Christmas Spoiling From Barb

I have lots to show you over the next few days of some wonderful gifts from some wonderful friends. Barb and I have done a Christmas gift swap for I think about 4 years or so now.  We both love Christmas and she always knows just the right things to make/buy for me.  Very spoilt with my beautiful gifts again this year, thankyou so much Barb -

Love these little bowl fillers/cushions. And not just for Christmas so I will be able to leave them out all year.

LOVE this gorgeous snowman cushion.

And another gorgeous xmas cushion.

Already in place. I leave my Christmas out for another couple of weeks yet,

Was so excited to receive one of Barb's beautiful crocheted pieces and a lovely candle to go with it,

She also spoilt me with a lovely covered notebook, a framed stitchery, some cottage garden threads and pellon,

A very cute snowman mug with coffee satchels, beautiful soap and body wash,

There was also the most beautiful xmas tin full of toffees which I forgot to photograph, but will show you next time. Probably because I had been gorging those yummy toffees and it was sitting on the coffee table next to me lol.  Many thanks Barb. Loved my wonderful gifts. Cheryl

Christmas Decorating

I thought you might like to see, on this Christmas Eve, some of my Christmas decorating -

Part of my village. I managed to find a 5 tiered stand for it this year. Needs a bit of tizzying up, but getting there.

Just a few of my treasured "Keryn's" creations.

Friends hanging out.

My lovely long mantle holds lots of my Christmas pieces.

 

 

And some more of my mantle.

 

Santa and friends

 

 

A few of my Jim Shore pieces - love them.

A few of my snowmen, and I mean a few lol.

And I had to finish with my favourite tree - full of special decorations made by special friends.  Love this tree.

Had to show all sides.

And last photo I promise.  And this doesn't even include my beautiful Christmas wallhangings, table runners or cushions made for me by special friends.

I do hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Cheryl

FHF Swap Gifts and Some New Additions

I have been enjoying opening my Friends Having Fun swap gifts the last few mornings.  Some more of my lovely gifts from Shez -

Day 4 was this lovely Christmas tea towel.

And Day 5 a cute snowy hand towel

And next morning came this cute little felt kit to make

and Day 7 was this little snowman, who has lots of company at my house.  Thankyou so much Shez. Am loving my gifts every morning.

I had a little trip on Sunday to the Christmas shop at Maldon - love this shop and I must say I don't have a lot of willpower when I visit.  So thought you might like to see my new purchases -

Fell in love with this lamp - isn't it adorable.  Cannot resist a snowman.

And of course there had to be some Jim Shore - just loved this gorgeous Santa.

And this beautiful snowman. They both look very much at home at my place.

And don't think I showed you this most adorable gingerbread house decoration made for me by my lovely friend Michelle. Thankyou dear friend - it looks wonderful on my tree of handmade decorations.  I promise to show you photos of it and some of my xmas decorating in the next day or two.  Cheryl

A Special Friend

Well the delivery man arrived last week with THE most wonderful parcel.  Christmas gifts from my gorgeous friend Karen.  Funny but several of my friends have a love for all things Christmas, and Karen and I certainly do, so was so excited to open her parcel. To say I was blown away was an understatement -

Such a gorgeous xmas tea towel and Karen knitted the snowball decoration herself, clever chooky. Wish you could smell those soaps - divine.

And look at this amazing tree mat, stitched in beautiful wool felt and such tiny pieces. I love it.

And loved too this most gorgeous stocking - made in beautiful wools, which we both love working with.  Love the shape of it - see photo further on.

Told you I was spoilt -love  this gorgeous redwork stitchery with cute handpainted buttons framed in a hoop.  And Karen knows I love pincushions, so cross stitched this gorgeous one for me "And Sew Happy Christmas".

Isn't the little hanger gorgeous also in beautiful wool felt.  Now it did have some choccies and candy canes in there - didnt' quite make it for the photo - but eagerly devoured by yours truly and two granddaughters.  It looks beautiful hanging off my dresser.

And this is amazing - just beautiful.  In gorgeous wools with my favourite little snowman on it.  Such beautiful work. Just love it Karen.  Spoilt beyond belief.  Thankyou gorgeous friend.

Had a visit to my favourite Christmas shop yesterday at Maldon. This is one very small corner.

All the beautiful trees.  Will show you my purchases next post, along with some more of my lovely FHFS gifts. Cheryl

FHFS and No Fuss Christmas Swap

I am part of the Friends Having Fun Swap. Our Christmas swap was 12 items, one to be opened each day leading up to Christmas.  Santa Shez was my secret partner.  Such fun to open a parcel every day.  This is what I've been spoilt with so far -

Day 1 was a cute little felt gingerbread man kit.

Day 2 was this wonderful Christmas cooking parcel - two great Women's Weekly cookbooks, some cute little xmas spatulas and a xmas tree cookie cutter.
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And Day 3 - loved this cute little snowy/Santa tealight candle holder.

 

Thankyou so much Shez - am loving opening a wonderful parcel each morning.

 

I also joined in the  No Fuss Swappers Christmas Swap.  I received my lovely parcel from Anthea -

 

Anthea made me a very cute mug rug with lovely hexagons, and included a very cute Christmas mug, a lovely Christmas fat quarter and two Christmas tealights.  A wonderful parcel so thankyou Anthea for your great parcel.

 

I had Sandi as my partner and this is what I sent to her -

 

The mug rug I made using a Gail Pan design and added this cute Twigseeds Christmas mug.  It was wrapped in a Christmas Fat quarter - not sure why I forgot to take a photo of that -  and I added some xmas munchies.  Hope you enjoyed your parcel Sandi.  Was a fun swap - I do enjoy doing their little swaps. 

 

Lots more to show you so back soon. Cheryl

Christmas is Coming

Such a lovely time - Christmas. Fun swaps, gifts from special friends, so time to share some -

This was a VERY special gift from a very special friend - the most beautiful advent calendar. Isn't it amazing.

And the bottom half.  Made using a 24 hole muffin tin and so beautifully decorated. I just keep seeing more gorgeous little treasures in it.  Something I will treasure always.

My SSCS gift all the way to Belgium to Martine.  She has opened her xmas decorations so I can show you what I made for her.  Now to wait til Christmas Day for the next part of this swap. 

We do a Kris Kringle gift for a work colleague. This is what I made for mine - a Hugs and Kisses table centre called "Give Thanks"

And my gorgeous friend Karen received her xmas gift from me today, so I can show you what I made for her. She loves Christmas as much as I do.  Loved this cute little Ho Ho, Ho design.

And of course we can never have too many decorations. 

Well today was the day we could open our No Fuss swap gifts and tomorrow is the first of our Friends Having Fun swap gifts - one each day til xmas day, so will be back to show you my goodies soon. Cheryl

SSCS

A very exciting parcel was waiting for me on my doorstep yesterday all the way from New Zealand. How exciting!!!  It was my parcel from my partner in Chooky's Secret Santa swap - no name to give me a hint, so I will have to wait til Christmas Day.  However we were allowed to open the decoration, which I did post haste -

How beautiful is she - just love her.

She's hanging already on my stand that houses my village so I can see her from all angles.  Thankyou so much to my secret partner - what a beautiful sewer you are. She is just gorgeous and perfect for me. Love it. Cheryl