How are your holidays going? We are having a grand old time and doing a bit of everything. Seeing family, seeing friends, going out on family outings, just the 5 of us, eating well, drinking well, sleeping late...

...and getting in some crafting.

I made a conscious effort last week of choosing a crafting project to do over the holidays that wouldn't keep me away from my family (I knew there was no point saying I would do NO crafting - I could NEVER have kept to that)

I'd used up what wool I had bought for the grey cushion on Day 1, so I had to think up a new plan.

I've been staring at the canvas I've been wanting to recover for the past however many weeks and have been ignoring it as I've been too busy to do anything with it. I'd had it in my mind that I'd tackle it more fervently over the holidays. The way the original idea was heading wasn't conducive to hanging out with everyone and also, the more I looked at it, the more I didn't like how it was developing.

So a quick U-turn has resulted on it going in a completely different tack...

...Hexies...lots and lots and LOTS of hexies! I still haven't decided quite how many colours are going to be incorporated and whether it will be all hexies or a mixture of some other design.

But in the meantime, I'm getting my crafting time in, I'm doing a specific project that needed addressing and what's more, I'm not missing out on hanging out with everyone.

I hope you are having as much fun this holiday and managing to tick all the boxes.

The party season has started at ours...

It was my Mum's 70th birthday yesterday. My Mum is an incredible woman who has a lot on her plate...2 ageing parents herself to care for...full time carer for my Dad who has MS, not to mention all the community work she does, being there for all of us - her 3 children and 7 grand-children... You'd think life would be a bit gentler on you when you reach 70.

She really is amazing. And to top it all she doesn't look anywhere near 70 either. Just as long as I've inherited her genes there...

We had a big party for her yesterday and just so it doesn't pass in a breeze we are all heading out for brunch this morning...all 15 of us.

It really is setting the party season off on a high, but I'm not sure I'll be able to continue through it all at this pace!

Whatever you are doing these holidays and whoever you are spending it with, I hope it brings you joy, happiness and laughter.

Thank you so much for your support in 2010, it really does mean a lot to me that you are all out there sharing my musings, craftings and whatever else is happening to be going on in my life and I look forward to sharing more together in 2011, whatever that may bring...

The Christmas holidays are officially here. The weather is definitely christmassy, a layering of snow everywhere and minus temperatures, making cosying up not only necessary but very appealing.

I'm finally beginning to relax after the long Silly Season and started to curl up in front of the TV with the kids this afternoon. I love that it's dark so early at this time of year and all that needs to be done is unwinding and taking it easy. Out with the knitting and a bottle of red and life is as perfect as it needs to be.

And this year, Ruby has decided to share with me the ritual of winter knitting (not the bottle of red, I hasten to add). She wanted to learn last year, but gave up almost as soon as I'd cast on for her.

Another year on and I can't believe how she's taken to it. Last year I virtually worked every stitch with her, making it a very frustrating process for me not being able to do any of my own creating. A year later and it's a totally different story. Ruby has been completely committed and has been seen today sidling off quietly, never normally in her vocabulary, by herself, an absolute unheard of, to do just a few more rows.

It's going to be a good Christmas holidays. Lots of cosying up with my little girl and creating with the needles. And all being well by the end of it, Bunny Boo's scarf will be complete...

It's not surprising I'm dog tired at the moment. I went out last night with some girlfriends and literally could have fallen asleep at the table. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if one of them texted me this morning to say I had nodded off for a bit.

A lot of us are struggling with not enough hours in the day at this time of year, keeping up with and packing orders off for Christmas shoppers.

So why oh why I let myself get distracted by things that can undoubtedly wait until the New Year, I have no idea. I ordered this fabric from Seamstar, along with a couple of other beauties, this week and any sensible person would have put it to one side to enjoy at a quieter time. But then I guess I'm not that sensible.

And not only can I not put a good fabric down, I can not put a good plan down either...

That exciting development that I hinted at yesterday has been at the forefront of my mind and would not be put to one side for a day, let alone a couple of weeks, until after the holidays.

I am embarking on a collaboration with Lu Summers of Summersville fame. Very VERY exciting!

Once I got the pencil pouch just the way I wanted it (right length, right height, right bottom..so to speak) I knew at once that Lu's fabrics would be perfect for them. If you've ever seen Lu's fabrics you'll know exactly what I mean.

The weight of the fabric is perfect. The designs are so well suited to children's (or adults) pencil cases and the colours are so vivid any child (or adult) will be delighted to have one. We hope...

The pouches will come in 5 different patterns and colours and will be available through the usual channels as well as being available for trade. So if there are any stores out there that would like more info about the pouches and be the first to stock them, just give me a shout.

And here's to me now slowing down just a little...

I know what your thinking..."not more blinkin' zipper pouches."

And I'd like to be able to tell you that these are the last ones.

But I'm afraid i can't.

There are about to be some very exciting developments in the land of zipper pouches and I hope you'll be as excited about them as I am.

But that's all I can say right now...

So all that is left is for me to leave you with pretty pictures of the latest style of zipper pouch - the Mini Pouch - perfect for little hands to keep their pocket money and bits of change in.

And of course they are right here...

Which room do you prefer?

This one?...

Or this one?...

Exactly! This is the only room in the house that has not been done and still possesses the characteristics of the family we inherited the house from. The stencilling - urghhh, the painted woodwork - puke... Maroon? Aaaghhhh!

One day we'll have saved up enough to make this room worthy of the rest of the house, but in the meantime it relies on the addition of some pretty soft furnishings.

There are a lot of things I love about this room. It's a great size. I love the fireplace, although the surround has to go. And the bay window has such a lovely aspect and cries out for pretty seating.

The pretty seating is a long way off but until then a couple of new brickwork cushions, a la Treefall Design will have to do. I love the design of these cushions. To me they work in a similar way to Log Cabins. They give the possibility of using an array of favourite fabrics in a simplistic design, letting the fabrics speak for themselves.

To be honest, when I look at this room, I struggle to see it's good qualities. All I see is the grotty decor, the dark receding colours, but at least now there is something in here that can make me smile and give me optimism that one day this room will be fit to sit next door to the one at the top.

All this talk and teaching of zipper pouches has got me obsessed with making them. They are such a joy to make and produce something so pretty and so useful. What can be better?

This particular flat-bottomed style that Manda and i taught last week is a gem. I love the way the pouch sits so you can open it up and rummage in it nicely.

I also love the way that once you have mastered putting in a zip, you can make the pouch any size you like. Ruby and I made a few diddy ones at the weekend for her hair clips and bobbles...more about those another day.

But I'm particularly keen at the moment on these slightly longer but less deep ones for pencils. They are just big enough for a fair selection of pencils, but not too big that they are all flopping about.

Needless to say they are available in store now, both in Pounds and in Dollars, depending on your penchant ;-)

And tomorrow? Some of those diddy pouches for all those lose, lying about clips and bobbles will be available....