The day before Christmas, 2020

Christmas 2020

It was the day before Christmas and all through Jane's house

Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.

But Billy was sleeping on his green chair

Oblivious to all and to all unaware

That Christmas this year is so very strange

And in fact 2020 has been re arranged.

A different Christmas, no family table

No crackers to pull or jokes to enable.

But wait what's that noise, can he hear tinkling bells

and perhaps in the distance a few ho ho yells?

Oh Daisy oh Jack please do not fear,

Santa will of course still come this year.

We will wait until spring or whenever it's fine

We'll bring our presents, crackers and wine

And celebrate then with all our good cheer,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good year. 

I don't really know how else I could write my Christmas eve blog! If I didn't laugh I think I would cry.

We know that these restrictions are very necessary but having not seen our kids for 2 months Christmas day was going to be so very special. A little beacon of light in all this darkness. But needs must, we will get through this and look forward safer times next year.

 Please stay safe all my lovely blogging friends. Celebrate the day in which ever way you can. I shall raise my glass to you from our very quiet Christmas table.

Here is a fun virtual Christmas card to you all from Billy. He hasn't quite got the idea about stockings hanging on mantlepieces not trees but this year I will forgive him anything!

Merry Christmas!

I will see you on the other side!

Hugs,

 Jane (and Billy) x

I would also like to join in with these lovely challenges;

Pixie's Snippets playground #393

Simon says stamp Monday celebrate

Simon says stamp Wednesday sparkle and shine

ABC Christmas Y and Z my favourite things in this card are of course...cats!

Winter Wonderland end of year challenge

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas #521 

Allsorts sparkle and shine

Crimbo Crackers anything goes

Town and country Christmas Eve

Good morning, it's time for my Monday Visible Image design team make and I am sharing the 2nd of my Christmas samples using the awesome new Christmas stamps which were released on Saturday. They have been so popular and I have so enjoyed making my samples. 

Today's makes (yes I made 2 in the end) uses 2 wonderful sets

Christmas Eve

and 

sentimental Christmas

I wanted to showcase both the wonderful houses silhouette and the pine trees stamps.  I decided that making 2 cards would do this best.

So first up is how I made my "town" card. I stamped with black Versafine and clear embossed the sleigh and the search the skies sentiment from the 2nd set. I stamped the moon around Santa using Versafine Clair morning mist ( a grey ink). I then sprinkled on some "In the Navy" PaperArtsy Infusions and added some water until I was happy with the background. I then dried it off.

I repeat stamped the houses across the bottom of the background in Versafine Clair Morning mist first, then Paradise then Nocturne overlapping each layer. 

I added the little stars using gold ink. I also added some Frantage.

 This is my finished Town Christmas eve card.

with a close up showing the Frantage.

For the country version I used the same techniques but on a very different background made using the below ingredients. 

I embossed the stars in white glitter and the trees I repeat stamped using the same Versafine Clair colours as my town card. I used the same sentiment as it goes so well with Santa in his sleigh.

I added the large star in gold to this card which is in the Sentimental Christmas set.

Here it is.

I really love these 2 stamp sets.  There are lots of other sentiments in the Sentimental Christmas set which are beautiful and useful too. I have made a set of 4 cards using them which I will share at some point.

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

Cute card Thursday 2/3 add a quote

Through the craft room door 2/2 anything goes

A bit more time to craft 2/3 anything goes

Creative fingers 2/3 anything goes
Love to craft 2/3 anything goes

Lil patch of crafting friends 1/3 anything goes

ABC Christmas 2/3 p, q, r my R is for reindeer

Christmas at sweet stampin 1/3 anything goes

Crafty hazelnuts Christmas challenge anything goes

Christmas cards all year round add a tree

All the new release are available here now.

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you there. You will see lots of gorgeous makes by the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are regular giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased.

 Thanks for stopping by,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Tiptoe quietly

Christmas Eve has arrived and after all the excitement in December we are ready for the big day tomorrow.

Indoor New Choc is enjoying displaying my vintage decs and the chocs and my Christmas card collection from friends and family decorates the stairs. 

All my decorations collected over the years are out.

 Below is one my daughter bought me from Bruges many years back, it's an incense burner.

 And this sweet sleeping mouse is all tucked up awaiting Santa.

My Christmas plates are out including the gingerbread plate I painted at Centre Parcs in 2014

 and my mince pies are made.

I'm all ready for my family Christmas.

