More Christmas presents

Hi folks,

In an attempt at leaving 2012 tidy blog wise, I'm going to do a quick post to show you a couple of Christmas presents I was given.

I showed you the cute Kokeshi doll Steph sent me in a post earlier this week, well another parcel dropped through my letter box on Friday, as Steph had forgotten to put something in. So out popped this very cute and quirky Rudolph.

I wa also blessed to receive another of Steph's wild women brooches, I love blues/turquoise/greens so this is perfect for me and I wore it out on Friday night when Hubby and I went for a meal with friends. (absolutely scrummy curry)

I didn't get many craft presents this year but I did get this lovely sampler from my in-laws. I must admit that when I saw it was a cross stitch kit, I had a bit of a sinking feeling as they are more your country cottage kind of people and in cross stitch that is just not me! but it turned out to be this fab sampler and below are some rubber stamps Mum brought me.

Hubby brought me an A2 cutting mat to help with my pattern cutting and he also ordered me the rest of my DMC threads to complete my set so hopefully in the not to distant future I'll have a parcel of 151 threads through the door. Good thing too as I need two of them to start a new project!! It will be nice to only have to do a top up thread order every so often :-D

In the non craft related stuff I had a lovely Radley purse, pyjamas, 2 Formula One books, lots of chocolate (but no chocolate orange - so disapointing), socks (of course) Miranda seasons 1 & 2 dvd (Such fun) and McLaren Tooned dvd from Hubby and Mum.

I also had some lovely Cath Kidston stationary from my wonderful friend Sarah, some writing paper and this funky Liberty/Hello Kitty phone case from Mum too.

Well once again thanks for reading and Happy New Year (again)

101/1001 round up

Not many pictures but a fair few things to tell.

Days left: 859
In progress: 26
Completed: 9 (8%)

So since my last 101 post I've read Diana the Huntress and Fredrica in fashion both by MC Beaton. These are also listed on the 50 book challenge.

I was excited to hear from one of my penpals that she has started a 101/1001 list so that was another 'thing' completed.

Our work christmas meal was at an american Diner called Detroits, I'd never eaten there and the food was lovely, huge portions! That was the first of the new restaurants tried.

Picture from Worcester News

I've also done a couple of RAK's - Sent my penpal Janet a parcel of craft goodies to help with one of her 101/1001. You can read her blog here, It's full of her 101/1001 adventures!

 The next one was when I was walking back from the post office before christmas and saw a christmas card that someone dropped before  they had gotten to the post office. It had been put on the windowsil of the local dentists. I thought I could be nice and post it, but wasnt sure so went to cafe as I'd planned for lunch with a friend. I went back past about an hour later and it was still there so I picked it up and took it to the post office. So that made another RAK.

My last update concerns all of you...I hit my blog followers target and I now have 20 new followers who read my nonsense since I started this challenge back in May. Thank you to all my followers both old and new!

I've been having a big craft sort out so watch this space for some stash giveaways.

wishing you all a happy and healthy...

2012 the stats!

I promise this won't be as dull as it sounds but I wanted to see how many projects I'd completed this last year. Next year I'm having a list on my blog so I don't have to trawl back through and count up.

So to my stitched things, I stitched a total of 52 stitched items including 15 ATC's, 3 medium sized projects,

13 smalls (coasters, ornies, etc)

21 Biscornu

These aren't all the ones I've stitched as I gave lots away, but if you've stitched one for me can you spot it?)

I also made about 20 pieces of jewellery, needle felted 7 things, french knitted 8 bits and made 16 things with the sewing machine.

I had a bit of a feltie phase and made...

27!!!

So if my maths is right, that makes 131 makes for 2012. For 2013 I'd love to see a larger number of medium and large projects, 



I may have one more finish for 2012 as I'm half way through a biscobud and hopefully I can get it done over the next couple of nights.

