Hello there.....it's been a while!

Hello there,

Fancy seeing you here!

Well, it has been a while since I last wrote a blog post on Wedgie's Wonderful World....over 7 months in fact! Bet you thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth! The truth is I ran out of time....work got really hectic with lots of travelling around the UK, I was involved in the setting up of a shiny new WI in Farnham and my afternoon tea blog was really busy....I simply didn't have enough time in the day for everything and card making was becoming a chore rather than a pleasure. It was time for a break....

However, we all knew I couldn't stay away from crafts for too long! I miss my lovely Sweet Stampin DT lots, but have been embracing all my creative passions since stepping down from the Sweet Stampin design team, rather than focusing on just papercraft (although I do run a papercraft group for our WI!). I have been sewing a lot more and experimenting with different crafts.

I enjoyed creative April (where I made something different each day) so much that this Christmas I challenged myself to make as many presents I could....yep I had a handmade Christmas (wouldn't Kristie be proud??)

So, what did I make I hear you cry....

Nearly all the Christmas gifts I made (there are a couple missing)

A lot is the answer!

From a sewing machine tidy for my mum....

to Lego superhero cuff links for Jim my brother in law....

I thoroughly enjoyed researching things I could make myself and stretching my skills - Pintrest was my friend! There was a lot of sewing....including cute little felt dog brooches....

Fabric clutch bags.....

And a fancy wash bag for Joe, complete with pockets....

I worked with lots of materials that I hadn't used before, and where possible also made the boxes for my gifts. This included several porcelain necklaces (new material / skill) and their sparkly boxes (yes I learnt to make boxes!).....

It wasn't all fun and sequins though....about half way through I got a bit stuck for ideas, especially for Joe. I found that quite stressful until I was reminded that this was a self-imposed challenge and I didn't actually have to make every present! Silly me! Once I got over that blip it was all systems go again! 

I started quite early, making some of the items in October and the final gifts I made in the morning of Christmas Eve (cutting it a bit fine)! Overall it was a satisfying project that I really enjoyed doing - I didn't miss the usual run around the shops / online browsing but enjoyed researching gifts that I could make. Would I do it again....probably yes....but maybe not next Christmas!

I hope you've enjoyed sharing my handmade Christmas gift project - if you have any questions about any of the makes just let me know!

Thank you for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx