My Christmas cake

The first I've made for more years than I care to remember. Recipe from the lovely Ruth at The Pink Whisk.

A Christmas garland

Basics Grey papers and an MDF garland from Kaisercraft ...

Good luck, Gayner

A little good luck card for a friend who's moving to a new job next week. I've used a Clarity stamp.....

Fruit tea loaf

Waiting for this little beauty to cool - the fruit has been soaked in tea overnight.....

My first Kanzashi flower

Something else I've had for ages but not done much with is the book Kanzashi in Bloom. I can't even remember what led me to buy the book, but I've been wanting to try the craft and today was the day.

I used fabrics that came as a cover gift with a magazine and the flower is 3" across. What I've learned is that I need fabric glue - I used my Imaginisce hot glue gun but it's not sticky enough so I had to sew the back on, and I expect the button will fall off at some time!

Not bad for a first attempt though.

I've been sewing

I bought a new sewing machine last year, but other than some roman blinds for our new kitchen, and a bag for my sister's birthday in January, I hadn't really used it. I'd really enjoyed making the bag, so when I read an article about Hamble & Jemima in Simply Homemade magazine I was drawn to their website and bought a kit for the reversible Three Way Sling Sac.

I decided not to make mine reversible, but to use the two prints in a different way, then I added a pin-on shabby chic flower cut with a Tim Holtz die. I'm so pleased with the result.

I'd had the fabric for another Simply Homemade project - a double sided applique apron - for ages, but after making the bag I got on with the apron too. I did make this reversible. Quite a lot of effort for something I will mainly just wipe my hands on!