Christmas Shopping

With Christmas getting close, I've actually started my shopping. Out with Mum yesterday, I have nearly sorted the children out plus a couple of adults. I so love a bargain and managed to do well with them. Have got a mental list for nearly everyone else too and hoping to get those on Monday evening. I have 2 problem presents to get. My nephew who's 13, isn't really into anything much, says there's nothing he wants and his Mum is struggling too. Also, David's Nana who is typical of today's older generation - doesn't have loads, doesn't want loads and everyone struggles to buy something for. I'm not a meanie, but why oh why do we put ourselves through this every year? If people really don't want anything, then why don't we just make them a really nice card with a lovely verse inside and leave it at that? I will never know and every year will struggle to find that 'something' for them all. But they appreciate the gesture and that's all that matters.

Have been out today and managed to get another present sorted. I'm getting there. Tonight is the night for getting the rest of the cards made that need posting. I can see a busy time ahead of me.

New Beginnings

Have been busy making Christmas cards this week for some of my friends. Will post piccies once I know they've been delivered.

I had a couple of hours stint covering in my cousin's son's D.I.Y. shop Thursday lunchtime. After which, I had a job interview at a taxi company to do the same radio controller (despatch clerk) work I've done for almost 20 years. Well, I got offered it and have accepted. I go next Friday daytime for a few hours to be shown how they do things and then I'm there the next night with the boss. I'll be starting work properly on the 27th December I think. I have a half hour journey to get to it and will be starting work at 6am at least a couple of mornings a week! HELP!!!

Thursday evening I went to my niece's school's outdoor carol concert. It was nice, but a bit cold.

Christmas shopping with mum today. Wonder if we'll have a successful time?

Luv to you all and thanks for reading xx

My Christmas Cards

Well, here's the start of the cards I've made for people other than neighbours as there's have been done a while.

I've made a couple of springy cards using a template kindly supplied by one of the forum members of DoCrafts.

Christmas Tree
I've stamped the background in red and the edge of the topper in gold. The Christmas tree is stamped in green with a gold star and heat embossed. I then used pearlised red paint to colour the background of the topper card. Merry Christmas greeting on the base is stamped in red and heat embossed.

Rudolph
The background is a free paper from a craft magazine and I've heat embossed a frame using white powder. Rudolph is stamped and heat embossed. I coloured his nose in red and matted him onto green card. I've added liquid dome gel to his nose, eyes and collar before sticking him onto the card using foam pads.



K-Card
I'm so clever - NOT!! I downloaded the instructions and a couple of pictures for doing these cards and forgot to download the template then forgot where I got it from. So, I've had to wing it. Here's my first completed attempt. The picture doesn't show the design very well. After trying with paper for a bit, I managed to get the card cut so it would just about work. The background is stamped. The teddies and the greeting are stamped in gold and heat embossed before being washed over with red pearlised paint.

Curvy Card
Cut out of cream card, I coloured the front and back using red pearlised paint. Images are stamped in black and heat embossed before colouring in in pencils. Greeting is stamped in black, heat embossed and matted onto cream card. I've put them all on using foam pads. The hinges inside are covered using the same cream card as the base card.
Thanks to Lou once again

Christmas Cards

With my guidance, David made some Christmas cards for his family. Here's my favourites that he made for his Nana and her sister. The windows were made of vellum (I couldn't find the acetate!!) and the scenes light up with a lamp behind them. The tree and bricks were printed directly onto the card and are wrapped around onto the backs. The windows were cut out, a scene was stuck behind the vellum and finishing touches applied. The top pictures are without a backing light and the bottom ones show them in exactly the same place, but with a lamp behind.

The Finished Christening Card

Here's the finished Christening Card. I thought it ought to have something religious on the front, so I used a metal cross charm. Everyone loved it and were amazed at how it was put together. Thanks Lou for sharing this masterpiece with us.