123 Joy ...

The December challenge on 123 Challenge Blog is Colour = Metallics, Word = Joy and Technique = Bows.

I've used a gold star on the Christmas tree and gold bows and have "Joy" featured twice on my page.  I guess this is apt because celebrating Christmas morning and opening those special presents is twice the joy when there are two of you.

From Scratch in December ...

I just wish I had more time in December to scrap but I'm afraid a two week family holiday and Christmas along with visitors and visiting took it's toll.  Scrapbooking From Scratch had a set of lovely challenges with a bonus offer for those that completed them all but I'm afraid I just didn't get there in time.

Challenge #1 use ONE photo, TWO word title, THREE embellishments, FOUR papers.

I realised after I had done this page that the three embellishments had probably meant only three rather than the three types I did but by then it was too late so my apologies.

Challenge #2 use One word title, Two pieces of Washi, Three Stars, Four circle embellies

So two out of four - I have this afternoon so I maybe able to squeeze in another but realistically I think I will need to be happy with this effort - it was December after all !

Doing the happy dance ...

Really quite excited to announce I'm the new team member for Mystical Scrapbooks Woo Hoo. So looking forward to a fun filled next few months creating and hopefully inspiring others to create.

Our first cyber crop of the new year will be up and running on the 3rd of January.  Really hope you can call past and join in with us.  You will have a week to complete your pages.

A moment in time ...

Lots of choice with 123 Get Scrappy this month.  

I've gone with the middle horizontal line of numbers, baker's twine and scalloped edges.

Love this photo which captured a single moment in time.  My baby son struggling so hard to push himself upright.

Up Close and Personal with Julie ...

The final challenge on Scrap the Girls for 2013 is a photo challenge to use multiple photos (at least 3) on a page.

Aside from Masterchef fame Julie Goodwin is a local. She is always popping up on our radio stations, doing cooking demonstrations at shopping centres, visiting schools and generally being a wonderful ambassador not only to herself but our entire region. I often spy her at events and while out shopping - in fact I ran into her at Spotlight only a couple of weeks ago and exchanged Christmas pleasantries - no airs or graces with our Julie - she's just one of the crowd. Last year she came by invitation from my book club as guest speaker to our local library and entertained patrons for an hour or so with tales from behind the scenes at Masterchef. Afterwards she happily signed copies of her cooking books and was snapped for the local newspaper.  Love you Julie !

Some silver, gold and white Christmas Joy ...

A combination of white, gold and silver is always so elegant I believe and is the perfect combination for Christmas especially if like me, you get a little sick of the constant red and green.


Orange Paperie has this combination for their December challenge and of course I could not resist.

I've combined this challenge with one from Berry71Bleu which calls for the word "Joy" and journaling. I have used a lovely quote by Eva A Logue which really says it all about beautiful Christmas candles ...

"A Christmas candle is a lovely thing,

It makes no noise at all,

But softly gives itself away,

While quite unselfish, it grows small".

It's always in the stars ...

Bird is the Word this month features the word Always.  The Studio Challenges is calling for the use of stars.  I've happily combined both on my layout.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on The Lollipop Ladies ...

The Lollipop Ladies are feeling the effects of Christmas and too many cupcakes !!  Two challenges are running from now until the end of the year - enter one or both - there is an embellishment goodie bag + 2 digital images available for the winning entry of each.


Challenge #81 is Reindeer with the additional challenge of grids....

  

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes ever??  When I first saw these little reindeer faces I immediately knew the stamp  I had to use for this challenge.

 

 

I've gone with the more traditional Christmas colours of green and red and used a small offcut of grid transparency for the base of my sentiment.

 Challenge #82 is Christmas Cupcakes with the additional challenge of ribbon...

 

I've taken the red and green from the Christmas cupcakes as the basis of my card and used ribbon across the base.

 

 

This was my last set of challenge for The Lollipop Ladies as my term has come to an end and I am not continuing on into next year. Please support them next year - the challenges are fun and easy and the ladies go to so much trouble to inspire you with their creations.

Child's Play blog hop ....

WINNER - Nori Coleman said...

