Last of my German Market Pics

We went out one morning for a late breakfast to the Maelzer Brauhaus, one of my favourite bar/restaurant/cafes right in the centre of town. 

Between us we enjoyed three delicious, hearty breakfasts of various food items, cheese, eggs, bacon, sausage, cooked meats, fresh bread rolls, croissants, preserves, salad, fruit and the most delicious coffee, with hot chocolate for the little'un. Total bill was amazingly just under 12 euros (about £10) and we'd eaten enough for lunch!

The Maelzer has it's own brewery with the shining copper vats in the centre of the restaurant.

I love the cosy little rooms inside and this counter which is from an old apothecary.

The gluehwein stalls were already open in the mornings!

The market by night.....

Carols playing adds to the atmosphere....

Huge hand painted glass baubles... 

Day time sunshine glowed on the gabled roof tops...

Couldn't miss these gallant swains hanging around at the mediaeval market.

The Rathaus with the Christmas Market in the day time

At night the Rathaus is lit so effectively with projected pictures

Shame I'll have to wait another year to see it all again but it is lovely to see it here as it really puts me in a festive mood and I hope it does the same for you!.

If you want another, really different, German Christmas Market tour pop over to Neet's blog, hickydorums, where she has been posting her trip to Berlin.

Weinachtstmarkt & Donna's Angel

This wonderful creature fluttered in from Derby to join the fireside host of angels, thanks to Donna. I don't officially have her name but I think I know. She is such a character and it looks like she knows something about our weather and came prepared. 

Thanks so much Donna for sending her to me, I love her already!

Last week we visited several, very different, smaller, Christmas Markets, all so different to the ones in the bigger cities.

This first one was in Bleckedde and was only a one day event. There were braziers where people sat around on hay bales keeping warm and toasting various items of food. I can't imagine with all our "Health & Safety" rules that this would ever be allowed in England but it really did create a great atmosphere.

Just below the Christmas tree the little one in the day glow safety jacket can be seen with her parents on the way to take a ride on the carousel. Part of my lovely family!

Lots of little craft stalls selling handmade wares.

The animals were a great attraction for the children.

On to Deerberg, which is a lovely country shop, and they held light festival with lots of entertainment, crafts to make and take and crafts to buy. Waffles, gluehwein, sausages and lots of treats for a very small price.

 Here's the leather craftsman below...

Wrought iron goods being made to order..

Lights and mists on the lake surrounded by the craft tents...

Unfortunately this fantastic creature, below, scared the living daylights out of the little'un so we had to move indoors to the shop where I bought myself a nice new dress for Christmas.

On to the Mediaeval Market where we were greeted by this gallant knave who needed a charity donation before we could pass...couldn't refuse him now, could I?

These pretty damsels were selling black bread slices spread with what we in England would call dripping... looked like lard and on the right my DD's MIL relished buying a slice or two to take home.

Still a few more pics saved for another day but looking again at this group makes me realise what an experience I enjoyed besides sharing quality family time.

WOYWW 183 & Amazing Anastasia!

WOYWW 183

A chance to nosey around crafters crafting spaces in an ever increasing blog hop via Julia's stamping-ground! Pop in to see for yourself.

Today two huge Woo Hoos from me!

First, welcome to Anastasia who winged in whilst I was away. So lovely to come home to such a treasure and all thanks to Ann B for making her to join the ever increasing flock of angels hovering over my fireplace. Thanks so much Ann, she is so beautifully made and I love her!

I also came home to find that I was lucky enough to win the Letraset Blog Candy prize on Darcy's blog Art-and-Sole. Thanks to both for the much appreciated treat of a set of Metallic Markers.

If anyone in the swap has not received their angel from me, please let me know, as I sent 15 winging off together about 3 weeks ago so I am hoping they have all landed safely in their new homes. 

Anastasia

Not my usual work desk this week and it was a week of joy not "work".

I still managed some crafty time whilst I was away and, with the able help of ten tiny 3 year old fingers to administer sticky tape, we made some candy cane sledges and chocolate wrap snowmen and penguins, (info for making these in last post), for her friends and kindergarten teachers.  I must say that Pingu, below, did get his wobbly eyes once we found them.

It was fun to fill these tiny little hats with treats and put them up in time for Advent.

I made a set of them 2 years ago for each of my daughters to put up for my grandees so this is their third time out.

The lovely weather managed to change to snow, so pretty, but it didn't last long as the sun soon shone again. Pity the fate of the poor snowman that was left in the garden!

We managed to consume some of these ginormous sausages at the Christmas markets as well as a drop or two of gluehwein.

I also managed to take over this blanket I had almost finished and wove in all my loose ends whilst there. 

Twiglet and some others amongst you will remember these VIP special bears (Baxter and his Brother and stand in)...now lovingly known as Baxi & Bro. 

Baxi is waiting patiently for me to make him a new red jumper which can be seen in progress. Look how his green one has shrunk.

I enjoyed face painting to order and the request from the Boss here was for a red and pink lion..... Raaaaahhhhh! Nah! I know, this cute little lion just couldn't be ferocious!

There were lots of lovely Christmassy things, to see and enjoy around the town, such as these animated tableaus, for children, with a story narrated for each one at the push of a button. 
I've lots more photos to share over the next few days of this special visit and the best is that they will all be over here again very soon along with the Brighton Belles & Co.

WOYWW 182 with Gorgeous Gloria

Join us on our weekly jaunt around the work desks of the Universe and nosey at all we have been up to, where we craft, all the mess we've made and even take the chance to hop on board the fun train and show us yours. 

Julia of stamping-ground is the driver, station master and chief controller of this wonderful world wide tour.

I'm back on the floor again for WOYWW this week, as I've been die cutting scores of gingerbread men for DD1 to make into bunting as an extra for her forthcoming craft shows. 

It's far to cold to be in my workroom so I decamped to warmer climes.

I didn't think I'd be here to show my work desk this week but I don't fly off to Germany until this afternoon so, as you can guess, this is prepped the night before. I'll have my ipad with me so I may even be able to hop around for a nosey later.

Aren't they sweet!

DD1 also thought it might be a good idea to make this Pirate, Jolly Roger style, bunting too so I'm just experimenting here making a few prototypes for her approval.

Angel Update

Gorgeous Gloria fluttered through my letterbox .....and she's causing trouble already... See! I just caught her getting stuck into my cakes. We had visited our favourite Chantilly Cafe & Patisserie (which I blogged about a while ago) for lunch as a treat for DH before I leave him home alone whilst I'm off enjoying myself. Lunch of ham and chicken pie, with salad for me plus chips for DH, was just so delish and filling that we couldn't manage dessert, so we bought some to bring home and that there Gloria thought she's get in  first! It must be the influence of her previous home and maker...... I'll split... she came from LLJ via her fabric frenzy emporium, who told me that she's looks like she's already been around quite a bit as she has a "knowing face". For an angel, I think she's so beautifully dressed and quite a sophisticated dish, ....knowing face and cake robber or not! She has gone to join the chorus of angels I posted on Friday.

Thanks so much Jan for adding to my Heavenly Host.

The lemon cheesecake was my indulgence and the Bakewell Tart was devoured by DH. Kissed by an angel!

My previous post has the templates and info for the chocolate wraps so don't miss it if you requested it from me. 

Chocolate Bar Wraps

I've had several queries about the various candy bar wraps I posted a couple of days ago so I thought I'd give some info to help those who'd like to make some, incase they are needed  soon for a school or church fair or just for gifts. They'd make excellent little teacher gifts or teachers' projects and are simple enough for children to make with very little help.

A few extra bits of info to help in making Frosty the Snowman, Pingu Penguin, The Sleigh and other chocolate bar wraps.

I buy chocolate bars from Aldi, it's lovely choc, and cheap at 5 bars for just over £1.

They also have candy canes for £1 but these are also available in lots of other places for around that price, in fact, I saw them in Home Bargains for only 75p!

For hats & scarves;

They are best made out of fleece or felt as neither will fray. 

Cheap option, buy a pair of Father Christmas pants in the 99p shop,  cut them up and you'll get lots of hats and scarves. They are made from a synthetic type of felt and do very nicely. 

