Saturday, 27 December 2014

An eventful Christmas and Favourite Christmas cards


Stamps from Penny Black, Sutter and Andy Skinner and Pan Pastels

Seasons Greetings to you all, I hope you had a good Christmas and Santa was generous with the crafty goodies.

Ours went well, albeit eventful. The day before Christmas Eve the main junction for the cooking equipment burnt out, was re-wired but the induction hob was rendered useless so cooking was done between our house and our daughters......the benefit of living just across the courtyard from each other.

Plus I have been poorly, first of all having emergency dental treatment to drain two tooth abscesses followed by root canal work coupled with a return of my Cervical Spondylosis so Alex, Zoe and Joy took over much of the cooking, in fact they have been absolute gems. 

All of this meant I've not been near my blog but I did want to join Debby and share my five favourite Christmas cards of 2014, so here they are in no particular order.

My all time favourite Christmas sentiment from Penny Black

More Pan Pastels, gilding wax and stamps from Lavinia, Stampscapes, Penny Black and Art Impressions

Pan Pastels yet again and Penny Black stamps

No stamping here but I just adore this little girl from Nicecrane which I cut out and decouupaged into the arch frame

I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the festive season and New Year, I won't promise to come visiting just yet as it's always very painful to type when I have Cervical Spondylosis so I just have to bide my time until the pain eases.

53 comments:

Jane said...

Oh bless you Brenda, I am so sorry to hear how poorly you have been. I'm glad you had so much help and was able to still enjoy your Christmas celebrations. Your 5 cards are just beautiful especially the deer scene card. Please take it easy and never worry about visiting, I know you are there in spirit. Hugs xx

New Creations said...

So stunning and awesome collection of your fav Christmas cards! Thanks for the inspiration throughout the year!
Hope your New Year filled with Joy, Happiness and good Health and of course always with new crafty goodies!
Hugs!

Janice said...

Aah Brenda, this does not sound the best of Christmases for you! Glad your daughter and family came to the rescue with the cooking and I hope your hob is back working soon too. And poor you not feeling well, you were lucky to get a dentist to assist before Christmas. Hope you are feeling a bit better now and that your dentistry is complete. Love your Top 5 cards - you make amazing cards with those Pan Pastels! Jx

Jackie said...

So sorry to hear your were unwell over Christmas, I hope you are feeling much better now...hugs
I love your favourites selection, every one of them, but I love your superb card for today even more. What a beautiful scene you have created, and it's a wonderful design card altogether :o)
Jackie xx

Julie said...

Some real beauties B! Hoping that 2015 brings you good health and better luck than you've had over the past few days. Hugs Julie x

aussie aNNie said...

hI brenda, a lovely gorgeous display of cards....it's nice to look back on what we have made.xxx
{The Journey is the Start – my personal blog}

Stamps and Paper said...

Stunning collection of cards Brenda...your cards are so inspirational.....

Anne

Marianne's Craftroom said...

Oh Brenda, poor you, hope you are better soon. Gorgeous choices hugs x

Viv said...

5 beautiful cards Brenda, showing how talented you are.
Hope your CS has settled a little (and I am not even going to mention the horrible man in the white coat who shoves drills and things into your mouth!!!)
Am glad you were still able to have a nice Christmas surrounded by your family.
Sending you lots of love. xxx
(Awful performance yesterday - AGAIN- if I was scoring them all NONE of them would have got more than 5 out of 10 and some would have struggled to make even 5... but 3 points is 3 points!) x

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

I' sorry for your healt, Brenda! I hope that you are feeling better soon!
Love all your favourite Christmas cards, but my preferred is the first one: what a fantastic scene you have created and how many work you made on it!

Andreja said...

WoW Brenda, what a fantastic cards you made!
Each one is a different story (I like most is the first :-))
I hope you spend a nice Christmas ... Have a great weekend!
Hugs, Andreja

Sarah said...

A super choice of your lovely cards Brenda. Do hope that you are feeling a little better now xx

Helen said...

Hope that even though you've not had a very healthy Christmas, you have a good New Year and that 2015 is kind to you on all counts. Love the cards. take care and let the family look after you. xx

Mrs.B said...

