New Year wishes

I made myself come up to the 'puter to post to avoid feeling sorry for myself. The fall really shook me up and I had a dreadful night. Everywhere I turned it hurt. Even sitting here is uncomfortable but I wanted to reflect on the old year before the new one arrives. I didn't do all I wanted this year but some gor done. I made dolls for various people including Lord Bath. I started my fabric icons to represent the wheel of the year. I've done the sun for Yule and am currently working on a triple moon for the full moon circles. Next festival is Imbolc and I thought I'd do something with snowdrops and candles to celebrate the start of Spring. Resolutions for next year:-
to try and get work published in the magazines I subscribe to, both papercrafts and fabric/knitting work.
To learn how to quilt.
To refresh my french.
To get free from debt so I don't dread each month getting worse.
To visit my family more, they are all getting older, some are quite ill and time goes too fast. They are people I love and I don't want it to be too late.
To be more tolerant of my pain and not let it wind me up as much as it does.
To blitz my craft room and get rid of all the stuff I don't now use like the rubberstamping stuff.
This theoretically will give me a space where I am inspired and where I will create more.
To babysit more for my grandsons, they are growing so fast and I love being with them. Plus it gives my daughter chance to have some space.
Think that will do for now. I am going to try and finish a card for a friends birthday tomorrow . Have uploaded pics of 2 pins I made
Happy New Year

a fall and work in progress

Today I tripped over one of my 2 cats and fell half way down the stairs. I'm bruised, in pain and have hurt my tail bone. Not a good start to the day but fortunately no bones broken. The cats ok as well. Its put my crafting on hold as it hurts too much to knit. I grabbed the 2 hand rails to stop my fall and that hurt also. Poor me:)) I'm really enjoying making the sample squares in cream aran and will upload some pics soon as I can get enough daylight to take photos. Its been dark all day today

valentine doll

here is one I made earlier:) A valentines doll I made for a US magazine. Thought it would remind you that when the shops reopen and sell off all that was Christmas they will be plannin g Valentines day:))

'twas the night before christmas

and all through this house mayhem and madness rules. I've had my daughter and my 2 grandsons plus my son all here for lunch and exchanging of gifts with DS as we won't see him tomorrow. I've made card and finsihed wrapping presents for my dh. I am a little miffed as several books I ordered haven't made it here yet from the states. However it will extend his festivities somewhat. Hot pot and sherry trifle for lunch went down rather well with everyone. Think we will be having remains of lasagne for tea and a glass of wine to help it down. No christmas lunch to make as we go to a good friend for the day after seeing my daughter and the boys unwrapping their gifts. Our contribution was the cake now finally iced and ready to go. It looks delightful with the red and green ribbon tied around. Good practice for the wedding cake to come. I've started the sampler quilt in the aran wool. Have made 7 squares up to now and its a good thing to do when you only have snippets of time to knit. I'd like to find a sweater pattern to make for dh in the new year as he is sadly lacking jumpers. Maybe a trad one as he prefers me to be the flamboyant dresser in the family.
Happy Christmas one and all. I'll post what gifts I got and responses to my knitted gifts in due course.

yarn to frog and finished curly whirly

more yarn 

yarn bargain 

Happy Solstice and yarn bargain

Well a little late but happy winter solstice to everyone. From here the days get longer and the nights shorter taking us towards spring. something to look forward to during the long winter nights.
I got a great bargain at our local age concern all this aran yarn several kilos for very little cash. I'm a very happy moggie. I am thinking of making a sampler quilt with most of it. Doing sample squares of different stitches then sewing them all together. Think it might be a good way to refresh my stitch brain as I haven't done some for many years. Except blackberry, stocking stitch and garter. I finished yet more scarves curly whirlies. Made using colinette yarn and edged with a fur yarn that I don't know name of. Marzipanned some cakes today. They need icing Saturday. I think I've done all the food shopping, hope so anyways as the stores are awful to get round at the moment. People are so rude and frantic in their shopping and yes I know I'm being snippy but I'm allowed to it is my blog.Cats have left the tree alone, we thought as it was their first Yule they would have everything off. However after a cursory investigation they have completely ignored it.

scarves2 

scarves 

final count up of scarves made for Yule

here are some pictures of the scarves I made for Yule gifts, hopefully everyone will appreciate them. I also finished and sent off without photographing a large crocheted cushion for my DHs auntie and a throw in aran.

