Felted mouse and bag

I have been having a ball. A ball with 100% wool.

My two little cousins are coming to spend Christmas with us and I was dying to use the felting wool I brought a couple of months ago and this was the perfect excuse. Two home made gifts!

Firstly I'll just allow you a couple of seconds to Oooooooooo, Mmmmmmmmm over the colours!

 The little bag was made using a fandabbydosey pattern here (if you haven't checked this site out you are in for a flippin treat!) I used the mobile pouch pattern and then have added a strap. Its idea for a little girls over the body bag.

Look at the sherberttie colours. I loved knitting with this yarn!!!!

Hanging on the tree ... and why not! Its Christmas!

Then there is this cheeky little fella.

I hope Ben likes him. I certainly do.

I used the pattern from my tutorial for a little knitted mouse. You can see it here.

This was my first attempt at felting. I am certainly very pleased and would recommend you have a go too. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

White Chocolate Penguins

My own festive variation on chocolate mice.

 

 

Gently melt chocolate in a bowl above boiling water.

 

 

Sprinkle some Pretties (aka sugar strands) in a silicon ice tray. Mine is penguin shaped. And then fill with lovely metled white chocolate.

 

 

Leave to set in a cool place.

 (lick out the bowl!)

 

Carefully pop out.

 

 

There we have it. White Chocolate Penguins with sugar strand wings.

Yummy.

Granny Knows Best

Every year my Granny has brought me a calender.

And even after all the glamour or my little advent bags I have to say, I love my granny's calenders the best.

This year the picture is a group of joyous carol singers.

Can you see the first door?

What about now?

Let see what is behind it .....



An angel. Ahhhh.

Today, after the joyous occasion of putting up my advent bags, and then putting them back up again (after they fell down) I though I would make the most of the free day.

I have wrapped and wrapped and wrapped. About a hundred gifts! I really do like wrapping presents but this year I was a little overwhelmed.

It was nice to lay everyone's presents out and see if we was missing anything, or god forbid, had forgotten anyone. But I am surprisingly organised this year, and only have a couple of stocking fillers left to get. So thumbs up all around!

The reason I wanted to get all the "shopping" stuff out of the way is so I can now chillax! And by chilling, I mean making. All I need to worry about is having fun making lots of Christmassy things!

I am going on a workshop to learn how to make a quilted table runner on Tuesday and also hope to make some hanging decorations too.

Hope your Christmas decorations oops I mean preparations are going okay. And just remember ....

Keep Calm and Jingle On! xxxxx

Advent Calander Ta-Dah

I got up early this morning.

Early because I was excited. It has been the day I've been waiting for. The day I get to Tad-Dah! and hang out my little advent draw string bags.



There has been a lot of .....

cutting.

sewing.

stringing.

filling.


and now finally hanging. Yipppppeeeeeeee!!!!

I made 96 little bags in total. Using lovely, scrummy, festive fabrics.

I made four advent calenders in total (one for my family, Craig's family and my granny), and carefully placed the components into brown paper bags. I wonder if they are all opening them now?!

Each little daily bag is filled with a mixture of lovely, delightful treats....

chocolate coins.

candy canes.

chocolate Santa's.

and other little sweet treats.

If you want to see how I have made them .... very very simple .... then have a look here.

N.B. As I just wrote that I heard the distant sound of the bags falling .... maybe sellotape won't suffice.... maybe I was right and Mr Staples is going to have to do a very brave thing and stick a couple of tacks in the mantle!

Making Snowflakes

What fun I am having. Any pattern I find I am trying. And learning so much more too!

I must have over forty in my pile now; growing like that of a satistfying as the granny square pile.

I am so in love with these six sided frosty shapes.

Not forgetting some cute granny chrstmas trees.


Some new red and white glittery yarn? ..... I think so!

I am even brave enough to start my own symetrial freestyle patterns. What do you think?

I love pinning them out, starch spaying them .... and then coming down in the morning to find perfectly formed snowflakes!

So what will it be,
hanging in the window?
garlands for my shelves and fire place?

 

A string for the tree?
Some pastels would be nice?
Or Nordic? 
Or even a mobile?
Or simpley hanging decorations?

Whatever ...... I am loving the snowflakes!



xxxx

High Force

After our trip to Seal Sands we felt inspired to go on another day out to soak up the lovely weather and autumnal day. On Thursday we ventured out to High Force - one of the largest waterfalls in England.

 

 

It was a very quiet day, usually this place is flooded with tourists, but we pretty much had the whole park to ourselves.

 

 

Orange leaves fell from the nearly bare trees and landed on the thick carpeted woodland floor.

The contrast of orange leaves and bright green moss was delicious and I made the best of the colourful photo opportunities!

 

We crossed a lovely stone bridge which in turn crossed a lovely babbling brook.

 

 

My Granny loved this view and said how lovely it would be to take a photo with all her grandchildren sitting in different places up the stream (there is lot of us you know!). She was right, it would make a lovely photo and every time I see this I will imagine us all there (all eleven of us aged 4 - 26!) having fun!

As we reached the falls the rock faces got higher and higher. And the sound of rushing, falling water got louder!

(here's me being silly .... again!)

 How lovely. To just sit for a minute and take in the smells, sights and sounds!

 

 And tastes ........ of a lovely picnic! Ham and mustard cobs. Yummy! How come picnic sandwiches taste a million times nicer than work sarnies?

And for the most exciting part ......... oh my goodness ...... YOU MUST TRY THIS!! ........... If you do pass an M and S .... treat yourself and let me know how you enjoyed it!

 It was lovely to sit outside and soak up the season ... a rare but lovely opportunity!

On the way back up to the car we pulled over to do another little walk. And I am so happy we did. I just loved this view of  the little farmers cottage sitting on its own in such lovely light!

The rest of the holiday was lovely too. Lots of crocheting, coffee shops and films snuggled up with my hubby and granny ♥

For all those Kitch lovers .... check out this cafe we went too ..... Lily's Cafe in Richmond. Cream Teas and vintage crockery! A wanna be vintage house wife's dream come true!

At the weekend we went to stop of at our friends house in Blackpool. I have only been once when I was a little girl. But enjoyed a walk along the peer, despight it being bitterly cold and windy.

We enjoyed fish and chips and had a blast on the penny pushers in the arcade. I won a Frisbee and some blowing bubbles!

So that was that. A lovely break,

I will leave you with some more "lovely light" shots taken in Blackpool.

xxxxx