BELATED NEW YEAR GREETINGS TO YOU ALL X

Well Hello my friends! I hope I find you all good and well and not suffering TOO badly with the post Christmas blues? We had a wonderfully relaxing crimble, we tackled the festivities in an unusually laid back way and surprisingly everything went like clockwork and the world didn't stop if we failed to get everything done on the list(s).

Here a some pics of our Christmas, seems such a long time ago now but it's good to acknowledge it here on my blog.
Look at that face! 6:15am and all is well with this little girls world.

A good relaxing time was had by all, even Mildred who took to guarding the tree and growling if we got too close to it(and her).We had a lovely time with the children playing games,watching movies and eating special treats.
Lovely flowers for Christmas from my friend of old , Cath.

Now we are well into January, dark mornings, dark evenings, poor Andy doesn't see the cottage in daylight at the moment. January is not one of my best months and what a lousy time to have a birthday!

Soon enough the days will get lighter and we will be heading towards the lovely springtime yippee!

I don't particularly have new year resolutions but I do find that as with tidying away the Christmas baubles I tidy away the past year and feel a twinge of excitement and hope for the new year ahead. January is the month for organising the mind and paving the way for the months ahead. If I was to have new year resolutions it would be to become greener and to do alot more walking in our beautiful countryside,I always feel wonderfully contented being close to nature. Poppy, at five, is still a bit little to do any major walking but on Saturday we went out into a VERY fresh morning and did a lovely 3 hour walk at a place called Ruskin Mill and the surrounding area. It was wonderful, we saw so many different birds and deer, making great use of George Dylan's new binoculars.I always feel inspired after being on such an adventure, imagine if I could do a walk every morning before setting to my work, if only........

I put this in because it's very intriguing.This sat in the lobby of Ruskin Mill, don't know what you call it, some sort of pump? if anyone has a clue, please share.

Here she is again, demon cat from hell, teehee, only joking, now I must be off. I have a sick child (again)to attend to and some work that needs finishing. I wish you all wealth, health and happiness for 2009 XXXXXXXXXXXX

THE WINNER IS.....

Hi , just a quick post to say the name drawn out of the hat by George was,drum roll,..............
FUNKYMONKEY!! Please e-mail me your details asap.
Now, I am going back to my sick bed, the girls have succumbed.xxxxxxxx

DECEMBER DAYS.......AND A CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

I love this time, Mid December when potentially, the ***t hits the fan. I find it quite exciting trying to juggle with various festive events,doing lists,food lists, gift lists, card lists , lists of lists etc. etc.You know where I'm coming from? oh good, I'm not alone. There is also a birthday list, our George is fourteen on the 17th December.

I have been trying to get some last bits of work done for the Christmas markets , my little wren house is soooo cold at the moment, I'm being a wimp, doing it in comfort in front of a roaring fire, but look at the conditions I have to work under.............Needle felting with a soporific cat firmly attached to my lap-he's nearly come a cropper on more than one occasion.

Our tree went up on Saturday evening , it was lovely to at last see the vintage baubles I bought a month ago in their rightful place, the pics do not do them justice, the tree looks lovely, looks like the trees of my childhood, I'm so pleased....

A night shot of the children's tree which sits on the piano

I shared a table at the Farmer's Market Christmas market with my friend Mandy on Saturday.It poured with rain until about 11am but I love doing this event each year, it feels festive and I love talking to the people. The time flew but my toes took an age to thaw out when I got home.

We have the cold and flu bug buzzing around here at the moment, and as I write this, my son is sat cuddling up, having a day off school, also, the man of the house has fallen by the wayside.Just us girls left standing, you watch, mine will come in time for the Saturday market, hey ho!!

This brings me appropriately to my Christmas giveaway, something to snuggle under a lovely warm blanket with, a Green and Blacks hot chocolate and a dvd of a great christmassy vintage movie,'The Bishops Wife' , Cary Grant, what more could a girl want? Sorry, the welsh tapestry blanket is not included, it's very much in use right now.

All you have to do is come say Hi, it's as simple as that, I will get birthday boy to pick a number out of the party hat on the evening of the 19th Dec at 6pm. I need to get it off to the winner asap so they can enjoy a pre-christmas evening with our Mr. Grant.

I'm off now to mop some brows. Do hope you are keeping well out there, Annie xxxx

DECEMBER DAYS........A BLOG CATCH UP.

WELL! doesn't the time fly? I honestly couldn't tell you where I've been all this time, maybe I have a bad case of amnesia, must have been from the fall I had the Monday after the VH fair but I wont go into too much detail other than to say it was VERY undignified and it bloody hurt. There have been a catalogue of mishaps lately, like the needle that went through my slipper and into my toe,oh yes and being bitten on the hands by something with teeth that would put jaws to shame.Anyway dear readers, this is starting to sound like some feeble excuses for why I have been such a shocking blogger. No excuses, I am a shocking blogger, but I do hope that I can, somehow make amends, for I can confidently say that I have reached that "christmassy" frame of mind and would love to share my excitement with people who understand how I feel, yes, YOU........

