Christmas 2011

The week between Christmas and New Year always has me flumoxed as to what day it is. Lazy starts to the day with a cuppa and a book in bed before the day begins. Late breakfasts of bacon and eggs and other such lovelies to compliment the leftover festive fayre that we are trying to use up at mealtimes at other times of the day.

Plenty of time planted firmly on the sofa in the sitting room with the tree lights twinkling and the garland above the fireplace in full sparkle.

We've been watching all sorts of things on the TV which is very rare in the daytime here during the weekdays for both DH and myself. The choccie tin is looking very depleted too, but there are plenty more of them to last us into the new year.

Christmas for us was wonderful. A busy day on the actual day, spending a lot of time with my beautiful granddaughter on her first Christmas. A delight to watch her ripping at the brightly coloured wrapping paper and spending an extraordinary amount of time chatting to the little chap that was on the box of one of her gifts, that did make us giggle. She was more impressed with him than the actual gift! Her daddy named him Derek (he thought he looked like a Derek - not sure why? do Dereks have distinct characteristics?) Unfortunately Derek has taken a turn for the worst, he was literally drooled on too much and has been squished into the recycling box now forever to be known as Isabelle's first pin-up pic and stored in our minds to wickedly torment her with later in life at the most embarrassing times.










Boxing Day was quiet, a time for grandpa and i to recover from the excitement of the previous day. In the evening we ventured into the town to have a wander round the Christmas lights again just the two of us. They get taken down before the New Year revellers damage them. It was a lovely evening and the breath of evening air was very welcome.

I was spoiled by my family and friends and received lots of stunning gifts. DS gets the gold star this year for the present i never expected. L@@kie at this beautiful polymer clay purple crochet hook he found on the internet together with a full set of colourful hooks in a plastic case, what a good boy he is to his mum.










Clare gifted me with a tin pencil case and also stitched a beautiful ornament for me and made exactly the same one for Isabelle. That was very special Clare and we will treasure them and remember you each year when they are put onto our trees.

Christine was kind enough to gift me with some beautiful fabric from Crafty Kitten, i have never used Dawn's fabric before so will enjoy trying this together with the lovely Carries thread that accompanied it. Thank you Christine.










Barb's parcel contained a little boofle keyring with my name on it. I love this little knitted character and the 'hugs' hanger is now at the side of my stitching chair. Thank you Barb {hugs} to you too.

Angi (no blog) made me some notelets and a beautiful notebook for my bag using her crafting skills, these will be so useful and you are very clever Angi, a big thank you to you too.










A stitched top covered tin was inside Karan's parcel. So beautiful and i love the colour purple. Inside was the most fabulous stitch markers for my knitting together with a post-it pad that matched Clare's tin perfectly. You know me so well Karan.

A little parcel from Kathy (no blog) contained a kit for a needlebook together with the smallest little frame ever, so cute and useful for my little scrap pieces that i can never fit onto a frame. A piece of backing fabric to add to my growing collection too.










Thank you from the bottom of my heart ladies for your friendship and kindness.

The week before Christmas i was crocheting like a mad woman. I had started a blanket for a very dear friend of mine and it was not progressing speedily enough, always your mind tells you things wont take as long as they actually do. I thought i would have to send an IOU in a card as her gift as it wasn't going to be finished in time, but luckily i had it all wrapped and ready to give her on the Friday evening when i saw her.










The lovely Stylecraft special DK wool in the colours, khaki, camel, plum and grape are the chosen ones for this blanket. I am lucky to have a shop locally that now sells this. I love the colour combo of this one. Looks like my new crochet hook might have to be tested on something similar for DH, he's been real patient waiting for me to get gifts finished so now might be the time to start on a blanket for him.

My final post before we bid farewell to 2011 and the new year begins. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the gift of your friendship and support during the past year. I hope that you are all blessed with a very happy, healthy and enjoyably craft filled 2012.



Love and best wishes to you all from our home to yours.

Christmas Eve

My dear friends

Thank you so much for your supportive words on my post about our loss of Mr Moe, hubby and i are most grateful to you, it really meant a lot to us.

The month of December is not a good one for us, too many sad anniversary memories, the passing of my dad on 19th and maternal grandmother who actually passed away on Christmas Day morning a few years back. It is also my eldest sons anniversary on 27th December, so i always tend to be a bit quiet in the run up to Christmastime. With the added loss of Moe this month too, it has been somewhat harder this year.

