New Year Blessing

May all your clouds have sunbeams and your rockpools have starfish. Happy New Year!!!

Hook happy

Hello friends! I hope your celebrations were lovely and happy. My family travelled quite a way to spend the day with us and we all had a lovely time...too much food but lots of laughter too. I was exhausted because a certain little monkey had crept downstairs at four in the morning (to see if Santa had been) and set off the burglar alarm!! I don't think either he or I got any more sleep! He had gone to bed at the usual time after leaving out a mince pie and something for the reindeer, along with a really sweet little note thanking Santa for his presents last year!

I had been frantically hooking away for the previous two days before Christmas Day (in between baking and cleaning etc) to make a scarf for my sister. She had received her granny stripe blanket already and I couldn't bear the thought of her not having anything to open on The Day so I whipped up this green number...

The yarn is Full o' Sheep by Debbie Stoller and it is gorgeous; very soft and cosy. It also drapes beautifully. It was worth the rush because she loved it :)

I got some nice presents too.....the fantastic Fair Isle scarf my sister made for me.....

Can you believe she doesn't like this and almost didn't give it to me!!! I love it and will treasure it.

I also got this fab book on the film Some Like it Hot!

Gorgeous photos and lots of interesting titbits about the making of one of my favourite films.

And...these tins of biscuits....

I swear I am not interested in the biscuits but want them for my new sewing tins. They are designed by Finnish designer Sanna Annuka and I just LOVE them!

Unfortunately, I came down with yet another cold on Christmas Day evening and so haven't been doing any crafting but feel better today and am finishing off this special blanket for a very special baby; my great niece or nephew, who is due to be born in February in South Africa.

As you can see, lots of work still to do on this, especially taking in all the ends, but I am very happy with it so far.

I hope Father Christmas was good to you and that you are enjoying your post-holiday time, whatever you are doing xxx

All ready?

Hello friends! I have a little boy absolutely giddy beyond giddiness now. The advent calendar has only two more windows in it and we have been busy decorating the house. Only two more sleeps, as Little S has been pointing out all day! The house looks lovely, and despite the extreme cold (last night it was -10 degrees in my patch!), it is cosy and warm.

I have also been making things (aside from gifts).....

I felt a little bit yarned out to be honest and so made this streamer and stars by folding origami paper. The little boxes for the streamer were such fun to make as you had to blow them up to inflate them!

And I made some scented oranges by studding them with cloves. The smell is gorgeous!

I got a real bargain from my local supermarket....

These two ceramic plates for under £2 for both! So of course I had to justify this huge expense by using them.....hence the chocolate cakes!!

Wow! 2011! I can't believe how quickly this year has gone. I am fairly new to this blogging lark but it has brought me a lot of happiness and I am truly grateful for your visits, your comments and for making me feel welcome in this virtual community! It has been fantastic to see what you are all making and especially your Christmas gifts. There are going to be some very, happy people!

So I am now signing off until after Christmas. I just wanted to wish all of my visitors the most wonderful Christmas, however you celebrate. And I wish you an uber-creative 2011!  Whilst I am spending happy times with my family I will spare a thought for those who, for whatever reason, can't be with those they love at this time.

Joyeux Noel :: God Jul :: Feliz Navidad :: Glædelig Jul :: Zalig Kerstfeast :: Hyvaa Joulua :: Froehliche Weihnachten :: Boze Narodzenie :: Gesëende Kersfees :: Buone Feste Natalizie :: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah!!



Andrea xx

20 Christmas questions

Hello friends....like a lot of people at the moment I have been trying to get over a really horrible cold. I still have a cough but am feeling much better. The result is not much crafting and nothing finished so still nothing to show. I was inspired by Heather at Little Tin Bird and here are my 20 Christmas questions:

20 Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Without a doubt...wrapping paper. I love the actual process of wrapping up presents. Since my son was born I have a Christmas Eve ritual once he is in bed. I wrap his presents while having a glass or two of Crabbie's Ginger Wine (yum) and watch either Scrooge (with Alastair Simm) or It's a Wonderful Life. Love that special time.

