sparkly things

I've seen lots of bloggers have been showing their beautiful xmas decs, so I thought I'd join in and share some of mine too.... although I must confess that they're nowhere near as stunning !! but they're what makes my family and I happy, and thats what matters at this time of year :o)

We have a really large conservatory and so put our tree here as theres more room to move about when lots of people are in there.and for Debbie - top right corner is my first ever Dec, my precious windchime thats always the first to be put up... holds some memories that one :o)

some of our decs, there are a few that have been around many, many years like the robin - I seem to have had that forever! but the little red hen was a pressie from one of my chicken chums more recently :o)

we usually have white twinkling lights on our tree, but the xmas 'stuff-up' fairy (I'm not normally that polite and have worse that I usually call it!) decided to attack them in the loft! so off we went to buy new lights, and they looked lovely for about 20 minutes and then one set died!! so... off came all the decs and lights and we decided to use our red holly berry lights instead that used to go around the stair garlands, only the 'stuff up' fairy had mutilated them too... wires everywhere!!! Not one to be defeated, hubbs decided to play fix it guy and resoldered all the joints to the lights and hey presto they now work :o) alas the twinkly lights couldnt be saved... we've still to put up the light nets onto all the windows, it is a total sparkle-fest in there at night as the lights all bounce off the windows .this was one taken last year of my son helping to put the lights up... probly the only time Ive ever seen him with cleaning products in his hands LOLthis dec is one of my favourites, a friend bought it for me last year and I just love it! its 12th scale too and has a tealight at the back to make it glow.
We dont decorate the lounge much as we tend to use the conservatory at xmas so this tiny tree is the only one in this room LOL. but I do have one in my craftroom! you still with me?... tis going on a bit LOL
here's my stair garland-y thing in the hall/dining room...
and the dog has a stocking too :o)and finally a few recent additions to my kitchen
am off for a cuppa and a mince pie now... hope you enjoyed my decorations :o)

I wish every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

nom, nom, gingerbread :o)

I havnt updated my blog for a while... again, but I've been very good and have been doing the excercises the physio-terrorist gave me and am slowly becoming more mobile and less achey :o) (methinks the drugs help too!) I've still not been able to get the clay out for a play yet tho as I know if I sit down to sculpt I will take root and it wont do me any good to sit for that long! I don't like to get bored so I have been going through my 'to do' list for things that I CAN do. One of the things I decided on was a pattern for a half eaten gingerbread man I saw somewhere in blogland last xmas (sorry I forgot where) but it originated here at Elsie Marley's site and I fell in love with it ♥ its ever so easy and full instructions are given on her site, including the template... and its FREE!
Anyway, here's some of my efforts at making a few for my tree.I made some uneaten ones as well as the half eaten ones from the pattern & made enough to go on the this tree in my craft room and some more go into my kitchen.

I hit a blank when trying to remember how to do the French knots for the eyes and found this reminder on youtube that helped to shake my brain cells back into action.


You're probably all tutting at me for not remembering how to do something so simple, but hopefully some-one might find it useful, my memory obviously isnt what it used to be if I'm forgetting how to do stuff I've done a thousand times before! best I not try and ride a pushbike eh...? LOL

I'm going to make some xmas pudding decorations next, I'm sure I can manage those without instructions ;o) but before then I shall be making a tiny coat for my littlest chook, as she's not regrown all her feathers since she moulted and its been bitterly cold here recently so she needs a protective layer, -6 is not a good time to be featherless!!

Great Give-away!

this is a great give-away I've found here in blogland! For any of you that arent already familiar with Marie Segals lovely claywork, pop over and take a peep at her blog at Art from my heart the more comments she gets the more draws there will be for the giveaway! The draw started on my birthday so I'm hoping that will earn me some extra luck from the angels she's giving out on her birthday !!! LOL

out of the loop

just a quickie to let you know I'm still about, and attempting to keep up to date reading all the blogs, even if I dont comment on them, as I still cant sit for long and so am trying to cram in as much as possible in my windows of opportunity! I was making some progress with my back problem and then I took the dog for a stroll at the weekend and got yanked sideways putting me flat on my back again!!! :o( this setback is gonna take me months to rebuild my ripped muscles..... Im doing things properly, heat and ice and have an excercise plan from my phsyio-terrorist oh and the other important ingredient... drugs!!! :o) ....as a friend said to me the other day 'better living through chemistry' ! hopefully if I do as Im told I shall be mobile again by the new year... I wonder if hubbs realises I havent done ANY xmas shopping yet?... LOL its gonna be interesting!!!! I just really hope I can find a way to do some crafting or I may go insane with boredom!!!!