We have been spending family time together. We took Isabelle into the town centre to see the decorations for her first Christmas. This year they are as beautiful as ever. One side of the town hall square is Peter Rabbit and the other is Alice in Wonderland.

The fountain is lit up too and looks very majestic. The tree at the Clock Tower is amazing, so many twinkling lights. I love my trip each year to see what our council has done for us, but this year it was extra special pushing Isabelle around and watching the wonderment in her eyes as we stopped to look.


















Earlier in the month i sent out some birthday gifts to stitching friends.

Tina (no blog) celebrated a special birthday and i decided to send her a little bourse, it's a long time since i made one of these. The design i chose to put inside is Elizabeth Designs, Dear Friend. I'm happy to say Tina loved it.










Sally celebrated her birthday too.

We have known each other since i joined my first forum for online stitchers, i think it's about 8 years now since that happened.

We always exchange a stitched small for birthdays and this year I chose to stitch this lovely freebie from Windy Willows called Petite Lapin and made it into a pinkeep.



Angi (no blog) is another online friend i have known since my first forum visit.

She has a love of lighthouses and this little chart is from an old Gallery magazine, i saw this way back earlier in the year when searching for something else and kept it inside my workbox ready for her December birthday.

I loved the hand dyed polstitches fabric from one of their grab bags, it just seemed to shout out for this design to be stitched on it.

Christmas Eve evening as i write this, are you all ready for the big day tomorrow? Everything here is done, gifts all delivered to friends and family, fridge bursting with goodies and table all set for dinner tomorrow. We have a roaring fire, watching Christmas movies on the TV and the choccie tin has had the wrapping taken off, so it's officially time to sit and relax after a busy day.

Sending lots of festive love your way for a peaceful and happy time with those you love and hold dear in your lives. Special thoughts to those with angel parents and children at this special family time.

It's been fun here already this year, as you can see little 'baby Belle' as Grandpa fondly refers to her is on the move and is getting quicker by the day. The tree has survived so far but Midge is rapidly learning to find a hiding place when she is here.

Have fun and enjoy, don't work too hard ladies, husbands can wash up and help out no matter what they tell you ....

Goodnight Mr Moe

Sadness has fallen upon us here.

Mr Moe has been unwell for a couple of weeks and was being treated for a front left paw infection. Last night he was admitted to the emergency pet hospital. Due to his failing condition ultrasound investigations were done and it was found that he also had advanced liver and spleen cancer. This morning at 11.15am hubby and i were present with him when he slipped quietly away with the help of the vet.

God Bless you Mr Moe, we have had eleven and a half wonderful years with you, and have lots of wonderful and happy memories that will come to for forefront of our minds when our grieving subsides.

Love Mum x

Ornament Exchange revealed

Christine organises the ornament exchange at Needlecraft Haven and its one of the exchanges that i really look forward to each year.

I opened a real beauty from Kate.

It was so nicely wrapped in Christmas tissue paper with a lovely card added. Thank you so much Kate it will be perfect for my tree (when i get it out the attic and put up!)

Kate has blogged that the design comes from the November Gift of Stitching online magazine.

Lindsay was the stitcher i made mine for.

She has a love of snowmen and when i came across this little guy carrying his Christmas tree in the Dec 1999 issue of World of Cross Stitch (issue 26) i just knew i had to stitch him. His little smile is so infectious.

I had the perfect card to accompany it too. Two little children carrying their own tree.

A little more gift making last week.

I came across these shop made stockings when i was out wandering around the town and thought how nice it would be to add the names of two little children i buy a small gift for.

I used waste canvas and stitched their names and little holly leaves and then removed the waste canvas after. I'd already bought a couple of small items for them and was relieved to find that they will actually fit into the stocking - thought for a moment there was going to be a panic and one of the pressies would be too big.... phew.

Hooky has been happening too. Stuck for an idea for a friend, DH suggested that i make her a cushion similar to the one i made mum.

When you make gifts for friends and family it's always hard to remember what you have sent them in the past, thank goodness usually for online albums LOL.

This time i knew i hadn't crocheted anything for her as i have only been doing it for a year so well done DH, a good idea.

Time to get off the computer and go and wrap up some of the gifts, mum is coming over this weekend to exchange gifts and i have not wrapped a thing this year yet!!

Happy crafting, whatever you are making...