Cardboard Gingerbread Men

I saw a wonderful wreath on Martha Stewart's website made out of real Gingerbread Men but I didn't want to hang real edible decorations on the door, not with MY kids (and dog) around so I made it out of cardboard instead and used 3D paint for the icing and raisins.

I will get a proper, nice red tartan ribbon for it, that is all I have to hang it with at the moment.

The Tree

If we were hamsters, and our house was their cage, the RSPCA would come round and rescue us for being overcrowded. Seeing as we are just humans however we just have to lump it.

So, lack of space means no space for a tree, not even our usual slimline artificial one so I decided to make one instead.

Its made from MDF, it's painted BRIGHT green, the baubles hang inside sawn out holes and it looks fabulous and I LOVE it!!!

Still here

Do not fear, I'm still here!

I have been doing a LOT of crafting for the past couple of weeks but it is all for my Secret Santa so I can't show any of it until after Christmas in case she sees it!

I am however making a fabulous Christmas tree which I designed and my husband is doing all the hard manly stuff with the holesaw and jigsaw but I shall be uploading the photos of it's various stages of development tomorrow and hopefully it's completion!

Where has my baby gone?

My wickle baby waby Pops Pops has started playgroup, it's 3 hours a morning for 3 mornings a week, sob,sob.

Of course she doesn't HAVE to go but she is getting bored at home and absolutely loves it there, on her first day (Tues) she didn't want to come home and today she cried after her nap as she wanted to go back.

She has to take a  spare set of clothes with her so I thought what better way to mark the occassion than by making her her very own bag, I'm very pleased with this one as I made it up as I went along and even lined it!!! It took me about an hour, maybe less.

Cherry Pops

Another a-line dress, each one gets better and better, this one was 98% perfect, I am still having trouble with the joins on the bias binding but I will get there.

This one is baby soft needle cord and I put red bias binding on it. I managed to make this one in one afternoon, with kidteruptions of course.

Busy Bee

Yes, I have been very busy, Poppy's band new and rather expensive (especially when you have just lost your job) scooter was stolen from the park less than 2 weeks after I bought it for her 2nd birthday but a wonderful cyber buddy of mine emailed me and asked (begged) if she could could buy Poppy a replacement.

I didn't know whether to accept or not, I didn't want to say no in case I looked rude and offended her by snubbing her very generous offer but I was worried it was far too expensive for her to buy, and I didn't want to say yes in case it looked like I was taking advantage or something, arrrgh, you know how it is, situations like that are difficult!

Anyway, I discussed it with dh and we decided to accept, I was very emotional about it, I mean just how kind and generous was that?????

I came up with the idea that I would make her some dresses for her daughter who is the same age as Poppy as a thank you and it's taken me a while because I had to wait until I had a bit of cash for the fabric and then finding time to make them has been hard but at last I have finished them !!!!!!!

I would have completey finished them if I could find the tiny red button for the Christmas dress, I am sooooo annoyed, I wanted to post them off tomorrow but I'll have to go to the haberdashers first, Isaw that button the other day too, grrrrrrr

So here they are, a cup cake dress, a Christmas dress (for wearing at Christmas, it will look great with a red jumper and red tights) and a bag  for the wonderful Mama herself.








And I actually made something for myself yesterday too, I managed to make it in an afternoon with constant kid interruptions so it would proably take an hour in all.
I bought the fabric and the lining from Husseins Fabrics in Forrest Gate for £2 a yard and it was a double fold yard so huge, I can get several bags out of it.
I just need to buy a button for it tomorrow and it's finished!

Wilful Neglect

Yes, I have been neglecting this little baby of mine due to school holidays, 3 children and a dog to look after, disaster befalling us in the form of my husband  loosing his job plus a bout of illness that has inflicted us one after the other and which is still on going. Who'd have thought you could squeeze all that into 6 weeks ??

 Anyway, I had been working on something which is almost complete, I just have to hem it plus completely re-do the bodice because it doesn't hang right on me, is there seriously any such thing as a standard body shape because I'm sure as Hell not it!!!!!

Here are a couple of photos of the unfinished dress, they were taken on my mobile phone because the battery has run out in my camera and I can't find the charger at the mo, so not that great quality but you can get the idea......