a flurry of Christmas making

Last week I got quite a few last minute Christmas presents made, but since then I've been on a re-organising spree for some reason!  That's in between 'playing' with my Christmas presents and visiting family etc!!!  I hope you had a fantastic Christmas, we had a fabulous one in our house :)

This jar contains the ingredients of snowman soup.  The head took a fair bit of fixing to the lid but I got there in the end and was pleased with the result!

Some of my friends and I decided to give handmade gifts this year (hence the snowman jar!).  The teacup cakes felt a little like cheating as I'd bought the teacup silicone cases, but I still added the cake, and a collaged spoon!

I'm always behind with my cards, so I was still making these on Christmas Day!

These two little books didn't take long though; one of the girls at work asked me to make them for her children.  I hope they liked them!

Best get back to the 'holiday jobs' - am trying to get my eldest son's room decorated, then there's the New Year party to organise - am planning on lots of star themed baking!  Happy New Year!!!

a splash of watercolour = some funky, weird creatures

This is kindof a bit of a late WOYWW as I visited my artist friend Graham on Wednesday, and took my watercolours with me.  He's done some more work on his studio since I last visited...

It's such a warm and welcoming place...

... full of inspiring art...

I, meanwhile, just splashed some watercolour around on a couple of pages in my sketchbook.

Then hunted for some 'beings' amongst the paint splashes aka Carla Sonheim (Drawing Lab).

My favourite is the little 'thing' leaning up against the central spine of the book.

It was this large bunny I found first though.  I just LoVe this technique, there's no way I'd be able to invent these imaginative characters any other way!

a happy owl!

I think this owl might actually have a bit of a smile!

I'm not sure how, it must be something to do with his eyes!  But it does answer my question - is it possible to make a happy owl?  Not that that was the intention, I just had the design in my head and off to the sewing machine I went!  I've also managed a couple of Christmas cards this week...

But most of my time has been spent teaching, and practising the Christmas play.  I take classes in school whilst the teacher has her planning and preparation time.  On Monday I was a wise man in the play, Tuesday a shepherd and by Wednesday I'd been 'demoted' to a cow lol!

I have the privilege of working in two schools and they both put on stunning Christmas performances.  I helped with the dress rehearsal on Thursday in one and was a guest at the second on Friday.  The schools, and therefore the performances, are both very different, but the creative talents of the staff, and the hard work of the pupils in both produced amazing results.

these boots weren't made for walking!

My fab 'jabberwocky' friend Sue and I took a trip out to the depths of Staffordshire on Saturday afternoon to make paper shoes :)   The workshop was run by the very talented Jennifer Collier (check out her paper vintage typewriter!) in her exhibition, workshop and studio space 'unit twelve'.  

The current exhibition is entitled 'the ties that bind' and features an eclectic mix of aprons, including one made from a tin pail!

My favourite one had spoons in its pockets, and I LoVe spoons!  I wasn't surprised to discover it was made by Priscilla Jones, who's one of my very favourite mixed media artists.

Both Sue and I loved the wonderful 'wallpaper' in the exhibition space, created with pieces cut from old dress patterns.

Through the exhibition space is the workshop area and a number of small studio spaces.  

I got myself a couple of Christmas presents (my mother in law has been asking what I would like so she'll be happy she only has to wrap them!) from the very talented Jo Hill, Emily Notman and Louise Wilson.

I had to finish my shoes off at home.  I changed the lace up ones slightly so as they look more like my own, and shortened the alice shoe design.

I added laces made from strips of cotton, lace and organza.

I added stitched flowers to my alice shoes, and press studs.  Not a great photo I'm afraid as the glue was still wet further up!!

I love my paper shoes :)