An Angel from Manchester

I joined an 'Angel Challenge' over at Jozartdesigns a while ago. I sent my angels and one has arrived. Now I have been sent one for myself. And she flew all the way from Manchester, England.

Beautifully packaged with some extra bits to play with inside.

 

Her name is Avril and she is adorable

Gorgeously felted and sewn. So much detail. I love her. I don't think you would see her at the top of the tree so I will find a special place for her this Christmas.

 

She was made by the very talented Chris at PearShapedCrafting - Thank you, Chris, she is gorgeous. X

 

 

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WOYWW #182 - Mess and Angel No1

Hello wednesday'ers. How are you this cold November day?

My desk today........

I made some Christmas Bunting. Not in the 'LLJ' league but not bad for a start. Some presents ready to be posted. Small's Cub badges (I must sew them on his top!), a glue stick, some berries (fake) and bells. The big wooden snowflake is something that Smallest has been decorating for me. My sock is there but you can't really see it (I made a heel!). My toys are finished and sewn up and ready to post too.

I am very pleasd with myself, however, I have to stop here until a week on Friday as I don't know how to pick up stitches.

 

I think that's it! Jo received my Angel, so I can now reveal her to you. I haven't heard about the other one (its gone to a far off land) so I can't show that one yet.

I completely made it up as I went along. I started with her crochet skirt and then added the body and head. I beaded her legs and arms and added a ribbon and button for her wings. I wound a tiara type thing of beads around her head. Huffle named her Dusty because her hair looked like Dusty Springfield (just a tiny bit!). I really surprised myself by making this and entering into the challenge. It was a wonderful idea and I will definitely do it again. The boys wanted me to put her on our tree but I explained it was for someone else. I will have to try and replicate it again now!

Right, that's me done, time to go and look at everyone else's desk now.

 

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Sew-up Saturday

I had an hours worth of crafting today and managed to finish a few projects.

All ready for the postbox. I also made my first lot of Christmas bunting but I forgot to take a photo.

 

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Christmas Cake

I was a bit late getting on with the Christmas Cake. I think I was half hoping that my new oven would prematurely arrive, but it didn't, so I just got on with it.

I never got to make one last year because we had just moved across from UK to Canada, we had only just moved into our new home and our furniture and belongings (including our Christmas decorations, baking tins etc) arrived the day before Christmas Eve.

So, back to this year, I soaked the fruits in a generous amount of Brandy for two nights. Then yesterday I baked it. Now I don't like fruit cake but the mixture tasted amazing (maybe it was the Brandy!).

I will now be feeding it with more Brandy until the day when I let the kids loose and let them decorate it. They did a wonderful job a couple of years ago. Can't wait.

One of my 'Angels' (Jo's challenge) has arrived. Just waiting for the other to arrive and then I can reveal what I made and sent.

 

 

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WOYWW #181 - Christmas Tree Bottoms

Wednesday. What's on your Workdesk. 181 weeks ago, a crazy lady called Julia decided to set up a group of people who, every Wednesday, showed their desks in their current state. Who would have thought it would have got so popular. I even read that it is now famous thanks to a radio programme. WOW.

....and so, to mine...............

I have a lot of comments about my spotty tablecloth (it used to sit on our kitchen table in England so I love the things it reminds me of when I sit here).

I am in the process of finishing the bottoms on my crochet Christmas Trees. I know it's only November but it's hard to NOT be in the Cjristmas spirit when already my next door neighbour has enough lights up to light the whole of Ontario, we have already been to a Santa Parade and are going to another one on Saturday and every shop you go in has Christmas everywhere.

My finished Imp sits proudly at the back. teen Monkey is holding my new purchase from the second hand shop a gorgeous glass bauble - too heavy for the tree - but I love it.

Sock - still in the same state, butbsittingnthere to remind me I am at my knitting group this week (haven't been for weeks now due to broken thumb, poorly throat, PA day etc etc). Glue gun poised - it doesn't work too well, you have to push the glue stick in with your fingers which I just found out was very very hot!!!

My Union Jack Mug filled with Yorkshire Tea (like Tea should be!). A bag of bells which I picked up at Dollarama. A cork I was given to make another Korknisse. Standing at the back, behind the propped up IPad is a lovely card that Brenda made for me to go with a wonderful package of papers and embellishments.

Look at all that loveliness! I asked her about card making and all this arrived in the post. I am a very lucky girl. I can't wait to start playing with it all, however I may have to wait till next year now. Thank you Brenda, you are a very thoughtful person. I 'met' Brenda via WOYWW - I love blogging and all the great people I have 'met'.

.....and what a gorgeous card - very inspirational.

My friend and neighbour popped round the other day and have me a present (for being me). It was lovely.....

Handmade soap and a handmade pin cushion. Again, how lucky am I?

Right I am off to check out some truly great blogs now and find some more inspiration - No, I must finish my stuff first and get more inspiration for new things later!!!!!!

 

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Weekend Finishing

Once again, on Saturday, my lovely family decided to let me go off and craft for an hour or so. In reality, I sneaked off while they were doing more important things. Whatever, I picked up my sewing needle and attempted to sew lots of appendages.

