Grandads cushion

Grandad has had to go live in a home. He won't be home for Christmas. I don't like it, but mum says it's for the best.
I made him a cushion for christmas.

Cats found catnip toys

I knew it.

Even though I put them in a sealed bag and hid them high up in a drawer, the cats found the catnip toys already. What is in that stuff?

Turkeys are for life......

Its been a busy week, but some how I found time to finish my first submission to a month of softies. Decembers theme is 'Under the Christmas tree' so I made Bernard. He's a turkey. One of the lucky ones who has found a safe home for life this Christmas. He's a great cook and will be rustling up a yummy nut roast for Christmas dinner.

I also made a few catnip toys for the cats stockings. They can tell there is catnip in the house, so I have had to put them in a sealed bag. I reckon it will take the cats about 30 seconds to rip them to pieces on Christmas morning.

Deer

originally uploaded by anniebee on Flickr.

I haven't seen the deer on my garden for a while, but these make up for it. Click on the photo to see anniebee's whole collection.

Manchester

Thursay is the day I get to escape work to go to Manchester University. After my lectures I had a walk to Chinatown to pick up some supplies and then on my way to the bus stop I stumbled across the lovely Christmas market in Albert Square. There was a brilliant stall selling plants and trees - standard Holly trees for only £15 ! I've been looking for something like this to go by my frontdoor for ages, but they were far too heavy for me to carry home on the bus :0( .



Christmas trees. Isn't the blue one lovely? I'm tempted to buy some blue lights and send peahead up the tree in our garden!

Lovin' Christmas

I love it when people do this to their houses at Christmas. These guys do it every year and by December 25th the whole street is lit up. After a stressful day at work this puts a smile on my face as I drive home.

NO to Ladbrokes

This is the first weekend in ages that I haven't had a load of coursework to do for my masters. It feels good. I volunteered to work at the Visitor Centre tomorrow, but to make the most of today we drove over the tops to Hebden Bridge.

It's a really fantastic little place with loads of independent shops selling everything organic, veggie, locally made, eco-friendly, fair-trade, hand-made and recycled. Hippies, artists and musicians flocked there in the 70's seeking an alternative way of life and today it's just heaven for those of us who seek something other than the clonetown high streets that plague the rest of the UK. I'd love to have a little shop there one day, but unfortunately property prices are going through the roof at the moment.

Today I was pleased to see the activists out in force protesting against Ladbrokes attempts to purchase the old Yorkshire Bank building in Hebden. It's a beautiful building in a prime location and a Ladbrokes would be completely inappropriate.

I made sure to visit Attica while we were there. I picked up some really lovely Colinette thick and thin 100% wool (made in Wales). I have been looking for something like this for a while so that I can try and make a horse inspired by the ones Hilda Portela makes. It also reminds me of my sisters hair! (shamefully I realise I don't have a picture of her....something I will put right when I see her over Christmas).
I also got some really interesting salad seed from a cute shop called Art of Gardening. Not really the right time of year, but they'll save.