I'm glad you were able to enjoy Christmas Brenda and it's good that you have family close by.
Gorgeous choice of cards.
Best wishes for a good New year.
Avril xx

Bad Kitty said...

your cards are very nice

susiestacey said...

So sorry to hear you have not been well Brenda, how fortunate you are to have your family on the doorstep. Hope you are soon on the up and able to get back to normal. I have postponed our family meal until tomorrow as the roads are far too icy today.
A beautiful collection of cards - love them all.
Take care x Susan x

Sally H said...

Hello my friend. Sounds like a very eventful Christmas! Hope you are feeling loads better and the family are looking after you. Your five Christmas cards are gorgeous! Speak soon xxx

KT Fit Kitty said...

So sorry you've been poorly, Brenda. I hope things are looking up for you and that 2015 will be a year of renewed health and vigour. Your cards are splendid! I can see why these are your favourites.

Ellibelle said...

Sorry to hear about your painful dental procedure over the holidays. I hope you are feeling better now.
My oven broke a few Easters ago in the middle of cooking easter dinner. No fun, and we had to eat out that day. You are so lucky to live so close to your daughter!
Your cards are all simply beautiful! Will have to check out Debby's post, so I can join in too!

Joan said...

Oh dear, poor you Brenda, I had been wondering how the dental treatment had gone. It's always good to have family close in times on domestic crisis as we found a few Christmases ago. Do hope you feel better soon. I love your chosen cards, one in particular, think you know which one I mean

Joan. x

Kelly Lloyd said...

Sounds like a very eventful christmas Brenda. Glad you have your family around you to help out :-)

Your top five selection is amazing... I would find it very diffcult to choose a top 5 from all your wonderful creations.. You are magic with pan pastels and stamps.. Love your work.. Always makes me smile

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2015
Love Kelly. Xx

Glennis F said...

Sorry you have been poorly again, just get plenty of rest. Best wishes for the festive season

Donna Ellis said...

Of course I enjoyed seeing your favorites, Brenda, but I am captivated by that wonderful tri-fold seen. Whenever I think of you, I think of Nature's Beauty. So this one is perfect! Yikes about the induction not working properly! It would be wonderful living so close to family who cares and enjoys your company. Brenda, I'm sorry to hear about the dental emergencies - EUWWWWW. I find that even having my teeth cleaned is traumatic for my body, triggering several other symptoms from a few of the diseases. I'm sure it is traumatic for you to have to hold still in a single space for a long period of time, trying to keep as comfortable as possible, and your mouth wide open for all that time. OUCH! Please know you are one of my beautiful blessings! I am hopeful that 2015 will bring each of us a little more relief from our symptoms, allowing us to accomplish more of the things we love. xoxox

Sue said...

Such a stunning selection of cards, lovely to see them again.
I am sorry to hear you have been suffering over Christmas, I hope the pain eases and you feel better soon.
Sue xx

Shirley said...

Oh wow Brenda what a time you have been having. Your are so lucky having family live so close. I hope you get better soon and the pain gets easier. Here's hoping that 2015 will be a better year for you.

Beautiful cards especially the pans pastels and gilding wax with the reindeer.

Warm crafty hugs from Shirl x x x
ShirlsCards.

Kathleen said...

Hope you get better soon from all you health problems and can start the New Year with good health.
Christmas cooking never seems to run smoothly for me either as I have to do it at my Daughters and she is electric and I am gas, can't do the conversion.
Fabulous set of cards and such a lovely variety, I haven't yet mastered the embossing with the die you have used on the second card.
Love the 3 fold card too.
Happy and Healthy New Year.

Kath x

coldwaters2 said...

Hi Brenda I love your selection of cards they are all so beautiful. Brenda I am so sorry to hear of your sufferings I really hope and pray that the pain eases and you get to feel better soon all the best for the New year
hugs
lorraine x

Rhonda Miller said...

Wow, hoping things are looking up for you. I'm glad you were able to still get the cooking done.

These cards are all beautiful.

McCrafty's Cards said...

Hi Brenda, I do hope you are starting to feel a bit better,all of these cards are beautiful
Kevin xx

Becca Cruger said...

These are truly some stunners! I'm sorry that you had some health troubles over the holidays and hope you're feeling back to normal soon.

debby4000 said...

