Christmas journal

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one's intentions.

Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.I may post some or all of my entries here.

Well, that's my intention anyway! I also want to make some cards, and make a 18th birthday album for DS, (he is 18 on 27th Dec, and all I've done is sort out about 200 photos!)

christmas traditions cj

My entry in the first Christmas Traditions CJ. (www.ukscrappers.co.uk). I LOVE LOVE LOVE these BG Fruitcake papers. I MUST buy more! I think I'll use them for my Christmas Journal this year.

This entry was inspired by actually baking the cake last Saturday, amongst the decorating, cybercrop, buying new settees, carpet and paint! And we had lunch out at Shoreham Airport on Saturday!

I wanted a photo of the ckae iced, and this was the only one I could find! I'm not a cake decorator, so wasn't at all bothered by the kids having a go. I just love the concentration on their faces! They were taken in 1994!

Slooshing of red acrylic paint for ther journaling. I have used every little bit of my sheet of BG Fruitcake, I even used the reverse alphabet for the tag. (I used my new QK alphabet Eliza for the first time for the title, and it's Katie I've used for CAKE.

The only thing I don't like is the big space between the picture and CAKE on the 'icing the...' page. Proabably should have spaced the letters out better.

Here are my Los I completed this weekend for the cybercrop on www.ukscrappers.co.uk. I'm really pleased with some of them. This one of Maurice was a Shimelle class. I love her style! She has kept me on for the Christmas Journal class this year, so hoping to give that another go. Looking back on last year's journal, wow, my style has moved on enormously!!! I want to goive the journal some continuity this year, and maybe not stick so rigidly to the prompts.








Quite pleased with this one. The rather 'naff' paper comes from the ESB itself, bought on the 86th floor!!!















I just knew the colours and photos I needed for this class. Really pleased with it! One of the comments was that they loved how the colours and sequins bring out the lights.


















Tryong to be a bit clever, and different here! I used green Stazon on the acetate (never stamped on acetate before). But I don't think it works. I don't have any swirly stamps either (my next purchase). But at least I had a go at something different!























These 2 are for my garden album. Really pleased to get these done, and realise that I should scrap these photos straight away because it is difficult to remember what the garden was actually like at the time for the journalling. Looking thru my garden album now, I think that the idea of using the calendar tags (from a UKscrappers swap) was proabably not such a good idea. It is difficult to incorporate them.




















I've done loads of Hopes and Dreams CJ entries lately! So here is one for my BOM! Done with the doodling idea too. (oh no I've deleted the picture by mistake!)

i'm in love with james bond/daniel craig!

we went to see the new JB film 'Casino Royale' last night. All 4 of us went, which was really great. The film was really great. OMG I am inlove with Daniel Craig, he is seriously gorgeous!!!! Highly recommend you to see the film, they have again successfully bought James Bond up to date.

Music

I've been meaning to write about my music for a while now. Then a challenge came up on UKStampers to do something about music, and I thought I'd do a page for my book of me.

Well, here is a start:

I listen to music all day:

At work - on my MP3 player
At home - Radio 2 on my DAB radio in the kitchen
At bedtime - CD player in my bedroom (also a clock radio)

On my MP3 player I have:

David Gates
Frank Sinatra
Burt Bacharach
World's Greatest Hits
Robbie Williams (swing album)
Mamas and Papas
60s hits
Country Music Greats


I've had this combination for a while now, and will change it soon to :

Coldplay
keane
Razorlight (latest acquisition)
RHCP (courtesy of flo!)
Johnny Cash (been listening to him since seeing the film 'Walk the line'

+ some other albums that I've not listened to much lately

This morning I was listening to David Gates, but it's bedtime music really, not get up and go early in the morning! The MP3 player kept stopping, and then restarting back at the same place, so I heard David's dulcet tones about 4 times!!

I wrote down the 'Tracks of MY Years' somewhere, must find them! Favourites over the years include:
Slade (my first love!)
Led Zeppelin
Chris Rea
Chris de Burgh
Police / Sting
Lots of classical
Opera (we have been to see several at Brighton, but I don't listen to them much at home)
Nora Jones

What I'd like to know more about:
Country Music
Jazz

Flo's CJ entry

I was (and still am!!) very nervous about this one. Flo is just soooo brilliant at stamping and ideas and stuff. I just get complete CJ fright, and then no matter what I try to do, it is not good enough!!! So rather than try to be clever and try to stamp something all singing and dancing, I decided on these doodled designs. I masked the backgrounds where the writing is, and swooshed with distress inks. I really love the effect. I then doodled away, and stmaped a few tiny butterflies and dragonflies on the dreams page. I don't have a snake or snail stamp (sorry!!!), so the greeny brown just looks a bit grungy! I then added some gems as a final touch. I hope you like it Flo!

















