Merry Christmas!!!

Oh dear!!!  I think I've let myself down a bit here.  My last post was from the 5th - that was a LOOOOONG time ago.  I think this is the first time since I started this blog that I've left posting for more than a week - and it's certainly the longest I've gone without visiting anyone else's blog!  And I genuinely am quite cross with myself about this.  The bad thing is that I don't even have a good excuse.  I've neglected emails and Facebook and EVEN Pinterest too!  We've just been lazing around really - and visiting family and friends.  

But I have to say that the resting and relaxing HAS been lovely!!!

I had to venture online today, though, to wish you all, my dear blogging friends, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.....

..... and to show you this tiny elf hat that I crocheted for a tiny friend.....

I'm wondering whether I could get away with one myself.....

Have a great day tomorrow, dears!!!!!

Cary

xxx

   

Another 'Little Geranium' Dress

Well, there are so many show-and-tells I want to do on here at the moment (and so many of your wonderful blogs that I need to catch up with).  But there just doesn't seem to be any time for anything at the moment.  Where is time disappearing to???  I think it might be that, when we get home from school at 5:00 in the evening, it's already properly dark - and so feels like bed time!?!

Not that I'm complaining about the dark nights.  They mean, after all, that Christmas is coming.  And they mean long, cosy evenings watching festive movies in the glow of the candles and Christmas tree lights.

Today's post isn't a christmassy one, though.  I just wanted to show you another 'Little Geranium' dress I made for our friend's beautiful little girl.  You can see my first attempt here.  And here's attempt number two.....

I was pleased with it.  The only problem was that I now want a dress for MYSELF in these exact fabrics and colours!  :-)

See you all again soon.....

Carly

x

Felt Flower Corsages

Thank you, dear blogging friends, for all your encouraging comments on my last post!  The fact that lots of you also feel nervous before craft fairs made me feel much better.  

The fair went really well in the end, and there was absolutely no reason at all for me to have been so nervous beforehand.  Though I know I'll be JUST as worried next time!  ;-)

Annoyingly, I completely forgot to take my camera with me.  So I can't show you any photos of my stall.  

Instead, I thought I'd show you some felt flower corsages that I made for the fair.  Cheery colours on a dreary day..... 

Until next time.....

Carly

x

Bags of Bags

So, tomorrow's Christmas Fair day at school.  I think I'm all set to go.  Everything's packed up by the front door, and I'll be setting up my stall during lunch break.  Does anyone else feel stupidly nervous before craft fairs???

Here's another quick show-and-tell of what I've been making, in preparation for the fair.  Today's 'topic' is bags.....

A grey, yellow and white stripy one:
      

A white, red, turquoise and grey spotty one:

A green, yellow, brown and white spotty one:

A turquoise, blue, lime and brown stripy one:

And an orangey-red, lime and yellow one: 

My favourite's the turquoise, blue, lime and brown stripy one.  I want to keep it.  Is that bad?  I may have to sneak it off my stall and keep it for myself.  We'll see how the willpower goes tomorrow.....

These bags were all made from the 'Buttercup Bag' pattern, from Made by Rae.  You can download the (brilliant) pattern for free here, and you can buy a license to sell them if you wish to do so.  

I'll let you know how the fair goes..... 

Bye for now!

Carly

x

Wrist Keyrings

Next Friday is our school Christmas Fair, and I'm going to have a stall there.  Exciting stuff!  

I thought that, over the next week or so, I could do a bit of a show-and-tell of some of the things I've been making in preparation.  

And, first of all, here's something new that I haven't tried before.....

.....  keyrings that you can wear on your wrist:

What do you think?  Good idea or silly idea?  I'd really like to know (honestly) what you think on this one!

I'll be back soon with some more showing-and-telling.....

Carly

x

Autumn Bits and Bobs

A couple of weekends ago, we went for a Sunday afternoon walk.  I decided to take a 'nature bag' with me, like I used to when I was a little girl.  There was a lot to collect and, when I got my loot home, I set to work turning it into a little autumn bits and bobs display.....

No matter how old you are, bring back nature bags on Sunday walks, I say!!!

Carly

x

Personalised Bunting

While I was working on the baby quilt I showed you last week (you can see it here if you missed it), I was also sewing up a couple of strings of bunting that the same friend commissioned.

Bunting String Number 1:

Bunting String Number 2:

If you've never tried sewing bunting, you should definitely give it a try.  I have to admit that it's one of my latest crafting addictions!

Carly

x

Halloween Costumes

After 'skipping' a year in 2012, we decided to reinstate our annual Halloween party this year.  We both decided to go as Mexican 'Day of the Dead' skeletons.  

I made my costume from an old bed sheet.  I used 'Pattern Y' from Yoshiko Tsukiori's 'Stylish Dress Book'.  I spent a couple of days embroidering a colourful pattern of the front.  It took a a fair few hours, but I made the most of it and enjoyed the chance to relax by sitting on the 'Poang' and listening to ghost stories on Librivox as I embroidered.....

I hadn't done much embroidery before, so had to learn a few lessons along the way.  

I accessorised my costume with some bringtly-coloured jewellery, and bought a flowery headdress from a costume shop.  So, altogether, my costume only cost me €6!

Simon's outfit consisted mainly of his 'normal' clothes (chords, a black shirt and a waistcoat).  We found a neckerchief in the fancy dress box, borrowed the sombrero, and bought the rifle and bullets.  His outfit cost €10!

The face-painting was all Simon's handiwork.  He did a brilliant job, I have to say!!!   

Would you like to see???

And a bit of a scary one to finish up with.....

Now our faces have been scrubbed and all the decorations and outfits are packed away, we're starting to think about next year's costumes.....

Any suggestions???

Carly

x