Post Pals: Mrs Claus

I'm mainly sharing this little creation to inspire. You may have heard of a wonderful little charity called Post Pals? They send post to seriously ill children (pals) and their siblings all year round. At Christmas time, they ensure their pals get extra post, from Santa's Elves, Santa's Reindeer, and Mrs Claus herself! I couldn't resist signing up to be a Mrs Claus this year. I love the magic of Christmas, and had so many ideas to share with children!

I began by finding a free letterhead on Google, which I printed out on some lovely thick sketchbook paper, before hand writing my letter. I also found a free printable for a recipe card, which I printed out and handwrote a recipe for Gingerbread Playdough on. (The pal I was assigned to cannot eat, so I thought this would be a nice festive alternative.) I also printed out some free printable Christmas designs on to card, and put them through my Cricut to create these cute stocking decorations. I found the SVG for these free over at Fleece Fun.

I had a lot of fun decorating the envelope! The internet has lots of "elf mail" free printables which I was able to use to make the envelope seem like it had traveled all the way from the North Pole!

I sealed it with my wax seal. I'd love to grow my collection of wax and seals, but this is all I have for now and it gave that special touch. It was fun to use too, though I did cause a bit of a splatter!

And then, as happens in the North Pole, Rudolph had to add his mark. The hoof print is made with acrylic paint, and applied with lots of texture so it really seems muddy!

It may be too late to send a pal something for Christmas, but January can be a very slow time for post after the craziness of Christmas. If you could send a pal a simple card or letter, a drawing, or even a small gift, it will put a smile on a seriously ill child's face. It might be the thing that makes them smile after hours of chemotherapy or ending up in hospital again.

Scooby Doo Cross Stitch

There is a wonderful little charity here in the UK called Post Pals, who send post to seriously ill children and their siblings. Recently, I heard they were looking for crafters to get making cross stitches to try and ensure every child under their care received a cross stitch. I was paired with a young boy who loves Scooby Doo, and so this cross stitch ensued! I painted a wooden hoop to match Scooby Doo's collar, and added some gold ribbon for hanging. The gold on the collar is also in a sparkly thread, just to add that metallic sheen!

Crochet Puzzle Balls & Charity Craft Auction!

I made more puzzle balls! My previous versions can be seen here, including a free printable for the instructions :) I enjoy making these, and I love mish-mashing colours together! The above puzzle ball has traveled all the way to Australia to live with one of my nephews, but the one below is up for grabs...

Have you heard of a charity called Post Pals? They're a wonderful organisation run by a friend of mine, and people volunteer to send post - letters and gifts - to seriously ill children and their siblings. As an adult with chronic health issues I know how much a piece of post can make me smile, so the work this charity does is brilliant. They are running a craft auction over on Facebook from 1st-8th August 2016 and I have donated one of my crochet puzzle balls! The auction is full of handmade items and craft supplies, and is intended to raise money to take all the children involved with the charity on holiday. They can't get away from their illnesses, but with our help they can get away from the same four walls.

I don't currently crochet items for sale, so if you want a puzzle ball, now is your chance! The puzzle ball up for auction is pictured below. Interested? Click here to visit the Facebook auction to place your bid and look through the other items for purchase - both handmade items and some craft supplies!