The elf not on the shelf

If you have young children or you are American you will have heard of the Elf on the Shelf. If this is new to you this is a very sweet countdown to Christmas for little ones.  Elf and sometimes Lady Elf are sent down from Santa on 1st December to keep an eye on children to make sure they are being good before Christmas. They fly back to the North Pole every night to give Santa a briefing. They are magic and must not be touched but each night they get up to a bit of mischief and can be spotted in the morning in different parts of the house.

The Elf on the Shelf  design is based on the 1960s Christmas tree ones and I am lucky enough to own my own Nan's one, which hangs proudly on Old Choc each year. It's in brilliant condition considering it is over 50 years old.

I used to love seeing this hang on her tinsel 1960s tree...yes very "of its time"..😂 For me real trees have always ruled to roost. My Nan lived in a tiny flat so I think that's why she chose to have an artificial tree and anyway in the 60s kitsch was everything.

My daughter bought Daisy a boy and girl elf and I found some fun chipboard elf furniture on the internet which I decided to paint as a pressie. I bought a bed and a chair and they arrived flat packed and unpainted.

Out came my DecoArt media paints and I painted them to make them look wooden using lots of layers and brush strokes.

Here is the rocking chair 

and this is the bed. I added a painted wooden stocking with ribbon.

I bought some festive material and my darling Mum ran up a little bedspread and pillow and here it is completed.

All ready for the elves.

On 1st December this is what Daisy found on the kitchen side when she woke up

with a sweet note from Santa

 and this is the mischief they got up to on day 2 ....such fun and Daisy is loving them.

She is coming to stay on Friday and Nanna has a few elf ideas for here ....;0)

I would like to enter my elf furniture into the following challenges;

A vintage journey winter magic

Rhedd's Creative spirit December

Simon says stamp Monday Christmas gifts

Emerald Creek Dares 1/3  winter wishes

My card today has to have some whimsical magic so it is a fairy one for me. This fairy has got caught in the snow but has her stocking all ready hung ;0)

My stamp is Lavinina. The die cut tree is a first outing for my Tim Holtz tree edge die. I used Frantage to create the snow.
I would like to enter my fairy card into the following challenges

The Butterfly Challenge December ( but fairies etc until the New Year)
Sparkles Christmas Christmas is coming
Simon Says Wednesday anything goes
Simon Says Work it Wednesday 1/3 use dies
Mod Squad 2/3 dimension
The Artistic Stamper 2/3 Christmas
Moving along with the times 1/3 anything goes with Christmas
Winter Wonderland 1/3 frame it or night scene mine is a night scene
Crafty Boots unltd Christmas
Let's craft and create 1/3 Christmas

The days are racing by and I have lots to get done still including making the crackers. Thanks for visiting and taking the time, at this very busy time of the year, to leave your kind comments.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Writing to Father Christmas

Thank you for all your good wishes for my sales at Dotty's Christmas market. It was a great success and although a few more customers would have been good, those who came liked and bought and it was an excellent advert for my handmade cards and jewellery.  It was also such a lovely festive atmosphere. I only had time to take a couple of photos, using my phone...here is my stall all set up for the day.

I do have some earring and bag charms stock left so I am selling my festive earrings on line reduced from £5.95 to £3.95. The ear wires are silver plated and the charms are lead and nickel free. 

My bag charms, made with one of a kind lamp work glass beads (below), are reduced from £7.95 to £6.95 until Christmas. In the new year I will be putting some more bag charms in my Etsy Shop. I have themes for knitters, sewers, gardeners, girlie handbags etc. I have put my bag charms into hand made crackers in the past and they are also excellent stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts for teenagers and women. 

Not all of these are in stock but if you email me (my email is on my side bar or contact me via Etsy) I can let you know what I have. They make fab stocking fillers. Post and packing to the UK is just £1. 

The earrings and bag charms come in a lovely snowflake organza gift bag.

Today I wanted to share when  Daisy came to stay last weekend, whilst her Mummy and Daddy had a few days away. My Hb and I adore having her all to ourselves and she really was an angel. She even slept in a "big bed" for the first time without any fuss at all. She looked so grown up there...bless her. Time really does fly and it is hard to appreciate that she is 3 already.