For the sign in tag, Flo wanted us to show her our favourite stamps. Sorry this is a bit tongue in cheek, but I love Snoopy, and when I saw this stamp I just had to have it! I'm going to make a collection now of Snoopy stamps and already have 2!

Christmas Traditions CJ

Phew! Finally finished it! It has to be posted today! The theme is Christmas Traditions, and my sub-theme is 'Around the World'. Actually, I am sort of not very happy with it. I don't hate it, I just don't think it's good enough. I am always useless at making covers! The world is maybe too big? Maybe I shouldn't have added the shiny stickers, they are a bit naff!

The intro page. Gorgeous heart Christmas stamp stamped in versamark and chalked. The LHS stamp is not done properly! The writing is a bit too bold, maybe a thinner nib would have been better?










My DLO. Theme, where and when kids get presents! I am pleased with the backgrounds, painted with acrylics. The fireplace is OK, but the stamping and embossing around the window sill isn't very good.











Sign in page. Last year's Christmas tags used as for signing in! Very shiny bling bling!










I am going to add ribbons when it comes back, cos my last CJ lost loads on it's way.

Decorating!

I have finally persuaded a very reluctant DH that we should decorate our lounge. I can't tell you the number of times he has talked about painting over the wallpaper! That would be Ok if we were decorating to sell! We desperately need a new carpet, this one has been there for 14 years, and looks terrible. The decor is very 'tired', and old fashioned. They've been talking about 'chucking out your chintz' for about 10 years now haven't they?

We have ordered a new fireplace, it's a limestone classic style, about as wide as the existing one but a bit taller, which will go well with the high ceilings. It's being fitted on 15th Dec so we need to get most of it done by then. We have made a plan, and already emptied the cabinet (it's going!), the shelves, and most of the walls. I had loads of pictures in there, perhaps I should slim them down now. It looks and sounds very bare in there now. We like the darker coffee colour matchpot (on chimney breast wall) for the chimney breast wall, and a darker cream for the rest of the walls. We will probably keep the big green shelf unit, but take off the 'twiddly' bits on the ends (DH made it!). All the green paintwork will be white gloss. (We had a real pash on Farrow and Ball matt paints when we decorated before). We won't be having a border, which is why I don't want to paint over the wallpaper, the border will show through! The settees will go, so we need to choose a new one, dark brown? (that's back to the beginning, our first settee was dark brown dralon!)
















This fireplace is dire, isn't it? The tiles are crazed now and very grubby. We're going to have a gas fire rather than open fire, cos we don't sit in the lounge long enough to bother lighting the real fire!


We think we will take these shelves down, but we're not completely sure yet.

We are going to put the stereo in this corner, so that I can have a coffee table next to the big settee, and a lamp, for a nice cosy corner.

Tuesday evening thoughts

I'm on my own again, and can't get around to doing anything! When everyone is here, I can't seem to get around to doing anything either! What I Should be doing is making a mini book for my friend Sarah, who I'm seeing for lunch on Friday. We went to her absolutely fabby 25th anniversary dinner back in August, and I've decided to try and make her a book becasue the card I made for her was so naff!

Just walked the dog, boy it's got cold suddenly over the last week! Very autummy all of a sudden. Just after I got in, the phone rang, and it's Lucy's maths teacher. She's on detention tomorrow after school for talking too much, and just not working. She's also on report for 2 weeks in the hope that she will work harder. She is capable of A* in Maths, but for some reason doen't seem to think it's cool to work hard. What are we going to do with her? She has been in trouble before - just before half term, and it ended up with a huge row between her and DH, and her confessing that she has been smoking!!! What a shocker, considering how sporty she is. I thought we had turned a corner, and I've really tried to keep the nice 'together' feeling I got when on holiday in NYC. I think it's time for some punishment, the softly softly approach (from me) and the huge full blown argument approach (from DH) have not worked. It's either no MSN for a week (I'm shuddering just thinking about what her reaction will be!) or no sleep-over at Emma's at the weekend (for Emma's birthday). I'm favouring the MSN atm.

Ordered some yummy stash from www.jillybeans.co.uk and www.stampgalaxy.co.uk, and I've been a naughty girl on eBay!! Mind you, I lost most of the auctions, but I did buy a second chance offer of a gorgeous heart Christmas stamp- must make my Christmas cards.

I really want a QK alphabet, so am planning on a visit to www.crafts-u-love.co.uk. It's not too far from here, and they have a wonderful selection of QK dies. Might even be tempted with something not alpha. Wonder if they stock the new BG papers?