Carnivaaaaaal :o)

Every year my hometown has the most amazing illuminated carnival, said to be the largest in the world! so I thought some of you out there in blogosphere might be interested to see a few pics of the Bridgwater carnival that went on a few days ago. This event attracts visitors to our town from all over the world. I realised this year that I take this amazing spectacle quite for granted as I dont even go to watch it some years! There are lots of different categories that the floats are judged in, some floats are called Tableaux and the people on them remain absolutely still throughout the procession,
like these ones

while others have carts with moving parts that go in all directions with dancers on that continue for the 2 hrs plus that it takes to go through the streets!



Gremlins CC 'Runaway Train'
Gremlins usually win the show and did so again for the 7th time in a row as overall champions! but when we got a first glimpse of this one coming we all knew it was special, and it went on to win the top prize in the open feature cart section.

Masqueraders CC



and this one came 2nd
This was the last 'cart' and was totally my favourite
Harlequins CC



Despite the weather usually being wet and cold it doesnt put anyone off this wonderful free event. There are collectors that walk alongside the procession and collect donations which usually raises between £20-30,000 which is distributed to various charities. The sad thing is that this works out at just 50p-£1 per person watching, which is quite disappointing as the people in the clubs involved give their time and skills for free and build these wonderful entries from scratch each year !!
It is most amusing walking around our town at times, seeing some of the fantastic costumes that will be appearing on the carts that year. I'm glad I went to watch it :o)

more info about this great event can be found on this website
www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk

Halloween & a slightly bigger than usual PlumpKin!

I've seen some wonderful Halloween blog posts this year :o) this probly isnt one of them tho!!! but I wanted to take part in Kat the Hats Halloween Blog Party so here's my post, last minute me strikes again LOL!
I had a feeling my back wasnt going to let me have much fun this week and I wasnt far wrong, BUT.... the main reason I've not posted for a while is that I now have a new computer :o)!!! YAY :o) I was limited in trying to communicate for a while with just facebook via my mobile phone so am overjoyed to 'normal' again so quickly. What did we do before all this technology me wonders!!! anyways, I had no idea that retreiving and reloading all the files and programs to my new shiny majickal box would be so mentally taxing!!! let alone learning the differences between my old operating system and Vista! So I may have missed out on most of the Halloween fun but can assure you I have spent my fair share of time in 'Hell' LOL

I did however spend a few minutes a few times each day attempting to make myself a paper-mache pumpkin house, but didnt quite get to the finish line in time for the big day! jeez get out the violins!!! haha
this is the story so far.... this started when I saw a Pumpkin by Stolloween on facebook where it showed the internal makings of a mache pumpkin. It was 'just' strips of card attached to a floorplate with strips of card or newspaper weaved between to make a base for the mache to be added, the first pic is not mine as I forgot to take a pic of how I started mine D'oh! so I hope he doesnt mind me using it. but you get the idea? I only wanted a half pumpkin so made a few adjustments.
Then began the layering up.... I had to make a few cuts in the top to give it a bit more shape, the central tube was just to support the shape while it dried.


until it got soggy.... and had to be replaced by something a bit sturdier when I added the 'stalk'!

lots and LOTS of coats of paint later!... so far its had 2 coats of white and & 7.... yes, 7 coats of orange, I reckon it probly needs another few to be totally orange. NOTE: I learnt that using a good coat of ordinary household white emulsion was much more effective at covering newspaper mache than white poster paint or acrylic! and when you've already got backache those few minutes saved mean a lot!!!
I still need to paint the inside a pale pumkinny colour and then add a floor and some shelving into the natural curved alcoves and .... you know how it goes, IF I'm lucky I may have it finished before NEXT Halloween!

whinge alert!!!

