Busy, Busy, Busy Part 2

I have been really busy just recently, I had to finish my advent swap presents and then get them packaged up to send, that shouldn't take long I thought, WRONG! it took most of a Sunday. Each prezzie had to be wrapped individually, numbered and then packed so they wouldn't get damaged in the post, no mean feat. I then agreed to join the Christmas Raffle which meant making four Christmas items so I could get four back. I made some Advent wreaths which I found on the internet but I'm damned if I can now find the link, otherwise I would share it as they were really easy to make but very effective.

 

For my part I received a Christmas cactus, a bag containing some decorations, xmas baubles and some tinsel, a knitted xmas stocking and two festive teapots.

So now it's December the 10th and I have opened ten presents.

Day 1-5

and

Day 6-10

10 down, 15 to go! I'm like a kid in a sweetie shop every morning and if that wasn't enough, last week I received a package from Canada that was totally unexpected.

Karin's prezzie

plus some mini pine cones which she has sent me before, but my stocks were running low, and some ice cubes to use in mini drinks. How lucky am I?

I put the RL decs up today so I took the opportunity, while I was decorating my dh to put all the things in it that I have received over the past 10 months of being a member of the swap group, it sure fills your dh good with things that you probably wouldn't think of doing yourself.

I've also been doing a lot with Fimo, but that's another story for another day. Fimo, love it, hate it.

See you later....  

Busy, Busy, Busy.

I've been really busy on the mini front just recently, most of it is because of the swap group I belong to. There's the usual Birthday swaps but I signed up for the Xmas Advent swap which meant 25 little presents to be posted out before the end of November, Eeek! Luckily I had quite a bit of stuff that I had made that was surplus stock but I've still had lots to do. I was beginning to think I would never get it all done but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, thank goodness! I haven't counted but I think I have only a couple more to do, next year I will have to start a bit earlier.

One of the ladies in the swap group has just had a Birthday and I sent her a needle punched rug and some roses in red, black and white but stupidly I forgot to take a piccie of the roses, never mind you've seen my roses before. I did photograph the rug though.

I posted this out from the post room at work at 3.50pm on a Friday and lo and behold it arrived with Sally Saturday morning!! On the other hand it has just taken a little prezzie to reach Karin in Canada over 4 weeks to arrive. This was one of the reasons I shutdown my eBay shop as it was too stressful waiting for things to arrive and something that was supposed to de-stress and be enjoyable became a stress maker instead. I am much happier making things for myself and making things to sell would never have made me millionaire anyway.

.

I'm off to hopefully finish my advent stuff

See you later.....

Where,Oh Where Does Time Go?

Is it really over six weeks since I last made a blog entry? I really don't know where time goes. Mind you saying that I haven't been idle, I've been working on minis for the Thingmas Advent swap, 25 little prezzies to give to someone in the group and in return I'll receive 25, one to open every day in December. I won't bore you with piccies as most of them I've made before or it's stuff  I  had in my stash of surplus makes.

Talking of the swap group, it was my Birthday last Friday and I received nine minis.

Paula

Roz

Vicki

Pam 2

Sally

Sonia

Rebecca

Val

Mandy

Aren't they great?!! Hubby got me some perfume which he gave me a couple of weeks ago because I had run out but on my birthday he gave me a Kindle!! So I've been reading as well as mini-ing. That night we went for a meal, at our local in The Lakes, and when Steve came to pay the bill it had been taken care of by the owner, so all in all it was a fantastic day.

I've decided (I think) what I am going to do with Karin's castle. I did at first think of doing a kitchen but  then when I Googled them I realised that it would detract from the beautiful stone work and a kitchen probably wouldn't have had a stained glass window so I decided on a dining hall. Silk curtains to frame the window and a simple table and chairs. I've already bought a suit of armour and the wood to make the furniture but I think I'll hold off doing any thing until after Thingmas when we stop going to the van and I will have some free weekends. 

Last but not least, please take a look at this Blog, Blake is a young man who makes some fantastic minis and is trying to fund his way through college. If you're on Facebook  like His page as well. Young people need a helping hand in this fantastic hobby.

See you later....

A Reunion, not! But That's What It Felt Like.

You may remember a couple of weeks ago that I said an internet friend was coming over to the UK for a wedding and she wanted to meet up. This weekend, after a few false starts, both of us lost internet access, EEk but finally we made it! I know some of you follow Karin Foster and that was who came to visit with her partner,Ken. They arrived Sunday tea-time so straight away we went for something to eat at a local pub and then back to ours where Karin and I exchanged gifts. Karin makes the most exquisite castles and keeps out of builders foam and she had very generously made one for me.

The detail in them is incredible and the stained glass window is beautiful
Thank you Karin! It is much appreciated. I will have to decide what scene
to put in it but I'm spoilt for choice with ideas so will wait until I decide which best will do it justice.









We then chatted all night about everything and nothing while watching the Olympic closing ceremony, Steve and Ken retired to bed and left us to it. It was just like meeting up with an old friend but all too soon it was the following morning and after breakfast they had to go. They were then going up to Windermere and then crossing over to Yorkshire and driving down to Sussex. Last night they stayed at Thirsk and were going to the James Herriott Museum today. They fly back to Canada on Thursday and I am so glad they made the effort to drive up to Lancashire to see us.

See you later.....