AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL

As I was so busy making Christmas presents for my friends and family on the run up to the holiday I didn't get a chance to write on my blog - more's the pity.  However I do have photos to show what I was up to!!

I made these for my older daughter - she loves animal print, 

hence the cushion!!

I made these for my younger daughter but didn't have time to 

make everything I wanted and, as she is in Dubai and couldn't

come home this Christmas, I have more time to finish the other

presents, which I will post as soon as I've finished them!!

Well, it's going to be the New Year in a couple of days with lots of new projects in the pipeline for me to complete.  I'm hoping that my new course "Bead and Wire Jewellery" proposed for January at the adult education college, will have enough students to run, as I am planning a great selection of projects for them to do.  

Nearly all my students from my Mixed Crafts course have signed up for the follow up course in January so I need to think of some fun projects for them to do.  I'll be going to my favourite craft site, www.favecrafts.com for inspiration!

I am so proud of my patchwork student who made some lovely items on the run up to Christmas which she gave as presents to some of her family and friends.

Very good combination of materials which depict

the sun, sea and sand!  

Again a great colour combination & pattern.

Anja actually made a third cushion which I loved 

but I don't have a picture of that

I think the combination of the red and tartan 

make a stunning bag which Anja couldn't 

bring herself to give away and she is using it!

Each new year I try to find a new craft to master but haven't decided as yet what it will be!  Actually there's not a lot left that I actually want to do!  Maybe I'll have thought of something before I write my next blog. 

Surfing the web earlier this week I came across www.paulinespatchwork.co.uk - no nothing to do with me - they have just moved to Dorchester and sell a wonderful selection of patchwork and quilting supplies and materials and they also run workshops!  Ummmm, most interesting!  I must check them out further. Luckily I bookmarked them so I'll be able to go back to have a more in depth browse when I've got more spare time.

Well, that's it for now, back to housework or crafting??  Crafting won...... !!

Happy New Year to everyone

All best wishes

Pauline

Bah, Humbug!!

It's been snowing for four days!! College is closed until further notice - the schools are also closed too.  My car is covered in snow and cannot go anywhere as the roads are impassable. Being a side road ours isn't cleared or gritted.   I'm fast running out of bread and such!  The delivery lorries can't get through to the supermarkets, and in the smaller towns and villages they are actually rationing bread, eggs, milk etc!!


As for the transport system - the trains are not running, planes are grounded, buses are cancelled and where do I live?  Outer Mongolia - no - the U.K.  -  and as usual everyone has been expecting the snow for a couple of weeks - if not more - and still the country is caught with it's pants down!!

this shows how thick the snow is...

bamboo bowed right down under the weight of the snow and paw-prints are from a lone fox....

the conifer tree outside our lounge a few days ago...

I'm busily making one of my daughter's Christmas presents and when I can get out to the shops I'll be able to finish it.  I think a handmade present is worth much more than a shop bought item.  Each stitch is sewn with love!  When it's finished I'll post it along with a few other things I'm in the middle of making.

Well, this is just a short entry as I wanted to rant about the snow.... and I'm feeling very Scrooge like at present! 

Pauline 

December Already!!

The last two weeks have gone past in a flash - I can't believe it's the 1st December already!! Last week was really sad for me because it was my Aunt's funeral, she had been ill for a very long time, and went into hospital for a straightforward procedure, but ended up having a major heart attack, which unfortunately she didn't recover from.  She was the last link I had to my Mum.  As a floristry tutor (among my many other attributes!) I was able to make a very pretty open wreath and spray of anthirriums:

It started snowing during the night and then all day yesterday and no matter how high I turned the heating up, I was, and still am, so cold!! My poor bamboo growing in the garden was almost beaten to the ground by the snow as you can see from the photo below.  

I've had to spend the day at home because the roads are so treacherous and driving is a nightmare! I just moved the car yesterday morning from the bottom of our road to nearer our house, which is nearer the top of the road, and managed to get the car stuck, but luckily I had the help of two strong neighbours' who gave me a push as I was slipping on the ice.  


Hopefully my craft class will run on Thursday, and the college won't be closed, and I'll have some more photos to post here.  My students will be making pretty indoor Christmas wreaths from small boxes,  and Kusudama paper folded Balls - watch this space. 


Well that's all for now and I'll write again soon.


Pauline