Poncetastic Christmas 2021

[VivaJen]

Welcome to the 2021 Poncetastic thread. With a nod to Fellatio (wherever she is), at the stroke of midnight, let the poncing commence.

OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom.

So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobs worth ponce, join me on this thread.

Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapés and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.

Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessie’s' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

Checking in - I love this thread every year.

My poncetastic plans this Christmas include cross stitching some cards (2 down, 1 to go), crocheting some decorations, a Christmas cushion and a Santa bag, making some cotton bags / stockings to wrap presents in, attempting dried orange slices and a pomander, homemade stuffing (never made it before) plus decorating a new house

Start of my Christmas cross stitch marathon. I sent out three last year and they were turned into Christmas decorations. Attempting to do 10 this year

This year I want to make two pillow cases in tasteful Christmas fabric to go with my white guest bedding.

Still making my 12 Days of Christmas felt decorations, started in Dec 2019 lol

Love it @Catflapkitkat!

Glad I'm not the only one still getting years later Dilly!

I usually work the Christmas period to fit in with DH having leave, but not this year - it's going to be a proper holiday! I want to get the practical stuff done early to allow time for pouncing

*felting!

Hoorah !
Let the poncing begin.

Do you mean these ones? I’ve been trying to resist buying the kit because I know it won’t actually get made, but they are so beautiful.

I fantasise about having a tree with 12 drummers, 7 swans etc and topped with a partridge. Of course it would have to be a pear tree too…. and this is why I never actually get anything done

Checking in!

I'll be back later to discuss plans.

Morning. I'm in.

Morning. Would anyone who has a planner please post their time table for cake, pudding, paperwhites. Anything.
I just want a bit of a plan this year.

I know you’ll understand

@thelegohooverer it's the kit by Corinne Lapierre.
I've made the partridge, the pear, the turtle dove, the leaping lord, and I've started the french hen.
I'm not madly keen on the piper, I might make him as a little figure, like the lord and the milkmaid

@thelegohooverer

Do you mean these ones? I’ve been trying to resist buying the kit because I know it won’t actually get made, but they are so beautiful.

I fantasise about having a tree with 12 drummers, 7 swans etc and topped with a partridge. Of course it would have to be a pear tree too…. and this is why I never actually get anything done

Would a pair of trees work instead?

First Christmas magazines purchased yesterday!

I'm starting my Christmas cake today. I'll soak the fruit for a couple of weeks and bake it in early October. Any leftover fruit will be turned into Christmas puddings but I only make a couple of individual ones as only DH likes them.
The rest of us will probably have Yule log unless I find something ice creamy that appeals.

I'm booked on a course to make a needle felted wreath in late November but I'm still looking for a floristry style wreath course that is less than the £75 the local stately home want.

Hello all! I'm very excited to join.

@thelegohooverer and @Dillidilly I have also eyed up this set but so far resisted, knowing that it will take me about five years to finish. It is beautiful though.

@Catflapkitkat that's lovely. I'm thinking about some cross-stitch bookmarks...anyone seen/done any?

Even Hobbycraft have ramped their wreath-making course in price this year. I think it was £20 in 2019, and now I think I saw it's £35. But of a hike. But not £75! 😱😱😱 That's really too much.

@CrazyBaubles we always make the stuffing from Mary Berry’s Christmas book, tastes amazing.

So far I have printed brown paper gift wrap and matching luggage tag labels, and yesterday I started needle felting mini mince pies. I plan to make various decorations, crackers plus cake, stuffing etc.

I don’t really belong here as I’m pretty sure we’ll still have random holes in the walls and bare 80-year-old plaster by then (project house, ongoing, ugh), but @thelegohooverer I need to know where the kit for those felt decorations is from! So gorgeous!

I'm still banging on about cross stitch, but these are adorable:
www.past-impressions.co.uk/christmas-cards/

I like the cheeky, winking reindeer upthread.

My mincemeat is made and jarred: good old Delia. Didn't have enough apples this year, so used pears from the garden as well.

Think I'll make the cake in a couple of weeks. I've Mary Berry's for the last couple of years (using Cointreau instead of Sherry), as I prefer it to Delia's.

Big project this year is making golden pears and a partridge to hang in my pear tree! Briefly considered going full martyr & using papier-mâché, but sense prevailed, and I've ordered plastic toy pears. Going to spray them gold, and modpodge them.

Bit stuck on the partridge. It'll come to me.

Happy poncing!

I have some free cross stitch gift tags which came with a magazine. I'm busy doing a big project in the evenings, which is taking forever (a photo of my kids in cross stitch form), but I'll do those in my lunch breaks to put on some people's gifts!

My people, I've been poncing for a couple of weeks now, I went to Hobbycraft and got a few of the little cross stitch decorations to maybe make into little Christmas Cards and then remembered why I was kicked out of Home Economics at school shortly thereafter.

In my case the flesh is willing but everything I attempt on good faith ends up looking like something Jack Skellington gives the poor children in Nightmare Before Christmas

Looking forward to seeing everyone elses though.

I was in the woods yesterday searching for a suitable fallen branch to drag back, dry out, spray paint and attach to
My kitchen beams and trim up. My last years one wasn't big enough. I need full impact this year!

theworldsbiggestcrocodile that’s a great idea. I’m thinking I’ll do it and start with autumn/Halloween decorations and then morph into winter/Christmas ones