I found this gorgeous gift wrap at Luxe Paperie...

2. Real tree or Artificial? I always have a real tree with roots so it can go into the garden after Christmas is over. I just love the smell of the tree too.

3. When do you put up the tree? We put up the tree a week before Christmas. This usually coincides with my boy finishing school so it is done as part of the final week preparations. He complained a couple of days a go that he was the only boy in his class without a tree! It is good....it teaches him deferred gratification!!!

4. When do you take the tree down? Twelfth Night. I am always sad when the tree comes down...it is all over then.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? I desperately, desperately wanted a Tiny Tears baby doll when I was about 8 years old. Mum would put our presents in piles on each end of a long sofa...one side for me, one for my sister. I opened my lovely presents and then said to Mum (and I can remember this!), "I have everything that I wanted except for Tiny Tears". She pointed to a present I had somehow overlooked and there it was! She had dressed it in the most fabulous outfit she had knitted herself too.

6. Hardest person to buy for? Men. Enough said!

7. Easiest person to buy for? My boy...who gets so much pleasure from even the tiniest little gift.

8. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. It is lovely collecting cards from the doormat! Here are some beauties I found this year....

This is from the V&A Museum and is from a 1918 design by Voysey...

Again from the V&A, the cut paper collage dates from 1707 and the other design is from a 1955 wallpaper....

9. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's as Wonderful Life. Sentimental maybe, but a fantastic lesson about what is important in life. I never fail to well up with tears at the end. And my son and I have discovered the joy of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Gorgeous!

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Nowhere near as early as I should. I have very organised friends who start in the New Year sales!

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No but I don't see anything wrong with it.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All of it! All the special things that are associated with Christmas, such as pudding and mince pies. I usually eat too much of it though!

13. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? I prefer clear but my son likes coloured...so coloured it is!

I love these chili pepper lights from Amazon....

14. Favourite Christmas song? I'm a bit of a traditionalist and love old carols, in particular God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. I also love any Christmas choral music.

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Since my boy was born, Christmas is always spent with family and I really enjoy it. Sometimes at home, sometimes with my sister. I don't really mind. It is who you are with that is important.

16. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? Angel.

17. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning! We also stagger the little S's present opening so that it isn't just one frenzy of unwrapping. It also prolongs the pleasure!

18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercialisation of Christmas and the whole thing starting way too early.

19. What do you want for Christmas this year? Well you may have seen my Christmas list! I will be happy with whatever Father Christmas brings me!

20. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? I like to use lots of different colours.

Thanks again to Heather for inspiring this. I would love to see your Christmas questions and answers! xx

Hallelujah

Hello friends! I am recovering from the most horrible cold and so there hasn't been a lot of crafting going on here. However, I wanted to share this with you....a flash mob rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel. In case you haven't come across a flash mob before, it is a very meticulously planned performance in an everyday place that surprises everyone else around. I love flash mob performances and love seeing the happiness they bring. This one brought a tear to my eye.....enjoy! xx

It's coming!

Yes, Christmas is certainly coming and seeing Christmas ads on TV or seeing deocrations up doesn't seem too riduculously early now. We don't put up our decorations until the week before the big day so that has given me time to make some decorations.....

I found the pattern for this little Father Christmas on the Lion Brand site. It was super quick to make and I think it is very cute!

I also found this on the same site....

This took a little longer to make but it was a very easy pattern. A great stash buster for some camel coloured yarn I was never going to use!

Little S joined in too......

This was courtesy of Lego! He is a whizz with Lego and comes up with all sorts of wonderful things.

I am also making some of Lucy's absolutely fabulous tree decorations. You can visit the Attic24 site by clicking HERE. Go on over and drool over what she has created!

Like a lot of other people, my garden is still full of snow and it isn't budging despite glorious sunshine today.

And then, while I was out I saw this and realised that Mother Nature makes the best decorations of all....

Stay cosy! xxx