Firstly, it would be very rude of me not to mention that wonderful event on the 22nd November, it seems such a long time ago now, there were so many great posts about the day, so eloquently told with great photos. My photos are not so hot and are few in number.It was so lovely to meet and put faces to the blogs, alas, I didn't get round to having a chat with everyone but I hope I will next time.Jayne and Michele did a fantastic job in organising the event, I hope it wasn't too exhausting for you ladies.

This is a nice one of Mr. Snippets isn't it? Like my Man, he stayed all day, a jolly chap :)

didn't take any photos of my table so here is the quick dummy run on the kitchen table the day before.Again, not a brilliant photo but my website is up and running now (still being constructed),see my side bar, if you would like to take a closer look at my work.How grown up!

This photo was taken for Jayne(and the happy crow) I hope you can see your rabbit sat there, he's made himself very much at home. Thank you, it was a lovely giveaway and my first.

This was what greeted us this morning on the way to school, a lovely sprinkling of frost and a fresh bite in the air, oh how I love it! I still have high hopes of a snow fall on Christmas Eve, a girl can dream.......It was Stroud's 'Goodwill Evening' on Friday, and for us, this marks the start of the "Christmassey"feelings.

There were more people than I'd ever seen before, maybe this credit crunch business is making people more determined to have a good time, it has with me anyway. There were street performers ,

A lovely lantern procession with fire jugglers, stilt walkers, carol singers galore.....

Here they are again, entertaining everyone with their jolly banter, Poppy and George loved this. There were some lovely stalls in the farmers market, food, pottery, stalls selling exotic wares, the smell of incense punching the air, frankincense? myrrh?

I will be sharing a stall at the Christmas Farmer's Market on the 13th and 20th December, it was great fun last year so I am looking forward to it very much.

Lastly, I wanted to show you my piano. I find that the things that live on top of my piano changes with the seasons.

This is my piano in November, it shows some recent purchases, some vintage Russian dolls that I love, a vintage (70's) chocolate box bought from the rag market in October, and some vintage Christmas baubles bought for £5 on a bric-a-brac stall, can't wait to put them on the tree.
I have to say, my piano is no longer dressed for November, the children put their tree up on Saturday and this always lives on the piano.SO, dear readers, you will have to come back to see the festive changes that take place over the next few weeks.Phew!!! I hope you are still there?yes? oh good.... thought I'd over done it for a minute........Do come back soon, I have an award from the lovely Deanna (now there's a girl who loves Christmas) and a Christmas giveaway too- better get my skates on hadn't I, Eeeek!xxxxxxxxxxxx

THE VINTAGE AND HANDMADE FAIR

Hi there! I'm just quickly dipping in to my blog to remind everyone that The vintage and Handmade Fair is on this Saturday 22nd November at Rangeworthy village hall, near Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. Opening 10 till 4 with free addmission with refreshments on sale.
Get into the Christmas spirit, come along and bring a friend, it will be well worth a visit with lots of lovely things for sale plus the chance to meet fellow bloggers.

We would love to see you there, Annie x

AUTUMN TERM @ GREENVIEW.

Half Term Bedlam, but we just find it best if you go with
the flow.

Relaxing in the afternoons, sometimes snoozing....

Warm cosy kitchen, waiting to be used.

Drying old lace.......

Some well appreciated sunshine in an

old jug....

Cooking soups and stews, real comforting stuff....


Some cushion making, can you see me?

MEET THE FAMILY

I have been working on a rather large commission which was to make dolls to represent the client and her husband and three daughters, one of which died at birth, tricky, yes, but to my great relief they loved the finished result.
There were alot of new challenges for me in this commission, one being to make a MAN doll. I was given a brief to work to and some materials which meant something to each, it was a lovely project to do.

The girls were alot of fun to do, with their hairstyles and punky clothes.

The golden leggins of this doll were made from a gold metallic ribbon that came from a confectionary business my clients grandfather owned years ago, quite precious and very tricky to work with.

The baby doll I found the hardest task of all. I didn't want angel wings, so little butterfly wings were made. The little strawberry hat and stripey socks were the only two things my client bought during the pregnancy, she wanted the doll to wear these things, the money thing was wanted to represent her name, Luca, not a choice I would have made, I can't ever imagine what it's like to lose a child...........

I've yet to make the pet cat and rabbit, which will be done soon.

My client, herself, is a maker of the most amazing mozaics, so, in part payment I am having my children's hands made.I love having makers work around me, but being a poor maker myself this is the only way I can do it. I don't mind being poor, but I do love being surrounded by lovely things, don't you?