Biting the bullet........

Well, with a New Year and a new start ahead, myself and my friend Clare have decided to bite the bullet and try and flog our wares at a local Artisan market....

I'm planning on making some felt flowers and a few crochet accessories.....I'll put them on here when they are made.  I'm looking into this Folksy business too...If you don't shoot for the moon and all......

Crimblymas....

Here are a few of the bits I made as presents for my nearest and dearest.......

First up is the crochet lapgan that I made for mum...it should have looked like this....

but I just couldn't get the hang of the zig zag thing in time; and so, it looked like this.....

Then there were upcycled cashmere mittens for my Sister in law....

These are super peasy to make..
....just draw round your hand with your thumb stuck out..cut out 4 identical pieces from a mistakenly felted cashmere jumper.( if you line up the pieces at the bottom of the jumper, you get a nice ribbed cuff)

......add an inch all round for seam allowance and with right sides together, stitch around with thick thread.....
......trim back the seams to 1/8 inch and turn right side out..and bobs your uncle!

A felty monster pirate for little J

Aga covers for Mother in Law

A pencil roll for my step nephew

A wine bottle cover for Father in Law

An infinity scarf for sister in law...

I have decided this year that ALL my gifting will be handmade. I am fed up with getting people things that they do not need.... and instead, want to give them something that is as one of a kind and original as they are!

Happy New Year everyone and here's to a creatively crafty new year!

Universal Craft Blog Directory!

Rie over at Craftyrie is putting together a Directory of Craft Bloggers so all us lovely peeps can be kept organised in one place! What a wonderful idea!  It basically works by word of mouth.  Click on the button, add your URL and post the button on your blog.  Make sure you do a wordy bit to say what its all about and there you go....Job done!

My Year........

As the conveyor belt to Christmas chugs along I thought it time to sum up my year. Mainly for my own benefit really....kind of like a baring of the soul.

The main event...Little J starting school. My how time does fly, next thing I know he will be off to University and far too tall for his own good.  So many people said to me, "Oh you will have so much more time to yourself". Well, that is indeed a LIE. I just manage to fill it with waiting for J to get home!!!

This was the year I lost 10% of me!! I joined Slimming World and lost 2 stone. I have to say, it's a life changer.

I also joined the WI....not all jam and Jerusalem. I joined the Golden Triangle Girls and found myself to be one of the OLDER members..you can see what we have been up to here .
Jecca and the girls recently entered a fantastic dress ( made of video tape) into the Little Black Dress competition in London. You can see the pics on the facebook page.

Thanks to Caroline, I enrolled in a dressmaking class. I learnt some important lessons about patience and doing it the right way! We have enrolled again for next term, so you never know, I might even get a garment finished :)

We also started a Friday Crafternoon group, which I hope to expand next year. So far, it is just a few of us school mums meeting for Coffee, Cake and Craft in our houses, but maybe it can become something bigger...who knows?

2011 was also the year I shaved my head...yes, indeed, you read correctly. I SHAVED MY HEAD. At the age of 34, it is not really a look I could keep ( despite Little J's pleading).  The reason for this insanity: To raise money for a very good cause Macmillan Cancer Support.  I am sad to say that Cancer has been a big part of my life this year.

I have lost 2 of my relatives and a 3rd is losing his battle as I type. It is indeed a very sad thing, but I want to take something positive from it and make sure I have no regrets in the future.

On a positive note: despite being diagnosed with Hodgkin's my AMAZING friend, has just been given the great news that SHE IS IN REMISSION!!!!!!!!! They have also said, that the chances of it coming back are very slim.  She is a fantastic person who has smiled through it all and with such a strong will, the Cancer never stood a chance.

Wow this has been a Mammoth post and I hope you managed to stay with me until the end? Given the madness of Christmas that has descended on the Ellis household...I don't think I will be back until the New Year.


Have a great one and here's to a Crafty 2012!!!!!!

Traditions....

This is our Christmas Tree this year.....

Now, as you can see, it's not the usual sort of tree. The reasons for this are many and it has also become somewhat of a tradition in our household.

With the demise of our "fake" tree 3 years ago, I set about looking for a replacement. On a trip to John Lewis ( A big department store here) I spied a "tree", but it wasn't the normal green and leafy variety. It was bare branches, made from wire and tape and painted tree colour with snow on it. It was also £90!

Being the frugal being that I am, I thought ...I CAN MAKE THAT!

It transpired that year that nature decided to help me out as we had a particularly windy winter, which brought down a LOT of branches...and there was my lightbulb moment!

Little J is a made crazy nature lover and collector of sticks, stones and leaves, so it gives him a great deal of pleasure to "choose" or tree - and so a tradition was formed.

The many reasons why I like this particular tradition?

It doesn't shed, it's 100% recyclable ( we burn it in January) and it allows us to see the rather lovely decorations that we make together this time of year. Enough said really!!