Such wonderful creations Brenda
Thank you for sharing and joining my Favourite Five Christmas Cards.
luv
Debby

Becky said...

wow, all of these are just stunning Brenda!

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Wow lots of gorgeous cards Brenda! Sorry to read about root canals for the holidays, that is not fun. Take good care of yourself. Wishing you all the best in 2015, Shirleyxx

Pamellia said...

Gorgeous choices Brenda, such a wonderful variety of syles! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, it's great to be back! Sending big New Years hugs! :)

Desire Fourie said...

Brenda this is a stunning series of Christmas designs and such a wonderful reflection of your awesome creative talent. Thank you so much for sharing them. Also wishing you a 2015 filled with tons of love and happiness xxx
Hugs
Desíre
{Doing Life – my personal blog}

Stamping Bubbles said...

So sorry to hear that you are feeling unwell Brendan. I do hope you feel better soon.
This is gorgeous collection of Christmas cards. The landscapes are stunning.
Get well soon.
Take care and big hugs
Lesley

Whisper said...

Aaaah hun, so sorry to hear you have been in the wars in one way or another and i do hope you feel better soon - and well done to your daughter for stepping in and finishing lunch.

I feel so touched and honoured to think that the fabby card you sent me, is in your Top 5, and it's absolutely stunning in real life too, Luv Sam x

Holly AKA KopyKat said...

OMGosh these are stunning! You should enter in the Loves Rubberstamps Challenge, lots of prizes to win!!!

Karen P said...

Oh no! I hope you are feeling better huni! I had a root canal issue a couple of years ago and I still haven't gotten over it - arrrgg!

All of these are beautiful Brenda and I can't pick a favourite one lol! Make sure you let the family take care of you and I hope you enjoy the rest of this beautiful season.
Whilst I remember I wanted to thank you Brenda - for all the inspiration, the friendship and encouragement that you have given me this year. I truly hope that next year is better for you Karen xx

Gerrina said...

Such a beautiful selection! As always I love the sceneries most...
Sorry to hear that you had such bad luck with your health before christmas. hope that you are feeling better now? Seems that modern devices have a habbit of letting us down at moments that they are most needed...glad you had a sulusion so close by! Sending you some positive energy before I put the PC to rest (and myself aswell...) Hugs, Gerrina

Berina RGA said...

beautiful selection of card.. sorry to hear about your ill health.. I hope and pray that you feel better soon.. take care..
-Berina
Moxie Craftie

Jacee said...

Fabulous cards Brenda, all of them are lovely designs, so perfectly made, as usual I can't just pick one as I love them all!
I do hope you'll be feeling better very soon

Wishing you and yours all the best for the new year, hope it's s good 'un, you deserve it!
Simply Paper Card Design
Hugs Jacee


The Sparkly Fairy said...

Fabulous cards Brenda. I hope you are feeling better very soon x

mags said...

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well Brenda. Hope things improve for you soon.
Gorgeous cards.
Mags
x

Jessika said...

Gorgeous!!!!!

Juls said...

Sorry you have had so much going on, it was lovely to see a review of your work :-) xx

Jo Channon said...

Sorry to hear you have been a bit poorly but pleased that your family pulled out all the stops to enable you to enjoy Christmas. Hope that you are feeling better xxx

Jo Channon said...

Whoops!! Forgot to say love all the cards but my favourite is the stampscapes and Lavinia combination. It's gorgeous x

Cazzy said...

I love that first card, it is so beautiful! My cooker blew the electrics on Christmas day, had to use various gadgets and send some to my son's house the other side of town to cook - all for the 10 family members who were coming to dinner!
It was quite exciting, and the engineer is calling tomorrow to hopefully fix the cooker.

Joey said...

Brenda these cards are amazing, stunning designs. Jo x

Craftyfield said...

Beautiful cards. Sorry to hear about you Christmas woes, I have teeth trouble too! Wishing you a happy and creative 2015. Got to go for the countdown...

KandA said...

Love the selection of cards Brenda and so sorry to hear that you're not feeling so well.
Sending all best wishes for a happy and healthy new year xx

Unknown said...

Lovely cards.. All of them are just fabulous.. New to your blog.. Looking forth to see more of such cards from you..