Bling it on !

I have finally made a start on my Christmas presents , with

5 sisters and 2 brothers it is usually wise for me to get in early .

Each of my siblings receives a handmade ornament from me each year

and this year I am making them my Little Party Frocks in Christmas fabric .

They are so quick and easy and I whipped up these four in no time .

If you would like to make some the pattern is available in

my shop , my ebay shop or at I just love that fabric .

I can count these as OPAM finishes and Early Bird Christmas Crafting !

I will draw the winner for the Tilda book on Sunday

if you would like to win this beautiful book please add a comment in the post below .

Tilda Book Giveaway

Like so many of you I love Tone Finnanger's designs .

I recently pre ordered her new book from the Book Depository

and a few others and somehow ended up with two copies of

Crafting Tilda's Friends . 

I have offered to send it back but I think they are too nice to have me do that .

I would love to pass it on to someone else who will enjoy it (who wouldn't?)

If you would like this book and maybe a few other bits and pieces

please just leave a comment .

International bloggers are welcome too !

Tuesdays Treasures

My treasure for this week is my lovely crystal necklace .

It originally came from someone in my mums family

and somehow I ended up with it .

I do love things that sparkle .

I wore it on my wedding day with the blue dress that I made but

I won't count my dress as a treasure as I changed my mind

ten minutes after I finished it and didn't really like it

but it was a little too late .

The day before your wedding is not really a good time to start making a new dress .

The handsome man behind me is my oldest brother Patrick ,

I'd like to count him as a treasure too as he is just the nicest man and I think he's wonderful .

Please don't bother looking for this frisky young girl .

Her body has been taken over by some crazy grey haired woman !

While I ate my lunch .

I was eating my sandwich at work today and I was thinking I must get myself a treasure organised for Tuesday Treasures and maybe remind people it's coming up , most of the time I don't know what day of the week it is and thought maybe others are a bit like me .
Then I thought I don't like to do a post without a photo .
Then I thought what a good blogger I am to have my camera at work .
Then I thought I would show you my lunchroom .

Then I thought I'd show you the walls of my lunchroom.

Then I thought I really don't want to go back to work ,

 but I did .

Don't forget Tuesday Treasures , I think you'll be surprised !

Too much thinking ......

Now I'm red red ready !

I am so lucky that I won Natalies new book !

It is a beautiful book full of gorgeous photos and

all printed on the nicest paper .

So many great projects , so little time .

I feel a little ho ho ho coming on !

Thankyou very much Natalie

I haven't been visiting anyone as it is taking ages for your blogs to load .

That's what I get for letting the kids play on the computer in the holidays .

The family computer is in my bedroom so I can supervise what all the kids get up to and

how's this for a laugh , there were a group of teenagers giggling at the computer and I snuck up on them and you'll never believe what they were all laughing at , my blog !

Secretly I thought it was nice that my kids wanted to show their friends what their mum does .

 .

This is the last time.

 

Yes this is the last time I will bore you with my new blanket .

It is finished . It is done .

I absolutely love it !

I enjoyed not having to concentrate

 (I'm good at that though )

I loved that while I was making it , it kept me warm at the same time .

It was so simple and soothing .

It looks damn good on the washing line too .

My internet has been slowed way , way down until next week .

So I may as well sit with my beautiful new blanket and start on something new .

Tuesdays Treasures

I love marbles !

They are just so , you know , so shiny !

I've been collecting mine for a long time now

and found the sugar jar perfect to display them in .

When I started collecting them I made myself a rule

that if I wanted to gather them I must find them or be given them .

I cannot buy them .

It always makes my day when I find a marble as 

most days I feel like I'm losing mine.

Add your link and play along !

Does your husband do this ?

My husband had some time off over the school holidays while I worked .

Each evening I have been given a detailed report on what housework he has done .

It is all done with melodramatic wipes of the brow and sighs .

Don't get me wrong I am grateful that things have been done

 but does he have to act so tortured as he's

 telling me how much he has accomplished .

Try doing it all after a full day of work buddy !

I'm just teasing him really and now

 he wants to know why I took a photo of him with the apron on .

I better go before I get caught !

I'd love to know if it's just a man thing .

I'd forgotten this one .

I sent this design into Express Publications a looong time ago ,

so long ago I had forgotten about it.

My copy of  Patchwork and Stitching v 11 no 2

arrived at my place the other day

and then I forgot to open it .

Just thought I'd tell you about it

before I forget !

Bonkers !

This is me .

Going steadily , steadily bonkers !

Don't worry I won't bore you with the details .

I think some soothing therapy is in order .

Tuesdays Treasures

You may be wondering how these beautiful flowers can be

part of Tuesday Treasures but these particular

 blooms are very special to me .

When I was a little one I became very ill

with glandular fever .

On one of my worst days my dear old dad came

 home from work with a bunch of daffodils just for me .

Not such a big deal some may think

but as I was one of eight

children I thought it was pretty amazing that one

 little person among so many could be made

to feel so special and loved .

My dad at the time was very ill himself

and he died a few years later .

I can never see daffodils without

 smiling and thinking of my wonderful dad .

Can't wait to see your treasures this week !

Yes I know it is still Monday but maybe it is

Tuesday somewhere !

The other reason I am doing this early as

I am flat out tomorrow and won't be

near a computer to do this post .

It also gives some new players a chance to

organise their treasure and add their link here .

I hope I have lots of blogs to visit tomorrow night

as I'll need some pleasant distractions after

the day I know I'm going to have tomorrow .

Have a Terrific Tuesday !

I do other crafty stuff , really I do .

Still school holidays here and with a house full of teenagers

 it is just easier not to try and do anything too serious.

I have become a little obsessed with crocheting this blanket and

 it's been getting dragged around with me just like a security blanket .

The beauty of doing something like this is I don't have to think just hook away merrily !

As I am also the teens taxi driver how do you think they'd react if I turned up in this beautiful wagon .

Bit of eye rollng I think !

Tuesday Treasures

Thanks so much to all who came to play last week .
Some of you made me laugh and some made me cry but I really enjoyed visiting and seeing your treasures , it was also  nice to see that the others players were stopping over for a visit too .
I have a funny feeling that this game is going to grow and if it does and there are lots and lots more treasures to see I will try my darnedest to visit all but I may not always be able to stop for a chat .
I do hope you understand and please don't think I am being rude .

My treasure for this Tuesday is this gorgeous sugar bowl .
This belonged to my grandmother Daisy who died when my mother was very young
and it seems to that this is all that remains of her stuff .
My mum had it out for "special occasions" and all of us kids loved it .
I especially loved it when I discovered I could climb on the bench
and get into the cupboard and stick my wet finger into the sugar bowl , gross child !
Now here's the good bit (well I think so ) this is not my grandmothers sugar bowl !
A few years ago I came across this one in a second hand shop and it is identical to the one my mother still has .
I have to tell you I was so excited to find one that I almost had a little accident in the shop!

Don't be shy add your link and show us your treasures .

Anything ?

Just a bit of reading ,

a bit of sewing ,

some cooking ,

some crocheting .

Not much of anything , how about you ?