Gingerbread....

What is it about Gingerbread i love?
(everybody wave at MrsB down there, looking all Christmassy - and notice the Gingerbread style house at the back of the table. The B's own it and i sorely wish i did!) I have been thinking about my obsession... i couldn't find all the Gingerbread item photos in my PC picture files, they've all gone wandering...
What IS it about Gingerbread?

Most probably my love of baking, coinciding with my love of crafting...

My love of storytelling....

Devotion to working with and being with children, that began long before i became a mamma.

I lived in Germany for a while and they *know* how to do Christmas. I love the real German Markets full of wooden stalls like an imagined Gingerbread village. Maybe it's nostalgia?

I love to change my colours and 'themes' for Christmas decorating too. Last year was WHITE with lots of snowballs and white bunting....

This year.....? It is Gingerbread. Red / Brown / Orange / Pink with a huge helping of Gingerbread style.

I love Gingerbread.

How can i turn the outside of my house into a Gingerbread Grotto, hmmmm....? answers on a postcard please x

Meet my little Elven Boy...

Many of you know, i have a *real* girl to play with - she is fun and obviously i love her but... i needed a little boy to love too. ...and here he is!
Meet George. I think i am in love....

Oh, he is such fine quality. Soft yummy fabrics. Aawww, little button arms. A rustic bell. Oh that hat....

LOOK at those LEGS! *sigh* he has a big brother and little brother in the shop where he was made. I don't whether it would be really naughty of me to buy another one......? would it also be naughty of me to have him in my home ALL year and not just in that brief yuletide period?

I bought him HERE - and he is yet another example of how much 'JOY' handmade treasures bring to my life :)

P.s. That bunny picture next to him in the top photo? - Bought from HERE (the amazing Dee Beale) so many things to love, so little cash x

Paperfish @ LauraFallulah x

This beauty is the actual Laura Fallulah ( i know, she is a babe ) But she also has a shop on NotOnTheHighStreet.com and LauraFallulah now stocks PaperFish products - exclusive to her store. She is also stocking Summersville items from the Uber-talented Lu Summers, so i am in very good company. LauraFallulah has these adorable Matroyshka Fabric badges - an ideal stocking filler or gift for a teacher.

Pretty Pooch - always popular and especially so in Apple and Pink :)

The DEER fabric Badge - what a cutie? finished with a pink felt disc and blue button. Great gift for the Tweenie girls 8 - 12yrs

And Tea Cup fabric badges - these are by far my favourites. I wanted to keep these for myself but they do look cute in Laura's shop.

Fun, fun, fun - it is a lovely feeling to have other people stock my products>>>> LauraFallulah has a link button on the sidebar if you want to see all her great items for sale.

Pumpkin Head

I need to apologise to Dorothy!
Dear Dot, i am sorry that you asked me to make a Pumpkin Brooch and i said i couldn't as i really doubted that i would have the time... But the thought of it played on my mind continually.... and then i DID make one! and i love him:) i love my pumkin head and i am sorry i didn't make one for you too.

So, i made him specifically to wear for my CRAFT CAFE next week but, it seems i have been enjoying him a little too much prior! I wore him to our little Harvest Festival and i wore him in the art room and i wore him to the Post Office...

Sorry i did not make you a Pumkin Head too Dot. Forgive me?

P.S the CRAFT CAFE is in Boddington: Thursday 29th October 10am - 12pm. Don't be late x

Craft Room Chaos for Tuesday....

What's that grumpy face for MsFish? - i don't feel grumpy, honest!
That is me wearing my newest vintage dress. Liz Clairborne, bought for £1 and worth every penny. It is red and very eighties in a Laura Ashley sort of a way. Drop waisted and calf length. The sleeves are huge and i luffs it. I made these today - and photographed them (despite the dreadful lack of natural sunlight)

And i made these: Gingerbread Cookie Hearts. Sold as a pair in chocolate brown shades and rosy pink. I am determined to make a huge Gingerbread Cottage this year and so i need to get some more delicious looking decorations...

The trees are my Folky Forest: currently listed for sale as a set of 5, each one a different colour. I am stupidly happy with how these turned out.

It can be tiring making the same designs over and over again, so it is of little shock that i constantly 'update' the shops with new creations.

The best feeling is getting a real 'public' reaction to new designs, when i get them out on the Craft Stall "Oooh, these are lovely" or "Oi, Jan, look at these. They're nice aren't they" Never a guarantee that an item will sell - but i can't help making more... I LOVE crafting x

Tuesday Musings.... thanks for popping by!

"O how i long to keep the world from narrowing in on me, and to look at things bigly and kindly"

Stop Press: i am not perfect. i have failings and sometimes, i too, get tired. If you are a Mother then you know that photo above. You know that feeling of wanting to "stop the world". It can narrow around you.

Things can seem kindlier after a glass of wine but there is no truth in the bottom of that bottle.

How to view the world "bigly" without becoming overwhelmed??

Stop Press: i am not perfect, and i don't apologise.

p.s. i adore that title quote from William Morris x

They're here......!!!

There are small spotty buttons back in the shop.
One or two new colours... this being APRICOT - a sort of light tangerine / soft peachy colour. Hard to describe 'just right'. We have a beautiful aqua / sky blue which has more green in it than this photo suggests....

So the new 100 mixed bags - as it stands right now - with 10 each of 10 different colours....

AND, the reds are back! Most requested button of all. I know people have asked for 100's of these recently and i only have a few bags HERE but i do have more 'on order'.

Bless you all my button fans x nobody is more pleased than I to have these little jewels back again :)