Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to All!!
I have been having a long rest over the Christmas holiday and am not quite ready to come back into the real world just yet, but just wanted to wish everyone a lovely evening and the very best wishes for 2007!
Love Niki.x

Final Flourish!

FRESH FOLIAGE....

FLICKERING FLAMES....

FAIRY FRIPPERIES FOR FRIENDS....

FROSTY FLAKES....

FAKE OR FIR...... ?

FOR FESTIVE FUN!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanks to all who have found the time to comment on my blog this year, it is much appreciated. Best wishes for a peaceful 2007. Niki.xx

Oh Christmas Tree....

Twelve years ago, when my 'third born' was just a baby, I used to do the Craft Fair Circuit, where I sold my handmade Folk Art/ New England style decorations. At the time there was little available in the UK, of this type, so they were very good sellers. Consequently, my children have grown up with the homespun look. I would love to say that all of my decorations are beautiful vintage baubles, lamenta, tinsel and a tatty fairy on the top....but my girls would not forgive me if I was to swap the old decorations that they are used to in favour of antique ones or co-ordinated modern ones! So here is our tree....perhaps not looking as beautiful as the ones featured in other blogs, but this is for my daughters....

There are my collection of raggedy Annie's and teddy bears gathered beneath....as well as my daughter Emily, who thinks I haven't noticed her hiding there!

These are so easy to make with a small square of wood, painted and hanging with curly wire. The snowman was another variation, cut to shape with a jig-saw....

I also made 'spoolie dolls' from tiny wooden cotton reels and garlands of check fabric hearts....

There are several of these calico bags filled with cloves and lots of rusty hearts and stars with homespun fabric loops.

This is our angel topper...not made by me...she was purchased from the Bath Christmas Market.

These two little chaps came from Heidelberg, Germany, when we were lucky enough to visit the Christmas market there....

Two more favourites....

Finally I have managed to make my mince pies today!!

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.....

Crafty Christmas!

I adore this photo - it is my lovely Nan, Elsie, taken when she was a little girl. She is now 92 years young!!

I decided to use it as the starting place for her Christmas present this year. I asked my daughter (sorry, but I still haven't mastered everything on this computer!) to change the background colour to the photo, as it was very dark. I then printed it onto special T-shirt printing paper. The image can then be ironed onto a piece of cotton fabric, which reverses the image. I once forgot this and printed some writing, which of course read backwards! Doh!

Using vintage fabrics, I created a patchwork boarder to it and made a cushion with lace edging.

I also made a little matching bag to hide some special surprises inside for her.

Happy Christmas Nan!! Here's to many more....

She's Home!

Here is my daughter Kayleigh, safely home but suffering severe jet-lag! (And wearing her Montana University sweatshirt!) I have never known anyone sleep for soooo long!!

This is what she bought us back....Montana being famous for Huckleberries!

It's so good to have her home. She has been showing me all the clothes that she found in the Thrift Stores - I will make her into a 'Vintage Girl' yet!

Now that she is home we will begin our Christmas preparations and buy our Xmas tree tomorrow....

We have added lights to our entrance porch already, along with a wreath and baby Christmas trees in pots.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Bauble Wreath.

At last it is complete!! I have worked hard creating my bauble wreath over the last few days, juggling gluing time with taking care of my In-laws who came to visit us! I thought I had collected plenty of vintage baubles over the last year, but it is surprising how many were needed! Mind you, the only base that I could find was a very twiggy one that was around 2ft in diameter!

I used my glue gun and began attaching some of the larger baubles evenly around the wreath.

I had planned on keeping the colour scheme to pinks, turquoise and silver....but it soon became apparent that I wouldn't have enough! So I added a few in other colours.

Towards the end I ran out of glue sticks for my gun and then baubles!! I found a few more vintage ones in a charity shop, but had to add a few modern ones too (gasp!) So I hid these towards the back! I found it very difficult to know when to stop!! I kept seeing gaps that I wanted to fill!

Here it is complete and hanging on the mirror in our living room.

My eldest daughter returns home from her first semester at Montana University, USA tomorrow. Yippee, can't wait!!! A wreath is said to be a symbol of welcome - how appropriate!

Flea Finds!

I visited the Shepton Mallet Flea Market on Sunday. It was a very chilly day, so consequently there were very few outside traders - who can blame them? It rained in the afternoon too! I still managed to pick up a few tasteful items though!!

The three old green glass jars are for the on-going saga of my workroom blitz! They will be perfect storage for buttons, fabric flowers or ribbons. I also found the little aqua glass perfume bottle with stopper quite charming.

The painted hat stand was purchased from Sue, as was the blue check French linen hand towel. The stunning Gladys Cooper is featured on the postcards, which I bought because of my interest in vintage hats. I have a collection of postcards in a lovely old French album, that I enjoy adding to. It is a hobby that costs just pennies. These were 50pence each.

There are three items of white lacy linen here bought for just £1.00 the lot! And two adorable small bisque dolls. I'm not sure if the little kewpie is old, as her condition is immaculate! But she is a cutie anyway with her tiny wings on her back.

Finally, I found this Victorian Christmas card. It has a green velvet frame and the forget-me-nots are hand painted on silk.

I have been collecting the glass Christmas baubles from car boot sales and flea markets all year. I finally have enough to make a covered wreath similar to the one seen in Rachel Ashwell's book 'The Gift of Giving'. I hope to find the time to make it this week. (As well as tidy my workroom - I promise!)

(Click on the photo above for the Amazon link to this book.)