Review of the Year 2012

Hi Everyone,

So I end the year having written 80 blog posts, gained 25 new followers and completed countless craft projects. I set myself some goals this time last year and basically didn't complete them as I seemed to spend another year stitching and crafting for all my friends. I do love to do this but in 2013 I will be trying to do more for me and I have serveral projects in mind. My In Laws brought me a beautiful Anchor sampler that will be such joyous stitch ( I hope) but first on the 2013 to do list is the completion of my biscornu challenge and then the blackwork sampler I've been threatening to start for ages!

January

This was the month where I launched my first giveaway which was won by Lori at Hippywitch. I stitched the pretty Rhodes butterfly biscornu but my favourite finish was the final blackwork flower for my wall hanging

February
I made alot of ATC's in Feb swapping them with Laura and with the bubble exchange group too. I made my FIL a coaster for his birthday and also made a fair few felties. The travelling box started out on it's journey and I made about 7 things for it and was able to pick some gorgeous items myself.  I won a giveaway from Steph too. My favourite make was this biscornu I made for hubby for Valentines day.

March

March was a bit of a craft drought and I only made a a couple of biscornu and one for my basket of biscornu challenge and another for the swap I did with Ivory. I really love the biscornu that Ivory sent me so I've chosen that for my March picture.

 

April

It seems my stitchy bug was still on holiday and had decided that 2 biscornu and a couple of ATC's was more than enough for the month. I made my Mum a yellow rose biscornu and made this one for my basket of biscornu challenge.

May

May saw the Jubilee swap with Laura and I made her a bracelet and earrings to wear along with the jubilee themed ATC's and goodies. Laura sent me 5 ATC's, goodies and a fab ami monster wearing a crown!

June

 June was a bit of an eclectic craft month, I needle felted, made more jewellery, did a coaster and a biscornu swap, baked, We had Jubilee celebrations at Church and lined the streets to watch the Olympic torch relay. I stitched a dragon for my hubby for our anniversary. I'm very lucky to have talented friends who make the most fabulous things and I brought a skirt for Lottie in fabulous vintage Postman Pat fabric and Lori designed a toadstool for me in my fave colours and flowers. I've found it hard to decide which picture to choose but I've gone with another biscornu - the one I made for Ivory in our swap.

July
The travelling box stopped off with me again and was full of amazing things. I had made 6 things already but ended up having a mad crafting session, making an additional 6 items so I could have the 12 thing I'd decided couldn't leave my house still in the box. Laura celebrated her birthday and I made a few bits including a pretty dragonfly biscornu, a blackwork rose for her card, a needle felted Russian doll and a little mouse feltie. and I finished off the dragon for my hubby and it was an easy pick for this month.

 

August

In August I was one of the lucky winners in giveaways that Steph and Laura had. I also hoad my own giveaway to celebrate my 100th post and my blogversary from the previous month. I started a new challenge called 101 things in 1001 days inspired by my friend Janet taking up the same challenge. It's been good fun to do and I'm still going at it, which reminds me I must check my list for the thing I want to start on 1st January. I tried a new technique -pulled thread and loved it. I made a biscornu with it. Now this ended up being the June biscornu as thats when I started it! I finished another biscornu too, this time the biscofleur and here it is.

September

September was a great month, I met up with a blogger - Laura and she started to teach me the basics of crochet and also started me off on my hexagon quilt. We had a lovely day and I'm hoping to visit her in the new year sometime.  I also was chosen to stitch the travelling pattern from Cucki and for September  I've chosen my quilt and also the finished travelling pattern - a design by Lizzie Kate*

October

 October saw Steph celebrate her birthday so I made her a biscornu, mini cushion and a little french knitted robin. I also started the Christmas travelling box on it's way. I loved crafting for that, it really was good fun. So I've chosen a picture showing the travelling box contents, with my two favourite makes - the noel cube and the heart wreath cushion.

