A Christmas Warning!!!!

Warning:

Anyone planning to dash through the snow
in a one horse open sleigh, going over the
fields and laughing all the way are advised
that a Risk Assessment will be required
addressing the safety of an open sleigh for
members of the public. This assessment
must also consider whether it is appropriate
to use only one horse for such a venture,
particularly where there are multiple
passengers.
...
Please note that permission must also be
obtained in writing from landowners before
their fields may be entered. To avoid
offending those not participating in
celebrations, we would request that
laughter is moderate only and not loud
enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

Benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are
now available for collection by any
shepherds planning or required to watch
their flocks at night. While provision has
also been made for remote monitoring of
flocks by CCTV cameras from a centrally
heated shepherd observation hut, all users
of this facility are reminded that an
emergency response plan must be submitted
to account for known risks to the flocks.

The angel of the Lord is additionally
reminded that, prior to shining his/her glory
all around, s/he must confirm that all
shepherds are wearing appropriate Personal
Protective Equipment to account for the
harmful effects of UVA, UVB and the
overwhelming effects of Glory.

Following last year’s well-publicised case,
everyone is advised that Equal Opportunities
legislation prohibits any comment with
regard to the redness of any part of Mr R
Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R
Reindeer from reindeer games will be
considered discriminatory and disciplinary
action will be taken against those found
guilty of this offence.

While it is acknowledged that gift bearing is
a common practice in various parts of the
world, particularly the Orient, everyone is
reminded that the bearing of gifts is subject
to Hospitality Guidelines and all gifts must
be registered. This applies regardless of the
individual, even royal personages. It is
particularly noted that direct gifts of
currency or gold are specifically precluded,
while caution is advised regarding other
common gifts such as aromatic resins that
may evoke allergic reactions.

Finally, in the recent instance of the infant
found tucked up in a manger without any
crib for a bed, Social Services have been
advised and will be arriving shortly.

Christmas digi scrap!

 I used part of a gorgeous kit by Just So Scrappy... love it!!! Click here to get it too!

A few images of our Christmas...

... so far!

 When you're making gingerbread you need.......... a lot!

 There's something strange in this pic............ the telly's not on!

This Christmas is going to be very strange. With my dad being terminally ill with cancer it's all change this Christmas. We normally spend the day at dad's, but he gets tired really quickly and lays down for most of the day as he's in less pain then... This year Christmas dinner is being cooked by Justin. Darryl, Abby, and Elijah are going to Abby's nan and grandads, but still coming to ours on Christmas Eve. I'm working both Christmas Eve and Day, but finishing Christmas Day at 11am. In the afternoon we're going to go to dad's and take him a dinner, we'll spend about an hour and a half with him. Darryl and Co are going over on Boxing Day to see dad.

I will post pics later of how my first attempt at gingerbread turns out!!

A cosy candle...

I saw the pattern for this lovely Christmassy candle jar trim on Attic 24, click here to go to the pattern. I took the photo with my mobile phone so it's not that good. I enjoyed making it and it was quite fast. I added some Flowersoft Polar White snow stuff mixed with crystal glitter. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some cotton yarn so it's not quite so fluffy. 

Below are some gorgeous photo's of my grandson, Elijah. Hasn't he grown?! He's two years old now bless him... He's such a happy little chap.

I love Teddybo!

I have found a fab site called Teddybo, click here to go to their site. 

I love teddies, so this site is made for me!!

I created this card using one of the fabby teddybo digi stamps. The image comes with a blank sign and also another one with text on. I made up the text on this sign. Do you think my mince pies are too expensive?? lol

This is for this weeks Papertake challenge.

The gerbils escaped!!!!

I was busy upstairs creating this card and hoped it would fit in with some challenges this week - I've not entered any for ages!! 

Card made for the Papertake Weekly Challenge. 
See below card for the gerbils adventure!

 ...and whilst I was making this card, I could hear the gerbils, but the noises didn't sound like they were from within the Rotastak. I couldn't believe it when I saw Blackie sitting on top of the bedroom unit and Sid was running around the floor! I managed to pick Blackie up as he's always been the more friendlier of the two, but with Sid it took me an hour and a half!! 

