Secret Santa

My Secret Santa parcel arrived weeks ago ... but I restrained myself from ripping off the wrappers of the very tempting packages until Christmas morning.
I have been thoroughly spoiled by Chloe from Clobelle .Would you like to see all the lovely things she sent me?

Some fat quarters in blue and red

a lovely skein of hand dyed sock yarn

a cross stitch kit  ... I haven't done cross stitch for years but this is so portable it's coming along on our next caravan trip

I love notebooks and always have one next to my laptop for jotting down ideas

This patchwork book is totally beyond my stitching capabilities but it's lovely to look at the pictures and dream ... maybe one day!

Not one, but two pots of buttons!

This little treasure opens out to make a handy shopping bag ....

and my favourite perfume for daytime ... I honestly spray this on every morning!

And a cuddly snowman doggy toy for Inca .... she has carried this round the house since Christmas morning ever so carefully, and hasn't even tried to kill it once!!!!

Thank you so, so much Chloe! I love everything. I cannot believe how generous you have been with your gifts! I do hope your Secret Santa sent you something lovely too!

(My Secret Santa parcel went off to New Zealand)

Autumn Swap goodies...

I've been trying to write this post for three days ... but I've been having awful problems trying to upload my photos on the new blogger system ... anyone else struggling?

At last, after three attempts and hours of waiting, I've managed to finally get some photos uploaded!

So ..... I was thrilled on Wednesday, when the postman delivered this huge box  of delights...

 because I knew it was from my Autumn Swap partner Helen @ Ramblings of the Doormat!

The box was packed with lovely Autumn goodies ....

a sweet knitted pumpkin

cool fingerless gloves

a gorgeous toadstool pincushion

super scraps of fabric and papers to add to my stash

I love this ....

because it opens into a fab emergency sewing kit. It's gone striaght into my handbag!

Everything was wrapped in 'kiddymade' wrapping paper and the spaces in the box were filled with enormous pine cones. Thank you so much Helen, I am delighted with every single thing!

I know Helen has received my swap parcel, so now I can show you what I sent:

which included my first attempts at sewing gifts

a button brooch

and an owl pin cushion ( which I hear has been claimed by Helen's little girl!)

Finally, I popped in some Hallowe'en sweeties in haunted house bags.

I've really enjoyed taking part in this swap and met a new friend too!

My First Swap ....

Recently I took a big step into the world of blogging and I put my name forward to take part in my first ever swap:

organised by Em from Em's Shabby Shack and Claire from Are We Nearly There Yet?

We needed to add:

 a handmade item which looked good enough to eat

a green/ fairtrade item

a delicious cake recipe

and a few other pretties

This morning I received a lovely parcel from Debbie from Country Heart and Home

This is what I found inside! A whole pile of lovely treats!!!

That Kitkat won't last long ...

This is a gorgeous handmade mini book....

There's some fab recipes to try in here.....

Notecards good enough to eat ....

Some delicious smellies ....

and a cupcake which is not what it seems!

Thank you Debbie!

And this is what I sent to Debbie ...

I found strawberry lip balm, a strawberry sponge and bath scrub, some cupcake socks, card embellishments and a cupcake tea towel. The brown thing is meant to resemble a swiss roll and is made from

facecloths. I included a recipe for my favourite ginger cake.

Not being one of those blog ladies who sews and knits, I made a set of notecards instead.

Finally, as Debbie has just had a gorgeous baby girl, Evie, 

after 4 handsome boys, I couldn't resist this little T-shirt.

I couldn't find anything fairtrade or green to fit the theme of the swap so I resorted to some fairtrade chocolate.

As an after thought, I put in some real 'Postcards from the P.P.' - a few postcards showing the lovely Wirral, or the Paradise Peninsular as we call it.

Lots of love to Debbie, and a big thank you to Em and Claire for organising the Swap!

xxx