End Of Year Round Up

It's the end of the year and I've decided it would be fun to complete an end of year blog meme. The rules are simple - post the first line of the first post for every month.

• January - That’s what I’m praying for us this year.


• February - Tonight, Richard and Noah were talking during the bedtime routine.


• March - The Ingrid Michaelson album Be Ok:


• April - Yes, Mother’s day was weeks ago but hey, I’m a mum, I’m busy!


• May - No.


• June - Today!


• July


• August


• September


• October


• November - Ok, so I’ve signed up to do Shimelle’s Blogging for Scrapbookers class to try and get my blogging, and scrapbooking, mojo back.


• December - So today is the day.

So what does this tell me? First that I write in short sentences! And secondly I was obviously too busy to blog in July, August, September and October. What was I doing that I couldn't blog? Not even once?

Why don't you look back at the year just gone?

JYC 2009: Days 15 & 16

Only 2 catch up entries today. I'm tired and need to step away from the computer!

Days 15 & 16:

It's funny because this journal was supposed to be a quick easy format for me but by the time I've pfaffed about what photos to use, agonised over my journal, chosen 'just the right papers' well, it doesn't feel that quick and easy.

More tomorrow, I'm hoping to do days 17, 18 & 19. Hopefully if I keep up at this pace I may stand a chance of finishing my journal around the time the class stops... we'll see.

JYC 2009: Days 12, 13 & 14

Still working away trying to catch up on my Christmas journal. I would really like to finish it this year.

So here are days 12, 13 & 14:

A distinct lack of photos on these last 3 entries. I love the first one, day 12. Christmas Past brought back many happy memories and it was interesting to see how some things have stayed the same but that there had also been some small changes.

Richard likes the last one, day 14, and says it has a 'retro' feel to it. I'm all about retro at the moment so that's a good thing. It was weird though as this was supposed to be the entry for the 14th December and so the Yankee Christmas Swap (held on the 16th) hadn't happened yet!

JYC 2009: Days 7, 8, 9 & 11

Time for a catch up. I'm behind. What a surprise! And yes, I know Day 10 is missing but that's because that day's entry is on the wrapping paper and as I'm running late all the presents have been wrapped and Richard has been super efficient and put this year wrapping paper up into the loft. I've got a draft page but need to wait until the decorations are put away so that I can retrieve the wrapping paper and scan/photograph it to go on my layout.

In the meantime here are my entries for Days 7, 8, 9 and 11:

I've obviously been a very muted green/beige mood lately as looking at these all together they look very similar. Note to self: add some colour on Day 12.

Merry Bokeh Christmas Everyone!

I have loads of things to post about but the Christmas season has just got in the way but watch this space as I will get around to telling you. Yes, I am behind in my JYC but I am still plugging away at it and hope to catch up over the holiday break. I'll upload them here in batches over the Christmas period.

Anyone I'm done, well, I say done, I'm sure there are some things still left to do but if they don't get done it's not a big deal. The presents are wrapped, the turkey is defrosting, the tree is up and decorated. I wanted to post a photo of my tree but it is so difficult to capture the look of it properly. I think it's because it is sitting in the bay window and the light coming in behind just completely throws the front of the tree into darkness, also not helped by the time of year when it feels much darker outside anyway.

So, the tree. I love our tree. It has real candles on it! I know, I know, you are probably all saying "What? Are you mad?", and yes we are probably a little but we've had real candles on our real tree ever since our first Christmas together. It's a german thing (Richard is german for those of you who haven't realised this yet...) and when we were first married we tried to combine some of his german Christmas traditions in with mine. The candles were one of them. I love them. For those of you thinking of the safety aspects... the children have grown up with real candles and know to stay away. We never light them and then leave the children in the room unattended. In fact we never leave the room unattended when the candles have been lit at all. Richard is in charge of 'candle placement'! It is his job to make sure that the tree we buy is suitable for candles (enough branches sticking out far enough to hold a candle and not burn the branch above). It's one of the reasons we take our tree buying seriously, we need to look at the tree from every angle. It can't be too bushy, it needs to be a wide triangular shape... Then once the candles have been placed it's also his job to keep a very close eye on them, the first time of lighting especially. We need to tweak their positions sometimes when they've first been lit but then they are usually OK.

