The Lead Up to Christmas . . . .

Greetings lovely friends & readers

I hope the lead up to Christmas Day is going well for you & you are remembering to give yourself some grace.  

Verse courtesy of  simply_anxious on Instagram

After achieving so much in November & moving through projects at a rapid pace, December has found me moving more like a turtle, slow & steady ...... & some days not achieving much at all.  I have tossed the "to do list" in the bin & whatever I get done will be just fine & what I don't get done - will be just fine too.  

 Todays pickings, before the winds came ... Alstromeria Christmas Red, & white Penstemons 🤍

These wooden stockings were purchased last Christmas, put in the cupboard & promptly forgotten about.  I got them out last week & painted them both in Vintage White chalkpaint.  I painted some grainsack stripes on the largest one using Forrest Green chalkpaint.

Some oddments of festive transfers got applied to the large one & the smaller size one got some pretty decoupage paper mod-podged to it.  I've used every single scrap of this lovely paper & just adore it 🎄

I get a little giddy with excitement when The Mr brings home junk treasures from the old sheds on the farm & this violin was no exception.  It was covered in bird droppings, this is clean above, compared to what it originally looked like.  Nothing that a good scrub won't remedy & a dry in the sun.

Again two coats of Vintage White & then some more Christmas transfers applied.  I love it sitting here by my cabinet full of red/white china & I can look directly at it when I'm sitting on the couch.  I just love how this turned out even though every single person that I show it to says "It's got No strings" (!!) (I don't actually plan to play it !!!)

When I had the red velvet curtain out to make the Santa's LongJohns in my last post, I decided to make a simple Santa Hat for the mohair bear that sits in my room.

  I made this bear 22 years ago now for Mum, on the first anniversary of my Dad's passing. The pattern is Old Boy as that is what Mum always called Dad (affectionately).   I made a large pom pom using a remnant of teddy bear fur that I gathered up & stuffed.  I think it suits him.  The silver letters around his neck, "Snow" was my Dads nickname as he had snowy white hair & everyone called him Snow, although his real name was Hector (!!) 

After I'd made Old Boy a hat I remembered that I had this gorgeous length of fabric in my stash that I'd thrifted - I'm pretty sure this is a Sanderson remnant.  So I made a stocking using the velvet curtain as a cuff & the beaded trim is leftover from my sewing room lightshade.  I love how this looks sitting in a corner of my bedroom - just simple & pretty 💗

My dear friend Shirley gave me her favorite candle jars & asked me to please refill them for her.  I made up the 4 of them last week using the very last of my soy wax.   The fragrances are Fireside - Lime, Basil, Mandarin & Black Rose Oud.  My sewing room smelt SOooo good while they were hardening.  

I've finished the Christmas Baking that I gift & it's all been packaged up & delivered to various friends.  I even came across these cute stickers that said Baked With Love & an oven glove on them.  

When I revamped the cradle for Juno & Sadie in *this post*, I put it in my sleepout with a large sheet over it.  

After I'd finished their stockings in *this post*, I bought the cot inside as I had a vision in my head of it sitting under the tree with the girls stockings sitting beside it, filled with their gifts & the cradle to be shared between them both.

This is what happened to that vision dear friends .   .   .   .

First night - top left - she's sitting in the cradle, on top of both stockings.  

Second night above right, The Mr removed the stockings & tossed a cuddly in there on top of the bedding to protect it.

Third night above ... she's moved in permanently - thinks "how wonderful that Mum made this especially for me"  & there are two cuddly's in there for her!!!       

After night 3 I had a wobbly, removed cot back to the sleepout, washed bedding & vacuumed pillow & it can stay there until the wee girls visit this weekend  😠😟😖😬😣😑  Lord give me strength Please !!

Thank you as always dear friends, for your welcome visits here today,

I hope to be back for a final festive post before the 25th,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,