Christmas and WOYWW

There's nothing like the pressure of Christmas to get some craft action going in my studio!  I have not done a great deal but I've made a few cards and I've now just completed the last batch of gift tags. 

I decided to dig out some old stash that I haven't used for years and came across the Tim Holtz Snowflake Rosettes die.  I've had a rather obsessive few days making these gift tags and although not all in snowflake colours they do look quite good against the plain red or plain gold wrapping paper I'm using.

 

I sent a batch of these white ones to my nephew who is decorating his own tree in his own place this year and has been on the look out for tree decoration donations from family, and I also made a handful to go on my dining room tree which is mainly white this year.

I made some others for specific people, hopefully tailored to their tastes - the black and gold one having a slightly Gothic feel, which was difficult to obtain without it looking Halloweenish - I think I've just got away with it but it's my third attempt!

I am joining in with Sarah over at WOYWW this week, and I wish every one a Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful and creative 2026.

Projects On The Go!

I finished making Christmas cards last night but I still have several things on the go at the moment - I'm working on three little  garden landscape collages (nothing to do with Christmas!) based on some of the mini collages I've done over the last few months (see here) - I rather liked the colours and knew I wanted to continue working in those sorts of shades. 

In the background some Christmas coasters are drying after having their last coat of varnish - I decoupaged them as small extra gifts for some family and friends.  What the picture doesn't show is almost every pot of glue and paint that I own 

were used as stands for this mass varnishing event - 24 coasters in total!  I really should have put the sewing machine away to give myself more room but it has been taken out as I need to make a pair of curtains - if I put it away again they'll never get made! 

I'm joining in with Sarah over at WOYWW this week.

Silver Pendants and WOYWW

 It's been such a long time since I blogged and I don't even have the excuse of having moved over to Instagram!  I've just been unmotivated and rather preoccupied with other issues and I've really not been in the right frame of mind for being creative.  However I couldn't give Christmas a miss, so lately a little crafting has been happening.  I made some silver pendants last week, the ones at the front of the block are white because that's how they come out of the kiln - they need to be wire brushed to bring the shine up like the two at the back, and then they all need to be sanded and polished.

The one at the back of the block I made for myself, from a mold I made of a lump of quartz rock. I finished it last night with some green onyx stones (right-hand photo) and it will match perfectly with a favourite winter top of mine. The smaller pendants are Christmas presents - it won't take long to polish them and add a jump ring to the smallest one.  I'm going to have a go at soldering the jump ring closed if I can - it's not something I've ever done before but I've seen the Hubs soldering and it doesn't look that difficult!

    Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW

Merry Christmas!

I'm still neglecting my craft room and my blog due to the ongoing tennis elbow and frozen shoulder problems - it's been very challenging and although there has been some improvement, it can easily be setback again if I try and push my luck!

So no desk this week but I thought a wintery scene was the next best thing!

I would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and creative festive season and  say thank you for the kind, supportive comments and friendship throughout the  past year.

 

 
I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW 

Christmas Preparations

 It finally happened last week - I was wondering when I'd feel the panic coming on and sure enough I went to bed last Tuesday feeling fine and woke up last Wednesday hardly able to believe I was half way through December and nothing had been done.

Consequently the following 5 days were spent planning and making Christmas cards, gift boxes and tags, putting up the trees and decorations and Christmas shopping (the safer way, on the internet!).

I am confident my nephews and brother-in-law will not be looking at my blog any time soon - in fact, I'm not sure they even know I have one, so I'm safe to show the gift boxes I made for their cash and gift cards.

And now the boxes are sitting on my desk waiting to be filled and the cards are nearly all written.  

Gosh, that feels good!

 

 

I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week. 

 

Christmas Gift Boxes and WOYWW

 The Christmas preparations are done - the last of the cards and tags have been made and presents posted, and I've just finished two little gift boxes for my brother-in-law and nephew.   Now I just have to remember to put the gift card and cash in them, or that could be embarrassing!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

I hope you all have a happy, safe and creative festive season, and here's hoping 2021 will be a kinder year to us all.

