It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow and I finally feel ready for Christmas, we collected the turkey this morning at about 7.30am, we always go early as otherwise the queue at the butchers is winding down the road and round the corner! I popped into the supermarket for some smoked salmon for starters and a few last minute bits before heading home for a final vac, sweep and tidy up.

I’ve wrapped the last few presents and remembered I still had some cards to finish off. I used to make all my Christmas cards, nowadays it’s just a handful for close family. I couple of weeks ago I ran a silk painting workshop for my WI, we used pre-gutta-ed cards as we only had a couple of hours so I didn’t have time to teach them how to apply gutta. Silk painting is great as it’s like painting by numbers, the paint automatically stops at the gutta so you get a really neat outline. It also blends beautifully and adding salt can make a lovely dappled effect. I love the vibrant colours too, they have a translucent quality, a bit like watercolour. 

Usually with silk painting the silk is stretched on a frame, however with small pieces you can iron them onto freezer paper instead, much easier! It can then be left on the paper when attaching it to an aperture card. I managed to make three that evening, I’m not sure if my favourite is the town or the penguins…

I finally finished off my card for my OH. I made a little cross-stitch of mistletoe earlier in the month which was flat mounted on card. I attached a hanging ribbon so next year it can go on the tree. To make it into a card I simply hung it on the card and used sellotape on the inside to secure the hanging ribbon. It’s bit bit top heavy so it does need some help (from a candlestick) to stand up but my OH was really chuffed when I gave him it today.

Whilst I was in town I also called into the mail sorting office to see if there was a parcel for me. There was…it’s my present from my Secret Stitching Santa!!! This has been organised by Sewchet, I took part last year and it was great fun. I sent a parcel off a couple of weeks ago to my recipient and I’ve been eagerly waiting for my Secret Santa present to arrive!

I unwrapped the outer parcel and I couldn’t believe all the little presents inside for me, all individually wrapped. I popped them all in a basket with the card under the tree, I’ve been very good and not squished or peeped at anything, but I can’t wait for after lunch on Christmas Day when we open our presents.