The little weeny stockings are done... and I enjoyed making them so much I just couldn't stop :)
So we now have Beautiful Baubles

a hint of colour shading to add some character
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Maybe a traditional palette of happy red/green/gold is more to your liking?

tiny little knots of shimmering gold and silver
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Or this one... a fresh, crisp pink/lime/silvery icicle on white

I can't decide.. I love them all :)
Make some for yourself... Merry Christmas xxx
Download Beautiful baubles
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A few tips
Fuse a square of freezer paper to the wrong side of your fabric before tracing the design. Works a treat in keeping the fabric stable and if you're planning on adding some colour with pencils, leave it in place until you've finished colouring. Peel it off then fuse your stabiliser ready for stitching
~ the colouring on my vintage bauble, a hint of rust, brown and pale yellow/green ~

and the traditional bauble ~ red, green and yellow
~ Mark the crosses and fleur-des-lys with just one dot, use the photo as a guide when you stitch

don't be afraid to add colour... this is the perfect project to practice your colour shading skills! the more stitching you add, the more the colour hides in the background...

Right at this very minute I think my fave is the vintage bauble... but that's only right at this very minute

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You know those gifts you receive that seem to be such a great idea at the time... then you shove them in the cupboard and forget about them? Like the donut maker... the hotdog machine... the foot spa... the ice cream maker...

Well, I dragged the freezer part of the ice cream maker out from the cupboard the other day and shoved it in the freezer. Today I pulled it from the freezer and whirled around the kitchen for a couple of hours pretending to be a 1950's housewife. I even pinned my hair up. Should have popped an apron on... Can you see me? Flitting around like a little bird in a red polka dot dress, fitted bodice, full skirt, manicured nails, perfectly painted face, not a hair out of place?
Nope...
I was in my fave denim skirt, just above the knee. It was a bit cool after lunch so I threw on my flannie jammie shirt. And I totally rocked my charcoal crocs. Actually they're Rivers croc lookalikes, perfect footwear for quilting days... and ice cream making days. Rivers - that makes them ok ... I didn't wear socks with them today... but sometimes I do :)
Oh, and my hair was pinned up with a peg... just the fringe because that's the bit that really gives me the irrits
Anyways, today - while in my flannie jammie shirt - I made Mango/Passionfruit ice cream from this Magazine

Vol 14 No 6
(the recipe has been blurred to protect the innocent - but you'll just have to trust me when I say.. 'It's a lick the bowl fabulous ice cream recipe')

and now it's time to dive into the ice cream bowl

Go away, I don't share this stuff... :)
Cheryl xx
I'll be back sometime during the evening of 23rd December to let you know whose name I pulled from the pink bucket for the giveaway here. Leave your message on that post so I can throw you in the pink bucket too...
Just in case I decide to do something dumb, like clean the house all week... have a Merry and Safe Christmas... eat way too much of the good stuff, spoil your loved ones and just chill out.. we will!