Twixmas 2019

I hope you are all enjoying these in betweeny days between Christmas and the new year. I love these days as my Hb is off work and we have lazy starts to the day and no pressure to get anywhere.

I promised to share some photos of our wonderful sunny Christmas day we spent at our daughter's house on the south coast. We even managed a beach walk in the afternoon to walk off our lunch. 

 The light was extraordinary and the sea was so still. 

My daughter is in the middle of extensive house renovations but still insisted on hosting our Christmas dinner, despite their kitchen being Jack's bedroom!

The table up stairs looked very festive, complete with my handmade crackers.

Bear came down with my son and had a lovely day too.

and the emergency mustaches I put in the crackers for the men were great fun. It was a fab family Christmas and lots of wonderful memories were made.

So here we are at the penultimate day of the decade and I time to reflect on my creative makes in 2019

I have made nearly 300 cards for Dotty's, over 30 sets of ATC and coins, over 85 design team projects for my teams plus magazine commissions.  I have had work published in Creative stamping Magazine, Making Cards and Craft Stamper. For 2 magazine issues I was proud to be the cover girl too!  I also demonstrated  at the Stamperama Worthing and Newbury shows for James of Stampers Grove. ( I will doing more shows in 2020 including Create it in February and the NEC Birmingham in March). I made special birthday cakes for my son's 30th, a construction site cake for Jack and butterfly one for Daisy plus some silversmithing projects.  It has certainly been a creative year. 

I could not begin to choose my own favourites so I used the Top 9 app and out came its Top 9 of likes on my posts for 2019 on Instagram ( You can find me here; https://www.instagram.com/jane.tyrrell)   

I found it very interesting to find how many people enjoy seeing my trading cards and coins! It was also fun to see my photo of my demoing down at the Worthing Stamperama show for Stamper's Grove last May. I will be there again in 2020 (plus other shows, watch this space) on June 13th. 

So for my last make of 2019 I thought I would share something made with stamps which are new to me by the lovely Tracy Easson. I attended her workshop recently and fell in love with them. This card uses her Star Gazer Betsy Bottom set. The words are very apt.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Cute card Thursday 2/3 anything goes

Time out 2/3 words inspiration

Allsorts 2/3 anything goes
The house that stamps built 1/3 anything goes
Happy Little stampers anything goes with dies I used the Tim Holtz swirling stars die to die cut my stars.

I paper pieced the little wish boat

 The words are perfect

Thank you so much for all your support and lovely comments you took the time me here to during 2019. I still love blogging and I know that it is more time consuming than IG but this is Jane's Journal, so it is more to me than simply photos of my work. It is a journal of my life and creativity. 

2020 will be my 10th year of blogging (gulp how did that happen!) and I plan a giveaway to mark such a momentous occasion. Look out for my July 2020 post. 

I will be back twice on New Year's day with my design team challenge posts for the first of the month. Enjoy the last 2 days of 2019 and here's to welcoming in the new decade.

I could not have believed when I started blogging in 2010 where my creative dreams would take me....I am proof that if you follow them they certainly can come true. How lucky I am. 

With love,

Jane x

Dotty's Tea Garden

Hi blogging friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have managed to walk off some of those dinners by now? We had such a lovely family day, I will share some photos soon.

I wanted to quickly pop in today with a post which I ran out of time to post just before Christmas.

It was of my recent visit the the brand new Dotty's which is called Dotty's Tea Garden and is situated in Coulsdon in Surrey. If you are in the area you will find it in Rickman Hill Recreation Ground, Rickman Hill, Couldon, CR5 3DU

I was invited to the staff party in the evening of 19th December so obviously I don't have any outside photos as it was pitch black at the time. 

These are a few photos from inside...it it such a gorgeous space. Typically vintage and a perfect place to have breakfast, a light lunch or afternoon tea..or just a cuppa!

Rebecca the owner, as always was quickly rustling up a delicious hand made Victoria sandwich cake.

Here I am with her

We drank  Prosecco from vintage cups (as you do)

Here are am with some of the girls in the lovely open plan kitchen. The hatch you can see at the front right, just behind my head, will be for serving ice cream and treats in the summer months.

 The eagle eyed of you will notice a card on top of this little dresser

Yes it's one of mine to welcome Rebecca and the  team to the new Tea Garden.

