I hope you like this vintage New Year postcard. I just wanted to thank everyone out there for all your support and encouragement this blogging year. I've met some wonderful people and looking forward to keeping in touch and meeting new friends along 2011's highways and byways. Wishing you all healthy, happiness and creativity in 2011
I was lucky enough to win the giveaway over at Love Stitching Red and received this gorgeous crystal snowflake from Carolyn. Isn't it gorgeous? A big thank you to Carolyn as this 'bauble' is destined to be a favourite for many years to come.
Just a quick post to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Creative New Year. And many thanks to Suzi in Canada for sending me this postcard :)
Been wanting to photograph this angel on a church near my workplace for a while, been waiting for snow and today we finally got it!!
I've had the chesty lurgy since my last post but glad to say I'm only coughing a bit now, it was a nasty one. Since feeling more human I've had a chance to make my first Remains of the Day journal and I throughly enjoyed it. It's such a freeing method of construction and ideal for me as I collect lots and lots of different papers. I can now try to reduce my stash, he, he.
From vintage ledger papers, to doillies, to shade cards to advertising junk mail.
All under the watchful eye of Merlin, meow :) I now have to give it away to a friend for Christmas but I'll make myself another one, or two, or three in the New Year!
Sorry my posts are like buses today, you wait ages then three come along together, lol. I've decided to start selling some of my artwork on Folksy. I've put some of my hanging ATCs on there, so if you're interested you can check them out here. I'll try to work out a button at the side tomorrow. Need to work on my shop banner but it'll have to do until I get more time, so don't expect too much.
So happy!! My christmas tree is up, my new free tree as well, thank goodness for Freecycle. This is a beautiful 6ft tall as my old tree was just becoming far too small for my collection of baubles and trimmings, lol. It's up in my dining room this year so that when I have friends over for dinner we have a more festive atmosphere, as we invariably just stay chatting round the table when the meal is done.
Now for a tour of some of my favourite decorations. I adore this embroidered heart that I bought in Libertys many years ago
This is a contender for the oldest decoration on the tree, a children's dummy, that I think came from my 'auntie' Hilda, who lived across the street from us when I was a very small child. 
Here is my poodle in a shoe and wooden heart. Love poodles, don't know why as I'm very much a cat lover but there is just something about poodles, and I love hearts.
This little sailor is only 2 inches high and could be very old, he's been in our family since I was a child but his origins are lost in the mists of time.
This little cheeky cherub is made of stockinette and I love her, again another purchase from Libertys. She always has to be well up the tree so she is away from the cat claws. Incidently have you tried putting up a christmas tree with 4 cats behaving as 10 week old kittens, it makes it interesting to say the least, lol.
Went off to Birmingham this week, to visit the German market. It was a freezing cold day, little snow flurries all day but the trains didn't let us down. Both there and back the trains were on time and we all got a seat, not something that happens normally. I just loved this stand, all red and lit up, with santas and angels going round at the top.
We climbed up and had a mug of mulled wine, whilst stamping our feet and soaking up the atmosphere.
I just loved this stall, a big polar bear offering you refreshments, now you don't see that every day, lol.
I've made some vintage style ATCs for a swap
I went into full production, or at least that's what it felt like, making hanging ATCs that can be put on the Christmas tree.
And I'm still admiring my chrissies, 3 weeks old now and I think they still look smashing. Probably the cold in the garden room has helped, it's soooo cold even with the heating on. All the cats are in, huddled up on chairs and on the bed, so it must be cold outside. Hope it's warmer where you are :)
I've become a year older, if not wiser
Had some wonderful post from Postcrossing and these adorable ATCs from the Roses on the Table swap I did
Made some hanging ATCs for a Holiday Ornament ATC swap on Milliande
I started running a Natural Crafts course at work today and as usual had had no time to work up any examples so whilst grabbing a cup of coffee this morning I dashed off these. Using a leaf as a negative stencil I used watercolours on vintage book papers, then collaged and added natural items such a sycamore wings, twigs and pressed flowers. But I needn't have worried, after a stroll in the local park, collecting leaves, twigs, seeds etc the group had lots of ideas of their own and we had a very enjoyable time together.
Talking of work I was in a graveyard again the other week. We had a team day out, having a walk and then lunch together. On the walk I came across a lovely little graveyard so I just had to have a five minute detour and this is one of the charming graves I came across.
I got out some material yesterday, Laura Ashley, that I bought ages ago, so long ago that I can't remember what project I had in mind for it. I've been given an armchair that must have been made in the 1930's or 40's that needs recovering and I thought I'd just see how much fabric I had. I turned round for a moment and then discovered Archie nestling in it, he has a sixth sense when it comes to me getting fabric out. I can't be mad at him, he's just so cute :)
I've been drawn out of the proverbial hat as follower of the week over on Susie's blog Gathering Up Bits of the World. I'm thrilled to have won the above quiltie, I've never won any draws before. I've long admired Susie's work, she makes the most delightful journals and has a blog that is well worth a visit so do pop over and say hi.
Just thought you should know that Mickey and Bill take their Neighbourhood Watch duties very seriously, lol.
No. not a scarf but a doorshop. I haven't got the right weight yarn so combining a couple of yarns. It's from a lovely new book by Debbie Bliss called The Knitting Year, which has some really lovely projects. Again I got it out of the library, thank goodness for libraries :)
Ahhhh.... Enjoy your Sundays, I'm off to work in the garden, tidying up for winter, then I must knit, knit and maybe some more knitting, why are weekends so short?!
I came across this inspirational home interiors book in my local library, it has so many wonderful photos, evoking different moods and eclectic interiors that I just had to share it. 
I thought the above colour scheme was amazing and the title Travellers and Magicians just conjured up lots of images in my mind that I could use in my artwork.
Collections of scraps and fragments, little treasures, is a passion of mine. I love displays of them together and remembering the stories behind them, or imaging stories around them. 
I found this wonderful knitted cardigan in a book called Power Cables by Lily M Chin, again in my library. This pattern has entered my 'if I ever find the time to knit it' knitting list. Suspect we all have one of these lists. It's ages since I did any cabling and yet I do so love it.
This is my entry in Tike's journal with the theme Unconditional Love. This is one of the journals in our International Journal Swap round robin. I had fun creating this page and got the idea from work on the vintage wedding atcs earlier this week. Hope she likes it :)
I've made these plus two duplicates for a swap on a new group I've joined. I got to thinking about a story around the bride, maybe she's lost her husband, maybe some time ago, Great War? She fell in love with him because of his way with words in the letters he wrote to her from the front. They married when he came back on leave. She's kept buttons and pieces of lace from her dress together with the family locket and charm he brought back from France when he came back on what was to be his final leave.
I've been given an award by the lovely LaaLaa at Hookin' with LaaLaa She is a lovely lady with a super blog. I just love her crochet and patchworks and her little chats, why not pop over and pay her a visit. Thank you so much LaaLaa.
5. No not cats again but charity shops (thrift stores I think in the States)? I love going in them. You never know what treasures you'll find such as the above book on this weeks trawl of the shops near me. It's the thrill of the hunt, the pounce on the treasure and the taking to the cash desk and running away home to gloat over the hoard, or not, and think maybe next time......
7. Are you still with me? I love christmas. I love the cards, the presents, the decorations and the all round loveliness and goodwill of the season. Here are a selection of cards I've saved from other years that I hope to incorporate into a christmas journal.
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