Getting there ...

Last night I managed to make eleven Christmas cards - not bad going, but admittedly they were all the same, so it was the case of making a production line - stamping, embossing, sticking ... This one is actually the worst of the lot (a bit of embossing powder astray in the middle), but you can get the general idea (the rest of them have now been written and sealed up):



So many of our immediate family have birthdays during the run-up to Christmas and straight afterwards (very inconvenient of them - I'm the sensible (!?) one with a birthday in August).

Here are three family cards that I've made to be given by mum. I have to admit that when in a hurry a peel-off greeting or two comes in handy, despite my non-love of them). The middle card 'birthday greetings' were cut on the robo from a template kindly supplied by Erika on UKS - I've now used this format for quite a few Christmas and birthday cards in various ways:

Just when I thought I was nearly there ...

This afternoon I made a list of the outstanding Christmas cards that I still need to make - at least twelve. I then listed the birthday cards that need to be done before Christmas - another twelve (includes a phone call from a neighbour asking me to make a special one for her sister). We have so many family birthdays around Christmas time - I've already done three or four of the 'special' ones. Oh and I need to make a wedding card by Monday.

I managed today to get into Bromley for a brief time and get the rest of the presents I needed (I shop for the ones mum gives as well as our own) - back has been really playing up today - so disappointing.

Enough whinging - this is a crafty outlook, not a moaning one!

HS:MS SPS 17

Here we are again - it's SPS day on HS:MS, so here's my offering for today - antique effect (very appropriate for me!) and darkened slightly:



And still no puddle in my space (no, I can't get Josey to oblige!)

HS:MS catch up

I decided today that I'd catch up with this week's photos (I know that I left the SPS and SOS this last week - might still do those before this coming weekend).

On Monday the theme was 'frosty': 'When a frost forms on surfaces. Show us 'frosty' in your space today.'

This is the frost that was still there this afternoon:



Next, Tuesday's topic was 'moonlight': 'It gets dark so early at the moment, you can even see the moon during the daytime! Capture 'moonlight' in your space today.'

I have to confess that I've cheated with this one (well, just call it poetic licence instead of cheating!) There's no way I was going to go out now into the cold to see if there's any moonlight:



And then yesterday's prompt was 'laces': 'Two pieces of string to assist in the fastening of shoes and clothing. Have you got some laces in your space?'

So here they are:



And today Anita posted the prompt of 'teddy bear': 'A soft toy bear, i know you all have at least one in your space.'

I chose to take a photo of a little pottery painted teddy that I've had for a while now - he has been put to sit beside the tree (yes, at last I've started on Christmas - put a tree up last night). I do have other bigger, fluffy teddies, but tbh they are tucked away in a drawer in our bed (for safekeeping while the decorating was done) and I can't be bothered to get down there to get them out, so I thought I'd make do with this little one:

Inspiration struck

Having done the CJ DLO and the ATCs that needed to go into the post today, I didn't intend to do any more crafting.

I needed to do two ATCs for the swap on Tanda Stamps, but these don't have to reach Wendy till 31 December, so plenty of time. However, inspiration struck, so I've done them.

I used some base paper by Anna Griffin (some left over from the vast Christmas kit that I've made loads and loads of cards from). I stamped this with one of the Tanda holly stamps designed by Sheila Oliver with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and embossed with gold fine detail. I coloured in with Sakura (can't remember what they're actually called, but the sparkly ones - doesn't show up here as sparkly, but can assure you it is irl) and put a strip of vellum down the right hand side with words of some Christmas carols, including 'the holly and the ivy', then just added a couple of strips of sticky ribbon:

Christmas ATCs

Working to a tight deadline again - need to get these into the post today for the swap on CBC. I used Winter Worderland wonder words paper by Crafty House (love these papers) and then put a vellum overlay that has Merry Christmas and puddings on it - I swiped a pink chalk inkpad over this to give a hint of colour over the paper(you can hardly see any of this on the scan - and photo was worse). The stars are silver holographic (never shows up well on photo or scan).

At last some proper crafting

The posting date for the CJ group on Crafts by Carolyn is today and, although I'd got papers and ideas, I hadn't actually put them together.

I've now done my DLO this morning in Carolyn's fab CJ called 'Chocolate Dip' - what a yummy topic!

Carolyn says: 'Dip into my chocolate heaven ,,, now is your chance think inside the chocolate box and complete my journal.'

