Dolly's Dreamings

Childhood memories and New Year's Eve Wish

I guess I ought to get this one uploaded as we are almost out of the Christmas season and I still haven't uploaded all of my Christmas pages.

This was made for the December gallery for Mel and Jill at A Trip Down Memory Lane. I absolutely loved the special shaped paper but had no clue how to use it. I debated cutting it but every breath in my body resisted it - so it stayed in tact. The picture is of me when I was 5 with Santa. I used to go and have my photo taken with him every year at Beatties, the big local store.

I doodled round the edges of the paper and, although you can't really see it, there is also loads of bling int he form os stickles. Very simple page really, but one I really liked, in part because of its simplicity.

The lettering was cut on my Cricut - which I am absolutely loving at the moment thanks to my Design Studio and new cartridges.

So, today sees the end of 2007 and we look forward to the promise of a whole new year.

New year - a most artifical time decided by man but none the less a poignant one. A time for reflection on what has passed, on what we have achieved, on successes ... and failures. A time for recalling friends made, happiness shared and sorrows comforted. A time filled with reflection and recollection and charged with hope and seemingly limitless possibilities.

2007 has been, in some ways, a tough year for Nigel and I. There have been some challenges to face along the way ... but that is a good thing. Challenges make you stronger and, without the lows of life, you could never appreciate the highs. And we have had highs too. Many of them. We have blessed lives, filled with love and laughter. And whilst the occasional low stands out it is important to see the peaks for what they are too - to relive them, enjoy them and take strength for the future from them.

As we move to 2008 I am - as ever - filled with resolve for all the things I want to achieve, from the mundane to the life changing. But I am also filled with a new resolve this year - and one I aim to stick to. I want to enjoy each moment. To savour it. To not rush on to the next goal, the next challenge, the next event. To appreciate how precious each moment it in itself and to make the most of each one. To continue to count my many many blessings daily and see any trials as just that ... trials to be overcome and learnt from, not insurmountable obstacles that I cannot face.

To all of my many friends who I know read this blog regularly I want to wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful new year; a year shared with people who matter to you and a year filled with love and laughter.  I found this message on the wonderful net and it is something I wish for all of us.

During the year may you have
Enough happiness to keep you sweet.
Enough trials to keep you strong.
Enough sorrow to keep you human.
Enough hope to keep you happy.
Enough failure to keep you humble.
Enough success to keep you eager.
Enough friends to give you comfort.
Enough wealth to meet your needs.
Enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow.
Enough determination to make each day better than the
day before.

Y and Z are for

A double dose today - and just as well I have some old stuff to upload as I sure haven't done any scrapping today.

I think the impending new year is getting to me. I have been tidying with attitude.

I have emptied all the drawers in my scrap room (and that is a lot of drawers) filled a recycling bag, a rubbish bag and two bags of stuff for school and I have space. Yes, genuime bona fida space. Plus I have put away all the stuff that has been hanging around for ages and have an 8 foot working space desk back, access to all my drawers and cupboards and am a happy bunny. It was a bit hairy for a while about half an hour ago when I had so much out I couldn't actually move and yelled for Nij to come and free me - but all's well that ends well!

Anyway I digress Time to finish the journal.

Y is for You - as in Nigel. No matter what we do, who we see, where we go, Christmas would not be Christmas without Nij. I hope and pray I never have to find out what it would be like. I don't even want to contemplate it. The picture is Nij last Christmas day. He had just rolled out of bed too and is wearing his robe (his pride and joy) that we bought at the Venetian a couple of years ago. It is extremely soft and snuggly and I get to borrow it if I am poorly!

The globes are cut from K and Co paper, mounted onto card and then stuck with 3D pads onto enamelled chipboard letters.

Z was a real toughie. We love Muppet Christmas Carol and can be heard, near to the big day, singing about how many more sleeps till Christmas.

This year I saw this cute little Santa in Matalan. He was just £5 and we have enjoyed having him hanging in the hall giving us a christmas countdown.  He came with his own chalk and rubber and so as he was new it seemed only fitting he featured on my Z page - the countdown of sleeps ... or zzzzzzzz's ...... before Christmas.

I have loved making my journal this year and was chuffed to have finished it on Christmas Eve. Some days it was touch and go. Thanks to Yizz for posting the prompts for us and keeping us going.

X is for

Well we knew getting to the end of the alphabet would be tricky and X was no exception.

I hate the word Xmas - but needs must and so I went with Xmas morning. This was a picture of two bed heads - just rolled out of bed last Christmas morning - me and the Fiki monster.

I was actually trying to use him to cover up as much of me as possible as Nij had a camera for Christmas last year. In previous years I had always been safe - I was the one BEHIND the camera.

I will upload the last two tomorrow - I bet you are glad to see an end to this journal now.

I have loved doing it - but have to say I was glad when I packed away all of my Christmas papers for another year.

New Year seals

I have been having fun this morning making a logo I want to use on my digital designs. I know my designs are very basic - there is so much awesome stuff out there, but it brings me such pleasure playing with them. And I thought it was about time I made a logo anyway. And yes - like everything I do, it is VERY simple.

Plus I am so not into scrapping at the moment! No idea why - the scrapping urge just isn't there at the moment. I hope it comes back soon so I can crack on with the stash mountain I have.

Anyway - I digress. I have made a few seals for New Year and thought I would share them. There are 6 versions, lights, dark, watermark, shadowed and not shadowed.

If you think they will be of any use at all please go ahead and snag them here - I have just had fun making them as it means I haven't had tot hink about not scrapping for half and hour LOL

Thank you cards

I wanted to just slob today (and I have) but did get to make a couple of thank you cards - well it's a start LOL

I have a lot of cards to make and so I knew I needed to get started on them today. I WAS going to make some before Christmas, but it just never happened.

