Merry Christmas One and All.

I hope you all have finished your christmas shopping, wrapped your presents, stuffed the fridge with giant turkeys and got huge boxes of chocs lined up for the big day!  So now you can sit back put your feet up and enjoy the yule tide festivities, at least till Thursday when you have to get up at 7 to get that turkey in the oven!

Thought you might like to have a little peek around my house at some of my decorations.  I love my two Santa's, I bought them years ago, they are made mostly out of paper and have graced all our mantle pieces.  The little sheep are all hand carved with little metal bells round their necks, there is a dog to look after them and I also have a little wagon, fencing and trees that are made of wood shavings.  

I have just finished painting our dining room white and just have the black mantle to paint now (white also).  The massive looking tree that you saw Mr Crow struggling with turned out to be the smallest tree we have had in years once I trimmed of all the scrappy branches at the bottom! It is a lovely bushy shape though and the decorations hang nice on it. It really makes it christmas once I start decorating the tree, its something I look forward to for months, christmas can come out of the cupboard once again and old friends get carefully unwrapped from their now slightly yellowing tissue and get hung side by side with new memories made this year.  My fairy on the top I only got last year, I saw one just like it in Country Living for well over a £150 more than I paid for mine!  Bargain!!

Well I will sign off now, and really want to reach out to you all and give you a christmas hug and wish you all a very happy, loving, jolly time this week with your family and friends.  

MERRY CHRISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTMAAAAAAAAAS!

Of trees and puzzles.

This morning dawned bright and warm, just the day to go and get our christmas tree.  We clambered into the car, Midgie sat on my lap eagerly looking out of the window on the alert because she had been told we were going to the 'Beach'. Nose to windscreen all the way she dragged me down the lane till I let her off her lead and she zoomed down onto the sand barking excitedly. I never tire of her delight for the beach.

We wandered on along the cliff top to our favourite, almost secret, beach where we sat in the sun that was almost spring like in its warmth while Midge excavated a big hole under Ian. Back along the cliff path slipping and sliding in the mud and then a short drive round to the farm to get our tree.   No snow to make a festive scene and so warm you wouldnt believe its December our tree chose us as usual being the first we noticed and after going through them all the one we went back to, then the fun of getting it into the car!

What a lovely position this farmhouse has so near the sea, they have their own lobster pots and sell lobsters, cooked thankfully, we decided to treat ourselves to one so we could have one for supper. I am not very good at crustacea, I cant bear the way it crunches it makes me think of insects and stepping on beetles!  Luckily the lady cut it up for me. It was very tasty!!

This afternoon was our jigsaw day, Sara came round with a cake and we got stuck in, to the cake and the puzzles.  I had got a few on ebay so we had some new ones to do.  I had got two from the same person and it wasn't till she got half way through it that Sara realized it wasnt the picture on the box and had been put in the wrong one. Very impressive considering she was referring to the picture all the time! 

Then Boris decided he wasnt getting enough fuss so spread himself over the table and he takes up a lot of table!  Sitting by the fire doing puzzles with cake a christmas drink and giggling with a friend is one of the best pre christmas things, putting the world to rights and de-stressing puzzles can do that for you!  A thoroughly good afternoon.

Paintings on little canvases for sale.

Hello all, I bought these darling little canvases last week and have been busy painting some little characters you might enjoy. I thought they would look good in big box frames.  All prices include P&P.

This sweet pooch is showing off for the audience. size 2 inches by 2 3/4 inches high, £19.50

black spotty cat, size 2 inches by 2 3/4 inches high, £19.50

Watching his own tail, 2 inches square, £18.50

Christmas cat, 2 inches square, £18.50

Two little dancing girls, 3 3/4 inches high by 2 3/4 inches. £23.50 each

Jewellery up for grabs!

Good morning, hope you all had a great weekend, seems as if most of you are decking the halls and decorating trees like mad!  Here are a few pieces of jewellery for you to look at and a couple of lovely little embroideries (not inc P&P) that need a new home. All the prices in this post include P&P.

Noddy charm bracelet on silver plated chain. All the charms are made from original Noddy Book illustrations between glass and solder a sweet tinkly bracelet yours for  £45.

Noddy necklace on silver chain, this hangs nicely and attracts attention!  £30.

From Noddy book, these lovely little bunnies and a bit of text. £24

Noddy Nugget necklace on silver chain. £10 each.

Noddy nugget charm bracelet.  Also has charms and vintage buttons, very sweet. ££49

Cutie Pies. Collage between microscope slides, really sweet and they are decorated on the back too! £26 each

Sold thank you

Seaside necklaces, these are really special. I cut up test tubes and fill them with tiny shells and sea glass that I find on the beaches here, then I add charms with vintage glass and mother of pearl buttons, each piece is unique.  £39.

