Sparky's Scratches Real friends don't care if you're a little different…

Last year I received the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar as a gift from Jill (still thankful for that) and I enjoyed it so much I even wrote a blogpost about it 🙂

I was planning on buying one for sure this year as I didn’t want to miss out on the fun. As my subscription to Jacquie Lawson’s beautiful ecards was about to end on December 1, I received an email today, letting me know that if I renewed, I would get this year’s Advent Calendar for free. Couldn’t refuse an offer like that!

Although I enjoyed the Village Calendar and would’ve settled for the same graphics this year, to my delight, joy and… (can’t think of enough words to express my happiness), this year’s theme is LONDON <3 <3 <3

There’s a ‘no peeking’ policy and the calendar won’t start until December 1, but they’ve added a puzzle which you can play while waiting for the main calendar image ánd the first day to unlock.

Here it is… *sigh*

*and another sigh* Isn’t it gorgeous?!! Can’t wait for December to start!

Hello, my name is Antoinette and I’m a Font addict. I truly am and not ashamed to admit it 🙂

I literally have hundreds of fonts on my computer. Installed only a few of them and when I need something specific for my Digital Scrapbooking projects I use AMP Font Viewer to browse through the ones that are not installed. I then open the one I want to use and Paint Shop Pro X2 picks up the font, so I can use it, without having to install it 🙂

Today I decided to share some of my favourites with you. Just click the images to download the fonts and I hope you have fun!

Click for: Printable Subway Art Freebie

Word of advice: Fonts can definitely be addictive, so don’t say that I didn’t warn you 😀

To all those celebrating (and oh how I envy you!) have a Happy Halloween!

There’s something special about December 25th. Yes, it’s Christmas, and some people loath it (reasons: being alone, mandatory family visits etc.), some people are indifferent (it’s just another day off of work with good food and presents) and other people love it (like me :D).

Each year when it’s over, I ask myself: why do I love it so much? The days leading up to it are often rushed with last minute shopping – stressing out because you don’t know what to buy for some of the family members, or with making lists of food and other things to buy which are ABSOLUTELY neccessary and ”we can’t do without!” (Did you ever see the cupboards overflowing with food áfter the holidays? I for sure always buy too much!). The day itself can be a disaster: there may be tensions between family members; people are disappointed because they didn’t get the gifts they were hoping for; there are quarrels; you always eat too much and – last but by no means least – to enter the kitchen after an elaborate meal and see the disaster which looks like a bomb exploded in the middle of tinseltown is… *sigh*

Still, it’s my favourite Holiday and I cherish wonderful memories of previous Christmas celebrations.

There are people who’d like to send me on my way to my ancestors when I mention Christmas in.. let’s say… August. I don’t care. I put links to Christmas music videos on my Facebook Wall, if they like it or not. I have a box with received Christmas Cards, which I browse through every now and then and Christmas movies I watch all year long.

A few days ago my daughter and I had a ‘movie evening’ and first we watched The King’s Speech. Awesome movie and hats off to Colin Firth, he deserved every inch of the Oscar he won for  this part. To be able to speak so fluently, yet act like you have a stutter, I was gobsmacked (and felt so sorry for the King). Kudos to Helena Bonham Carter who plays Queen Elizabeth (could there be a role further removed from Bellatrix than this one? lol)

The second movie we watched is one of my all time favourites: White Christmas.

This movie gives me the same thoughts as Christmas does. Why do I love this movie so much? It’s not very Christmassy, apart from the last scenes. The songs have nothing to do with Christmas, apart from the title song and it’s not until the end before you see snow – something which definitely adds to the Christmas atmosphere.

The answer is, I don’t know. I only know that I have a big smile while watching the amazing dancing skills of Vera Ellen, listening to the warm voices of Bing Crosy and Rosemary Clooney (she and George definitely share some features, like their eyes) and who doesn’t love the funny Danny Kaye?

But the scene that gets me every time is when they sing ´We´ll follow the old man´ to the General. Not a dry eye in the house I tell ya :p And the moment when they open the barn doors and you see the snow is awesome, not to mention the gorgeous red Christmas dresses!

Still, no matter what, I love Christmas ánd White Christmas – and to have a truly White Christmas is at the top of my Christmas List.

I’m a good girl Santa, honest I am!

As a kid I had a tiny bedroom, but I didn’t mind as I had it all to myself (as opposed to my three brothers who had to share a room). At first the room was white with red colour accents (bookshelves, curtains etc). That was okay by me, as I couldn’t care less, LOL. This changed when I turned 15 or something like that. White was out and the thing that was really into fashion was colour, colour, colour, in the most extreme combinations and with weird patterns.

I demanded to pick my own colour scheme and my parents said: Okay, but then you have to paint the room yourself (I guess they expected me to change my mind, knowing how much work was involved – yes, I was a lazy child :p) but to their surprise I went ahead and the first things I picked were white curtains with an intricate pattern in three shades of purple/lilac.

I had to paint two walls. One side of the room had the windows, the other side had a door (covered with my drawings and posters of popstars) and a closet (which doors were also covered with posters :p). I picked purple for the third wall and bright orange – matching my bright orange tiny tv – for the wall where my bed was. I think I never did such a fun DIY project ever again and with such great results. Loved it and kept those colours for years.

To honour my teenage bedroom – and growing up in the funky 70’s – I designed a Funky Friends kit, with awesome colours and patterns, including a record called ‘You’re my best friend’ by the imaginairy Mondays and a ‘Best Friends’ heart, which I always wanted to have. But because I had two BFFs, I didn’t want to favor one above the other, so I never got to wear the necklace.

Funky Friends Kit
Full size kit, papers 12×12, 300 dpi, jpg and png
– 6 Background Papers
– 1 Funky Orange/Brown Mat
– 1 Funky Elements Corner
– 1 Double Frame
– 2 Best Friends Hearts, 1 gold, 1 silver
– 1 BFF Glitter Element
– 1 Funky Flower Element
– 1 Record ‘You’re my best friend’
– 1 Stitched Ribbon

Download:
Funky Friends Papers 17 MB
Funky Friends Embellishments 11 MB