Tomorrow I'm at the Family Centre for an open day. They want me to participate in a workshop on volunteering, and how they use volunteers. I'm really looking forward to it - makes me feel like I'm part of the big wide world, and that what I do there is valued. And they are giving me lunch!!

Off to print some photos for this mini book.

Here is my entry in Kym's 'Objects of Desire' CJ over on www.ukstampers.co.uk. As usual I've uploaded them round the wrong way! I painted the background with acrylics, and then stamped leaves and flowers with versamark. Some are embossed; gold, copper or distress embossing, some are chalked. (I made a mess with my first go because I embossed after chalking, and ended up with the chalked flowers half embossed!) I want a beautiful garden is stamped and inked round the edges, the 'beautiful' is stuck with foam dots to raise it. The three little stamps down the side (I love them!) have been smooshed with ink and coloured with pencils. The watering can has been raised. The cute lady, post, flowers and grass are all from a set from paper Artsy. I love them ,even though they are a bit cute for me! The background is smooshed with distress ink (old paper I think!) I stamped the lady and post first, and then masked them and stamped the grass and flowers. I used distress inks, spiced marmalade and fired brick. The green is peeled paint. I coloured the lady and post with pencils, and stamped the word bloom in scattered straw. I love the way the colours have turned out, just the sort of colours I'd love in my garden!

Other news:

Been feeling a bit under the weather this weekend. I had a long lie in on Saturday, and another sleep in the afternoon! Nasty tickly cough. We managed to go and look at fireplaces again, and have chosen what we want. I've just got to ring the shop and organise them to do a survey, but noone is answering atm!

M went on his bike to the bike show at the NEC yesterday. It was really nice to have a day to myself!!! (I find with M about, I can't get on with things so well!) I feel much more organised with house, washing and office type stuff now, even though I didn't actually do anything!

List to do:

Order scrapbook stash - I haven't spent any of my earnings yet! I've got a list going.
Money, check bank current account, check bldg socy account for %,
Make new CJ - Christmas Traditions
Do entry in Flo's CJ - Dreams and Nightmares
Scrapettes challenges
Order NYC photos
Make cards for jane, kim and Sarah (9th Dec)
Make mini book for sarah L (fri)

Not going to get it all done today!!! Last week just disappeared in a haze of jetlag, washing, ironing, and lack of sleep!

Job is going Ok. I quite enjoy it when I get there. The only problem I still find is that I can't sleep becasue I'm worried about getting up so early!!!

More BIG APPLE!

Here we are ice skating in Central Park! Yes, we really did it, I can't quite believe it now I'm back at home!



















The view out of our hotel bedroom, right on Times Square. The advertising hoardings were massive, and most of them were like computer screens and showed really fast videos.



















Me and Lucy had our makeup done at the Benefit counter. Lucy looked gorgeous with less eyeliner and mascara than she usually Uses. Of course, we had to buy some, especially as it si cheaper by quite a long way over there.















Top of the Empire State Building. It really does stand out amongst all the other skyscrapers. What a feeling to be up there! On top of the world! Can you tell how cold we were? It was freezing!












It's suddenly got cold here the last few days. Out have come mittens, silly hats, and fleeces. Must get round to getting the electric blanket out this weekend. There was frost on the cars this morning when I cycled to work at 6am.

Jetlag!

Blogger won't let me upload any photos, so I'll tell you about my jetlag instead! WE flew back on the red-eye, the one that takes off at 8.30pm (New York time) and lands at 8am (UK time). So you miss a whole nights' sleep!!! Well, you might be lucky and be able to sleep on the plane for a couple of hours. Ourseats were the worst, Maurice and Nicholas had the extra leg room by the emergency exit. Lucy couldn't- too young, so I sat with her on the row in front. At least M &N had extra leg room, we couldn't recline becasue we were right in front of them, and had very little leg room. Why do we put up with such awful condtions on flights?

So Monday when we landed, I felt like it was 3 am. I didn't know whther I wanted to sleep or eat, or what meal to have! I had a little nap in the afternoon, but didn't fell awake until it was bedtime! Then I had to get up at 6am the next morning for work. My head felt empty but swimmy. I couldn't read, or concentrate on what anyone was saying. I couldn't talk properly either!!

But after a hot bath and an early night I feel much better today.

THE BIG APPLE

We had just the best time in NYC. The city is amazing, no wonder the American's created the word 'AWESOME'! We are absolutely knackered now, from walking absolutely all day every day, swimming a bit (at the hotel), and ice skating in Central park!!! We have hundreds of photos between us, and when I've sorted them out better, I'll show you some more. (These probably are not the best!)