I'll take a photo of the candle lit tree tonight in the meantime I've been playing with bokeh! I've taken this style of photo in the past without even realising that it was a 'style' but after reading a recent blog post by Amy I thought I'd have an attempt myself. I also did a bit of research and found out about shaped bokeh and well, let's say I stopped everything I should have been doing and had a play (click on any of the photos to enlarge them):

One of my 'accidental' bokeh shots. It works because the lens has a short depth of focus, namely Noah, which makes everything else behind that focus blurry.

An intentional bokeh. I switched the lens from auto focus to manual and then just played with it until I liked the look of it.

The last 2 photos were taken in the style of shaped bokeh and, even though they aren't anywhere near perfect, I am pleased with the results. These are not photoshopped or manipulated post photo at all. If you are interested in knowing how I did this I'll post on this another time...

Finally I would just like to wish everyone who reads my blog a Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2010.

180º

The degree of turn I executed on the road this afternoon!

I wanted, didn't need, but wanted to pop to the local craft shop (more on this below) and literally only got a few 100 yards down the road when the car started to spin on some black ice. I admit my first split second reaction was to panic but then I remembered that you are supposed to steer in to a skid not try to steer out of it - so I did. It was a really strange moment. No, my life did not flash before my eyes but I felt weird. Everything seemed to slow down and I was there but not there if you know what I mean.

The car was skidding to the right, so I steered to the right. It felt almost balletic as the rear end of the car swung round and I found myself stationery but facing the opposite direction on the other side of the road. I didn't hit anything, not even the curb, and no damage to myself - apart from my nerves! As I was close to home I just drove straight back. Slowly and carefully straight back. My heart was hammering.

After a few minutes I ventured out again. Not because I needed to, lol, but because I wanted to go to the local craft shop, Sparkle Dreams, and look at their newly stocked range of Ciao Copic markers! That and the new Magnolia stamps they received on Friday. This time I made sure to stick with the main roads and made it there, and back, safely.

And talking of Sparkle Dreams I have some news. From January I will be teaching a couple of classes a month, to start with anyway, at the shop, joining Solance and Sandie as part of the team. I'm really excited even though it is a break from my usual teaching of scrapbooking as I will be teaching card classes. But not just any card classes. No. I'm really going to concentrate on techniques and creating cards with a difference. Cards that are interactive or not your usual run of the mill.

If you are interested in booking a place for my class on 16th January 2010 call the shop on 01793 979101 or email to hello@sparkledreams.co.uk. I'll be posting some photos of the cards we will be doing sometime over the next couple of weeks.

Blogging will probably be a bit sporadic over the next couple of weeks as I plan to spend some family time, playing board games, watching Christmas movies, cooking, eating, drinking but I will be back with a vengeance in the new year. I've got lots planned, including some more digital giveaways, so bookmark me and watch this space.

Our Much Needed Break

I may have arrived back home with a mountain of dirty laundry but at least I am well rested.

We had a really lovely time. Family time. Just us 5. Together. No phonecalls, no spending time being sucked in to the time void (aka 'the internet'), just good old fashioned family time. We played board games, we swam, we walked, we talked, we ate, we rock climbed, we spa-ed. OK, I admit that last part should have read 'the children rock climbed whilst dad stood around in the freezing cold watching them and mum languished in the spa'. I don't know some people are a stickler for details! Oh, we went to Center Parcs by the way. The one in Longleat. It's close, only an hour's drive away, but you feel like you are a million miles away from home. The accommodation was fabulous.

The break does mean though that I didn't blog much, got waaaaayyyyy behind on my JYC for this year and now, along with laundry, have much to get done. I did take photos though and jotted down notes so hopefully I'll be back up to speed as soon as possible.

This is one of my favourites taken during the week. Walking back from the Pancake House after a meal and some entertainment (more on this in a later post), the children all had these fluorescent cups and were messing around with them. One photo with a longish exposure later and I got this:

Belated Freebie Friday #4

OK, this was not what I had planned to do this week but seeing as I'm already a day late time has been the motivating factor! So here is this weeks Freebie Friday giveaway, part 3 of my Kits Kitschen kit - a sparkly lowercase alpha to match the uppercase one last week.