I love your raindrops on the rose picture it is so beautiful. I too love books and I remember getting those scholastic book orders and getting books from it was such a treat for me. I think one of my first reads was Charlotte's Web and it is still a favorite! I guess it brings back good mems!

Congratulations Nori - if you could email me your address I will get your prize out to you.

Happy December and welcome to the Child's Play blog hop!

Have you watched The Sound of Music a kazillion times like me?  Then you will probably be very familiar with this song which was the inspiration behind this blog hop.

Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles
And warm woollen mittens.
Brown paper packages
Tied up with string,
These are a few of my favourite things. 

In fact this song inspired me to produce a layout all of it's very own ...

 What were your favourite play things of your own childhood?

Or perhaps from the childhood of your own children?

 When I think back to my own younger years one of the ever present aspects were the company of books.  I learnt to read at a young age and I've never really stopped.  Avid would probably be too fine a term for me - I devour reading material.  I'm not happy at all unless I read every night and enjoy nothing better than curling up in bed on a cold winter day with a good book.

I can distinctly remember as a child hiding under my bed covers with a flashlight trying to read past my allotted reading hour. Every Christmas I would find books waiting under the tree for me - beautifully illustrated picture books, amazing stories of adventure and daring, classics from ages past, mysterious lands to discover and exciting places to visit ... all in my wonderful world of books.

1. Visit each blog along the hop and leave a comment so we know you were there

2. Go back to the main Child's Play blog when you are finished and tell us that you completed the hop

3. Create a LO based on a favourite play thing (include a photo of it if you can or tell us what it is) and link up to our special "blog hop" linky

4. Very important!...become a follower of Child's Play Challenges

You have until December 24th to complete the hop and enter your layout for a chance to win!  We will announce a winner before the new year.

Oh and as an extra, extra special treat - I will do a prize drawing from amongst the comments left here my own blog - when you leave your comment just tell me what was YOUR favourite book from your own childhood.

Blog Hop List:

(if you get lost anywhere along the way, just head back to our main page HERE !)

Colleen lifesascrapshoot.blogspot.com/

Stephanie sthom97093.blogspot.com/

Adele dleebug.wordpress.com/

Heather heatherscraftyheart.blogspot.com/

Doreena madijoes.blogspot.com/

Deanne littlebitopaper.blogspot.com/

Steffanie steffanies.blogspot.com/

Devra mycreativeview.blogspot.com/
Karen http://icouldbescrapbookinginstead.blogspot.co.uk/

Next stop is the lovely Colleen ....

Merry Christmas from Pixels and Paper ...

This month on Pixels and Paper challenge blog we have a sweet vintage Christmas photograph for your inspiration and of course it will not be difficult to create a project based on some sort of aspect of Christmas shown here.  In fact we are even making it easier for you by leaving the entries open until the midnight on the 5th of January to give you ample time to experience family and friends and the festive season while still finding some crafty time for yourself.

 

The first thing which caught my attention were the children in their pyjamas.  I think all of us have many photographs of our children in pj's at Christmas time.  Images of them getting ready for bed on Christmas eve showing off new sets of pyjamas, sitting under the tree with looks of eager anticipation on their happy faces, opening presents first thing Christmas morning.  Oh yes pyjamas feature heavily in my festive season photography.

 

An ARTastic December ...

This month on ARTastic we are taking a bit of a step back from our formal challenges and issuing you something simple, easy and stress-free for the lead up to Christmas.

We have a Wordle for you.  These are great fun to produce - kids especially love playing around with them so steer them to the blog and let them create.

 

The idea this month is to let a word or words inspire you to create your page.  You don't have to use the actual word on your project (unless you want to) but please let us know in your post which word(s) you used as inspiration and why.

 

Inlinkz will be left open until 11.55pm on January 5th, 2014 to give you ample time to create your pages.  Snatch a few minutes for yourself over Christmas and enjoy some crafty time.

 

Here is my page ....  I have been inspired by the words gifts, presents and children - showing my daughter delighted with what she received on Christmas morning.

 

 

Hope you can find to play along with us this month.

A little punky ...

Punky Scraps have both a photograph and sketch for inspiration for their latest challenge.

 

I just love the bright colours of the clothing hanging on the rack and have used many of these as a basis for my layout.