Christmas Detail...

 This time last year, i had only just turned my life upside down and moved into a new home.

Everything seemed like "just keeping up" then. Life is equally as hectic now but i definately feel more settled so the house had a decent decorative make-over this weekend...

 Having friends round for Tea / Coffee and Christmas Biscuits today, was a great excuse to tidy up! and get the Christmas Details photographed. I just had so much fun tinkering, playing, hanging, making...

 Every year my daughter gets so excited that the Christmas China is out.

Somehow it makes every mundane activity seem a bit more magical.

 I never make Gingerbread mid year - but December aches for a sweetly coated cinnamon and ginger treat.

You cannot beat a bit of food sparkle. Seriously, every meal should have fairy glitter on top.

 I found this Blue Scottie fabric i had stashed away in the cupboard so i ran up some crazy bunting with hege bells on and i am so happy with it. I have gone quite Aqua, Red and White this year, despite my intention to stay like a Nordic Gnome. I am no believer in a Christmas Colour Theme but somehow, a theme tends to emerge on it's own.

 I love getting the tree out. All these LEDs help to fend off any Winter Blues.

And all those toys help to hide the weighted base on the tree.

 Bells.

BellS.

BELLS.

Utter Joy.

 And a Robin Mug filled with Candy Canes that are making my teeth fall out just looking at them.

At the end of school i shall hand them out to some little local friends : )

 A beautiful Robin to remind me of my Nanna.

Thank you dear friend - it was so very thoughtful!

Collecting the Christmas China is an ongoing joy.

And just when i think i own 'enough' then i will be 80yrs old and ready to palm my old fashioned hoarding onto unsuspecting recipients.

aaahhh, i am feeling so very Christmassy now.

x x x 

Winner * Winner * Winner... of Pip Lincolne's gorgeous new book

 It is Sunday... and i was just about to walk the dog....

then i thought, i shall draw this GIVEAWAY Winner now, or it will never happen!

 So: *drum rrroooolllllll*

It is YOU Joanne - http://rosedahlia.blogspot.com/ - from this place here

and Jo has 2 sons and a daughter and has been finding the time to do some very cool Christmas Crafting.

She shames us that she can find the time! Please go and see her amazing knitted NOEL letters. I am in awe of her talents.

I do not *know* Jo so it all Legit. like. But i know her now :)

Well Done my Lovely and i do wish everyone could win it though.

 And i thought i would stuff this little lot in to show you something new and wacky i made t'other week...

 It is a felt 'Paper Chain'

and i find it so amusing that my business is actually called PaperFish,

there is very VERY little to do with paper in anything i do....

Even my paperchain is felt!

This was hugely time consuming and it took me around 2 hours to complete a piece of chain barely over 2 metres long. Tcha, but it was very satisfying!

I might try some more colourways and styles.

Ya know, i have so much more to talk to you all about.

2012 is going to be so big for me. So special. i can just feel it!

And i am so grateful that people pop in, read for a bit, enter the giveaways and like sharing all this stuff too. ThankU xxx

Tomte / Tomten... warning: could be addictive!

 Some of you will be thinking "what the foolhardiness is Tomte all about?"

Some of you will be saying "oooohhh i love the Tomten!"

Think: Gnomes, Scandinavia, Nordic, small Elven folk

If you like the Moomins and the such - you'll love this colourway / this theme.

 I have just ordered this: The Tomten - Astrid Lindgren; Hardcover

She wrote Pippi Langstrumpf

and so begins yet another brief obsession.

I am going to try and dress in these colours over the Winter and fully embrace my inner Scandinavian.

**wish i had the long blonde hair and even longer legs**

Think of me in my mock Pine Cabin, as the snow gently falls, wearing my knitted Reindeer jumper

"yurder hooden janksisit faaa"

And my home thus decorated in Red, Grey & White

 NOT content with yet another Button Wreath in, yet another amazing colourway...

i decide to make myself a matching Button Bouquet for the Sitting Room.

 EEeeeeek - i was terribly happy with myself about this :)

*rosy glow*

Displaying my bouquet took a few minutes of titivating.

I had no vase small enough so i used a vintage Milk Bottle and pushed it full of matching Felt balls...

 And finished it with some snowy pom-pom trim and a big red bell.

It really is the simple things that colour a lady happy

see: http://afteralltheworldisabeautifulplace.blogspot.com/

and you'll see what  mean...

 The Balls, i have been selling in a Tomte set for a long time

http://bigfish.etsy.com/

and i do intend to make a matching garland with some of these - if i don't sell out already

*sigh*

i know it looks like i spent all day messing about in tomte world today

but i did do other things too....

 x x x

Christmas Cute...

 Whhoooop!

A couple of new Gingerbread Boys on the Block.

I have changed the faces from previous years to make them a little sweeter looking.

 Peeking out of this gorgeous Christmas Tin...

 And there is, sllooooowwwwly.... a collection of Christmas Babushka Babes getting into the Christmas Shop. I have some great ideas of how to extend my Christmas Range next year.

Hey - not only am i well early for Christmas, but i am already early for Xmas 2012

(somebody shoot me!)

 Like the tin?

I adore Christmas Tins, and my real favourites are all the Marks & Spencer range.

But guess what? i don't want all the biscuits! I am a cake fan, but not a biscuit fan.

The great thing about this yummy tin is that it is empty! - some of you may think me mad, but that makes me happy :)

http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/

If you want to buy your own tin £6.95 - (without the biscuits!)