November

I started on the great christmas stocking make 2012, visited the German market in Birmingham, The christmas box popped back to me briefly so I was able to get some gorgeous bits from it and made a few new bits for it too. I also celebrated my birthday and recieved fab parcels from Steph and Laura. So here is binky the monster made by Laura and my two giraffes made by Steph

December

So this was the month of christmas stockings and I made 14!!!! The travelling box also returned home and was full of lovely things, the best thing about it was I got to keep all of it!!! I had  a christmas giveaway won by Jo. Christmas has been a lovely time to craft for this year and nice to not have the pressure of the school fayres. I was offered tables at both and I may do it in future years but I was happy for the rest this year. I made half a dozen Christmas cards and used the prick and stitch style ones that I'd learnt in the summer. I received some lovely Christmas presents from my stitchy friends and thank them for their generosity. Here are the stockings I made for my two.

Thanks for reading my blog in 2012 and leaving me all these fantastic and uplifting comments that you do. I'm delighted to have made some new blogging friends and I'm excited to be able to share with you in 2013

Christmas Presents

Hello and Happy Boxing Day as DS said to his Nanny this afternoon. I thought I'd quickly show you a couple of presents I made and also received from my wonderful stitchy/blogger friends Laura and Steph.

I was a very lucky girl to receive this fabulous parcel from Laura. It was filled with lovely Christmas decs and also chocs, stickers and Christmas confetti

I love the little crochetted stocking and the mittens are so sweet with lovely embroidery on them. The cat cushion is simular to one I had from the Christmas Travelling Box so it's nice to have a pair on my tree.

So I sent Laura a parcel too and in it was this lot...

I made Laura and her Hubby mini stockings with their initals on, filled with chocs - after all it is a major food group at Christmas, a Humbug decoration from Kincavel Krosses,  Snowflake feltie, a bag of ribbon, buttons etc, Christmas Socks. A necklace I got from the our local Victorian Fayre and a little glass pig from the Frankfurt Market.

I also made this little beaded candle decoration for Laura's Mum, I copied the design from one my Penpal Sarah-Jane sent me this week. I also made the stitched bird feltie to match the square ones Laura had from the travelling box.

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I also sent Steph a filled stocking too with a bag of bits and bobs and a mini humbug decoration

I got this gorgeous Kokeshi doll from Steph, Isn't she cute! She's crochetted in two of my favourite colours too, with little seed beads in the flowers and in the hair.

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas day and are not suffering from the overindulgance of Christmas pud. A quick hello to my new followers too. One more and I have to have a giveaway as My 101/1001 target was 20 new followers and I'm almost there!!!!! If I'm not back before, have a very Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Hi Everyone,

Just a short post to show some of the stockings I made for friends and family this year. I made 14 in total of different sizes - 5 large, 3 medium and 6 small ones. The small and medium ones got filled with sweets but the large ones will hold presents.

These are the ones I made for my two children. They both chose the fabrics from our local fabric shop The Cotton Reel. Fiona the owner designs the patterns too and the die cut the names too for me out of gold fabric so all I had to do was iron them on as they were backed with bondaweb. My two had lovely scripted names, the stockings that were made for my friend were done in capitals and looked fab too, but I forgot to take a photo (D'oh!)

Here are the 3 medium ones I made for my Mum, Hubby and dear friend Sarah.

It's quite hard to tell they are smaller, here is hubby's with Lottie's so you can see the difference. The pattern was reduced by 50% I think, and then the mini one reduced by 50% from that pattern, Alternatively, I've just made all of that up!!!

All that remains is to wish you all blessings for the season. May it be filled with peace, love and joy (and chocolate!)

Online Advent Calendar

This year I have joined in with Jo's Online Advent calendar. This is a bit of a new experience for me but it's been great fun to read lots of new blogs and you never know I might  even have a new follower or two.

These are my favourite decorations I have stitched for me. They were one of my first stitching projects I ever did from a magazine too. They were in a cross stitcher about 6 or 7 years ago. They are part of a set of 7 and one day I'll stitch the rest!

