Finishing a few things with a smile..

The last couple of weeks have seen a few things finished. Cue big smile...

My ATC swap card went off in the post at the beginning of last week. 

Ali over at VeryBerryHandmade was as wonderful as ever organising another Artist Trading Card Swap - this time the theme was Winter Comforts. Taking part in these swaps are always such a pleasure - the planning and creation of a textile treat for someone else.

So what springs to mind? As ever I start with a mind map. It was pretty clear that hot chocolate, log fires, warm Winter woolies and snoozing hounds were high on my list. I sat in my favourite spot (another Winter comfort!) looking out of my window one afternoon thinking about the theme. 

This is my view...

Through the window I could see lots of these little guys feeding on the various treats we put out for them. Blue Tits are just the most relaxing and entertaining creatures - they squabble, chatter, feed and flutter non stop. They land on the window frame and peck on the window to get attention and we sit looking at each other. In the middle of a gloomy day, they make me smile. Ta- dah! ATC planned.

Using photos that my hubby takes of them clutching to the feeder, I sketched out the card... and stitched...

It's bit wonky - the finishing off always takes me for ever and sorry about the lighting - it's been so overcast and rainy here lately.

Ready to go :)

I hope my swap partner likes it. The birds truly are our Winter Comfort and the food we put out for them is their Winter warmer. Thank you Ali for another great swap! I can't wait to receive mine  and I'll post it here when it arrives!

I've finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Oh my word. What an emotional page turner! The film has since been watched. 'Read it!' I'm telling everyone - most people already have. I'm a bit slow off the mark like that. 

Archie might give it a whirl...

...although he's already dozed off before the good bit...

I've sent off an embroidered thank you card and personalised glasses case to some special people - forgot to photograph.. grrrrr

I'm sneaking in here, the fact that I've almost finished the blanket I've been working on (the one that was supposed to be ready for Christmas), but with only another few rows and the edging to go - hey, nearly there...

I've finished clearing out some of my wardrobe space that has definitely made me smile, although I just know I'll want to wear it once it's gone or wish I'd kept the fabric...

Hello February - here's to some more finishings this month!

Sherry xx

This past week

Lots of tidying going on this week. Therapeutic tidying. Starting with my work room. There were piles of 'stuff' hanging around. Patterns cut out, little remnants of fabric (too small to go back into the fabric stash but way too precious to be discarded so it sits there in a sorry pile waiting to be organised), embroidery threads, receipts - both posting and purchases, sketches of planned embroidery patterns, crocheting in progress, knitting in the last stages of completion, art supplies not put away.....you get the picture. All the product of the mad Christmas rush. So the clear up started with my room - it's all tidy and organised now, which means I can think clearly again in there.

I need some more storage in there and more colour. I'm on the lookout.

I've been cooking and so enjoying it. Lots of soups to warm us up. It's finally got wintry here after such a mild few weeks and that means a temporary end to the rain. Yay! Also been making lots of smoothies having finally purchased a Nutri Ninja.

Some home-made granola

I'm reminding myself of how much I love my art. I used to spend untold hours sketching and painting. Why did I stop? Instagram has inspired me- there are so many daily sketches so out have come my watercolours, my pens, pads and pencils. An art journal is my latest pleasure - I'm excited at the artistic possibilities it presents in a manageable chunk. Not too daunting. I'm not quite confident enough to 'show and tell' yet tho'!

I've started dedicating time to reading again - something I promised myself I would do way more of this year. Far too much time spent on the laptop. Instagram and Pinterest literally absorb hours of my life - like a black hole. So far this year I've read:

Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story - J. Jefferson Farjeon 
A traditional crime mystery first printed in 1937. A perfect easy read on a snuggly night in front of the fire. I don't normally read crime stories but really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this novel and trying to work out the outcome of this mysterious tale, which begins on Christmas Eve. I've also got The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay, another British Library Crime Classic but I think I'll save it for reading towards the end of the year as it's another Christmas mystery!

The Dressmaker - Rosalie Ham
Loved this book. A real page turner. Quite a cast of characters to familiarise yourself with but well worth the effort. Can't wait to see the film!

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Only a fifth of the way through this book and so far really enjoying it. Why though, does the blurb on the back covers persist in telling you about plot lines that don't happen until after a 100 pages or so? Why? Grrr.

Still really slow progress when I think I used to read around three books a week but hey ho I'm getting there.

I'm looking out to the garden deep in the throes of winter and I look forward to the first shoots of spring.
 I love winter - all cosy and snug with the chance (crossing my fingers) of snow. But spring somehow seems irresistibly close and beckons to me. I expect those of you who have snow regularly, wonder what all the fuss is about, but in the UK (certainly in the south), we can get pretty excited about it.

Highgrove - the home of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall is only a few miles away and I'm already looking forward to another look around the gardens - I haven't managed to see it in early spring yet. My back garden could do with a bit of inspiration that Highgrove always brings (albeit it on a small scale!)

Our garden may look slightly bare and uninteresting at the moment but beauty and inspiration are out there. Frozen leaves with stunningly intricate ice crystals and the birds feeding outside our sitting room window - so close and so beautiful.

What have you been up to this week?

Sherry xx