To make hats and scarves; 

Cut fabric approx 4 ins height x 4.5 ins width to fit around head,(check fit of your choc bars) sew up about 2.5 ins at side, make cuts into top of fabric approx 1 inch from top into fringe. 

Turn inside out, tie at the top below the cuts to make a bobble and pop onto head on choc bar. 

Tip... add a little 2 sided tape to top edge of bar to stop hats coming off.

 Cut a long thin strip with fringed ends to tie around neck of each character as a scarf. 

My template template with the penguin and the snowman's broom (below) should be printed onto CARD and each piece cut out. 

As you can see there are other characters on this sheet which can be just stuck onto wrapped bars with trimmings added to suit.

Rudolph the Reindeer

 For the reindeer wrap the chocolate bar in brown paper. Add a lighter shade for the fringe, Add shaker eyes and a punched out red disc for the nose. A strip of card makes his collar with a tag and a bell. The little wrap of straw around the bottom is optional.

Sleigh

 To make the sleigh, first wrap up the chocolate bar in coloured plain or printed paper. Wrap up little empty boxes which can hold gifts , or wrap up packets of sweets, mints. chewing gum or tictacs, adding a ribbon with a bow on top.

Then stick the canes, with red line or any strong double sided tape, along the side of the chocolate bar in the position in the photo.

Stick the base of 2 or 3 little boxes, stacking them on top of sleigh.

Tie a length of ribbon around the base and right over the top to hold everything in place and add a gift tag and a bow. A sleigh bell is a good idea too if you have some.

You'll find similar versions of this on the web, but here's mine.

Pingu Penguin

This one is entirely my own idea.

For the penguin;

Wrap the chocolate bar in black paper. 

Stick on the cut out penguin card shape from the templates and stick on shaker eyes. 

Fix on hat and tie on a scarf. The scarf here is just a piece of tartan ribbon.

Add punched snowflake/s to trim as in photos.

TIP; It would also look even better with a wrap of cellophane over the paper wrap before adding trims!!

Frosty the Snowman

This one is available all over the web and this is my modified take on it.

Print out wraps (below) onto PAPER

Cut out card broom

Stick wrap around a chocolate bar.

Add hat and scarf, snowflakes and broom as in photos.

Ollie the Owl

Inspiration for this came thanks to Roni from instainswithroni blog where she made a simpler, similar one from felt. I have added to it and modified it quite a bit and I made it out of coloured card.

The details for making this are written on my template sheet below.

Any queries just leave me a comment and I'll do my best to help but otherwise I hope you have fun if you make them.

Angel Landings!

The first flock of my host of angels fluttered in this week with more, I'm told, already winging across the heavens as I write.

They have gathered to hover above my fireplace and have already gained admiration from all who have laid eyes on them. 

I love that they are all such very different characters, a part of their creators. Thanks so much to all who took part in the fun and next year I plan to host another swap (but on a different theme), as so many bloggers are now really sorry they didn't participate having seen what they are missing.

In order of receipt....

Here's Neil's (of http://neelzexpressionz.blogspot.co.uk/) classy, stylish, slim line beauty,

named "Celestia", she is a Heavenly French Angel, Ooh, La, La! for elegance! Lovely techniques there Neil!

All the way from Canada here's Famfa's of busybutterfingers cute softy, in pretty, beautifully crocheted, swirly tutu and beaded limbs with a swirl of a halo above her golden locks!

Dusty by name but not by nature!

This dainty curly girly (a tiny Shroppy Lass) below was created by Jo Twiglet and is so pretty in her ribbons and starry skirt.

Named "Joy" and that's what Jo hopes she brings. She certainly has but I'll have to keep her out of reach of the real curly girlies!

I bet you didn't know there are angel bears around..... well, one flew in, see those dainty wings, from Shropshire courtesy of Annie Wipso who makes the cutest dumfed (felted) bears all with individual characters.

This one is called "Eolande" and her name means quite aptly "Violet". 

My favourite colour and Annie's too.

Today this fabulous, quirky, felted and stitched angel character  arrived from Chris of pearshapedcrafting. I think she's been singing in Chethams College in Manchester by the music on her wings. 

It's thrilling that there are still more to fly in but, in the mean time, thanks again to all the talented creators of this little host of beauties.