silver and gold

I enjoy making my own Christmas cards and try to make a batch most years, time permitting. This year I decided to make use of my stash of old Country Living magazines and turn some of their gorgeous photography to my advantage.

I spent a happy few hours with my circle cutter, a stick of glue and lots of lovely shiny ribbon... the nice thing about having one of each is being able to choose the card to match the person.

The beautiful papier mache pinecones are from Germany... not from Munich but from the lovely Carola at Boxwood Cottage. I covered them with silver leaf and have a few more still to do before Christmas.

Our Christmas cake this year has taken a departure from the usual icing-covered snow scene: as our family's chief cake-eater is spending the winter in the sunshine of Australia we decided to adopt a less tooth-splittingly sweet decorative approach. It's a little late for cake-making really... I wasn't going to bother, but suddenly got the urge. It's a wonderfully soothing and nurturing process of chopping, soaking, weighing, measuring, stirring and slowly slowly baking that always makes me feel serene and peaceful. The warm, sweet smell that winds its way up the stairs and fills the house is very good for the soul.

Also good for the soul are the incredible sunsets we've been having the last few days. After a short grey day of dampness and biting wind with all the colour leached from the landscape, suddenly the western sky is split with a vanilla light so piercingly bright it makes everything stop for a few precious minutes while you watch it gently and ever so slowly shift and fade away...

13 comments:

Frances said...

Hello Sue, I'm feeling honored to be an early commenter on this beauty of blog.

You know that I also love to make my own Christmas cards. I really like the circles you've created. And confess my ignorance ... what is a circular cutter? Is it some variation on a matt knife? I am already considering the possibilities ... can you vary the circumferance?

Your 2009 baking choice also is inspiring. I have yet to get to the market for the sugar, butter, flour, vanilla, etc., etc., to begin my own baking. Maybe I will have done by this time next week!

xo

Chrissie said...

A girl after my own heart! Some old Waitrose catalogues have gone the same way here. I love what you've done with these silvery circles.

Forthvalley scribe said...

Vanilla light - a wonderful expression. Brilliant

Pipany said...

A beautiful post Sue. Love the cards though I couldn't chop up my CL magazines...she said hyperventilating at the thought! I know just what you mean about the soothing nature of cake making, especailly with fruit cakes. you have to just let time go and revel in the repetitive nature of all that chopping don't you? x

Gilly said...

Looking forward to eating that cake ! ;-)

But I don't think we have had sunsets like that! Maybe you have a better westerly view, or something. Or its nastier over here nearer the Pennines!

I really MUST do my Christmas cards......

Gretel said...

(Hushed shocked voice...you cut your old Country Livings...)But all least they died for an excellent cause :) I hadn't realised the pine cones were papier mache. Lovely photo there of the suunset!

Jo said...

I do love your writing and your photos. The cake looks delicious. You're so creative. I felt a great sense of calm, reading this post.

Karen L R said...

Lovely posts, Sue. So festive and fun! Loved the pics of Munich.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I enjoyed this post very much, Sue. Life is good! Stop by and visit me sometime when you have time.
:)
Zuzu

Jackie said...

I'm glad to hear the horroro in the comments about cutting up the sainted mags. I have a pile of them form the mid eighties to early nineties when I had an annual subscriotion, and I can't part with them although I think I did cut a few bits out for my C&G inspiration files.
what a lovely post.

A time to dance said...

...hi Sue...lovely ideas, I wish I had time to make christmas cards...I used to in the old days...I love the pinecones too...hope you and yours are well..

Acornmoon said...

Lovely decorations, and now of course we all want circle cutters!

BumbleVee said...

what a great idea for making some pretty and personal cards..... a person could even use portions of old Christmas cards too.... how lovely.

Thanks Sue, for the snowflake info...I'm off to look at it ....