Here are DH, DS and DD outside Ground Zero. There is not much to see, but the photos on the fence are very moving. It's just awesome to imagine how big the twin towers actually were.



















This is the view from my bed! It's not a good photo cos it is through a very dirty window! But I could see the Empire State Building from my bed, and this is how it looks early in the morning with the sun shining on it.



















A couple of photos from the top of the ESB, 86th floor. It is amazing how quick you get there. And I felt Ok with the height, I think becasue it is just so high, and you can't see straight down to the street below very easily.








Outside our hotel, which was right on Times square. Our room was on the 41st floor! We had a corner room, with windows looking south and east. The hotel was very comfortable, fairly roomy, great shower! The only problem was that we had a smoking room, which did smell a bit.







More photos tomorrow!

holidays

I so hate the few days before a holiday, especially if we are flying! I loathe flying, and this time, it's quite a long flight -8 hours. I am feeling very nervous now, and just looking forward to getting back home and it all being over! Isn't that awful!! I keep telling myself that loads of people fly across the Atlantic every day, and it will be fine. And I know that once I'm back on terra firma, I will feel a hug rush of relief, and have a great time in New York. Thank God the children are old enough to look after themselves on the plane now, and I don't have to worry about them. Maybe they can look after me!!

I am looking forward to being there, and seeing the sights and shopping. I just hope it doesn't overwhelm me with the hugeness of the skyscrapers (I'm not very good with heights!) and the business and noise. But hey ho we are only there for 5 nights, and I have always said that it's somewhere I'd like to see. The other thing that always preys on my mind, is what happens if one of us is ill? So far, it's only happened once, before N was born, we went to Minorca and Maurice was in bed for 2 days (out of a 1 week holiday)

I will enjoy it most when I get back, and looking back on the holiday, that's what normally happens. Oh dear, I sound like a right old killjoy! Well, expect loads of photos!

Lazy Sunday!

What a great relaxing weekend I've had!

I've managed to sort out my scrapping stash almost completely. I thought I was going to find loads to sell on eBay, but I'm going to keep most of it! Just some really cutey hallowe'en papers I'm going to try to sell. I've also finished I LO. Yet more motorbikes, this time Phil Read (ANglo)'s MV Agusta (Italian) at Beaulieu.

We went round a couple of fireplace shops to get quotes for our new fireplace in the lounge. Wonder if we can get it done by Christmas? We did see some really nice big fireplaces. Our lounge is big and high ceilings, and the fireplace is in like a bay rather than into the room. No alcoves though.

Watched QI and TOTP2 last night. Bottle of white wine. Lovely!

This morning we went round to some friends for coffee. Their dd is off to high school and is stuck for choice, so they wanted to talk to Lucy about her school. We sat in the garden, lovely sunny day. N is going to hand his notice in at work and go into property developing! WOW! I wish him the best of luck. What a brave decision!

We had lunch really really late, because although I'd put the oven timer on, I forgot to switch the oven on! Nice roast pork though. I watched Stamp Addicts that I'd taped from yesterday mornign C&C. Lots of nice ideas.

WE took Merlin for a walk round the Ilex trees before tea. It was really gorgeous, warm sun, but a slight autumn tinge. Must go back there in the mornings, it's much nearer than Highdown.

Here is my 'fairy' card for the weekly challenge on www.ukstampers.co.uk. It's my fairy name 'Bramble Icedancer'. She is a bone chilling bringer of justice for the vulnerable. She lives in leafy dells and bluebell glades. She is only seen when the crickets chirrup and the bees swarm. She wears bluebell dresses and has ice blue butterfly wings. Not at all like me!

What I'd really like is some feedback. I tried to 'paint' the background with my distress inks to look like a bluebell glade. What I think it needs is something to go over the top of the blue, maybe a bit glittery, pearly or shiny. Something to give more detail perhaps. What do you think?

more random thoughts!

Random is a very cool word at the moment. I wonder what it means? That is in teenage speak, I know what it means to me, LOL. I'm not a great stickler for correct grammer, I bet I don't get it right half the time, especially those little ' that denote something belongs to someone, like someone's book. But I don't like adjectives being used as nouns! Example today, THE REMOTE. Jeremy Vine on R2 was asking are we rulled by our remotes? Remote what?It is a remote controller! Another one I've come across lately is BUILDUP. You get a buildup when you use the same shampoo for ages. Buildup of what?

