Day 17 and 18

I can't quite remember what the prompt was for 17th but I decided to go "off piste" and just add some pics of us going to collect Jess from Bournemouth. We made a day of it, taking everyone down with us. We had a nice meal at Prezzo and then a wander throught the German Market before bringin her back to Sussex for Christmas! A lovely day and it's nice to have her home again.

Day 18 was a chance to talk about your Christmas Menu. We have the same every year so no change here! I do ask if the children would like something different to turkey but they always say no! Their main reason for wanting turkey; so we can have a really yummy Jamie Oliver recipe with the leftovers!

JYC Days 15 and 16

Look what difference a nights sleep makes! Pictures right way round!! Day 15 is always one I find a bit tricky to do as we rarely have visitors so I end up writing pretty much the same each year!

Day 17 is a moment to think about what we are grateful for in this busy season. Quite pleased how this page turned out because in the past this entry has looked a bit "listy".

So bit more caught up. Might manage some more today!

JYC Days 13 and 14

Grrr, now why oh why have these pics gone sideways?? They are saved straight in my PC and I took them straight? Anyway you will just have to turn your head sideways to look I'm afraid! Day 13 was about Music in the run up to Christmas. I saved tickets and programmes from the various concerts the children have done in the run up.

Day 14 was about "the Rules of present distribution!" I decided to make a stack of parcels to represent this and had great fun making them and using up some card toppers too!

Right, now I need to find out why my pictures are sideways....

JYC Days 11 and 12

Day 11 was time to think about the tree; how it is decorated, and special decorations, lights, tinsel and so on. This year Katy is doing photography GCSE so she has taken lots of photos and I used two of hers on this page. Our tree this year was meant to be red and white with a touch of silver to go in with a whole candy cane theme but when I unpacked all the decorations we had barely any red or white ones! We went with glass, and anything with red on it in the end and the compulsory lametta, red this year for a change, and I included a piece or two as an embellie.

Day 12 was about Christmas's past and as part of the book I just did for my Dad I had this picture of us at Christmas. I did struggle a bit to work out the exact date but we moved to our new house in November 1977 and the first Christmas we didn't have a piano and I think the whole of the lounge carpet was up as we had a leak somewhere. That makes me think this is probably '78 or'79 and I would have been 10 or 11 and Sarah would have been 7 or 8. Also the tree is stood where our TV was and we didn't have a TV that first year either!

JYC 9&10

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day! In the mad dash to the day I did manage to squeeze in an evening of craft and used it to start catching up with this years Journal. Never before have I been so behind! Still, I have taken lots of photos so I am sure I will get there eventually.
Day 9 and we were considering Traditions. I guess when you think about it we all have lots of this that build up over the years into our own version of Christmas, coming in from both sides of the family. A quick page so I just listed a few of ours.

Day 10 was about wrapping. Always last minute in this house, although this year we were done by 8pm on Christmas Eve! Never has it been done so early!

Now I just need another quiet evening to catch up some more!

Friendship quilts

Ages ago, way back in about September, Burn, Linda and I decided to make friendship quilts. So we each bought 2 fat quarters and gave them to each other to be made into a 12" square for each other. These were then going to be our Christmas gifts to be made into a quilt each in the New Year. Are you with me still? I decided to use my Hobo Quilts book to make three squares, one for each of us, using panels that were relevant to each of us. First I did mine. The panels mean (from top left, going clockwise) cops active, man with a gun, OK and kind hearted lady. If you know me then you will recognise the significance of these ones!

Linda gave me a fat quarter with houses on and this is her panel. She loves her garden, has a big dog and lives near the sea so her squares mean (again top left going clockwise) well-guarded house, good water, housewife feeds for chores and work available.

Burnice gave me a fat quarter that was black, grey and white spots. It is her cabin we go to once a month and she nearly always supplies us with cake or biscuits so her squares mean (same order) woman, bread, here is the place and anything goes.
I will show you the two I got from them when I get some decent light to photograph them and then next year we will join them into 3 quilts!

An unusual card...

I always try to make a Christmas card for my class teacher from the children each year. I have done a few different ones over the years but this year I was a bit stumped. However we have just done a Nativity called "Christmas with the Aliens" so I asked every child to paint an alien. Then they added details in pen before writing a Christmas message on the back.

We had some great ones....

I then made them a space ship and mounted them in it so the teacher could take them out and read them! The words are lines that the aliens say in the play! The children LOVED making their aliens and I think she loved it too. Not very Christmassy but a good reminder of what we did this year!

Still going...just

Day 8 is a chance to show what Christmas preparations are happening around us. I hadn't taken very many pictures but as I work in school there are always little bits about. I haven't had a chance to take pictures of lights or shop windows as all my shopping has been online! I added some frosty pics too, think that might be the closest we get to a white one this year.

Next Day.

Was a bit fed up when I did this page. Well not really but I still have sooooooo much to do and I have been poorly and the weather is rubbish blah, blah, blah! Today's prompt was about lists; lists of what you still have to do and I found that just too depressing. So instead I typed a conversation with myself about where I am with Christmas today, (well on 7th). I am refusing to panic...

