Handmade Gifts

I made quite a few of these caravan tree decorations, even one for myself.

The sections of these pot holders/coasters were hand stitched. I made them up on the machine with a backing and thermal wadding.

Handmade Gifts Received

I also altered a girls school shirt into a vet outfit for my Granddaughter to match the vet kit my daughter has bought for her. I used tea-shirt transfers.

 

A Christmas Pattern

Another Robin and Happy Holidays

Embroidery and applique

Snowman 2 and Cards

This is taken from the same drawing of a snowman as yesterday but this one is just stitched.

I used both yesterdays snowman and today's for printed greetings cards.

Herd of Deer

Decorated Jar and Bottle

Continuing from yesterday - we stayed overnight at one of our friends and the next morning we had a workshop decorating bottles. The little jar above was clear but I sprayed it with glass frosting after sticking stars to it. After it was dry I removed the stars and put in the lovely feathers and tied string around the neck.

I sprayed light frosting on the top 3/4 of the jar. After drying I stuck on paper circles [snow] which was waste from a circle punch. Our friend provided us with print outs to cut out but as I'm not very neat with cutting by hand, I cut mine out using my Zing Air. I put a few epson salts in the bottom of the bottle and a battery t-light candle. There is an excellent tutorial and scene printout for the candle jars at Shabby Art Boutique.

Christmas Bunny

Christmas Frogs

All Present and Correct

These are the lovely handmade gifts I got from my talented arty, crafty friends.

Bags of things from Gillian.

I love the way she has done this button.

An unusual house in a cup pin cushion from Marian.

She's used tweeds and felt for the house and has embellished with hand embroidery.

She also made the lovely cup and hung a verse on a tag from the handle.

Helen made each of us a full book of inspiration, all different.

She has collaged images relevant to our interests and included other bits and bobs like the little bones on the dogs turbans.

And sparkly gems....

and buttons...

and a butterfly envelope complete with butterflies...

and a pocket with vintage postcards, etc....

Vicky has screen printed a pink Christmas tree design on a bag.

She has used this tree on a fabric called 'sugar coated Christmas Tree' on a background of stars, also with coordinating fabrics, which are available at Spoonflower .

She has also made this cute little brooch with the same tree with a laser cutter.

Didn't I do well?

Who's Crackers?

I made some fabric crackers for when my arty friends came for lunch, I thought they would be good to use as tree decorations. I say crackers but they won't actually crack. I hand painted and stamped the fabric and stitched on some trim at either end. I used a card roll from wrapping paper to wrap/stick the fabric on and then decorated with ribbons, mini fir cones etc. But that is not all - I put small treats inside too as the crackers can be opened up one end, treats removed and refastened.

Sorry about the bad photos, it was fairly dark and I took them in my messy studio.

Inside there was a peg snowman. I painted an old fashioned dolly peg with white paint, made a hat from some packing [foamy] material, used pens to add features and a scrap of fabric for a scarf.

Also a small roll of hand painted washi paper, I used a recycled mini thread reel to wrap it on. A hand made glittery card button, stamp and circle shaped cut outs [from old Christmas cards], stars on a rope [from a string Christmas decoration], a sweet, Christmas themed gold shapes and a reindeer stick on.

Holiday Colours

The sketchbook challenge this month is 'Holiday Colors' and I've chosen the colours one usually associates with Christmas - red, green and gold. 

Seasonal Placemats

Some people assume because I like embroidery and making textile pictures and such, that I also like and am good at dressmaking, mending and other such activities. I shall put you right, I have a love hate relationship with regular sewing. I quite like it sometimes when things are going right but most of the time they don't..grrrr.. It is probably my fault in that I don't measure things correctly like with these placemats, although I thought I had and also not keeping a straight line while sewing. I wanted them to look different but I did want them all the same size but they are not. I like them now they are done apart from the sizing issue but there was a lot of frustration while making them.

The edge on the one below looks blue on the photo but it is actually green.

The fabrics were purchased, not my designs.