Jo's theme this year is Stocking, Sack or Something else... Being me I have to throw a spanner in the works and we use all 3!!!

The children each have a stocking, this year I made them new ones too as a friend asked me to make ones for her children. So far I've made 9 ones in varying sizes with plans for 5 more! (yes before Christmas). they hang the stockings on the door handles and usually sit on our bed in the morning to open them. Last year I woke them  up at 7am as I couldn't contain my excitment any longer! The children have sacks at my Mum's with all their presents from her in, I made them very small one each with Mr and Little Miss Christmas on them. I don't put much in them, just odds and ends. We also have presents under the tree too and this is where the majority go. This has continued on from when I was a child, and I'm sure my stocking are at my mums somewhere!

So Jo, I've not idea which group I'm going to fall into, I'll leave the decision to you!!!

But here they are all hung round the fireplace and under the tree are the two Mr Men sacks waiting to be filled along with a few presents too.

You can see all of the doors on the Advent Calendar here

Well time for me to brave Tesco, finish the last of the stockings oh and best I wrap a present or 50 whilst I watch Strictly tonight!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Travelling Christmas Box returns home!

Hi Everyone,

Well the box has made it back home and contained all these lovely things. I've really enjoyed doing this swap and thank you to Steph, Steph, Laura and Lori for joining in with me.

Steph S made the Green Scarfed Snowman and snowballs and Lori made the Christmas Pud, Laura made the rest. I was fortunate to have bits from Steph O when the box visited me somewhere in the middle. The Snowmen and snowballs are now in my ami basket, the snowman stitching on the hanger is now hung from my fireplace and the rest adorn my tree.

I can't believe my christmas tree has 40 handmade decorations on it, not to mention the ones round the room. I love how personal it is. I put up Mum's tree yesterday and that had about 20 decorations I'd made for her on it. I've got 3 more to take over to her this weekend too, possibly 4 if I can get it finished. As usual I'll be crafting right up to Christmas Eve for this Christmas.


Merry Christmas friends. I hope it is a joyful one for you all. xx

A bit of this, a bit of that!

Ok so I've been knee deep in crafting and when I haven't it's been the usual Christmas chaos so here is a quick round up of everything I've made that I can reveal.

So the pictures might not be of great quality but never-the-less. So here is what I made for my recent giveaway that Jo won.

So there was a little robin brooch and a heart brooch, a quilted mini stocking that I stuffed full of chocolate, a couple of fabric decs and a snowflake feltie. I loved making the biscornu, it had been a  while so it was a lovely change. The designs were from a cross stitcher (but don't ask me which issue). Here are a couple of close ups.

I added in a few other goodies - here is the full prize together...

I made a new wreath for my door this year. I saw the idea on Pinterest in various forms...so here is my version. I'm sooooooo pleased with it and it was cheap to do too.

Lastly I'll share a couple of Christmas cards I made. I do like the prick and stitch for quickness.

I'll be back on monday with my Online advent door so see you then!

Christmas Giveaway winner

Just a very quick post to share the winner of my giveaway. It was.....

Jo (aka Threadbear)

So  congrats to Jo and I'll be back to share what I sent her when she gets the parcel.

Keep warm friends!!

Kerry

Welcome to Advent and my GIVEAWAY!!!!!

So has everyone opened their Advent calendars today? We have 8 would you believe! The children have a lego one each, the 4 of us have a chocolate one...mine is Hello Kitty. We also have a wooden one where you decorate a scene each day and finally we have an Advent candle. Phew (we won't mention my Mr Men Advent calendar at work). We'll be at church in the morning for the lighting of the first advent candle.

So on to my my giveaway. I was going to show you the prize but I've decided to keep it a surprise. I will say it contains no less than 5 makes, a couple of bits I've picked up when I've been out and about, some festive stash and treats too.

So on to the rules:
You need to be a follower
Please leave me a comment with a telling me about a Christmas tradition in your house or something you like to so each year.

