Did I tell you I love trees this year?

Thought I would share some random shots of decorating and a few trees!

This first one I think I showed before but when I was going through some bags (goodies I bought in Lancaster over the summer) I found this picket fencing and these little decorations. This tree is standing proudly on my dining room table.





A little display of ginger goodness I have in the kitchen window behind the sink.



I know this next one is familiar since it graced my header for so long, but see the little trees in the crocks? I sprayed some temporary adhesive and rolled them in snow!



Next up, my weekends work-my new wool feather tree, strung with 2 sets of brown lights also in my goodie bag from Lancaster. Hubby wasn't able to convert these lights for me this time so he ordered voltage transformers and now my lights are working!! He knows me well, not just one transformer arrived, but 5!!! Woohoo, I won't need to hide my other lights then, Ha, but does he know me well or what???





What I would have loved was a crock to put my tree in, but not being able to find them here and not being able to get a wood block cut on Saturday evening, I just had to get this tree finished before bed or I wouldn't sleep! Another hunt around produced a large candle surrounded with cinnamon sticks. Armed with a hot fire and a good poker, my candle became the base and my tree was finished and I got to sleep (or hubby???)













I think thats enough to upload for now but hopefully I shall return soon with some or random shots of decorating.
Thanks again for stopping by, I am sooo enjoying all the inspiration in blogland for Christmas,keep it coming!lol!

Shazy

A little bit of Christmas!

I can't quite believe that the month of December is here and moving so fast!! Yikes...how am I going to get everything done in time and still have time to sit back and enjoy???

As I was tidying round this morning, I thought I should share a few Christmas decorating pics. Some of my sewing machine table displays and a little of my mantles.

I have been enjoying beautiful decorating out there in blogland and I sooo wish I had the 'know how' and the ability to make my photo's better! You are going to have to excuse leads and walls that shouldn't be in the pics, but I don't know how to crop them (leads are the being of my life at Christmas!!)Also, the lighting, if I turn a lamp on it is too bright, if I turn it off, it's too dark......!!!





















Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you are not too busy to enjoy this very special time of year,

Shazy x

WIP's - this and that!

I was sitting in the sun stuffing (pillows-not myself!lol!) and stitching a few seams, when it came to me, I better pop on here today as the rest of the week is hotting up to be very busy!

Again the colours are showing a little brighter than they really are, but I have used a Christmas red instead of my normal barn red.
Just some little pillow tucks, stenciled,



Larger pillows, stenciled on prairie type cloth-excuse the pins but the bottoms are being sewn this afternoon!



I have put out a few little bits of decor for Christmas, simply because we were changing the fireplace in the living room and it just seemed easier when it came to cleaning and dusting the room rather than the everyday stuff.
I got son out with the glue and snowflakes on Saturday and this is what he produced for me. I will try and get some red berry holly nearer to the holidays, but in the meantime this will have to do.



And a closer pic of the fire.....We took out the fireplace and gas fire and put in this wood burning stove and I LOVE it-soooo cosy. This room seldom got used as I never felt comfortable with the gas and we always seemed to migrate to the other room with the wood burning stove in it.
We put a 17th century beam above as you know I needed something to decorate!lol!
These bits are only set up meantime until I get my Christmas lights out.



As I was putting a few Christmas bits out on Saturday, the postman came with a parcel for me! My purchase arrived from Christine (Preferably Prim). Christine does such lovely handwork and x stitched these lovely little pinkeeps on linen and beautifully backed in ticking. Love them Christine and thank you so much for the 'partener'-you are far too good to me! Don't they look fab?





Do you remember these wooden items? I think I got them last Christmas....well, this is the project I have been working at, on my bathroom floor! Excuse the mess but I though I would share. I need a man now to put them up, then the fun part of decorating them:)







Whoops, I better get off this computer before my cherubs come in from the bus, or they will think I do nothing else!lol!
Have a great and safe week,

Shazy

A few small finishes!

I couldn't let my week of hols go past without sharing a little of my crafting/stitching.
To think that I honestly thought I would get 2 days to 'play'.....who was I kidding??

Maybe not 2 days, but a morning here and a snatched 1/2 hour here and there and I did not too bad at all, in fact, I am really pleased with what I achieved this week, between Christmas shopping, cleaning, out a few evenings and some stitching, oh and a little bit of painting, yes, it was a great week all in all.

I really enjoyed doing the little x stitch I showed last time and while doing a little tidying in my sewing room, I came across another little Christmas one I must have downloaded last year from Debbie-Woolensails blog.

