December Theme Challenge - CHRISTMAS

[Cassel]

 

The theme for December is CHRISTMAS. Although Christmas themes and decorations are all around us, it is also possible that you celebrate a different holiday. You can share that in this thread too.

And if you need to leave some cookies for Santa, check out the blog post freebie.

Let's go!

Post your project in the gallery.

[Sue Thomas]

I dug out one of my very old photos from home.  It wasn't that long ago that we were discussing the origins of Christmas and it's relation to the Winter Solstice during pagan times,  in the campus. I mentioned  that  my children and I would go out gathering greenery for decorations, and branches for a tree.   I have created a Yuletide page. I still make paper chains. 

I used Carole's label script for the journaling, the pine cones come with PSP. The other elements I have acquired over the years, which I use over and over in other pages, particularly the ivy, which you may recognise.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Sue Thomas

[Corrie Kinkel]

19 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

I dug out one of my very old photos from home.  It wasn't that long ago that we were discussing the origins of Christmas and it's relation to the Winter Solstice during pagan times,  in the campus. I mentioned  that  my children and I would go out gathering greenery for decorations, and branches for a tree.   I have created a Yuletide page. I still make paper chains. 

I used Carole's label script for the journaling, the pine cones come with PSP. The other elements I have acquired over the years, which I use over and over in other pages, particularly the ivy, which you may recognise.

Very nice! Sue if I'm not mistaken you are almost flying home for Christmas and I wish you a wonderful time with your children and grandchildren! For the grands it will be such a special X-mas with their granny present. Have a safe trip and come back with many new photos of the places you are visiting. See you in a couple of weeks!

[Anne Lamp]

I created this starting with a Globe shared on PSPManiacs.

[Sue Thomas]

5 hours ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

Very nice! Sue if I'm not mistaken you are almost flying home for Christmas and I wish you a wonderful time with your children and grandchildren! For the grands it will be such a special X-mas with their granny present. Have a safe trip and come back with many new photos of the places you are visiting. See you in a couple of weeks!

You are absolutely right, I fly out  on Wednesday afternoon, arriving at mid day the following day.  I will be away for more than a couple of weeks. I fly back on the 31st January.  It's going to be a  wonderful, special time.  I'm told that the girls are  now counting down the days of my arrival using  their advent calendars.  Thank you!

[Julie Magerka]

This seems to be a layout that is a hybrid between the November Word Challenge (Cold) and the December (Christmas) Challenge. Just playing with lots of elements and basing it on a layout I saw on Jessica Dunn's Curio Pantry site.

[Julie Magerka]

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

You are absolutely right, I fly out  on Wednesday afternoon, arriving at mid day the following day.  I will be away for more than a couple of weeks. I fly back on the 31st January.  It's going to be a  wonderful, special time.  I'm told that the girls are  now counting down the days of my arrival using  their advent calendars.  Thank you!

Happy trails, Sue! You will be getting a break from the cold and winds of the prairies and using a brolly instead I think. Looking forward to the layouts to come from the trip.

[Sue Thomas]

Just now, Julie Magerka said:

This seems to be a layout that is a hybrid between the November Word Challenge (Cold) and the December (Christmas) Challenge. Just playing with lots of elements and basing it on a layout I saw on Jessica Dunn's Curio Pantry site.

It wouldn't  be christmas without cold, and the white stuff in the northern hemisphere. A perfect combo. You have a nack of arranging elements, creating  beautiful layouts, without going overboard. 

[Sue Thomas]

Just now, Julie Magerka said:

Happy trails, Sue! You will be getting a break from the cold and winds of the prairies and using a brolly instead I think. Looking forward to the layouts to come from the trip.

You are so  absolutely right. The brolly is a necessity, all year round.  I've  packed my British waterproof clothing.  My  Canada winter clothing will be to hot for home.  I won't be taking a laptop this time, but I  will have my phone to check in on you all. 

 

[Corrie Kinkel]

On 12/3/2023 at 3:00 AM, Julie Magerka said:

Happy trails, Sue! You will be getting a break from the cold and winds of the prairies and using a brolly instead I think. Looking forward to the layouts to come from the trip.

I had to look what a brolly is! The dictionary which I use sometimes when I'm doing other stuff on my pc as well had nothing about it, but google had the answer: it is an umbrella! I "learn" so many new words here!🙃

[Sue Thomas]

10 minutes ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

I had to look what a brolly is! The dictionary which I use sometimes when I'm doing other stuff on my pc as well had nothing about it, but google had the answer: it is an umbrella! I "learn" so many new words here!🙃

Brolly is most commonly used. I can not recall anyone ever calling it an umbrella, not even my parents. Even Umbrella manufacturers refer to them as brollys in their marketing. It isn't a slang word either.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Sue Thomas

[Ann Seeber]

43 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

Brolly is most commonly used. I can not recall anyone ever calling it an umbrella, not even my parents. Even Umbrella manufacturers refer to them as brollys in their marketing. It isn't a slang word either.

