Merry Christmas

Well just one more sleep and we're there, having been ill for over a week I feel like I've lost ground on my preparations and would like another week to faff about.

Still can't always have what you want so I've started on the Quality street like a woman possessed and trying to watch some festive telly, all that remains to be said is...

Craft Swapping

Firstly my gift tag swap organised by the lovely  Mezz makes stuff, I was partnered with Mary from the whimsicalteapot.blogspot.com we shared a love of our favourite festive film*

Make 15 gift tags and post to your partner, I was lucky enough to receive these from Mary,

These crossed seas and ended up in Australia, lucky them!

I used some of my smaller vintage fabric stash with buttons, stamping, old paper and felt to create three sets of five, two large, one small, all on baker twine.

My second swap was with Ladybird Diaries for this I was paired with Mel from Mellie moo crochet and really pleased I was (not just because of the chocolate!)  Her lovely decorations are now hanging on our tree and my letter to Santa is on my mantelpiece, waiting!

In return I sent Mel these!

I really enjoyed making something for a complete strangers, hoping they would love my makes too x

* favourite film National Lampoons Christmas Vacation!

It's late, blowing a gale so i'm off to bed, just two more sleeps...

Mini Renovation

I've been doing at little house renovation...

I found this in a junk shop on the way home from a trip to Ikea...

A few applications of paint and pretty paper courtesy of Tiger, some old dolls house furniture,  and handmade curtains with homemade curtain poles and we're beginning to look like home.

New Windows are just sheets of acrylic for little peeps to peer into a mini magical world. 

A few more tweaks and I'm done, hopefully the new young owner of this little Des-res will have as much fun with it as I had (have!) with my own. 

Having a dolls house when I was little allowed me many hours of quiet play in a world of my own. What more could a parent ask for!

Also, I've been doing a bit of this...

Missing in instagram

Has it really been 4 months since my last post? Shame on me! The Summer weather was just too good to miss (no excuse) When we last spoke I was just about to go to my home village fair,  which lead me to meeting friends and villagers I haven't seen for twenty years or more. These chance meetings lead me to a builder (husband of friend) who then did work on our house, we also had new windows & doors as well as painting the outside (TOH) did that and a great job he did too. 

All of this is fairly unglamourous, but has been punctuated with nice things too

So in pictures a few of my adventures in my missing months. 

The Village fair, bet they regretted that idea!

Make London for a lovely hen do!

a bit of making!

re-hydration (hu-hum) options

Vintage buys

sunny days out

spruced up house...

Bath wedding, I made the Lucky couple a vintage tea towel bath peg bag - oh the glamour!

Birthday boys old and new

and now here we are moving into Autumn getting nearer my favourite month of all,

can you guess which one it is?

Some of you may have seen some of these photos as I have been on Instagram all summer, youcan find me @katysclutter come and say hello!

Old Windsor Carnival - Then and Now

This weekend is the annual carnival in Old Windsor, and whilst I was explaining to my work colleagues what a Donkey Derby is and why I wasn't surprised it was raining, Donkey Derby night is historically the wettest night in Old Windsor!

I found this on google Old Windsor Carnival - Then and Now

A chance purchase of some cinefilm at a carboot by a Katherine Mammone lead her to get funding from Ideas Tap to produce a second film to accompany the original of the Carnival in 1972 for her degree show. That year was the year Billy Smart came to town,  and that was the year I was born!

Fast forward a few years, and whilst being in the 2nd Brownies I got my float moment - can you guess the title of the float?

Got it yet?

I'm second from the left in the second row, the shortest bunny!  The theme title - Watership Down

nice and cheerful then!

PS My sister also had her float moment as an Arab on Concorde, the parents made an impressive cardboard Concorde but sadly I don't have a photo or theme title, but trust me, it was good!

Being Crafty

I recently had a week off to be lazy and have some crafty "me" time, it didn't really go to plan but with a inspiration from fellow bloggers, crafty magazines and a little trial and error I finally managed to get crafty!

My Nan used to remove all buttons and zips from clothes before throwing them away. Whilst watching a film one evening I twiddled and twirled one of the zips into this floral'esque brooch, which I rather like.

My friend Alison, a print artist and social media teacher and I had a pop at making some earrings, rings and hair slides. We've been collecting unusual objects to continue this idea most of our beads came from Japan which, Alison sourced whilst on a photography project. 

This little mosaic was a birthday gift and made a pleasant afternoons distraction to the pouring rain,

plus I have a shiny new coaster!

finally my sewing machine saw action after a little inspiration from Lazy Daisy and 

Mary Jane Baxter.  I finally made some head bands from vintage buckles and some vintage pillow

cases as well a some modern cotton. Just for fun I knitted a bow hair slide!

after all this creativity I needed a little rest!

Well Planted

Today I visited  the local plant sale, held at the local church in the village I grew up in. It's a trip I make every year.  I'd liked to say it was the reasonable priced plants, the book stall, 50p a book, or catching up friends and family, which of course is all good, but what I go for is a cuppa tea for 50p with FREE biscuit of your choice (chocolate chip cookie) and the homemade cake stall!

I purchased three geraniums, a phlox, a poppy and three books and two cups of tea,  Mum bought a fruit and coconut cake which was (past tense) delicious :)

Belated Birthday

Last week was my birthday, every now and then I have the day off to fully enjoy the delights of tea, cake and a extra lie-in. This year I went for a whole week which I fully intended to use to finish all my crafty projects and enjoy some time to myself, huh!

Saturday was spent buying Anti-virus for all our computers *exciting followed by a stint giving the garden a quick tidy up, our neighbours have had new fence erected and it makes our garden look much better!

the bunting was made for the jubilee street party, it's been outside all winter and is still going strong!

Myself and Bob got together with a few chums and a few drinks were consumed!!

lovely presents were gifted, all excellent...thank you very much x 

far too much of this passed my lips...the large carrot cake and bakewell fairy cakes

with custard topping my sister made ( a triumph) didn't even make it to film! 

eventually this did make an experience on Sunday night, which was not quite what I'd planned, I did get some crafting done which I show you once its all photographed x

p.s I been scooting round and enjoying all your blogging over the week too, enjoyed your car booting finds and seeing what your all making. So thank you for keeping me company!

Photo Scavenger Hunt - April

Well here's my Homework late as usual...we've had problems with our computer and so much so I haven't been on the net since Friday!!! So now, normal service resumes!

These are my Scavenger Hunt photos this month, thanks as always to Green Thumb at Made with Love for picking the topics and organising!

Pink

My washing basket - I love this!

6

My Town

Sport...My bike...does this count!

Night Light...Solar powered

One of my Collections...remember her? My biggest collection

Big

Dinner...Mac and cheese with tomatoes

Texture

Curl...the best curl ever!

Take Flight...I took this from our car window

Plastic...