Christmas Production Line & Croxteth Hall

On Sunday I shared an amazing day with a group of friends, and made some new friends too, at a Christmas Card workshop, organised by my lovely friend Jayne, in Padgate near Warrington. It was a great venue and such good company and we laughed, ate, nattered, ate, crafted and ate all day... oh and drank tea and coffee too. Jayne made us lovely soups and cakes at home for us to share. Thanks to everyone, especially Jayne for organising it, as it was a special day. Thanks also to Lorraine for tempting us with the tins of chocs and biscuits.

I made simple production line Christmas cards for my DD2 in Germany to send to her friends and neighbours. I made a couple of sheets of background card using Distress Inks then stamped snowflake images all over in different shades and sizes. These were cut up and mounted onto holographic card and  I punched snowflakes out of the same card to trim the top. I made about 15 which is amazing considering how much we nattered, laughed and ate etc. I will add greetings to the front to complete them. The snowflakes are from the Winter plate of UMs that I designed for Stampattack and the plate also has mistletoe, spruce cones and poinsettia images.

Last week we had a lovely sunny afternoon visiting Croxteth Hall and Country Park.

It reminded me of when I used to re-enact Victorian Christmases, a couple of years ago, for parties of schoolchildren visiting the hall. I played a kitchen maid and here is the evidence below, with a few of my friends. I'm on the right and I must say that under the costume I wore thick tights, jogging pants, a woollen skirt, thermal vest and jumper to keep warm in the freezing basement kitchens whilst making mince pies and truffles with the children before Christmas parlour games in the great hall.

At the hall there is a home farm and playground, walled garden, stables cafe and tour of the hall as well as the country park, to enjoy there and it is such good day out at a very reasonable cost.

The Lady of the Manor's boudoir. 

As you enter each room a recording plays, the voices acting out the lives of the character's within.

Fancy a shower in this?

This litter was only 1 week old and mum was snoring for Britain, tongue out, whilst the family dined.

I loved this fella and he looks more of a pussy cat than a bull!