Counting down to Christmas

Prompt 5 of my Christmas Journal. I made an advent calendar as the page was meant to be about advent calendars but I dont have one..I hate the ones with the chocolate in! The next idea for the page was to make a list of 25 things you love about Christmas....Ive done my Top 5!

Ive hidden George and Daisy behind box 2!

I am totally enjoying the xmas journal so Im trying to catch up, there are so many inspirational pages to look at on everyone's blogs. I forgot to mention in my previous post the stamped titles are from a set of stamps I bought at the Craft Den they are on sale 2 packs for £ 10...I love them. The circles are brill to decorate the backgrounds and they make great titles. I havent used the bigger letters yet but Im sure they will make an apperance in my Christmas Journal.

More Christmas Journal....

Ive completed a few more pages for my Christmas Journals. Day 3 is about Christmas Cards. I dont know how I manage it! I include the dogs in most topics so it seem daft not to show you my doggy Christmas cards!

Day 4 is about what makes a Christmas perfect for you...Lunch with friends and a trip to the Theatre, Dreamboats and Petticoats. We had a great day out and the Show was brilliant. Im too young to know most of the music...lol but my friends were singing thier hearts out which made me giggle!

Christmas is coming...

I've finally made a start on my Christmas Journal! My friend Norma has joined in with Shimelle's online class for a couple of years so I thought this year I would have a go! I have completed the first few prompts which is "My Manifesto" and "My perfect winter weather". The 1st page was to document why you have started this book. The second prompt was to document the weather! I hate the winter months, having 3 dogs to walk it's a drag in the dark and everywhere is so muddy so I chose to document what I would like the weather to be. I would love this year to have a white Christmas. The photos on this page were taken earlier this year when we had loads of snow and I was snowed in for a few days, I loved it!
I am using a lovely pack of papers from the Craft Den its a Paper Artsy pack called Rum and Raisin. I've also finished my page from this week's Craft Den Class. We used some amazing stamps that Lyyne now has on sale in the shop. We decorated the stamped image with stickles, punched flowers and butterflies. I cut round the stamped flourishes to frame the photo.

I am busy next week so will miss the last scrapbooking class before Christmas so I hope you all have a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year. Lynne mentioned that she will be having a sale after Christmas so Im sure it wont be long before I pop up to Craft Den again to grab a bargain or too!

Saturday's sewing workshop

On Saturday I attended my monthly sewing class, we made a Christmas Table Runner. It was a great project to use up all our fabric scraps. We appliqued christmas trees on the centre. I quilted the table runner with an all over star pattern. We had a great teacher, Norma was very patience with us! The highlight of the Christmas workshop each year is the hot turkey and stuffing sandwiches, they were as tasty as ever!

I wrapped my first Christmas present this weekend. I found a great gift bag to keep them in, its for one of my very good crafting friends!

Last night's Craft Den class

This is my layout from last night's Craft Den Class. Im sorry I dont know what range of papers we used as I was too eager to get going....what I really mean is I didnt pay enough attention (sorry Lynne)! What I do know is that Lynne now has a paper room, it's crammed full 12x12 papers, it's lovely to see it all neatly stacked. If you havent seen it already, it's worth a visit.

Im off out for my 1st Christmas Lunch today and then we are off to the Theatre to see Dreamboats and Petticoats...I cant wait!

We love Santa Paws!

We had a great time at the Bullies In Need Christmas Party. They raised £585 which will help with the vets bills they have! Big G sat nicely on a chair and watched the party go by......

We met Santa Paws who gave us a nice present full of doggie treats!
We loved the party games, the egg and spoon race and pass the parcel were our favourites! We stayed over in Mablethorpe, the weather only just held out for a run on the beach on Sunday morning! Look at the sky! We managed to shelter just before the hail storm started!

I did find some time to craft this weekend. Lynne kindly gave me some lovely pink Hessian to play with. I used it to mount my title tag and embellishments on. Ive got loads left so watch this space Im sure it will appear on a few more pages

This picture makes me smile everytime I look at it. My sister says at least Isabel is warm and dry and I say she will look back at this in a few years time and say "arrh Mum... how daft do I look!"

My jolly holidays...

