It's beginning to feel a lot - - -

- - -like Christmas - la, la,la - The Christmas trees arrived in school today - the scent in the foyer was wonderful!! I love the scent of conifers - pine and fir are so very evocative of this season of the year I think.
It was funny though - the tree for the main foyer was about 2 feet too tall - so what did these Manxmen do - start sawing through the trunk!! Took 3 of them - including the Headmaster - to cut it to down to size. Me - I would have just clipped off the spindle at the top - no one would have been any the wiser since the tree is such a good shape! The photo of the Head sawing madly is now on our school plasma screen- I'm only sorry I can't share it with you since the whole incident has had us in tucks of laughter all day! I LOVE the Isle of Man!!!!
All for now J x

The Preparation prompt arrives - -

- - for this year's Journal Your Christmas - as you probably know I am playing along again with Shimelle and a host of other great participants from right across the globe. The board has been buzzing with anticipation awaiting this first email from Shimelle - we - grown women - are all like children waiting to see Santa - just bubbling with excitement. I first did this class in 2006 - so this will be my third Journal! I can't thank Shimelle enough for designing and running this class - because it really has made Christmas magical again for me. I have always loved Christmas - as a child I remember spending most of December with a permanent bubble of excitement in my tummy - and felt the same way when my children were little as well, in anticipation of their faces on Christmas morning - but as they all became young adults - it wasn't quite the same, yet I do still love Christmas.
However - thanks to this class my delight in Christmas time has returned to childhood levels - and f0r that I raise my glass (metaphorically speaking - it is only 8.30 am here!!)and say Hooray for Shimelle and Journal Your Christmas.
I am really proud to say that I did manage a finished product - all be it that I missed out a couple of prompts in 2006, and that when I was invited to join in again in 2007 was also able to produce a passable Journal of my season - even though I didn't manage ALL the 37 prompts. I love both of my journals - I think they might be my favourite scrapbooks - as they certainly are looked through more often than any other!
So - - - once again I am Journalling My Christmas -- Why you ask? because I love Christmas - - for all the hustle & bustle, all the preparation, all the shopping for gifts for my loved ones. I really enjoy wrapping my parcels - making them as pretty & special as possible for my own very special people, making mince pies on Christmas Eve - with all the memories it brings of doing the very same thing with mummy as a child to doing the same with my children, planning my menu for Christmas Day, decorating my home with my Christmas Village, putting up the Tree - - candles. school Christmas Fayres, writing my Christmas letter & my cards, travelling home in the dark to see fairy lights appearing in windows and outside homes as other families start their own preparation, listening to Christmas music - going to the special Candlelit Services, being with my family, enjoying foods and drinks that I only have at Christmas time, roasting the turkey & pork, Christmas Crackers, party games, silly hats , walks after Christmas Lunch, High Tea on Christmas Day, Boxing Day presents and so many other small special traditions - - all make this the most magical time of year. My Granny, Grandad,my mum & dad always made Christmas Magic for my sister and I - -I try to do the same with my family - my husband, my daughters & son - I hope I am succeeding - - - that mum and gran would be proud of the way I carry our family Christmas tradition forward before it moves on to the next generation - -and of course I can always dream of a white Christmas - Can't I?
If Christmas means just as much to you - why don't you take a peek here http://www.shimelle.com/classes/389/journal-your-christmas - - play along too?

All for now Jx

JYC 2008 - Stamps for Xmas

Had to pop down to the PO to send some stuff to DD1 in Oz - and when I got there I realised they had the new Christmas stamps in - so I got a whole set ready to add to my Christmas Journal 2008.
Last year a few in the group swapped Christmas stamps - so maybe that will happen again - you never know.Our stamps this year are based around the wonderful book by Janet & Allen Ahlberg - The Jolly Christmas Postman. Any of you who have little ones - their books are truly delightful - full of interaction and beautiful illustrations - having the books from when my children were small I am delighted to have these stamps to add to my Christmas Journal 2008! They can be purchased from here if you are interested.