I used stamps by Visible Image and STAMPlorations.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

The Inkspirational challenge 1/3 photo challenge

Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes

Time out 1/3 words inspiration

Simon says stamp Monday party time

Simon says stamp Wednesday party time

Allsorts 1/3 anything goes
The house that stamps built 1/3 anything goes

I had such a lovely evening.

My cards will be going up to the Tea Garden for sale in the new year once Rebecca has sorted out some wall display staging. 

Thanks to Rebecca for such a fab welcome to the Tea Garden. I love being a part of the Dotty family and I look forward to making lots of tea/garden/woods themed cards for them to sell.

The tea garden also has the most amazing outside space so it will be perfect for sharing ice creams on a picnic blanket too. Watch this space.

Of course my cards are still on sale at Dotty's Teahouse, High Street, Carshalton, SM5 2AE and a warm welcome awaits you there too. 

Enjoy these in between days. I will be back on Monday with some photos from our seaside Christmas day. Thanks for stopping by.

Bye for now,

Jane x

Christmas Eve, all is calm, all is bright

Christmas Eve has finally arrived and we are all ready and waiting for the big day. Daisy and Jack are so excited. I will be opening up the last window in my vintage advent calendar this morning.

It has been such a joy to open each window, the images behind are just delightful, just look at those mushrooms below. They really have transported my back to my 1960s childhood.

Here is number 24, which I will open this morning.

There are lots of presents under the tree for everyone

All beautifully wrapped by my family.

Even Billy has one, and yes he is ready too.

The house looks so festive and all my cards are hung in the hall. I still love to receive each and every one of them.

I thought the card I would share today is the one I made my darling husband for Christmas.
It is a blue version of a Visible Image card I made and I used a different sentiment.

My owl cards have been very popular this Christmas and are now sold out at Dotty's. This one is in our favourite blues for a really frosty winter sky. The stamps are Night owl, Erika's Maple and a sentiment from Go to Christmas words. 

 I certainly believe in the magic....do you?

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

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas #469

Cute card Thursdays 3/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp It's Christmas card day!
Mod Squad 2/3 Christmas/Winter

A vintage journey a holly jolly Christmas

Try it on Tuesday 1/3 Christmas is coming

The cutie pie challenge 1/3 Christmas cuties

Addicted to stamps 2/3 cold and frosty

So there we are it's a wrap for my countdown to Christmas for 2019.

I always like to add a little Christmas poem to my Christmas Eve post each year. It is just to try to set the scene and to remind us that material things at Christmas are nothing compared to making memories with those you love.
We will be raising our glasses tomorrow and will remember our Christmases past, present and yet to come and our darling loved ones who sit or have sat at our table over the years. They are always part of our Christmas.

Somehow not only for Christmas
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing
Returns to make you glad.

(John Greenleaf Whittier)

Merry Christmas dear blogging friends. Have a peaceful time, make those memories and tell those you love that you love them. Be glad.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Winter solstice 2019

The winter solstice occurred at precisely 4.19am this morning here in the UK.The word literally means "sun stands still" and the sun is at it's most southerly point and we are the furthest away from it. Although today will have the least number of daylight hours from tomorrow the nights will get shorter as daylight starts to slowly return. Hooray!

There are also just 2 more sleeps until Father Christmas takes to the skies on Christmas Eve. To me this really is the most wonderful time of the year and keeps me in good spirits at such a naturally dark time. I am not religious but I always put the crib, which I have had and added to for years, and I bought some star lights last year in the sale which light it perfectly.
It sits on the shelf looking out to the hall and I love looking at the scene and remembering all my Christmases past, present and those yet to come.

My trees are looking gorgeous and I love to see the lights twinkling on them when I come down on these dark mornings. 

We have some last last food shopping to do before the big day but other than that we are all ready. 

I promised I would share my handmade crackers so here they are all ready for the dinner table.

Here are a few of them.

I used a cute Lili of the Valley simply print reindeer and some die cuts. The colours are to match the table ware.

Shhh don't tell anyone but these are some of the gifts inside...the boys are going to have such fun with those emergency mustaches.

