Merry Christmas

wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

may it be filled with love, laughter and happy memories

Christmas Eve

when you are sure that your Christmas tree (stick....) is perfectly decorated,

then it is time for a brisk walk,

and a little stone reindeer making

just incase Rudolf needs an extra helper this year

an excess of cookie cutters

there was some gingerbread dough left over from the pinecones so I got out the other cookie cutters to choose a few different ones. apparently (according to the rest of the family,) it's not normal to have two large(ish) boxes of cookie cutters, and I have a ridiculously large collection of them. so many in fact that some escaped into the garden.

well I'm sorry but I beg to differ, we're going visiting tomorrow, and if I come across any cookshops I know what I'll be looking out for.

what do you have lots of, but can never resist?

gingerbread pinecones

This post is inspired by Emma's making winter and her making winter pinecone tutorial
which looks fantastic, and I wanted to make some straight away but I didn't have the clay and was too impatient to wait......

but it's ok, I have an alternative, and it allowed me to indulge in one of my Christmas passions, and make pinecones too.

Gingerbread dough!

I couldn't get the cookies to shape very well, even when warm they cracked, but I stuck them together with icing, and I have a secret weapon when it comes to decorating.

everything Always looks better when covered with the icing sugar snow!

go here to see more making winter festivities

Happy 11th Birthday E

take 2 chocolate logs, a Lot of melted chocolate, a tube or two of smarties and a bit of wizardry and you have one broomstick.  perfect for a Harry Potter watching party, which captivated 6 boys for some of the time, leaving them plenty of free time to run round the house playing tig, leaping out from behind doors and shouting Boo, and giggling a lot.

now if only I'd learnt a magic spell that would tidy up all the mess................................

happy birthday Miss K

It was Miss K's birthday on Saturday. we now officially have a teenager in the house.......
when she looked outide this was her present. well she got lots of books and music too, but the snow was hugely exciting.

later there was a sleepover, and giggling, and making snow globes, and cake. of course!

the car and I got a present on Saturday too - winter tyres. we are now prepared for the worst the British weather can throw at us, so hopefully from now on we will have the mildest winter on record.

what day is it?

I wrote an email to a friend this morning, and ended it happy Wednesday.
a couple of hours later it occurred to me that it is Tuesday.........

the days are rushing by in a bit of a blur,
and I feel a bit like this

but if I slow down a bit then things calm down, and become clearer,

and sometimes amongst the chaos you find you have booked a treat for yourself (by booking a workshop for your sister in law, and then having to go too!) and now I am waiting impatiently for my glass Christmas bauble to cool safely and then be posted to me.

and then let the decorating begin xxx

end of the monthness

with both children off school today we went out to take photos for the scavenger hunt.
I took one. only one. oh well.
then we had hot chocolate. I guess I could have photographed that...
and we came home to get warm, and Miss K who has an ear infection and is rather grumpy patient lay on the sofa.
a bit of  end of the month blah ish really.
so I got out the fairy lights and put some of them up.
much better.
fairy lights make everything better don't you think?
and tea
and cake.
simple pleasures.
what are your "make it better" tips?

scandinavian needlecraft

this week I recieved a wonderful parcel of goodies from Annie and Laura from their birthday giveaway.
As well as gorgeous fabrics it included this wonderful book, scandinavian needlecraft.

this dandelion head embroidery is calling to me,

but first I think some of the Christmas projects are crying out to be made.

and I think this little bird garland and these horse gift tags are going to be the perfect craft ideas for Miss K's birthday party.

thank you sooo much x

the kindness of stangers

to the man in the car park who gave me £1 so I had enough change to buy a parking ticket.

Thank you.

knit and stitch part 2

I had a great trip to the knitting and stitching, there is So Much to see, from graduate students, to charity community projects, paper, kniting, sculptures, quilts (not enough for my liking...........) and stalls galore.
Ali summed it up perfectly. the choice is so overwhelming I came away with next to nothing...........

my ravelry favourites list has grown extensively though, and I have a head full of projects I am itching to start!

a days texting

hello where are you? love K

At Uncle A's

I miss you mummy :( come home soon love K xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Miss you too squishy, on way home now. looking forward to cuddles. love u. mummmy xxxxxxxxxxxxx

hello mummy when will you be home love K xxxxxxxxx

20 minutes. tell daddy to put the kettle on. love u. mummy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daddy doesn't want to wear the kettle! K xx

going to the knitting and stitching

The Knitting and Stitching show is according to the website

"The definitive and best exhibition in Textiles"

that's a pretty extragavant claim. I'm going to the Harrogate show, and I will let you know if I think it lives up to it. oh and I might come back with lots of wool, and pretty sparkly beads, and fabric, and buttons, and threads, and felting supplies and probably sore feet.............

planning a grand day out

train tickets - check
snacks for train- check
crochet for the train - check
Christmas pudding hat to deliver to new baby - check
fridge full of food for abandoned family - of course........

back soon x

looks like fun to me.

I used to work in a lab a little like this.



it was never this much fun though.

hair styles



I am beginning to think I need a hair cut, whilst I don't look quite this bad it's not far off. But I took E to the hairdressers at the weekend and the trauma of taking a 10 year old boy who really didn't want to go, (but was fed up of his hair being in his eyes - can't have it all.............) and the memories of sitting in front of a mirror and making inane small talk was enough to get me out of there quick as a flash and run for the hills.