Traditions - December 9th

- - I love my Christmas Traditions - like Chocolate Oranges, Sherry when putting up my Christmas Tree, candles, having my family all around me, fairy lights all stuff I included in my Christmas Journal last year - so this year I am just putting a photo of my girls with their grandparents as going for a walk after Christmas lunch is also a family tradition. We have done it as children and adults and only the very most inclement weather has prevented it - and not even then for Doug! He needs his fresh air does my boy! Journalling is on the tag and says

Last year I missd this from my list of traditions of my Christmas, because I forgot to include it, but now I am gald I did as it means I can add something different to this journal. We have always "walked off" our Christmas Dinner - and only the MOST inclement weather has prevented us from going out for a breath of fresh air after lunch on Christmas Day - if even for only 10 minutes (because it was icy cold!) Even the worst weather doesn't stop Doug going out though - he needs his fresh air and to burn off some energy - such a restless chap - the man I married!

Here is the page anyway.TFL

And Wednesday comes round again - -

21st November - - Where does the month go to - I was supposed to be doing so much crafty stuff this month and have done NONE - I have a CJ, ATCs, 2 Mini Maze books and 2 Class demo pieces - all unfinished!! and the deadline is upon me!!!! Aaaaaagh!!! I really do need to find some TIME - is there anyone out there who can tell me how to get more minutes to the hour??? I'd pay good money for the secret!! Must get some done tonight!
As you can see from my last post - I am making a Christmas Journal again with Shimelle. Have I given myself too much to do?? Will I be playing catch up again like last year? Probably LOL! However I did manages to get it done and so am really looking forward to this years class. Here is a link to my pages from last years blog entries about the Journal.
Hoping to be back later!

Completed Christmas Journal

Well - I have managed it - a completed Journal! of sorts anyway. All the pages are in, but as I am out of ink for my printer, I cannot put in the final journalling yet. It has been a really great experience and I have enjoyed it immensely. I have journalled alongside some very talented ladies, all over the world and feel very honoured to have been part of the same as them.Please see the sidebar for just a few of them. Thank you Shimelle - it has been a real pleasure and am feeling so sad it is over. I do hope there is a new class soon!Thank you to everyone who commented on my work and dropped by my blog.TFL

Still playing Catch up with the journal

I have completed another couple of pages for the Christmas Journal - here they are. On the 23rd Doug spent the bulk of the day chopping wood, so had to include it in my journal somewhere. I gave me the chance to include a favourite poem anyway. I do need to do another page for this day as it is my eldest daughter Lydia's birthday so will finish that side tomorrow. The other picture is for the 3rd Jan, and the prompt was to pick ONE moment from this Christmas & write about it. I chose the look on my son's face when he was given his present - he just wasn't expecting the gift we gave him, which was digi SLR camera - as his birthday is also in December it was a "joint" present.Thanks for looking.

Christmas Day Pages for the journal - - -

I have finished Christmas Day pages in the Journal. The photos haven't come out very well really as you can't read the journalling, it says - -
Christmas Day 2006. Lydia came round in the morning, in the afternoon we all went round to Rosemary & Carl's. Mum & Dad are staying with them. A lovely family day.

Hidden journalling also include and is tucked away on tags. It says - -

A Tale of Two Christmas Trees. As usual we have spent our Christmas with my family. On the Day itself we went round to my sister's house in Derbyhaven for a magnificent Christmas Dinner cooked by Carl. We also had the pleasure of the company of Lydia's housemate Lisa & her small son Tyler, joining us for the present giving after we had eaten. Imogen & Tyler took the parcels round to everyone - being the youngest!! After we played Charades, and Subject & Object before we all wended our separate ways home.The trees are mine & my sisters.
On Boxing Day they came to our house and we had a lot of fun after we had eaten playing similar games - Subject & Object again, "Psychic Mind Reading", and the Spirit Moves - with mum & me & Rosemary "reading" each other's minds. Lots of laughter and people trying to guess how it was done. Ben brought his new girlfriend to meet us - she probably thinks we are all QUITE mad!! She seemed to enjoy herself at our party though. Hope he brings her to us again soon.
TFL.

completed pages includingChristmas Eve with the Journal

My Intro page for my Journal along with several other pages I have completed and added to it. It has been so much fun to do this, just wish I had kept up better than I have! Still working on it anyway. Thanks for looking.

