British Cream Tea : Delicious British Felt Food Sculpture

15th Day of Advent

They say "red sky at night, shepherds delight"

Lets hope it is lovely tomorrow...it may be a good day for a walk by the river ;)

14th Day of Advent

Yesterday I bought Toby new sleepysuits. He is growing fast and had worn through the heels of all of his 3-6 month ones.

I couldn't resist the Christmas ones...they may have a limited life but they were reduced!

So now my baby is bouncing in his chair in a red cuffed suit resplendent with white mice in green coats playing with Christmas baubles...a red and white striped one and a knit effect red one sit folded in his wardrobe waiting for the next few days...

The knit one will look particularly lovely on Christmas day with his Christmas bibs!

13th Day of Advent

It is the weekend for firsts!

This morning the postman delivered Toby's first non-family Christmas gift...from his friend Sean (via mummy Jackie naturally)

It is waiting under the tree for Christmas morning ;)

Thanks Sean (and Jackie)...Toby sends hugs!

12th Day of Advent

This morning we got our first Christmas Card from my friend James.

It is now sitting alone waiting for more to group around it, next to the crib ;)

Happy Christmas James!!!

11th Day of Advent

I spent a couple of hours decorating the tree last nights with our copper base baubles, tiny gold glass baubles, the angel my mum bought us, the three family stockings I made this week and all those precious decorations we have collected.



Looking back it looked so bare before!

Billy had a rare night off so it was a lovely evening ;)

10th Day of Advent

I set up our crib this morning.

I don't have the original stable I made out of a box, scrunched paper, brown paint and moss that I made about age 6 (my sister has that for our Grandpa's Nigerian set) so this year I made my own adult stable!

I built it from card, patterned paper, a gold glass star and embroidery thread. I think its pretty, very shabby chic!

I did refrain for wallpapering the walls...and stuck to bricks, tiles and grass...

...flowery stable walls would just not be right!

9th Day of Advent

The finished family stockings I hand stitched and embroidered last night.

My plans for matching stockings were foiled by Billy's insistence his was to be red with white fur so I decided it would actually be more "us" to have three slightly different ones...

...so we have...

A flowery fabric stocking (the same fabric as in my "British Cream Tea" photograph backgrounds) with a cream linen cuff and eau de nil cross stitch L monogram with matching ribbon.

A red gingham (compromised from red velvet) sticking with cream linen cuff and and red cross stitch W monogram with matching ribbon.

A stocking made from one of Toby's beloved babygrows, that he had worn through at the heel, with a cream linen cuff and pale blue cross stitch T monogram with matching ribbon.

I love them!

They are tiny, only 9 inches or so tall, but perfect for hanging from the bottom of the tree over the presents and stuffing with felt satsumas, walnuts, sweets and little wrapped surprises!

I hope someone put some surprises in mine....

*hint hint*

8th Day of Advent

I have three corks sitting by my cake tins from this year...

The first one is from the bottle of Champagne we drunk before Toby's one month ceremony with my family back in July.

The second is from the bottle of vintage Cava we opened when I made my first "British Cream Tea" sale in October.

The third is from the bottle of Champagne we drank tonight...Toby's 6 month birthday.

Happy Birthday my little miracle!!

It has been a wonderful 6 months and a fabulous 2008

7th Day of Advent

My precious family crib ready to be unwrapped. The set was given to us last year by my Mother after I searched every shop in Liverpool and Knutsford for the one in my mind...basically this one!!

It comes with an additional "Jesus" as family tradition goes that Jesus is "born" (placed in the crib) after getting back from Midnight Mass. But as children my sister and I used to argue over the privilege of putting Jesus into the crib my mother made another baby so both of us could put him in. We are now 33  and 31 with children of our own, but the crib still has two!

6th Day of Advent

Last night we took the tree and boxes of decorations out of the loft ready to be put up on Billy's night off....so excited!!

I love the flat when the tree is up and all the lights are glittering and flickering ;)