I'm seriously fed up with myself now!!! Last year I completely missed Halloween because I was in hospital having my gall bladder removed and so was REALLY looking forward to having a big celebration this year to make up for it, BUT..... once again my body has other ideas as I've only gone and done my back in again somehow and so spent most of the last few days horizontal!...... no jokes please, it wasnt a fun kind of horizontal!! its all my fault anyway as I will insist on overdoing things when I feel ok! I did manage to get to see my phsysio-terrorist this morning but she didnt think it was gonna be a quick fix, as it seems Ive damaged/over stretched? the ligaments again that I tore last xmas, so poor ol Boris our big friendly Spidey might not be coming out of the cupboard this week as me & ladders are gonna be a definite no-no for a while :o( This pic was taken the last time we had 'Boris' out of the cupboard... poor thing must be lonely in there! but I can barely stand at the moment let alone walk very far so wont be doing any Trick or Treating or playing hostess with the mostest this year :o( thankfully I can still have some Halloween fun with all the online gatherings instead and am just going to put off my partying for another year.... again! and my golf... sob, sob... second thoughts, I never did like playing in the rain anyway so that may be the excuse I was looking for LOL

Hopefully this latest ailment wont keep me from my mini-ing too long, who knows? not me! I shall keep popping back to read the blogs but I may not be creating anything new or posting again for a while, but I WILL be back! x

just a quickie

just a quick line to apologize for my blogland absence .... again! Real life keeps attempting to force me into doing anything other than what I have plans for!!!
I've had a few ongoing health issues that thankfully some of which have now been resolved :o) but, my nomadic son is on the move again and because he's been staying in my workroom it has caused a few delays and 'occupational hiccups'.... clay and airborn dust 'n' fluff REALLY do not mix well! ...actually they mix only too well, which has created many issues.... hairy candles just dont look right! so I have downed tools and taken to the golf course to escape the madness!! I really do apologize to those who are waiting for orders, but I have taken the very selfish attitude of putting myself first for a bit.... or I may have had a serious meltdown!! I have no intention of ruining anyones Halloween scenes, so 'last minute wendie' policies will be in force and you'll have a big sigh of relief when your orders arrive just in time!
Hope you can understand.
I won't be gone long!

Edit... I'm also having trouble reading & leaving comments on some peeps blogs, if I havnt seemed to have visited for a while, then you may be one of the blogs that I cant read, (possibly something to with backgrounds and text conflicts?) but its nice to be able to see the pics anyway :o)

Miniatura

I had a wonderful day at Miniatura yesterday, and am so glad I decided to go after all. The day started on a high when I met one of my lovely customers who had flown over from America! she collected her order from me and happily liked what I'd made so I had some money to spend which made me very happy indeed!

This is the pumpkin witch & travelling trunk I made her, and some smaller peeps.
I then met up and chatted with lots of mini-ing friends and bloggers AND found time to spend lots of money too!! If I had more £, I'd have just spent more, as there were so many beautiful things Id have liked to have bought but alas, not on this trip :o(.... do you hear the sad violin tune playing? LOL

These are some of the things I bought... (a certain person has been nagging me since I got back for pics of my 'tiny treasures' so hope it keeps her happy LOL )
My first stop was to say Hi to Julie of Bellabelle Dolls and I fell in love with her new marotte dolls and just had to have one I also had a bit of a splurge on Mags Cassidy's stand too! she was selling out fast and I could totally understand why, she needs to make more witchy stuff as it proved very popular. This is what I got from her, click the pics to make them bigger as these small images really dont do them justice!
We had a good 'ol natter and a giggle, one day I shall have a stand next to hers and we shall put the world to rights but we'd sell more if we were further apart! LOL
I lost count how many giggly chats I had with my twinikins Debie from Piskies & Poppets, and think we may have worn our jaws and ears out, but still wish I could have been there today as well to do it all again :o)
I also bought lots of 'doing' stuff too, shiny 'things' to convert into other 'things' from TeePee crafts, and some cold porcelain, colouring, cutters, wires etc as I fancied having a go with another medium as the leaves I've been making from Fimo are just not thin enough and I can (hopefully) acheive this with the cold porcelain. I also bought lots of bulb wires so I can make some more lit up pumpkins, oh and some cernit clay. After the moonies and hairline cracks Ive had in the other clays Ive been using lately, I thought I should try this out. I shall be running a test on all my clays and will report the findings here when Ive done them. I have high hopes for this stuff and hope it doesnt disappoint :o)please forgive the odd picture... blogger has been a pain in the rear this evening and driven me nuts with its shannanigans wanting to put the pic sideways!! ? I gave up arguing with it and tried to outsmart it.... it almost worked so Im obviously not that smart? LOL

