Saturday, January 12, 2019

Craft Group Christmas Break Up (Catch Up Post #2)

Greetings dear friends & readers & Happy Weekend to you all.

In the second week of December our little craft group got together for our end-of-year break up.
We all met up out at Liz's beautiful home, about 20 minutes out in the country -  we all bought along a plate for 
a shared lunch
(Sometimes I substitute the grapes for strawberries, sometimes just dried apricots will do)
 This is my standard "go to dish" when I am asked to bring a plate.
You can find the recipe for my Gingernut Bites here & for my chocolate fudge slice here
It's simple to put together as you can make the uncooked recipes a day or two beforehand & keep in fridge.


Our challenge for last month was to make a dream catcher.
Though I was not especially inspired by this challenge, I must admit I really enjoyed making my dream catcher 
(above & below) & just used up craft items already in my stash.
I remembered to click some pics of the ladies work

Liz's Dream catcher

Joyce's Dreamcatcher ...... Joyce even crocheted her own doiley for the centre!

Gails Dreamcatcher

I really loved Sharlaine's one above ... she had handcrafted the feathers herself using cord!

After morning tea the ladies made felt mice ... I taught this as I had some kitsets left over from 
when I taught the class in this Post

Then we stopped for lunch ... if nothing else, we sure do know how to get the food right!!  Our lunch was delicious!!

We had all been asked to bring a Christmas themed craft or decoration along, wrapped up ... then we each chose one out of the basket lucky dip style 😉
I was delighted upon opening mine to receive this repurposed wooden platter upcycled by Sharlaine.
Though my photo is not showing it, the whole picture has been lacquered with a fine glitter & just sparkles away ... 
so beautiful!


I wrapped up one of my primitive pocket ornies which I had liberally scented with Clove Oil.
Joyce received my mystery parcel & was thrilled ... she rang me days later to tell me her whole house smelt 
just gorgeous!!


I think this dainty sparkly ornament was made by Gail ... squares of fabric folded & pinned into a polystyrene ball ... 
so very effective!

After lunch Gail was keen to try a craft she had seen on You tube ... 

Gail had watched the video clip above & decided to try this method on some soft toys purchased from the Op Shop ... she had bought out a bucket of the cement mix required & we all had to have a go at dunking a soft toy
Though the whole process seemed a bit "drastic" it was a messy but fun creative time with lots of laughs.  

A couple of the end results ... these take several days to dry & can then be used outdoors as garden ornaments.

The day after our craft break up my neighbour Jenny came for the morning.
She was keen to learn how to make potpourri & I had been promising her a lesson since last winter!
  Jenny had been gathering & drying lots of bits from her garden & her walks, & had a lovely selection to work with.
I had picked oranges from her fruit trees & dehydrated them for her.
Together we made the 3 bowls full above ... Jenny was so delighted at her first attempt & planned to keep some & gift some for Christmas.


The next day she returned my enamel bowls to me with the goodies pictured above inside them as a Thank You 💗




Finally dear friends, before I close this photo-heavy post, these two vintage Holly Hobbie needlework pictures were a gift from my dear friend Sally ... I was speechless when I opened them!
They are now hanging in pride-of-place above my sewing machine so I can enjoy & admire them all the time that 
I spend there.

Thank You All So Very Much for staying with me thru' this lengthy post.
I shall be back in a few more days with Catch Up # 3 😉
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - be kind to yourselves & to each other,
With much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0

23 comments:

  1. Oh, I don't think your post was lengthy at all. I love to wander through to see what you and your friends have been fashioning. Why, I think your dream catcher is inspired. Love those little words. I have never heard of dunking a soft toy into concrete.....how bizarre but oh such fun. So many pretties to make the heart beat just a little faster here....BUT....the ones that really have caused me to reach for the oxygen tank are the darling Holly Hobbie pretties. You are one lucky gal, lovely Julie♥

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  2. Always so many delightful things to see in your posts. This is no exception, and I am especially taken by the pretty dream catchers, and the cement coated animals. Who comes up with these ideas?

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  3. Hi Julie lovely post love the dream catcher,hope you have a wonderful weekend my friend xx

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  4. Oh julie longer the better always full of amazing things to enjoy and inspire me. I really do hope you continue to blog as I would and I guess many more people would miss them. Xx

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  5. Haha Julie, no wonder you have not had time to blog. You have been so busy! I have just caught up on these two posts and as always enjoyed reading and looking at what is being created at your place and surrounds.

    I don't think I have a particular favourite this time around, simply because they are all so beautiful! Including your furbabies.

    I have been wanting to try making a dream catcher. I have gathered some things together and they are sitting there waiting for me to create something beautiful. Next week will be a heat wave here (mid 40's most of the week) so guess what I am planning? Yep getting some crafting done. I have made a list of things I want to achieve craft wise this year and I am determined to cross them off my list!

