Followers

Saturday 26 September 2009

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

...collection complete

**does happy dance**

I now have the complete collection of Copic Caio pens...a new delivery at Artbase and Yipee, the missing B93 has now been obtained LOL

Someone on UKS asked about Christmas Planners and one of the responses was from the lovely Jane Dean. She posted a link to some templates which I have printed out onto white card. Last night I spent a very pleasant evening 'colouring-in'. Only managed one of the sheets last night but it was so relaxing.

Not sure what format my planner will take (probably A5 envelopes decorated with the coloured templates and Christmas paper) but I'll let you see what I come up with.....................

Saturday 19 September 2009

Who Started...

...The Christmas Cards Tradition?

Yes I know, I was bemoaning the fact that despite it being so early in the year Christmas was everywhere you look...I've decided to give in gracefully (???) and thought I would have a look at some of the things behind the "Christmas Traditions" that we follow. I found this bit of info on the Christmas lore site (lots of interesting snippets but do be warned - if you venture there it is crammed with advertising links).

"Why We Send Christmas Cards During the Holiday Season
This year while you're preparing all of the Christmas cards that will be going out to friends and family you may take a moment to wonder why you do it and who started it all. After all, it's not like the apostles took it upon themselves to send each other greeting cards to remember the birthday of Jesus. Hey, Hallmark didn't even exist back then! So how did Christmas cards become a part of this Christian holiday? Here's where it all began...

Let's Travel Back in Time
Let's go back in time to 1840s Britain. The first postal deliveries were being sent thanks to the brand new “Penny Post” that had been set up.

Now that the Penny Post enabled people to send Christmas greetings to one another it became customary to do so. However, many people found it tedious and time consuming to hand write all of their Christmas letters. In 1843, the first Christmas card was commissioned.

Christmas Cards Come to America
For about 30 years, Americans had to import their Christmas cards from Britain. It wasn't until 1875 that the first Christmas cards would be printed in the United States.

And the Christmas cards sent back then really didn't mirror today's popular cards at all. The Christmas cards of yesteryear tended to depict flowers and faeries. It wasn't until later years that Christmas cards took on a “holiday theme”.

And the Evolution Continues...
What the Penny Post did for Christmas cards back in the mid 1800s, the Internet is doing today. The way we greet one another at Christmas is changing once again. Thanks to the wider acceptance of “e-cards” all it takes is the click of the mouse to send your friends and family Christmas greetings. Who knows what tomorrow brings..."

So it would seem that we Brits invented the Chrismas card and then the Yanks very kindly sold the idea back to us LOL Whoever had the original idea doesn't really matter to me - it is a tradition that I like and will continue to follow (e-cards are lovely and very clever but they are not for me). I love making my own cards and it is part of the fun to come up with different ideas, shapes, colour schemes...so long live the good old Crimbo Card................

Thursday 10 September 2009

Nearly there...

...collection ALMOST complete.



At the Stamping & Scrapbooking Show at Ally Pally in the Spring I bought some Copic pens. When I mentioned them to Emma (Artbase) she said that she had been thinking of stocking them and in no time at all she had a lovely stand full of them. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who likes these pens and as is often the way, a shade I wanted was sometimes out of stock...but I'm nearly there LOL

Each visit to Artbase has seen a few more of these lovely pens 'jumping' into my basket and when Emma gets her next order in I should have a complete set - I'm only missing ONE!!!

Along the way there have been a few detours...the glitter pens got added to the collection - oooooo the clear glitter one is just fab but the colours are lovely too.

So now I'm just waiting for that last shade - I'll let you all know when the collection is complete LOL...........................