Tags, tags, tags!

It's been quite nice this week only having to work my core hours and so I have had quite a bit of time in my Crafty Corner.  I have been making my Christmas gift tags.  This is why I bought the holly die, so thought I really should use it for its intended purpose!  Talk about arm ache though!  Having Cuttlebugged all those tags, and then each holly leaf individually as my green card is lovely and thick, I was getting a little bit fed up.  They may look simple but as I'm sure my fellow crafters will appreciate, there are a lot of steps after the die cutting bit, like inking all the edges, sticking them down and then doodling the border (and I've still got the last batch of doodling to do tonight whilst watching The Apprentice!)

I also made these three for my friend who asked me to make them to go on her homemade jams/chutneys that she is popping in a hamper as a gift:

You probably can't tell from the photo, but they are the middle sized Sizzix tag die instead of the larger one that I have used for my holly gift tags.

I need to wrap a few gifts tomorrow as OH's brother and his family are over from the States visiting and we are all meeting up for a big turkey Thanksgiving dinner on Friday when we will also exchange Christmas gifts as they are returning to the States on 2nd December.  I am so looking forward to seeing them all, and to getting my hands on my stash order that I had delivered to their house in America!  How exciting!!!

Carole x

p.s.  I walked the dogs with my friend Louise again this morning in The New Forest, and it was very, very cold, but very, very pretty :

50th Wedding Anniversary

When my friend Natalie saw the card that I had made for her parents Golden Wedding Anniversary she said that any she bought for them wouldn't be as nice as that one (she's very kind, although working in a card shop I know that there are some very nice ones available!!!)  So, she asked me to make one for her to give to them.  This posed a problem as I had pretty much exhausted all my ideas for a golden wedding card already!  However, Natalie provided a black and white photo of the wedding day all those years ago, and I ended up making an A4 size card as when I reduced the size of the photo the quality was pants.  I wanted it to end up a bit like a scrapbook page ...

I am delighted to report that Natalie loved it, and more importantly, so did her parents!!!

I stole a little bit of time in my Crafty Corner this afternoon, but nothing much to show, as I was doing yet more prep work for my Christmas/December Journal.  I am determined to finish this journal after all the hours already invested, BUT the December rota for work has yet to be posted ...  I know what I am going to do for December 1st, and Phil went up into the loft/attic this afternoon and retrieved our advent calendars so that not only can we fill them up but I (or Alex) can photograph them in readiness for my first journal page!!!  How exciting!

Carole x

Happy Birthday Mum!

It was my Mum's birthday a week or so ago, and I just realised that I hadn't blogged the card that I made for her!  In the absence of any new crafting (sad face) here it is:

Having been very excited about doing my Christmas Journal, I am now beginning to worry that I won't be able to keep up with the crafting.  I still really want to do it, so will needs lots of encouragement please!  Alex has said that she would like a photography project, and so she is going to take all the photos to be included in my journal, and hers will be a photo journal - that should help keep me going too!

Carole x

A little bit more Christmassy!

I've had a lovely day!  After the absolute drenching that the dogs and I had yesterday, today's walk was just beautiful.  We went over to our friend Louise's, who recently moved into the New Forest, and we walked there.  It was lovely, cold but sunny, but guess who forgot to take the camera?!!!

I then managed a few hours in my Crafty Corner!  That always makes me happy!  First of all, I prettied up one of my jars of mincemeat that I am giving as a little gift:

This really is a handmade gift!  If you have never tried making your own mincemeat, then you really should!  It's not difficult and I've got a fabulous recipe!  Email me if you want it - but be warned, you will never go back to buying it from the shop!  And don't worry, you've still got time to make it for this Christmas - it needs a couple of weeks to sit before using.

I've also done some more to my Christmas Journal!  I have done the first, or introduction page.  This is on the reverse of the cover.  I decided that I would like to use my fountain pen for all the journalling, and this is what caused me the most bother!  I hadn't used my pen for a while and it just wouldn't get going, so my writing looks a little bit scratchy :(  Never mind, could be worse!!!

I also did some more preparation work.  Tedious or what?!  I Cuttlebugged all the numbers that I will need for all the days!  Oh my goodness, such a lot of ones and twos!!!

I popped them into an empty jar - it has obviously been washed but you can just make out that it had mixed spice in, so my journal will even smell a little bit Christmassy - sigh.

Carole x

Christmas Journal 2010

I must admit that although I knew that preparation was key to the success of this project, I had probably underestimated just how much preparation was needed!  After the few hours spent last week cutting and sticking together the pages and the covers, today I inked all the edges - both sides, crop-a-diled all the holes in the pages and covers, and very scarily, I cut up 90% of my Basic Grey Wassail papers - eek!!!  This project had better be worth it or I shall cry at the vandalism of those beautiful papers!

I also sorted out a box full of specifically Christmas bits and bobs so that everything is together for D-Day (who would have known just how much Christmas stash I would find?)  However, as Wassail, although beautiful is quite "grungy" a lot of my embellishments are a bit clean and won't look right, so I very well may end up making a lot of my own - luckily I also made a pile of appropriate dies!

So, after all that tedious work, I felt the need to be a little bit creative, and what better to get me excited about the project again than the cover of the journal?  Good timing too, as I have all those delicious off cuts of Wassail to use!

I'm loving the gorgeous chunky bell that I found last week while out to lunch (a snip at 65p) and I just had to add it on already!  I shall be working on this to get it even more ready for 1st December ...

I also made my Christmas Pudding and steamed it for the required 6 hours today, so that is ready to go now too.  Is it too early to be feeling Christmassy?!!!

Hope your weekend was crafty too!

Carole x

ATC's

Throughout 2010 I have been part of an ATC swap organised by the lovely Sue.  I have thoroughly enjoyed creating these little bits of art, and especially receiving them!  My little ATC album is nearly bursting at the seams now.

For October, our theme was "Autumn" and here is my take:

I was lucky enough to receive not one, but two from other members of the group.  The first one was from Bev, and I was blown away by how much detail she managed to incorporate on such a little bit of card:

and also a lovely one from Sue, along with a couple of gorgeous tags:

How lucky am I?  Thanks girls!

I have also made a start on my Christmas Journal ...

it's not a lot to look at yet, but it took hours and hours, and I just know that it will need many more hours until I will be ready to run with it, BUT, I am looking forward to the prep as much as the actual journalling!  I am hoping to decorate the cover and do some of the bits that can be done in advance over the next week or so - watch this space!!!

Carole x

Christmas Tree Baubles

I have a few things to share with you now that I know that things have been safely received, but think I shall spread them out due to lack of crafting opportunities at the moment!

So, to continue with my christmas card theme, these are the last two of the set currently made, again using my sale die (it also has a stocking on it, but I haven't had a play with that yet!)  I have had these glittery Doodlebug papers for ages and never quite known what to do with them, but they seemed perfect for christmas baubles (at least the red did, the green might be a bit too lime, but whatever, I went with what I had!)  The only slight problem was sticking the wavy line on - not easy onto a glittery surface!

At the moment, I am thinking about doing a "Journal your Christmas" thing!!!  Mad I know!  I decide to take the pressure off myself by not making ALL my christmas cards this year, then think about doing a day by day, blow by blow journal of Christmas!  I love Christmas, and I probably wouldn't have to do it again, not for a few years anyway, as for me part of the magic of Christmas is the traditions, so not all that much changes year to year.  Am I mad?  Already got loads of notes jotted down and ideas buzzing around in my head ... I thought about signing up for an online class, but think I will do my own thing - IF I decide to go ahead that is!!!

Carole x