Nearly a New Year!

I didn't post a lot before Christmas as I seemed to be quite busy!, but I did take some photos.  This is a photo I took for my December Daily album that I haven't yet developed.  I am not a flower arranger but at Christmas time I always make a fresh door wreath, two mantle arrangements, table centrepiece for my own table, centrepiece for my MIL's table, arrangement for DH's Grandmother and sister.

This is a photo of one of the mantle arrangements.  I included myself in this shot in the mirror reflection so that I would find my way into the Album!

I haven't shared many cards recently - here are two card sets I made for the Boy's teachers. I packaged them in boxes from Clear Bags. 

I used Hero Arts Butterflies Clings Stamp Set, Papermania sentiments, Fiskars threading water punch, DCWV Card blanks, my Big Shot for embossing - Swiss Dots folder, flower embossing folder, some Papermania gems and Hero Arts smooth gemstones.  I coloured with my promarkers and copics ciao markers.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season.

Glistening Frost and Ice

This is the third day of very heavy frost and freezing temperatures here in Ireland.  A lot of the country has experienced snowfalls and black ice.  Driving conditions are poor which doesn't help all those travelling over the holiday period.  Thankfully the boys are finished school for the holidays and hopefully this cold snap will pass (as it isn't normal Winter weather for here in Ireland).  Jack Frost is very busy !

Here are some of the foundation pages for my December Daily that I haven't shared yet.  I didn't photograph earlier ones as I changed them slightly as I went along but now feel that I probably won't deviate too much from the layouts I have already set out below.

Hero Arts Blog are featuring a montage of all the winning entries of their challenges during the year and I am so delighted to be amongst those winners.  Check it out here.
                                             

I am going to sign off for the next few days to enjoy this special time with my family and friends.  I am cooking tomorrow and have spent much of this morning prepping so that everything is ready. 

One recipe that I love to cook around this time of the year is Spiced Peaches by Nigella Lawson.  They take about 5 minutes to make and the Recipe is here.  They are also a great edible gift to bring along with you when visiting friends and family.   

Thanks so much for stopping by and wishing you all a wonderful holiday full of peace, love and joy. ♥

December Daily - Day 14 and 15

My boys finish school for the holidays today so I have lots of running around to do before lunchtime!  At least you will see from this post that I managed to get some Christmas cards made and posted last week so I am not totally behind but not far off!

My favourite page so far!! It's funny the way you complete a page and just LOVE it ...well this is that page for me! I just love it's simplicity . It is a photo of the Christmas Cards I was making to send out which I placed in a box for safe keeping as I churned them out. Took a photo and just loved the splash of bright colour with the date tag.

Day 15 was a day of running errands and doing chores as well as making a "snowman" costume for the School Concert.  Eoin told his teacher he would do the poem "Chubby Snowman" as his Mom would LOVE to make a costume!!! LOL!!! don't you just love it.  All the other Snowmen Moms were thrilled with me!

Happy Tuesday!  Thanks so much for stopping by. 

December Daily - Day 11, 12 and 13

Happy Monday - and the catch up continues!.  I cannot believe that the boys have only another day and a half of school and then it's the holidays.  Where did December go?  I hope you had a great weekend doing all the fun things that happen at this time of the year and spending time with loved ones.  Thought I would share a few more pages.

Day 11 - the journalling reads - "Today was a day all about trees.  First the school tree.  You both hung your baubles for charity along with your classmates, you were so excited to see the tree "fill up" throughout the day.  Then, the church tree with Grandpa for tomorrow night's concert.  He used his golf ball retriever to get them to the top!"

On the back is a close up photo of the school tree with an Ali Edwards Overlay incorporating into the photo before printing.

For Day 12 I had created a divider using a green paint strip sample and the tag from Little Yellow Bicycle and stapled on some green leftover ribbon from my stash.  This album is evolving as I am filling it and I am trying not to worry too much about each individual page but more about what it contains at the end.  This was a tip that Ali {Ali Edwards} shared at the beginning of the process and sometimes it is hard when you don't like the look of a page but I know I will end up adding some embellishments at the end!.

The edge of this page is scalloped and came pre cut in a mat stack from Little Yellow Bicycle which I love.  Half the work is done for you... especially as this is my first year doing this album.

Day 13 - Sunday - features journalling and a photo of the The Advent Wreath in Church.  My parents phoned to know if the boys would like to help dress their tree - the boys jumped at the chance - it is documented using an Ali Edwards Overlay - December 13, available from Designer Digitals here.

Grandma and Grandpa's little helpers - tree decorated - hey presto!  They were paid in chocolate!!

Hope you all have a great week.  Will share some more tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by.