I used papers from my latest K & Co pads - a swirly acrylic stamp with sepia inkpad and other bits and pieces, including bits cut off products from my fav choccie shop (expensive, naughty, but nice!).

The photos don't show the colours very well (might try to take better ones later). Carolyn asked for colours to be kept similar to hers - green, brown, cream etc.

Absent without leave

I haven't been blogging so much lately - decorating being done, chaos, still can't get our main room straight because TV stand isn't coming until Wednesday - what a mix-up, feeling poorly, John being poorly in church this morning (not everyone gets to lie down in church!) And trying to get presents bought (I know I should have started everything earlier but am really struggling this year, although admittedly we're giving vouchers/gift cards to quite a few, particularly the older children who would like to have these). Have at least started on writing cards today (and have printed all labels ready for the envies). The only trouble is that I've using cards that I had in boxes for my sales, so I'm having to take each one out of the cello bag (what a pain - although John, bless, did a few for me).

Must get off here and write some more cards.

If you usually visit my blog and look at my crafty creations (although I can't imagine why people do), normal service might (and I say 'might') be resumed soon.

I've got to get a CJ back in the post Tuesday, so I should have something to show.

HS:MS celebrate

'This is a bit hard to define, huh? Can you find a celebration in your space?'

To be honest, there isn't much evidence of celebration in our space atm, but I remembered this rubber stamp:



and then I played around with the original photo (can't really remember what I did) - achieved this:

School Christmas Fair

I managed to get round to the school this afternoon and sold £18.75, so was able to give the school £8.75 out of that. Not very much, but better than nothing (about the same as last year and the year before).

HS:MS card

'You can't tell me you haven't had a sneaky one yet? Show me a card from your dandy space!'

Terrible photo tonight - light is poor - time has run out - feeling too tired to bother. Here are some cards we've received:

Tomorrow: my cards

A friend who works at the local school (where I used to be chair of governors) asked me to let her have my cards to be sold at the Christmas Fair tomorrow. I've done this for the last couple of years, but because of the problems with my back I was going to give it a miss this year. C was such an angel and came round at lunch time today to transport my cards. I'm hoping I'll feel up to going round to the school for the sale. It's a good job I've continued to make cards as and when I can, so my stock level is able to cope with tomorrow (although I'm wondering whether anyone will ask for Anniversary cards - I expect if I quickly make some they won't sell, but if I don't, then people will ask for them!)

Salt: Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas

Doesn't time fly?!?! It's Salt challenge day again today and this time the theme was chosen by Casey. This is what she says:

Blessings to you all from me (Casey)

How wonderful it is for me to bring the topic of this challenge!

Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas

We all love celebrating Christmas because it is a time for us to stop, remember and praise God for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. HE IS the true meaning of Christmas. Not presents, not parties, not decorations, etc. JUST JESUS!!!

Here's what we have come up with in response to the challenge. If you'd like to know more about the pieces of art here, just click on the name above the photo which will direct you to the blog that has the inspiration and explanation from the artist.

We' also love to see what you come up with too!

Feel free to leave us a comment so we too can share in your art!!!

Please take a look at Salt

My contribution is very simple, using an English Paper Company paper as background (I chose it because it has crowns that remind us of Jesus being King of Kings) and one of my favourite Rubbadubbadoo Christmas stamps, inked with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and embossed. The rays are made from matt finish mirror card. I kept it simple in style because I wanted the message of Jesus to be central.

Elvin the elf's day 6 challenge

Over on Just Bex Elvin the Elf is setting daily challenges and great fun is being had by all. Why not click on the link and go along and join in the fun.

Today's challenge is to mention Elvin on our blogs - the easiest challenge so far. I have to confess that Elvin called me a loser a couple of days ago because I got an answer wrong (in my enthusiasm to please him and do it quickly, I made a silly mistake).

He is an adorable little fellow and he brightens up the day. He has come all the way from the North Pole, especially commissioned by Bex. There is a bit of a concern that he seems to think he might be going on holiday to Florida, but he can't, because he's needed here right up to Christmas.

There are prizes every day - Elvin dips into his bucket to draw a winner. So do go along, join the forum and have fun.

This is today's prize (which I would love to win - please, Elvin, be a sweetie elf and pick my name out of the bucket.

HS:MS Christmas and DCM dare

Kirsty on HS:MS today says: 'Come on, we all have a hint of it somehwere in our space - right?'

Well, actually, there isn't much sign of it here yet. The decorators have gone and we're now trying to get back to some normality - ha ha!!!

This morning John had a cardiology appointment, so that was the morning and this afternoon we unpacked a new hi-fi we'd bought last week - only to discover that, despite it being very well packaged, one of the speakers was damaged. This resulted in phone calls and a trip back to Currys to get the speaker replaced, but, oh no, not as simple as that - no more in stock. So someone is going to pick one up from Tunbridge Wells and bring to Bromley for us to collect on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we're having our new TV delivered tomorrow - our time slot is between 7 and 11 - oh what bliss, we have to be up and ready in case they come at 7!!!

When we eventually got back at dinner time tonight I found that there are still problems with my main laptop (seems to be a fight between Norton which was on trial offer pre-installed when I bought the laptop and vista). Because I got fed up with Norton popping up every time I booted up I decided the other night to uninstall it and have had problems ever since - now I can't get on the internet at all on that machine, despite having done system restore back beyond the Norton uninstall. Oh the joys of computers!

In the last few days I've done little crafting, but did manage a card last night for the DCM dare this week:

'Tweet tweet': 'This week its Rhi here to Dare you... and the theme is to do with our feathered friends!(Are you remembering to feed them now it's chilly out)
Robins, love birds, cartoon birds, stamped birds, paper pieced birds, dingbat birds. Its up to you. I dare you to make a card with a bird or birds on, it doesn't have to be a real species, the more weird and wonderful the better!

Mine is a very simple Christmas card using some Be Blessed paper as a background and an Anita's dove stamp inked with Brilliance white and embossed with fine detail white.

So this is the best I can come up with for Christmas in my space atm:

HS:MS chilly

'Chilly Brrrrr - so feeling it here. Have you chilliness in your space?'

I'm going out for a meal this evening with a friend, so poor John is being left to his own devices, so here is what I've prepared for him (straight out of the freezer):



And, before you ask, no, it isn't a punishment for interfering in yesterday's photo session!

HS:MS cosy

'This time of year calls for December environments - cosy being one of them. Find cosy in your space.'

When I told John what the word was today he suggested I took a photo of the tea cosy - so I did - plonked on his head!



and here is my real take on the prompt. My crocheted blanket that I made years ago comes out at this time of year and I sometimes wrap it round all snug and cosy while I watch TV. My hot water bottle is all soft and cosy too and I love having it in bed to put my cold feet on:

Elvin the Elf's day 3: a template

On Just Bex, Elvin the Elf's challenge today is a template:



So here's mine - background is Craft Creations paper, snowman and words are Whispers stamps, middle snowflake embellie is from the Anna Griffin box and the ribbons are Dovecraft (I think - can't remember):



Thanks, Elvin, for this challenge - and Sue for showing your fab card. I had almost given up making Christmas cards, but still have loads of Christmas stuff to use, so it was no hardship to make another:

Elvin the Elf's day 1 and HS:MS SPS 15

Over on Just Bex, Elvin the Elf has begun his Christmas countdown challenges. Today he has asked us to provide a photo, taken today. So here is mine:



Of course, for those of us who do the HS:MS photos it is SPS today anyway, so here is my photo, the same one softened etc in Digital Pro:

Dear oh dear

Despite all that's going on, the swap csrds for November on Crafts by Carolyn needed to be done - and try as I might I just couldn't come up with an idea for 'bright and funky', which is the reason why these were left till the last minute. In desperation I've made these four cards, but to say I'm unhappy with them is to put it mildly. But suppose everyone has times when inspiration and creativity just fail to respond to the urgency of the task! These cards weren't even my first attempt - I wouldn't dare show those - my young grandchildren would be able to produce much better.

I was hoping that perhaps the photos might make the cards look better, but, no, they look just as bad as they do irl.

Perhaps inspiration and creativity will return soon so that normal service can be resumed (although with the chaos atm I'm not too sure when that will be).

The flowers and leaves are stamped with cat's eye chalk in pads direct to paper and quickly embossed with gold detail (which admittedly does actually show up better irl than on the photos) - the edging was done the same way.

Snowmen and Snowflakes

These ATCs are for the November swap on Tanda Stamps (oh, why did I leave them till the last minute? We didn't expect the rest of the decorating to be done till after Christmas, so all of this happening suddenly has thrown everything into chaos).

I nearly gave these a miss - try as I might, I just couldn't get into thinking what to do, probably because I wanted to achieve something different to the norm, but inspiration wouldn't come.

So here is what I did, using Whispers stamps and embossing - the background is the same small stamp used again and again (embossing in between so not to smudge):