[click to enlarge]

I hope you like it. Any problems with downloading it please just let me know.

So Where Is Freebie Friday, JYC And Posts For The Last Week?

On hold until I get a chance to sit down and do the posts.

We've been away on holiday! Yay! A much needed family holiday. Sorry for just disappearing like that with no notice but I didn't want to advertise the fact that our home would be empty for a week to the whole of the world wide web. I'm sure you understand.

So normal service will resume tomorrow. I do need to put my head in gear as there are things to be done:

• Create this weeks Freebie Friday (part 3 of my Kits Kitschen digital kit)


• Catch up on the last 4 or 5 days of JYC


• Eat the chocolate from my advent calendars (we didn't take them away with us so 5 windows to be opened, which means 5 chocolates x 2 for my 2 calendars!)


• Laundry. Lots and lots and lots of laundry


• Put up Christmas tree and decorations


• Take photos


• Blog

Errrmmm, that sounds like enough for now - I'll need another holiday to get over this one!

JYC 2009: Day 6

Ghosts of Christmas past? I mostly have really good memories of Christmas but like everyone I expect there are some not so good ones. I haven't written about all of them on todays entry mostly because this is going to be a book for my whole family too look at and enjoy and I don't want to put some things in it. Like the Christmas my brother attempted suicide again. Or the ones I used to have with my long term boyfriend Nick which inevitably ended up with arguments - one year more so than others.

Like I said some Christmas' were awful but I have to say that I've been very blessed and have mostly good memories. They have been the exception to the rule. I remember the excitement as a young girl of waiting at the top of the stairs whilst my dad went downstairs to turn on the Christmas tree lights and make things ready. He also made my mum a cup of tea and once that was done we could run down the stairs and see what Father Christmas had brought.

The year that I'd opened all my presents and thought the present giving was over and then my parents asked me to go make another cup of tea. I felt really grumpy because I didn't want to make one but being a good girl (mostly) I did and as I walked to the kitchen via the dining room I saw a brand new bike! It was brilliant.

And then there's the year (maybe this should have gone on the naughty side!) where unknown to my parents I had been sneaking around the house looking to see what presents they bought and found them all. When they asked me to write my letter to Father Christmas I wrote down everything I saw. All the gifts. Even those obviously meant for my brother!!! I was either trying to impress them with my great memory or stupid... hmmm... I think I'll say naive. Priceless. I still couldn't think why they would know that I'd been snooping...

Anyway my entry for today:

[click to enlarge image]

JYC 2009: Day 5

The countdown begins. Nicely aided by a daily chocolate. This is a first for me as I'm the one who usually buys the chocolate advent calendars and, don't ask me why because I couldn't give you an answer, I never feel 'right' about buying one for myself. So I inevitably end up being the only one in the family without a chocolate advent calendar. Richard is great at many things but buying advent calendars - he is not.

So this year, for the first time, I bought one for myself. Oh, the anticipation. But you'll never guess what, ok maybe you will, but a miracle happened. Richard bought me a calendar! So, I've gone from having none to having 2. Yay me!

[click image to enlarge]

Changed the Ali Edwards template to fit my photos and the little embellishment in the bottom right had some green cardstock that didn't fit in with the rest of the layout so I cut it out and clipped and masked some of the dark green cardstock in it's place.

Thanks for looking.

JYC 2009: Day 4

Today marks a milestone in my JYC journey. I have never managed to get to day 4 before!

[click image to enlarge]

I haven't listed the supplies, and I'm not going to in subsequent posts (unless I use anything different), as I'm pretty much sticking to the same ones in an effort to create an album that will flow. Even though the pages may look very different sometimes hopefully the fact that I'm using the same kit will help the album to look cohesive.

I love this tree. The original one in the kit is sort of a metallic green so I've changed it to blend better with my colour scheme. Got to love a bit of glitter!

Freebie Friday #3

It's Freebie Friday! This means the second part of my freebie digital kit giveaway. This week it is a glittered chipboard alpha, 3 full uppercase alphas in different colours.

I hope you like them and if you do and/or you create something with them please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what you think and see what you have done.