£39.

Stretchy silver link charm bracelet loaded with charms with a garden theme and charms I made from vintage buttons and beads. (took me ages!). £35

Lovely framed embroidery, the rhyme reads: In a garden green and gay, All my troubles fade away, Sweet contentment here I find, Joy of heart and peace of mind. The frame is painted in white gloss that has faded down a bit and looks nice and shabby.  £20 not inc P&P.

Below a nice cross stitch in wool I think in a gold metal frame. £20 not inc P&P.

Sisterley Love

This morning I had a lovely surprise in the post.  A letter from my little sister and an unexpected present!  My little sister is the blonde one at the front of the photo and I am sat behind her.  I look a bit cynical and I can remember why, the photographer actually had a 'birdie' that he said to watch!   Three of my elder siblings were off school with colds when a photographer, going door to door, came in and took some pics of us, us being from the top Jill, Neil and Phillip (twins) me and Lesley my little sister and the last in our rather extravagant family! 

Here is another photo, before I was born, that I love. Showing from the left, Jill, Neil and Phillip, Lynn, Peter (the eldest) my mum (snazy glasses), my aunty Marion (who I look scarily like!), my dear departed dad and Marions husband Ken.  They were off on holiday in what looks like a Waltons station wagon!

Well back to the surprise present.  When I opened it I could not believe it, this little dog was given to Lesley when we were both quite little and I had always coveted it.  I used to play with it a lot but it wasnt the same as he wasnt mine.  Well I have given Lel some bits of advice lately and generally been what she called "A great sister" and this was her way of saying thankyou and I cant say how touched I am that she has given this little doggie to me, Thanks Lelly. It may not seem like a big thing, but it means loads to me.

LOOK OUT THIS WEEKEND FOR MY CHRISTMAS BAZAAR, I WILL BE SELLING LEFT OVER STOCK FROM THE SHOP (NOT RUBBISH) INCLUDING MAT FOTHERGILL HANDBAGS AND ELLAS KITCHEN COMPANY BOARDS.  ALSO SOME OF MY ARTWORK AT KNOCK DOWN PRICES AND SOME BEARS AND BUNNIES.  DO COME AND HAVE A LOOK AND TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

Good to be Home.

Its so good to be home again.  I am not very good about being away from my  'nest' or my other half and my babies (fury ones of course!).  I left home last Friday on my way to the Vintage Fair with my little car stuffed to bursting with work and display bits, I am always surprised at what, with a little lateral thinking, I can pack into my hatchback, its a sort of tardis on wheels really. 

The fair was a joy to be at and I thank everyone there who made it such a great venue, such a lovely atmosphere, super people and of course CAKE which I am sure we all enjoyed!

Well after that I had to drive back home unpack the car and repack it with work I was returning to artists in Shropshire that had supplied my gallery. Then I had to drive back up the M5 to the welsh borders and stay with my mum, very luckily for me the first artists I visited offered to redistribute most of the work I had for me so that saved a lot of driving around.  Then I stayed a couple of nights with my brother in Devon so we could visit Ikea, why don't they open one down here??? I got home Friday morning in time to take Midge to the vet as she needs regular check ups because of her medication.

Then on Saturday THE DRESSER arrived. this was the one I coveted in Lostwithiel. I ended up swapping a few of my antique toy horses and a bit of money for it.  I spent all this morning 'playing' arranging some of my china collection on it. Its nice to have somewhere I can put a few of my Maureen Minchin pieces on as you dont really look into a bowl on a table and thats where all the beauty of them is.  My little box I got from Michele (Cowboys and Custard) looks sweet on it too.

I spent this afternoon with my friend Sara, we went to 'Present heaven at number 11'  a house in Penzance where Emily opens her house to the public to view and buy her work alongside other crafts people and artists  It is a great pre christmas treat and gets you more in the mood for the festive season, I love doing as many before christmas things as I can that feeling of Christmas is more enjoyable than the day which goes so quick.  We also planed our jigsaw days and hope to get at least two in in the next few weeks.  Got the jug of lemonade on ice Sara!

Here is a festive fairy with her cat that I might use as my christmas card this year, there will be prints of this on my etsy shop.

I liked Michele's idea of a christmas bazaar on her blog and if any of you show an interest I will do the same thing??

