PAPER MACHE BAGS

I have spent the day switching between giving the kitchen a much needed deep clean and making Paper Mache Bags/Purses for my Etsy shop.  The house work isn't as bad as I thought it would be and making the bags is great fun.  It has worked quite well as a duel task -  Put on a layer of paper mache and go and do some cleaning while that layer drys.  Now I have one bag ready to put the lining into and one ready for the handles.

By the end of today should be able to decorate the first one.  I am really looking forward to doing this part, yesterday morning I knew how I wanted to decorate it and have been waiting to do it ever since.  The handles have worked out well.  I can see me being very pleased with the result.  There will be pictures.

This was a milestone week for me as I made my first sale on Etsy.  It has taken a long time.  I have just printed some tips on improving my Etsy shop - my bedtime reading tonight. 

End of year review

one of my two new ornaments for this year

This year (not quite sure how) I got all I wanted done in time for Christmas eve with less stress than previous years.  I still need to be much much better organised, so I may start making next years cards as soon as I can - that was last years plan as well. I even got some peanut brittle made on evenig of the 23rd. Did not manage to find my christmas music.

next year better decoration

All the baked and  handcrafted presents were received well.  I made my gingerbread sleigh on christmas day and kind of decorated it a couple of days later. I changed the recipe that I found slightly - partly because I didn't have any ground cloves and partly because I thought the gingerbread would taste better without it.

I got given a copy of SERIF CRAFT ARTIST  for christmas, I had the compact version which was quite good but this is so much better.  It came with a manual that I am working my way through, a nice thick detailed easy to use manual.  I will be able to do so much more than I ever dreamed of.  It may sound a bit odd raving about an instruction manual above all other things but eighteen months ago my partener brought me a CRAFT ROBO (which has since changed its name) which came with information on how to turn it on and change the blades.  I had to join a forum and wait for a month before I could access their site properly before begining to get to grips with it.  Second plan - use craft robo more often and learn more about it.

 Bruce opening his present.

I really hope that everyone enjoyed their Christmas and New year as much as I did and that we all have a good 2012.

it is just tooooo much

Getting closer to being ready

As we are spending Christmas just us two (and Bruce) you would think the preparations would be easier - not the case.  We only decided what we would like for dinner on Christmas day today, we have two puddings because we both fancied different ones (next year I am going to make my grandmothers recipe it will be easier) and there is still all the homemade presents to make (as usual).

bacon puffs

sausage rolls

mix for spicy pork rolls

All my pastry savouries are now made and in the freezer, the christmas cakes have the marizpan on them and are to be iced tonight, I got some emergency sausage meat today just in case we run out, the chilli jelly is straining as I write as is the cranberry sauce, only a few more cards to make and write ( all the ones that needed posting are done) I still have to finish my neices bag and the lavendar sachets for my mother, and when thats all done I can get the sweets made but they are really a last minute thing to do.

spicy pork rolls ready to bake

I want to get the mince pies made and in the freezer.  I find it so much easier if everything is prepared and frozen ready to bake.  I  still really want to do the gingerbread thing, not sure how long it keeps though.

All the presents that I have brought need to be wrapped but there is still a week to go. All I need to do to be ready is to keep off PINTEREST.

Our spend the day alone Christmas has turned into a three day event - visiting my sister on Christmas eve and his sister on Boxing day.  I am looking foward to it.  And I am really looking forward to the present I know that I am getting SERIF CRAFT ARTIST  I have the compact version but cannot wait to get my mitts on the complete package.  Who knows it may make me a bit more organised with my cardmaking. 

I love making Christmas goodies, cards, presents etc and I think the people receiving them are happy to have them.  Pretty much I just love everything about Christmas - getting/making presents, wrapping presents, catching up with friends, entertaining, the spirit of Christmas, decorating the tree, EVERYTHING!  The only thing thats a little sad is that Dad no longer wants to go on the morris tour on Boxing day, I shall miss that.

Meeting Christmas deadlines

Now that December is upon us its all about deadlines - fun deadlines but deadlines just the same.  Some things cannot be done to early, like the nut brittle and others (less perishable) need to be out of the way.  There are times when I forget which way round things should go.  Like the year when I had all my presents wrapped but no cards made let alone written.  My big problem is that I like the sewing, baking, cardmaking so much that I overstretch myself.  It doesn't help when I accidentally get lost online when I should be in the real world.

Still first deadline has been met - letter to New Zealand written, photos printed, card written, present wrapped and all parcelled up and posted.

I have several projects on the go.  A couple of my laminated bags to make, the first one to be finished by thursday. Some Christmas fragrance sachets to make and fill with all things Christmassy (cloves cinnamon and orange should do the trick) I have the thinly sliced peel of an orange drying out by the fire, it should be ready to mix with the cloves and broken up cinnamon sticks tomorrow then the bags can be filled.  This is the first time I have tried to do a mixture.  I have tied little bundles of cinnamon sticks together before and used them as decoration and one year I made felt and lace Christmas trees and filled them with cloves ( they kept their fragrance for years it was lovely opening the box of decorations because of the smell).

The Christmas tree and decorations are going up at the weekend, there is the marzipan to go on the cakes, cards to write and other ideas to pin down and get done.

See sometimes hard work but such fun.