Getting Ahead - a step foreward to avoid future panic

Every year  as Christmas gets closer there begins the yearly panic as I think about the cards.  There have times when making them has been more of a chore than a pleasure (to begin with) and I have felt it would be much easier to buy the cards.
This year as papers, peel offs, card and glitter were still on the table and needed sorting I thought that making cards would be the best option.  An easy way to use up excess supplies, a lack of pressure would make card making fun again, and as I like to do a lot of baking at Christmas having the cards made in advance would give me more time to do so.  
I also wanted to be firm with myself and get rid of any papers I had had for too long or didn't like very much.  
The end result is a box with more cards than I need, more space in the cupboards and a happy neighbour who has been given the excess for the school she works at.
 

 

One of a kind

I was asked for one of my photo bags for a Christmas present.  It was to show my cat - to start with to show him awake but then it was to show him asleep and instead of being landscape it needed to be in portrait format.

I thought about the design of this bag for quite a while.  The picture was the easy part.  A picture of young Bruce asleep and dreaming, that way we could have the best of both worlds.  It also gave me a chance to put lots of butterflies and dragonflies on the bag (for Bruce to be dreaming about - he likes to chase them).

The portrait format was harder because I didn't feel that it would give enough room in the bag to make it practical.  My solution was to make laminated panels for each end of the bag using THE JAYNE NETLEY MAYHEW COLLECTION from Joanna Sheen.  There are lots of big cat patterned backing papers on the cd roms that were perfect I chose a leopard print one.

Now the big issue was whether I had managed to over complicate the design and to be honest I didn't really want to start it in case things went badly .........I did a lot of the final construction on Boxing Day morning knowing that it had to be done so I could deliver it that afternoon.

Over sewing the panels together with a zigzag stitch turned out to be a bit easier than I had imagined and the black lace trim on the bag and braided into the handles gave it a nice finish.  

It could be truely one of a kind as I am not at all sure I want to make another one not even for myself.

let sleeping cats lay

 

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.

Christmas deadlines - part two

And time creeps steadily on.......except as usual at this time of year its forgotten about creeping and is going by express!
I have got the bag I had to make for a friend done and given to her so that is one more item to cross off the list.  And several things that were near to completion I have finished now so they can also have a big tick next to them.

Including the Christmas fragrance sachets I was making for my mother to give to friends.  I made the pot pourri by mixing a cinnamon stick, some cloves and the dried peel of an orange together.  It is lovely - smells like Christmas. I have the Joanna Sheen THOMAS KINKADE cd set.  It has such lovely pictures and backing papers, but that is true of all her cd's there is usually at least one on my Christmas list. http://www.joannasheen.com/craft-supplies/joanna-sheen-cdrom-dvds/cdrom-thomas-kinkade-3-disk-set/

The coasters for my niece's boyfriend are also finished although after this last week he may not want to be reminded of the football team he supports.

I have also made a start writting Christmas cards so I know how many more I need.
The Christmas decorations went up today so there is a festive feel all round the house.


                                                                                              http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-gorgeous-Dragons-Egg/     Just found the link to this on Pinterest.  When I am not snowed under with Christmas make I will have to have a go.  Whats not to like about dragons.

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.