Merry Christmas.....

Just checking in to wish you all a very merry Christmas - we will be happy to spend time with family, Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a wonderful time......

Sharing a card I made with an embossing folder, then cut around the edges with a craft knife.........

 and inked lightly with Simon Says Stamp sea glass ink over the embossing.... 

before adding a heat embossed sentiment and a few sequins for sparkle......

Be Merry! See you when it's slightly less frantic.......x

Tree Sympathy

I used a Penny Black stamp - (Slapstick Cling, Regalia) for a quick sympathy card.....

I used my distress ink mini's to selectively ink up just bits of the stamp. I used my MISTI so after I inked up the trunk and branches in Walnut Stain, I was able to go back and dab various ink pads onto the leaves and it stamped in exactly the right spot. Even though it is a sympathy card and I didn't want sparkly, I did add just a few tiny dots of copper stickles here and there, which gave it a bit of dimension. The sentiment is by Simon Says Stamp. I seem to be a bit fixated on one layer cards at the moment, but I did like the result I got with this one

Well I did a load of gift wrapping, and as always some people have hit the jackpot with a bunch of presents that I forgot I had bought, and a couple of important people have nothing at all. There is nothing else for it - I need to face the crowds in the shops today. Wish me luck.... 

Life never goes according to plan......

Here's a couple of cards made with a simple little snowflake punch - the wreath snowflakes were punched out of navy glitter card, white glitter and silver mirri card, so it's really glittery and pretty in real life.....

and this second one used some stuff I found by Woodware that puffs up when heated - I've tried other brands and they all turn a bit yellow, but this stayed white

We went to a lovely Christening service in a small Worcestershire village, I was so taken with the floral arrangements I had to take photos to show you......

and the reason for the title of this post? Unfortunately our daughter in law's dad has been very ill, and we had to do a totally unplanned dash down to Surrey last week to help out with the children. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem at all, but at the back of my mind was the knowledge that we had invited thirty or so friends round for a Sunday lunchtime housewarming party. Gulp. But all things can be overcome, I did a bit of cooking down there while the boys were at school, and we drove back late on Friday with the car full of food! It all went well, and the food that I cheated with and mixed in with the homemade stuff was fine. So now the party debris is all cleared away, and I am trying to keep on top of things in case we have to help out again. 

A marathon wrapping session is on the cards for today. A job I rather dislike - I get into the swing of it, lose the scissors about twenty times, the pen on hand to write the labels gets buried somewhere, the tape runs out at regular intervals, and why did I think six rolls of wrapping paper would be enough......The first few parcels look quite fancy, with elaborate bows and sprigs of berries artfully tucked into the bows. The last ones look as if they have been wrapped by a three year old - do you think newspaper could become the new wrapping fashion, I do hope so..........

Fuse Snowflakes...

So I had a little session with my Fiskars Fuse, and the snowflakes die, but instead of letterpressing with ink, I used versamark, then heat embossed with silver....three more cards under my belt.....

The chaps from Amazon continue to beat a path to my door, and the pile of presents is growing nicely. My next job is to spread everything out on the bed and make a list of what I have, and for whom......I usually find that I have a sackful of presents for one person, and none for another. Even though my kids are grown, I still enjoy getting them 'stocking stuffers', and last year my daughter presented me with a sack full of gifts of my own. 'You always do it for us mum' she explained 'I thought I would do it for you'................I haven't been so excited about opening stuff since I was a child!

How are your preparations going? I can ask this now we are in December! x