I was stuck for inspiration (I think it's the combination of rich food, alcohol and too many new toys to play with) and so made both cards (I have made several of each actually) using sketches from Di Hickman's blog.

I have also made myself a new Year resolution (Yup an early one) that I will make at least one card for every scrapbook page I make. As I scrap A LOT it means I should never be short of cards to send next year.

It is one resolution I hope to stick to.

The cards look bent but I promise they are straight IRL. I think the scanner just goes a bit boggle eyed when it comes to dots and spots.

W is for

I hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas.

We have had a three day Christmas. Christmas Day we rose early and opened half of our gifts to each other (yes we spoil each other totally at Christmas as we have no one else to spoil really ) and had a leisurely champagne breakfast before going to Gina's for lunch. We alternate Christmas with her doing one year and me the other. This year was my year off. Both of our godchildren, James and Vicky, were there, plus Gina's parents and brother and Nigel's Mom. It was a very relaxed day filled with good company and great food.

Yesterday we drove up to Bromsgrove to spend the day with my other family, Sam, Chris, Emily and Pauline - and bump of course - and it was another wonderful day with awesome food and very special company.

This monring we have started our own special christmas. Another champagne breakfast and later we have turkey and all the trimmings. I have had such wonderful thoughtful gifts this year. It has been very much a Kipling Christmas as I have had a Kipling suitcase and vanity bag, three kipling Camera cases (one for each camera) a kipling brolly and mirror. I also had loads of really really good books,  several DVD's and CD's and lots of toys and games including Mahjong and two games for my DS Lite. I had jewellery, a new electric toothbrush and I have had sweets and scrapping goods galore plus the final gift that made me cry. I love Willow angels and ornaments and Nigel has often bought me special pieces and this year he bought me The Promise which was lovely and very special. It is how we 'dance' in the kitchen. Old romantics that we are!

I hope that you have all been blessed at Christmas too and. more importantly, that your holiday season has been filled with love and laughter.

Now on with my journal - which I am pleased to say is finished.  This is my W page which is the three wreaths of Christmas.

The main picture is the wreath I put on the front door of my doll's house each Christmas. I decorate the dolls house throughout at this time of year.

Under the picture are two tage with a picture and journalling on each.

One is the wreath we put on our front door each year. It was bought the first year we were married and was hideously expensive at a time when we were broke, but it has lasted well over the last 21 years and so was a good investment.

The third wreath is the wreath I put on Mommy and Daddys grave every Christmas. Not the happiest of traditions, but very much a part of my Christmas tradition anyway.

Now for a nice quiet chilled day.

2008 overlay

I hope you are all having a wonderful festive season. I sure am.

I will report in due course, but not today as I am busy busy busy

Until normal service is resumed and my Christmas festivities are over I leave you with this overlay set I made in readiness for the fact 2008 is just around the corner.

They are very simple, with fireworks on, and there is a black version for use on light papers and a white version for use on dark papers.

Feel free to snag them if they are any use.

You can find them here and  have a great boxing day. xx

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the blessings of the season.

Thank you for sticking with me this year - it has been a pleasure to 'meet' so many of you and I have loved keeping my blog through 2007.

Hoping you all have a magical Christmas and a happy and healthy 2008

xxxx

V is for

Well V heralds the first of the really tricky ones for this journal so I have gone with Very Special Breakfast LOL

I was clutching at straws with this one I can tell you.

On Christmas morning we always have a champagne breakfast. That makes it sound a bit better than it is really. I bet you are imagining champagne and smoked salmon and strawberries dipped in chocolate LOL. Our reality is a little different. It is champagne and - well champagne really! The only food we have at that time of the morning is usually peanuts LOL But it is OUR traditiona nd we love it. We are always up very early - I can never sleep late - though Nigel now refuses to let me get up at 5! Kill joy! We have christmas music on, drink our champagne, open our presents, play with the fur family and count our blessings, nice and quietly, before everyone else descends.

I have finished W and X and will post them - and the last two - after Christmas.

Nigel is outside on the balcony trying to get the string of lights that has stopped working going again so I better go and play supportive wife.

U is for

OK - with these last few letters we are going to have to use a little poetic license I feel.

My U is 'underneath the tree'.

Now I know most people traditionally put presents under the tree, but we don't. We have cats so presents under the tree are NOT a good idea. All of our presents are decorated with ribbons etc and that is Fiki code for 'rip and pull' so they are not at floor level as it would be way too tempting.

So what do we have under our tree? Cats usually.

These pictures were taken a couple of years ago as Kira was caught in the act of biting the gold bead chains. And instead of telling her off - yup - I took a picture!

So - what do we have under our tree? Tiny bundles of pure love! NOTHING BETTER!

It has been a glorious day today - cold and crisp and sunny and lovely. We went on our annual visit tot he cemetery today. I don't go often at all, but I do always go at Christmas. I have no idea why. I know they are not ;there' and I never think of them there, but I do need to go and put an evergreen and red wreath on their grave close to Christmas. I went on my own once and it proved to be a very bad idea, so I always wait till Nigel can go with me. It's much better that way. On my own I just ended up feeling totally and utterly alone and bereft.

The rest of the day is panning out just fab. Me scrapping, Nij sat behind me doing something with trains and both of us just enjoying being at home with everything done. House cleaned, presents wrapped, shopping all done, just the enjoyment bit now.

I started knitting last night and managed at least half of one of the jackets so I was dead chuffed with myself. I haven't knitted since Emily was born 5 years ago so it feels good to be back into it again.