Some festive sparkle

My sister has been here for a few days and we went out shopping

Christmas trimmings

I started to fill my christmas crackers with these small items I'd bought and then I remembered that I had promised to show them to you. That's why there is a bicycle clip missing of the top of the card - it is already in one of the crackers....... I also added butterfly lights to the small pompom tree....... Look at the nice napkins I bought for a friend - not given them to her yet, but I will, yes really!.......

XXXX-xmas-+-solstice-XXXX ( wrapping and trapping )

Tie dyed paper sample made for a workshop.......
Used to decorate a present........
A willow christmas tree sample made for another workshop wrapped with newspaper strips and decorated with newspaper pompoms........
Winter solstice workshop I did at Erewash museum wrapping garden arches and decorated with leaves and fibres trapped in acetate shapes, other artists made the lanterns........
A collection of stars.

It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas!!

My mum has a large collection of cake decorations collected over many years.The family were all up visiting for my dad's 80th birthday and these photos were taken at the end of the weekend as we were all about to leave and go our respective ways. Some of us had planes to catch and really shouldn't have been spending time looking through the box but never mind what's a mad dash to the airport got to compare with a trip down memory lane, many many cakes ago!!!

Wedding aftermath

Well it is a week since "the wedding" My sister and parents arrived on the Thursday to help with preparations. There was alot to do - the dress needed finishing, cupcakes to be baked, wedding favours finished off, table decorations decided on and hats created. My sister and I went to bed at 4.30am on Friday morning and 2am on Saturday morning. Everything got done - mum and I were hemming the dress at midnight on Friday as my sister was in the kitchen - where she had been all afternoon, baking, making trifles and supplying the workforce with regular cups of tea.
The bridesmaids arrived on Friday evening and were given tasks to do. It was a lovely atmosphere with everyone working away and chatting. Our family is so widespread that we rarely all get together in one place. Every time it happens (special birthdays, anniversaries and weddings ) we say we must do it more often.