I sat on the floor with a box full of goodies for him - toilet roll middles, sawdust, and food... ready for him to climb into. But no. He spent most of the time climbing the three storey's of Matthew's storage unit. 

I put the Rotastak onto the floor, blocked off the inside hole and then put a loo roll tube inside a now open bit of tubing... I'd forgotten Blackie could go up straight vertical tubes, and then he poked his head out of the hole I'd just made, lol... I soon poked him back in. 

Anyway... Sid had decided that he was going to nibble a big hole in the cloth cover this storage unit has... so I let him get on with it, and then placed the box full of goodies the other side of the hole, to which he climbed into once he'd climbed through his hole... ahhhh... 

I then put him back into his home, both gerbils were very happy to see each other again.

Catching up.

I've not written to the blog for almost two months. It's been difficult as my dad has a terminal illness, and it's only going to get worse, so it's hard to write upbeat in here... but...

I've made a few Christmas cards over the last couple of days, and also my son enjoyed Halloween. 

Here are some photo's of both!

I know he looks pretty much the same as he did last year, lol... maybe next year he can have a new costume...

 We loved our pumpkin this year!! It's the best one Justin has cut.

Halloween Baking. My Almond, raspberry, and orange spider sponge cake.

 

Rocky Road anyone?

 The above card used a free stamp that came with this month's Cardmaking and Papercraft, but I think the stamp was exclusive to Sainsbury's. I love Fizzy Moon!!

 I've found that it's easier this year for me to just use decoupage sheets for my Christmas cards. I've of course added extra glitter, and 3D gloss for noses.

 Justin has published a book!! It's a specialist book for lovers of the Gizmondo games machine. Nice glossy cover as well!! He put a dedication in the back for a few people including me and Matthew.
And below is Matthew trying out the new picnic bench over by the riverside park in Huntingdon.

A few weeks back I emailed Scrapbook Magazine with two of my pages... and here it is in print!!

Recently I bought a Kindle. I love it! I have read five books in the last two weeks. Two of the books I read which I loved were...

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. Click to buy on Kindle UK site. A very atmospheric ghost story set in the Arctic. Fantastic.

And...

Asylum Lake by R.A. Evans. Click to buy on Kindle UK site. Another ghost story, set around an abandoned Asylum. I can't wait for the sequel to be published.

A jewellery phase?

So this phase I'm in now is about making jewellery. I used to make earrings, and sold them on Ebay, then for some STUPID reason I gave all my beads away!! Luckily I kept my tools, and this week I decided to buy some more beads and make a few bits and pieces.
They are all for sale... so if anyone is interested, leave a comment :D
Any of the ear wires can be swapped with sterling silver wires, but this will incur another £2.

 Bracelet and silver plated earrings set - £6, plus P&P.

 Beautiful beads - Burgandy "moon" glass beads, amethyst silver lined Japanese Toho beads, pink Swarovski crystals, tibetan silver spacer beads, and glitter glass Stardust beads. 

 Childs silver plated charm bracelet - £3 plus P&P.

Tibetan silver charms and a Swarovski crystal, a Stardust glitter glass bead, and Japanese Toho Beads.

 Bracelet and silver plated earrings set - £6 plus P&P.

Gorgeous sapphire blue Swarovski crystals, dark blue glass faceted rondelle beads, AB clear Swarovski crystals, clear silver lined Japanese Toho beads, tibetan silver spacer beads, Stardust glitter glass beads. Very pretty and delicate looking. 

All come with an organza bag.

A Photographer in the Making.

I seem to be using a lot of greens/blues in my layouts lately.

This was a day out in Godmanchester by the river. Matthew is using the camera he got for Christmas, to take lots of photo's. He is a good little photographer and took over 200 photo's this day!

I used K&Co Kazoo Kids for the paper, and the Cricut E for the cut out shapes and text.

Lot's of scrapbooking this week.

I've had fun this week creating lots of pages. Here are two more!! 

 The above page is showing two of the houses that I've lived in. The top one is where my dad now lives, and as you can see on the page, I lived there from 1974 until 1988. The house at the bottom is the house that I currently live in. I've lived in one other house, and I'm sure I've a pic of that somewhere... that house I lived in from 19966 to 1974. Papers are Daisy D's and Creative Creations.