A New Year begins - - -

New Years Day - I can't quite believe that another year is finished. Where, oh where, does the time go to? A year seemed endless when I was a little girl but now!! no time at all. I haven't done half of what I wanted to get done and yet I have had a very creative year. I have taken 3 of Shimelle's on line classes, with albums to prove it!and 2 BigPicture Scrapbooking classes, made 7 mini albums for friends who I holidayed with at October half term, made a scrap canvas (my first)at crop class - many thanks Hayley, joined in with 2 CyberCrops on UKS, run 2 classes at our crop and 1 at school and continued working on a variety of albums of my own, heritage, book of me, holidays & travel, and each of the children's albums.
In between I have had 2 holidaysone, one with B & R joing ing us and one with friends from work, gone to the theatre and the cinema,been dancing (though not as often as I would have liked as the local dance folded), arranged Social Club activities for work and generally enjoyed life here on the island, going for drives and walks to appreciate its beauty spots.All in all a good year I think.

I have added a few more Journal pages. TFL

More pages for the journal again

I have had a great time this afternoon playing with my Journal. I have finished a few more pages so thought I might as well upload them. I really should resize my pictures and upload to Writtendown as well, so might try and find a bit of time this evening to do it.

Almost year end! and still pages to do in the Christmas Journal

We have wild and windy weather again battering the shores of our island, so Doug has gone out windsurfing! That's my boy - loves whatever the weather throws at us, as he has an outdoor hobby to fit them all!

Suits me, as I can continue with my Christmas Journal, particularly as I am so behind with it. Still I have managed a couple more pages, and made the front and back covers, so if the worst comes to the worst I can give up knowing it is at least a book!! (Naughty Jennie for thinking of giving up!!)Seriously I must do at least til Christmas Day!!
Here are the front cover and inside it anyway. Thanks for looking.

On the 7th Day - - -

The prompt for day 7 was about Christmas Shopping so this is my entry.

More pages for the journal

Another day spending a little time catching up with my journal. It is coming along nicely and I am pleased with what I have done so far, though I am still behind with the prompts. I am enjoying the process very much, though I have included a page here which isn't part of the prompts . It has to be included in the journal though as it was the Christmas present from Lydia, my eldest daughter. Two tickets to see Tony Hadley, formally of Spandau Ballet, on his new tour. We had a great evening, the atmosphere was brilliant and he was so good: much better than I expected him to be as he really is a good singer, and his performance of "standards" was excellent.Thank you Lydia, this was a lovely Christmas Gift!

Christmas Eve in Spaldrick Cottage

I am stealing a few minutes to update my blog on Christmas Eve. I have been quite busy today, but it has been a peaceful day and I have got everything done now for the big day tomorrow. All my parcels are wrapped and under the tree.


The house is clean and tidy and now all I can think of is Clement C Moore, and his poem Twas the Night Before Christmas.

- - When all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in the hope that St Nicholas soon would be there.
And mama in her kerchief and I in my cap
Had settled ourselves for a long winters nap.

I love everything about Christmas, especially this poem, and this is to be my entry in my Christmas Journal for today. All is collected together - but not put together a s I am so BEHIND with my journal. I hope to be able to complete the pages during the Christmas break.

