Christmas Journal

For the last four years I have taken part in  Shimelle class called Journal Your Christmas. Inevitably I end up terribly behind and somewhat stressed so this year I decided to just take part in her photo prompt version.I figured I would be able to at least take a photo of my Christmas in 2012!
Well I managed it although not necessarily on the correct days and I have now printed the pictures ready to scrap them into a journal. I really want this to be a quick, no stress exercise so I have just a few supplies and one font for all the titles. I have a lovely book from Seawhite to do it in and finally I have made a start.
Here are the first 2 pages....

The titles are the photo prompts for the days and I have just added some journalling to explain the photo.
"My hands have been kept busy this year making lotsof my gifts. I have knitted and crocheted for several people"

A Tree (not your own). "Trees always start going up in public buildingsway before we even think about ours. We went to a concert in Brighton where we saw this first one of the year up close".

More of my life....

Ok, some more pics of my Photo a Day.

Jan 16; my friend Alison's birthday and we all went to the pub....yes on a SCHOOL night! 

Jan 17; I had a party bag from said aforementioned party and in it was a pot of bubbles. My dogs go MAD for bubbles so Eliza was playing with them.

Jan 18: finally we got our promised snow. It was forecast to come in the morning rush hour. I drove to school, it started at about 9 and so the Head sent all the children back home as they arrived. My children had an INSET day already so they got out the Scrabble. I won't play it....too much hanging about for me. I find it the most tedious game imaginable!

Jan 19; went to build a snowman. After Derek that we built 2 years ago we fancied a challenge so meet Daphne Dalek. Sadly some yob kicked her head off just the next day and althought we re built her they came back and tipped her completely over. Much anger in our household over that.

Jan 20; It snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed all day long! This is the tree in my garden by the end of the day.

Jan 21; another snowday! This time we took the dogs for a walk and Katy decided this fresh untouched snow was just too tempting for words!

Jan 22. Back to school and we took the children outside to make snow domes and then did some clearing of the playground.

Jan 23; rather uneventful but I continued to crochet a rainbow blanket I started at the end of November and I moved from blue to indigo!

Jan 24; after a break of I don't know how long I did some scrapbooking again. I started my Christmas Journal.
There you go, I am all caught up so I shall just add them once a week now.

Pot holder.

This is my potholder....

....I keep burning it in my gas cooker so I keep thinking it is about time I had a new one but as usual never get round to it. Well as we had another snow day I FINALLY got my bum in gear.

My motto for the year is "Re-use, Recycle" so I went to my stash of trousers in the loft and found some brown cords and some children's trousers with this flower pabel. Whizzed it all together with a plain brown back and quilted it with red thread. Finally the binding is some ribbon that came round a fleece blanket I bought from Primark! New pot holder for nothing and my first recycled project!

Knitted Cowl

No cards for ages and then two come along at once! It was my friend Alison's birthday last week so I made her a quick card....

..and to go with it a cowl with a flower corsage.

She was chuffed to bits with it and I even saw her wearing it in the snow in some photos she posted on Facebook!!
Dead easy; might make one for myself!

Some rare cards!

As you know I have little or no mojo for making cards but sometimes it just has to be done. I got so many lovely presents from all the children at school (and staff!) that I felt a handmade card was the only way. So I made a whole parliament of owls!

Katy was feeling poorly and trying to stay awake so she did all the colouring in for me! 

And  the stamps were freebies from the Craftstamper magazine I used to get.

Bit more Photo a Day

Jan 9; Today was Minnie's haircut day so we have 2 pics...

Before....

...and after!

Jan 10; Katy was made redundant from her job. The deli had to close down so everyone was told to help themselves to all the produce. Katy had to dash off to a violin lesson but we thought this was quite a good redundancy package!

Jan 11; Katy used her new hairdryer for the first time.For some reason she and Jasper had a Titanic moment!

Jan 12; I went to Burnices cabin to celebrate her birthday with Linda. We had a delicious roast dinner and ate far too much!

Jan 13; I went down and had coffee with Mum and she tried to think of things for her birthday at the end of the month!

Jan 14; We were forecast LOADS of snow. Haa Haa, this was all we got!

Jan 15;I got an extra Christmas present today from my class teacher. She bought me the book which I popped into my new red handbag!
That's all for now, nearly caught up and it looks like we might be heading for another snow day tomorrow so I can show you what I have been making.

My version of Photo a Day

Right, first few pics for my Photo a Day. Starting on Jan 1, a new photo technique of the tree where I cut a filter for my camera lens and took a pic through it, 

Jan 2; I walked to town and bought myself some new boots in the Clarks sale.

Jan 3; made turkey soup.

Jan 4; took Jess back to Bournemouth and ate these REALLY sour candy canes on the way!

Jan 5; I did those crochet hearts. This one is Jan 6; tidying away the decorations.

Jan 7; back to work at school.

Jan 8; back to running after 2 weeks off for Christmas. Only did a short one!

Hopefully I will be able to post these more regularly now I have worked out how to do it again!

Crochet hearts

Well as I mentioned Blogger seems to be having a moment and not letting me add pictures but I think I have re-discovered how to add them via Picasa.

I think this year might be my year of crochet. I am making a rainbow coloured throw and have lots of scraps of coloured wool leftover. I came across this easy pattern for hearts on Pinterest so I have decided to make them in all the colours and then will embellish a cushion with them.
Hope you are all enjoying the snow.....I LOVE it. More about that later.

New Year, New Challenge

Happy New Year to you all! Now I had a fab long post explaining all my plans for 2013 but for some reason I cannot get pictures onto my blog at the moment! Nothing has changed so if you have an idea why please let me know!
Therefore I can't show you anything I have been up to! We had a very quiet Christmas; Ken was working and then he got flu when he was off!
So basically my plans for 2013 craftwise....
I am doing my version of Photo 365 and taking a photo every day. I was going to show you the first batch! I'm not sure whether I will scrap them or just store them digitally.
Second I am going to try hard not to buy any (well not much) new fabric or wool but upcycle all the old clothing I have saved into quilts and cushions and flex that design muscle I think I have hidden in there somewhere!
Thirdly....because I think it is good to have three goals, I want to try and sell some of the things I make. This is the scariest one and I have NO idea how to begin!!!