Reindeer Games

I never knew I had such a “thing” for reindeers and caribou until this year.  We’re currently up in Northern Michigan, in Petoskey to be exact, that lovely place right on Lake Michigan where we like to spend some time during the Autumn.  We’ve rented a two bed Victorian cottage just a couple of blocks from the main downtown area, so we’re close to everything but just far enough away from the hustle and bustle.  While we’re up here we’re also hoping to find our downhill ski legs again, along with some cross country skiing too and a boat load of relaxation as I’m in dire need of a break.  In fact, my suitcase consisted of my outdoor gear and three pairs of pyjamas as that’s what I intend wearing all day every day while we’re at the house!  In my dreams at least!

[You lookin’ at me???]

So, those reindeer.  Every year at the beginning of December we bring home a beautiful, real Christmas tree and I spend a very happy couple of nights decorating it and the rest of the house too.  Only this year, there was absolutely no point in getting a real tree and even less point in completely decking the halls either, so I concentrated my efforts on the entry hallway so it looks nice for visitors and the family room where we spend most of our time.  That meant that I put all my favourite decorations in the family room instead of spreading them around, and it was then that my little Rudolph habit became noticeable!

[This is one of a pair I was given, must do something with his white bob-tail, he seems to have lost the original one!  And please ignore the packing supplies in the background, the Ribbon Organizers have been galloping out of the door!]

 

Of course, no big tree means that for the first time in many, many years we won’t be sleeping under one on Christmas Eve, we’ll actually be in a bed!  Not sure how we’re going to cope to be honest, it will seem most odd!!  But I’m really looking forward do the break as I’ve been very busy at work, very busy at home, very busy socially and basically, just very busy!  I’ve been burning the candle at both ends and I’m rapidly running out of candle!!

[Another gifted one, silver this time.  He lives on the end of the curtain rod as he’s much too heavy for the tree]

I’m also hoping to meet up with a lady I met on line on Ravelry, the knitting and crocheting emporium, as she lives just one block away from where we’ll be staying.  And of course I’ll be packing a knitting project or two to work on whilst we away.  It doesn’t look like we’ll be snowed in, sadly, but there is quite a bit of snow on the ski hills.

[Another gifted one, this time from a Manager at work who seems to know me quite well]

And then there’s Bou, who you’ve met before.  I have to admit that he does receive preferential treatment as he’s up here with us, having a lot of fun and getting into all sorts of mischief.  Let’s hope he makes it back home with us too!

 

[Looks like someone has been sticking their nose in the cookie jar!!]

 

I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year in case we can’t get online while we’re away (this is a scheduled post).  I have a new tablet that I bought for myself on Cyber Monday using gift vouchers from Amazon that I had but I’m still learning all about it and what it and what it does!  I’m a bit old school I’m afraid!  See you on the other side.

 

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

Hello All – It’s been a few weeks since I joined in with Julia, lots to do round here and not a lot of time to get it all done so I had to step away from the computer and blogging for a couple of weeks.  I imagine most of us are in the same boat at the moment though.

Anyway, I have a desk this week, looking a bit neglected I have to say!  There’s a mug of tea in the centre, a couple of newly made birthday cards on top of a box of brads on the left, a tin full of Sickles and sprays and the like, behind that is a sock that’s destined to be pulled out as it’s too small and to the right of that is the Penny Black stamp I made the birthday cards from.  And at the front are a few bits and pieces ready for another card.

ButI do have a few bits of socky love to share too!  Whilst I may not have had much time for blogging in the last few weeks, the socks are easy take along projects, or easy things t pick up in the evening when you have a spare 30 minutes so I’ve got quite a bit done.

I got the complicated Neldoreth socks finished, I’m really glad I persevered as I love how they came out.

 

And here I am wearing them, you can see how the side cable panels join and flow down the foot.

 

And here is my current project, one down, one on the needles.

It’s called Kalajoki after a winding river in Finland where the pattern writer is from.  I’m making them for a gift, to replace the blue one on the desk above that’s too small!  As there are only 18 stitches in pattern and the rest is plain knitting it’s proving a very speedy knit, which is exactly what I need as I’m practically out of time!

Well, this time next week Andrew and I will be up North in a little rented house in Petoskey watching the snow come down.  A different Christmas for us with no sleeping under the Christmas tree, but we’re looking forward to the snow and maybe some skiing too.

If I don’t get to you before Christmas I hope you have a wonderful one and I’ll see you on the other side!

Sparkles Monthly Challenge ~ Anything Goes

So here we are at the last challenge for Sparkles Monthly Challenge for 2014, and it’s our 4th Anniversary too.  We have an easy theme for you this month of Anything Goes, chosen by Shaz who is our wonderful team leader and the inspiration behind both Sparkles challenge blogs.  We’re sponsored this month by the ever generous Di’s Digi’s, who are offering a $12 voucher to their store.

 

I have a couple of those dreaded male birthdays coming up at the end of December and the beginning of January so I took the opportunity to get my cards made for that.  I did two almost the same, just a couple of differences, but they both used the same elements.  I loved this stamp by Penny Black, called “Best of Luck” so I treated myself to it in the Black Friday sales during Thanksgiving.

 

The backing paper is by Recollections and the red card is from The Paper Studio.  The image was coloured with Prisma pencils and cut out with a Spellbinders Deckled Rectangle, there’s lots of Fruit Punch Stickles added to the candle flames but it doesn’t really show up on the photos.  I made the greeting on the computer and cut it out with decorative scissors.  A couple of gens were added to the corners but apart from the I left it plain.

 

And here’s the second one, accented with green this time though.

 

 

So that’s me this month.  You have until the 13th of January to join in, so if you’re sitting around twiddling your thumbs in that lull between Christmas and New Year you know what you can do!

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Challenges:

Crafty Hazel’s Patterned Paper Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Pixies Snippets Playground ~ Use Up Your Scraps (Everything apart from the card blanks)

Penny Black And More ~ Special Occasions

Crafting Muskateers ~ Use Bling (Stickles and a couple of pearls)

Sparkles Christmas Challenge ~ A Blue Christmas

Welcome to another challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge, the last one for 2014!  Yikes, that’s a sobering thought! Our lovely leader Shaz has chosen this months theme and it’s a colour one, A Blue Christmas in fact.  We are once again sponsored by the very generous Marianne Design Company.

 

 

My card this month features a cute LOTV bunny out delivering his Christmas cards in the snow…

He was coloured with Prisma pencils and Stickles, and finished off with Perfect Pearls and Frantage.  The whole image piece was mounted on to a blue card blank. The strip on the left was made by punching scrap blue card with a Martha Stewart punch and adding a strip of DCWV Christmas Paper.  The poinsettia is a Poppy Stamps die and it was cut from paper that was covered with Tim Holtz Holographic embossing powder, a little blue gem continues the theme.  The sentiment is more blue than the grey it appears to be here!  It’s from Recollections and I cut it out by hand.

Here’s a close up of the colouring..

Hopefully you’ll have time to join in with us this month as the big day is really very close indeed now!  Please pop over to the main Sparkles Christmas blog, my fellow teamies have some lovely and varied blue inspiration for you.

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Challenges:

Winter Wonderland ~ Punches and Die Cuts

Stamping Sensations ~ Simply Christmas

Pixies Snippets Workshop ~ Use Up Your Scraps (the blue card and the DP)

Crafty Hazels Christmas Extra Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Sister Act Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Catz ~ Anything Goes

Completely Christmas ~ Something Beginning With  “S” – Snow and Sparkle and Scarf