I'd like to dedicate this post to...

my Mum!

She's having an upside down christmas this year having just moved house (during which, just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong), and is still in the process of making the new house habitable.  One of the positive sides to her downsizing, is that certain things have been passed on to me during the clear out.  Things that remind me of my childhood, and that actually my keen interest in making things, has quite clearly come from her.

When my mum was a child, she knitted clothing for her dolls.  I remember playing with all of these when I was little.  I thought they were the most precious things in the world.  And now they've been passed on to me.

They are even more precious now, and I'm reluctant to let my children play with them as I worry about causing damage, but today as I was photographing them for this post, it did occur to me that, yes they are precious, but not as precious as their creator.

my Mum!

Merry Christmas, see you in 2012!

Penguin pattern,

Coming soon, a brand new Softie pattern for this whole family of Penguins...

where and when, will be revealed after christmas!

Foxy,

As with last christmas, it seems my last Softie of the year is once again Mr Fox...

This one is a commission and is now going to get packaged up and go off to wrestle with Royal Mail.  

Good luck Mr Fox!

'Countryside Softies' christmas offer,

As it's christmas, I have 6 5 4 3 signed copies of 'Countryside Softies' on offer at the special price of $12.50 (that's about £8, cheaper than Amazon!).  This offer will run until Friday 16th December, once they are gone, they are gone!

more nice things...

I love Pinterest.  It's the kind of website I'd like to climb into and live.  It's just so full of nice things.  Here are some of the best I've stumbled upon lately,

a wishing wreath,

chore magnets (I'd need them in UK pounds though!)

perhaps a tooth fairy letter? (good grief I wish I'd known about this last week when at 1am I found a questionaire under Luke's pillow for the tooth fairy when he lost his first tooth!)  Actually, I've just bought this set for him for christmas, he has a thing about giving me notes on tiny pieces of paper.

Yum, can't find a direct link to this recipe, what are they?, muffins with the middle scooped out maybe?

more yum, lasagne cups,

and I think I may just be in heaven, creme brulee fudge.  That's a sugar thermometer going on my christmas list then!

nice things...

A couple of things turned up this week, nice things!

First, I'd written an article for Craft Focus magazine which I'd completely forgotten about, so was pleasantly surprised to find the double page spread inside, 

you can download a copy of the latest issue (number 28) from their website here.  I'm on page 98 chatting about making the transition from working as an in-house designer to going freelance.

And the other bit of news is Channel 4 have added a section to their 4 Homes website listing their favorite UK craft blogs, and they listed Lucykate Crafts...!!