Christmas tree blues

 

Seeing all the beautiful Christmas decorations and trees on display in blogland reminds me I have to get cracking and get on with decorating my home too.

This year I will be putting out very few Christmas decorations mostly my Christmas tree front door decoration and a few other bits because I won't be staying at home this Christmas I shall be Christmas House sitting at my SIL's villa. 

I shall not have a Christmas tree of my own this year. 

We retired our 32 year old Christmas tree (seems so callous to say I threw it out after all it has been a Christmas fixture in my home for so long...that is daft isn't it...but!) last year and thought we were going to buy a new one this year but then I thought I might as well take advantage of my SIL's beautiful big tree that they always put up each year. After all I am going to enjoy it more than my SIL’s family as I am going to be staying there Christmas Day included🎄. My SIL, my nieces and nephews and their children my great nieces and nephews are all going away for a short trip over Christmas and it isn't good to leave the houses empty particularly over the Christmas season even though there are Security guards patrolling the complex! We will alternate between homes of course and Sr P will stay at our place and I will stay at my SIL's with my daughter and grand-daughter. 

We will be there for several days keeping an eye on the place and caring for Torka their Spanish mastiff who is far too big to come to our apartment.

Spanish Mastiff...Google image

Torka isn't quite as big as this mastiff in the photo above. Torka's head comes to the top of my legs but she is still a big girl. I am not sure how old she is but she isn't young. She is though a gentle giant at least with the family members, I haven't seen her in action when a stranger rings the doorbell at the gate as yet. My SIL usually has to lock her in her kennel before she opens the gate. She is always happy to see any family members and rushes down to the gate to meet us. Sr P has to stand in front of me though as Torka gallops... yes... gallop is the appropriate word to describe it, she ain’t a dainty lady by far ! I am certainly not afraid of dogs far from it as I have always had cats and dogs as pets but Torka does get rather over enthusiastic about greeting people and is inclined to jump up. I am no squirt by any means but she nearly knocked me over once. I think she is gorgeous! As I said a gentle giant because she is very loving as well and very obedient.  She is also bilingual as I speak to her in English and she does sit when I tell her to and will come to me when I call her and looks at me and leans on my leg (pretty heavy lean by the way) when I chat to her.   

OK!  I can guess what you are thinking it isn't a question of which language you use but the sound of your voice ...of course 😀

Torka

Crochet 

I haven't much to show you this time as I am just finishing off a pair of fingerless gloves to send to my sister in the UK . My next project will be another baby blanket. I really must start very soon.  This time it is for my niece who lives in Queensland, Australia, her baby is due next March. This is a very special baby ... a surprise babe!  My niece has had to undergo several operations over the years and it was understood that she could not have children of her own but ,lo and behold, Mother Nature will have her way! What a wonderful surprise for them after all that she has been through she is now expecting a little girl. They are of course ecstatic and I am so happy for them.

As they are animal lovers (horses, ducks, dogs, cats, parrots etc) I thought the following pattern from Repeat Crafter Me would be nice for the blanket.

It won't be in these colours though as my niece has sent me a photo of her nursery and I'll be following the colour scheme they have used there. The nursery is also full of soft toys, all animals, so I think this blanket will fit in very well.

REPLIES to comments on my previous post completed 🖋

Happy Blogging

Amanda :-)

Ding Dong Bell

My efforts at making crocheted soft toys have never been very successful at least not according to  my critical eye. However to be quite frank I've made very few using crochet as it is not something that I am drawn to although I still drool over what other crafters so cleverly make . Never the less I was racking my brains as to what I could make for my grand-daughter for Christmas and came up with this .......BELL the multitasking dormouse.
Its a hard life being a dormouse finding food from dawn to dusk but Bell also has another duty assign to her as from Christmas Day 2012 and that is to take care of my grand-daughter's mobile phone while she sleeps.

amandasmith©23rdDec 2012

This is my very own creation and with no pattern,just trial and error. It would be difficult perhaps for me to repeat it but not impossible.

and here you can see that Bell has a purple backpack all ready to carry a mobile phone. Incidentally the purple backpack is my very first sewing machine project.........difficult! very difficult!! Most particularly so when you think I had to change the bobbin for purple cotton.....scary, very scary!

and there you are she's struggling a little with the load but I'm sure she'll get used to it!
Now I have to wrap her up and put her under the tree!

