Christmas Celebrations

so I'm a bit slack these days with posting on my blog but inspired by another creative friends blog and challenge I'm updating with some of my creations starting here:-

My year started with knitting and it's stuck, i love it, i love wool and get very excited when i see all the lovely colours and finishes and combination of colours so below is a selection of my hand knitted scarves and neck wraps and I'm very excited about handing these out to various friends and family this Christmas :)

Here's my first creation using some paper clay i was bought in a block. Shivery snowman, i love how he turned out :)

This medallion card was made by stamping onto an old recycled Christmas card, i do love using these they always give such majesty to card especially when glittered :)

Some ornaments also made using my paper clay, hand painted/finished and strung and ready to adorn someones tree :)

And yet more clay creations, i already have another set of holey stars drying out ready to paint. You know me fingers in pies so to speak, and yes on my future agenda, baking, the festive kind :)

Linking up to Paint and Prayer, my dear friend Jennifer's lovely blog, please stop by and see her lovely creations. Merry Christmas to all and to all...................

Here comes September

Well can you believe another month is over and September starts, by next week the hols will be over with and the kids back to school. Strangely the end of this holiday crept up on me, i thought we had another week to go and part of me will actually miss having my son around although I'm sure i will soon fill my day.


Anyway a new month and a new challenge over at Christmas Cards All Year Round. This months challenge involves your 'stash' and you can do whatever you chose providing what you use is over a year old!


So here is my inspiration for this challenge and it was a good excuse to look at things that have been sat around for sometime now doing nothing...

I made this months challenge using some Debbie Mumm 'Gingerbread' punch outs. I'm not sure how long I've had these but it's a long time so it was really nice to finally make use of them. The cards were mounted on cream card and distressed (as is my thing lol) and then re-mounted on some festive paper from a gift I was sent early last year that also had gingerbread men on but I didn't use enough of the paper for that to be apparent. Finished touches with gold stickers also coloured with markers and bits of ribbon and rub-ons. Another five in the bag :)

And here is my newest canvas, i made two of this type of thing yesterday but the other one is for a present so I'm keeping it under wraps. I like the idea of being able to enjoy the look of a card but keep it up all year round or seasonally accordingly :)


Have a great weekend :)

Pinch Punch...

Well I'm writing this in advance as tomorrow will be a busy hopefully exciting day. Tomorrow is the 1st August, my 39th birthday. Yes I'm working my way backwards now lol. Tomorrow is also the new challenge over at CCAYR and the first month that you will see my cards as part of the new DT. The challenge for August is to use four of the following on your cards.

Chipboard
Hand stitching
Ribbon
Inking
Stamping
Textured paper (embossed is good!)
Metal embellishments
Alphabet stickers or rub-ons for the sentiment
Stripes

I did struggle a little with this but not because i didn't know which to do more to do with the fact that i decided to use black and white as my theme for this set of cards but with a little help from my dear friend Georgina i got there. I hope you like my cards. Check them out tomorrow :)

Here are a few more creations i had time for this month :)

This card and the one below it i made during a craft evening with Tina of Stampin Up. This is only the second time i have joined Tina and some other ladies for a card making evening but it's always very enjoyable and has given me an insight into the SU products. You can check out her blog at Crafting at the little white house :)

This card and the one below have both been made using the free templates that came with Simply Homemade my favourite crafting magazine. I love the way these cupcakes turned out and yes I'm still distressing lol the novelty hasn't yet worn out. The top card was well received by a good friend of mine and the second cupcake will probably arrive with another good friend tomorrow in time for her birthday on Tuesday. Happy Birthday to Georgina and Jo :)

Well i should be in Stratford tomorrow as it's my birthday too. We are hoping to picnic and hubby has something up his sleevy so time will tell. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts and ttfn :)

Never too soon for Christmas

Ok you know how addicted i am to the candle jars now so this will come as no surprise lol. Bought this jar yesterday from the £1 shop so can't grumble at that and already had plans :)

I used the handmade paper (reasonable for a large sheet at Hobbycraft) and measured out the dimensions.Ripped all the edges and added small amounts of glue along the edge and then glittered them.

The decoupage is Paper Nation and coincidentally i had already pieced most of these together so was able to apply them to the jar with silicone glue.

All the way round i added elements of Christmas. Mary with the angel, a snowman, Christmas tree and lastly to finish off the back a robin.I added festive rub-ons above each decoupage design and then added some clear sliver sparkly snowflakes, spots for snow. To the lid i applied some more handmade paper also ripped and glittered and then a peice of white sparkly decorative trim.

So what do you think, got you in the mood. A little early i know but it's never too soon for Christmas and this is the time to get a head start :)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Today my son managed to bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. 'No change there then', as his Dad would say.

I was driving to over to Southam to collect some books and took my Andy Williams Christmas Album with me. It's not he first time that I've had it on but the first time that Brett has been in the car with me (this year at least!). Brett seemed to quieten down quite quickly on our journey. I even wondered whether he had gone to sleep. He faces forward in his car seat now but i can only see him briefly if i glance round which i inevitably do from time to time.

He was still playing with his toy dashboard but quietly moving his head from side to side in time with the music and had that look on his face that said he was taking it all in.

I only bought this CD last Christmas but without a doubt mum and dads taste in music, particularly Christmas music has definitely rubbed off. I have no time for the predictabley tacky sounds of Slade, Wizzard and the like but find the warm tones of Andy, The Partridge Family, Barry Manilow conjure up a happy and exciting time. I'm guessing this will indirectly rub off on Brett but it won't do him any harm.

So don't forget Christmas is 'The most wonderful time of the year' and 'Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing!'

That time of year

Well i guess it's that time of year again. The summer holiday's are over and the children are back to school. Now we have the run up to my favourite time of year and I'm sure most of you will be taking a huge breath followed by a loud sigh at that prospect.

Most of my working years i had similar conversations, most of my customers seeming surprised that i had started thinking about Christmas never mind shopping for it. Certainly helps spread the cost, plus there is nothing worse that having it sneak up on you and panicking.You know those Christmas lists get longer and longer every year and those purse strings don't seem to exist for the most part.

I, it seems am quite old fashioned when it comes to present buying. My motto has aways been 'It's the thought that counts'. These day's is more a case of 'Less is more'. The more presents children have the less they know what to do with. I have already bought one or two things that are being shipped to Santa for storage. Brett hasn't quite grasped the concept of Santa and his deliveries yet but he is well aware of all the eye candy when we go shopping and we are bombarded with adverts during the children's programmes.

When i was a kid, and i was for a while i loved opening our stockings full of oranges, pencils, chocolate coins. Lots of small but exciting things. Many presents were handmade, knitted dolls clothes for my tiny tears. I did have a dolls house (not sure it was a Christmas present) although I'm guessing a second hand one with hand made furniture. I think knowing that time had been spent making those gifts made them extra special.

Nowadays I'm sure if you asked children in twenty years what they remember about Christmas they would struggle to find anything of sentimental value. I still have one of the first bunnies my dad gave me from his milk round, or something like that, forgive me if i get my facts muddled but he's almost as old as me, the bunny that is!

Anyway i will get off my bell laden bandwagon now and look forward to rescuing the decorations from my tree and leaving milk and mince pies for Santa Claus and carrots for Rudolf and his side kicks.

Merry Christmas to all and to all...