JYC Day 6

Hooray, we seem to be cooking on gas now and I can show you Day 6. This was a chance to talk about a tale of two Christmases; or a good versus a bad Christmas. I chose to talk about my choice to "theme" my Christmas this year instead. I am quite pleased with the long photo I used on the LH side. And it's meant to be blurry...it's an effect!!!

More JYC

Well I can't get the earlier pictures to load straight so lets go with Day 5. Advent calendars is the theme so the first photos in my album are of the ones we are using this year. No Jess this year so only three at home. We did post her one to open in Bournemouth though!

Journal Your Christmas.....at last!

Grrrr I am having technical glitches with my PC/Blog/Picasa at the moment!

Finally I have started to Journal this year's Christmas. The first 2 days WILL not rotate round the correct way so we I will have to start you off with Day 3 and thoughts about cards. For the BG I used the envelopes of the cards we have received so far. I also included this year's Christmas stamps. So at last I am under way, many days behind but off the starting blocks!

A Book for Dad

In August my Dad was 70. So what did he want for his birthday? Well, he is having a house built in America at the moment so "nothing" was his reply. I couldn't let such a date go by unmarked so I decided to make him a book with pictures of him growing up. Now this was a tad complicated because he divorced my Mum when I was 16 and I have no photos of his "new" wife although things are very amicable. My Auntie Sue was great; since my Nana died she has all the family photos so she scanned an e-mailed me several. Then my Mum dug out a load and I was able to make him a very plain book, containing some pictures that I hope he will be able to cherish.My Dad with his Mum and Dad and then a war time picture that Nana probably sent to Grandad. He was one of the original Desert Rats fighting in North Africa in the War. My Dad went to University in Cambridge and this is him in the infamous "Bumps" races, then on his wedding day to my Mum.And here are my Mum and Dad with me.I was adopted in 1968 and this is the first ever pic of me with them, followed by a pic with Dad on my first Christmas.

These are pics of me and Dad in our garden at Willow Park. I guess I am about 10 months or so...

I gave it to him today; he didn't say a lot but I hope he liked it.

Art Journal Weeks 44 and 45

The challenge continues with Week 44..."Inspiration- What inspires you?Are there certain times or places that you are more inspired? Include some inspirational words/pictures" I have to say that if I ever need inspiration I turn to the internet and sites like Blogger, Pinterest or good old Google. I also look in books a lot. I particularly like Pinterest because I can put all those things I find whilst I am surfing, in one place to find again later! Week 45 was about Patience "Are you patient, what in particular drives you potty? Use contrasting colours eg calm/angry". I think, for a redhead, I have a long fuse. I am a slow burn kinda gal! Things will mount up and mount up until POW! I blow! But once it is out of my system I am fine, calmness restored. And what makes me really see red are my children bickering, in fact ANY bickering; answering back, and that can be at home or at school; arrogance, a most unattractive quality and one that makes me see red instantly, so much so that I would not bother to continue a conversation with somebody who was arrogant! Lastly is meaness, I don't have a lot but what I have I share whether it be time or money etc and I don't like to see others keeping to themselves. Fortunately I am blessed with generous friends and family!

More SMASH!

Bit more SMASH. THis page is from when we took the Guides to the Big Gig at Wembley Stadium. Again I think I have blogged about this before but this is the bits and pieces from the day. It was an amazing concert, all girls in the audience so extremely loud, especially when The Wanted performed!
Now I think this page is more how I picture SMASH pages. A collection of images, colours and bits that I intend to use for our Christmas this year. It began with the candy cane ribbon and then I found the other pictures about and added them as a memory jogger for when I actually "do" christmas this year.

SMASH Book

So have you succumbed yet? I think I told you that I was lucky enough to be given a SMASH Book for my birthday. I wasn't sure if it was something I was going to share or keep private, but my Blog has been so abandoned of late that I thought I better scrabble about for something to show you!

This first page is bits and pieces from when we took Jess off to Uni, way back in September. You have seen the photo of the housemates already because I used it in my LSNED Journal. Thanks to Linda I think I am developing a thing for beach huts...Here we have bits from a trip to the show at Ally Pally. I went with friends who all craft together and we decided to make a list of things to try inspired by what we saw demonstrated there. And what is more I can proudly say we have done the marbling and the melt pot so far!

I am not quite sure if I have quite pitched this SMASH stuff quite right yet....but I am enjoying practicing!

Lots more Peg Bags!

When Burnice and Linda came over during the week we had decided to make peg bags. They really liked the ones I had already made and as I want to sell them at Gilly's Xmas Bazaar I made a few more. Burnice was making a green one for a friend and she had enough fabric to cut out an extra one which she very kindly gave to me to add to my little stock! These are the four I made today and I have another one already done so I shall just add a few pegs and they are all ready to go.

Art Journal Weeks 42 and 43

I have taken my time to do Week 42 because I couldn't decide what I thought! It was all about "Coincidence, do you believe there is more to it than just coincidence? Do you have any stories of coincidences? Include some numbers". I just couldn't make up my mind....

