A final Christmas post ... the one that got away

Its always a bit bare when the Christmas decs get taken away and as today is twelfth night, traditionally the day when the end of the wonderful chaos of Christmas ends and we all return to some form of normality.

I have one final Christmas post to share with you, this was my table decoration for Christmas day.

I have used a few empty jars in different heights and widths, tied on some gingham ribbons and wound round some coloured string along with a couple of the clay ornaments that I made.  I felt that as these were simple shapes I could get away with carrying them into January without it looking too Christmasy.  This would work just as well with neutral string, wool or embroidery thread.  You could replicate the clay shapes in card or paper. but they look just as nice without.

The jars are filled with mini peppermint candy canes, cookies and cream Hershey kisses and non-edible pine cones.  I was inspired by Pinterest to try bleaching some of the pine cones we collected on our trip to Norfolk, this was done by leaving them to soak in a solution of 2 parts bleach to 1 part water in a lidded jar.  I left them for about a week giving them a shake every time I thought about it and changed the solution about half way though. I used some of the smaller cones as there were more practical to get into the jar, I selected a few that were open and some that were only partially open this meant that there was variation in how the cones whitened, the more open ones losing most of their natural colouring.

We did have a minor issue with the wall lights on Christmas day so the contents of the jars were rapidly deposited onto the table and were replaced with candles and mini twinkle lights which was very romantic but not really light enough, at one point I thought I might have to string the twinkle lights around my neck in order to see!  Luckily I am married to a very practical man who found something from the back of the garage to effect a temporary fix.

I am going to continue to use the jam jars with the lights in during January helping to fill some of the space left behind now the Christmas decorations have gone.  I will post an update once I can get some light for a half decent photo.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2016, I hope you will drop by during the year to keep up to date with me and what is happening in my little world xx

2016 is on the way

I have been enjoying some lovely slow days with late starts and nothing more strenuous planned but hanging out with the family and the odd game of cards while still making our way through the mince pie mountain!

I must have been a goodish girl all year as I got quite a lot of things from my Christmas wish list and several that weren't there too. They were mostly sewing related; I will post an update in the new year, but all I will say is Hubby did pick very well.

One of the items on my wish list was this set of three notebooks the covers were styled by Sarah Moore, the author of Vintage Home, who's work I greatly admire and find very inspirational.

I have decided to use one of the note books to start planning projects for next year.  At the front of the book I am going to put in all the projects that I have started but not finished or those where I have brought or collected the necessary items but not actually executed the deed.  Each project gets it's own page this way it can be removed once a decision is made about it's future.  I thought that this would

• Give me a bit of a shock when I see how many WIP projects I have

• Analyse why they haven't been finished eg lack of skill, don't like how it was coming together, needs something to finish it, didn't have enough time when I was making it

• Realise I got carried away when I brought/collected it and it's not something I really want to make

• Help me get organised 

• Stop me me spending too much in the January sales (ha ha ha)

At the back of the book I have started putting in new ideas for the coming year.  I think my mantra for 2016 should be to complete one project before I start another, I know that this will be quite challenging as often I start out with one idea and it grows into something else and suddenly I am completely absorbed by the new idea but I guess this is also part of the creative process.



The second notebook will go into my handbag, I always keep one in there and find it handy to

•  Jot down ideas and do little doodles of things I want to make. 

• Keep a note of people's sizes for when we are browsing in Charity shops - we are always on the look out for clothes that would be suitable for when we attend the Goodwood Revival

• Sometimes you just need a bit of paper!

The one I am currently carrying around is almost out of pages so I will transfer any useful information then do the swap.

I will hold onto the third book for now maybe it will be used at the beginning of 2017 to record all the projects that didn't get completed in 2016!

Wishing you all a very fond farewell to 2105 keep all the good stuff and leave the bad stuff behind x