A time to reflect , as the header says, the last year and the last few weeks of it.Well folks, I hope you are and have had a good Christmas and you were spoilt with good wishes and all the things the season brings. I had something the season brings and it hasn't been good , the lurgy has struck and I was home alone feeling Bah humbug on Christmas Day. Other half did not want to leave me but I said family must come first and I did not want to breathe germs on any of them . Feeling slightly better now and I will try not to breathe anything on to you ,can you see I am wearing a mask lol.I did have lots of goodies from stitchy friends family and blogging friends so if I do not mention you specifically please take this as a big THANKYOU!!!

Well I managed to finish a couple of bits of stitching , firstly the private exchange with Sally ,this is the ornament she stitched for me ,

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I stitched Sally ,Tis the season by Shepherds Bush and she was delighted with it ,but I cannot show you a pic as I forgot to take one If you want to see it you will have to skip along to Sallys blog  to have a look.I have been stitching along with Sally for a few years now and I hope to continue in the years to come . I have been playing catch  up with Tricitone and hope to get it finished very early in the new year , or even before this one ends if I am lucky.I stitched along also with Miss Julie on UFO Strictly nights and I was almost dancing along on the final night but not quite, I finished this the day after.

This is a Lily Violette design ,It will be a magical Christmas with you .I am really pleased with this and thankyou to Julie and girls at Needlecraft Haven for the encouragement ,and the Strictly come dancing team for the company too. If you watched it ,Wasn't it exciting this year.

Another finish this time my first Hallowe'en one with Sally the first of a years stitching, I have to make up my mind for my next month which one I shall do , be shared with you in due course.

Here is Wicked by Barbara Ana

I really loved stitching this one ,wonder what will be next ,but next time we will be stitching different designs, so that is  a mystery for the moment.

Just before Christmas I did a card making workshop day , which was a bit of a dismal failure I have to say, I have made some of my cards this year (first attempt at this craft) I have heard from a few people I sent to they loved them here are just a few .

And another.

Not very clear I am afraid. Going back to the class I did I was very disapointed with the tutor I thought we would be shown how to make masterpieces lol,but it was just sticking things onto card, if you get what I mean, and no way was I sending any of those out. In the afternoon though we did a couple of needlefelted pieces to mount onto card. This I really enjoyed, I did start out going to felt a sheep ,but of course!!!!! However then it was turned into a cat, and last of all I had a christmas mouse lol.

I thought I may stitch in onto a piece of stitching of the poem "A night before Christmas" but maybe I am being a bit ambitious ,that is a watch this space thing. The other felt piece I did was this, again for a Christmas card but have not decided that yet.

I really enjoyed the needle-felting ,so much so Martin signed me up for another day ,this time doing a needlefelt sheep (free standing I think) wonder what that will turn out to be. It is on January 3rd and I am wondering if it will go ahead as there were only 2 names on the list. We will see.Every year at Christmas we have a new "thing" for want of a better description for the mantle or somewhere ,this year we saw these at a garden centre display.

We came home with this one.

We have had lots of people admire it. Talking of admiration this too came in for a lot of admiration.

Scuse the tele etc. On the tree here are many ornaments sent and made through the years, my memory Christmas tree. Hope it will hold many more for years to come!Every year a stitchy friend and I exchange ornaments at Christmas and although they started off stitchy they have transgressed into whatever takes our fancy. This year she made me this little fellow and as I used to bead I simply loved him. Barbara if you are reading this Thankyou again.

Photo does not do him justice. He is so pretty and sparkly. Another little pressie I had from Christine I was delighted with, you may remember the little sheep brooch she made me for my birthday. Which is worn a lot! Well here is what was sent to me for Christmas (an idea I think I may be using myself\)

Thankyou Christine for a lovely little brooch. I have been very lucky and had sheepy things and a new laptop ,which is so quick compared to my old one! I am not swearing half as much, so thankyou to my other half,who has also been helping me with handmade pressies for special people you know who you are. For all of you who have thought of me through trials and tribulations this past year and for the kindness you have shown ,Bless you.

The header on this post is a place Martin and I went to back in the early summer, when things were a little black for me, I did say I would share with you some of the pics of the day well I will share a couple now as there is a special reason for showing you.This is Pallington Lakes just outside of the County town of Dorchester, A sculpture park set in acres of lakes ,no set way round just wander and find what you will. No children allowed (due to the nature of the place,water and children hmmm)

I felt really at peace here.

There are many sculptures dotted around here and nothing to disturb the tranquility as there are a limited number of visitors allowed in a day .

Also a wildflower walk.alongside a lake with swans ,these pictured are not real ,although there were real ones there.

So a few summery pics now the explanation why. Well on Christmas day Martin was sent home by Graeme and Sue with parcels and a present only to be opened when we were both together. This is the Riverkeepers hut. 

A shepherds hut by the river , we have been given use of it for the day as our Christmas present, they knew how much this placed seemed to heal me when the depression struck and thought it would be a nice way for us to spend a day and have somewhere to Reflect ,it has a woodburning stove and is all cosy inside. I cannot tell you how much this has touched me that they thought of this . We have not decided when to go yet either when it is cold so it will be cosy or when the wildlife are stirring in the spring. I cannot wait,unfortunately we cannot take Ollie,so Graeme said he will take the day off and come and look after the dog. Talking of which I cannot leave with out a pic of him with his Christmas sheep ,his friend Barklay bought it for him .

He had to have an operation the other week to remove a grass seed from his ear hence the bald patch on his leg,his feet are dreadful at the moment ,but he seems happy enough . As I said his friend came over to see him he is 12 weeks old and weighs 2 stone ,still has to be carried on roads but oh so cute!!!Here he is ,was not allowed to keep him.

Lastly on the animal theme here is Graeme and Sues cat Misty on the table awaiting Christmas dinner.

She is almost bigger than Barklay

.So I will leave you with a pic of  him and me looking over a bridge into a lake.I would like this made into a picture the words are in the water. Hope your reflections of the past year will bring you lovely memories: and now it is time to make new ones.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year ,with lots of stitching ,crafting or whatever you would like to do. Hope you will join me again on my ramblings next Year.

Hugs and much love

Barb.x