Crafty Mermaid

This was the haul to my parents, my cousin, aunt and uncle and my brother and his girlfriend.  When they were all wrapped I was so tempted to keep them.  I really hope they enjoyed opening them on Christmas.

Another post I couldn't make until after Christmas! A necklace ala Trade Aid for my aunt, a reusable bag from Iko Iko for my aunt and a water pistol for my brother.  I've managed to keep the other presents to myself :)

Unfortunately for my ability to post, my brother's girlfriend now reads my blog - or at least might have been given the address. So I wasn't able to post this in November :(  It was another tempting reason to keep it I thought but wrestled with my conscience and managed to wrap and gift it. I got this bag for her in Iko Iko  a great funky shop on Cuba Street in Wellington .  I hope she likes it!

I got these lovely ornaments at Craft 2.0.  Unfortunately I can't post about them until after Christmas as one of them has been winging its way to the Northern hemisphere and another to the South Island in New Zealand to bring Christmas cheer to their recipents.  (I'm keeping the first one and it will probably feature strongly in my Christmas decorating!) The vendor at Craft 2.0 kindly supplied me with their details too!

Because the posting deadlines for Christmas presents are so early and because I hate shopping at the last minute for friends and family - prefering to take my time and find things I think they would really like - I'm writing this post in October instead of late December after my present owners have opened the parcels I have sent their way.  I'm even setting up the posting to happen after Christmas is well and truly underway in the Northern Hemisphere, knowing that unfortunately I'll be somewhere without broadband. When I went looking at baking trays in October , I wandered into a stationery shop (I have a 'thing' about stationery!).  I have plans to buy my aunt and my mother a book for Christmas (in case I don't get the books I have in mind - I'll just let them assume that the ones I got were all planned).  One of the things I loved to do with books for my mother, when I lived in Ireland, was to read them first so that we could discuss them when she was...

I'm delighted to be finished the last of my current balls of wool. BM gave me a voucher for Spotlight and I found my last two balls of yarn. Unfortunately there wasn't enough of a selection and I had to pick only two when I wanted three or four. But that means it will be finished quicker! I'm bringing it away with me for Christmas and hope to get a lot of time to work on it. I've scheduled this for Christmas day - so I hope you all are having a merry one!

Does the wool felt look familiar? :) And the ribbon?

Part of my haul that included all that lovely fabric - I have a little less excuse for this (ok, a lot less) but I'm definitely using the ricrac for the same project! Not long now for Mr Claus!  Hope you all have a wonderful and warm Christmas. :)

Another last card - this unfortunately will have to go into my card box for next year as I'm all done handing them out this year.  Its not particularly Christmassy so I might get away with giving it for a winter birthday instead :)

Its almost Christmas and I'm pretty sure my brother doesn't check this blog - I sent it late so I hope it arrives in time for him to have some use of a Darth Vader ornament for his Christmas tree.  I'm off to Christchurch today so I've lined up a few posts to publish while I'm away - I can't wait to show you what I bought people for Christmas.  I finally convinced my mother this weekend to open the box I sent all the presents in so she could see the wrapping paper.  I had such a lovely time wrapping them all and it was a miserable day so it felt a bit more like Christmas.  Christmas in the summer sun is still very strange for me!

Making a pile of cloth rags shouldn't give me quite as much pleasure as it does - but I really enjoy thinking that I'm recycling and it cuts down on our buying of new cloths for shoe polishing etc. :)  That has to allow a feel good moment.

Using my felted jumper and an old shirt, I made two book marks.  One of which I made for BM's mother for Christmas. I hope she likes it!

I'm almost there... I can feel it in my bones... Only one more colour after this and then I'll have to decide how to finish it and how many more balls. I'm really looking forward to using this - sitting out on a beach somewhere with a picnic in the New Zealand summer :)

I know its disgraceful to be buying so much of this but I have plans... and they're real plans - not just I like this fabric and wanna buy it and need to think of something to make plans.  I washed all these when I got them home and have even started cutting into them. :)

I recently went on a trip with BM to the Wairarapa for some wine tasting and as designated driver I got this lovely Caravan Christmas ornament from the Paua factory .   Paua 's are an amazing shellfish - the shell polishes up into jewel tones.

I had a plan at the start of December...  Which required buying some lovelies.

And a few others of the same ilke! :)

I made this paper advent calendar a while ago (well before the start of December) and forgot to upload the photographs.  Its been hanging in my office ever since and counting down the days to Christmas and a wonderful colourful way.  I got the print out from  http://mibostudio.co.uk/#/free-advent-calendar/4537002233 .

A few more Christmas cards as BM thought of a few more people he needed to send them to. I like the background paper in these - its velvet!

More magazine browsing (thank you Mr Library) and I came across these hanging tealights made from jam jars. I've managed to collect a few over the last few months and had planned on placing them on the drive to the house for the next party we have but I might hang them in the trees instead! :) I also came across this lovely lady. I'd love, love, love to travel on the orient express (art deco font and all).