Happy New Year and last week of the old one

Morning everyone and a Happy New Year, wishing you the best it can be. I plan to try to keep up my momentum of blog posting in 2022.  

I thought I would share what I am currently working on. A friend gave me this Christmas 2020 which I started and it was pushed to the side when I had card marking to do or some sewing, slowly forgotten.  I am being very determined to complete this now to give back to my friend either now or on her birthday 8th February.

I do enjoy making each of these tiny pieces and can't wait to put the whole Diorama together however, it is very time consuming.  

These are the pieces for this little cart - I have already assembled the cart section and filled it with cut up raffia only to realise I hadn't used the paper covering up near the knife so that the outside of the cart has a woodgrain look.

Tadah! all the pieces together to create the cutest cart ever.

This was our inspiration card for one of the cards we swapped for the Craftmad December swap.

We are always keen for new Aussie cardmakers to join in our monthly swaps please visit the Facebook page here.

My take on the photo above - I had a lot of fun putting my flower dies to use.

Our second theme was Cats which I don't have much of in my stash so very happy I received a Cricut Joy cutter for Christmas from my husband.  Something I had not even thought of or even wanted but now keen to discover what I can do.  This is my first card using one of the Cricut files I found.

Over at Craftmad Card swaps each year we do a Secret Santa swap.  We all agreed to swap some bling as it was flat, light and cheaper to send through the post.  This is my wonderful and fun gift from my Secret Santa, some of which I have already put to use in the cards above.

Another gift from the friend above who gave me the Diorama - a Murder Mystery jigsaw - Death on the Nile.  This comes with a little story of seven pages which gives you an idea of what the jigsaw image will be as it's not the one on the box cover.  It did challenge us at times but I found that everyone was keen to be involved with this jigsaw compared to ones I have done where we know the image. 

Spoiler alert — don't keep scrolling if you have this puzzle and don't want to know the image.

The outcome.

This photo was taken mid year when my succulents look the nicest and passionfruit vine is lush green and blooming.  I have been wanting to redo my succulent garden as it was a veggie garden in its earlier life so has the wrong soil for a succulents.  I also wanted to build a stronger support for the passionfruit vine which lifted it off the garden.

Finally did that, installing this trellis on longer star pickets.  There were two vines before, as the one up the far end was older I removed that so we can grow the newer vine along the edge of the garden.  Next stage is adding something to the soil so there is better drainage in the soil for the succulents.  That won't happen until March as it's way to hot now and the wet season is starting.

Some pretty flowers from the succulent garden.

My puppy and I did a walk along the Esplanade one morning, such a beautiful start to the day.

Amazing sky.

Well that was the end of December for me. Hopefully, I am back next week sometime sharing some photos of what I do this week…..for which I have no plans at this stage.

Thanks for popping on by.