Garnet: the birthstone of January

The Daring Cardmakers are back after the Christmas break with a new challenge and some new ideas, here is what they are daring us to do this week:

"We thought it would be fun to have series of linked challenges that run throughout the whole of 2010. We're going to use the first Dare of each month to make cards featuring the birthstone for that month. How you decide to use the birthstone is up to you, it may be a card for someone who has a birthday during that month, it may simply be an any occasion card using the colour of the birthstone - anything goes, really as long as somehow the birthstone is hinted at. The birthstone for the month of January is the GARNET"

Paper: K&Co Madeleine (yes I still have some of this paper)
Vintage picture from Red collage sheet - Last Door Down the Hall
Tag - Digital element from Scrapbookgraphics Melissa Mini-kit
Sketch No 17 - Kathy Black at Kathy's Waffle Sketch File

More Snow!

We haven't had anything like the snow in some parts of the country, but we have had it hanging around since the 18th December. A heavy fall this morning prevented me from getting to work, so I got a few shots around the yard to let you see. I can see some of these coming out for 'C' cards lol!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...

Outside my window...an inch of ice in the yard and the thermometer reading -8

I am thinking... about having to go back to work tomorrow

I am thankful for... my nice warm house

I am wearing... the usual warm cords, pink polo neck sweater, angora socks

I am remembering... lots of things about my youngest son as I start to scan photos for his 21st birthday scrapbook.

I am going... to finish that scrapbook page I started at the beginning of the week.

I am currently reading... The Haunted Abbot by Peter Tremayne

I am hoping... we don't get too much snow this week (again!)

On my mind... family stuck up on their hill farm, at least we can still get the cars out.

Noticing that... I am obsessed with the weather lol!

Pondering these words... Low Fat!

From the kitchen... Leek and Potato Soup

Around the house... nearly all signs of Christmas have gone, just a few little bits lingering.

One of my favorite things~ Christmas cake and it's nearly all gone now.

From my picture journal... it's so cold that the loch (lake) in the next village has frozen over and people are skating and curling on it. This hasn't happened for a very long time.

Very last journal pages

Journalling on the 'mitten' reads: "Recycled Christmas Today I took down my Christmas decorations and Christmas cards. But some of them are so lovely I wanted to keep them. Here are some 'bits' from my favourite cares. Most of these are cards made by my crafting friends. Thanks to everyone for the beautiful cards."

I'm sure some of my blog readers will recognise little bits from cards that they made for me. I'm sorry if your card didn't make it, I did appreciate them all, but some didn't lend themselves to being deconstructed.

So this is the end of my record of Christmas 2009, I started out with the intention of using prompts but in the end I found that what worked for me was to pick out the events and aspects of the season that stood out for me this year. I hope you have enjoyed sharing my Christmas and will continue to visit my blog throughout 2010 to share my crafting projects and photographs.

Mitten Element from 'Amazing Snowland' by Irene V. Alexeeva for Scraporchard

and I'd like to thank .....

I got a nice suprise when I went to visit the 'Tattered and Lost, Ephemera' blog today, there was this award for me and my blog. If you like all things vintage you have to visit, as it is full of interesting images and lots of information about the illustrators. There is often a lively banter going on in the comments which is very entertaining.

A single rose...

The Soartful Challenge image this week is this Rose postcard. I wanted to use a quote about roses and found this one "A single rose can be my garden...a single friend my world" by Leo F Buscaglia
Planet Earth image from Google images, Friends vintage photo from Lizzie_anne for Collage Images on Flickr.

Two more journal pages

Getting towards the end of my journal, only two more pages to fill after this. Both pages feature the snow and ice that we have had over Christmas. This is really unusual so I think that it is important to remember it and, as I said on the second page, it has really defined Christmas 2009.