Christmas 2021

Having stressed and stressed about our Christmas cards this year I had just about convinced myself to buy them

But when FTiming with one of the nephews he asked me what I was up to and I sighed that I was trying to summon up the energy and will to make the cards but also that I no longer enjoy making cards &, having not been able to sit to craft for months and months, had no idea how I was going to manage them

"So don't do them!" he urged

"Don't do them" his wife shouted from the background

But then her face appeared around the edge of the screen ...

"But everyone will be expecting a Debbie card.  We love our Auntie Debbie cards"

SOoooooo ... 100 cards later & a lot of help from hubby (including fixing my broken Big Shot) I had them done

Afraid I still had to resort to sending a few bought ones but, hey-ho, I did my best

All my usual tag style - apart from the family ones because my sister always moans that she can't stand up a tag card

Most people who know me know how much I loathe the colour pink - so had to put a warning on a couple of envelopes suggesting they sit themselves down, adopt the brace position & have smelling salts or a stiff drink at the ready

 They were all pretty much the same apart from the wording at the top ... some said WISH & some NOEL

The family still get a tag ... it's just stuck to a card that opens - I win!!!

Sorry about the splodge - wrote the card before I realised I had not taken a photo

 

Decided on penguins for the littlies - changed the colour of the scarves & their names but otherwise all the same

Evidentally the penguin on the inside was a great hit with Rex

 

 Henry had penguins last year so went with his obsession with the Marvel type characters and it was The Hulk who called to me

 I wasn't able to do much for the friends to whom I like to send a small token each year ... so had to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)

 Also just about managed to make doves again this year for Nick.  I make 11 each year for the family

Poured resin doves & my much preferred mixed media style which I find easier to do than faffing around with die-cuts and bits of paper

Again the colours do not show up very well - shades of green, brown & gold

You will, no doubt, spot the very deliberate mistake - yeah, right! Only spotted it myself once it was too late to fix ... that gold icing paste dries really quite fast and there was no going back having come this far

Teach me to get up at 3am to work on these as they were playing very heavily on my mind - had almost decided I would have to admit defeat and accept my limited capabilities but just about managed to get them done

Of course, the stars in the background should be diagonal from top corner to the bottom and it annoys me intensely that I stuffed up

So that brings my year of crafting to a close

Can't believe how little I have done compared to last year with all the lockdown giveaways but guess none of us know what awaits us and we just have to go with the flow

Wishing everyone a very 

Happy Chirstmas and heartfelt wishes for a much better 2022 for everyone

xXx 

Catching up

 Can’t quite believe how long it has been since I blogged but, hey-ho, time flies, eh?

This is just a last minute catch up - trying to get this year’s projects recorded before the year actually ends!

There isn’t actually that much as I wasn’t able to do any art work for months

This one was based on a video from the wonderful Finnabair but as it used techniques I was already used to I decided to use it as an excersise in colour - the one area that still scares me!

Had to take a deep breath with the green but ended up glad I did as it has become one of my favourites which surprises me as it is far more shiny & sparkly than appears here - blame the limitations of my photography 

There were then several bleak months until I did this one for a birthday gift

The photo is of Nicola (&was taken by nephew Alfie)

I was asked a few years ago to do something with Chuckie’s old shoes but had neither the knowledge or abilities to even know where to start

Am glad I waited as there were tears (happy ones) when the gift was opened

I considered several photos but was drawn to this one & enjoyed matching - or trying to - the colours to the embellishments 

 I deliberately kept the horseshoes as natural as I could and the embellishments to a minimum as I wanted them to be the main point of interest

There were nails still attached to them which I wanted to use but no way could I leave them in place due to their position, so hubby removed them for me and I included three of them in the design ... can you spot them?

***

Nothing has stopped me doing my bobble blankets ... had a full order book pretty much all year but finally found time to do three toddler sized ones for three of my litties (great-nephews)  The eldest, Henry, already has a full sized one and the youngest, Luna, had one around her birthday back in June

Then I decided it was time Rex, Louis & Arthur proressed from their baby bobbles and I set about ordering yarn ... all carefully chosen to be similar,but different

Plan backfired ... Louis was here one day as I was working on an order & he came over to stroke it

"I don't like blue bobbles," he announced

"I like yellow ones" (right now EVERYTHING has to be yellow

So more yarn ordered and success was declared

I decided I was happy with the yarn chosen for Arthur so went with it

But then came Rex and now up aginst the clock as more orders had come in

I knew from the moment I did the first foundation row of chains that I hated that yarn and no way was it right for Rex

Might grow on me, I thought, so carried on

It didn't

So - more yarn ordered and this time I was much happier

Rex was too & his reaction made everything worthwhile

I generally only do full sized blankets but made an exception for my littles

Hugs & love from Auntie when we can't have as many real ones as we would like

***

Now I am able to sit for short periods of time I have lots of plans for the new year - lots of projects waiting to come to life ... or not, according to how I feel about them once done!

Watch this space and it might not be six months until my next post

xXx