Week 43 was about being sociable. "Are you sociable, do you prefer large or small gatherings, can you do small talk? Can you amuse yourself, do you like your own company? Include an invitation". I always thought I was a social animal and hated to be alone with just myself, particularly as a child. But as my days have become crammed full with being a wife and mother to 4 I crave time alone. Now my lot are growing up I get time alone and I love it...just as long as it's not toooo long, a day is enough at a stretch. And I am much more choosy about socialising; I prefer to pick who and how I socialise. Life is too short to spend time socialising with people I don't know /like! Right, it's official; I am a Grumpy Old Woman!

No invite in this however...I couldn't work one in and I was in a painty mood. I also have a social gathering to attend today that I am unsure about so I think that is swaying my choices.

I crochet....

OMG! I did it! Remember that hexagon knitted throw and how it needed a crochet edge? Well when my friends Linda and Burnice came over we were too bust sewing to do it so last night I got a book out and had a bash......

...and I did it! Double crochet all round the edge, two rows deep! Obviously this pic only shows one row but it does finish it off. I know it's very basic but I couldn't be more excited....
...even tho' I think I have done it a bit tight and the blanket doesn't quite lay flat! Hey-ho, it's rustic!

We can see you-hoo!

I am a new addict to Pinterest; guess what I found on there? The pattern for these super cute owls. As owls seem to be "the thing" at the moment I thought these might go down well at Gilly's Christmas Fair. They are very quick and easy to make too!

A Bag for Eliza.

I am sure you remember the couple of 60's style bags I made over the summer. Eliza has been waiting for me to make one for her too but I mislaid the fabric she wanted me to use. Whilst a-rummaging in the loft last week for wool to finish my blanket I found it so finally I did it for her. This fabric was given to me some time ago; I didn't know what I was going to do with it but I knew I would use it one day. I guess it is meant to be nursery fabric but I think it is rather retro and cool and Eliza loves it as a bag!

Art Journal Week 41

This week was "Films; What was the first film you saw at a cinema and who with, favourite film, include some film meomorabilia". Well I wasn't quite sure whether the first film I saw was Dumbo or Snow White. I have very clear memories of going to the cinema to see Dumbo and joining the queue but being sent home when we reached the front as that showing was full and then having to go back later for the next showing. I also remember going to see Snow White and ducking down behind the seats because I was scared when I saw the witch! So I Wikipedia-d both films and discovered that Dumbo was re-released in '72 and '76 and Snow White in '75 so from that I deduced that my first film was Snow White! We lived in a cul-de-sac at the time and I went with a girl who lived down the road called Fiona Avery....I won't say she was a particular friend because she was bigger than me and I remember she pinched me REALLY hard one time when I was playing with her. Still I had the last laugh because she poked her fingers through our back gate (after being told not to), and was bitten by our rather anti-social, uber protective, dog at the time!
Anyway I digress, fave film is really any of the three Baz Luhrman Red Curtain films; Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet (the one with Claire Danes and Leonardo Di Caprio) and Moulin Rouge. In the end I plumped for Moulin Rouge as I just ADORE Ewan McGregor.....swoon!!!

Patchwork knitted throw

Hmmm well it looks a bit ropey now, but this is what I have been doing over the last few weeks. It is meant to be knitted in very chunky wool but being a meanie I used 2 strands of double knit together and used up some of my stash of wool. The hexagons are in 4 different designs and for some reason the very bobbly ones just didn't come out very hexagonal! Still they went together ok and I think that has pulled them into shape a bit more.

Now I need to crochet an edge.....LINDA!!!! or HELLY!!!! help please! I think that will help hold the shape too. And I have some more ends to sew in but it took me a whole day to sew together so I was bit bored of ends by the time I had joined all the hexagons! Looks a bit of a funny selection of colours in the photo....tis better in real life, honest!

Art Journal Week 40

Yes it is Week 40! This week we are thinking about "Birthdays-do you celebrate/remember them? Have you had any memorable ones? Use a candle on your page." Well at my messy play session at Gilly's on Saturday I did this pinky pink background using shaving foam and cosmic shimmers. I borrowed the candle stamp from Gilly (bless her-I think we thoroughly ravaged her stash on Saturday- sorry) and rescued the cupcake from wrapping paper in the bin! Mounted it on card and added some glitter to it and the edge of the page and another one in the bag! Just 12, yes really only 12, more to go!

My Crafty Day at Gilly's!

I went to Gilly's on Saturday for a "scrapbooking" day. Hmm not a lot of scrapbooking got done. I have had a rubbish week and both are things completely out of my control. So first it was decreed that we needed Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, the Glamour selection of course, supplied by my glamourous friend Helly...

As the winner of the most rubbish week AND a Krispy Kreme virgin, I got the glittery one....

...so pretty! We then spent the day getting messy. We played with Sharon's meltpot, used shaving foam and Cosmic Shimmers, made paper roses and then Helly wanted a go with my gesso. Well it is a bit old my gesso, and a bit smelly so the oh-so-gorgeous-Helly soaked a tissue in geranium oil...

.....well what more can you say! Luv Ya Helly!!!