Nathan and Anna

Nathan and Anna are looking for new homes:

They're waiting ever so patiently in my etsy shop to be adopted by kind cat lovers.

Handmade Christmas

I've been having a little look into the handmade Christmas flickr group and have picked out a few of my favourites to share:

emma lamb

serendipity the pink

junkerjane

syko

Pilli Pilli

red red completely red

kitty eden

I'd really like to see some more photos in the group, so please do upload pics of your creative Christmas makes

Is it just me or has Christmas just snuck up on us very quickly this year? As a kid, Christmas always seemed to take such a long time to arrive, from the time school finished until the big day seemed like such a long time. As a grown up I'm wondering how I can possibly cram in everything that needs to happen in before the big day arrives.
Most of the Christmas shopping is done, so this weekend begins the mammoth wrapping effort. We were actually due to have the in-laws visiting this weekend for the pre Christmas pressie swap, but as the snow and ice situation up north is still pretty bad they're quite rightly staying put.
I will need to look for a courier to deliver the presents for us. Any recommendations?

Stockings up!

I was supposed to be decorating the Christmas tree tonight but I decided to get some of my new Christmas stockings into my shop instead.

I have to say, I'm a little bit in love with the ones with the robins on - and I expect that they'll find a home here if they don't sell before the big day comes.

If however you do want to swipe a lovely handmade felted wool Christmas stocking for you or yours, then you can find them in my etsy shop here
This week is all about filling up the shop so I'll be adding new items every day this week.

baaa studs

I'm feeling quite pants today. I think I'm getting a cold - my nose is certainly quite drippy.
To cheer me up I looked for this YouTube video which I saw on rude tube a couple of days ago. I just love it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

where I work

Life and work got in the way, you know how it is. I just realised that I never posted pictures of my new office/studio. This is where I spend my days:

It's still not perfect - there are things to hang on walls and some more storage options needed when I can brave a trip to ikea, but it's now a workable room and a guest room - the red sofa is a sofa bed.
It is important for me to have a space where I feel like I am going to work, even just into another room in the house. It also means that this room is now used every day. Previously it was just the spare/junk room, and was used only rarely.
I really like working right in front of the window. I get to see the world going, the seasons changing (those trees outside the window have no leaves on them at all now) by and the natural light is great, even in the winter months.

I'm still busying myself with lots of making. This week I've been working on small things -  phone/ipod cosies and some chunky bead bracelets:

Handmade and Gorgeous Fair - Oxford

Are you in the Oxford area this Saturday 27th November? Then please do pop into the Handmade and Gorgeous Fair in Oxford Town Hall. I'll be there - along with some of my friends, and we'd love to see you:

The fair is open from 11am-4pm and the first 100 customers through the door will receive a goody bag. It's a great chance to get some of that Christmas shopping done. I'm sure I'll be doing some, after all, there's only 29 days left until the big day.

Reveal - a Christmas showcase of handmade craft

This year, I will be showing and selling my work at Reveal, in Henley on Thames.

I've been at Reveal for the past three years and there is always a really great selection of quality handmade craft on sale. It's a great place to pick up Christmas pressies for your friends and family so do pop along if you're in the vicinity (click the link above for more details/maps etc).

The show is open for 2 weeks - Thursday - Sunday each week, starting this Thursday 25th November at 5pm, then all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week. I will be showing/selling at both weeks.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

This morning I went to the cinema to see the new Harry Potter film - The Deathly Hallows (part one). It's become something of a marking of the Christmas season for me - as the films always come out just before Christmas.
The film itself was quite dark and very bleak at times, but despite this (and the running commentary from the kids that were sitting next to us) I really enjoyed it. It's very well made, well shot, gritty and just more grown up - natural evolution I suppose. I'm really looking forward to the next part...

