It's almost here.......

2011 is almost here and I just wanted to take a little time to wish you all a happy, healthy and crafty new year!

Advent Swap - Day 16 & 17

This is my final post for tonight I promise......

Day 16 I chose

I don't really have a "beauty" regime just facial wash and moisturiser but these samples from Clarins and Decleor will get me motivated to try a bit harder for 2011 as I'm not getting any younger and might need a bit (more) help now I've reached my 40's!!!!

Day 17

This was one of the most special Advent Swap gifts that I received from Annie

She had taken a photo that I had posted of my three children and popped it into this silver frame - I just love it and will always treasure it - thanks Annie!!!

Right I'm off to Bedfordshire see you all tomorrow!!!!

Advent Swap - Day 14 & 15

I feel thoroughly spoilt with my advent swap goodies and I have lots of lovely new scents to try and beauty samples to experiment with here are the next two days goodies.....

On Day 14 I opened

Now I wasn't sure what to expect, a small smelly alien came to mind but I was relieved to find this perfume sample instead!!!

Day 15 was

These beautiful lilac and purple beads and flowers sequins will come in handy to use with some lovely summer lilac flowery fabric that I have just waiting to be transformed into something gorgeous, not sure what it is yet but I'll let you know when it's finished!!!

Advent Swap Catch Up - Day 12 & 13

I have so much to write about before the start of the new year but I have a feeling I may still be posting about Christmas way into February at this rate!!!

I feel that because the Advent Swap was such a wonderful swap to have been involved in I don't want to spoil the fun I've had by not carrying on with my individual posts about the beautiful gifts that I received.

So on Day 12 I chose......

I'm keeping this delicate glitter to myself as I've only ever used childrens glitter before and didin't realise that grownup glitter was so spohisticated!!!! I can't wait to try it out!!!

Day 13 saw some more Cath Kidston goodies and I now feel that as Cath and I are on first name terms and I now have one of her craft books we are going to have a long and happy friendship!!!

Bluebell Body Lotion to use after I have had my Bluebell shower!!!

What a fab day!!!

Just popped in to say hope you all had a wonderful Christmas - we thoroughly enjoyed our relaxed Christmas day the food was excellent - thanks to Paul - smoked salmon and scramble eggs for breakfast, turkey and all the trimmings for lunch. I even enjoyed my brussel sprouts this year as Paul had tried the Gordon Ramsey recipe and they were very tasty!!!!

The kids were thrilled with their gifts from Santa.......

We're off out today to visit family - more pressies too!!!

I'm going to use the time over the next few days to catch up on blogging about my advent swap goodies so watch this space!!!!

I'm a Winner!!!!

I recently took part if a 50th Follower Giveaway over at Vintage Hearth, this lovely blog is written by Linda and her wonderful granddaughter pulled my lucky name out of the bowl to receive all these wonderful goodies which arrived today.

Firstly there was a copy of Sew! by Cath Kidston, now I am a bit of a Cath novice and we have only recently been introduced (don't ask me where I've been hiding I just not sure!!) but now Cath and I are friends (first name terms see!!!) I'm itching to try out a few of the bag designs in her book, especially the hexagonal patchwork one as I've been wanting to have a go at hexie quilting for some time - now there is no excuse!!
Next were these custom made Gift tags which I am going to use on my swaps and any future giveaways that I have.
And the lovely package wrapped in tissue paper, tied with a raffia bow and adorned with two candy canes to look like a heart contained this lovely vintage table centrepiece cloth, what I love about these pieces is that they are as neat on the back as they are on the front. I'm keeping this for my hexagonal summerhouse which I hope to finish re decorating just for me this summer.

Finally Linda enclosed a gorgeous blue beaded bracelet that she had made - it's just beautiful and I had to hide it away as the magpie (aka Rachel) was out and nearly fly off with it into her room!!!!

Thank you Linda for a truly wonderful and generous giveaway to see more pictures check out Linda's blog Vintage Hearth.

Advent Swap - Day 11

Right I know I should be getting ready for Toddler's but I thought that as Tomas is quite happy watching Fireman Sam I thought I'd quickly post about Day 11

Pretty Sticky conjures up all sorts of things

and the package gave no indication of what was inside....

a beautiful butterfly magnet, which is going to be great for sticking my TO DO LIST to the fridge!!!! thanks Annie....

