Merry Christmas

Here's a journal page which I've done to wish all my blogging friends out there a

Merry Christmas

and

a peaceful

New Year

Thank you everyone who has taken the time to leave me such fantastic and encouraging comments throughout the year, I really appreciate them.  Thank you all for sharing your fabulous work and I look forward to seeing your creations in 2011.

As usual, I can now see that the handwriting isn't straight and isn't very attractive, so maybe my New Years resolution is to practice handwriting, lol.

Eat plenty, drink a lot and have a thoroughly good time over the festive season, there's plenty of time to diet next year.

Mini Gift Envelope

I saw this mini gift envelope on the fabulous Wendy Vecchi's blog and I thought they were great, so made one each for my granddaughters and put an Itunes voucher in.

They are incredibly easy and satisfying to make and I think very effective.  Wendy is one clever lady.

Tags 10, 11 & 12 phew!

Managed it at last, made the last 3 tags

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

As usual, didn't have all the elements, who does?  Improvised...drew the snowman, but his shape is a bit like mine, all over the place.  The tree die, didn't have, so again traced one onto grunge paper, I don't seem to have any plain grunge board, so have used grunge paper throughout instead.  Didn't have the joy die cut, again drew one and cut it out, didn't have any pine cones, well I did, but they are enormous, much to large to use, so made a little grunge flower to brighten things up.

I must say I've enjoyed making the tags, it's the first time I've made all 12 and if I do them again, would certainly do my own 'take' on them next year.

I'm linking these to Jennie's blog, of The Artistic Stamper, who is running the 'Tag withdrawal Challenge".

T!m's tags 8 and 9

The snow has been falling steadily all day, so couldn't go to finish my Christmas shopping in Meadowhell, the roads are blocked already, so what to do I wonder...I know make another 2 of the tags, yeah!

Tag 8

I had all the ingredients for this, that's a first, the houses are green, but look black on this picture.  Oops, still haven't got the fabulous flourish stamp.

Tag 9

Not quite the same as his lordships, but I like it.  Linking this to artyjen's splinter group.

I've tidied my craft room and now I suppose I could do some housework, or I could decorate the tree.  It's been sitting there in the lounge for a couple of days now, all empty and forlorn - am I the only person on earth who doesn't like decorating the tree.  By the time I get it done, all the needles will have dropped off, still it does smell quite nice.

Jude has birthday candy

Pop along to Jude's blog where she's offering some fabulous birthday candy.

Still making the tags!

Having been away for a few days, I've really got behind, but I am determined to finish all 12 tags, may be it will be into next year, but I'm determined.  So this is day 7

Now this was quite a challenge, not because I didn't have all the ingredients, but because I was making it at around 5.30pm, canvas sprayed with Dylusion inks, all die cut etc, etc., hot glue gun warmed up and ready, when the phone went.  Hubby answered but as usual didn't ask who it was, well to say I was furious when he thrust the phone into my glued up hand and said "It's for you" is an understatement.  It turned out to be Emma from Sheffield University, pleading with me to be a patient for some end of year final exams for medical students...the last thing I needed...I tried every excuse I could think of but in the end I agreed to go the following day.  All day at the hospital, missing valuable crafting time, being prodded and probed and asked trillions of questions. Anyway, I digress, by this time glue was everywhere, so I just picked up the petals and stuck them on the tag, but couldn't understand why they didn't look like T!ms, kept pulling them off and realigning them, still didn't look right.  Anyway went and had an enormous row with hubby about him never asking who's on the phone, then went back and had another look at the tag...brain into gear, stuck the petals on the wrong way.  Tough, they are staying as they are, I'd lost the will to live by this time, plus the atmosphere in the house was not too good to put it mildly, lol.  Linking this to artyjen's splinter group which you can find here.

I've not started any other of the tags because came back home after having a fantastic birthday weekend with my children and grandchildren and although I've bought most of my Christmas cards, decided I'd better make some for my crafting friends.

Our grandchildren are coming on Saturday and staying until just before Christmas, so will not have any time to craft much, although I've one or two ideas for them to do.

A big thank you to all of my friends who sent me good wishes and birthday cards at the weekend, I've had some fantastic creations and also e cards, everyone is so thoughtful.  May blog them later, so much work gone into them.

Have a good day.

T!m's 12 Tags of Christmas Day 6

Just managed to finish day 6, yet to start day 7 so am behind again.

