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".

@Row1n

Oh that does sound yummy *@StormyCornishSeas*, thank you!

No worries

What chocolate advent calendars do you all recommend? I had hotel Chocolat one last year and I try to have a different brand each year but the adverts for this year's Hotel Chocolate range does look good

I fancy the Tony’s one.

@Trumpton those are just the most adorable little gnomes! 🎄🎄🎄

Poncing is going along at a leisurely pace here - working on the cross stitch card this week/weekend. Next will be the clay miniature gingerbread houses, and maybe a train too. After that, while the clay is drying, I’ll try my hand at the crochet snowflakes. Next will making the cards. I’ve also decided I’m going to make little cloth heart ornaments, either for the tree or to give away with the chilli jam/marmalade/chutney we’ll be giving to family this year, but I’ll leave those ‘til December.

DH and I are going to make orange marmalade and mincemeat this weekend; really looking forward to that as I just love smelling the Christmassy deliciousness!🥰

Today I’ve ordered bay and cedarwood essential oils to use for fragrance in the living room this month and next, broadly following the autumnal/wintery feel of the Christmas Chronicles read-along, then I’ll switch to the Christmassy oil in December. Soon I’ll put out the little ceramic houses (candle holders) which I always do as soon as the clocks change.

Apologies if I’m repeating myself - I can never remember what I’ve said where and there’s a lot of overlap with the Christmas Chronicles thread...

I just did a trial run of gingerbread cookies in a moulded biscuit pan I've had for years but always been a bit scared of. I finally found a proper recipe for this type of tin.

As predicted it was quite fiddly, but they're cute and delicious. The rest of the dough is in the freezer for Christmas.

Christmas cakes are in the oven and Christmas puddings are currently having their first steam in the slow cooker. I make individual ones as only DH likes them in this household so I've made him two and two for MIL.

I've got a couple of days peace next week so I've got plans to get out my sewing machine and make some Christmas bits because I can leave it set up on the kitchen table instead of having to clear it away at dinner time. I'll need a trip to Hobbycraft on Monday first...

Learning for next time, I overfilled it, less dough might help with definition.

@DiamondBright they look great!

I bought theses cutters last year but didn’t get round to using them . This year is the year … I could make a village… I could make 24 and eat one a day during advent .

Those little houses are adorable @Trumpton !

I’ve got my red cabbage on and planning to test drive it with a roast tonight before filling the freezer. It’s making the house smell lovely.
Finally completed redecorating the dining room this week, I am disproportionately happy to be eating dinner at the table again like people

Any recommendations for festive oils to burn?

I ❤️❤️❤️ the knitted gnomes! My friend knits them as chocolate orange covers. They're very cute!

I currently have my chocolate cherry Christmas pudding cooking away in a stove-top bain-marie. It smells amazing!

Ohh chocolate cherry christmas pudding?! Do you mind sharing the recipe @NoWordForFluffy?

Let me know if you can read this. I'll do it block by block if it's too small.

Christmas cushion poncing has started!

Very

Very

Very slowly!

I've just finished this teeny cross stitch for a card which I got free with a magazine the other month. It's rather sweet!

@NoWordForFluffy ohh lovely! Which magazine was it?

@TommyShelby I’ve got that little pin case! Love that deep blue, and the embroidery!

It's Homemade Christmas 2018, @HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule.

It’s very cute! 🥰🥰

Thank you @NoWordForFluffy, that looks divine!

@TommyShelby that looks great. Is it easy to get the spacing right?

@HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule

It’s very cute! 🥰🥰

Shit, no, the pudding was that magazine. The cross stitch was World of Cross Stitching, October this year, I think. D'oh!

@HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule thank you! Good old Cath Kidston yeah

@Row1n well I’m kind of winging it a bit - I did sort of sketch out what I wanted to do on a big bit of graph paper so I could space fairly easily and then drew it out again with a waxy pencil on the paper. Fingers crossed it doesn’t go completely wonky 🙈 ambitious but rubbish crafter so I’m keeping my fingers crossed

Morning all! Just finished this scarf which is going to be a gift, so now the rest of the poncing can begin in earnest. Any more experienced knitters know how to keep the edges from rolling in? Should I block it like with flat bits of crochet?

Oh what a wonderful scarf!😍😍

I’ve (predictably) hit the point where I start freaking out and feeling like I can’t do anything right, that nothing will be good enough and I’d rather not put myself under the stress of doing anything else...but I’m going to try to gently power through it, carry on with my little cross stitch and just trust that I’ve got time and I can get things done to a reasonable standard.

@Trumpton my little bulb sprouts are still growing a bit - the sprouts have doubled in size and are now about an to an inch and a half...will they still be okay to use in November or would I be better off planting them now and getting new ones to use for Christmas poncing display?