Birthday treat and the giveaway

Its giveaway day!  And the winner is.........Annie from A Saucerful of Secrets.  E was charmed by your memory and could imagine the scene, cold night, golden light and biscuits!  So this little bunny is on his way to you when I can get your address.  Thankyou for all your memories it was lovely reading them.  I have lots of treasured memories of christmas, coming from a large family, I have three brothers and three sisters, christmas was always a very jolly time with lots going on and usually a house stuffed full of family and friends.  One of my warmest memories is when I got my first 'hard' doll (I had only had soft toys till then) I named her Sarah and my mum had knitted her a load of clothes and better still she came in a pram, an old fashioned (I think my dad had got it second hand) type that had a hood at both ends!  I had to share this with my little sister and mum had made all the bedding for that too. 

Birthday Outing.

It was E's birthday yesterday and for his treat he wanted to go to the zoo!  He is only 48 you know.  We went to Newquay Zoo and although it is only tiny we were very impressed. I must admit that I do not like seeing animals in cages but as E says they are safer there than in the wild nowadays. As it wasn't a very nice day there were hardly any other people there it was almost like our own private zoo.  We saw the penguins fed and the lion, the penguins weren't fed to the lion I might add.  

The meercats were so sweet there was a little one following the older ones around, even though they are safe in a zoo there was always one on lookout!  This Lynx was gorgeous and I could have reached over and touched it, it was so close.  The animals that totally charmed me were the marmoset's at the top who had an island on a pond to live on they were so cute and again there was a baby that must have only been about 10 inches long (never stayed still enough for me to get a pic) they chirped like birds and I could have stayed and watched them all day. It was a lovely day we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we will go back soon I think.

Here are Bunny bracelet and some Noddy necklaces that I tried to put on the last post, aren't they fun!

Fanfare please....It's my first giveaway! Yipeeeeeee!!!!! and other things.

This week I have had great fun making christmas decorations and some jewellery.  I cant show you the jewellery as I dont seem to be able to get any more photos on this post without making others disappear, very strange!  I am now high on soldering fumes and my fingers are black from the flux but is it worth it what do you all think??  

It has all made me feel very christmassy and nostalgic, I remember as a child we always seemed to have snow in the winter, staying out to long till your fingers and toes froze in wet mittens and wellies then rushing in to thaw your hands out under the hot tap, the burning warmth as feeling returned in them.  I love snow and now we live in the least likely place to get snow in the UK, sigh!  

I used some lovely old glass buttons to adorn some of these hanging dainties with chandelier drops and mother of pearl buttons to0.

Do di do di do do dooooo!!!!!!! (My go at typing a fanfare!)

Here is the give away.  This little chap has been sat on my desk watching me work all week and is now waiting to pack up his little bag of goodies and head for a new home.   But I do want you to do something for him, so if you post me a comment telling me about a treasured childhood christmas memory I will get E to choose one and they will get this little boy.  Look forward to hearing from you.  I will tell who has one in my next post on Tuesday 11th so you have a bit of time.  

A prize, a day out and some new work.

The other day I had a lovely surprise in the post when my prize from the blog Dadas place arrived it is a sweet little painting of a girl and her doggie.  I was lucky enough to be the person chosen on her give away.   Thank you Dragana I love it!

Our Friday out this week was to Cadgwith Cove, we had never been there before, its a tiny village with thatched cottages and a little harbour.  We spent some time wandering about enjoying the sunshine then went on to St Keverne for tea at Roskilly's icecream farm sitting by an open fire where the farm cats come in for a warm and to say hello to all the customers, they did not settle down till they had done the round of all the tables, very sociable poods. Wish I had taken some pics of them.

This cottage is such a diddy little thing it should be made of gingerbread and have a witch living in it!

  I spent last week making assemblages of which here is a couple. As you can see I have used the cow toy I bought a few weeks ago for one of them and pieces of an old jigsaw too.  I love wooden jigsaws, hate the new cardboard ones, they have no soul!  This was one I got on ebay and it had a few pieces missing so I did not feel to guilty using bits of it here.  I do have another farm one that is complete and it has lots of animals that you can play with as they stand up on there own.  I will be scouring ebay soon for my yearly fix of puzzles to do over christmas.  Luckily I now have a friend, Sara, who is also a jigsaw junky and we have a lovely jigsaw day where we just do puzzles, drink lemonade and eat biscuits!  Looking forward to that again soon Sara!  Well it was a productive week and I now have quite a stock of boxed bits for the show so I am now onto making jewellery and christmas decorations.  The decorations are in the prototype stage at the moment but I think they will work out OK will put some on the next post.

 

Another picture of Cadgwith for some reason it got put at the bottom and I cant move it.

Attention blog readers!  If you come back and look at my next blog, number 20, I will be doing a give away and I think you will like it!  I know I have not been blogging for long and I probably dont have many people who read it but I thought it would be nice to show my appreciation of you out there by giving one of you a little gift so do hop back soon and see me (bit of a clue there!)