I have tried looking at inspirational hairstyles on pinterest, but mostly I end up with something that resembles a birds nest, and with tired arms, and through the morning I shed a trail of hair pins whereever I go untill lunchtime when it has all escaped from whatever style I attempted and I reach for a ponytail elastic..........

roll on the cold weather is all I can say, then I can wear a hat.

note to self, find a hat I like....................

felting not stirring

yesterday was stir up Sunday in the UK, the traditional date for making your Christmas puddings.
I made this felt one instead. do you think that counts?
probably won't taste nice with brandy butter though.............


ps. thank you for the camera recommendations, anymore gratefully received, and also welcome to all my new followers. lovely to meet you. x

camera recommendations please

the children have now moved on from the subject of party planning now that negotiations are complete.
(boy party = a few friends after school to eat pizza and watch a dvd, probably the last Harry Potter.
girl party = 2 friends for crafting, baking, X factor final and sleepover.)

we have now progressed to list writing. birthday wishes lists............, which then prompts them to think of Christmas wishes lists.....................

which made me think I might like to write a Christmas wishes list of my own, it will only have one thing on it, but I'm thinking that a nice small digital camera that is pocket sized, or at least fits in my knitting bag sized to have at all times would be a lovely treat, only problem is what to choose, I looked at that well known internet site that sells everything and was totally baffled. too much choice, tooooo many reviews to get bogged down in, loads of information I don't understand.

much easier to ask someone.

so if you have a little camera that you just love, and would happily recommend then please do.
likewise any to avoid would be just as useful.  thank you !

decorating is such hard work........

painting is hard work. apparently.

watching someone else is so much more fun.

join the flock

 our local wool shop has been promoting join the flock

which is a public art project made of wooly pom pom sheep! you can be creative, send in your sheep to join the flock and also raise awareness of the wool industry and heritage.

 

we had lots of fun making these, although pom pom making does have it's side effects..............

baby hat knitting

one of my friends has just had her first baby. a perfect excuse for a bit of knitting! but I knew I'd never finish anything as big as a blanket or as complicated as a cardigan, so hats were perfect.  I started with a tomato but as the baby was born in October I thought he might need a halloween outfit,

so then there was a pumpkin,



and because these little hats are impossibly addictive I've already made him a Christmas pudding.

meanwhile both my children are quite relieved I couldn't knit when they were little......................

walking for charity.

today I'd like to introduce to you Where'sWallace who's fundraising aid of Cancer Research UK. He's walking from John O'Groats to Lands End, stop off along the way to visit 16 of the funded research centres, a journey of approximately 1500 miles in 6 months.

who are Cancer Research UK?
a quote;
"Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. We carry out scientific research to help prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. We have discovered new ways to beat cancer that together have saved hundreds of thousands of lives across the world.

One in three of us will get cancer at some point in our lives. Our groundbreaking work, funded almost entirely by the general public, will ensure that millions more people survive. "

and you can help

visit his facebook page, and like it, share it,  write a link to it. raise awareness.

visit his website, watch the videos about what he's learnt, see where he is, maybe you can meet up and walk along the way a bit.

so far he's travelled over 400 miles, worn through one pair of boots already and visited Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, next stop Newcastle, to the Northern Institute of Cancer Research, then south to Leeds.

we gave him a bed for the night, dinner, a packed lunch, and a cooked breakfast to send him on his way, but any help is much appreciated.

visit justgiving

building a hideaway

we are approaching the time of year when the children start thinking about birthdays. and planning parties.

this year I am very tempted to go and build one of these

and hide in it.

I might come out in January...........

raspberry lemon drizzle cake with elderflower

when you've got raspberrys (from the garden! loving these autumn treats!)

eggs, and lemons,

and what you need is cake, 

then take lessons from Nancy, who makes a delicous fruit studded cake, and from Nina who makes lemon drizzle with a twist,

and you get raspberry studded elderflower and lemon drizzle cake, which lasts approximately 17 minutes when taken to a craft evening.  Thankyou for the inspiration.

Remembrance Sunday

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

we will remember them."

little mouse tutorial

fold a semi circle of fabric in half right sides together, and sew down the straight edge. I used a machine but you could easily do it by hand, if you used small running stitches or backstitch.

turn it the right way out and stuff it with wadding, cotton wool, or even some lavender. it wants to be quite firm, and make sure you push it right to the tip - the nose.

then sew a running stitch all the way round the edge.

and pull it tight, then stitch across the hole a few times to secure it.

measure across the base of the mouse, and cut a circle of card that is about 1cm less in diameter. cut a circle of fabric slightly larger than the card circle, and then sew a running stitch around the edge. lay the card inside and pull the stitches tight.

 

sew to the base of the mouse, using tiny stitches just catching the fabric (not the card).

cut circle or teardrop shap ears from felt, pinch and sew them near to the nose, make some eyes with french knots, and stitch some strands of thread across the nose for whiskers. attach a tail made of a piece of wool, ribbon, or string, and your mouse is finished.

 

now you just need to give it a name, feed it some cheese, keep it away from the cat, frighten someone scared of mice with it, make it a friend. hope you have fun.