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!