RRrrraaaaa Red & Aqua!!

 Ha! I couldn't wait to show this off.

So very satisfying when i get a chance to play with this beautiful buttons myself.

I love this fresh colour scheme...

 Giant 10inch Christmas Wreath

(i am doing even more colourways, yipppeee)

Then there is this DIVINE *new* Christmas fabric range.

Can you imagine how i nearly totally fainted when i saw these in the fabric store?

sooo cute. I love Caribous / Reindeer... you know this about me!

 Mini Bunting - for windows or shelving - works both sides...

With a dotty red and white bias trim.

I am loving and in-love with these.

I have made more things with this fabric... and i'll show eventually but my head is filled with stockings and Advent Calenders and all the stuff i just must find the time to make.

 I showed you these spotty bias trims a while back and i have been adding them to some new Bunting lines.

They really lift the colours of the fabrics and make them much brighter.

Last weekend was a big sewing weekend for me - if only i could find more weekends like that!

 x x x

oooh, *squeal* clever me....

 Ok, so not massively 'clever' but just 'bigger'

I have been making smaller button wreaths for some time, and they have gradually been getting bigger and bigger! This Whopper is 10inches across / 25cm

Any bigger and the weight of it would just drag the shape of the circle downwards.

He is sold *proud*

but i have been making another in these traditional colours - then a big wreath in Aqua and Red Buttons - and also just started a Gingerbread Wreath with multi-colured buttons.

I get addicted to making things like this.

There is no great 'design' to them but the time and labour of love is obviously in the buttons and their colourways and how they sit next to one another.

 I shall be sick of sewing these in 2 weeks time! but for now, it is fun.

They are a real statement piece for a Christmas Home and you know, we love our Christmas Decos.

 And, just so you know, there are a few sheets of white glitter felt in the Fuzzyfish shop.

I have bought a few stacks to make Hallowe'en ghosties with "mwahahahaaaaa"

they are going to look ace when the kiddies start on them!

And these are mini flowers / snowflakes. I ordered the wrong size so there will be a few metres listed in the Etsy BigFish shop and some i will save for my Kids Craft Workshops.

Feeling the Autumn air this week - glorious!

Closing Shop... and other *news*

 FRIDAY 19th August

Last posting day from any of the shops.... please get any orders you *need* in, to me, before Friday

I shall be taking a break until Sunday 28th August...

(a well needed break)

 Then it will be all systems go for the Christmas Stock!!  

and getting any supplies ready you might want for the Christmas Crafting mayhem.

I have a few FAIRS that i shall be attending and hope to let you know when and where

 >>>>> see sidebar information

(i LOVE a good Craft Fair *excited dance*)

 I will also be having a mega

CLEARANCE SALE

in this shop: http://paperfish.etsy.com/

so an ideal time to get some early Christmas Gifts at a fraction of what they are worth.

I am, as yet, undecided on what will happen to this shop...

I have ideas in abundance, but nothing set in stone

i am open to your ideas / what you like best from there / what it could become more of:

Badges? Brooches? Bunting?

A new style of Supplies shop?

NeedleBooks? PinPots?.....

 A few new Button Bags available in the BigFish.etsy shop

Pretty colour combinations to inspire you.

And i hope to get http://www.lovepaperfish.com/ fully up to date, on my return to work.

In the meanwhile, i have an Older Blog Post re-published here:

http://localcraftmatters.wordpress.com/

LCM is a *must read* if you are local to Northampton / MK / Bletchley area

Lots of info on craft clubs and artists and local vintage...

My piece talks about my way into Button selling... things have moved on even MORE since i wrote that piece and it is exciting to look back - and look forward!

xxx

Is it soooo very wrong of me....?

 Is it soooo totally against the grain, that i am already thinking of Christmas???

I know *in theory* i think about it all the time, due to the fact i have a CHRISTMAS ONLY shop!

But i don't get excited about that in the same way....

I have had a new wave of Xmas Fever hit me :)

Above are some bias trims, just for me to play with. And don't think that i don't LUST after new supplies just because i am surrounded by them for my living.

I do lust after them. They make my heart beat faster.....

 Overcome with inspiration, i put together some new mixed Ribbon Bags for the shops.

I love it. I love playing with the stock and showcasing to people, what looks good together... which products will be fun / hot / useful this year.

Blue is not a traditional UK Christmas Colour but it screams Christmas to me.

 Red and Green and White are more traditional but i think it's OK to go a little 'off piste' at Christmas.

Don't restrict your colour palette. It is supposed to be fun!!

 Giant wooden buttons, to embelish some huge yummy fabric stockings.

(a *new* LOVE trim for the shop and for a Wedding Favor idea i have)

Love Love Love Love

Christmas.

So there!

I'm sacking my Staff Team...

 I am getting frustrated at my product photography.

I had a fantastic bathroom 'set up' for my photography in my previous house.

I just can't seem to find the ideal location with good white light...

 And these two aren't helping me much!!!

 WHAT are you doing fella?

I'm a bit busy here Boy...

"i can help Mummy, I'll just sit here and wait for instruction"

 You win Baggins Boy...

I am frustrated and now distracted by the fluffy face of yours.

 Yummy new products to shoot and i am so proud of them all,

but i hate it when the photographs don't seem to do them justice at all.

Sod it - i'm off to play with the Dog

xxx