Christmas 2017...

What a great few days it's been over Christmas... lots of great food... a tipple here & there... and yes a pressie or two as well.

I confess that while it was fun to wake up to squeals of joy when my kids were young, I do now also love the sleep-in & slow start that happens now that those kids have grown into young adults.

As 2018 will bring changes & new experiences to our family, this Christmas Season has been a particularly precious time.

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 The annual 'Secret Santa Christmas Swap' co-ordinated by Chookyblue is a must for me each year... this year I had the fun of sending my gifts all the way to Tonje in Norway, who blogs HERE...

It's always fun & a bit exciting to guess where my goodies are going to arrive from... this year, from Marika in Germany, who blogs HERE.

The ornament I've already shown:

And Marika has made me a really handy folder carrier... I'll be off to Officeworks next week for a folder to go in it! (I confess that when I emailed Marika my gratitude, I did ask her to explain how I use her gift; I've never seen such an item!) I've borrowed Marika's photo...

Thanks again to Marika & Tonje for such a great SSCS for 2017, and of course to our Elf-In-Chief, Chookyblue for another fun Festive international swap.

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Swap fun was also had over at the No-Fuss SAL blog... well, it was a swaps blog before it became a SAL blog, so it was fun to have a Christmas swap alongside our SAL-ing.

Our items had to be:
 1.  Make something with a Ruth's quilt tag.  Choose a tag - any tag or design your own tag  and
      make something with it.
2.  1 x  Christmas tea-towel
  3.  1 x Piece of lace - 50cm
  4.  1 x Christmas button
  5.  1 x Small Christmas themed treat..


 My goodies went to my bloggy friend Susan...  glad you like it all Susan! I chose to make Susan a nice big needle book using the stitchery, with two sheets of wool felt inside. The 'treat' is the Santa spreader; for all those delicious cheeses, dips & spreads during the Festive season, yum!

 It's possibly a bit hard to see the variation in the thread I used on the needlebook... it's subtle & oh-so pretty

 The inside of the needle book... lots of room for lots of needles & pins!

Maria is always a lovely swap partner to receive from, & this time is no exception... Thank You again Maria♥
My tea towel is appliqued with fun Christmas trees... & over on the left is a fun rotary cutter sleeve, featuring the daintiest of stitcheries & it's so beautifully stitched into place. As I mentioned to Maria, I was thinking of making myself one of those, but she had made me a prettier one already.
Love it all!

Well, that rounds up the Festive post for 2017... sorry it was so long... gotta be done when there's good fun swapping going on!