On the first day of December .......

Happy weekend folks .....

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month! 
Welcome to December .... let the countdown (chaos!) begin!

We're definitely getting into the Christmas spirit here at Walmsley Towers ...... we started early with a night out last night!! The food was amazing by the way, service was excellent (of course) and the friends around the table are just the best!! Yes ... the festive season has definitely begun. 
 
It smells like Christmas ..... my festive candles are burning .....

It sounds like Christmas ..... Mr Buble of course

The usual decorations are beginning to appear .....

And the Christmas tree is almost done ...... I say almost because, I've run out of baubles!!!!  So far it's taken me six and half hours to get it to this stage .....

When I say I've run out of baubles, that's not exactly true.  I still have boxes and boxes of the things but I haven't got any more that are the right colour ...... arghhhh!!
It's a new tree so I've gone for a more neutral theme ..... white, clear, pale gold and a touch of silver.  Red or green on there just won't look right.  Thankfully hubby agrees with me, so we're off out later bauble hunting .... wish me luck!

I do have some baubles to share with you today though ..... I've finished the BIG! Lavinia ones that I started on the workshop ...... here's the two I did for Lauren

and the two for me ......

They were so easy to do.  The acetates inside were pre-printed with the beautiful Lavinia designs and all I've done is add a little colour using Copic Markers, and lots of glitter of course

The outside of the baubles have been sprinkled with glitters to add even more sparkle

and the tops have been decorated with berries and poinsettias, pine cones, leaves, ribbons whatever I could find in my stash really

All sprinkled with even more glitter .....

A little too big for the tree perhaps ........ but I love how they've turned out and they were so much fun to do.  The quality of the baubles is amazing ..... they really do look like glass.  Hmmm .... maybe I should order some more and make my own for the tree .... now there's an idea!

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy your weekend.

Cheerio until next time .....

Its beginning to look a little bit like Christmas ........

Happy Sunday ......

I do hope you've enjoyed your weekend.
It's been a little crazy here, trying to get back to normal after our trip across to the UK.  We're almost there though ..... just the ironing mountain to conquer now.  That can wait until tomorrow I think!

It was workshop day yesterday ....... the annual festive crafty get together.  A little early I know but, December is getting pretty booked up already!

I haven't done a workshop for a while so it was nice to see everyone.  We had a full house too, with a couple of new faces,  so it was a busy day ...... full of glitter and sparkle and lots of fake snow.  We had  Christmas tunes playing, lots of mince pies and of course ...... chocolate!  We were definitely in the festive spirit ...... I definitely was at the end of the day ..... I'd earned it!!

We made pretty Christmas baubles using products from Lavinia Stamps ......  these were the ones I'd made as samples ........

They are so easy to create.  You buy the empty bauble, which comes in three sizes ..... the ones above are the small (8cm) and the medium (10cm) size.   They're also available in a large 15cm version which is huge!  You'll have to wait a little longer to see those .... there's currently three on my desk waiting to be finished!!

They're a beautiful, clear plastic bauble which really does look, and feel like glass and you can fill them and decorate them however you like.
We had fun with the Lavinia printed acetates that fit perfectly inside.
There were lots of fairies ....

Little winter scenes ......

And a few woodland creatures.  I chose the gorgeous stag ......

As you can see there was a little bit of glitter involved ....... lots of iridescent, shredded cello, feathers, and of course fake snow.  

We used pretty paper flowers and leaves, berries, ribbons, and pine cones to decorate the tops.

The worktable looked like it had been in a blizzard by the end of the afternoon, and there was glitter everywhere .... and I mean everywhere!!!  It was so much fun though, and such a busy afternoon that I didn't get chance to take any photos ..... sorry guys, I know, I'm rubbish!!!

You'll just have to take my word for it ...... it was a beautiful collection of baubles at the end of the day and each one was so different.

To finish off the afternoon we also made some quick and easy Christmas tags.  The ones that I've been making for this year's 12 Tags of Christmas with Loll & Friends went down very well, especially the little snowman from Day 1, the three tags from Day 11 (I love those too!) and look,  this little chap made another appearance ........ he's my tag for Day 12 of the event

He was actually the favourite of the afternoon.

Simply stamped in black ..... using my MISTI of course ......

Highlights added using a bit of green glitter for the holly leaves, and some red glitter glue for the festive berries ......

A sentiment heat embossed in gold over the top  ......

And a touch of the Midas Gold Nuvo pen for a little added sparkle

He had to have a touch of snow too.

Well, that's the Christmas workshop done for 2018, as always it was a fabulous day .... thanks ladies.
And .... the 12 Tags of Christmas with Loll & Friends has come to an end too ..... yes, it was the last one this year ....... sigh!

I've really enjoyed playing along each year with this event ...... and I'm so proud to have been one of Loll's Friends/ Guest Designers for the last 4 events.
So as I link up my final tag ...... I'd like to say a big Thank You to Loll and wish you and all your Friends, and family, the very best holiday season. 
The run up to Christmas has officially started!

Ho! Ho! Ho! 

Hubby thinks I should wait until December before I decorate the Christmas tree ....... so, I put this one up instead ...... I'm calling it my winter tree.

Well I had to make sure the lights worked, and it was a shame to put it back in the box ....... it looks so pretty!! Not sure whether the little man likes it, his reaction was ...... Grandma, where are the leaves? 

Wait until he sees the new Christmas tree ..... that's covered in snow!!!

This is what we brought home with us ..... I just hope it looks like that when I get it out of the box!!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy what's left of your weekend.

I'm going to have to sit on my hands and resist the temptation to get the Christmas decorations out!!

Cheerio until next time ....