Spiced chai latte

This has to be my most favourite hot drink of the moment! And yes I'm afraid I'm cheating for now as I'm a little short of time to make it from scratch, so I'm using Drink Me Chai. I will get round to making my own though as you can't beat having a go even just to satisfy you're own curiosity!

I may have to even try the 'cheat' recipe for spiced gingerbread latte and add a shot of gingerbread syrup (you can get it from Amazon!) into the mix for the festive season too! Ooo enjoyed all toasty by a fire, wrapped up in a snuggly blanket hey?! love! x
Do you have a favourite 'warming' drink?

6 sleeps til...

Keeping a clear head (lemonade and lime no less!) whilst filling the spare room with little decorative details for my parents coming to stay over Christmas :) x

Inspiration: Christmas decorations

Well the count down is now truly on until the big festive day! So what are you making in advance or creating to celebrate this day and season?

I'm definitely inspired by a lot of handmade goodness that I've seen happening online, here's a few decorative bits

Image courtesy of All Things Paper

Image courtesy of All Things Paper

Image courtesy of Welke

Simple or extravagant, enjoy it in your own way. The run up and preparation is all part of the fun after all!

The 52MMMC Week 11

Well long time no see, I've been busy with the 'day' job, my own work, life in general and of course Christmas gift shopping - like a lot of people I'm sure.

Anyhow I've posted this 'make' although it is something I have made to sell, as it was the first time I had attempted them and so I felt I was able to include them in my 'makes'!

So what do you do with these
(which I'd made and had hanging around for a while not doing anything)


and these which I bought at a flea market in France


You make these of course - wreathes!!!!!
(reverse side of wreath as it was hanging on my stall this weekend)


one pictured hung with wee fairy lights on, all aglow


and finally my third one hanging again on my stall this weekend (reverse side through my garlands streamed across my stall, making sure it was all 'decked' out for festive selling!)


Well I hope that they add some cheer to your day.
I have to say that I have two more still to make
as I made these trial three to see if they would get any interest.
Well I had my stall Saturday with all three and went home with.......................none!!!!!!
So smiles all round from customers giving homes to my handmade circles of happiness.
And smiles from me for knowing they were going home with some lovely people who will appreciate them adorning their abodes and adding splashes of colour and handmade cheer to their walls or doors.

Christmas Alphabet..........

Well what can I say folks? It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.......la la la la laaaaaaa........

Now truth be known I'm not the most christmassy person and I think this is mainly due to the fact of having worked in retail for far too many years to tell and when Christmas goods start appearing in your deliveries to go out on the shelves from October, that and the same Christmas tunes for 3 months solid, and watching people consume consume consume, well by December you've practically lost the will to live. The enormous commercial consumerism can just strip away the magic that I feel Christmas should have.

Anyhow that thankfully is now a life away from where I'm at now *sighs*.
I wanted to share some Christmas magic with you. My parents have a myriad of vinyl yes records! they have a large variety of various types of Christmas music from instrumental to choral, from traditional to Motown. So I wanted to share one tune of these many with you, I think my parents have a slightly different version but this I think is the original, so hop on over to the link below, in fact open it in a new tab, put it on loud, come back here and scroll through the pics I've patched together for your visual delight to (try!) and accompany this wee song. (all pics have been gathered from home, further afield and some blooming lovely dressed shop windows).
Here's the link: Christmas Alphabet - Dickie Valentine

C if for the candy trimmed around the Christmas tree


H is for the happiness with all the family


What? look at the wee sweet gingerbread and robin families!

R is for the reindeer prancing by the window pane


I is for the icing on the cake as sweet as sugar cane

This is the window from Choccy Woccy DooDah, all sorts of chocolate goodness in there, it is truly amazing the things that they create

S if for the stocking hanging on the chimney wall


T is for the toys beneath the tree so tall

you just know there are lots of toy goodies wrapped up in those packages!

M is for the mistletoe where everyone is kissed


A is for the angels who make up the Christmas list


S is for the Santa who makes every kid his pet

Be good and he'll bring you everything in your Christmas alphabet!

And here's just a few more festive shots just because I can........


Ahhhhhh the turkey, a must for so many of us




And so you don't feel all brittle and about to break into a million crystal pieces.....


wrap up against this sort of weather or better still stay at home and just be.

Remember the magic is in the wishing, seeing friends and family, the eating of dishes and the taking of a tipple or two(!), the giving and sharing of gifts and most importantly the loving of being with those you are with.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and ala tiny Tim 'God bless us every one'. Have a fab festive season ;0 X

Seasonal colours........

Well I think it is fair to say that we are definitely well in to the autumn, but perhaps not just yet winter season. Winter for me should be much colder and crisper, with white frosts and brittle sharp days. Not all this rubbishy rain!

So taking inspiration from the colours in our autumnal surroundings I've been collecting bits and bobs, sketching 'things' and creating some more accessories recently for a couple of orders.
Crossing fingers each time items are posted, I hope that the stockists like them when they get there!

I really love the gorgeous rich red tones that are apparent at this time of year in the leaves and flowers........



My parents gorgeous acer palmatum or japanese maple tree below, love how the leaves have a two tone colour and crinkle up at the edges, it is glorious in its large fat pot



I just love seed heads of any and all kinds(!)



a pelargonium or as we all know them geraniums, these have always been a favourite of mine, such vibrant flowers that look great in simple terracotta pots or old tins, a splash of colour to put a smile on your face!



And so........ some new petite purses in rich autumn tones



details of fabric fragments, buttons, print and stitch





And a peek at print samples I've been trialling at my print class, more to come soon....



And yes festiveness!!!!! in the way of skinny long stocking decorations



and shaker style santa decorations which are in the making, waiting for a few finishing touches which are off to locations up north soon



Not much writing in this post, you know how I love a pic! will be posting soon about my workshop to show what was created! hope you're surviving what has been a very gray weekend here, but 'tis ok as I have may daylight lightbulb on(!) to work by and am cheering myself along with the radio and some creativity in various bright colourways!!