Christmas Kisses

A second blog in one day! I've had this page in mind since my brother sent me the Christmas photos that were taken of his boys. Each year a photo is taken of them kissing their present, it makes me laugh because in about 10 years they are going to be embarrassed at how excited they were over these games. Remember pac man and how exciting that was? This year Robin said to the boys lets get a Christmas picture and they just grabbed the TV and kissed it, no more prompting.This fits the challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious, What makes Christmas special for you. Well for me its about these boys having fun with their Dad, we have to enjoy it while we can it won't be long before they will want to be off with their girlfriends.

Lost Contact

I've had no telephone or broadband since I last posted, isn't it amazing how we become so used to something then when it's taken away we can't live without it. I had made a few pages and cards to post but then no broadband. AAAGH! Anyway a lovely man came out today and it's all fixed, that nasty jack frost had caused the wires to break, fortunately it was outside or it would have cost me money. I spent my time wisely, I purged and organised. I've only had my craft room for 10 months and OMG what a mess. I have so much rubbish that I bought thinking it was a great bargain and haven't used,like cheap glitter glue coming out of my ears. I have every colour of Stickles that I love and always use, so why did I waste money on cheap stuff, anyway no more its gone. (Well actually its laying at the top of the stairs waiting to be boxed up and given away.) I've also outed a pile of punches, I don't need them now that I have my beloved Cricut, why oh why did I buy piles of tiny punches to punch little handbags, shoes, dogs, birthday candles (and so on)? I can't tell you how proud I am of my clean and organised craft room. This was all kicked off by my purchase of these paper shelves.

Previously my card stock and patterned paper was stored in three separate places, now I have two of these places merged here. I'm very embarrassed at the amount of 12X12 I have, this box still needs putting into the shelves, I now know I don't need to shop for pretty paper or Bazzill for many years. Can you see how organised the shelves next to my paper stand are? What's the thing with purple card stock (all shades of)? My colours are usually blues, greens and oranges, why did I buy so much purple?

You know what's its like while you are supposed to be organising, you end up with a huge mess. My mess spread through the three bedrooms and in the middle of the mess I started playing. This page was of my brothers house in the snow last week. This fits with this weeks challenge on Pencil Lines, it was set by the fabulous Donna Downey. A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop hosted by Donna, I found her to be very warm and so entertaining. Her husband and kids were with here and came into the workshop to say hello. What a great family. Check out her blog, to see how she thinks outside the box, she is truly inspiring.

Roses in Winter

Well I guess that's it all over with for another year. I had a lovely Christmas day at my friends for dinner, and since then haven't done anything perfect. Yesterday I didn't even get dressed, because I didn't have to and I didn't want to. I did make a few cards ready for birthdays this year. I love these little roses and they are so easy, I'm putting them on everything at the moment. Isn't it funny how you go mad with one thing and then move onto something else. This is my current 'mad for' thing.

Plans for today, purge this craft room. I have a box of Christmas crafting bits that I have bought over the years and this year I never even opened it. I guess I don't need any of the stuff in the box. This got me to thinking I must have loads that I don't need or like anymore so it's all going.

A bit of a catch up

Well it finally happened today, I fell over in the snow! I was in the car park at work, its the worst car park because its at a 25 degree angle and over night the snow that had been melting froze into black ice. The only injury I had was I split my sides laughing. I had to be scraped up by one of my colleagues, who was also laughing.
I've also won again over on the Bubbly Scrumptious Challenge blog, the challenge was all wrapped up and ready to go. I sent in one of the little gift boxes and a card. I'm very happy to have won again.
I have bought my mask for the masquerade ball at the Inspired retreat I'm going to in February. I tried to make a couple from card stock but they looked awful, so I've bought one of these from Hobbycraft
I've bought lots of 'glam' stuff to tart it up, so that is going to be my project for the Christmas break.
Oh no its snowing again! Will it ever stop?

