Happy 2012!

Happy New Year! It's been a lovely Christmas break but unfortunately over far too soon - it's back to work at the day job tomorrow and I don't want to go!  There wasn't much time for arts & crafts over the last 10 days and I would dearly like a few free days to do more.  I did manage to make this little bag for my new phone - it's been so long since I replaced my phone that I didn't know they no longer make them the right shape to fit in the special little phone-pocket in my handbag.  As I am very hard on my phone, jamming it into pockets together with keys and dog treats, dropping it in mud, dropping it on concrete, using it in the rain...you get the idea...it seemed sensible to give it a fighting chance to last as long as the last one by making it a protective case.  This was sewn from a scrap of gorgeous watery-blue cotton, lined with bright pink felt  with an appliqued goldfish on the back.  I'm sure it won't stay looking like this for long....

I've also managed to put the finishing touches to this scarf which was knitted well before Christmas but needed the fiddly-diddlies to arrive from China.  Now it has the sweetest little mother-of-pearl buttons sewn all over it, each one with a tiny flower design on it.  Pretty and practical, it can be buttoned in place however it's new owner pleases.

I've made a fair bit of headway with this miniature fireplace - now it needs some knitted tiles to go around it as well as a grate with knitted logs and flames.....nothing too difficult, eh?  We were watching Sherlock on tv last night when I saw exactly the right kind of fireplace tiles I want to make for this - I just wonder how to condense them into 2 cm squares!

I did manage to fight my way through the debris and get to my desk for some painting a few days ago.  I've had this picture in mind since we went to Boston and photographed these tame sparrows in a bush in the park.  I know they are common little birds with no fancy plumage, but I just love them - they are such characters and I spent ages hand feeding them at Boston Harbour last year.

I got given this spectacular necklace by the lovely Sybille from Magpie Magic as a combined birthday/Christmas present.  It is so pretty and I have enjoyed wearing it over the holidays with no fear of it getting pulled apart by little fingers or covered in goodness-knows-what - the hazards of working in an infant school.  It's been great wearing decent clothes and staying clean for a fortnight - the worst I've been covered in has been a bit of mud from dog-walking and gardening.  That all ends tomorrow, back to wearing the scruffy clothes.......

Finally, daft photograph of the week.  I can't leave anything soft and fluffy around without the dog thinking it's a custom-made pillow for him.  Nothing says comfort like a stuffed octopus apparently....