Advent Swap - Day 10

Okay so I didn't quite make two posts in one day so as I have a few spare minutes this morning before Toddlers here is Day 10's pressie of my Advent Swap...


three gorgeous buckles which I am going to try and incorporate into some of my bags in the future.....

Today is hubby's 42th (as Rachel put in his card!!! - it was late last night and she had been out at her school music concert!)
birthday, not sure I'd like a December birthday as everyone seems so caught up with Christmas but hopefully we will have a Chinese this weekend and I'm going to make his favourite steak with peppercorn sauce and Dauphinoise Potatoes on Sunday.

Advent Swap - Day 8 & 9 and a little blogland friendship

Right I have a little catching up to do, and there I was feeling all pleased with myself for posting nearly every day when BOOM! a few days of hecticness (is that a word?) and I'm all out of sync!!! So here goes with more loveliness from Annie in my advent swap.

Day 8

How can you resist a title that says

especially when you rip open the wrapping to find this inside

Gorgeous or what!!!
Next for Day 9 I picked

to help with the stresses and strains that are bound to happen over the next few weeks

inside was this invigorating Clarins fragrance - Mmmm! lovely!

I shall post again later this evening to try and catch up so please look out for Day 10, 11 & 12......

Finally I just wanted to add that there seems lots of stresses, strains and just a bit of sadness in blogland at the moment and I just wanted everyone to know that there is always friendship, a shoulder to lean on and an ear for listening amongst friends (real or virtual).

I would hate to think that anyone felt they were alone during this difficult time as there is always someone around to share the highs and lows of life so please keep in contact.

Advent Swap - Days 6 & 7

I have some much to do at the moment and not enough hands, time, energy, enthusiam etc to do them and this has resulted in a bit of a back log so I'm posting two advent swap days in one today....

On Day 6 I chose "A Vintage Treasure" and on Day 7 "A bit of Cath"

The vintage treasure was this beautiful perfume bottle, Annie and I must have had the same ideas as I was looking for something similar when searching for her gifts....but then I found something different but you'll just have to wait and see what it is!!!! The little bit of Cath was of course Cath Kidston and was this delightful Bluebell Shower Gel which I had to keep hidden from Rachel as she would have been off to have a shower in no time and then there wouldn't be any left for me!!!

Right I now starting to panic everso slightly that I will run out of time before Christmas!!!! Anyone else having the same feeling!!!

Advent Swap - Day 5

It's been a really busy day today here in our household as today we put up our Christmas Tree. We have an artificial one (I do love real trees and plan to buy one for the garden!!) which takes quite a bit of time to get ready and I do get a little territorial with it. So my job is to get it ready branches fanned out nicely, pine cones on view and lights all over the tree and then it's over to the kids to decorate. Now in the past few years where the kids have been decorating I have been know to rearrange it once they've gone to bed But I am getting better and trying to teach them as they get older that you don't need to bunch three ornaments together but spread them out nicely...(do you get the picture - I'm not good at sharing my tree!!!). Well I have to say that all three of them did a brilliant job, well the boys enjoyed it more I think as Rachel was busy watching a film!!! and there weren't toooo many arguments along the way and only one smashed ornament (Tompom had a moment and threw it at the fireplace!!!) Having read other peoples comments about the christmas spirit whilst putting up your tree I think we did rather well!! It's nothing like in the films is it!!!

Here is the finished tree in all its glory - I'll let you know whether it was a good idea to put in in the living room in the next few days!!!

Right on to my advent swap - I 've had a couple of emails from Annie to say she love, love, loves her advent swap gifts that I put together for her (phew!!!) and she is going to blog about them soon so don't forget to take a peek.

In honour of the "putting up of the tree day" today I chose this.....

a beautiful music paper decoupaged star

what did you get today????

Closing Down Sale!!! - Misi Shop

I sure those of you that are sellers on Misi are well aware of the problems that having been occurring over the past few months and I have tried not to blog about them here as I was trying to keep upbeat but the time has come to finally leave the sinking ship!!!

I will be closing my Misi shop at the end of December and am offering 20% of all handmade items any remaining stock will be transferred to my Folksy shop and I am also hoping to open a Blog shop too. (if i can work out hoe to do it!!)

Please pop over and take a look and any refunds will be given via paypal.

I also have some Christmas bags (similar to my Halloween ones) which will also be included in the sale these were £6.50 now £5.20 i will be added photos to my FB page tomorrow.

I will also be checking my stock of bags and adding them to the sale so please keep checking Facebook

Thank you to the wonderful friends that I have made on the forum (it's one of the best forums around and one of the main reasons I haven't left Misi sooner) and I hope to see you over at Folksy and on FB.

Advent Swap - Day 4

Another late post I'm afraid as I was busy trying to tidy my workshop as I have lots to make and do when the kids go back to school next week and we are also having major kitchen/house refurbishments going on during January and December which means it's going to be pretty chaotic to say the least.
Well it's Day 4 of the Advent Swap and this time I chose


Inside was this Angel perfume sample which if blogger had a scratch and sniff button you could all share, but it doesn't so you're just have to take my word for it that it smells gorgeous!!!


As most of you know my daughter Rachel now has a blog and many of you have popped over to say Hi, (thank you) well she is putting me to shame with her craftiness and her blogging, today whilst she was busy at the kitchen table making (there was lots of "Don't look now!" and "Don't come in!" so I'm guessing it was something for me!!!) she also had a little helper - Tompom - who after having glued enough sequins to put the Strictly dresses to shame

decided that what his glue stick needed was some dancing elephants.
I know it's not easy to see but he used a lot of concentration (tongue out!) putting those elephants into that blue glue stick!!!

I love the fact that they are all up the right way and facing outwards - genius! as Tompom would say.......

Advent Swap - Day 3

The kids were still off school today and we have spent most of the time out sledging, well Rachel and Jack sledged whilst I took photographs and tried to keep warm. Needless to say this evening they were both shattered and after watching the gruesome goings on on I'm a Celebrity they hit the sack, leaving me a little time to finish off making some custom orders, which is why this post is a little late this evening...
Rachel decided to choose today's package (see I can share really!!) and this is what she chose...

and inside were these two cute metal springy hearts on mini pegs, I can use these to keeps the many to do lists that I make in one place... I also love the vintage Joker playing card that the hearts were attached to, that bouquet looks like a cake very scrumptious!!!

Thanks Annie!!!

Advent Swap - Day 2 and a little request....

I'm really enjoying this advent swap, seeing everyone's little packages opened each day and relishing the fact that it's just for grownups!!! Much to the kids dismay today I opened my next package whilst they were outside in the snow, they are so desperate to pick a package from the bag but I being a little selfish I'm afraid!!!! Maybe I'll share next week!!!

I went for a big package from Annie this time with the clue...

and tantalisingly you can just make out the wool threads...

Inside was this delightful Victorian Purse Tapestry Kit

I haven't tackled a tapestry for some time and I love the colours in this kit so am looking forward to some cosy nights by the fire working on this project.

Finally I have a little request, my daughter Rachel has been desperate for some time to have her own blog and as we have been snowed in the past few days I relented and she has been busy building her own little piece of blogland, I think I have produced a clone (only a better improved version) as she loves trying new crafts, reads copious amounts books, enjoys hunting for bargains in charity shops, is a terrible hoarder, takes a mean photograph and is a whizz with all this techno stuff. The only thing she is missing is a few followers so it would make her day if you would pop over to her blog Crafty Sweet Heart and say hi

Advent Swap Day 1

I've been so excited today as today was the first day of advent which meant I could open one of my gifts from Annie who was my swap partner in the Advent Swap organised by LaaLaa.
Annie decided to go with a bag theme and all my gifts are tucked away in this wonderful red snowflake bag......
Rather than dated all the gifts have a little clue as to what they might be and I can choose depending on my mood or just take pot luck....

How tempting are all these little packages......

For my first advent gift I chose.....

and this is what I found inside - a pretty sparkly brooch - which is going to look just fabulous on my new winter coat.

I used to have a pair of earrings with drops just like the beads on this brooch and will have to have a look in my jewellery box to see if I can find them to wear them together.
This advent swap idea is fantastic and a real grownup way to enjoy the build up to Christmas.
So it's a big thank you to Lynda for organizing the swap and to Annie for being my super advent swap partner.

The children haven't missed out either as well as the usual chocolate (Christmas is the one time of the year they can eat chocolate for breakfast) advent calender this year I have also put together some envelopes with a different activity for each day and today's activity was to put up their small trees and decorate them. Rachel and Jack keep these in their rooms to add a little festive cheer.
Now we all can't wait for tomorrow to see what advent brings us on day 2.......