Christmas cakes, cards and more

Yule cards now all off icially written, confettied and ready to send- all 69 of them. DH has sore hands from writing. Christmas cakes in oven almost finished 5 of them as we speak. Made so many as a practice its a while since I baked such cakes and we have 3 to make for our nephews wedding beginning of February so I wanted to see how this oven and my recipes went together. The smell yesterday of all the fruit marinading in brandy was divine and I could have willingly eaten fruit as is:))
Back to crafting now I've got 6 scarves made and need to make 5 more plus finish a crochet cushion and make a throw. Better get on:) Definately need to take some photos of the finished knitting and upload to here before they get given away. So this scarf is Colinette firecracker and the 2 ATCs(artist trading cards) are for a winter swap I joined.

yule 

I got my Yule cards made:)

I got my Yule cards done today. I've used a photo of Castle Howe in the Lakes from a couple of weeks ago when there was heavy frost, added a little glitter glue to give impression of icicles and thats it. Very simple for a change. I've uploaded a very blurred picture, night light doesn't do justice. Knitting I've finished my firecracker scarf. I made a slit in it for fastening and it looks good. I've started another in point five loopy pattern. Will post pics tomorrow hopefully. Been raining most of day so a good day to be creative. Still sniffly and sneezing from the dreaded lurgy but hopefully that will go soon. Been bidding on eyelash yarn on ebay, do I need any? The colours looked wonderful and price seemed ok it looks like firecracker so hopefully is.

shawl 

Saturday night and the needles are hot

I've almost finished my triangle scarf in mohair and its not looking too bad. A long time since I did anything like this so I am pretty pleased it turned out ok. I've used Colinette mohair 2 earthy colours and its very muted for me. Also on the needles a scarf for Yule gifts in Colinette firecracker bright blues. Not sure on shade as its part of the bagful I got a couple of weeks ago. I'm looking for a pattern for a crochet scarf to maybe do also. I've decided gifts for family and friends this year will be as much hand made as I can. Partly from a cost level(well mainly that I suppose) but also that I love making things for people whereever possible. So on the production line apart from scarves are a throw for an elderly aunt in mohair crocheted, some fingerless gloves in Colinette silky chic for hwoever, a series of elemental dolls, some loopy cushions. After that if they do get finished before the Solstice then maybe start a sweater for the love of my life.

continuing the sun for Yule theme

Well it is done:) I've machined my sun, added beads and glitter and its as done as I want it to be. I want something to show the return of the light, a glow within the winter darkness. A ray of hope that spring will return. Making this I was thinking of people of olden days and why the winter solstice was such an important celebration. If you lived with the seasons then this time of year would have been awfully dark. Today we had maybe 2 hours of proper daylight here in England and rest of day has been dark and dismal. The thought that come December 21st we will start to get longer days is something to look forward to. I've made steak marinaded in lime and olive oil for tea. Slices of popes eye steak I picked up in Scotland yesterday while visiting a friend. Added them to a baking dish with some fresh rosemary from the garden, 4 cloves of garlic and a large onion sliced. To this the zest and juice of a lime and a large splash of virgin olive oil. Left it for a couple of hours then in to oven for around a half hour. Served it with mashed potatoes with the juice from the steak poured over. Delicious.
My knitting is slow, the triangle shawl hasn't been touched for 2 days while in Scotland but tonight I'm itching to get back to it.
Scotland was misty, we travelled up Wednesday morning with a tiny ginger kitten we were taking for our pal. We started off with it in a cat basket but the pathetic sounds coming from the back seat of the car melted my heart and Pan, as he is now called, travelled the rest of the journey cuddled up on my knee. All apart from one foray around the car to see what there was to chew on. I'd forgotten how small kittens could be. My two are now 8 months old and quite big. They were so pleased to see us come home even though our friend goes in twice a day to feed and cuddle them. We could barely take our coats off without them tripping us up.
Here are a couple of pics of the Yule sun.

Yule sun making

I started to make the sun today for our Yule celebrations. I want it to be small enough to place over the goddess altar but big enough to see. Started out with paper template approx 10 inch round. Cut out a piece from white cotton for backing then from yellow felt for main body. Felt is actually cleaning cloths from poundland. Got around 3o different coloured ones for the pound so great value for stitching. Who wants to clean anyway? I've topped this with various odds and asods of gold and yellow fabrics, anything from my handdyed felts to lame cloth, lace and vegetable bags. I've overlayed this with gold voile and tomorrow will machine all over to hold together. Then I've got a cirlce of crystal like fabric with glitter on very delicate and this will go in circle of sun. Then I think I may bead around the rays with tiny yellow seed beeds.
The snow we got yesterday morning has gone now, however the Lake District mountains are showing in the distance with their tops covered in snow. Started my traingle shawl in colinette mohair but its very slow Think i need to start something else maybe another shawl in point five

picture of throw and yarn stash from colinette

here is a picture of the crochet throw I just finished in aran. Picture a little pink due to night light and camera phone but hey it shows:)