For me it's about certain gifts I give... everyone gets socks and and a chocolate orange (or in my mums case coffee creams)

On Christmas morning the kids come into our room sit on the bed and open their stockings, we go down have breakfast and then open some more presents. We then go to church and after that to my mums for MORE presents, a huge roast and a mountain of washing up!

I'll close the giveaway Friday 7th, so hopefully even if you are not in the UK it'll still get to you.


If that isn't enough festive cheer for you, Jo is hosting the advent blog hop. You can find all the details here and Steph at Show and Tell is also having a giveaway here.

Good Luck everyone!

Stockings and Mushrooms!

Well my week has been filled with making christmas stockings for my friend. I'm doing well with them and I have one left to line and then all they need is the personalisation. That's not too bad as my local sewing shop will cut the letters for you I guess using some sort of die cutting machine and then all you do is iron them on. It works out quite cheaply and saves a considerable amount of time for me too. I paid £13 for 5 names as I figured I may as well order the names for my two too.

As you can see I didn't hide the banding the bobble trim is on rather, I used it to break up the two fabrics a little more. It's been really good to do these as they've improved my machining skills alot.

 

I ordered two hanging mushrooms from Lori, and they've arrived and are fabulous! Here are the fronts of them. I picked out what I wanted on them. It is all the things that remind me of Christmas in our house. The victorian street lamps are because my mum has a little village she puts out each year.

Here are the backs, I didn't realise Lori would embroider the back too so they will look fabulous hanging on the glass of our lounge door. You can find Lori's blog here with links to her Etsy shop etc.

On the 50 Book challenge front, I finished Daphne by M C Beaton and moved on to the next book in the Six Sisters series called Diana the Huntress.

Well thats all for today. I'll be launching my Christmas giveaway tomorrow so check back to see what I'm giving away!

Have a good weekend
Kerry :-)

Birmingham Frankfurt Market

Hi Everyone,

Just a few pictures of our day out yesterday to the Market.  Hubby, the kids and I met the In-Laws there and had a lovely morning out soaking up the festive atmosphere and getting in a little Christmas shopping in.

I picked up a couple of stocking fillers for the children - really nice wooden spinning tops and a doll that is on a spring that you hang up and it bounces.

I also got Hubby a glass dragon too.  He is mad about dragons and sometimes its hard to find new ones that aren't ridiculously expensive. This one was perfect as it is small too so it wont be hard to find a home for too.

I picked up a couple of other glass bits, a little giraffe for me, and a Shaun the sheep for my MIL. She's mad on him, so for £3 it was a perfect little gift. I also picked up some lovely little wooden tree decorations and a santa candle which was a bit of fun. The hearts are little soaps that smell divine, so a couple of little stocking fillers there too for friends.

At Christmas, Mum puts up her little village on the fireplace. She's been collecting the bits for it for probably about 20 years now and most years gets something new. When I saw these little people for it, I knew they would be perfect. The market had buildings too, but they were way out of my price range, but the figures were surpisingly reasonable. Here are the ones we chose for her.

So on to the pictures of the fab buildings - or log cabins I guess they were. I was amazed how much effort they go to. This one sold iced gingerbread.

This one below was a pub.

And a close up...

Another one of the pubs...we didn't frequent them all!

But this one we did. The moose sings in rather a drunken way, It's quite funny to hear him get all the words slightly wrong.

Don't ask me why blogger wants the picture there but it does, and this is what we had to drink...Hubby and I had baileys in our hot choc...YUM!

The children and I went on the carousel, we decided to sit in the sleigh rather than on the horses as a wriggly 2 year old makes it hard work.

So there is my lovely day out, despite the rain at the end, we had a lovely time, I can't believe I'd not been before! It's our local Victorian themed Christmas fayre next week so looking forward to that, Expect another blog post full of festive nonsense.

Todays plans are...Start machining the stockings and then finish something for my giveaway whilst watching the last Grand Prix of the season. I plan to launch it next Saturday so watch this space!!

Bye for now!!!