I would also like to share my latest card challenge card, a late addition to my shelves at Dotty's Teahouse, Carshalton, SM5 2AE , where my cards are sold

It is another of my popular traditional Christmas cards. I so love this image. The papers are old from my stash and the dies are by Memory Box and Cheery Lyn. The tag was stamped using an ancient Lili of the Valley set I own. 

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

Pixie's snippets playground #368

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas #469

Cute card Thursdays 2/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp It's Christmas card day!
As you like it 1/3 favourite die and why mine is this old bells die  (I am sorry I don't know the maker.) It works for any celebration, not just Christmas
Mod Squad 1/3 Christmas/Winter

A vintage journey a holly jolly Christmas

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

Moving along with the times 1/3 anything but a card

Simon says stamp Wednesday party time

Try it on Tuesday 1/3 Christmas is coming

The cutie pie challenge 1/3 Christmas cuties

Enjoy the lighter days from tomorrow and all your last minute Christmas festivities.

I will be back on Christmas Eve with my last countdown to Christmas post.

Bye for now,

Jane x

Festive wonders

Winter arrives tomorrow and it's just 5 more sleeps until Christmas.

I am loving all the festive sights around me.

Variegated holly with berries.

Sweet little robins.

Poinsettia and winter flowers in the garden centres.

Festive baubles and decorations

and of course...Christmas chocolate!

My card today is another that has headed down and is for sale at Dotty's Teahouse, Carshalton, SM5 2AE

It's a very Clean and simple one and the image is a LOTV simply print. The snowflake die cut are Cheery Lynn and the sentiment is an old one from my stash. 

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Shopping our stash 3/3 Happy holidays

Cute card Thursdays 1/3 anything goes

Not just cards 3/3 anything goes

Crafty sentiments 3/3 anything goes
Addicted to stamps 2/3 cold and frosty
Simon says stamp It's Christmas card day!
As you like it 1/3 favourite die and why mine is this snowflake die by Cheery Lynn, there are about 20 on a single plate which I can cut in one go!
Mod Squad 1/3 Christmas/Winter

I have been making my Christmas crackers today and I will try to get them posted here very soon.
I hope you are getting that list ticked off but remember that you can only get done what gets done. The most important thing over the Christmas break is to spend time with those who mean the world to you.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A visit to Father Christmas

A couple of weekends ago we were delighted to be invited to see Father Christmas with our sweet grandbabies. This was situated at Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire and it was such a wonderful experience. We were also incredibly lucky as there was an absolute downpour of rain just before we headed out on the tractor rain but it was dry for us. 

The experience began with Daisy and Jack being given ceramic tree ornaments to colour in by the Head Elf.

Daisy needed no help at all but Jack had help from his Daddy.

This was Daisy's angel as she added some glitter.

And this was Jack and Daddy's joint make.

We were then lead out to the tractor and took a super trip up through the country park.

We were dropped off at the start of the woodland walk where we were to search for the signs of the 12 days of Christmas.

Daisy was thrilled that this year she was able to read them herself.

It was a muddy but fun walk back, luckily we all had the correct footwear on. 

and at one point the sun even came out.

Daisy found the last signs

and then it was time to see Father Christmas in his grotto. I think Jack was giving a high 5 here!

Jack received an owl and Daisy a dear little elephant soft toy.

It was the most delightful few hours and I felt as though I had been transported back to my childhood. 

Wonderful memories were made.

My card today had to feature Father Christmas and a woodland scene.

I used my Tim Holtz  to make the deer which I stamped using Visible Image hearts. I used his swirling stars die to create the sky. The sleigh and snowflake are old Cheery Lynn dies.The sentiments are old Lili of the Valley and the hillside die is by STAMPlorations. 

It is for sale on my shelves down at Dotty's Teahouse, Carshalton High Street, SM5 2AE

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

A vintage journey a holly jolly Christmas

Shopping our stash 2/3 Happy holidays

Christmas at sweet stampin 2/3 Critters

Time Out Merry and cheerful

Cute card Thursdays 2/3 anything goes

Not just cards 2/3 anything goes

Crafty sentiments 2/3 anything goes
Addicted to stamps 1/3 cold and frosty
Simon says stamp It's Christmas card day!


Thanks for stopping by, especially at such a busy time of the year....are you ready?

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x