Its Christmas time...

...and there's no need to be afraid - apparently.

The few weeks before Christmas I usually feel like I'm being chased by bears. This year is no different. Please don't think I'm being a humbug. As soon as the girls and lovely man are on holiday, I love it. And once all the work is done, I am as excited as the children. It is probably the dark days. Living in a village with no streetlights really doesn't help. At about 5ish the day is done. I can see why people in the higher latitudes turn to alcohol at midwinter. 

This year, like every other, I'm excited about a few decoration ideas. I cut out the green foliage with my paper robot and pimped my mirror with lights. The dear came from a craft sale at a friend's house. I suspect he'll be up all year.

I'm feeling brave putting this up here. My living room is quite strange. You could call it vintage but I think probably not. A combination of original 1968 carpet and wallpaper (which don't go together) and our inherited chintzy sofa and furniture. Not a place to hang out with a migraine! But, its got an open fire so that makes it okay by me.

I'm working on a mistletoe decoration. I might even get it finished before Christmas! Still got hopes for some sort of retail situation for my paper mobiles and other stuff still in my brainbox. Next year maybe...

Now I'm off to sip something by the fire.

Christmas Past

Like I said, I always try to do some sort of Christmas card. Before I had children, it would be some Photoshop extravaganza and I'd spend hours on it. Its loads faster to just set up something, take a picture and then just do a bit of a tweak in Photoshop....

This one was just after Daughter No 1 was born - the pregnancy was still fresh in my mind.

This is the year after. A bit more muck about.

2008. I am particularly proud of the bags. I found a commercial design template for full size ones and did them in Photoshop, with logos. Very fiddly to stick together!

Last year, I did a few different things including these angels with various heads. Sorry about the bad photography!

 I have no idea what said card may look like this year. The baubley thing was fun to do but looks a bit like wrapping paper.  I am up to my eyeballs in stuff so I may just send some from the supermarket.

Baubley Christmas

Every Christmas I get busy starting various Christmassy stuff. It  hardly ever amounts to much - a card maybe if anyone's lucky. This year's been a bit "baubley".

The fiddly bit is based on a window in Notre Dame. I did it a while ago, when I started getting a bit obsessed with paper cutting and the potential of electronic dye cutting machines.... More of that to come.

 I like patterns and geometry - a fairly long standing thing. It might have started when my mum used to buy my sister and I these Altair Design Colouring Books.