My card today is a very traditional one with all the meaning of Christmas summed up in the image. Christmas is all about being a part of a family, wherever they are. Everyone starts life in this world tiny and helpless. It's our families who nurture and love us and are there for us through all the many pathways we travel during our lives.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Pixie's Snippets playground #342 I used lots of snippets for my die cuts.
Crimbo crackers 2/3 anything goes
As you like it 2/3 anything goes
Time out 2/3 inspired by words I was inspired by the words celebrate, family and life!
Cute card Thursday 2/3 anything goes

Christmas at sweet stampin 2/3 anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas #417 anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's patterned paper December

Yes it's finally the night before Christmas. Billy is not stirring from his green chair and the trees are keeping very still and quiet waiting for the man in the Red Suit to pop down the chimney later.

 I'll tiptoe quietly past my sleeping sweetheart and whisper Merry Christmas to him. 

I will close with a little poem, one of my Christmas favourites;

The merry family gatherings-

The old, the very young;

The strangely lovely way they

harmonize in carols sung.

For Christmas is tradition time

traditions that recall.

The precious memories down the years,

The sameness of them all

(H. Lowrie Marshall)

Billy and I would like to wish my you, my lovely blog friends, a very Merry Christmas. May you enjoy your family time together and raise your glasses, as we do every year, to all our loved ones from Christmases past, present............. and yet to come. 

Cheers!

With love,

Jane x

All is calm

Here we are, it's Christmas Eve. 

My very favourite day of the year. I love the whole of the Christmas period but to me Christmas Eve will always be such a special day. Everything is ready. The fridge is full, the presents wrapped and delivered and of course Santa will be loading up his sleigh to make his dash across the world.

I always like to reflect a little on Christmas Eve and remember all the 50 plus Christmases that I have had the pleasure to celebrate with my family. Over the years some faces have passed away from our table but new ones have appeared. That is life and life is to be celebrated. 

I like to keep lots of old traditions alive, including opening my last advent calendar window and playing my festive music very loud! Tonight my Hb and I will go out for a stroll before some of our family arrives on Christmas day. Over the 2 days we are fortunate that we will be seeing all our little family at some point.

This is a time of the year when the days are so short and darkness appears very early but there is still such beauty in Mother Nature. 

I took these photos on my last walk to Dotty's Tea house with my latest cards to sell. Despite it being the rush hour there was such a sense of peace and tranquility in the dusk.

 The colours and shadows were a joy to marvel at.

Even the swans came over to say hello.

I have a last Christmas card of 2017 to share with you all and to send virtually to you, my dear blog readers who stop by and take the time to read my posts. It was inspired but this lovely lamp which shines out bright over the ponds and it's wildlife. It's a place I often sit and reflect, even when life is so busy. 

I used all Tim Holtz products to make my card, just topping off the lantern with some gold edged ribbon. 

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

A vintage journey winter wonderland 

Winter wonderland anything goes
Double D 2/3 baby it's cold outside/ Winter
Deep Ocean jingle bells
That's Crafty 1/3 anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge anything goes/use the word Christmas
Die cut divas 1/3 winter time

I would also like to share one of my favourite Christmas poems...

The merry family gatherings-

The old, the very young;

The strangely lovely way they 

Harmonize in carols sung.

For Christmas is tradition time

Traditions that recall

The precious memories down the years,

The sameness of them all.

(Helen Lowrie Marshall)

 Whether you wave or comment here I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. Thanks for the support and kindness you give me. May your days be bright and may your Christmas memories bring you peace for the new year.

I will be back before the new year but for now I am closing the pages of Jane's Journal to enjoy time with my darling family and to raise our glasses and celebrate the memories of Christmas past, present and those yet to come. 

Lots of love,

Jane x

All is calm

We have finally arrived at Christmas Eve, one of the most magical times of the year for me. I have finished work and I am home with a cup of tea and one of my handmade mince pices
The list is ticked off...

Fridge stacked with food...
Parcels wrapped............................
Mince pies made......mmm..one less now ;0)

I am also thrilled to see that my hyacinth has decided to bloom in time for Christmas day

 My Nan used to bring me a planted bulb over every Christmas day and I smile and think of her when I see my first hyacinth in flower. My Mum bought me this one when we recently visited a garden centre. I also adore the scent, it reminds me of Christmas past.

My last Christmas creation of the year is something very special I made at a workshop taught by my talented friend Brenda of Bumblebees and butterflies. I did not have time to finish it in November but I finally had a chance. It is a Christmas shadow box and it has pride of place in my fireplace. 