Hopefully I'll get my latest JYC page uploaded later today.

*** If you tried to download this earlier today and only got the preview, first of all I apologise and secondly this has now been fixed so please feel free to download it again with the correct file ***

JYC 2009: Day 3

Christmas cards. Apart from the buying of the presents this is the next thing that causes me to stress out at Christmas. Do you send a card? Or do you give to charity? Do you send to just family and close friends? What about those friends who don't get one? Will they feel snubbed? Do I make them all myself? Do I buy them? Do I make some and not others? Will those who get a shop bought card feel snubbed they didn't get a handmade one? Errmmm... I think I can stop there. I'm sure you get the picture.

Then there's the fact that for the last couple of years I've made cards but just haven't got around to posting them. I opened up my box of cards to find around 20 or so that had been written out, sealed in their envelopes and even addressed. Just not posted. Do I send those out this year instead? But what if I've written the year inside? But then I can't think why I would do that? But what if I did? Would they just assume that I've made a mistake and wrote 2008 instead of 2009? OK. Stop. We won't go down this route again in just the second paragraph!

Here's my layout. Not too happy with this one and I don't know why but it's in line with my new keep it simple philosophy so I'm saying it's done.

[click image to enlarge]

Supplies:
Be Merry - TaylorMade & Ashalee Wall Collaboration
Dotted Circle Number: Andrea Victoria
Template: Ali Edwards
Glitter Styles: My own

Not much in the way of changes to any of these items except for the bird which I changed from green to blue to better match the layout.

As for the Christmas card this too is in line with my simple philosophy. I've got so much Christmas stuff it's embarrassing. So I'm using it. Quick simple cards. The card above was made using the Die Cuts With A View Christmas Glitter stack (which I bought last year if I remember correctly). One sheet of 12x12 patterned paper has 3 reindeer across it. I cut it up in to 3 pieces 4x12, trimmed it down slightly and popped it on to a plain card base. The bracket journaling block was created using Photoshop and then printed out. I then went over it with a glue pen, allowing the glue to dry tacky, and rubbed some KI glitter over it. Stamp was one I bought recently at Hobbycraft. A little bit of red ribbon and done.

Simples.

JYC 2009: Day 2

You may have noticed that the pages so far have been very simple and very different to my usual style. This was a deliberate choice. I'm hoping by going for clean, simple graphic style that I won't spend too much time deliberating of what embellishment to use. Should I use this or that? Have I layered enough? You won't believe how much time I can waste thinking about these things! And to aid in this I'm also using Ali Edwards Daily December templates.

See? I'm learning. I'm all about the story and not about the stash. I would really like to be able to actually stand a chance of finishing this year. Hopefully it's 3rd year lucky!

[click image to enlarge]

Supplies:
Be Merry - TaylorMade & Ashalee Wall Collaboration
Dotted Circle Number: Andrea Victoria
Snowflake Overlay: Studio Flergs
Template: Ali Edwards
Glitter Styles: My own

As usual a little bit of tweaking to get things how I like this time mostly the snowflake overlay. Originally it the snowflakes were randomly spread all over the page but I move them to create a sort of border either side of the photos.

Thanks for looking.

Measuring À La Noah

"There's this guy in my class at school and he is so small. You wouldn't believe how small he is mum. If you chopped him off at the eyebrows and up you could use him as a metre stick!".

Need I say more?

JYC 2009: Day 1

So today is the day. Day 1 of Shim's Journal Your Christmas 2009 and I'm pleased - I've kept up! LOL. I know it's only day 1 but it's a good start.

[click image to enlarge]

Supplies:
Be Merry - TaylorMade & Ashalee Wall Collaboration
Dotted Circle Number: Andrea Victoria
Glitter Styles: My own

Background paper had some trees printed on it but I wanted to use it as a plain background so used Photoshop to get rid of them using the clone tool. Other items changed from the original include the star on the tree (green paper star changed to glitter), snowflake (glitter changed to one of mine to match the rest of the layout) and the dotted circle number (backed on to kraft paper and glitter style applied to centre of number).

I've decided to keep it simple so that I stand a chance of keeping up this year. So ready for day 2 now.