Happy Christmas To All.

Hi everyone,

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year, to everybody out there in blogland.

No snow this year, just a reminder of last year with this picture.

This is a time to reflect on the events of the year that is ending and hoping for better ones to come in the next year. Certainly in my own case.

The sun is shining today, showing up the dust that was wiped away yesterday. Where does it come from!!!Lol!

We had a busy day yesterday. In the morning, we had our neighbours from either side of us come in for drinks and nibbles. Then last night we walked down the road to my daughter's in-laws, for drinks and nibbles.
I will have to dust and vacuum again today and do the ironing. Boring!
Tomorrow we are going to friends at the top of our road for drinks at mid-day. Then we are having a quiet dinner on our own.
Boxing day we are having my daughter, son-in-law and grand children for the day. That will be a very exciting and a noisy day. I have a giant joint of beef for us for lunch. Yummy!
Well I am now going to find my duster and get on with the cleaning again!! Yuk!! I wish I could have a cleaning fairy for Christmas.
Have a lovely time with your friends and families and we will catch up after the festivities.
A special thank you to all my followers and visitors for your support over the last year.
Special hugs to you all,
Luv,
Carol S.xx

Deck The Halls.

Hi everyone in Bloggerland,

I have finally finished all my Christmas cards and they are in the post! I have already started packing away all my Christmas stamps and papers. My room did look a bit like a war zone!Lol!!

This is the fireplace in my sitting room. When these decs are done, I really feel it's Christmas.

The stocking is very special to me. About 11 or 12 years ago, I saw this stocking pictured on the cover of an American cross stitch magazine. I fell in love with it straight away, so I bought the magazine. When I got it home, I was very disappointed that only the top 4" of the chart was in the mag. The rest of the chart was going to be spread over the year, coming out every few months. I never saw the magazine anywhere again.

A couple of years later, a very close friend, who I used to go to all the stitching shows with, sadly died after a long battle with cancer. She was only 54. She had left me all her cross stitch collection. Along with hundreds of kits, there were about 700 magazines, complete with the subscriptions which were paid for, so they kept coming.

I searched through all of the mags and found the complete set of the patterns for the stocking.

It took me 6 months to stitch it. Santa's robe and a lot of the background is a shiny rayon thread, which was very slippery. His beard and the animals fur is a fluffy mohair, which you just have to stroke. I felt this was the best gift my friend could have given to me and I still miss her. I was with her to the end.

This is my tree number 2 in my conservatory. We bought it last year and it has very realistic ends to the branches. The same at the one in the sitting room. My friend's husband was sitting right along side it when I was cutting her hair and he thought it was real!! Well I know it does look good but having said that, he is a man!!Lol!!

The metal bird in the heart is one of my favourite decorations on it. I also have two stags somewhere but I couldn't find them. I have a feeling they are somewhere in my craft room, as I know I did want to make a couple for the tree in my sitting room.
I did decorate half a dozen baubles this year. These are 2 of them. Not very exciting but it was all I had the time to do. Just gold and red glitter, double sided tape and a few peel offs!

I took the Charity collection box, which I had put my money in from the markets, over to the home yesterday. I had not counted it, so we were very surprised just how much I had put in there! They were very pleased with it. Made it all worth while getting up at 6am on market days! No more markets now until March!
I am now going back to sorting out my craft room. I can nearly see my desk!!
Please pop back soon,

Luv,

Carol S.xx

It's Nearly Here. Are You Ready?!!

Hi everyone,

Hope you are not too exhausted after all the Christmas shopping! Not long to go now.

I had a very good day at my craft market last Friday. Sold lots of my goodies! Since then it has been a bit manic, trying to finish making all of my cards. Finally just put the last one in its envelope.

I spent Saturday afternoon and evening putting up the first of my 2 trees in the sitting room. It is only 5 feet high but still took me hours!

Spot the 2 Bambies either side of the tree. I just love the expressions on their faces!

I usually buy and make a couple of new decorations every year. This is a glass one with a Robin and a post box inside. A bit difficult to photo. I do love the Santa which I bought last year.
The little Angel is really lovely but again difficult to photo. Must be the lights.

I made 2 of these cushions a few years ago. They are from an Edwardian design, which are a mixture of cross stitch and beading. Unfortunately I cannot find the pattern since I moved, so I am going to make a chart from the cushion. They are 3" x 3" so not too big.

I have made some decs this year but they are on my desk half finished. I hope to get them done by tomorrow and I will take pics of them, on tree number 2!

I have yet to put up the Christmas tree and Decs in my Dollshouse. I also have a Santa that I sit on the top of the house, with a sack in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other!Lol!!
Hope to post again tomorrow, so please pop back for the next installment!

Luv,

Carol S.xx

And So To Bed!!

Hi everyone,

As promised another post tonight. It's 11.30 and this will be a quick post, as I have to be up at 6am and out of the house by 7.30am!! I also will have to load my car, as it is Market day. The last one this year.

This is another card using the Lili of the Valley Christmas bird table stamp.

Guess what! I used Distress Inks to colour it with and a very fine brush!!Lol! I just love it, as it is so cute but not yucky cute! More pretty than cute I think.

The birds are so sweet and proper Robins. Unlike American stamps, that have Cardinals on.

For the snowflakes in the background I stamped with clear Versamark and used Stamp'n'Bond on top and heated with my heat gun. You have to be pretty quick getting the flakes on, but the effect is really nice. I bought both the flakes and the Stam'N'Bond from The Craft Barn at Lingfield.

Well off to bed now, 11.45! Posted in 15 minutes. That is a record!
Please drop by again.

Love to read your comments as they always make me smile!
Hugs,
Carol S.xx

Phew!! Finally Time To Post!!

Hi Everyone,

What a couple of weeks I have had. I sold so much at the last market in Lindfield, that I had to work flat out to get stock made for my last market which is this Friday in Cuckfield, West Sussex!

Then at the weekend, panic! My husband is Australian and I suddenly remembered that I had not made cards for his family and friends and the last posting date was Tuesday!

Saturday morning I sat at my desk and made this card. I broke all my rules and made 8 of them.

I just used sticky post its to block off the centre band on a 6"x6" card blank. I then used Distress Inks, Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Skies, Broken China and Tumbled Glass and with Dry foam, I blended them across the band from right to left. I then used my heat gun to make sure the ink was dry.

I then dusted the whole card with my Dust Buddy. The trees and the star stamps are from Creative Expressions, from last Christmas. I stamped with clear Versamark and used Disco Black Embossing Powder.
I love the effect the embossing powder gives, which you can see a bit. It looks like the trees are lit up.
This card is so quick to make, as you also do not have to put a greeting on the front! It took just under 15 minutes in total.Hope you like it,
Please come back soon. I will even try to post again tomorrow!!
Luv,
Carol S.xx