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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Christmas in July

Not too long ago, I was inspired by the work of Patience Brewster with an odd concept: Christmas in July. You see I like the Christmas season, I like the Cold, and the Wet, and the late sunrise, and cozy late afternoons in front of the fire. But Celebrating Christmas in July didn't really feature in my life, well except for the Crafty sales that is, and the launches of new stuff for Christmas
So I have sat there thinking about celebrating Christmas in July, and several things have happened over the past few days, so this isnt going to be a tale of ME celebrating Christmas in JUly, but the tale of someone else.
I have been sitting there waiting for postie, as you do, and a New Christmas Create it 5 magazine has arrived, A free subs gift from one of my magazine subscriptions has arrived, mostly Christmas based, Christmas topper sets have arrived, all since Marietta emailed me about celebrating Christmas in July.
So here is my Tale of Celebrating Christmas in July.
My Daughter has been seeing her significant other for some years, they have 3 children together, and last Christmas, having turned him down repeatedly, she asked Him to marry her. He said yes, then we spent a nightmare christmas with her being quite ill, as she was 33 weeks pregnant.I became that unhappy that I forced her to move hospitals and revert to the one person I trusted to deliver her baby safely, the consultant who had saved her life the first time round. So In January I dragged her back to the consultant, and discovered that David (her Boyfriend)'s Mother was in hospital too. I havent really had much dealings with this lady in the past. But she was in the same hospital. The worst happened a week later, the only night we had 3 inches of snow and the ambulances had stopped running, as we live in a very hilly town, and the Gritters had been caught short. My daughter started to Haemorrhage, very very scarey!
So I drove when the ambulances wouldnt, and my daughter made it to the Hospital. David had stayed at home as the other 2 children were asleep in bed, so I was in a state in the hospital, fearing the worst, trying to find my daughter who had been whisked off while I parked the car. Then Davids Mum appeared and took me to her. She wasnt supposed to be in the delivery room, as she was an inpatient on the ward, but shhh!
My daughter was prepared for an emergency C-section and Davids Mum and I were left in the room for hours, well okay it wasnt exactly hours but it felt like it!
Eventually our Grand daughter was born, and rushed into the Neonatal unit, as she was premature, at 4lb and 8oz. So Dee and I had a bit of a sob together as you do, as both of them were alive.
I spent the next week at the hospital as David stayed with the kids at home, and I supported my daughter in the hospital. It turns out that Dee had had a nerve severed during a previous surgery, and was in a huge amount of pain, and taking some tablets that I used to take, and I apparently made some comments at the time, that Dee knew to be true and had stayed with her since then.
Now we come to July, and Dee reached out to me, having recalled what I had said back in the beginning of January. She needed help adjusting to everything going on, didnt know how to cope with the pain, filling out paper work, all that sort of stuff.
Now dont get us wrong here, Both Dee and I have done some jobs in the past Police force, court staff etc, so we havent laid about, we have worked but now we cant, so as I was struck down earlier than her, and have been through the paper work process before she turned to me for help.
Which is where Celebrating Christmas in July comes in. Not in having a party or drinking eggnog with Ice -cubes, but gift giving. Giving the gift of Craft.
Dee spent a day here last week going over the paper work, and we did get a bit side tracked in the craftroom, I will admit. And Dee has been here today, learning how to make a Christmas card, then watching as I took her card apart and remade it, to get her to open her mind and think a bit outside the box. She has left here today buzzing with excitement, with cardstock, papers, Christmas toppers, Glitter, a diecutting and embossing machine, and some dies and embossing folders to tide her over until Monday when she can come and play again.
She hasnt touched her painkillers while she has been here, she hasnt thought about her pain levels, admittedly I think she's probably a gibbering wreck on her settee about now, and in lots of pain, but now she knows the Joy of Craft. Everything I gave her is still in her car boot, until her partner goes to work tomorrow, as he's a bit of a neat freak, but I suspect she may be in trouble tomorrow when he gets home from work, and she has lost track of time again, so I will phone her before he's due home.
But Marietta, thats what Christmas in July means to me,  giving hope and joy to someone, be it a decorated room that make my grandchildren want to stay as theres so much to see, or a beautifully prepared meal for the family, or just indulging in our own Christmas Traditions, and giving each other the gift of our time and attention.
Which now brings me to Patience. I must admit, what her family does is quite amazing, and I am extremely green with envy! Patience hand designs and creates whimsical Christmas ornaments similar in style to the Docrafts enchanter Christmas range!  For the english readers Patience's work is in the same style as the Docrafts enchanted Christmas range, which I have 3 shots of here:



We cant get them on this side of the pond, well we can but the postage is the same as the cost of the ornament, which takes it out of my price point! So I am exceedingly jealous of all you on the American side of the Pond! And she is having an Instagram competition for one of her ornaments, so green!!!

Hugs to all
Lou
xxx

Saturday, July 18, 2015

get ready heres my last sample

Okay the show starts at 11 am, uk, and I do mean you need this cd if you make any cards for the younger generations!
You can buy the CD I used from Here: Kraftyhands

and you can watch the show here: http://www.britishcraftnetwork.tv/ at 11 o'clock

hugs

Lou

Friday, July 17, 2015

sneaky peek 2

Okay tomorrow sees the launch of a CD you need! Honestly you do if you make cards for the younger generation then you do need this CD!
Its called Luv 2 Txt, and now you know whats on it!


Now come on which 16 yr old do you know who wouldnt think this was a fab card to recieve? so thats why you need the cd from the boys at Kraftyhands and you can see my samples and my teamies on the BCN tomorrow

Tomorrow is Launch day

Okay Finally I can unveil some stuff that I made a while ago,

The boys over at Kraftyhands have a fabulous and very useful cd about to launch; Luv 2 Txt.
Basically a cd which is based on the text messages everyone is sending now a days, so here is peek number one fom Me:


The 30 is a popout on an 8x8 inch card base, and I used one of the Tonic Intrica punches for the detail
and thats it, See what I mean about a useful CD?!?!

Dont forget to tune in to the BCN tomorrow to see what else I have been up to along with my teamies,

Hugs

Lou

Thursday, July 16, 2015

My post over at Kraftyhands

Hi Guys and girls,

okay its my turn today over at Kraftyhands, and this time its a surprise box on A4 cardstock, tutorial and measurements, so pop over here:

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

a lovely lady is giving away some used gear,

Brenda is having a clear out, heres some stuff that is duplicated from workshops,
so why dont you pop along and add your link, to the list

Kraftyhands July Challenge is live

Afternoon girls and boys, the challenge this month over at http://kraftyhands.blogspot.co.uk/ is Bags and Boxes!

On the run up to the busiest season of the year its time to start thinking about packaging, Now mine isnt festive Phew I hear you say, BUT...............its time to start thinking about it, so heres mine, using Fido and friends CD an oldie from the boys at Kraftyhands


I'm not very good at bags, but I did it, so why dont you have a go, and come out of your comfort zone, like me?

Hugs

Lou