oh i do love a miniature christmas scene

i finally found some mini christmas trees, at the bakery. and so we've been playing, with sea salt, op-shopped jars and claud and the husbands toys (the tractor he got when he was 4) this morning. i think we all know that we'll be going with the rabbit winter scene this year!

summery christmas gift tags

christmas gift tags with a summery vibe i made from rescued wrapping paper and the martha stewart snowflake punch i love so much.  i might have to go try to buy some of that paper if it's still around to make more or i may not part with these. i defo prefer the blue string (its op-shopped crochet cotton).

i've been otherwise busy creating the last present for my advent swap (i'm giddy with joy at how it turned out and can't wait to show you) and knitting-unpicking-knitting-unpicking-knitting-knitting-knitting... speaking of which i'm keen to make several pairs of those cool wrist warmers to go in my present stash, since it's such a good sitting-down-when-tired-and-preggy craft. the dove grey & mustard combo look ace, and i really want to make a violet & red pair, but it'd be great to have some more colour combo suggestions ideas since i'm on the verge of visiting a yarn store.

do you have a present stash? mine has multiples of things i made in it, and cool stuff i find in op shops but  that aren't me, and, ahem, a few re-gifts. it's only second to having children in the making me feel grown up stakes and i highly recommend it!



my very basic creative space and Ta-Dah! this week

The advent of advent

                                                                    December 1st, Hurray!

 Claud and I will be putting up the tree and the deco's today; and she's already opened the first drawer in her first advent calender-awwww! I made it earlier in the year, if I remember correctly from an idea originally in that not usually a stylish craft mag, NZ womens weekly!  My version, by virtue of me being a northern hemisphere-er down south, with christmas at midsummer still feeling not quite right even after a decade, had to be both white and feature snowflakes (like most of my favourite christmas decos). Matchboxes (approx two years of firelighting supply!), double sided sticky tape and stamping-hinting at my Blue Peter craft origins! And that bloomin Martha Stewart snowflake punch again!

I was always mad about the advent calender as a kid myself, though I was fussy and turned my nose up at cheap tasteless chocolate, my preference was for glitter and cute pictures. Always shared with my younger sister Miranda, it was always a good day when it was my turn to open the little door! Making my kid an advent calender is a christmas tradition I've started this year. I'm already thinking of next years-Christmas doll house, with miniture doll-house-y stuff gifts, of course, or perhaps this retro inspired number.

It was good to start early with this calender as it's taken me most of the rest of the year to find things both cool and very very little to put in each match box. Making it also extended last Christmas into January which is no bad thing in my book!

                                                            My Christmas Creative Space