She loves crafting so much and it's the first thing that she asks to do when she arrives. It's too cold in my studio so I made up a corner of the kitchen for her crafting area. I also prepared a couple of little projects.

I thought that one important thing to do was to get that letter to Father Christmas written.
Daisy chose some very festive stamps.

She put this together on the back and then I wrote the letter, under her instruction

Yes seriously this is all that she asked for....
After she had gone home and everything had dried I put it into an envelope and posted it off to Father Christmas.

If you have youngsters this is Royal Mail's correct address, just put a stamp on the envelope and get it to Santa by 9 December and he will be able to reply.
My card to day has to be something with a little person waiting for Santa.

The stamp and tags are Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers. My dies are Memory Box and J Sheen
I would like to enter my card into the following challenges.

Pixie's snippets playground #258 I used snippets for my die cuts
Moving along with the times 1/3 anything goes with Christmas
Simon Says Wednesday anything goes
Simon Says Work it Wednesday 2/3 use dies
The Artistic Stamper 2/3 Christmas
Noor sparkle..there is lots of sparkle on her furry outfit and the gold card and papers..hard to see in the photo!
Paper Creator 1/3 Christmas

Dies R Us Christmas

As you like it 1/3 favourite gold or silver mine is gold...so traditional for Christmas cards.

Memory Box marvellous metallics

Stamping sensations 1/3 floral fancies my paper is covered with Christmas roses

Thanks for visiting and for your kind comments,  Today is another important day and exciting day here ..the trees are going up...yes Old Choc is coming in for his annual holiday. Watch out for Billy's blog post soon. Enjoy your Sunday,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

The countdown to Christmas begins

Wahooo it's the first of December today and the real count down to Christmas can begin. I have one of my vintage advent calendars up and I am ready to open the first window. I chose this one for 2016

 I just adore the illustrations.........

so much nostalgia, I am transported right back to my early childhood in the 1960s.

As it is the first of the month it is also my DT post for Country View Crafts so today I will be sharing my card I made for this months challenge. It's an easy peesy theme this month............Christmas. You can share any handmade craft, it doesn't have to be cards or tags it could even be a handmade ornament as long as it is Christmas themed. There are no limitations to the number of other challenges or the number times you can enter. You can win a £20 voucher too so it's win win in my books! All the details can be seen here

I decided to take one of my favourite ever Christmas stamps and show 2 completely different colourways and designs for Christmas carda. My first is today and the second will be in my follow up DT post which falls on 21 December.

I adore this Stampendous stamp and it has been used on many of my Christmas cards.

For my first colourway I wanted a really "Let it snow" card. I stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured a few areas with distress inks and used a ruler to rip the edges

I embossed a snowy background

 and die cut a selection of festive images. To the corrugated tree I added some bling

 It was them time to put my card together.

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

That's Crafty 2/2 All grungy
An inky mess2/3 anything mixed media
Time out 3/3Christmas with an optional twist of glitter/shimmer I added the twist with my shimmery tree and mirror card sentiment.
Winter Wonderland 2/3poinsettia or snow is falling I have gone for snow is falling
Christmas card challenge 2/3anything goes #50
Moving along with the times 2/3 anything goes with Christmas
Simon Says stamp Monday O christmas tree
Simon Says Wednesday anything goes
Simons Says Work it Wednesday 1/3 use dies
Mod Squad 1/3 dimension
The Artistic Stamper 1/3 Christmas

I have lots to get done today as tomorrow I will be selling my cards and jewellery at Dotty's Teahouse Christmas market in Carshalton... and yes the card above is up for sale there.
I will be there from 11am - 9pm. Please tell any friends and family who might be in the local area and if you are around do pop in and say hi. It would be so lovely to see you there.

I also have one last very exciting piece of news...I have been published again. Yes I am in the current edition of Craft Stamper. It's a very special edition as it's their 200th

and here is a sneak peek of my published card

I might have to pop into WH Smith to take a peep whilst I wait for my copy to arrive ;0)

Must dash, lots of last minute things to pack.  I really hope to have lots of eager customers at Dotty's tomorrow. I will be back with a report and hopefully photos, if I get a chance, very soon.
The window down there is just perfect.....

I'm checking that list......................
Happy December everyone.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x