WOYWW #383

After a LONG hiatus, I am back again :) What a perfect day to return to Blogger - a "What's On Your Work-desk Wednesday?". Hosted, as always, by the amazing Ms Julia over at The Stamping Ground.

Want to join in and have a nosy peek at other people's work spaces? Just click  to pop over to Julia's page, and all will be revealed on what to do.

So... 

Today I am number 44...

I've recently started crafting again - since February (my last post) I have been busy - dieting! I've lost more than half my body weight, and am down to trying to lose those last stubborn 12 pounds :) I have no idea why this change of lifestyle stopped me crafting - maybe because I have been cooking a LOT - trying to eat healthily and experimenting with flavours and tastes. Anyways... back to my work desk...

 This is Tuesday night, and usually my desk remains much the same... but it's even more crowded and messy right now lol. This Christmas, I am making a lot of the gifts I shall be sharing - candle making, candle decorating, making chocolates, biscuits, cakes and also pickles and jams, gathering flower seeds from the garden and placing them in pretty jars, - even the jams and chutneys have been made using fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in my garden :) For my amazing "she's-more-like-my-sister-than-my-best-friend" Ms Lizzie, I also decided to make some decorations, and really wanted to try my hand at creating some little tree decorations. Her beautiful home is very 'up-market shabby-chic'... so I decided on a pink theme. They are far from finished - I have lace and sparkles to put on yet :)

 So  disappointed with how the silver ones look in the photograph - they look so much nicer and a LOT less 'tacky' in real life :)

 Had so much fun making the basic tree's... even if the little fabric roses ones took about two hours! Of course, I have to decorate them yet - and I have been shopping, so have lots of little things to rifle through and choose from :)

I have three more sets to make - probably three to each set. I'm looking forward to making a red-and-white Nordic themed set :) and then something in icy blues I think...

I'll try to keep up-to-date... posting once a week if I can. In-between cooking, cleaning, shopping and walking the dog every day, I'm hoping to find a few minutes somewhere :)

Have A Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!

Origami Stars

Sometimes, when I talk about one of my nieces or nephews, I may not be talking about relatives as such. I have two especially dear friends, and their children call me 'Aunty' - such an honour! I thought I had best explain that one when I say that my niece (one who is not my brothers child) asked if I could make origami stars, and gave me a link on how to fold paper into stars. When I say "asked" ... it was more of a bet! (Thank you Ms Charmaine! lol)

Well, ... Could I?

The thinner the paper, the easier it is...

 I made so many different sizes out of all sorts of scraps of paper :)

 And when I'd finished... I made some more. These are hung up out of the way above my desk...

 I decided to take the smaller stars and put two back-to-back. Not the best photograph I'm afraid, but my camera is out of batteries and I'm having to use my laptop camera :)

So much fun to make - even if it does make your hands ache :)

 

Christmas Wreaths

My favourite craft project :) I just loved making these - and they are sold at the Boutique Village in Southampton. I made a few, and they were so popular I had to make some more.

I made two of these traditional coloured ones, and didn't lacquer them because that would have hidden the beautiful papers I used. Because these ones were card, not paper, not having a lacquer coating should be fine.

This copper-tipped one with holly leaves is my favourite - I'm going to make another one just for me :)

 This one is different - and quite unique. It took so long rolling up and tying all the bits of paper, and then tipping each end with glitter - I swore I'd never make another one!

A close-up of the unique one-and-only wreath :)

 

Even More Projects :)

I love making Christmas décor - whether it's cards or decorations, it always makes me smile. I can't help it, I just LOVE Christmas :) So here's a few more projects from the last year...

 

I made little bobble hats and mittens tree decorations in so many colours - not shown here are the brown and cream, red and green, and autumn themed colours. One young lady whom I sold some to made her set into a hanging banner for her fireplace :)

 

I also made the boxes I put the hats and mitts into.

 I made a few of these hanging decorations - my favourite is the "Joy" one...

 Chocolate bar covers with a 3D theme...