I also had a freebie from the very lovely Angie Scarr, I'm hoping it brings me luck and lots of real £ - then I can go shopping again :o)

and.... I spoke to Bea from Petite properties too who informed me I've also been included on AIM grapevine this month click the pic below to read the fantastic online magazine!
there's a 101 more things to tell you & share, but it'll have to wait till another time ...

sometimes you've just gotta do it!

Despite being skinter than a skint thing, the overwhelming urge to go to Miniatura has got me! I missed it last year and KDF too and know I'd be sulking all next weekend thinking that I should've gone and didnt, so I fluttered my eyelashes, counted the pennies and justified the day trip until before you know it I was ordering my tickets :o)
I shall be there on the Saturday so if anyone else wants to meet up and say Hi, let me know xxx
I am so excited!!!

sad farewell :o(

I vant him back....
(said in the deepest Transilvanian accent I can manage)

I had to say goodbye to this chap yesterday as he went on his journey to his new home. I'm hoping he doesn't dine out on too many postal workers en-route!!
(maybe I should have packed him off with a nice raw steak as a snack?.....)
I don't know what it is about my dolls just lately, but Ive been getting REALLY attached to them, it was like packing off one of my children!!! daft old thing that I am LOL

He's loosely based on Bela Lugosi's Dracula, (the old, original Dracula movie) and the customer didnt want fangs. But then I suppose vampire fangs aren't on view unless they're eating so it made perfect sense....

if you click on him it'll zoom the pic even more

He's just under 6 " tall, poseable, and again I have used eyes made by Debie from Piskies & Poppets. They are a dream to use! I wasn't looking forward to dressing him as it meant I had to make yet another jacket!! you all know how much I dislike jackets! but it wasnt so bad after all, so I must be getting used to them now. I also made him a detachable cape, he tried it out by flapping about around the school of majick which didnt impress its inhabitants at all, and they all ran away, jumped on their broomsticks and scarpered! methinks there'll be some garlic concoctions being brewed soon!!

there he is flapping about..... looking for a late night snack!
(its not easy taking dark/moody night time pics on macro is it?!)

if you like vampires, you should pop over and take a look at William Bezek's blog to see his latest creation! his are a lot bigger than 1:12 scale but REALLY good! and theres a coffin 'to die for'!!

I also said goodbye to a few pumpkins this week, the last few for a while are on ebay this week if you want to grab one.
(click on the pick to take you to ebay direct)

I know I will make more of them, but for now I am pumpkin'ed out. I have a few doll commissions to wade through anyway, 'witch' I'm looking forward to LOL apart from several witches, (and yes, poor ol Granny Weatherwax is STILL in a state of undress!) I've also got a mummy, a wolfman and Frankensteins bride wanting to appear before Halloween and I'm not the quickest at creating anything so need to get my skates on!! so I may not be about for a while.... or at least that's the plan!

Two faced mate is on ebay

OK, apologies if this post sounds like Im touting for business LOL tis really not my style, but you said it'd sell so I thought Id let anyone thats interested know, that I've listed the 'Two faced mate' on Ebay, item no 230525273632

still cant find that bloomin battery charger.... so can't show or list any of the other stuff.... grumble grumble.... off for another rummage

A big hello and welcome to my new followers too, I shall introduce you all on my next post xxx

Two faced mates!

Everyone seems to know some-one with two personalities , so I thought the pumpkin world should have some too! so here's the first of my 'Two faced mates' ,
they were very difficult to photograph too, so I was glad my brain worked enough to use a mirror!

The Happy, cheerful side

and the grumpy side!

I have so many other new ones to show but my battery died on the camera and I cant find the charger since I got back from my holiday!!! typical eh? but what do you think? do you think anyone would buy them if I put them on Etsy or Ebay?
I'm almost pumpkinned out now LOL Gonna make some Travelling Trunks with a difference next week :o)