Christmas preparations!

Well, the knitting has come to a halt for a short while. This was so that I could finish off my Christmas cards. As you can see, I am not a tidy papercrafter....

... and I have to have everything out on the desk, so that I know what I'm doing ( I should add, hopefully)!
Last years' cards were of a traditional theme. But this year I decided to go more contemporary, with design and colour. This was partly due to the beautiful wallpapers which I was given. The colours I used for the cards were chocolate brown and black.....

..it's really difficult to see in the picture, but the brown textured paper has gold in it too....

...I used chocolate brown cardstock, and I stamped and clear embossed the snowflake backgrounds. I then used a Martha Stewart punch for the squares of paper and I used my snowflake Sizzix die to punch out some snowflakes. Just to top it off I punched some smaller snowflakes to top the larger ones off. I did the same with the black , the black paper was embossed and has silver threads running through it, and I also used silver holgram card too....

.. I then decided to make a fewcards with some dusky pink card and some velvet striped paper. The effect was great, and so I made a few in that colourway.
For my last few, I used one of my photos of mince pies.....

....and used them as toppers on cards, after stamping and clear embossing holly on the card. It worked very well, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.
When I told Mick what I was doing, he wasn't sure about the wallpapers, but when he saw them, he was impressed. (Breathes a big sigh of relief!).

... I've made sixty, I think I've made enough .....

.... I still have the special cards to make for family. I am sticking to the black/silver/ hologram and chocolate brown/gold theme for these. they will hopefully be finished in the next day or so.
I'm hoping to get started on my "springtime" knitting before Christmas, but at the moment there is way too many other things to do. I don't think there'll be much done over the holidays and for a short while beyond, as with family staying with us, my time will be concentrated on them. Besides, there's the grasndchildren to play with and that is more important!
I have a facination for kaleidoscopes, ( this comes from when I was a child and had a kaleidoscope telescope). Nowadays I use software on my computer, and once I get playing, it's difficult to stop...

...it is very addictive.....

...I have used kaleidoscopic images on cards, as background papers...

....and I they look great as tiles....

......

......maybe I shall use some for atc's....

......or frames....

....the possibilities are endless, as they say!
I still have one Christmas gift to make. It's actually going to be a collection of special pictures to be mounted into a frame. I'm hoping to get it done by the end of the week. Then it's the real countdown to Christmas. I've already baked two lots of mince pies....

....they've all gone already, but December is the month for them! But by the weekend there will be more. The brandied mincemeat is on standby!

84 and counting, now for the real ones!

Well I've made 84 mince pies at the moment, and I have 8 to finish. Then I can begin the real ones!

It will be a change ( and so nice) to make some I can actually eat! My deadline was to finish them all by the end of the month, and it looks like I've done it. All my other Christmas knits are done too...

.....so I don't think I shall be making any more now, unless...
anyway I'm now trying new things for spring. I'm starting now as it's going to be very hectic here over Christmas and New Year with family staying. I won't be knitting ( or sewing) whilst we have our grandchildren with us, I shall be too busy playing with them. Even though the youngest is only a few weeks old!
I have put some into my Folksy shop....

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...and I did have some of the larger cupcakes.........

...but they sold before they hit the shop. There will be more, and different varieties next year.
I am halfway through making my Christmas cards. it's strange, but it's usually the last Saturday in November when I get them all finished. This year will be no different, as my desk is loaded with inks, stamps, card, die cuts and my Sizzix machine sits waiting patiently for me. I have already planned that this coming Saturday afternoon ( whilst Mick is at the football) is the time I will get it all done. ( I hope my plans don't go astray!)
Once they're all done I can pack all my card making things away ( for now) and sort out my fabrics and yarns. Then everything can be stored ready until I need them.
I have( slowly) begun my atc adventures, at the moment I am just making elements to use, using papers.....

..fabulous wallpapers which I've been given...

..some I'm creating myself with various mediums....

....some are made on the computer and printed out. this is where my Kaleidoscope kreator comes into its own....

.....I'm even experimenting with fabric and yarn....

....

......in fact I'll experiment with (almost)anything....

...

..the last one is one of my own photographs which I've used in a serif Craft Artist programme.
I love old style crafts but I also love using my computer and printer. It's so much more exciting creating things yourself. Whether it's from paper, yarn , fabric or whatever. Go on, have a go, you won't regret it!

Christmas treats...update

Well, now we're into November and the buzz of Christmas is getting up speed.
I've just completed 48 of these....

...and they are now safely in their new homes.
These are also ready.....

