Christmas Interlull

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas, and is now suitably stuffed with mince pies, cake, chocolate and turkey. Now all that remains is to see in 2012 at the weekend, before life will get back to 'normal' again!

We've had a very busy Christmas, as you can imagine, with a completely over excited 3 yr old and an overawed (almost) 5 month old. But it has been lovely seeing how happy Caoimhe was with her presents (and Teaghan's as well!) I think it will take a while to bring her back down to earth, and back in her usual routine. The joys, eh? :)

Violet returned to the North Pole on Christmas Eve morning (taking Caoimhe's potty with her) and left behind a little door so that she can pop back and see Caoimhe over the next year. Thanks once again to Jan at Handcrafted by Picto for the fairy door. Caoimhe loves it! Especially when she returned home from visiting on Christmas day to find a little note and present by the door! I think it will be a valuable source of discipline fun for Caoimhe over the year to come.

So what presents did you give and receive? I was most disappointed with my handmade contribution this year, as I had wanted to do so much, but managed relatively little really. I guess it was never going to be easy with a new baby! But really I should have been better organised, and certainly not finishing gifts and cards in the days leading up to Christmas! I vow to do better next year!
I made chocolates and soaps this year, and Tim helped out with some lovely earrings too. I also finally found a use for the white teacups I saw in the sales months ago and had been wondering what to do with ever since

I cut some flowers out of some vintage style paper I have in my stash and used a florally ribbon, attaching them along with an old button from my button box (thanks again mum!) I had wanted to cover the teacups with lots of paper flowers but in the end decided that Less is definitely More in this case! I was going to line the cups in some lovely satiny fabric I have but decided to use them for pot pourri and thought that they would be easier to keep clean inside if I left them 'bare'.

I've decided that at some point next year I am going to try and sell some of my cards, and maybe some handmade gifts too. I say 'try' as I have even yet to decide what market to aim for! I have a few ideas, and hopefully, despite my Libran tendencies, they will come to fruition at some point over the next 12 months. Watch this space!

That's all from me today, except to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, and I'll see you in 2012!

Til then!