Christmas Gifts!

Here are some of the gifts I've been working on.

For my sister - a reading pillow from this pattern



.


Assorted I-spy bags for adult friends. Hopefully they won't go completely nuts from trying to find tiny things.






An apron for one of my friends.




Yet another sock monkey - this time for my nephew and it is made from really long football socks. So he is reeeeeeeaaallly tall and gangly. With cauliflower ears, black eye and the other eye swollen shut :) I enjoyed making him.






But the thing that I'm most excited about is the Doll cradle/carrier I made for Miss E. My friend, Donna, made a beautiful, beautiful doll for E - isn't she gorgeous?







And here is the carrier with matching pillow and sheet. I'm hoping she will love it to bits! It was really easy to make and you can find the tutorial here.





So I think I'm just about finished making all the Christmas presents. I also made four raggy quilts but haven't photographed them yet. I'm really happy with how they turned out too.

All in all I'm very excited to have made the majority of our Christmas presents this year. It's been really fun and I'm hoping to do it again next year.

Sock Monster

I made a Sock Monster for my nephew's 8th birthday a couple of weeks ago. I thought a sock monkey might be a bit tame so I decided on a monster and thought I'd tailor it to suit my nephew's predilection for bodily noises.

I called him Stinky McSniffer and, as you can see, some flatulence is escaping from his cute little bottom. I really enjoyed making this one. I made another sock monster last week for another niece's birthday but alas, I did not take photos. I will have to get some when I see her next.

Here's Stinky from the front.




And from behind :-)

Trying to take some nice Christmas photos!!

Last year I took some lovely photos of O and E for our yearly Christmas email/card. Here are a few of the rejects - they make me laugh.



This angle wasn't working so I got closer . . .




Hmmm . . . still not really working . . .


Eliza has clearly had enough. I'd forgotten she doesn't get out of bed for less than 3 weetbix!




And my lovely boy with all his teddies - I wonder if it was his intention to annoy his sister away??

I'm very tempted to put one of the dud ones on the card - :-)

A few random sock monkies

Trying to make as many christmas presents as I can this year. I've been quite organised about it actually. I've surprised myself! :) Just ask my husband - organisation is not my strong suit.

Here are the two latest.

This one is for my niece's 8th Birthday next week.

and this one was given to our god-daughter for her early christmas present as she and her family will be in Geelong for Christmas. She loved it and called it "Chip".

Christmas Lights

On the last weekend of November, DH and O put up the lovely christmas lights on our house. Here are a few pics. It's nice now that the boy is old enough to help - he loooooves the lights!

putting the lights in the hedges out the front.

carrying the Moon shaped frame out to the front.

And some shots of the lights on out the front.

My whirl-wind trip to Wagga

A couple of weekends ago I flew to Sydney with one of my brothers to go to my God-mother's 50th birthday celebrations.

Here are some pics of the party-peeps.

This is me and my God-mother, Sue.

With auntie Robin

My brother, with whom I went to the party.

I had to take this photo of the lancer! My Grade 5 teacher, who is basically the inspiration for my becoming a teacher, drove one and we all thought it was the coolest car ever!

And just a photo I took on the plane which just blew me away! We were up above all the bad weather that both Sydney and Brisbane had that weekend.

I had a wonderful time - it was too quick but at least I got to see lots of people I love. And, to be honest, who could ask for anything more?

My first I-Spy bag :)

I finally took the plunge after collecting a whole heap of the stuff.

Here are some pics - have to be quick as I am hopping on a plane to Sydney at 3.40!! Going to my god-mother's 50th celebrations in Wagga with my brother. Hiring a car in Sydney then driving to Wagga. Will be back on Sunday night!

It's hard to play with!! I find it challenging - perhaps will put a lot more things in the next one! And MAYBE make the window a bit bigger? Or perhaps I am just a bit "remedial" today??

I've got my PIF's!

Ok! So now I have my three recipients! Erin-my my my!, a little Cherub and missymoo84 :)

Now all that is left is for you lovely ladies to post the above pic on your blogs and wait for three people to respond to your PIF request!

Woot!

This internet thing is so fun :)

Updated Oppy Finds

Here are some better pics of everything I got for $5 from the Salvo's last week.

The jersey, clouds, pink fleecy cotton and red t'shirt fabrics.

The placemats, tablecloth (to become arons) and two lovely little linen/cotton tablecloths (will become dresses for Eliza). Second pic the detail of the embroidery and edges.

Four pillow cases - cream damask, yellow with kite, purple and purple flowers - all to become dresses or pyjamas for Eliza.

And the blue floral cotton, blue/pink pillowcase and pink crinkle cotton which I think must have been a table cloth in a past life.

I will be adding some more photos of what I picked up at a little local church op-shop. I have to go back there without kids as it is almost literally a hole in the wall and there is very little room in the shop. But there was a treasure trove of things there - will post pics later.

Cheers!

Kat

Pay it Forward

I decided to take part in this cool concept over on KaM's blog. So all you have to do it comment on this post. The first 3 people who post a comment will receive something handmade from me within the next 365 days. The only condition being that you also participate and make something for three other people too. Fun, hey? woot woot!

So come on!

Oppy Finds!

I went to the local Salvo's warehouse the other day, inspired by lots of posts on the Crafty Mamas forum. I trawled through a big crate of manchester and found the following little treasures.

A lovely piece of red t-shirt material, a piece of musky pink fleece and a really nice deep rose pink piece of knit which feels like it might be a light jersey - it's heavier than the red though.

Then I found this old tablecloth which I will be transforming into a couple of aprons - one for me and one for one of my besties - we always reminisce about our mothers' seersucker tablecloths. I don't know about you but we had many in this style with these lovely colours!

I'm excited about this piece - cloud fabric! I'm thinking art smocks for my kids and perhaps some pyjamas. What do you think? It's a nice medium-weight cotton.

And these placemats - might become little wallets or handbags? They're a synthetic with lace edging.

I also got 4 or so pillow cases, another piece of pale pink crinkle cotton and two lovely white with lace edging table cloths (small) which will be making themselves into little dresses for my baby girl. How much you ask? For all of this . . . . . . $5!!!!!!!!!

I know - I was so excited you nearly had to strap me down! Then as we'd exchausted the manchester bin I found an UNOPENED game of baby 6-pin bowling - fabric pins and fabric ball. Still in a packet albeit the packet was damaged - $5! So I had to have it - will go to my new niece/nephew when they're born at Christmas.

The other bits I am going to photograph in a minute and then add here - the pillowcases were so cute! I then went to local lifeline this morning - got a few things but nowhere near as exciting! Will post pics of them later too.