Two bags and plenty of cards

Last weekend the Christmas crafting began with a bulk load of cards. This year I've been testing out my printing skills. They leave something to be desired (more practice needed for sure!) as looking at the completed product the scale and the composition is entirely wrong. Still, I think they look pretty and it was good fun using the lino cutting tool - like carving with a chisel but oh so much easier and quicker!

 As well getting started with the Yuletide stuff I also made two new IPad mini bags for work (We finally got another two, hooray, one each! What luxury!) I made mine last weekend, adding a pocket to the old design to make it easier to carry pens and post-its around too. This weekend I made the last of them, a further improvement/addition for mark three - a little camera pocket on he inside. This one, in brightest pink, is for Kelly - I always try to make a neater job of things when i know it's for someone else.

(The bright pink fabric by the way is actually a DIY cut and sew dress pattern for a little girl I bought ages ago from the wonderful Clothkits as is was heavily reduced - knew it would come in useful one day.)

Next weekend, or indeed some free evening or other this week (wishful thinking with assessments due and twilight courses to attend!) I will really get cracking with the gift making! So looking forward to some major craftiness over the next few weeks. :)

Enjoy your week everyone.
S. x

November...Already!

Such a cliche I know but this year has disappeared so quickly! Only two months left of 2014 and with dark evenings, a birthday and of course Christmas not far away my mind and my hands are itching to get stuck into some proper crafting.

Over the half term I finally made some puppets for school - one for each of our key worker groups. They were made up as I went along so by no means are they perfect but the littles seem to like them so I'm satisfied.

And this little creature...

...taken from a drawing by my lovely niece, copied almost exactly (I just altered the mouth as I thought buttons didn't quite work there) ready for her seventh birthday next weekend. Seven! Already!

I hope he is loved (as I know he will be) by the girl who is never happier than when she has a cuddly toy to play with.

Happy November everyone.
S. x