More Christmas Preparations

Well I really don't know where the last two weeks have gone, I'm now recovering from my cold and laryngitis that I picked up while I was in London.My first week back at work and I found myself back on the train to London and a trip to Cambridge on top of not feeling well, it wiped me out. The good thing is at least its all over with now and I can enjoy Christmas knowing the cold germs are all gone.
Each year I marvel at the amount of time it takes to get ready for Christmas. Why do we do it to ourselves? We spend weeks getting ready for one day and when it comes we're all too tired to enjoy it. I have managed to wrap and label the Christmas presents I've bought, now they just need delivering. Where I'm going to find that time I've no idea as I'm working right up to the day.
I have been glued to the window today to monitor the snow situation, if it snows again I won't get to work tomorrow. This was the level of snow on my bathroom window at lunch time today.
I've been baking most of the day making mince pies and a red velvet cake to take with me in the morning. If I'm snowed in at least I won't starve I've enough cake and pies to see me through to the New Year.
This was the cake mixture before I made the cake, it looks a bit wrong doesn't it
Here it is when it's cooked and with the icing on, it's delicious and I think it looks very Christmassy. So if it gets the thumbs up tomorrow I'll make one for Christmas Day.

Christmas Traditions

Last week I went to my normal crop at Craft Haven, I love going to these crops because they are so casual and we are all graduates of the SDU course, so its a good way of keeping in touch and catching up. We made a Christmas page so I decided to tell the story of the Christmas tree ornaments. The page is based on this one that I made when I did the recent UK Scrappers Cybercrop, I loved it so much I had to do it again but with Christmas papers.

Christmas Yumminess

Here are the little gift packages I made for my mince pies, this fits perfectly with this weeks challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious, it's to show something to do with festive eating. Well there's nothing more festive than mince pies. Go here for the recipe for the sweet mincemeat, it's to die for.

Last Minute Christmas Cards

Finally the cards were written, but they are still in the car! I'm working in Cambridge tomorrow, so hopefully I'll remember to get out of the car and post them. I've got a big bag of extra cards so they are going to be donated to my friend and I've still got some left for next year. For soome reason I can't help myself and this scrap of paper spoke to me to be made into a card, so I did. It can now be added to the pile for sending next year.

Pencil lines sketch 164

Here is my entry for this weeks Pencil Lines sketch 164. It all looks a little skewiff but it is straight in real life, honest.

Christmas Yumminess

How about a Christmas Pudding card for the weekly challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious This week it's Christmas Yumminess?, the remit was just show something to do with festive eating. I'm making some little gift boxes for a couple of mince pies later today so I'll be back with those as well. I have to finish my cards first and get presents wrapped.

Another Wrapped Up Project

While I was writing my Christmas card I came across this one, I made it a while ago at a card class at the Craft Box in Elsecar. It fits perfectly with the challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious All wrapped up and tagged to go. I didn't get very far writing the cards so they definitely need to be finished today, I'm getting quite behind with my preparations, so I need to catch up before I return to work on Monday.

Mince Pies

It's Friday again, where did this week go? I'm all tucked up inside my cosy warm house, although I will have to venture out to get my hair cut this afternoon. I still haven't written my cards so that's the job for today. Yesterday I made some mince meat and then some mine pies. I used the recipe that Kirsty Wiseman put on her blog last year. It tasted even better than I remember, I usually find mince pies too sweet but this recipe is just right. I ended up with 48 pies, so have distributed them around the neighbours. I'll make another batch on Sunday to take into work when I go back next week. Here is photographic evidence of said mincemeat and pies.

All Wrapped Up

The weekly challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious has the theme of All Wrapped Up and Tagged to Go. I've used one of the little boxes I designed for Craftwork Cards. These boxes are so easy to assemble and can be decorated in numerous ways.I've added panels of paper and made a gift tag from in circle messages and an ice white mini elegant scallop. All topped off with a stamped tree image, it makes me want to buy myself a present.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I'm back from London and I'm completely exhausted! I have managed to come back with a stinking cold and banging headache, so I'm not up to doing too much today. I will have to go and get my coat dry cleaned though, stupidly it's cream and I it attracts dirt like I don't know what. I might as well get my photos from the weekend printed while I'm out. First here is my Christmas Tree, I like it to have lots of ornaments but always choose wooden toys, angels or Father Christmas.

