January Calendar Page

I decided to create my own art calendar this year using a 2025 calendar blank from Funky Fossil.  This is my January page.

Thank You Floral Stencil Frame

I mislaid the April 2024 Clarity New Design Club stencil for a while earlier this year.  It then turned up again among some finished cards.  I was determined to complete a project using it before the end of the year and managed it over the Christmas holidays.

Floral Birthday Wreath

 Even though this stamp set comes with a festive greeting, I thought I would adapt it for use as a birthday card.  Here's how it ended up.

Happy Birthday Mum

 Mum had an official birthday in the summer this year rather than celebrating on the day with everyone.  I still wanted to make her a special card for her and thought the Agapanthus stamp from Clarity would work well.

Happy Home

One of my sons and his girlfriend recently picked up the keys to the first home they have bought together.  This is the card I made to celebrate the occasion.

Typical Winter Holiday Tag?

I associate robins with winter, so as the current challenge over on Tag Tuesday is Winter Holidays I thought this tag would fit - especially with the sentence reveals!

WOYWW 812/32: Merry Christmas

Welcome to the weekly sharing of desks which is WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday), the brainchild of Julia, who was kindly entrusted it to me to continue after 15 years of togetherness.  Please feel free to link up your desk and visit others' - we are a friendly bunch. 

Wishing all my WOYWW friends and their families a very Merry Christmas.  This time next week it will be 2025 - wow!

My desk this week shows the last Christmas card I made this year and some biscuits which I will be taking over with me (and the trifle) to Mums where the boys are cooking Christmas dinner.  I haven't posted any cards this year, but have donated to British Heart Foundation in memory of Paul.

We all celebrated his birthday yesterday with breakfast out at Frankie and Benny's. That is where I took him last year, and we often went there for breakfast. 

I have not yest finalised the contents of those notebooks (from Clarity of course) which were on my desk last week and I need to get a wriggle on!  I am scheduling this post, as I will be heading out early in the morning to get started on Christmas dinner.  The trifle is made and the gifts and family cards ready.

Merry Christmas everyone and wishing you and yours a restful holiday!

Favourite Festive Makes

 I hope everyone is just about ready for Christmas.  I thought I would share some of my favourite festive makes today.  As usual, links to the projects are below each photo.

 For Christmas jumper day! (see HERE).

Christmas Heart

 I was determined to use the last of my Clarity New Design Club stamp offerings before Christmas and am finishing off this year's by creating a non traditional Christmas card.

Dotty Christmas Tree

I used the last Clarity New Design Club stencil of 2024 to create this Christmas card.  I put my own spin on Jane Telford's project.

Congratulations It's A Girl

 This card was made for a colleague who has just had a baby girl.  I made use of some of the offcuts of Clarity papers that I have in my stash.

Season's Greetings Flower

I decided it was about time to use the Season's Greetings Flower stamps and masks from Clarity Crafts which I purchased recently.  They were designed by Christina Morris, one of my fellow DT members.

Not A Morning Person

I was playing with a bargain find from a second hand book store creating a background, and this tag developed from there.

WOYWW 811/31: One Week to Christmas

Welcome to the weekly sharing of desks which is WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) which was the brainchild of Julia, who was kindly entrusted it to me to continue after 15 years of togetherness.  Please feel free to link up your desk and visit others' - we are a friendly bunch. 

I think I have enough watercolour journals for my daily art next year.  I will probably swap between drawings and watercolours depending whether I am at work on a particular day or not.

This time next week it will be Christmas Day.  I totally understand that you will all be extremely busy with family and friends and I am not expecting many to join in next week.  I will however set up a post for those that wish to drop in later in the week.

It's my last day of teaching today for 2024, as on Friday I will be accompanying KS3 on their reward trip.  I will ensure all the marking is done before then so I can enjoy Christmas with a guilt free conscience!

Happy WOYWW - stay safe everyone.

#dailycollage2024 December - The Story So Far

The year seems to have flown by and the last month of my #dailycollage2024 pages is already half over.  This time each page starts with one of the Clarity Christmas Collage papers and ends, as always, with one of their words stickers. 

For Saint Nicholas Day

I am having fun with the festive colours and images.

Jazz's Merry Christmas Baubles II

For my second card using the Jazz's Christmas Elements stamp set, I decided to combine the baubles with Clarity designer paper.

Jazz's First Independent Project

 It was lovely to find out more about Jazz, one of the graphic designers at Clarity Crafts over on Clarity Social TV on Monday. She revealed the first ever project that she worked on independently from start to finish.  Here are some ideas and inspiration using some of the stamp sets.  As always, links to the projects are below each photo.

Easy to emboss even in detail (see HERE).

Jazz's Merry Christmas Baubles

I bought this stamp set in the recent Clarity sale and thought I would have a play.

Jazz's Favourites: Ideas and Inspiration

Jazz, who is a graphic designer at Clarity Crafts recently shared her favourite stamps on Clarity Social TV.  I thought I would share some ideas and inspiration using them.  As always, links to the projects are below each photo. 

Using the Autumn set (see HERE).

A Merry Christmas Tag

The latest prompt over on Tag Tuesday is Christmas so  I combined a Clarity die with their 2-way Christmas Wreath stamps to create this Christmas tag.

WOYWW 810/30: Two Weeks to Christmas

Welcome to the weekly sharing of desks which is WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) which was the brainchild of Julia, who was kindly entrusted it to me to continue after 15 years of togetherness.  Please feel free to link up your desk and visit others' - we are a friendly bunch. 

I must admit I did a bit of a double take when I realised how close Christmas is now.

My desk shows one of my last purchases from the Clarity Gray Day sale - the Pergamano tool bag.  I sorted out all my embossing and piercing tools to go inside.  My Perga Colour pens went in easily too.

Saint Nicholas Day.

My #dailycollage2024 pages continue.  I haven't finalised what I will be doing next year, but I have plenty of small watercolour journals now so it will probably involve using them.

I have looked into booking the same hall as this year for the crop next May.  My first choice date (17th May) is provisionally booked by someone else, but they are getting back to me to see if it is still required, otherwise I will be booking for Saturday 10th May (9.30am for a 10am start until 4.30pm for a 4pm finish).

I won't be visiting until tomorrow at the earliest , as I will be helping out with the school play this evening so won't be coming home between the end of school and the play.

Stay safe and Happy WOYWW.