 Chocolate bar wrappers to look like snowmen - the hats are made the same way as the bobble hat tree decorations :) I also made teeny ones that sat on the tops of Polo mints wrapped in snow-man wrappers. I think Polo's are called 'Lifesavers' in America?

 I also made lots of boxes for chocolate and candy - these Hello Kitty ones had the hole cut out to show the character on the box.

I made quite a lot of the candy boxes, and also loads of 'Reindeer Poop' bags too :)

 

More Projects ~ Christmas Cards

I did say that I had done a few crafty things over the last year... so here's a few more :)

These cards are all sold now, but I will definitely be making more, as I think they are so pretty :)

 

Projects :)

I have managed to finish a few projects over the last year :)

 

I stepped back into the world of candle making with soya wax, and sell candles in teacups :)

 

I made a lot of Christmas crafting projects to sell too, including Santa keys :)

 

 

Bookmarks...

 

 

... and lots of Christmas-themed earrings...

 

 

 

 

So I have kept myself crafting-busy.

I'll upload a few more of my projects to show :)

 

 

love Love LOVE Stampington & Co!

I wrecked my favourite stamp. It was one I had bought second hand from EBay a LONG time ago...and I loved it! It has been so well-used that I wore it away, and the rubber started to disintegrate :( I've tried so hard to replace the wooden-backed stamp... but nothing was available. So, I looked onto the online site of the makers of the stamp - Stampington. I didn't think thay would still have this stamp after so many years... but they did! I ordered it (and some gorgeous 7Gypsies tissue papers), and then waited not very patiently, for the postman to deliver.

I have to say that, as usual in these matters, the postage was incredibly reasonable - and the prices for crafting supplies so much cheaper in America than here in the U.K. I've even written to JoAnnes begging them to send items over here - but they've no plans to do such a thing right now   :(   *spoilsports*

Anyways... here's what all the fuss was about... my lovely new stamp:

Now I have to find a way of incorporating the old wooden block from the original stamp into some sort of project - it's so grunged up and old looking - gorgeous!

SantaSantaSantaSantaSanta!!!!!

Guess who got to go and see Santa Clause today? ME!

Yay!!!

Of course, I had to drag the grandchildren with me so as I wouldn't look silly standing in the queue with hundreds of little kids screeching for the Man himself... but we all know the visit was just for me really :)

The kids got the gifts... and I got to have hugs from the real Father Christmas... really is him *lol*

He smelled like pine trees and christmas cake... and I could have quite happily stayed snuggled into his fur trimmed coat for a few hours - without the grandkids though *lol*

Next year, however, I shall not have orange hair, and hopefully be back to a more natural, blonder look.

I'm so excited though...

I saw Santa

:)

CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even More Sprucing!

I think I have a bit of an obsession with shelving.

I asked Hubby to make a high shelf for the dining room so I could put all my favourite books out of the reach of sticky-fingered grandchildren and paper-chewing moggies - he did brilliantly!

Then I asked for a shelf above the cooker in the kitchen so I could have my most-used cookery books within easy reach... and he did that too!

After the shelves I asked for the bedroom, and the shelving for the cupboard under the stairs, I am beginning to wonder if I have a problem *lol*

My kitchen is tiny - wee-tiny! I've had to put an extra freezer in there at the moment, to store the food I'll need to feed the 14-15 people I have coming on Christmas Day... and I've had to put the freezer in the front of the dining room door! Still, it'll be back in the shed after the big day, and then I can start to thnk about what else I need doing to the kitchen... being an ex-council house, the rooms are somewhat functional rather than pretty - and I so desperately want to hide the massive boiler that takes up so much room! But... the architect and designer I had visit said that unless I want to rip out the kitchen entirely and start again from absolutely nothing, I'm stuck with it how it is... and we all know how tight I am with that sort of money. I'd much rather 'make do and mend' than 'splurge out and buy new'.

At least the pipes are boxed in... so it could be worse :)

And the freezer, although in the way, is a handy box to put a little spare Christmas Tree on :)