    I actually thought about shutting my blog down, but instead I have decided to post again on a regular basis. It does mean that I wont be posting as much on IG and only popping on there from time to time. Unfortunately I have joined a couple of crafty groups on facebook so for now that is staying. Oh no Lol!

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend, will see you next post :)

    Love Tania xxx

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  6. ooooO! A feast of lovelies to~day Julie...
    I must say, l do love those dream catchers..
    I only have the one, a pink one..what else..that
    hangs in the dinning room window! It's the second
    one, the first faded after a year or so, in the
    sunlight..This one is bubble~gum pink..with all
    the trimmings..! :).

    The little cement figures look lovely to..kinda
    cute..! :). Hope Blackie..Miss Pippi did'nt get
    'to' attached..! Bless!xx

    The lunch platter looks nice to..l think fruit and
    chocolate go so well together..Yum!
    AND...I love grapes...! Especially when turned into
    wine..! :o).

    Well..nearly 7:30 over here, still dark, though day
    light is breaking through..another lemon tea me
    thinks..tidy up..then off to town, for a look round!
    Bit chilly..but dry..! :). 🎈🎁🎉🎁🎈

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  7. ohhh love the Holly Hobble stitchery! simply beautiful!
    not a big fan of dream catcher but love that so many get different ideas for one theme
    your posts are always enjoyable, whether short or long!
    can't wait to read more
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Thanks so much Selina. Yes!! I adore Holly Hobbie too!! Takes me right back to my childhood ... she is so timeless. Hope you have a great week ahead Selina ... still 2 more catch up posts, then I'll leave you in peace for awhile! :-)

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  8. Wasn't too long for me! Beautiful gifts, beautiful dreamcatchers and interesting making the toys into garden ornaments. You are blessed to have such wonderful creative friends! Goodies look good but with not being able to eat gluten it might be a problem! You have a wonderful week-end also! Nancy

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  9. Oh I enjoyed this post so much! It must be fun to get-together with a "craft group". Your sweets dish looks delicious! The dream catchers all turned out pretty.

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  10. Love the dreamcatchers. This is a beautiful post. You had a great time.

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    1. Thanks so much Krishna. We sure did have a wonderful time together ... there are only 6 (sometimes 7) of us but we all bring different interests & skills to the group. Have a great week Krishna Xx.

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  11. Have loved reading your catch up posts. Your sweet dish looked so yummy. The dream catchers all look wonderful. Love the pot pourri. I bet it smelled divine. Interesting idea to turn old toys into garden ornaments. Hugs,xx

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  12. what a lovely get together, I would like to dip in to your platter, nobody in the UK brings things like this to a gathering! I think the cement figures (dogs) would make very sellable door stops - hares would do well methinks. All that creativity in one room - you have a talented bunch of friends.

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  13. Wonderful post Julie, love your dream catcher, everyone is so creative with what they make. The plate you took looks great, love the choclate fish touch!! Very Kiwi. 😊😊 the mice are so cute and your lunch looked amazing .interesting idea too with the soft toys. I bet that pot pourri smelt wonderful and you were given a beautiful thank you gift. The Holly Hobbies are lovely too. Looking forward to #3 post 😊😊

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  14. I am not inspired by dream catchers either, I suppose growing up either on or very close to reservations, I had seen enough of them. I love the holly hobby, I have several of the holly hobby plates in fact I need to put them up in my spare room.

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    1. Thanks so much Kim .... yes I love Holly Hobbie too! She is so timeless, I think we can enjoy here at any age.

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  15. What a great post Julie, lovely dream catchers from you talented lot of ladies, hmmm might have a go at the cement soft toys, cutie Holly Hobby needlework pictures. Chris xoxo

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  16. Wonderful makes by the ladies, the food has my mouth watering, I made some of your gingernut balls for Christmas....yummy! Who would have thought to cover a soft toy in concrete??? Perhaps it was found out by some child ' helping' and dunking his teddy in a bucket of cement?

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  17. Way back (when was it???!!!) I started embroidering the one on the right. Unfinished, adn wonder if I still have it. when we moved, we found that boxes along the outside of the basement had been water damaged so they just got thrown out without even looking to see what I had lost. Best not to grieve if you do not know what is inside.

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    1. Oh gosh, it would be so wonderful if you could find it & finish it. But I agree ... sometimes you have to be ruthless & just throw stuff out. Thanks for stopping by & leaving your lovely comment.

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  18. What a fun way to end the year....gorgeous projects and gifts given and received. I have several Holly Hobbie items still from my daughter's childhood xx

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  19. So many gorgeous Christmas goodies. Those two Holly Hobbie frames are just beautiful. I still have my Holly Hobbie cup with my name on it!

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