Every year I buy one from Harrod's but this year I struggled to pick just one, so I bought three.

A quick post

This is a very quick post before I get dressed for my trip. I haven't done much crafting recently because I've had a lot going on and I couldn't think of what I wanted to do. After the fabulous day I had yesterday I woke up remembering this stamp and knew it would fit in with this weeks Bubbly Scrumptious challenge of fairy tales, After all there's always a knight in shining armour isn't there?

A Christmas Cracker - lots of piccies

I managed to put up my Christmas Tree and have already sustained Christmas related injuries! I have four boxes, yes four boxes of Christmas decorations that I store in my attic. While I was lifting one of the boxes down it slipped and fell, so my reflex was to put my hand out and stop it from landing on my head. The box landed on a corner in the palm of my left hand. I am left handed, OUCH!! It didn't stop there it slipped again and bounced off my right knee. DOUBLE OUCH!! so today I have a beautiful l black bruise on my knee and a purple on my hand. Have you ever seen a bruise on the palm of your hand. Weird! It also makes changing gear a bit sore. However the tree looks lovely, but I couldn't get any photos because the flash keeps bouncing off the window behind. I'll try to get some tomorrow in daylight.

Today was the Christmas Cracker all day workshop and dinner organised by Craftwork Cards. I have no idea where to begin, it was absolutely brilliant. I've made a great slide show of the day but soemhow it won't load for you so I'm resorting to plain old photos.

e made 4 cards in the morning, then Santa came to visit us all with a lovely little present. Can you imagine how excited I was when I realised that even Santa knew about my little boxes that I'd designed for Craftwork Cards. He had managed to get hold of them in gorgeous pastel colours and packed them with lovely crafting goodies, how clever is he? Is it me or is Santa looking younger these days?

We had fun with lots of chatter and laughs, there's always one nutter in each class and here was ours!
After Santa's visit we moved to the restaurant for a delicious Christmas dinner, I ate every mouthful in good old Christmas tradition. no time for an afternoon snooze thought we had an afternoon project to tackle, here is what we made this gorgeous little tote is so sturdy it is going to sit in my desk with my Copics in it.

I was shattered when I got home but I couldn't stop I had to do all the ironing and pack ready for our trip to London tomorrow. I'm going to visit the queen, not really but we are going to see We will rock you. Time to get in the bath and sleep.

Thank you to everybody at Craftwork Cards for a great day.

Woo Hoo!!

Today is my last day at work for 10 whole days, don't get me wrong I like my job but 10 yummy days off all to myself, woo hoo! I have lovely things planned all week.

Friday I will write all my Christmas cards and the house will be cleaned thoroughly for Christmas. I will then scramble up into my attic and retrieve all my Christmas Decorations, then the CD's will go on and the tree will go up with one little gap left (read on to find out why).
Saturday I'm going to a full day of workshops and Christmas dinner at the Village Hotel and hosted by Craftwork Cards, I know this is going to be a fabulous day, the workshops are always lots of fun so this will be FUN with dinner and rumour has it that Santa is popping along.
Sunday I'm going to London, this is a tradition that was started by myself and my BFF we always go at this time of year we always stay overnight and go see a show, then call into Harrods for a Christmas Tree ornament, for the gap on my tree. So we will be doing this

ThisThis
and this

This time we are going for two nights and there are seven of us, so we will be doing even more. I always take my camera so there will be lots of piccies.

Wednesday I will sort out my pictures and I usually make a little book to record the trip, I want to make a couple this year as pressies. I hope to make a good start on these on Wednesday. I will also post all of the cards.

Thursday I intend to take a trip to Ikea for a few more storage bits to 'tidy' my craft room then rest and relax.

Friday I have appointments at the beauticians and the hairdressers for a good tidy up.

The next two days are going to be spent wrapping presents and relaxing ready for my return to work, knowing that I am all prepared for Christmas.

I can't wait!