Friday 21 December 2018

Festive scenes for the Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice, or the shortest day of the year. It will be dark by about 3.30pm this afternoon but the exciting thing is that tomorrow the days will start to lengthen again. It is also the first day of winter. It's really looking Christmassy here at home. The trees are up, the decorations are hung and the opening of the doors of my vintage advent calendar give me so much joy in the mornings.

Down at my local High Street in Carshalton everything looks so festive. I always love the window at Dotty's Teahouse where my cards are sold, how pretty is this!


If you are in this neck of the woods over the Christmas holiday Dotty's is a lovely place to sit and natter over tea and home made cake or even for a more leisurely lunch. You'll find the shop in the High Street, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 2AE The only days they are closed are Christmas day, Boxing day and New Year's Day. 

There was the return of another of my festive favourites on my door step in the week...
Yes Mo ,my lovely milkman, delivered my milk....with festive foils! Every year I wonder if it will be the last as it must add to cost but I'm delighted to see them here for another year.
One last festive item I bought in the week was for my darling son. He said he was far too busy working to get time to buy and decorate a Christmas tree, he even mentioned the word fake tree. 😲 Well you can imagine my horror at the thought that a) he had no Christmas tree and b) he had contemplated the thought of a non real tree. He works 6 days a week and I know that it really is hard for him to juggle everything at this time of the year. However, like me, he is a huge lover of Christmas.
I could not bear the thought of him having no tree so I hatched a plan and managed to find this when I met up with my daughter and Jack on Tuesday at a nursery near Godalming in Surrey.

yay...a tiny Christmas tree, grown in the UK.
I love the last sentence.
I bought a couple of decs, gave him one off our tree and made a little die cut star for the top

He really loved it and it has pride of place on his breakfast bar. Phew, Mum worry over (we're mad aren't we..my baby boy will be 30 next year!)

Today I wanted to share the card I made for my dearest little grandson Jack who is 20 months old today and loves anything with animals on. It is just right for sharing on the first day of winter...a very wintry scene...with that wonderful thought of "let it snow".

The background is a very treasured sheet of DP which I have had forever and never wanted to cut into but I thought it perfect for Jack. It has sweet little snowmen dancing in a starry sky. He loves The Snowman and I have a very old stamp set of the snowman so I stamped and coloured him up with my Promarkers and fussy cut him out. I also added lots of inks to my robin and holly leaves. The moon was stamped too. It's a large 8X8" card so lots for Jack to see.  Here is it

Here are a couple of close ups. Lots of silver STAMPlorations stars have been stamped onto the deer for some extra interest for Jack.

and of course Santa had to feature. The sentiment is a CUTplorations die from STAMPlorations.
and one last shot

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

I love Promarkers anything goes
Passion for Promarkers hip to be square
Fashionable stamping 3/3 Winter
Double D let it snow
Crimbo crackers anything goes
As you like it 1/3 anything goes
Simon says stamp Wednesday party time I think my snowman is having a great party in the middle to the woods with all his woodland friends!
Time out 1/3 inspired by words I was inspired by the words celebrate, family and life!
Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes

My daughter sent me this photo. Jack is a bit blurry, as he is really hard to catch as he is forever on the move, but here they are with their Christmas cards.
I can't wait to spend Christmas with them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely comments, I so appreciate them.
I'm back again on Monday with my Christmas Eve post..the last before the Big Day...just 4 more sleeps....are you ready? Have a fab weekend.

Bye for now,

Jane x

16 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos and stories Jane! Your card is so much fun! Happy Holidays to you & yours!
    Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Double D ‘Let It Snow’ challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.

    Darlene
    DOUBLE D Challenge Blog
    DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS Please stop in for a visit!

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  2. Haha you are funny Jane, I'm afraid you would be dismayed with me, two fake trees here!! 🙈
    Love M's tree though and yes of course he should have one.
    Jack's card is beautiful, just look at them with their cards ... bless!
    Have a lovely weekend my dear,
    V x

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  3. Lovely post Jane....what a fabulous card for Jack...you are so lucky to be able to share this magical time with them. We never stop being a mum do we?...I hope your son well appreciates his tree. We have areal and an artificial one...twice the work! but worth it. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas and New Year. xx

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  4. Oh Dottie's looks so festive! What a sweet mama to get her boy a real tree. Your cards for your two little darlings are wonderful. I hope you and your family have the best Christmas ever. We're having a very special one here, too. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    *M*E*R*R*Y* * *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
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  5. A fabulous card. Thanks for joining AYLI challenge. Merry Christmas.

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  6. I wish I lived closer to Dotty's Teahouse, it looks such an inviting place to visit. I love the Christmas tree you bought for your son, an everlasting tree, what a great idea. The cards you made are beautiful, the look on your grandchildren's faces show how much they love them! xx

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  7. Dotties looks beautifully festive and so does that mini tree, it’s perfect for the busy son who hasn’t got a minute to spare. The children look so happy with their Christmas cards, Jack’s is full of wonderful images that I’m sure he recognises and loves. Only 3 more sleeps now and I’m nearly there. Merry Christmas my lovely friend xxx

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  8. I have loved reading your post and all the fabulous pictures, darling little ones, too!! Your card is beautiful and how creative to stamp the stars on the deer!! thank you for joining our challenge at Double D!
    Diane DD DT {Nellies Nest}

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  9. Hi Jane, it is the Summer Solstice here so the days are long and sunny. Jack looks very happy with his special card - what a wonderful age he is at.
    Thank you for entering this into our 'Winter' challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.
    Dot x
    Ink Art Designs

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  10. What a fabulous scene you have created. Thanks for sharing with us at Double D Challenge Blog. We hope you will join us for future challenges,
    Kathy
    DD DT

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  11. oooh that is a fab Christmas card, love the design! Thanks for joining in our Mega Christmas challenge at Passion for Promarkers, good luck! Juliexx

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  12. What a sweet photo! Isn't it nice when you see your creations appreciated? Dottie's Teahouse looks beautiful and I like the tree you got for your son too. I'm sure you'll have a joyful and merry Christmas!

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  13. Delightful card - I love it, and I love the pic of your Grandchildren with their special cards!
    Thanks for joining in with the As You Like It 'anything goes' challenge

    Anne x
    https://learningtojive.blogspot.com/
    http://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.com/

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  14. What a lovely festive post, Jane ... so full of Christmas fun! Your snowman scene card is so wonderfully detailed ... and deliciously magical ... looks as though Jack loved it! Thanks so much for playing along with us at Time Out! Anita :)

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  15. Fabulous details on this gorgeous Christmas card! Thanks for joining us at Double "D" Challenges.
    Amelia (Double "D" Challenge Design Team)

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  16. Beautiful card and thank you for entering the Crimbo Crackers challenge!

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Jane x