Other things marking the Christmas season for me is the fairs I attend at this time of year.  I'm busy making and stocking piling my softies and accessories.
I have a pile if half made monsters on the desk here next to me and have stockings hanging up all around the room:

If you've been doing some Christmas making it would be great to see your pics in the handmade Christmas flickr group, so please do add them. In fact, if you just want a bit of festive cheer then click the link and have a look at all the handmade loveliness.

Hen

I made it back from my hen weekend in one piece. There was no tying to lamp posts involved, but thanks for enquiring after my health Lesley.

The whole weekend was organised by my bridesmaids, who know that I neither like being centre of attention or that I'm a party animal. At 34, I just think I'm a bit too old for all that. The mature affair that we were aiming for was achieved.
We spent the day at the bingo, dressed as old ladies, and the evening was a meal and a few drinks.

 me

 my mum (she is technically a grandma, so she was winning in the fancy dress stakes)

Most people thought we looked great.  The older ladies (regulars) at the Bingo were fab, and really helped us novices out with which card to play and when - we didn't have a clue.

There is also a picture of me somewhere offering a werthers original to a very bemused ambulance driver.  At this point I have no doubt he was cursing having to work late nights.

The lady who served us in the cocktail bar said that we smelled of charity shops and wee. She might have had a point about smelling of charity shops - I can't comment about the wee mind you.

where does it go?

Time. Where does it go?
I've had a manic week this week which has involved quite a bit of making for my upcoming fairs, finalising and making wedding invites, shopping for a mother of the bride outfit, buying 8 shirts for the groom and his wedding party, a trip to the hospital and a few nice orders, amongst other things.
This is another in the series of embroidered canvasses I've been working on:

Tomorrow, along with 8 of my friends I'm off on my hen weekend. Dressing up is involved, but I'm a classy lady so they'll be no L plates or tiara for me, my look will be quite a lot more mature! I will reveal all next week...

Christamas decoration SALE

For a limited time only, I'm selling my Christmas decorations at HALF PRICE. I've just listed some sets of 3, 4 and 5 decorations for sale in my etsy shop here.
Prices range from around £6.50 ($10.50) for a set of three - £10.50 ($17.00) for a set of 5. Go on, grab a bargain:

miaow

How nice to be featured on Cuteable today with my new kitty canvas:

This kitty looks a little bit mad and a bit posh. I was toying with the idea of the speech bubble saying something totally outrageous but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm still working some more of these though...

On a lightly different note, yesterday I ordered some rubber stamps from The English Stamp Company which I had custom designed for our wedding. One of them, says 'take me, I'm yours' and is intended to be stamped onto gifts for our guests. I'm sure the people who make up the stamps were wondering what that statement was all about.
I was totally impressed that the stamps (4 in all) arrived today. Yesterday morning I was designing them, and now they are sitting on my desk. I've used this company before and they have always been really good.
If you're looking for someone to make your custom designed rubber stamps in the UK, I highly recommend these guys

twit twoo

I've been thinking about making embroidered canvasses for a while now. I bought some canvasses yonks ago, and they've been sitting her waiting to be used, along with my fabric mountains of new and thrifted vintage fabrics.
This little owl is the first one that I finished. I've made a couple already and will be taking them to the fairs I'll be doing this month and next:

The floral print in the top section is a vintage Sanderson print which I love, and came from a pair of curtains that I picked up at my local car boot sale.

Fingerprints

The video is nothing to look but I love the song:

 

please excuse me

I've been a little absent this past week - both in blog terms and personal terms. I had a bit of a blah week last week - lots to think about and lots to do, and not feeling like I'm on top of or in control of it.
This week however has already started out better - I feel boosted by this extra hour - it feels like I went to bed early and got up early and I feel like I have more energy. I think it's a state of mind honestly - I'm feeling much more positive this week.
I have a packed agenda this week - I've got a few fairs coming up and I'm in making mode. I've dug back into the jumper stash and been snipping away:

I have lots of ideas for new products too, including some wooly bunting and garland, a bit like this: