Last cards - DONE!!!

I have finally finished this years' crop of Christmas cards!

Last night I made cards for my niece Amelie and nephew Finlay who are coming over tonight to exchange presents.

I can't wait to see how excited Amelie is, she will be 3 in March so is well into Christmas this year. This is Finlay's first Christmas, and being only 5 months I'm sure it will pass him by but there's so many more to look forward to!

I thought these Forever Friends images were just so cute for their cards. Amelie's has been jazzed up with pink and silver glitter, while Finlay's has been paper pieced on the stocking, coloured with brush markers and I added white glitter to the "fur".

Our snow seems to be retreating, albeit very slowly - just hope we get some more for Friday. There is a cloudless, bright blue sky today but it's so cold.

Christmas has been an odd time these past few years as my Auntie Maureen died on Christmas Eve 2006 and it kind of takes the edge off things a bit, I know she wouldn't want us to be maudlin but it does make you think about absent friends and family.

With love to all of those who are not with their loved ones this Christmas, for whatever reason xxxx

Best Christmas wishes everyone & a happy and propserous 2010! xxx

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas......

Well this past week has seen the UK doused in snow. It's not very often we get it where I live and if we do it tends to be a dusting which has vanished in a short while. However, this latest arctic blast has seen us with snow on the ground since Thursday!

I took a couple of pictures from my bedroom window (it's on the 2nd floor), it was bitterly cold even though the sun was shining.

I thought I would try to be arty taking pictures of the icicles through the window with the blue sky behind.....I'm no David Bailey, but I like to have a go! Lol

It's just fingers crossed that we get a bit more and it lasts until the weekend. It will be fab to have a White Christmas!!

Trying Something New

I finally managed a weekend crafting to finish making my friends' Christmas card orders. I thought it would be the ideal opportunity to try out some of the wide range of folding techniques I've seen on all the crafting forums and blogs these past few weeks.

I started with the Diamond Fold for Steven's nieces Jessica and Sophie. Using my favourite Miss Anya stamp, I made them almost identical (just painted them differently)

Steven and Stewart loved them and I hope the girls do too!

Next I tried the Flip Flop Fold for Stewart's card for his Mum. Again, I was very surprised just how easy it was, I followed a step-by-step tutorial like I did for the one above.

Finally I had a go at an Easel Fold card for my Dad to give to Mum. There are absolutely loads of these on the forums and I can see why, they are lovely and quick to make and look really unusual.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Good old Nat King Cole & Dean Martin were crooning away yesterday as I decorated my tree. Dad and I were up at Chopwell Wood by 8am and 15 minutes later we were on our way home with my 7ft Norman Fir - just the 2nd one I looked at (I'm quite fussy about the shape of my tree but this one was perfect!).


Once it was watered and rested I got to work........ with some help from Phoebe who decided to make a bed out of the tinsel

After rescuing the tinsel, a glass of wine and loads of glitter ta dah!!

My Christmas Tree 2009!

All it needs now are the presents underneath and it's finished xxx

Yet More Babies!

My area manager from work became the proud Dad of twin girls earlier this week and I was asked to make a card big enough for everyone to sign.......

... I've had some great comments, let's hope the new parents like it too!

Getting back to normal at last.....

Phew it's been a busy few weeks but thankfully I can get back to some sort of normality.
I had my latest accountancy exam last night and although I don't think I've done very well (we had so much to learn in such a short space of time), I'm just happy it's over and done with.

Congratulations go to my friend Cheryl and her partner Andrew who welcomed baby Lillian Teresa into the world on Saturday! I can't wait to meet up with them all in the New Year.

It's going to be a very festive weekend - I'm off to Chopwell Wood to select my tree and will attempt to decorate it with little or no help from Phoebe the cat! I have no idea what Phoebe's past experiences of Christmas are like but seeing as she was rescued from a violent household I can't imagine it being good. I hope she doesn't decide to climb the tree!! I've also got my first batch of sweet mince pies to make with my own homemade sweet mince - move over Nigella!! And my friend Katie is coming over for a messy day - so we'll be crafting and making Christmas cookies. I can't wait to get the tinsel out, have the Nat King Cole Christmas songs on and have the wonderful smells of baking and clove studded oranges wafting through the house! Ho ho ho!