My Dad, born in 1892, called it a Bumbershoot! 😉 I know that "brolly" is used in Great Britain, Canada and Australia but not here in the States, usually.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Ann Seeber

[Corrie Kinkel]

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

Brolly is most commonly used. I can not recall anyone ever calling it an umbrella, not even my parents. Even Umbrella manufacturers refer to them as brollys in their marketing. It isn't a slang word either.

I have read a lot of books in English but I have never come across this word, so a new one learned today!

[Dorothy Donn]

[Michele]

You can't see it at this size, but the background has a subtle texture.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Michele

[Julie Magerka]

3 hours ago, Michele said:

This is lovely, Michele, in its simplicity.

[Marie-Claire]

Lab13-01_Stencil
Alpha: Freebie cass-ChristmasCookies-Alpha (Blog)
Tubes: cass-LitLights-Red
Pine branches: Snowy Winter-DBMagnolia - themagnoliapatch.blogspot.com
Snowflakes come with PSP (I think)
Background from photo

[Susan Ewart]

1 hour ago, Marie-Claire said:

Lab13-01_Stencil
Alpha: Freebie cass-ChristmasCookies-Alpha (Blog)
Tubes: cass-LitLights-Red
Pine branches: Snowy Winter-DBMagnolia - themagnoliapatch.blogspot.com
Snowflakes come with PSP (I think)
Background from photo

Perfect!  I used this stencil too this year for one of the 3 designs I did.  Nice to see you back in the Campus Marie-Claire.  

[Julie Magerka]

I've been a bit distracted and not feeling great for a while (back pain), so the Festive Season has not been on my mind. But I'd better get on it b/c the time is getting shorter! I have so many kits and elements to use, so that's what I did. No photos included, just decorative elements mostly from Di Hiller and Ericka Designs. Trying to get jolly....

[Susan Ewart]

1 hour ago, Julie Magerka said:

I've been a bit distracted and not feeling great for a while (back pain), so the Festive Season has not been on my mind. But I'd better get on it b/c the time is getting shorter! I have so many kits and elements to use, so that's what I did. No photos included, just decorative elements mostly from Di Hiller and Ericka Designs. Trying to get jolly....

That is beautiful Julie.  I love your natural style.  I hope your back pain subsides quickly.  I know back/nerve pain all too well.  Surgery in 2011, L4-L5 with rods, screws and a bouncy new disc (disk?), just call me Tigger.  I'm pain free and active.  Let's hope you get back to that point too.  

[Julie Magerka]

49 minutes ago, Susan Ewart said:

That is beautiful Julie.  I love your natural style.  I hope your back pain subsides quickly.  I know back/nerve pain all too well.  Surgery in 2011, L4-L5 with rods, screws and a bouncy new disc (disk?), just call me Tigger.  I'm pain free and active.  Let's hope you get back to that point too.  

Thanks for the encouragement Tigger . I have hoped over the years that surgery wouldn't be necessary, but now I'm starting to wonder.....anything is welcome soon to help.

[Corrie Kinkel]

12 hours ago, Julie Magerka said:

Thanks for the encouragement Tigger . I have hoped over the years that surgery wouldn't be necessary, but now I'm starting to wonder.....anything is welcome soon to help.

Julie I got a hip replacement last year, it is something else but I know the relieve when the pain is gone after surgery. For me it was so worthwhile and now I'm back  myself without that constant pain. I hope for you that, whatever your choice will be, it works out well.

[Susan Ewart]

13 hours ago, Julie Magerka said:

Thanks for the encouragement Tigger . I have hoped over the years that surgery wouldn't be necessary, but now I'm starting to wonder.....anything is welcome soon to help.

Surgery is for sure the last option.  Let's hope yours is soft tissue related.  I am still doing recovery for a partial hamstring tear.  I didn't know I tore it and left it for over a year before I got it checked out.  I was told surgery is not an option since I'm not an athlete (hmph! we are all athletes is our own mind aren't we?).  Anyway, I turned to massage as that helped when I twisted a QL (back muscle).  It helped but I still couldn't do certain things, then my massage person suggested Dry Needling.  It's one needle that inserts into the knot in a muscle and relaxes it.  Without this I'd not be able to do much, just swinging my leg to get out of the car was agony.  The dry needling worked, but it does/can take many sessions.  And you need a good practitioner who uses the smaller gauge needles.  I just go in for touch ups now and have 90% mobility.    I will tell you, it can hurt (I'm a baby when it comes to any needle), but it's worth it for me.  I hope you find a good resolution because any injury really sidelines you and chronic pain really messes with your mind.

[Anne Lamp]

The doors etc in the center are from a photo I took yesterday with my new camera,  standing in the the foyer of my church.  The other elements are some I have saved over the years probable from C F as that is where a lot of them are from.

[Susan Ewart]

2 hours ago, Anne Lamp said:

The doors etc in the center are from a photo I took yesterday with my new camera,  standing in the the foyer of my church.  The other elements are some I have saved over the years probable from C F as that is where a lot of them are from.

How exciting to have a new camera.  What a pretty view that is.