The 1st Handmade Monday of 2013

Hello all, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and your New Year celebrations were all you wanted them to be. But now it's all over, the Christmas tree has been taken down and the decorations have been put back in their boxes for another year, along with the tinsel and sparkle. 

Christmas in a box

 I don't know about you but I miss the twinkling lights in the tree. 

Twinkling Lights

I do however, have a couple of sets of fairy lights that twinkle around the house all year round. 

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Are you rearing to get back to doing what you do best or have you misplaced your motivation? It can sometimes be difficult to get back into the swing of things after having a break from the usual routine especially if you've been affected by the horrid virus that's been around lately. I was lucky that I escaped the bugs but a few family members were not so lucky. (although they are all fine now).

I must admit that I could quite easily have taken a couple more days of laziness but I have a couple of commissions to complete and I've also got an Art Exhibition to prepare for. The exhibition is not until the summer but I know from past experience that it's not a good idea to leave these things till the eleventh hour. 
In between painting I've started sewing a few sock animals (not yet finished)

Fluffy socks

and felt hearts that will be used with them.

Felt Hearts ready to sew

 
Have a great week everyone, I'm popping over to Handmade Harbour for the first Handmade Monday Linky Party of 2013, why not join me?

Jan X
  

2013

I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas and are looking forward to a 2013 filled with good things. 

I wish you all a healthy, peaceful, happy and creative

 Image provided by JaneVision @ Deviantart

Jan X 

Plaques & Christmas Decorations

Phew, what a busy time everyone is having, but we crafters wouldn't have it any other way would we?
I thought I'd show you a few of the commissioned plaques I've been busy with......

Commissioned Plaques

 and some more Christmas Decorations......

Wooden Christmas Decorations

You may have already seen some of these over on my facebook page. My favourite is the Robin, do you have a favourite Tree Decoration that you use every year?

I've linked this post to Wendy's Handmade Monday over at Handmade Harbour, I do hope you can pop over as this is the last Handmade Monday of 2012, the next one will be in January 2013.

I'm sure I'll be posting again before Christmas but in case any of you are having a break from the blogging  I'd like to send you my best wishes for the festive season.

Love

Jan x

Spider or Spiderman

It's not long now till the Big Day.

Are you organised? 

                                    Have you done all your shopping? 

or are you like me and left everything until the last minute. 

Do you know what you are getting for everyone?       I don't.

Our grandson, after a visit to an Exotic Pets Show, wants a spider... I don't think I'll be getting him one of those!

WARNING...... Don't look at the next photo if you have an aversion to the eight legged hairy crawly things

That Hairy Thing called A Spider

I told you not to look, now get up off the floor and stop screaming.....

If a spider is not on the menu agenda then maybe a million legged creepy crawly thingy......

That Creepy Crawly Giant Millipede

Mmmm I don't think so. I think he should stick with his cute cuddly bunny Mr Fudge

The Cutie Mr Fudge

or maybe just admire his hero...... So what will it be, a spider or a Spiderman?

Spiderman

So, however your arrangements are coming along I hope all your decisions are easy ones

Take care

Jan x

Handmade Monday

Hi folks, I wasn't here for last weeks Handmade Monday... like lots of you I've been extremely busy, after all there is something special going on and it's a busy time of year,  but unlike lots of you I haven't organised my time very well, it's got nothing to do with my husband having a few day's off work.... honestly. 

I've been doing lots of  cutting, sanding, painting and crafting, mostly personalised items, most of which I can't show you. Something to do with Christmas I think!

But I can show you lots of Fairy Doors being prepared in the Picto household,

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Fairy Doors being prepared

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anyone who knows me knows that I love painting Fairy Doors and this week I had one of the nicest pieces of feedback on my facebook page....

Facebook feedback

It's lovely to know that something I made is giving so much enjoyment but I believe that the magic is in the children.

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I'm off to do a wizz around the blogs over at Handmade Harbour, it may take a while... it may even take me all week but I will get there.

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Jan X

Santa Claus & Robins

Hello all, apologies for such a short post from me for this Handmade Monday. I've been busy painting more Christmas Decorations, this time it's Santa's and Robins. They have a slightly glittery finish but unfortunately it's not showing up in the photo's.

Santa Claus Christmas Tree Decorations

Robin Redbreast Tree Decorations

These first ones are destined for a local shop I have some of my items in, I've also been asked by a second shop for decorations for part of their window display and I'm painting more for a local Art Gallery. These will all be on a sale or return basis so fingers crossed they will be the 'sale' rather than the 'return'. I'm really enjoying painting these (I may have even got carried away and forgotten when to stop!!) so I'm also selling them through my Folksy Shop my Wow Thank You Shop (when I get a chance to list them) and my Facebook Page

Got to run, I've got a kitchen full of Santa's waiting to be sprinkled with a bit of sparkle.

Jan x

Christmas Hanging Decorations & Chalkboards

 On Thursday I had a table at an 'Autumn Shopping Event' at a lovely little village school in Cambridgeshire. The organiser found me through my facebook page,  and she sent me an invitation asking if I'd like to attend. It was held in the school hall and started at 3pm untill 6.30pm. I went and I had a lovely time, there was a wood turner, a jam and chutney maker (mmm the jar of Banana & Lemon I bought is yummy), a Jewellery maker who sold lovely fresh water and seed pearl pieces. There was a lovely lady who knitted and crocheted wonderful Ruffle Necklaces and Scarves. It wasn't an exclusively handmade event but it was very pleasant non the less.

Did I take photo's?... No,  did I remember my camera?... Yes,  did I forget to take batteries?... No, but I forgot that they were flat, silly me. 
My best sellers (besides my Fairy Doors) were the Christmas Countdown Chalkboards

Christmas Countdown Chalkboards

and Christmas Hangy Decorations. I'll be putting these in my Folksy Shop and in my Facebook albums.

Hand painted Christmas Hanging Decorations

Do you like my display tree? I used a couple of twigs from the garden, painted them white and sprinkled it with glitter. I set the twigs into a tub of stones and plaster of Paris to make sure it was sturdy.

I had a successful and pleasing afternoon, I hope you all had a pleasing week too. I'm off now to check out the great blogs over at The Handmade Harbour blogspot


Jan X