I know...I liked the wool finish, that I did it again!lol!


You can catch a glimpse of one of the little trees made last week-son got me my wood blocks:)
And below,just a close up-I love the colour of the green wool!



Again while tidying my sewing room, I came on this little punch needle by Country Stitches, I started last year. I have him temporarily attached to the little board, so I can change with the seasons!



My obsession with trees continues.....I appliqued a little snowman to this wool crazy tree and gave him a light to carry!





And to finish with? Another tree of course.... Hubs thought I had taken leave of my senses when he saw the state of the kitchen while making this one-it got a grand haircut!



Hope you are all getting time to enjoy some stitching??? thanks for visiting again. I have a few other little projects in the making, just need another free morning or 2??
Have a great weekend,
Shazy

Check out this give-away!!

Tanya is having a fantastic giveaway- you get to choose!!

Go Here

Shazy

Christmas stitching

I know, I know.......I said I would post on a Wednesday and believe me, I fully intended too and especially as this is my very favourite time of the year for crafting/stitching, but it's ironic isn't it? It's always my busiest time of the year for things other than my stitching!!!

Family, home, church, entertaining, running the roads, all seem to take priority at this time of the year. Don't get me wrong, I am delighted to be fit and able to do them, but.....sometimes I yearn for a little more time to make Christmas things, but guess what, I am on hols next week and I have promised myself and those around here, that mama is going to have several days of play!!! Watch this space:)

I did manage to find some time to make a few short projects, so that made me feel 'Christmassy'

This little pillow is a 'Country rustic primitives' pattern. I finished it off with wool of course, with little wool applique tongues.





Next is a runner, very difficult to photo, especially with my phone!



A little tree I made, but I will show a better pic next time. My son is to make a little wood block to set it in, but I don't see it yet!lol!



I still need to spray stain the snowmen a little, but I'm a little afraid to, in case I make a mess! Sorry, a bit blurry there!



Next-these little wool applique mittens were a kit I got a while back from Primitive Gatherings. Probably a bit big for the tree, but you get the idea.



This gives a better idea of what they look like-this was before I cut them out with their backs-make for a nice runner or something sometime??



Whoops, don't know what happened there, it published before I said farewell!

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping in, I hope to be back with something after my few day's of 'playing', but we shall see!

Shazy x

Christmas Sampler quilt top!

I am trying my best to post on my blog each Wednesday and today is just slipping away from me and that includes the light, in order to get a few good pictures!

Last year I started this quilt by Cheri called 'Christmas Sampler'and again it is wool applique. I made a few little changes that personalises it a bit.
Here is the quilt top-just another one to add to my collection of 'tops'!!



I wool felted Santa's fur trims and used mini ric-rac that I got from 'Country Stitches' to outline the gingerbread girlie. Also, some rusty bells to the tree and wool felted snow to the leaves of the top tree.



You can see I added a manger scene, as that is the real reason why Christmas is so important to me in that Jesus my Saviour came as a little babe.
I also included some stitched wording 'Glad Tidings of Joy' it helped fill a little space too!



I may add a few details more and no doubt as I look at the pics, areas that need filling will be clear, but this is what I have been working on the last few days.

That's all I have time for right now as there is a house full of hungry kids here, needing feeding.

Until next week,
Shazy

Quilt blocks and RAK!

It's a blustery Autumn morning here in Ireland; a good day for sorting things out and that is what I have been doing with my Autumn quilt blocks, pattern by 'Heart to Hand'

I finished off the cornucopia last night and then got all my completed blocks out to see what they look like......only 4 more to prep and sew!!!
Please excuse the colours, they look somewhat faded, but I had to use my phone as I can't find the plug to charge my camera. They say creative people rarely have an organised house-that's my excuse anyway!

This is block 7



....and block 8



A picture of the first 6 completed or thereabouts-I'm seeing a little something I might like to change!lol!



Yesterday morning, I got the most lovely surprise! Postie brought me a little package and you all know I just love getting little packages in the post.
my good friend Wendy (The Quiet Room blog) sent me a RAK, a just because, in her own words 'everyone needs a few more pumpkins'. Just look at this adorable set of pumpkins, which I have proudly displayed on my front table for all to see when they enter the front door. Sorry I can't seem to do anything about the blur, no matter how many times I took the pic.



I just love them Wendy and thank you once again for your thoughtfulness and generosity-I might add though, she has enough pumpkins to share with her village! I shall say no more, we all have our obsessions, don't we???

Happy stitching/creating or whatever makes you smile,

Shazy