 For this page I chose a photo I liked of Matthew with Justin, over Hinchingbrooke Park (is there anywhere else?!). I used a mix of papers from K&Co Mira and Blue Awning, and a few bits cut out on the Cricut. The "With Dad" are letters taken from the To the Moon kit by Fancy Pants. Other elements cut out from a Nitwits collection called, I think, Into the Meadow.

He's getting big!

 My Grandson, Elijah, this summer. Created with papers from an old paper pad from K&Co. I made the little kite lol :D. Isn't he gorgeous??!

Below is a page all about my crocheting. I used the freebie papers from the months Scrapbook magazine. I also crocheted the little cream doilie. 
I love Shaun the Sheep! I got it as a free pattern online, but can't remember where... but I'm sure I listed it on here somewhere, I'll have a search for it... I love crocheting Amigurumi animals, they're so easy, crocheted in rounds. I'm making a snowman at the moment, slowly...

FOUND IT!! Click here for the free Shaun the Shepe crochet pattern.

100% Boy!

 I've got this weekend off work, and so far have had a lovely day! This morning we had a full english breakfast in Sainsbury's, then it was to the market where I bought some more card... the market stall is only there on a Saturday, and I'm normally at work, so it's nice to get to have a snoop round the stall. 

This afternoon, after I watched football with Justin, he went on the computer, so I went up into my lovely little craft room and came up with the scrap page...

I scraplifted it from this months Scrapbook Magazine.
I fell in love with the bright colours and the business of the page... I strive to make ALL my layouts like this, but fail miserably, lol.

I used Fancy Pants To The Moon collection kit for the papers and some of the embellishments. I used my cricut for the wheels. The 3D train at the top is from a little selection of baby embellishments someone sent me years ago, and the robot on the right hand side was with a little selection from the 99p shop!!

I absolutely LOVED making this page.

A little bit of crochet.

I bought a new teapot this week, together with mugs, milk jug etc as a matching set from Wilkinsons. I love it! I realised when I got home that I needed a tea cosy, so set about making one... the white one, then I made another one, the pink one, lol... then that got me into my crochet again, so decided to get out the double bed blanket, and I finished it!!! 56 stripes in total, two rows to a stripe... over 28,000 treble stitches!!!!! I love it that the sides got right over the edges of the bed. I started with a chain of approx 250. I got the idea from Attic24 - link over there on the right blog list. I'm now making Matthew a single bed granny stripe blanket... I wonder how long this one will take??

The first three photo's are mobile phone uploads, so the picture quality isn't that good, and then there's the two photo's of the bed blanket. The colours seem richer in real life.

See my tea cosy crochet pattern at the bottom of the post... my first attempt at writing a pattern...  

So the tea cosy pattern. It's basically two sides sewn together. I have written in in the Rest of the World terms, not US.

This is for a 6 cup tea pot.

Hook size 4.5mm

Chain 30.

Row 1. Skip first stitch, then dc into the rest of the stitches, chain 3, turn.

Row 2. Tr into each stitch, chain 3, turn.

Row 3. Tr into each chain space, chain 3, turn.

Keep going until you reach your desired height for your teapot. I personally continued in pattern for 11 more rows. 

You will need to crochet/sew the sides together, leaving a gap for the handle and the spout. I then made a chain of 100 and weaved this through the third row down from the top and tied it... 

Still Life.

My cousin, Mandy Disher, takes the most fantastic photo's. Click here to visit Mandy's website.

So... trying to copy her style (hahahaha, yeah, don't fall about laughing after you've looked at hers and then come back to my effort... it's my first attempt!!) I cut some rosebuds from the bush in the garden, and "arranged" them in the glass vase. Fiddled around with the computer stool/chair, the back window cream curtains, and various exposures, and came up with this... with added textures of course!!

But then... I thought it looked bit stuck on, so here's another attempt!!

Photo for today.

Today's fiddle with textures and Paint Shop Pro x3 produced this. I really like it...

Just love this one...