Saturday night fever

Been cooking up a storm today. Have friends coming over for dinner so made chicken and mango curry to be followed by chocolate nemesis. Yummy. I'm making Saturday evening meals for a friends brother at the moment. Her mum is in hospital with brain tumour and her brother has Downs Syndrome so needs a bit of help with food. Just taken him some of the above menu and roads are very very icy. Its a clear night lots of stars to be seen and the motorway jammed due to them cutting down from 3 lanes to 2. My knitting is crochet at the minute. I'm making a throw in creamy aran wool. I got it from the under £100 ads in our local newspaper. A woman clearing her stash so many balls of yarn over a kilo for £6. Most single colours and I'll probably ebay it as I love my colinette random dyes, far more inspiring. But I thought a crochet throw in cream would be a challenge and its not as boring as I thought. My idea is to add some freeform scumbles over the top in a riot of colours but just tiny bits here and there. So they look as if they are escaping maybe. Been sorting out my stash from Colinette visit Thursday, will take photo of it as its so colourful and keeps calling me to come and play with it.

quiz what kind of princess

According to a quiz I just did I'm an evil princess:) I am a knitting one though so does that make it better? Just finished another scarf in firecracker by colinette will try and take picture tomorrow it was way too dark all day today. Going to visit Colinette Thursday and I love going there. The colours always inspire me
here is link to princess quiz

new fabric atcs made

Been making some ATCs (artist trading cards) for a swap I'm in and decided to try and make cards for each of the 5 elements in fabric using my hand dyed felt. I got totally inspired and I've made around 18 up to now. None for air yet but they will maybe come tomorrow. I'm uploading the water ones for now but the light has gone so will post rest tomorrow. I like the mix of scraps and machine stitching its so freeform. Just chuck it on and see what happens:) The ones for the swap are winter. I've gone with pale grey/whites and added some silk top I dyed with purples. I covered those with a piece of old curtaining in cream. Titled them winter moon seeing as the moon is so gorgeous this month. I'm listening to Carolyn Hillier Cave of Elders and Eartha Kitt. 2 brilliant musical artists.

tonights sunset in lancashire

November musings

I've just taken some gorgeous photos of the sunset from my art studio window. The sky so fiery and the sun just going down. Its inspired me to make a new landscape with my hand dyed felts and some stitching, or should I maybe knit some pieces to make my landscape from? Not sure but will have to see where my muse takes me. I've been admiring my Colinette yarn stash and thinking I'll need to start using some on something other than my dolls. Maybe another loopy scarf to start and I've seen a fabulous hat on a blog (woolly wormheads) that I'd love to try. One of my grandsons came today, the 7 year old. He was so proud of his picture on the front page of our local newspaper. He and his brother played the cornet at the rememberance service last Sunday and Matthew we think is the youngest person ever to play the last post at a service. He and his brother are so talented with the cornet and M can hear a tune and work out the notes and how to play it on piano, keyboard or cornet. Unlike his tone deaf gran who learned to play the cello at grammar school but gave up once I found boys:) Not cool to be lugging a big cello case around when you were trying to impress the boys.

sunday musings twas the night before Valentine's day

'Twas the night before Valentines day and I'm busy making a gift for my love. Its a tiny woman figure out of air drying clay. A symbol of my love for him a talisman to keep in his pocket to remind him of me, although this is a tad smaller:) I can't sculpt but I've had a go and although the boobs look a little lopsided its definately a woman. This is third time lucky for me. 2 bad mistakes and then the person I've been looking for all my life arrives out of the blue. I went to an open Ostara celebration 12 years ago and there he was. Do you know how you just click with some people? this was like that. It took me a long while to relax and just enjoy being with him. 2 mean horrible men dented my self confidence so badly I never thought I'd be able to lift my head.
He makes me smile, he makes my heart sing and he makes me laugh. He gave me the gift of being myself, something I'd never known before. A chance to say hello to the inner childm, the artist inside that I had always had to keep buried. Now I can make art and think "yes, I am an artist, my kind of artist who makes things for herself. " If anyone else likes my art thats a bonus.
When I can figure out how to upload photos I'll post a picture of my totem goddess.

first art of the year

I made my first art of the year today. Postcards for the monthly postcard exchange I am in. I find that having to make 5 postcards a month helps bring me to the craft room and sets the creative wheels in motion. Well thats what it is supposed to do :)
I'm currently listening to Bronwen David and her wonderful album Moonstruck. Its howling a gale outside, we have major structural damage in the village but we were lucky and just lost 2 fence panels plus several panes of glass from the greenhouse.
Until I figure out how to add pictures to my blog they can be viewed at my picturetrail
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=ambermoggie

I want to make a series of Zaftig dolls (Zaftig - big buxom women) I envisage them as friendly, joyous females full of the joy of living.
A positive icon to help during the blues of winter

after new year blues and darkness

this time of year the sun barely shows. Its dark until 9ish and then dark again after 3. The days lengthen by 2 minutes each day but doesn't show yet. Its snuggle in time, don't get up til late and nest rather than go out. Nesting- a need to move things around, clean up, paint and generally change the home around. Anything to stave off the darkness

first day of a new year and a new blog

well new year brought new ideas and I finally decided to make my first blog. Cat thoughts and ideas. Art I've done and what ever else comes to mind.First piece of art of the new year was a postcard for a friend in US