Valentine tags 21 of them .......

Instead of seeing stars I am now officially seeing hearts .... I love hearts, who doesn't , but I feel like I have had an overload of sugar this last week :)) I have been creating 21 tags for a Valentine Tag swap.

My fav tag is the one in the middle below, it was the penultimate tag and a great feeling of euphoria swept over me as I raced for the finish line.

Some close-ups of a few more.

The tags will be heading off to Heather of Speckled Egg who will share them out amoung 2o other keen tag swappers. Then Heather will be creating 21 little tag books and sending on off to each of us. Sharing other peoples creative work is the best part of all.

Ye Olde Worlde. ~ and other such matters

Well this has just flown in from America, and has whisked me back to the 18th century when words were said a little different and spellings very old English.
Late last year I thought it might be fun to subscribe to this olde worlde paper called 'A Goode Ladye's Press ' created by Kate at Sparrows Cottage. The little paper is filled with 18th Century matters, receipe's of the day, historical news, fashion and such like. In fact just reading it makes you want to go find a rather tight corset and gown and sit proper like ....... you know... like one does :))



I shall receive 6 papers throughout the year with little coloured tags, patterns and presents and even my own little paper doll (how old am I .... Oh I don't care LOL) with different outfits and accessories throughout the year. Would you believe it, she is called Ginny .... how apt. I think I might be fighting my youngest over this one.



Interestingly there are some useful snippets related to my latest project on Marie Antoinette . Well I always knew that mice would sometimes live in the ladies hair do's - as the intricate hairstyles took ages to create and so were kept in place for weeks and weeks,What I didn't know was that the creations were held in place by lard and flour, this made the hair-do's a veritable feast for rats and mice YUCK !!



Well this year the ladye's press is full of related topics, Babies, children, Weddings, myths and fairy tales ~ looks like it was made for me. Can't wait.

Wish I may wish I might ~ wish you all the best for 2008

This angelic fairy in all her antique finery arrived this Christmas from my friend
Niki in a private swap. Niki asked if I would make her one of my ballet boot lavender sachets in exchange for one of her special fairies.

WELL I was absolutely thrilled and anyone who has followed my blog over the last year can see that Niki's fairies and dolls are a big favourite in our home and I was over the moon that she would make me one of these special Christmas fairies in a swap for me.
She also sent me a lovely little rosy pot filled with trims, laces, the most beautiful buttons and the most adorable blue bird card that a girl could ever wish for. Thank you Niki!

Well just before it all gets put away until next year here are the last things I have created in 2007, these 3 wreaths.

I don't know where I found the time but anyway I managed to make some things just for me this Christmas. I love wreaths and made 2 large white wreaths and a smaller one. This first one is my winter ice wreath and has lots of pale blue and white baubles and some magnificent 3D snowflakes.
The next one was for my eldest daughter, she wanted white and silver (sorry not the greatest of photo's - will try again and put the pic on flickr)

This next one is very quick and easy to do. This is my ice queen wreath, and holds all my fav rhinestone pins.

All you do is buy a polystyrene wreath cover it in your fav ribbon (I have silky snowflake ribbon), wrapping it around evenly, gluing at the bottom. Make yourself some cute bows and a streamer and then put your fav rhinestone pins in.



Hey presto - one opulent wreath. I might keep this one up long after Christmas.

Well all that's left to say now is:-

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE CREATIVE WONDERMENT IN 2008!

A Very English Christmas

What do you love about your Home at Christmas?
Karla is asking the question - she is hosting a virtual Christmas house party on her blog today (see the side bar).

Well first off we love our lounge and the fireplace with the roaring fire is the hub of the home, so cosy in winter and made extra special at Christmas.
December is the month of year when the house is filled with light, sweet treats and lots of cheer.
We start with a real Christmas tree which comes from Norway, this particular one does not loose it's needles and smells lovely.
I have collected lots of decorations over the years but my taste does change and for the last few I have preferred delicate whites snowflakes, hearts, rhinestones and glass baubles. I like to see the green on my tree and so leave the tinsel off, instead I add sheer ribbon .
I have lots of new ornaments this year- the rhinestone ones are from The Hope Jar - a lovely website. I have more hearts which are similar to the one below and baubles from Green Gate (sourced from Sophie Perks -Ward - ).
Just lately I have bought quite a collection of handmade ornaments from our very own Carol of Boxwood Cottage. This one below is Marie Antoinette and was wrapped soooo beautifully.
You can just catch a peak of the Marie Antoinette one in the tree - as I will be working hard on my round robin over the Christmas holiday it will serve to inspire me:)
- I just think they are so elegant.This one below is hanging from the chandelier in the dining room -bestowing German greetings on us and appropriately the little girl is sounding the horn - (calling us for dinner I think:)) Enchanting. Thank you Carol x.Well to add to the festivities I bought these gorgeous cones above from my sweet round robin friend Holly at Holly Doodle Designs. These are called 'Let it snow' cones and I love them. I have never had cones before although going by many blogs especially the Scandinavian blogs and of course Germany, these have been used for special treats for many, many, years. I love the idea of them and Holly really does come up with the most original and beautiful idea's, not to mention all the eye candy actually inside. I might even keep these out all winter. They hang with pride on my mirror in the lounge and you can just see the glass chandelier drops hanging below that came in the lovely cones.
I bought this wreath a few years ago from a very talented lady on ebay called Renee- I can't find her anymore on ebay but she knew how to create:) - she went to so much effort to make it right for me using vintage baubles of the particular colour that I wanted and shipped it in the most magnificent box that could probably withstand a crane landing on it. It arrived in excellent condition with no breaks. I really love it and could keep this out all year too. I recently received a gorgeous wreath with some lovely ballerina's and snowflakes in a swap from Tamy at Simply Mein.
I adore it and look at all the gorgeous pink!! It fits in very well with my decorations in the dining room.
I've put it on the dresser with other glorious eye candy, including little houses from Cody Foster and Miss Duffy and even Christmas goodies from the local garden centre.

And if you look closer

The pink wreath looks quite comfortable alongside my beautiful Christmas bunny box from Jenn at Sweet Eye Candy Creations. Jenn can come up with the most gorgeous and utterly whimsical original one of a kind bunny boxes. I love everything she makes!
But no Christmas would be complete without a beautiful crown and this snow queen crown from Holly is one of the most magnificent crowns I have ever seen - bring on the snow! I hear your iced in at the moment Holly with ice storms no less - what happened to the snow:(

Scanning around the dining room you may have caught site of some little bottle brush tree's and a wish sign - well these are all thanks to Heather who caught herself a bargain after thanksgiving. I wish our sales started before Christmas - it makes much more sense. Anyway she offered to find me a bargain or 2. Well I was so pleased that she did and they really are gorgeous in flesh. We don't have these here .... but we should - the signs are chunky and can sit quite comfortably anywhere.
Well we are not quite ready for decorating our table yet - but this is how it looked last year.

We are still painting and decorating at the moment and believe it or not the kitchen will be turned upside down on Monday - we are having new tiled flooring in the kitchen - talk about he 11th hour! Anyway this is all that is fit to be seen just yet.

Come back soon and see if it all got finished in time.

But in the meantime ~ HAPPY CHRISTMAS ~

bottoms up - cheer - chink chink ............ oops

Oooooh dear!

Well actually that's quite arty ... I like it!

Well for those that don't

Arrrh that's better:))