Pink Candy by Caroline

Merry Christmas!!

Well, the Big Day is done and as a family we had a spiffing time over the past couple of days.  Just simple family fun and togetherness.

The whole atmosphere, wherever you go, from Christmas Eve through Boxing Day, is magical isn't it.  Those days inbetween Christmas and New Year are cosy too, but I think those three days are a little special and you can feel it in the air.  I do love this time of year.

I said to the kids that they couldn't wake us up before 6am.  I thought they might last out til 7amish, as in previous years Darren and myself have been up first waiting for the kids to wake up!  This year though my two boys woke me up dead on the nail of 6am.

Abi wanted a bit longer in bed but she was persuaded to surface around 6.40am and we all went downstairs.  Christmas morning in blissful isn't it.  Still dark, lights twinkling and wrapping paper covering the lounge floor as they open each present.  They were so pleased with everything they received too........phew!!

I love watching them open their pressies.  Their faces when they see what they have been given, is priceless.

 

I have been very lucky this year and had some gorgeous gifts.  As a couple Darren and myself received some fabbo chocs and food, which is always nice.  Plenty of money given to us all too - sales here we come.......  And some gorgeous gifts, a few which are here........

Darren, bless his heart, bought me the model car.  He spent a fair few days trying to find the exact copy of my car, as its not a normal MX5, but something a little special, and he found this copy in Japan and he had an anxious wait for it to arrive to him in time.

My daughter, bless her heart too, bought me my very first Momiji.  They are cute aren't they.  And whilst I am not a nick nacky ornament kinda gal, these are fabbo and I will certainly find a special place for this one.  Its called 'Smiling'........

 

I hope you were all Smiling this Christmas too...........xx

Its nearly here.........

Well, the big day is almost here and December for me has gone in a heartbeat.  I planned to do so much but ran out of time.

I did manage to do a couple of gifts for people and here are a few sneeky peeks.  I won't say what they are or who for as you may be reading this and suss it out :-)

ooooooh lovely black and white........

I am loving dotty and spotty at the mo.........

Autumnal colours grace this gift.......

brrrr, ice cold..... wonder if we will have any this Christmas??........

I managed to make one card, yup just the one........

I am ready now, everything is done and I am in the throes of tidying my craft area.  yesterday I spent hours sorting out my stash baskets and making a start on some paperwork.  I am planning on some lovely crafty hours this Christmas and if everything is clear then I should be able to get on with stuff - thats the plan anyway.

The kids are getting excited and this year its Abi more than anyone else.  Quite surprised really as she is the eldest child and also the most excited, bless her.  This is prob the first year that has been stress free for me.  I normally can't sleep as I have so much going on in my head with all the preparation needed for Christmas, but this year I have just gone with the flow.  If its not done now it ain't gonna be done and I am not getting into a tizz over one day.  I have wrapped pressies, food bought, everything is falling into place without me running round like a headless chicken, so thats good!

Off out tonight with some friends to an Indian restaurant for some scrummy grub.  These friends are disappearing for three months after Christmas to visit Singapore and travel around that area, so this may be the last we see of them for a while.  They have done a lot of travelling over the years and are able to as they have no children, but we will miss then and look forward to all their stories when they come back.  Perhaps I can persuade her to scrapbook her travels....... :-o

rap, rap, rap, rap, wrapping......

Well, last weekend I only managed some ATC's and I started the Secret Santa book on the BF Forum.  So I am going to finish that this weekend.  Hopefully make a start on my other bits that I so want to make.  Cards will take a back seat for now and they will be done only if I have time.

This months ATC Swap on the BFForum was Celebrations.....

and I used my heat embossing again!  Really into that at the mo.......

I spent four hours wrapping presents today.  I had brought them downstairs yesterday and piled them onto the dining room table, cos I knew they would be in the way and I would have to get on and wrap them.  Enjoyed the first couple of hours and then it was getting on my nerves, lol !  But they are done and ribboned and tagged and look great under the tree.  This lot doesn't include the kids pressies though as that would be just too tempting for nosey noses and itching fingers!

This is one of my fave decs on the tree.....

Isn't this a special time of year....... :-)

Its back!

My car is back home!  It was delivered to me today and looks brand spanking new, as though the accident never, ever happened.  Took her for a spin and she is lovely, drives like a dream.  I had forgotten just how fabaroo she is.  So my baby is parked nice and neat on my driveway.........

Had a busy craft weekend and managed to get two CJ layouts done.

This first was was for the Retailers CJ I am in and this one was called 'Precious'.  What would you try and save from a burning building - other than family, friends, pets and photos, what would you try to save.

I thought long and hard about this and in all reality I would grab at my crafty stuff after the above had been rescued safely!  But I had a chat to Darren about it and we both agreed that we would try to save 'Buddy'.

He is Abi's cuddly rabbit which she has had since she was two months old.  She couldn't say 'bunny' when she wanted to give him a name and it came out as Buddy and Buddy it has stayed ever since.  This once cuddly rabbit is now a shell of his former self.  His arms have fell off, I have had to recover him twice and all his stuffing has come out.  He is literally a piece of rag.  But Abi loves him and still takes him to bed, bless. 

I love working with bright colours and the giraffe is stamped and then heat embossed to give it a slightly glossy look.  I haven't heat embossed for a while but used it on both my layouts this past weekend.  Its such fun and I love seeing the powder change before your eyes.

This is the CJ I did for DiO's 'Celebrations' for the CJ on the BF forum.  Christmas and Easter had already been covered so I plumped for Halloween.

Anyway the oven is calling me.  I decided to make a Banana Loaf.  Don't think I have suddenly managed to find extra hours in the day, I just couldn't bear to see bananas going to waste........mmmmmmmm......banana loaf.........

Soooo excited.......

Just a little bit of exciting news......I have been chosen to be part of the Charmed Cards and Crafts Design Team!! 

They stock lots of lovely goodies so I will be looking forward to the first set of projects in the new year.  Thanks for the opportunity CCC............. ;-)