Almost our last day in school

Tomorrow is the last day of term and in the afternoon we are having a "collapsed timetable" - (I always have a mental picture of the the date and times falling over in a heap):) :)
Anyway - to get back to tomorrow - Christine, Julie and I are running a Crafty Christmas session in the library, and this is one of the items we hope to do. I would like to thank Shirley Toogood for allowing us to use her design, as published in Scrapbook Inspirations Magazine.
Christine is going to show them how to make a little mouse with a candy cane tail and we have lots of card blanks to make Christms cards as well. Hope its fun for them - if they like it enough maybe we will start a Scrapbook/Card making club at lunchtimes in the New Year.

Logs to Burn

This is one of my favourite verses for this time of year. I especially love it now that we burn logs in the cottage. Having a real fire is one of the joys of my Christmas. I do intend to use this in my Christmas Journal in some way - but don't yet know how.

Logs to Burn

Beech-wood fires burn bright and clear,
If the logs are kept a year:
Store your Beech for Christmastide,
With new cut Holly laid beside.
Chestnut's only good, they say,
If for years 'tis stored away;
Birch and Fir-wood burn too fast,
Blaze too bright and do not last;
Flames from Larch will shoot up high,
Dangerously the sparks will fly.

But Ash-wood green and Ash-wood brown
Are fit for a Queen with golden crown.

Oaken logs, if dry and old,
Keep away the winters cold,
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke;
Elm-wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold.
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread -
So it is in Ireland said;
Apple-wood will scent the room,
Pear-wood smells like flowers in bloom,

But Ash-wood wet and Ash-wood dry
A King may warm his slippers by.

Playing catch up with the Journal

I have been trying to catch up with my Christmas Journal, and have managed another couple of pages. I am still so far behind though - so I have decided to do a page as it strikes me and hopefully I will get caught up better that way.Anyway here is day 8 and day 11. I have written about the changes I see around as my island gets ready for the festive season on day 8 which fits in with the prompt, and as my item for the challenge - which was to use something small - I have used charms.
The Christmas tree pages were complete all but for a photo of this year's tree but I didn't want to upload til it was added.
The journalling is as follows -
The island is getting ready for Christmas. We have the trees up in school, both indoors and out. Outside the tree is shimmering with white lights, whilst in the hall, the foyer and in the library corridor they are all decorated with multi coloured lights this year. Christmas has started—though you wouldn’t think so from the weather—it has rained incessantly for days!

The Christmas Tree has appeared in the square in Castletown, and the lamp posts are all adorned with festive decorations: reindeer, candles, snowflakes, angels and Santa; whilst there are fairy lights strung across the street, all awaiting “the big switch on” of the Christmas lights next Saturday.

Every village has at least one special house that is dressed for Christmas with Santa’s or snowmen figures in the gardens, each one festooned in lights in a huge variety of ways, in the windows, in the trees, along the roof, round the door and even round the lychgate. There are some large houses here on the island! They light the gloom of the journey home with such a burst of colour as I pass that I am beginning to feel festive just looking at them!

Even the houses that don’t have outside lights have Christmas Trees in the windows, or visible through the window and I can see the lights and decorations as I travel home each evening after work. I can’t wait to get our tree and put up my own decorations, and the outside lights—which we have only had since last year—this will be their second outing!!

Loving all the signs of the season appearing around me—everywhere I look and the sounds of Christmas Carols in the hall as the children practise for the big Christmas Concert!!

Thanks for looking.

Wrapping the Parcels

Well this was a quick page to do, so though I am not really caught up I finished this one, so thought I'd post it anyway. I did include a scrap of this years paper and my trim for my parcels. I love wrapping - it gives me such pleasure to make my parcels look pretty.
Thanks for looking.

Advent

Well I've had to play catch up with my Christmas journal. I have had a really busy week and on top of it all I have a really sore throat, stuffy nose and tightness in my chest -a real cold in fact! All I have wanted to do really was crawl into bed - however I have done a little bit more at my journal and these are my day 5 pages - all about Advent.

I made a few little windows with mini pictures inside to represent the kind of Advent calenders I had as a child.

Inside I included my journalling,