I've just bought some really cool (hopefully) stamps off eBay. Another Snoopy one!! I'm going to collect Snoopy stamps. When I was a teenager, Snoopy was my favourite. I found the quotes really appropriate, a very memeorable one being, 'I think I'm allergic to morning'. DH bought me a stuffed Snoopy as a gift when I was down once, and I had loads of Snoopy books and cards. I love the Snoopy website, www.snoopy.com. There is a little comic strip each day, and I LOVE them!!!I used to have it as my home page, but forgotten to do that lately. Other stamps, a set of 4 snowflakes, a Sunflower mosaic (might be able to do some clever masking with that one!), and a vintage sewing machine. Bids are still in for a QK set of numbers, and a stamping book. I usually put in my highest bid straight away, then don't look at it until after the auction has finished so I don't get carried away, but I did just have to up my bid for Snoopy, oops! I hope I'm not paying too much for them. It's just a couple of quid here and there.

Off to have a go at Kym's challenge on www.ukstampers.co.uk, something with my fairy name which is Bramble Icedancer!

Here's a picture of Highdown. You park in the car park half way up the hill, where there is the entrance to the Highdown Gardens, famous chalk gardens designed by Sir Frederick Stern, and Highdown Hotel and tea rooms. After walking about 5 mins, you go through this hedge and on up to the top. On the top is a Stone Age ring, which I often walk round, and think about those stone age people. How many are buried under our feet? They are not allowed to archeological digs up there, but it must be very interesting!

I went up here this morning after my cleaning. Boy do I feel knackered!!! I went out last night to the Crawley crop (altered a bingo clip board!), and didn't get to bed as early as I should have. Didn't want to get up at 6am this morning, I can tell you! But once I was there and had a cup of tea, (in fact it's the first sip that does it), I felt OK. I quite like it for several reasons:

I am on my own until about 8.30am. It's lucky really that there is noone to talk to, cos I'm not too talkative first thing!

It's physical. Maybe I'll get fitter, and lose some weight!

Satsifying. Even though the rooms don't look particularly dirty, I still get a sense of satisfaction out of cleaning them, and the rooms still look better when I've finished.

I love the fact I've got daily jobs and weekly jobs and can cross them off my list. I've made a little book to keep my checklists in!

List for today:

Go to Worthing. Bank AIFHS cheques, post CJ and AIFHS new members welcome packs.

Get drain sorted. Yes the kitchen sink has blocked again!

Go to Family Centre for voluntary job. Finish poster on Summer party (done is scrapbooking stylee!!)

Cook tea early for DD (dance) and DS (youth group), and DH (mothers)

Collapse at around 8pm!!

Hairstyles through the years! They are great to look back on aren't they? Thsi DLO is for my BOM. From afro in the 70s to middle parting in the 80s (and blond highlights!), to now. This photo I have just taken in the mirror! (Hence my worried expression LOL). Now I have a fabulous hairdresser, Rita, who costs me an arm and a leg, but does my hair really well. I have a semi-permanenet dye now once every 2 / 3 months to cover the grey. This last time I decided to go darker, becasue I didn't like the way the previous one was fading, it looked a bit sandy. It is quite a bit darker actually, but hardly anyone has said anything! I wonder if really it looks awful?

Orient Yourself CJ

Here's my entry for Sid's CJ 'Orient Yourself'. When I heard that it was an oriental theme, I wasn't sure that I would like doing it, I don't do much oriental. But then the CJ arrived! It is absolutely gorgeous - and everyone I've shown it to agrees, even those who don't 'get' papercrafting, stamping etc! Thanks Sid!

I had been looking at some old photos recently for my BOM, and came across these photos taken in Hong Kong, some 25 years ago. And I decided after not liking my stamping approach very much for the last CJ, that I would go back to scrapbooking - my first love. As luck would have it, someone was selling Paper Artsy Asian stamps on UKScrappers! So a nice combination, scrapping old photos and stamping. I played with the stamps, with distress ink backgrounds (of course) and lots of masking on the LHS stamped tag. In fact, I was so pleased with it that I used my very first attempt! I did have to try several times for the 'emperor' one, that one didn't stamp so well. I played with the photos in photoshop -one to B&W, and the dragon one I took out most of the colour. I aged them with sandpaper and distress inks.

The background paper has a little story too! I posted a request to sponsors on UKscrappers for Asian papers, and I found some gorgeous antique looking papers, with writing and postage stamps. But, I couldn't find anything else on that site I wanted to buy, so it would have been 90p for 2 sheets of paper, + £2.95 P&P!!! So I bought these papers from Crafty pastimes, along with the little chinese coin charms, and some cut'n'dry, which I have after since I used it with Debs in Worthing.

I hope you like it Sid! Judging by the previuous entries, I think you will be really thrilled with your CJ when it gets home.