Christmas Clock

This little Christmas scene has been a long time in the making, and for yet another year I've brought it out and sat it on my desk in the hope I'll finish it this winter!  

It started life as a clock from a charity shop, I emptied it's internal organs out and

filled it with Grit Paste and Christmassy things.  I've pretty much finished it now, just one or two little things to add as the background is rather bare and I need to work out how to illuminate the inside as it's rather dark in there. 

  

 

I am joining in Julia over at WOYWW.

I enjoyed seeing so many of you at the evening Zoom meeting on Saturday - it was great to put faces to names!  A big thank you to Julia for organizing it.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to you all.  I hope the holidays were peaceful and happy for you.

Partly due to the festivities and partly due to the fact my hand is still suffering complications from a simple operation I had back in the autumn, I have done no crafting over the holidays at all. As I have nothing currently on my desk to show here are a few things I made before Christmas... 

Gift boxes to hold cash and gift cards for my nephews and brother-in-law...

...a few home made cards...

... and some crocheted cotton facial scrubbies for my sister and a couple of friends - I bundled them up in a little strip of stamped card.   Hopefully no more buying cotton wool and make-up wipes!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW.

Beaded Christmas Flower and WOYWW

My very talented friend Felicity from the little Craft and Chat group that I run kindly taught us all how to make this beaded Christmas Rose.  I'ts the first time I've attempted 'proper' beading despite using copious amounts of beads for pretty much everything I make from collages and embroideries to cards and tags!

It's now been added to the Christmas tree and just needs the leaf attaching.

It was fun and I will certainly be looking up more beading 'recipes' on line.

 Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and a big thank you for all you kind, lovely comments and support over the past year.  

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Christmas Packages and WOYWW

Happy New Year!

Very little has been going on in my studio since before Christmas - how long ago that seems now - and so there is nothing on my desk at the moment, but I thought I'd share some Christmas packaging I made for family members, just to give me an excuse to take part!

An envelope for a restaurant voucher - front...

and back.

A small box for a cash gift - front...

and back.

A small pillow box for a piece of jewellery - front...

and back.

I am linking up with What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week and I've just realised I missed the WOYWW 500 anniversary - what an achievement and thank you to Julia and all the wonderful deskers who have kept it going and made it such a joy to participate in. 

Tweed and Velvet Christmas Cards

This last week I've been rummaging through my fabric box in desperation for some Christmas inspiration - I came across the red, grey and cream tweed off cuts and thought they went beautifully with some grey silk velvet and some wool worsted suit fabric from a sample book.

I struggled to keep the cards fairly flat so they would go through the post easily, it was hard and I could easily have carried on adding to them as I'm very much a lover of over egging the cake when it comes to embellishments!  However, I stuck with embossing the velvet and adding Pearl drops, and gluing some die cuts on.  Here are a few of them. 

And here are a few more that are going to be hand delivered so I was able to add more bits and bobs!  Not many made this year but perhaps next year I'll give myself a kick up the backside a bit earlier!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone and thank you for all your kind comments and support throughout the past year.

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Pine Cone Christmas Cards

 A couple more Christmas cards to share.
I managed to find some nice deep envelope boxes at 
noordesign-shop.co.uk  that are ideal for those of us who forget to 'think thin' when card-making!!

Merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy 
and creative New Year to one and all.

This week I'm linking up with the deskers over at the Stamping Ground.

Christmas Cards

I've churned out about three cards this week!  It's relaxing and I love it but I think I need to up my game if I'm going to be done by Christmas!
Here's a couple of them...

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Christmas Cards and WOYWW

I am rather loving this little church die (it's also in my last post here) -  and I'm still feeling smug that I'm churning out Christmas cards like my life depended on it!

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.