I managed to get this finished.....

He is called Strimpy. He is an imp and I got the pattern from the lovely Annaboo again. She has them for sale and she is so good at writing patterns - so easy to follow.

I used a self striping wool and I think it worked really well. His pointy bit at the top is a bit strange so I am guessing I missed a bit in the pattern.

He's a grumpy little fella.

 

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WOYWW #180

Hey, it's WEDNESDAY. I joined this group What's on your Workdesk Wednesday well over a year ago when I lived in England. I didn't think I would still be doing it. I don't join in every Wednesday, but most of them. If you don't know what I am talking about (where have you been????) then have a look at this lady's blog. She started it, it's fun.

I only just realised it was (nearly) Wednesday, so rushed up to my desk and took a photo. Bit of a mess as I left it in a hurry a couple of days ago to get to the post box.

A different angle this week, taking in the view of my new drawers which makes my desk seem a little bigger and a bit more organised. See I am learning from all you proper crafters. We bought some shelves too. So on the drawers are my WIP's (Christmas trees, cut out bunting and cowl). There is a reason I haven't finished any of these yet and that is because I took in part in a challenge going on over at Jo's Blog. We are making angels and sending them flying all over the world. So for the last week I have been creating two angels. One has gone already (hence the dash to the post office) and the other is wrapped and ready to fly on my desk. I can't show these yet until they have been received.

Poor monkey is still disembodied and the only other thing new there is a Christmas Ideas book I got from the library. Not had much time to look a it but never mind.

I had a lot of comments last week about the loft space I use to craft in. It is a huge space, not fully finished. One comment said it looked like I had been put in quarantine (that was funny). Half of it is used for guests and has a bed, hanging rail, drawers plus an extra airbed. It is also used by the kids to set up their train track, castle, scalextric and car track. So I can't have it all, and it is a bit messy and disorganised because I want to wait until it is all drywalled (plaster boarded) before I start adding proper storage, after all it will all have to be moved out for the work to be done. (Finding someone to do the work is another story!!!).

Okay, I am off to look at everyone else's space now and get some inspiration for finishing all my unfinished stuff. See you later x

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Elves and Trees

I have been crocheting Christmas Trees (for Christmas Presents). I loved doing this. So quick, lots of little embellishing bits.

You can find the pattern for these here

And these little fellas are called Korknisse and are crocheted around a cork. You can also find the pattern for these here.

When I made these last year I actually knitted them as I wasn't confident enough to crochet them. Both are easy. The knitted ones you can make up as you go along. The only problem is, you have to drink plenty of wine to get the corks - shame!

 

Both of these patterns have come from the very talented Annabooshouse.blogspot.com. She is an amazing lady and she shares many of her patterns - a lot of them made up by herself. Very clever.

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Woyww#179 - Disembodied Monkey

Well here we are again. WEDNESDAY. WHAT'S ON YOUR WORKDESK, WEDNESDAY? As dreamt up by the lovely Julia @ Stamping Ground.

I took the photo of my desk this morning when the light was lovely. I knew I wouldn't be up there again so I can guarantee my desk is exactly the same right now.

Lime Monkey, this week behaving himself, lovely wool, two little sock monkeys waiting for their new home, a lovely cupcake card I got for my birthday and can't bear to part with yet. The cushion is still there, not touching it yet.

Sewing machine. I have done a few bits on it but nothing much worth showing yet. A new cowl (Christmas present). my ideas and pattern book. It started off as a Smash Book but then it turned into a place where I write ideas and I keep adding new patterns in there.

Lots of Christmas Bunting, cut out, ready to sew together. Green felt and cutout circles ready to add to the Christmas Trees I have been crocheting and embellishing. Will show once finished. A small box lid with bells, buttons and beads for embellishing said trees.

And last but not least, my baby amigurumi monkey. I got bored with him but as I knew I would have to show my desk, it actually spurred me on to finish his limbs (though his is minus a tail), all I need to do now is sew him all together.

I would like to point out that the pattern for the Cowl and the Christmas Trees is from the very talented, lovely Annaboo's House. As ever, a total inspiration.

As I was leaving my desk I looked back and thought "what would these lovely WOYWW'ers think if they could see where my desk sits and all the mess around it. So here goes. SORRY!

...and one last thing, just in case you were wondering what happened to the sock, here it is....

Nearly at that magic 8" mark where I start knitting a bit from one needle, turn it round, knit a bit from another............ Far too complicated to bother about just now.

See you on the desk hop.

 

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Saturday Sewing of socks

I got to spend another couple of hours up in my craft room today. How lucky am I?

I made a sock monkey for Small to give to his friend in England. I made him from a pair of Small's old school socks. He doesn't wear them anymore (they are clean) as they don't wear uniforms here.

He has an incredibly long tail (hence the knot in it). Small chose the eyes. Wish I had sewn him up in blue now as the uniform back in England was Blue, Yellow and Grey. Oh well. This is a picture of him with his little brother (also a present but from Smallest to his friend in England).

They are actually going to the same family.

That took most of my time, but I managed to cut some bunting out ready to sew. It is Christmas themed.

 

 

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