Twelfth night

Never let it be said that I'm over superstitious but I do like to take my christmas decorations down on the 6th of January and not a moment before.. Alas the tree had to come down about a week ago because it was starting to look more like a twig than a tree as all the needles had dropped off and if there's something lovely about the Admiral it's his love of hoovering and it was ITCHING to clear up the mess.

So it's all packed up for another year.. the knitivity is back in it's bag, the dolls house lights are wound round a tiny dolls house board to stop them getting knotted up and the new addition to my ornament collection.. my swap shop has been put away too.

This year I've been reading a lot of crafty blogs and becoming a bit more aware of what I like to do in the craftzone.. I've head quite a lot about swaps and I didn't really understand.. nice crafing folks from all over the world package up their loveliness and post it to other craftying folks across the world.. how very random. (I haven't got my head around give aways yet at all) I saw one swap of christmas ornaments organised by these crafties Cake and Pie and freshly blended which I was just having a nosey at.. when I spotted it had a flickr site of all the ornaments which were sent in the previous year.. well after some serious soul searching moments of my crafting abilities, I decided I'd sign up and if everyone wrote and said my ornaments were rubbish, well I'd just cry and not play again.

OMG I was sooo excited

then I was slightly less excited.. my design relied rather strongly on my sewing machine.. which I had inherited from my Nanny when I was 14, I'm now a touch older than that so when it finally gave up the ghost on the day set aside to make my ornaments, I was crushingly disappointed that I couldn't make them, but appreciative of the service and support it had given me over the years.

Fortunately Farmer's Wife (tobe) stepped in and I borrowed her machine, made my ornaments and posted them off within a day of the addresses being sent out.

It took a week or so before I got any back..and I still haven't received all my ornaments.. some I was more pleased with than others.. a few just aren't my taste at all.. but I was rather pleased with my haul and may well take part in a swap shop again when people stop getting married/having babies/celebrating birthdays and all those other excuses I make up for starting a new craft project.

[maybe I should make a little apology now.. I am by NO MEANS a professional photographer.. I have also just spent more of my life than I care to admit in trying to put these all in a little table and have failed miserably.. I feel particularly sheepish as Lady Kitch is rather a whiz at that kinda thing and I can almost see her shaking her head at my pitiful attempt.. although that leads me to another question.. names in blogs.. I settled on the Admiral for the admiral after a couple of attempts, Famer's wife(tobe) just is her name.. but Lady Kitch is a blogster herself and so if ever I mention her do I need to mention her blog too?? as my readership is pretty limited (currently.. you never know!!) I think I'm probably safe, but do correct me if I'm committing a blog faux pas.. it's not covered in debrets you know!)




Oh and which ornament is mine.. it's the stripped green tree at the top with a button for a star.. yes I'm kinda fond of all things stripey and buttony too!!