The two J's

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! as usual our celebrations were spread over two days with the Swiss festivities on Dec 24th and the English on Dec 25th. Every year I have good intentions to blog about the traditions I'm part of but once again my ability to keep up got lost somewhere in the run up to Christmas! next year, I'll do it next year...

I did however manage to do a Christmas ATC and matchbox swap with two of my favourite swap buddies Jan and Julia.

below is Jan's ATC, super super fabric transfer image! I love it!

Jan added a backing then stitched on beads, superb texture! just like a mini quilt

a matchbox using the same technique full of Christmas glittery gorgeousness!

and there was more! talk about being spoilt rotten!

Julia's ATC all the way from Russia, I love the paper she's used on both the ATC and the matchbox, it looks and feels like a piece of pink denim

teeny tiny treasures packed to overflowing!

and more goodies, threads, scraps and pins, but this has to be my favourite, an old salt shaker decorated and filled with vintage buttons!! oh swoon...

and last but not least, my little matchbox, a photo of me aged about 7 yrs on Santa's knee, no doubt wishing for the world!

Thank you Jan and Julia for this wonderful swap!

Dress Up and Bag challenge 2011

If you'd like to continue with Dress Up in 2011 or perhaps play along for the first time then check out Angela's post here. She will be hosting the challenge next year, a dress a month inspired by your favourite artist! fab idea!

And if you feel you'd like to accessorize a little then Anna at Frosted Petunias may have just the project for you! She will be hosting The Artful Bag Challenge, the idea is to make a bag a month based on your own template! great fun!

Jingle junkles

The QB5 gals have been busy again, well some of us have (can't include self here, gulp...) This time our swap was a recycled/junkle Christmas ornament. Patty sent me this gorgeous little bird, sitting in a glittery nest, with a tiny thimble bell below! superb!

and this glam ornament from Linda, made from a cake tin, filled with nesting and a QB5 button! my friends are so clever!! thank you so much!

and this is my effort! more of which should be on the other side of the world by now but instead they're still in snow covered Switzy being photographed hanging from the lavender bush in my garden! ho hum... I made my junkles from an old much loved metal bracelet that fell to pieces, the metal 'flower' is the top of a xmas bauble which the lovely Jenxo inspired me to use! Check out her blog, she has some fab Xmas ideas on the go!

Dress Up - December

Welcome to Dress Up in December

I had quite a few ideas this month but finally settled on a symbolic 'present' dress for all of you! This one is dedicated to your continued enthusiasm and general fabulousness throughout the year! It's because of you that the Dress Up project has been so much fun and such a runway success!

the first and last, January and December

and the months in between, do I have a favourite?? not really, I love them all!

all complete and hanging in my wardrobe, a visual reminder of the events of 2010, of the things that inspired me and fueled my creativity

I made myself complete the backs and attach the hangers as I had a feeling if I didn't do it now it would never get done!

I dated each one and added a few comments here and there

I glued a little tailors dummy from dear Jen to one side of my box

and with a little hanger from Gini I've attached the Degas dress from Penny to the lid, a bit of a combined effort going on here! and now my project is complete!

Thank you once again for your participation in Dress Up over the past year. Whether it's been as a budding dress designer or an armchair admirer I've appreciated each and every one of your comments. To those bloggers interested in running the project, please let me know when you're ready to go and I'll post a link. I'll no doubt be back with another project at some stage, once you start it's difficult to stop!! but in the meantime I plan to just hang out and visit the many wonderful blogs I've discovered in the past few months. All the best to you and yours this festive season! Mx