Attic treasure!

Time to take down the decs today; I love to carefully wrap the delicate ones in tissue before stashing them away for next Christmas. It makes it so much more fun getting them all out again next time knowing they are in some sort of order and that the fairy is carefully tucked up safely (she has magical properties and flies around the room while we decorate the tree)

Meanwhile, I was thinking about a stable we made for Claire when she was small to go with her Sindy horse. Our granddaughter had asked Santa for a toy horse for Christmas and as he hadn't come up with the goods so I thought I'd hunt it out. WELL...it was a great mistake asking Tony to help! Our loft is full to bursting with treasures but he does not share my enthusiasm to hoard. Happily, I had kept the stable but the best surprise was to find not only one horse in it but two! At least there will be no arguments between our two granddaughters.

The stable had been left uncovered and it looked as it had been ransacked! Lindsey had helped me to make bits for it and all the memories tumbled out of it as I pulled everything out to clean it. She had make a yard broom from a toothbrush head and dowel, a pitchfork from dowel and wire. She made four little hessian sacks, three labelled 'oats', 'maize' and 'bran'. Clearly, the most popular with the mice was the oats; the sack was hollow and well chewed. Next most popular was pony nuts, third was the bran and the maize was untouched. Lindsey even made a bale of hay which has survived.
I had great fun making tiny rosettes and hand sewed hooks on the back of them so they could be hung on the little balsa wood notice board by the door. I used Das modelling clay to make a lantern, tiny carrots (with crepe paper frondy ends), sugar lumps, (tut-tut!) and apples. It was such fun to find so much stuff had survived. I shall post a picture in a day or so when I have re-vamped the outsides with the girls' help. The felt flowers and leaves made a tasty meal for the siverfish so I shall cut out more and let them decorate it. Oooooh it is fun to have a project again!