"So," I hear you cry, "what have you been making then?"

Well ... calorie free cakes, for a start! I must be honest I'm cheating posting this picture actually because it's not really for this blog, it's for Twisted Sisters really. It and a load of others will be strategically placed in public places with a Twisted Sisters business card attatched, hopin to attract more lovely ladies to join our group. They're a bit of fun, aren't they?! (And £7 each in the posh haberdashers in Monmouth)

And I've been doing some work on "the prom dress" allthough you could be forgiven for thinking I was just about to declare war on a small country and this is my battle table. I thank the lord for my Nan's old oak drop leaf dining table.

And I've been doing some work on "the prom dress" although you could be forgiven for thinking I was just about to declare war on a small country and this is my battle table. I thank the lord for my Nan's old oak drop leaf dining table

So then of course we had Mother's Day. I had a lovely tea cup and saucer necklace from my Daughter, which was gorgeous, but the card she gave me was SO much better. I will scan it one day so you can see what she wrote, it was great!

...but I can't pretend to have thought up the idea for my "visitable" Mumatron/Step Mother/Grand Mother - it was actually "borrowed" from Helen's sister, and I believe she in turn "borrowed" it from Marks and Sparks, who were doing the same thing and charging £15 for.

I got some bean tins, soaked them, got the labels off as best I could - the glue was the problem, and as I've not had a lot of time I could have got it off better than I did. On the tins, I stick double layered vintage labels, and in the tins (three holes in the bottom for drainage) were two Peacock Lillies in each. Three tins were celophane wrapped (have you any idea how expensive that stuff is?!?) and tied with ribbon. The lillies will grow in the tins on a windowsill - no need to plant out; and recycled too!

My Mum in law gave me a mahoosive bag of fabric last year and I'd not used a lot of it, so I decided to use some of the pansy fabric I had as it's just SO pretty, so I made little tote bags (remarkably to an excellent standard and finish! Not like me at all!) to put them in, and I just finished it off with little print of the three of us in sepia and Victorian costume on the old fashioned baggage label - and I can honestly say, everyone loved them.

For my Mum in law, I made a shopping bag with her initials beaded on, out of the same fabric - I have to post hers up north, you see, and I couldn't guarantee the tins staying intact - or not costing me a fortune! She could see that her donations were very gratefully received, and she loves the bag. Once again, I didn't make myself one and I'm a bit gutted but I have got enough pansy fabric to make a "statement skirt" a la Emily Jayne Style Consultancy, so all is not lost, and with a bit of luck a wee bag to match that!

And last but not least - the mothers day cards. Dymo machine, pinking shears left over pansy fabric and some glue. Nuff said!

Oh and stay tuned for some VERY exciting news!

Christmas Spiwit - Gin anyone?

These are all your Christmas presents. Where shall I send them?! Shameless excuse to use one of my lovely Prima photos really!

So it's the festive season. And the only shop I've been in other than my local hardware store and butchers is Hobbycraft. I don't even usually go there, but I was passing, in need of felt, and sometimes needs must.

This Christmas, because I've not done ANY Christmas shopping (two presents were purchased with actual money some time ago for my better half and daughter - I can't crochet new walking boots to replace the old ones what have died) I feel decidedly smug. And relaxed.

Alright, I have been up until 04.30 the last three nights on the trot making things last minute, but that's my own silly fault for not being as organised as I could be and for taking on a pair of additional projects as requested by my lovely sister at this time of year. I could and should've said "certainly, it'll be in the new year though" but as usual I totally underestimated the amount of time everything else would take. I learned a lesson off of Kevin McLoud (Grand Designs), he said that when building a house or undertaking massive renovations, set your realistic budget, then double it. Then set a realistic TIME budget, and treble it. You're more likely to be only slightly over budget then. I'm starting to realise that all these things I make, do and mend are mini house renovations in their own rights.

But it really is a total revelation. I've been no where near a town centre, out of town shopping centre or any other dreadful haven of unnecessary and thoughtless present acquiring, and it's totally changed my attitude to the festivities. I used to love Christmas, you see, but the last probably even as many as ten years, I've grown more and more disillusioned by it and more and more like my Father - the ultimate in "bah humbug". But this year, I'm loving driving around doing my job in the nights, in the frost and snow, looking at everyone's pretty lights and enjoying the real Christmas spirit.

What I don't love is that D(readful) F(urniture) S(uppliers) and other such horrendous poor quality sofas designed for disposability and with no regard for environmental impact (don't get me started!) have taken OFF the Christmas adverts that they've been running since October instead advertising their "Pre Christmas January sale". For goodness sake, trying to catch a programme or two and getting assaulted by the advertising people at every turn.

After my weekend working last week and numerous complaints (granted mostly from me) about the strong but low winter sun blinding the family in our south facing living room, and taking inspiration from the lovely Danielle Proud's book "House Proud", I decided to make a lovely blind for my living room. I cunningly uses one of my good friend Marie's old bed sheets again, well two actually, one for the main body, and one for the lining, a piece of left over faux suede from my re-upholstering of my sofa bed, and some gorgeous peacock feathers bought for me a while ago by my Step-Mum. I adore peacock feathers, I have a little sort of flower display of them, so I pinched three and turned them into a blind.

It took me a day, but I'm thrilled with the result, and it's beautifully finished (if I do say so myself), highly functional and really, really pretty.

Well, I didn't think today's blog would turn into a rant, but hey, it's been a while!

My Peacock Suit

As one life ends, another begins.

I have a gorgeous favourite mug. It's a beautiful fine bone china nearly-a-pint pot, beautifully decorated with pink Peonies...kind of ironic, really. Sadly, after the days adventures, I poured myself a lovely coffee and most of it poured out of the crack in the bottom. Gutted. So, a life ends. Well, not ends actually as I have a million uses for it now I can't use it for the purpose for which it was intended.

And another life begins, say hello to my new friend, the Peacock. Three hours of love and attention has been poured in today by the master craftswoman Liz, and that's just the outline. I can't wait to get him finished.

I got some questions about how I could possibly consider this creation with my ongoing year-long adventure but I very much can tie in with my consumerism-busting year. Apart from the fact that once it's done I'll never have to buy clothes again because I won't be wearing them, AND the fact that I've saved a few pounds in the process so far, but, my artwork is symbolic of the personal journey I'm on. It's nothing to do with fashion, nothing to do with anyone at all actually, but simply a carefully considered (17 years, I've been waiting for this) decision to delete something dreadful (my old tattoo) and replace it with something deliberate and mindfully decided on. No big international corporation has had any influence on my decision (I'm not a watcher of Miami Ink or anything, although I have seen it) and I'm thoroughly pleased with my decision.

I'd like to say that the pink Peonies that are being put on last are nothing to do with a lasting memory of my old favourite cup, but it's sooooo pretty!