We altered the frame using tissue tape, paints and stamping to give it a shabby chic distressed appearance. The backing was made with lots of layers, gesso and paints which made a gorgeous snowy sky

We added stamping and snow to some Tim Holtz die cuts and stood them in glittery snow which we made and spread on. I added some vellum to the lamppost to look as though it is lit.

 This happy snowman stands in the centre

and there are even snow dusted trees we decorated.

I just love my shadow box and I am not sure that I will be putting it away after Christmas. 

Here it is again

Let's hope Father Christmas doesn't knock it over on is way down the chimney tonight.

I would like to enter my shadow box into the following challenges.

A vintage journey let's celebrate

Winter Wonderland fussy and fancy

Tando Creative Festive fun

Mixed Media tic tac toe my line is the top; tape, glitter stamp. I used tissue tape on the frame, glitter on the snowflakes and snow and the snowman and pine trees are Tim Holtz stamps to make my tic, tac toe

Allsorts last Christmas gifts

Country view a nostalgic Christmas this little scene is I think the perfect finale of my Christmas crafting for this year.

Noor!UK merry christmas

So there we are, this is my grande finale of all my Christmas crafting. I have so enjoyed sharing  my creations with you this year and I want to thank you so much for all the encouraging comments you have taken to leave here. I loved reading every single one of them.

Our sweet Daisy and her Mummy and Daddy will be en route soon. Our darling son will be here this evening and we will start our celebrations. We have our children and my Mum and Dad here Christmas day. We will enjoy our roast turkey with all the trimmings (it's the only roast I cook all year now). We will pull the crackers and laugh at the silly jokes, play cards and enjoy being together, precious family time.

All is calm here and I would like to leave you with one my favourite Christmas sentiments;

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.  ~Augusta E. Rundel

May you all find peace and joy at this magical time of the year. 

Merry Christmas,

With Love,

Jane x

Merry Christmas and my 5 Favourite Christmas creations 2013

Christmas Eve is here at last. I have finished work until 3 January and I am so looking forward to the coming days.

I took the above photo at Harrods, all those weeks ago when my Mum and I had our annual visit there.  My lists have nearly all been ticked and the only things left to do today are to make my mince pies, peel the veg and get the table ready later in the day. My dear Hb is working but will be back later and we will start our celebrations with a glass of mulled wine. Then we will be all ready for our  family to arrive for  lunch tomorrow. There are 6 of us here for Christmas day and then our last 3 will join us for more celebrating on Boxing day. We are calling it our Christmas Day number 2.

As well as popping in today to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas I am going to join in with a little Christmas tradition which the lovely Debby  from The Scrapjourney Blog has been running for a few years and I only spotted just after Christmas last year. Debby gets everyone to post their favourite 5 Christmas creations/cards they have made this year as a little challenge. All the details are over here on her blog
                       
                                       

Now this is a tricky one for me as I have made lots of  Christmas creations this year! After looking through my folder on the computer I have come up with these 5 as my favourites. I wonder if your faves feature in my list? They are in no particular order.

Now my regular blogger friends may not recognise the one above and that is true, because I not shown it until today. I have saved it until today as it is perfect for a Christmas Eve card.

I have used one of my favourite Christmas colour combos; silver, white and blue. The silver is so hard to photograph it is so sparkly! The image is one of the cute House Mouse stamps which I simply coloured with black and white Prismacolor pencils.I just blended them using Sansador to give some shading.

Here is a close up

The papers and sentiments are LOTV and my die cuts are Cheery Lynn, Memory Box and Marianne. There is also some Card Candi and a silver snowflake charm to finish it off.

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

Joanna Sheen make it sparkle
The House Mouse challenge use silver or gold
Party Time Tuesdays anything goes
Pan Pastel UK snowflakes
Vintage stamping cold and frosty christmas colours
Charisma Cardz anything goes
Creative Inspirations anything goes
ABC B is for blue, bows and bling My card has blue, there are bows on my star and snowflake die cuts and there is certainly lots of bling!
Simon Says stamp Bling it on
The Artistic Stamper anything goes

So just like this little mouse remember to leave some cookies out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. I hope he does not have too bumpy a ride tonight, the weather has been atrocious with gale force winds and torrential rain and there is more to come here in the UK. Have yourselves the best Christmas, however you are celebrating. I think these words written by Calvin Coolidge and the second by A.E Rundel sum up Christmas for me.

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy is the real spirit of Christmas.  

Christmas, that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance, a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

May your Christmas be blessed. Take care.

Much love to you all,

Back soon,

Jane x