Male Christmas card.

Loved making this card.

I

Hunkydory Christmas cards

I got the Christmas cracker card collection last year (or was it the year before)?!! I loved it but didn't want to use it straight away. However, I needed to get my Christmas cards started and thought it was about time I got it out and begin creating. I managed to make 11 cards using the kit and adding a few bits from my stash.

This is the bits I had left from the kit.

Pug obsession

Recently we were puppy sitting. What a gorgeous thing he is. I think he got a bit fed up of the daily photo shoot!! Here are a few of them. Can't wait to have him visit again.

Hello fish!!

Pond is finished

Shrinking the pond

We are both aching a bit after a day making the pond a little smaller. We have taken away some of the big rocks and made a gentle slope with large pebbles into the water. It now means there is an easy way for wildlife to get a drink or get out if they fall in. We've also removed some of the plants that had filled the pond. A very smelly job!

The next thing is to lift some of the slabs and get some smaller stones delivered so it all runs into the rest of the garden.

Cards made recently

We had another wedding at work so I made the card. (Plus a couple of others).

Drawstring backpack

I made this bag for my auntie so she had a bag for dog walking. It is big enough to hold the bits she needs and it stays out of the way when she bends over to pick up the poop. Her pouch of poop bags clips onto a D ring on the side.

Steam punk inspired card

I always have fun making a card for my son's girlfriend.

Birthday favour boxes

I made these boxes a few months ago. I slightly underestimated how long they would take and had to have help from hubby. He was really impressed at being in a Hotel room on a Friday night making these instead of sampling the night life of Southampton! It did take a while to get all 50 finished.

A few cards

These are some of the cards I've made this year for family and friends.

Stained glass workshop

Last week I attended a short introduction workshop for stained glass. I learnt a lot. Mainly I am rubbish at glass cutting. I have a bit of arthritis in my index finger and I struggled to create a mark on the glass surface. I was also a bit heavy handed with the solder! We made a feather as it helps teach you how to cut a curve. I was pleased with my first effort.

Wedding card

A friend at work gets married today so I made this card for us all to sign. Congratulations Emily and Danny.

The ribbon is to pop over a bottle of bubbly.

Bargello

Things I have learnt from doing a bargello quilt workshop.

• I sew in my slippers so when I tried to sew at the village hall (we took our machines with us) it felt like I had weights on my feet.  Note to self - take slippers with you next time!!!
• No matter how careful you are, you will stitch a fabric strip to the wrong side of another strip at some point.  Thankfully when I did it, it was the first set of strips so I could rearrange the order.
• A quick unpick is your best friend.  Every row of squares has to be unpicked somewhere to create the quilt and you need to keep your stitches tiny so they don't come undone in places you don't want it to come undone.
• Measure, measure, measure!! People WILL notice when one of your strips is not correct.  Note to self - It will not come out in the quilting!!

Here is some photos of the work in progress.

The beast - part 2

The snow hit us twice here in North Devon.  Thankfully my shift pattern for work meant I wasn't working so I didn't have to venture past the village.

The weather did postpone my crafting session with our Ladies group.  I did it the following week.  I think everyone enjoyed it.

Beast 1

Beast 2

Both photos are of the pond but you can see the second cold snap didn't freeze the pond.

Beast from the east

The weather has certainly turned cold. Tomorrow is supposed to be snowy. We have purchased more coal and planned meals that can be heated on top of the wood burner. (Just in case we lose electric).

I'm doing a card making presentation for our ladies group on Friday. It has been lovely pulling out loads of my craft stuff to show and plan a few projects for people to have a go at. I'll try and take some photos to share on here.

Snap top pouches

Last year I made a glasses case for my dad. I thought it would have been better if it closed at the top. I searched through some ideas on Pinterest and watched a couple of youtube tutorials, then made these. The floral one was the first one I made then came up with my own measurements to make the boat one for a phone case.

I did buy a retractable metal ruler especially for these. (79p from Wilkos).

They were very easy to make, so I will probably make lots more.

Christmas presents

I didn't make Christmas cards this year as most of my card making products were boxed up ready to relocate into their new home.  I did manage to keep a few bits out and my sewing machine was accessible so I did stitch a few things.

This is a tablet stand I made my dad but forgot to tell him what is was so he is now using it as a door stop!!!

Beach hut lavender bags

Tissue pouches

More lavender bags

Stephen the Christmas pudding

when one of my niece's was small she loved the Christmas song with that famous person in it. Stephen Hot. Do you know the one she meant?

Christmas pudding, Christmas pudding,
Stephen Hot (steaming hot).

Anyway, since then, the Christmas pudding has been called Stephen!! I made a pudding cover for a bush.

2018 already

What happened to 2017? Gosh it whizzed by. We had a lovely Christmas eve with both our boys and their girlfriends.

Today we have taken down the decorations. The house looks a bit bare and we have had the usual entertainment of trying to fit everything back into the boxes it all came out of 3 weeks ago!!

I got some lovely fabric from Lewis and Irene to play with. Hopefully the patchwork group that meets each month in the village can give me some ideas. We are making a charity quilt to raffle when we hold an exhibition in September. This is the square I have made for it.