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 :-)