paper: pretty paper. true stories. {and scrapbooking classes with cupcakes.}

Happy Christmas Eve!

Around here, family gathering sessions are well underway and we’re spending plenty of time on trains and bundled into the back of cars to visit here and there in hopes of seeing everyone we can manage! I’m working on eating my body weight in Christmas chocolates and ginger cake, to ensure a full celebration of the holidays!

There’s also the delivery of Christmas cards, which included some more made with the lovely die-cuts from Elle’s Studio. Other supplies include Lily Bee papers, Simple Stories paper tablet, pinked circle dies and the artbox sprinklers set.

Many happy Christmas Eve wishes to your home if you’re reading this today!

xlovesx

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Congratulations to Sam, who wins the printable paper craft files OR a custom printable silhouette PDF from Happy Thought Papercraft.

Sam please email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) with your address.

There’s a new giveaway every Friday night, so check back next week for another chance to win just by leaving a comment.

Have a great week!

xlovesx

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I promise I’m finding my way back to pretty paper and some scrapbooking! I now have a table to work on again, which is a big step in the right direction. Now if I can just make an arrangement with some sunlight, that would be fabulous. I think once we get past these shortest days of the year, that part will improve marvellously. But the exciting bit is this first foray back to crafting post-move is extra lovely fun as the December guest for Elle’s Studio.

This photo is one I came across when I was back home last summer and up close it made me laugh so very much. I’m sitting on the lap of the Santa at the mall, which is simple enough. But up close, that isn’t an old man Santa. It’s not even a middle-aged Santa. I’m not sure if it’s an old-enough-to-buy-beer Santa! He looks like a teenager with a fake beard, and I’m more than a little curious if he was originally hired as an elf rather than Mr Claus himself! I’m sure I believed with every ounce of my six-year-old being. I loved the chance to put all those Ho Ho Ho! themed goodies from Elle’s Studio to good use on a Santa page, and I’m more than a little in love with woodgrain snowflakes this year. (Oh reality, you’re not as fun as pretty combinations of things I like!)

And if woodgrain snowflakes are go, why not houndstooth? Exactly. Elle’s Studio has quite a few items in their Christmas range that would work equally well as diecuts on a scrapbook page or as sentiments on a Christmas card, so hurrah for equal-opportunity paper crafting.

I’ll be sharing more Elle’s Studio fun throughout this week, so if you have a minute between now and Christmas, do come back for a look!

xlovesx

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This weekend, one commenter will win either two printable paper craft files OR a custom printable silhouette PDF from Happy Thought Papercraft.

“At Happy thought papercraft we are passionate about offering fantastic looking, fun and easy to assemble paper craft products. It is so satisfying to create your own decor, stationery or party pieces. And of course, you have the added bonus of having the file to use again and again!”

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us why paper is your passion.

Entries close at midnight Sunday UK time and the winner will be posted Monday evening, so be sure to check back to see if it’s your lucky day!

Good luck!

xlovesx

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Congratulations to Lianne, who wins the gorgeous print from Caroline Rose Art.

Lianne, please email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) with your address.

There’s a new giveaway every Friday night, so check back next week for another chance to win just by leaving a comment.

Have a great week!

xlovesx

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It’s the tenth of December? How can that be? But however that happened, it means it is time for 10 Things on the Tenth. For December, I’m going with ten different Christmas crafting projects you can find here in the archives. You’re welcome to join in the 10 Things fun with a list of absolutely anything you fancy – as long it is a list of ten. Link us up at the bottom of this post.

1. This Hollyday Advent Calendar is what houses our countdown treats this year.

2. The Christmas recipe box is an older project but so easy to update with your favourite papers and such. That post includes the recipe card printable too.

3. Ornaments made from tiny canvases and digital elements printed onto photo paper make it easy to create a really unique tree.

4. For some simple upcycling, try the fabric scrap advent calendar which is a quick crafty make.

5. Last year we moved our Christmas decorating to a suitcase.

6. SJ shares 5 ideas for punched Christmas decorations in a guest post that is definitely worth a read.

7. Christmas garland to hang around the tree or from a shelf.

8. This particular coffee cup book isn’t Christmas themed but there is a special Christmas themed kit for that here, perfect if you have a love of the red cups this time of year!

9. Speaking of other ideas that could easily be adapted to Christmas, I would love to make a cake with Christmas bunting soon!

10. And to save me from picking just one, find all this year’s Christmas guest posts here. Love those ideas for layouts, cards and decorating with paper crafting.

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This weekend, one commenter will win a Pretty print called ‘they lived in a paper village’ from Caroline Rose Art.

Caroline loves to work with paper and make bright, colourful collages for children and adults.
“It is always really wonderful to hear that my art makes people happy.
I also love to play with fabric and have designed a fabric owl and a fabric giraffe. It is nice to have a break from cutting and glueing and to sew for a bit, but my real love is my art”

Want to see more of Caroline’s beautiful work? Find her on her facebook and also Flickr

To enter just leave a comment telling us, if you could create an imaginary village, what it would look like.

Entries close at midnight Sunday UK time and the winner will be posted Monday evening, so be sure to check back to see if it’s your lucky day!

Good luck!

xlovesx

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Have I finished my Christmas cards? No.

Do I have more finished than this time last year? Yes.

I’m calling that success, so far.

So here’s a little share of some cards I’ve been making. You’ll find a tutorial for the card set above here on the Jenni Bowlin Inspiration blog, and there are cards from the whole team throughout the month.

And these you’ll find on the American Crafts blog as part of their Christmas card week. These use the Hollyday collection, plus a little Christmas-themed washi tape.

So that’s at least five cards done. Perhaps I should number the list to see how many I really need?

Have you been making and sharing cards on your blog? Share a link so we can all see!

xlovesx

PS: if handmade cards are just so not your thing at this time of year but you still want to sort some pretty greetings, these letterpressed cards (including Christmas designs) are already 30% off.

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