....butonly one set(at the moment)is currently in my Folksy shop.
I will be making these selections up until the end of the month.
My knitted stemmed flowers are coming on a treat. They are a special order for someone, so no pictures for now.
My christmas card making is on the back burner at the moment. But the stamps, inks and everything else are all on standby, ready for action.
For now, it's back to the flowers.

Inspiration and experimentation

There's a lot going here, nothing unusual about that. But sometimes I have so many things which I want to do, that I find it almost impossible to make my mind up in which direction to go first.
Like many people I know, and perhaps many I don't, I do have quite a few ufo's in my craft room. Some of them will, eventually, be finished, but some will be taken apart and remade, in some form or other.
Some of them are finished and are now being used, or in place.
My £6 Ikea chair is now finished, and this is what I did....
Remember it looked like this......

.....I then gave it two coats of white paint....

....then, after much dithering, I decided which fabric I would use for the seat pad, which meant I then knew which colour paint to use.
In my large collection of fabrics I found some of this....

...I have several pieces of this Sanderson fabric, but one piece was just the perfect size for the seat pad cushion, which meant I didn't have too much measuring and cutting to do. The colours were just right too, pretty pastels. So the chair was painted cream, ( yes, boring I know, but then I found this paint......

... a gorgeous pink, which a pearl lustre in it. ( The picture doesn't quite do it justice.) Whilst the cream paint was still wet and using a clean, dry, soft cloth, I rubbed the pearly pink paint all over the chair.
It was looking good but still not right. When it was almost dry I dry brushed gold paint over it, then waited for it to dry.
The result was this.....

......the cushion looks lovely and fits just right, the colours blend perfectly with the painted chair. The finish is a pearly paint with a gold shimmer. Just like an organza ribbon. I am so pleased. Mission accomplished!
On to my knitting adventures, I am using this book.....

....to gain my inspiration for some flowers I have been asked to knit.
I know that there are books available on the market, but I prefer to design my own. I have several varieties of flowers to make, so I'll just show a sneak preview of the first one which I've done...

.....I do have a lot of "left overs" from my knitting projects and many people would throw it all away....

.....but being my mothers' daughter I don't. I have many ways to use these up......

...even the smallest amount.....

....and it's not always knitted! But I have to keep that for another time as I have to concentrate on making more flowers and I have a very large book to go through.

Having had a good few days of very warm weather it seems very strange thinking about making pickles and preserves for autumn and winter use. Nevertheless I have been making a few things already.
All the apples which my neighbour kindly gave me are all used. I made four large jars of spiced apple and sultana chutney, and with the rest I have made a spicy apple mix for use in crumbles, muffins and pies.
Now I'm on to a big family favourite, pickled onions!
I remember watching my mother when I was little, sitting at the kitchen table. She always made her own pickles and preserves. In fact we hardly had any "shop bought" items. Bread was another item which was always homemade. Well it is better isn't it?
Anyway, back to the onions!
Once you've bought your onions, decide how many jars you need or want to make. I usually do three or four jars at a time and then do more (as required) at two week intervals.
I soak the onions in cold water, without peeling for 24 hours. This way they are much easier to peel and there are less tears!

...Once these have soaked for 24 hours, peel them, then soak for another 24 hours in salted water.......

....Now it's time to attck the vinegar!
Many people buy the ready spiced vinegar in jars or containers. I always spice my own. That way (after years of trial and error) I get the right mix. This is the way I do it. Don't go out and buy expensive vinegar there really is no need, I buy the cheapest, after all it's going to be spiced for pickles, not drunk like wine!
For each pint of vinegar I used one teaspoon of pickling spices and one dessert spoon of dark brown sugar. The sugar keeps the onions crisp and sharp. This spiced vinegar mix needs to be put into a saucepan and brought to a boil. Leave to boil for a few seconds, then turn off the heat, and put to one side to go completely cold, making sure that the sugar has dissolved.
Once the vinegar has gone completely cold, you can either pour it back into the bottles or store in a large container.
After the onions have been soaking for 24 hours in salted water, wash thoroughly, dry on a teatowel then pack into sterilised jars. I sterilise my jars by washing thoroughly and the putting them in a cold oven on a tray and then gently heating the oven. ( Some people use the dishwasher cycle, as I don't have a dishwasher this is my preferred method).

..Seal and label. These onions are usually ready to eat in about four weeks.
While the oven had been switched on I made this...

......lemon tart, another family favourite!
Back on the crafting front, I have yet to make my mind up on the colour (and fabric) for my chair. My knitting projects are still my main focus, for the moment,(yes, Christmas cards to be made soon!) as I have orders to fulfill....

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....and some are already in their new homes...

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....I still have some new designs I'm working on, but they are still at the draft stage, but I'm very pleased at the way my patterns are working out.
In the meantime it's time for a cuppa and a slice of cake....