December Daily - Days 8, 9 and 10 and Hero Arts Blog Hop

Happy Saturday everyone.  Hope you have a great weekend.  In case you aren't aware - Hero Arts are having a blog hop which started yesterday here but you can play catchup and look at all the wonderful creations made by 36 wonderful artists with the stamps from the 2010 Catalogue - and wow are they amazing.  Be sure to check it out.

I am still playing catch up with my Dec Daily - so here are a few more of my pages. 

Day Eight was the day assigned to put up all the Christmas decorations, so all the boxes had been pulled out the previous evening and stacked under the stairs.  The boys were off school so we were all very enthuasistic!

Day Eight continued - this was the first tree completed and my helpers disappeared!!!

Day Nine - a fun day but no photos so I am going to further embellish this page with something glittery - a star perhaps just haven't added it yet.

Day Ten - started with a search for a Santa Hat - rehearsals for the school Concert went serious today and hats were needed!  We found one and it was worn for breakfast and I managed to snap a shot before the boys went off to school.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope you are having a great weekend.

December Daily - Day Five, Six and Seven

I am behind with sharing my December Daily Album!.  In case you don't know about this you can check out my previous post here.  So I am continuing on the December Daily catch up and here is Day Five

We celebrated the christening of my new nephew.  He is adorable and such a blessing (my SIL is probably reading this!) and would agree.  It was a beautiful celebration - and an upclose shot of the magnificent christening gown (over 100 years old) and the three generations.

Day Six - we went shopping for our "real" tree for the hall table.  The boys just loved getting in between the the trees to check them out.  No tree farms near us so we had to settle for a store bought one! 

Day Seven was a regular December Day - school, housework, homework and I didn't take any photos so I "dressed" the page with a cute pixie coloured with copics and promarkers.  Journalling done on Ali Edwards Overlays.

Thanks for stopping by and any comments you might like to leave - I really do appreciate them.  Happy Friday!

December Daily Catchup!!! Day One, Two, Three and Four

I can't post about what myself and the boys did today in case my DH reads it.... and it spoils his Christmas surprise!  So instead I will play catch up with my December Daily Album.. I promised a while back that I would share some of the days when completed.... so better late than never!.  I have really enjoyed journalling and photographing events each day - so here are some of the little things that make me smile at this time of the year!

Above is the back of the first page where I have the holiday shot of the boys.  Then a green envelope with a note inside for the boys from me about writing their letters to Santa.

Then photos of them writing their letters - blogged here.  Day Two already shared here.

Then Day Three - toothless!!!... reminds me of the song - "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!".

and on Day Four we attended a beautiful wedding.

Will get some more pages photographed and post over the next few days.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  New Paperplay Challenge tomorrow, so be sure to check it out.

December Daily - Advent Calendars

Another entry for my December Daily Album.  The boys love Advent Calendars and we have various ones on the "go" in our house.  One has pockets with beautifully stitched pieces which you attach to a felt tree (they are backed with velcro!)  I have no photo to share as the boxes of decorations are still in the attic!

In past years we have had the Lego Advent Calendar but as there is a multitude of tiny Lego pieces/Lego men in our house we decided to have a change this year, the vacuum will be happy!!!  So, the boys have two Ben10 Calendar with 24 chocolate pieces!  Yum... no complaints from the boys!.  They open them after school each day.

Supplies: Ali Edwards Digital Overlays, Garamond font for the text

Thanks for stopping by.

December Daily 2009 - Letters to Santa

You will remember some posts back I mentioned doing a December Daily Album this year to record our Christmas/Holiday memories and traditions.  This is inspired by the amazing Ali Edwards and her album creation here.  I got my album from twopeasinabucket and have been putting it together.  One of the key things in this is to have the album ready before the 1st December.... okay... so I am running to catch up!!.  Thought I would share my album entry for the First of December.  It is of the boys writing their letters to Santa.  The concentration on their faces is sooo fun!

I purchased Ali's overlays here - I will use them periodically in the album.  Thanks for peeking.

December Daily 2009

Some digits I picked up yesterday for my December Daily Album -

will either paint them , cover them in patterned paper or maybe stamp on them!

I have admired Ali Edwards for many years and have visited her blog and admired her journalling and memory keeping.  She is currently constructing her December Daily 2009 album and invites everyone to play along.  She has set up a Flickr Group where you can get inspiration, upload your creation and create/journal every day during the Holidays.  Part one was "gather" and part two is "construct" your foundation pages.  I am awaiting my delivery from 2peas which contains a Chatterbox canvas album that I have decided to use for my album.

Pop on over to Ali's blog to check out her 2009 album and her completed December Daily 2008 Album.

Also, check out 2peas today - it is Digital Scrapbooking Day today - 7th November.  There is a big sale, free kits and online chats with some of the Garden Girls.  Enjoy your day.  Happy Saturday.  Thanks for stopping by.