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As I mentioned in my last post I have received two swap parcels and here you have the second pile of scrumptious goodies that I have received which is the Christmas cracker swap from Tracy at Mad about Bags.   I won't even bother to compare between this and Gracie's swap goodies because they have both been really generous,considerate and paying a lot of attention to detail. I do so appreciate how Tracy has taken the time to consider my preferences and my likes. This is saying to me I am a person not just a contact and its evident by looking at the goodies that she has sent me that she has taken this into account. I thank you so much for that.
Like other bloggers doing this swap I am amazed at how much is possible to get inside the carton from a kitchen roll and here is the proof of it:

I so enjoyed opening my cracker and seeing all these lovelies spill out:

Glory be!!!   The cracker was wrapped in Winnie the Pooh fabric and tied using a lovely silver ribbon.
 I am going to do something with that I don't know what yet but it will be just for me and only me! I am so lucky ...more Winnie the Pooh....may he live forever!!!!!
A gorgeous lace bag of perfumed beads which I think I shall put in my crochet samples box and everytime I open that box I'll  get a whiff of that delicate perfume...mmmmmm. BUTTONS folks! more button and little charms and chocolate and candystick ornaments for my tree ...and just a minute...what's this?   A teddy bear button and a teapot button...oh! my how thoughtful!
There is also a beautiful padded placemat that Tracy made and the embroidery on it says Tea for One,. I really hope I will be able to make something so lovely as that on my sewing machine one day! In fact I am not going to use it I don't want to stain it with tea I think I am going to put it up on my kitchen wall ....not sure how I'll  do that but I have the beginnings of an idea.
Tracy even sent me a Christmas card and ........yes Tracy I do like everything ...but everything. Thank you once again.

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Official announcement: I now have my Christmas tree up and sparkling bright!!!!

Shame the lights haven't shown up in the photo.

 My Christmas fairy ...getting a bit scruffy now!

My ornaments from blog friends from afar, Gracie and Tracy

I feel so much better now my tree is up and sparkling with colour and my home is ready for Christmas :-)

Amanda :-)

Long time No finish!

Hello there to my new followers ScrappyJen and Lazy Daisy Jones thank you so much for following my blog. Hope you'll visit often :-)


Its final....I have finished one of my wips........at long long last!!!!
I think it was Alessandra at Homemade at my place who guessed right ...it is indeed a scarf! 

It's taken me ages to finish it I really have to fight to get my crochet moments now even at the weekends. I have a very busy agenda but I have to take the work while its available. I work full blast from mid September to mid June and after that I have very little work indeed, sometimes a course or two in July, if I'm lucky.  
The summer is long with no wages coming in,although I must admit the break is very well received :-)

Well here it is constructive criticism always welcome and as many compliments you can muster LOL!!!!

Winnie has kindly give up some of his time to act as model

I think I'm echoing many other bloggers out there when I say I have decided to go for a homemade Christmas  and my gifts will be homemade too.
This scarf is for a sister. I can't say which one as it is a Christmas present;there's six of them...sisters that is, so if they read this lets keep them guessing LOL! 

I used Black and Beige Glanzperle SMC Coats and a 3,50 hook. I purchased the pattern on Ravely and its by Michelle Blohm at http://mydailyfiber.com  It has been tweaked of course but only just a little, adding the min fans,the shiny beads and the black buttons. 
 Its an easy peasy pattern and clear to follow.

This wonky little Christmas tree....a fun make ......is my version of the adorable Christmas trees I found on Annaboo's House blog .

Bit wonky but I love it..!!!  
I plan to make some more and use these little trees instead of Christmas cards which I will send to members of my family this year........ I'll add a bright curly ribbon with Merry Christmas written on it...different,different......I'm very different friendly!!!

Nicely blurry...ah well you can't win them all!!!
  

Another fiesta day to day "Todo los santos"  where the people buy lots of flowers and go off to the cementaries to tidy up their loved ones resting place and adorn it with flowers.

                                        Amanda :-)