As usual didn't have many of the elements required, followed his techniques, used a Cuttlebug folder of a Christmas tree for the background, then his snowflake stamp instead of the flourish, which was too big for my tree.  Didn't have the reindeer die, so drew one on a piece of grunge paper, did make the antlers from the tree die though.  The gold speckles do not show up very well, but they are there.  Once I'd worked out how to do the reindeer, the tag came together fairly quickly.  I bet like me that you thought you'd got lots and lots of T!m's/Ranger's stuff, just goes to show hey.  Don't forget to pop along to artyjen's splinter group to see the other wonderful tags.

Just been looking at today's and that may take a little longer, but will not be attempting today because it's the next episode of Corrie, the only soap I watch, no I tell a lie, I usually watch doctors at 1.45 after I've had lunch but I've rarely seen an episode all the way through because it's so boring I ALWAYS fall asleep and have a little zizz.  Oh how wonderful to be retired....

Well, feeling a little sad, all family gone home this afternoon, but going down to my daughters after I've seen my consultant on Friday, fingers crossed that my COP hasn't got too bad that he won't let me travel.

Tag 5

Just a little bit behind, but I do have a good excuse.  So here's Tag 5, still to start Tag 6

As usual didn't have all the correct stuff so had to improvise.  I thought the father christmas stamp was the large one, but the keen ones amongst you will have noticed that it wasn't, hence not enough space to stamp Merry Christmas at the bottom of the tag, however I did do the dabber resist round the edges, I stamped a Paperartsy holly stamp and had to use ordinary stickles, his beard etc., is glamour dust, made a flower and put a red button in the middle, this is one I made earlier out of Fimo, I didn't have any white UTEE, so just used a couple of coats of ordinary white embossing power, but I put too much white acrylic on them and they went all bubbly, but I actually like the effect, bit of a vintage look I thought.  By this time I just couldn't be ar*** to get the big shot out, find the grunge paper, because hey, have you seen the state of my desk.  Just torn a bit of card, coloured as per instructions.  I did manage to find some jingle bells, but I just could not show you the other side of my room, I am so ashamed, I had to empty every drawer, cupboard, box etc, to find the darn bells.  Anyway I'm not going to tidy it up until day 13, but it is starting to stress me out a bit because things keep falling on the floor, then I stand on them, then I swear a bit, then I turn round and my big bum knocks something else off, you get the drift, lol.

Work desk

My daughter is here at the moment so we've been chatting all day, had a spot of lunch and she's just gone with her dad for walk, I've managed to make the tag and now I've got to clear up the lunch things, the kitchen is in a mess and the dog has been going mad because we've had my son here as well, so hence dog hairs everywhere, even in the fridge, so got to hoover the fridge as well, dog owners will know what I'm talking about, lol.

Don't forget to pop over to artyjen to see T!m's Splinter Group creations.

Tags day 3 and 4

Managed to catch up so here's

 Day 3

As usual didn't have everything T!m, so I used the branch stamp from Urban Tapestry as I didn't have the tree stamp, didn't have any tinsel because I hate the stuff and would never use it, so used some fibres.  The nest I created by colouring some tissue paper with DI and scrunching it up.

Day 4

Didn't have any of the fancy bling, should have borrowed some from Chanelle, she's got loads, so improvised with some black and I stuck on all those pearls and crystals individually, took longer than to make the rest of blinking tag.  

I am linking this to Susan Jennys....artyjen....blog please pop along and take a look at all the other fantastic tags that people have created.  They are stunning.

T!m's 12 Tags of Christmas

Because of the weather and being snowed in I've decided to play along with T!m's 12 tags of Christmas, didn't have time to post yesterday's so posting day 1 and 2 together.

Day 1

As I didn't have anything to make the tree with or the holly wreath, just left them out.  I didn't have his house either, but used one of Crafty Individual chipboard houses instead.

Day 2

Again, didn't have all his stamps so used a mixture of T!m's, Crafty Individuals and Paperartsy ones.

I've enjoyed making the tags, but day 1 took ages so if the rest are going to take as long as that, might not do them all, will have to see.

This is the sight that I met when I went to pull the curtains in the bedroom on 30 November.  I think it's brilliant, but my other neighbours hate it and think it 'lowers the tone' of our lane.  It makes me smile and my grandchildren love it.

365 Calendar

Managed to finish November page on time and even started December.  The challenge is run by the extremely talented Kate, take a look and she her wonderful artwork.

Here's my part prepared December page, still lots to do, including lots of glitter since it's Christmas themed.

I've done it in an advent calendar theme and used Christmas colours, although I'm not happy with the background, so will alter it.