I have not had cold this year, fortune bit me on the bum and gave me this awful cold that is doing the rounds. I feel like crap and my lungs are burning from coughing. To keep me occupied I have been busy sewing, isn't sewing or any crafting great for keeping the mind busy and the problems at bay at least for a while?

Back in September I was looking for some crafty stuff that I could take on holiday without needing my sewing machine. I settled for learning to crochet and a tin of little hexies. I sat and connected them all together with tiny little stitches until my fingers actually bled. I can't work with a thimble at all and have since been advised by Jane that masking tape works a treat, and it does! So fast forward a good 6 weeks and I have actually taken the front panel and turned it into a cushion.

I attached some little hexies to the back of the cusion and made some piping for the edges, with a row of hexies, they look like pixie bunting all folded up:

Here it is a little wonky but I love it:

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Making Gifts for Christmas

As we are coming up to Christmas I really must get my list organised for what to make for whom and get cracking. I am quite protective of my little blog and not many people in the real world know about it, only my hubbie, boys and best friend. This has the added bonus of me being able to show the things I am making for people for christmas as it won't spoil any suprises.

First up is a pink and brown bracelet I made with matching earrings, which I managed to drop and smash on the hearth as I was taking their photo, I will fix them though.

Not sure who this will be for but I will add it to the box of pressies.
Whilst I had the beads out I made myself this, it's a bit Cath Kidston esque I have had the charms for ages and was looking for a reason to use them:

It is hard making for my family and my hubbies family as apart from our Mothers and my best friend most of our family do not really appreciate hand made items and would prefer a faceless, thoughtless gift set from the supermarket, well tough, I am sticking by my handmade pledge and if I have to add some bought items to it I will but I hope to give everyone at least one handmade item, whether I make it myself or buy it handmade by someone else.

What are you making for Christmas?

Oooohh on another note, what a week, I have had two blog wins, I can hardly believe it. I won this from the beautiful Daisychain - look what arrived:

Amazing Barry M Crackle Glaze:

Beautiful handmade earrings - I love these lots.

My nails before the crackle glaze - In Barry M Pink, this was Thursday night - I had painted these last Sunday I ♥ Barry M. (Please ignore the cuticles and dry skin I have been decorating).

And this is after - it is amazing, I love it.

Thanks lovely lady xx

One other thing, I should wait until I recieve it but I have won Jackie's giveaway at Sew Special Bears the beautiful Cherish!

I am so pleased I can't tell you - have a look at her amazing creations she is a very talented & generous lady! I will post pics when she arrives. Thanks again honey xx

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Bag of Bras

I think it might be the time of year but I am working my way round my house decorating and clearing out, my poor hubbie keeps looking at me sideways with a scared expression and asking if I am nesting ~ well no that's long gone I'm afraid.
I am having new carpets fitted at the weekend and needed to clear the lounge but somehow I ended up clearing the bedroom??
I went through my drawers and came across a pile of bras that are almost brand new that either don't fit or don't do me any favours! I gathered them up to send on to Breast Talk ~ have you heard of them.

They are particularly in need of rather big or rather small bras ~ I was able to help here, that pink one on the top fits my head just as well as my boob :)

Instead of binning your old bras; donate them to the BreastTalk.co.uk Bra Appeal! Send them your old bras and they use them to generate cash for breast cancer research.
They raise money for breast cancer research by giving the bras to BCR Global Textiles. BCR sell them to traders in third world countries to which helps support and supply their own local economy.

You can read more about it on their site but if you have bra's going spare post your (clean) bras to:

BreastTalk.co.uk - Bra Appeal
PO Box 71
Craven Arms
Shropshire
SY7 0WZ

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Craft Fair Fun

Friday was the Creative Crafts for Christmas Fair at Newcastle. I had the best time 6 solid hours shopping and crafting with my lovely friend.

Beautiful stalls full of wonderful fabrics:

Rows and rows of sparkly beads:


Workshop Areas where we sat and crafted:


We only did one workshop this time, box making, this was really enjoyable and I was suprised at how easy it was within the hour we made these three boxes / pouches ~ I think these will be ideal for presenting handmade Christmas Presents:

In the middle or the Arena was a Victorian Knitted Christmas Display, everything here was knitted, it was amazing:

Full size knitted Santa and Sleigh:

Full knitted fireplace, knitted coal!!:

Knitted curtains, and a knitted pot plant:

A knitted clock:

Now onto my haul, these may not look terribly exciting but I bought a few storage boxes to get my bits and bobs organised and I love this one:

I bought some card and accessories to make some of these boxes and some beautiful local jams and sauces handmade by Jean (this is the best Lemon Curd I have had):

A pile of fat quarters in some lovely fabrics:

Then a pile of beads, findings and chain, this should keep me going for a bit:

I love these, the red beads look amazing in real life, like red velvet:

Some pendants, I will keep one of these for myself:

So there you go, a full on exhausting day ~ I had planned to blog it yesterday but spent hours sorthing out my stash, clearing out and getting organised. Whilst organising I pulled out all my WIP and decided to tackle it head on, I will not start anything new I said until it is finished!!

So, I did finish one cushion I have been dying to do, and then started making rings from my new beads, they are just all new and shiny I couldn't resist!! I will show you later in the week my poor blog will choke with all the photos today!

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Finishing Off My Little Makes

I have had such a sporadic craft time lately I feel like I not achieved much at all. I have been decorating at home though and now have a freshly painted bathroom, but painting = not making nice pretty things.
Some things I can show though are these; picture the scene, you have a really long day at work you have just attended a meeting in the Wirral a 7 hour round trip for a 2 hour meeting and you finally reach home and spill in the door only to find a parcel waiting for you! I forgot all about my day as I ripped into this, I won a gift from Pene's lovely Giveaway, I was over the moon with this little lot, just have a look;

(please forgive the bad washed out photos, I have had to take them at night)

Beautiful handmade cards, a wonderful fleece doggie and some love hearts, yum!

How wonderful is he? Thanks again Pene you lovely thing you!

Some more bits I can show you are these, my swap gift for the Autumn Swap, I have shown what I received this is what I sent:

Besides this I have been knitting and crocheting little peoples clothes, a cute little crochet hat and knitted mittens from one of those 20p patterns from the 1970's, these will be for my lovely friend's baby due in February:

I have been obsessed with knitting and crochet for a couple of months now, but I think I have my sewing mojo back, my fabric stash is growing and I've been looking at it instead of using it.

I have had these cut out for weeks now just sat in my sewing pile, I finally made them up last night all hand sewn and stuffed full of french lavender, I actually fell asleep quicker than usual last night I am sure it's down to these:

Oh, and I finally finished my crochet lavender bags, I made a felt insert stuffed with French Lavender again, I am pleased with these they are really lovely:

I am terrible for finishing things off, I have lots of in progress items and keep starting something new. I decided that I would behave myself and make one thing at a time and this week I started a fabric teddy bear but got to the eyes and realised I didn't have any so I started a new crochet cushion cover, and then some felt Christmas decorations ~ will I never learn!!

Am I the only one with lots of WIP (Work In Progress)?

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