I went to my weekly class last night at the Craft Den. I love the layout. I just had to finish it as soon as I got home. I added a title with some foam letters I bought a while ago. Thanks Lynne for an enjoyable evening. Lynne is celebrating her Blogoversary, she is 1 year old. She is giving some gorgeous Blog Candy away, you must have a look here

I have been off work this week so I thought lots of crafting to catch up with....well you know what thought did! I dont seem to have achieved much this week. I have been finishing off some bunting for my Niece's new bedroom. It has also beem the 25th of November this week, so here I go again! This month is "Totally You" a day to focus on yourself. I hated taking photos of my self. I must have took 5 attempts at each one until I got one I liked! Here are my mug shots!

Please dont have nightmares after looking at these shots!

We are off to the seaside this weekend for the Bullies In Need's Christmas Party. Daisy and George are really excited about meeting Santa Paws. It will be BJ's first time so I hope he's not scared! Daisy has her fancy dress out fit sorted so we are ready to go. I will get loads of photos so will post again after the weekend!

Last weeks Craft Den class....

This is my layout above from last week's Craft Den class. We had great fun punching out all those flowers. I couldnt resist doing another page to go with it as I always have too many photos!

Lynne, I think I need help.....I'm addicted to Pearl Pens just like you. I love making my own bling with them so added a few to finish off my pages.

The photos were taken when my Brother ran the Worksop marathon a few weeks ago, so I took the opportunity to get some family photos!

The colours for the layouts are gorgeous, Lynne explained at the beginning of the class about her colours choices, she is really good at it. It took me back to my art college days, with the colour wheel...perhaps I should use it more! LOL! I apologise for not blogging as much as I used to , this work thing just gets in the way!

All things Japanese!

Katie from Japan Crafts demonstarting how to wrap 2 bottles (Bin Nihon Tsutsumi)

Hon Tsutsumi (Book Wrap)

Hana Tstsumi (Flower Wrap)

Otsukai Tsutsumi (Errand Wrap)

Hana Tstsumi (Flower Wrap)

Yotsu Musabi (Four Petal Knot)

Sweet Wrapper!

On Saturday, Mary kindly invited me to the Sheffield Lacemakers Day. There was going to be a demonstration on Furoshiki - The Japanese Art of wrapping with fabric. I have always loves all things Japanese so jumped at the chance. The workshops were run by Katie Chaplin from Japan Crafts. It was very interesting to watch Katie wrap a number of items in a Furoshiki. We made beautiful shapes such as flowers and animals from the cloth. The cloth can then be used by the recipient around the home, a perfect example of reusing and recycling! In the afternoon we made some Origami. We learn the basic folds and make a variety of objects from handmade ‘washi’ and ‘chiyogami’ paper.

Christmas trees and garlands!

We also made boxes from paper and fabric which was stiffened with Japanese Rice Glue. Katie kindly made me a fabric origami crane which you can see in the background. I have a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Memories!

I've had such a busy weekend, we had a family Bonfire Party. My sister made the scrummy Snickers muffins above and the OH made a Baileys and Chocolate Cheesecake. He is great, he just makes the recipes up as he goes along! The party was lovely, we had a few pretty fireworks for my niece Isabel...no bangers as she only 16 months old!

I am working on scrapbooking my recent London trip with my Grandma, I am putting them in an 8x8 book so I wont bore you with it as you have seen the photos before! I love looking back through my scrapbooks, this is one of my favourite pages. My sister and I went back to New York in 2007. We had been before so this time we had a list of stuff we either missed or loved the first time round! As always it is a double page layout with the title going over both pages. I wanted to keep the page black and white with a hint of colour so I picked out the blue of the NY sky.

I mentioned a while ago on my blog that I would show you the pages about my motorbike accident. Id forgotten how bad they are...design wise! I think these pages were completed within the 1st six months of scrapbooking so dont look at the LO. I like the photos and the story it tells!

I was in and out of hospital for 3 years, and I think 5 operations before I started to totally recover. I spent the 1st 6 months in a wheelchair which meant I had to move out of my flat and in with some very kind friends. Some of you know Mary who comes to the Craft Den with me, she set up a bedroom for me in her Dining room and I lived with her for a year until I found a ground floor flat! Mary taught me how to sew and the rest is history! It helped my recovery as it took my mind of the situation I was in. When I looked back now, it brings back lots of good memories Ive forgotten the bad bits!

Craft Den Rocks!

Just a quick post today.....Theses are my pages from last weeks Craft Den class. We used a new range of Bo Bunny papers, sorry forgot which one as Lynne stocks so many! I especially enjoyed using the Viva Pearl Pen to make my own "bling", you have some great ideas Lynne....I wonder what you will do with the Pearl Pens next.