Time to get Busy...

Only 73 days left to go so time to really get stuck into the festive mood. Have done a few bits of christmas shopping already. Like to go down to boots on Jan 2nd and snap up all the unwanted christmas gifts at 75% off , and have been picking a few bits up through the year. Sainsburys are selling really pretty mugs with robins and santa's on them and have been on the shelves for a few weeks now so I have bought a couple and stuffed them with Quality Street sweeties (other sweets are available he he) I put them in celo bags and tied up with pretty ribbon, total cost about £4 each. be aware you can't get a half a box of sweets in a mug so you may have to eat a few to make room. Its a tough job but someones got to do it!! with a mug of coffee helps !!


Also making a start on the christmas baubles for the tree thought it might be nice to have some that my cat can't destroy though I'm sure she will give it her best shot!!

They're a doddle to make, just go down to your local craft shop and purchase some polystyrene balls, mark and cut into segments. Cut 3 cm deep into them with a craft knife until they look like a satsuma , the balls I bought already had the lines marked on them when they were mounded. I picked up a pack of 6 patterned martial strips (or fat quarters some people know them as)  to cover them with.

When you have made the cuts push some of your cotton patterned material into the grooves and trim close to the edges when this is done push all martial in till joins are hidden. These baubles require no sewing or gluing to complete and you can make around a dozen baubles using 6 fat quarters of Christmas print and still have some over

when the ball was totally covered I made a loop from some ribbon and pinned that on the top with a gold brad and added some gold glitter dots to make them sparkle on the tree

I went with the more traditional colours of red and green and white as my tree this year is going to be in that style. The beauty of making your own decorations is you can colour co-ordinate to your hearts content. If your tree is going to be purple do purple and gold balls , If your room is beige you can make your baubles in cream and gold to match its surroundings or go goth get some skull fabric and decorate your tree with ghouls in black and red!!! The world is your lobster as they say....

Here's my card for today, its a circle card in green and silver and has been made using the spellbinders dies 'fanciful holidays' for the reindeer and Marianne designs dies for the sleigh the 'snowflakes are cut from Spellbinders Persian motifs die set and the sentiment is from  Penny Black . I have used Tim Holts Distress ink 'Pine needles' to stamp the sentiment and colour tint the sleigh ,reindeer and snowflakes. There is a scattering of comic shimmer 'Iced crystals' glitter round the large circle and some under the sleigh .

I would like to enter it in the following Challenges
Penny Black and more 'Animal magic'
The cuttlebug Spot 'whats on your Desk Tuesday'