Christmas is coming!

I just can't believe how quickly this year has gone! It's so true that the older you get, the faster the time goes, it doesn't seem a year ago that I was setting out my table at Kensington Christmas Show!
This year's show was the best I can remember, it was steady, with a constant flow of people & this year it seemed that everyone bought several pieces at a time. It was really good to meet a few of my internet friends too......Jackie, Janice, http://onbeingaminimum.blogspot.co.uk/, Andy, Chantal & Nadja's lovely Mum too...a really, really nice day!
As Christmas is going to be here & gone so quickly no, I thought I'd post a few of my Christmas pieces for 2013!

 Making a Christmas Cake!

 Christmas cookie & chocolate hamper.

 Christmas cookie box.

& finally, a cornucopia filled with sweet Christmas treats!

HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

Time to get some sun, sea, sand & mojitos!

That time has come around again...I'm off to see my youngest in the lovely hot UAE & I can't say I'll miss the grey, miserable & cold of the North East of England. Two weeks of glorious, uninterrupted blue sky & heat....can't wait!
It seems to have been a very chaotic time for me over the last few months & I have been really struggling to keep up with commission work at the same time as keeping eBay going....I really just don't have enough hours in the day & if anyone can give me a day with at least 48hrs in it, I'd gladly pay!!

I have managed, by the skin of my teeth to get some pieces that will eventually be scheduled (probably just before I board the flight to UAE if things carry on like this!) to make an appearance on eBay while I'm away & here are some!

I'm looking forward to sitting in the early morning heat, while everyone else is in bed, with a cup of coffee & weaving a few baskets!

Such a lot of fruit!

I seem to have been making so much fruit recently....I think I've actually got it out of my system now & might get round to making something else.....just to make a change!
Christmas is on the way, just a little too quickly for me, so I suppose it's time to start thinking about festive minis...

I'm not a good blogger!

I can't believe it's been so very long since I made a blog entry...one of the perils of having a relatively good summer.....too much good weather to waste as we don't get enough of the sun in this part of the UK!
As a result of the good weather, the garden is looking good but mini making has all but ground to a halt....too many commissions have built up & I'm desperately trying to catch up by working until the small hours in my workshop. I even find myself praying for a day of rain so that I can stay in the workshop without feeling guilty about not being outside!
In all these weeks of summer, between gardening & having family to stay I've managed to work on several commissioned pieces.
There was the squirrel nutcracker & walnuts for a lady who is recreating a scene out of "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

and then as I was making nuts for hours I put together this little bowl of walnuts & hazelnuts!

Then there was the challenging & unusual birthday cake.......

A cake to mark the birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge..........

not forgetting some fun Royal baby cupcakes........

So I have managed to get some mini making done! Despite being so far behind, I just don't want the summer to end!

The "Chanel Collection"!

I haven't had too much time in the workshop since I came back from the desert......there has been such a lot of gardening to do & the weather has been reasonable, so my time has been spent in my veg garden, general grass & hedge cutting & tidying up after such a long, long winter!
When I have been working on my minis at night, I've had a fixation with Chanel cakes...for some reason, I just kept wanting to make them & when I feel like making a certain piece, I have no option but to "go with the flow"!
So here is the result of several nights in the workshop & my simple homage to Chanel!

Sun, sun & yet more sun...at last!

Yes, I'm off again to get some sun out in the UAE......2 weeks of 45 - 50 degrees C is going to be quite a shock after the freezing gales & rain that we have been having here all "spring". I can only pray that "summer" is going to be better!
Having said that, today has been a glorious day & the forecast is for another good one tomorrow...but then...guess what....yep, back to gales & rain, but it won't bother me...by then I'll be in the air & on my way to some lovely sun (&, of course my cutie of a granddaughter!....I suppose here I should also mention my wonderful youngest daughter & her hubby, who put up with me & my middle daughter for 2 whole weeks!) I do actually work for my keep though...I'll be busy in her kitchen re-stocking her freezer for her!
I have been busy making some bits & pieces to make an appearance on eBay while I'm away & I thought you might like to see a sneak preview of what I have been up to!

4 tiers of oh so pretty, pastel cupcakes...ribbons & all!!

 

A basket of freshly picked veggies!

A basket of plums & peaches......& finally.....

A Harvest Of Sweet Chestnuts........making all those nuts nearly drove ME nuts!
Sun, sand & plenty of Mojitos....here I come!

A fishy time!

It's been ages since I even logged on to my blog...I'm not sure just what I've been up to because it certainly hasn't been gardening or sunbathing.....the weather here is rubbish ( & that's the polite way to put it!) Even I was amazed to find that it's over a month since I was here.....Oh dear, I'm just not a good blogger!
I've been enjoying a fishy time in the workshop recently & it has made a welcome change from the sweet things (although I have been making a few flans too!)

Lobster has to be my favourite food of all time....just making this made my mouth water & I would have killed to have the real thing to eat!

Then there were the Moules Marinière....in prep &....

with crispy frites!
On the "sweet" side I've been having a fixation on flans!

A gooseberry flan.......

A plum flan........

& a peaches & cream flan!
OK, I think I've managed to keep you updated for the minute & hopefully it won't be so long before I pop in here this time!