Happy New Year -WOYDTW !

It's more of What's On Your Dining Table this Wednesday - today my friend Lynda from Scrap Club came to play ! It was a really foggy & gloomy day but we had a fun few hours getting really messy with paints & Glimmer Mists - painting & stamping boxes & tissue boxes in the conservatory where the light was actually quite good.

So what with lunch & naughty cream cakes & lots of chatter - we had a really enjoyable day !

So its been a good crafty year ... I've kept to my resolution to be more adventurous with my projects & just to get stuck in & not to dither about worrying it won't go "right" .. and it doesn't always go "right" but hey its not the end of the world .. learn & move on to something else ! Have fun & get let the creative urge have its way !

So hope everyone has a very Happy & Crafty New Year - get messy & have fun !

Feeling Christmas-y !

I don't really know what this feeling is - this "feeling Christmas-y" - we were debating it as we walked around London yesterday looking at foodie inspiration places before we went to the IGD Glitter Ball last night. I think it must be the creeping sensation of appreciating how lovely the buildings & shop windows are as dusk draws in & the Christmas lights twinkle & shine .. the getting dressed up for a night out - the frosty clear mornings, Christmas trees in the hotel & even at Paddington Station - and the firms prompting us to buy buy buy with their Christmas point of sale materials & all the goodies on the shelves of course.

So here's a montage of past couple of days & yes - whatever it is - I DO feel Christmas-y now !

Christmas Journal Underway !

So on my work desk this week I don't have much in the craft line but I do have the pages I am working on for my Christmas Journal.

Each day Shimelle sends us a prompt to give us inspiration for that day's page & this year we are also getting a photography prompt with new ideas & techniques for

our Christmas photos. I'm really enjoying it & how it makes me take time out to consider the little things about this month that might just slip past unmarked.

I find it takes me a few days to get a "feel" for how the journal will develop & gradually it takes on it's own character - I quite like the little note cards Shimelle has given us this year & so far have been using them to give the pages a rhythm & continuity. Not sure if this will work throughout the month or look a bit boring - but so far I like it !

Today I had a little 13 hour trek setting out at 5.30am to present to a customer & en route we stopped for coffee just as it got light. In the car-park were the trees in these pictures - I have never seen anything like these ice crystal which almost look like an exploding starburst ! Amazing what this winter is throwing our way already !

Have a happy Wednesday & a fun crafty week - hope if you are in the freezing UK or somewhere equally icy you stay safe & warm !

Snow & Ice - Christmas Anticipation !

So here we are with December about to start & we have already been frozen in our snowy little cul de sac since Friday ! No where near as bad as up North & in Scotland but snow & ice are not compatible with disabled living & make my DH's life a misery.

Still we have decided to crank up the heating & try not to let it get us down !

Christmas feels like it is a hovering breath away !

With a new year of Journal Your Christmas about to start, I am feeling all tingly with anticipation of what the next month may hold & looking forward to creating my journal !

My lovely Mum has sent my advent calender & I am really looking forward to opening the envelope to celebrate the 1st being here - yes I am in my late 40's & yes my Mum is still buying me & my sister Advent calenders & I for one am unrepentantly happy that we keep this as a family tradition !!

I have already made inroads into the Christmas shopping, the cards are all written (sorry they are just shop-bought ones - which puts me to shame when I see everyone else's lovely home made cards but it just isn't my thing !) - and ready to post this week.

On Saturday I really enjoyed my annual Christmas shopping trip with my friend Joanna to Narberth - a lovely village in Pembrokeshire with loads of individual shops full of crafts, jewelry & art - and a Spanish Deli where we have a Tapas lunch & a glass of Cava to kick off our Christmas spirit !

On my desk today you can see I have finished my Christmas shadow box - still not sure it isn't a bit dull but I have tried to use a bit of gold to liven it up ! Think maybe fundamentally the brown was a bad choice with the red frame - but you live & learn !! Comments on what you think I could have done to improve it gratefully received !! I can always recycle it into something else after Christmas !!

I have the metalwork I am working on from the new Ten Seconds Studios Christmas Kabuka mold & when I have finished it I hope to add the 4 tree panel to the front of my Journal.

I have a few new stamps that I tacked onto an order for some cute chicken stamps that'll be part of what my parents are buying me for Christmas - and a leaflet we picked up on Saturday of Scandinavian style decorations - I succumbed to some ribbon in the red & white with Christmas Reindeer & Tree motifs on it - so the leaflet is for inspiration as to what to make with that !

Well that's my desk & snippets of life for this week ! Looking forward to seeing your desks this week - have a great crafty week & stay warm if you are somewhere snowy like us !!