Kisses & Slippers!

There ... that got your attention with the weird combination, didn't it! Tee! Hee! Hee! Its overcast and drizzly here on top of our hill today ... AGAIN!! I think we're going to have to develop webbed feet to survive spring at this rate! But as a result, I'm inside ... not chasing butterflies today! :0) So I thought I'd show you what I'm up to indoors on this damp, drizzly, dreary day. (How's THAT for alliteration!!)

Now ... I've told you all that I'm excited to be playing along with Kerryanne's "Simply Christmas", so it's very fitting that the latest of my designs to be published is in a special Christmas issue of "Handmade" is a Christmassy one! (oddly enough, since it IS a Christmas special!! Tee! Hee! Hee!)

This is the latest issue of "Handmade" available in newsagents now ... I know ... cos that's where I had to trot off to for MY copy after my OPAM partner in crime, the lovely Peg, emailed to congratulate me. Hmmm ... not sure what happened to my complimentary copy ... maybe my Postie is enjoying it! :0) Inside is ...

Ta! Da! "Christmas Kisses". This is a quick and simple appliquéd wall hanging to brighten up your house for Christmas ... with a little bit of my quirky sense of humour in there. This little bear is making sure that he doesn't miss out on HIS Christmas kisses this year ... he's carrying his mistletoe with him wherever he goes, cos EVERYONE knows you kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas time! Tee! Hee! Hee! Here is a photo of the cute wall hanging I took before I posted it off to "Handmade" ...

This was a fun project to work on! I love the fabric I used for the outer border. While I'm a green and red combo fan all year round, not just for Christmas, it was fun to work with a Christmassy fabric that was a different colour range. And do you see that sweet folk art Santa who's very helpfully holding the magazine in the first two photos? A good friend painted him for me from one of my bloggy buddy Kerryanne's gorgeous patterns (I can't actually paint to save myself so I bought the pattern and my friend painted it for me! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and it was very appropriate that I used him in my photos. Not only is he one of my fave Christmas decorations, in a different part of this issue of "Handmade", look who I found smiling out of the pages at me ...

None other than the lovely lady herself on the "Inspirations" page! This isn't the first time Kerryanne and I have both been featured in the same mag and it always makes it just a bit more fun to share the pages with a friend! :0)

Now apart from enjoying a cruise through this fun Christmas issue of "Handmade", I've also been doing some playing in the sewing room on an idea I've been tossing around for a while. You know how your toesies get cold on a rainy, overcast day, but it's not cold enough for ugg boots, fluffy slippers or even socks, but you just want something between your toesies and the cold floor? Well ... I came up with a solution ...

Dotty flip-flops! :0) I've seen a few patterns that look cute, but all involved bias binding which didn't thrill me ... takes too long ... or perhaps I'm just not practiced enough at it! :0) So after a bit of experimenting, this is what I came up with. The sole has two layers of wadding between for warmth and comfort, as well as a layer of felt underneath and the top has one layer of wadding to help give it a bit of shape. This dotty fabric is one of my faves ... it must be, cos I've bought various amounts of it on THREE different occasions! Tee! Hee! Hee! And I just HAD to feed my rick-rack addiction there, too! :0) I've been test driving these this morning, since it's a bit cool, and although I think I made them just a little loose, they sure are comfy to scoot around in and are keeping my toesies warm without overheating them. As Goldilocks would say ... they're "JUST RIGHT!" Tee! Hee! Hee!

And these comfy flip-flops will be perfect for lounging around this weekend when my Beloved Geek Boy and I head off to meet up with friends for a couple of days of chatting and relaxing ... Ooooohh!! Who could it be that we're meeting up with?!?! I'll keep you in suspenders for now, but promise to tell all when we get home! :0) Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and that your toesies are comfy and warm! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS