And here we have a selection of Christmas card designs from Marks & Spencer. They have some nice contemporary designs in their 2016 collection featuring fun typography and stylish touches like the perspex tree above.
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Blog: print & pattern (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I am still showcasing some Christmas designs this week - to either inspire you creatively, show you what cards are available to buy right now, or maybe even to spot your own designs. We begin the week with cards from Waitrose, which is the supermarket arm of John Lewis. For their own brand exclusive collection Waitrose have gone for mainly black, gold, red, and white on kraft card to create a
Blog: Becky's Book Reviews (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. (Little Critter) Mercer Mayer. 1982. 24 pages. [Source: Bought]
First sentence: I wanted to make Christmas very special, just for you, so I made a Christmas wreath. I wanted to decorate some Christmas cookies just for you, but I couldn't stop tasting them. I wanted to find a Christmas present just for you, but there were too many toys to look at.
Premise/plot: Little Critter tries really hard to make Christmas really, truly special for his Mom and Dad. But, as you'd expect, things don't always go according to plan. Is it the thought that counts?!
My thoughts: I love and adore Little Critter. I loved this one cover to cover. My favorite: "I wanted to wrap the baby's present just for you, but the tape was too sticky." It is a fact, by the way, that I was banned from using tape!
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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Christmas Journey. Anne Perry. 2003. 180 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould hesitated a moment at the top of the stairs.
Premise/plot: A country-house party in December goes terribly wrong when one of the guests decides to jump off a bridge and commit suicide. The "victim" of this mystery (Gwendolen) was first the victim of a cutting insult. The other guests decide that Isobel (the woman who was 'rude') is to blame. She's to be ostracized from that day forward. But the host (Omegus Jones) and the heroine (Lady Vespasia) concoct a way to "cleanse" her socially. She'll be the one to travel to the mother's home (Gwendolen's mother) to tell her the news. If the mother travels back with her and agrees that sufficient penance has been done, then all will be well--socially.
My thoughts: This is a very odd book. It's Christmas-themed, which could be a great thing. But. It's also supposed to be a mystery. And that is where it falls short a bit. Perry's books usually have at least one or two crimes. And they tend to be DRAMATIC and big. Not subtle and dainty. I liked that this Christmas mystery didn't offer a lot of GRIT and RAGE. On the positive side, it is a very short read! But ultimately it is probably forgettable as well.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Blog: March House Books Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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The Nutcracker. Niroot Puttapipat. 2016. Candlewick. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: It was Christmas Eve, and Clara and her little brother, Fritz, were bursting with excitement.
Premise/plot: A picture book retelling of The Nutcracker. This one is for older readers primarily for two reasons. First, it is text-heavy. Second, it features an intricate pop-up. I don't think it would hold the attention of preschoolers anyway, even without the pop up!
My thoughts: I liked this one. I found the illustrations to be striking. Not bright and bold. Not warm and cozy. But strikingly atmospheric. (A lot more black than what you might be expecting.) They are very beautiful, and invite you into the story.
The story itself is what you'd expect from a retelling of the Nutcracker.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
One of London's most famous department stores is Selfridges, and I was lucky enough to be able to pop into their Christmas store recently. I found stylish festive paper goods from Meri Meri, personalised wrapping paper, stylish packaging on chocolates and games, and a selection of stylish Christmas cards by publishers such as 1973, Caoline Gardner, and Belly Button Designs.
I am looking at Christmas designs this week and I really liked these four contemporary designs spotted in Sainsbury's supermarket. They have bright colours and a bold painterly style that made them stand out against Sainsbury's more traditional designs. Also snapped below are some fun children's designs featuring Santa's elves that has been used on gift wrap, bags, and crackers.
Our next range of lovely Christmas cards come from Whistlefish, an art company based in Cornwall which creates greeting cards, gift wrap, stationery and gifts. Whistlefish have a wide selection of designs from modern to traditional priced at just £1.00 plus you can shop online in the UK and internationally. Here are some of my favourites from their Christmas 2016 collection... Read the rest of this post
Blog: wonkyworks (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Merry Christmas from the Christmas Pug! |
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John Lewis have created an Alpine collection for their Christmas ranges in 2016. The theme for the range is 'Chamonix - inspired by The Alps' and features on food gift packaging, decorations, cushions, tablecloths, cards, wrap, and more. The motifs are folk inspired but very contemporary in style. A modern red, white and blue theme is used throughout the whole collection to create a coherent
Also today we have a few interesting Christmas cards spotted in book store 'Waterstones'.
Now we are in December Print & Pattern will be going full steam ahead on Christmas design. I'll be posting the various cards and wrap I have spotted online and in stores, mainly in the UK. We start the week with Britain's favourite department store John Lewis. Here are a selection of cards from publishers such as Caroline Gardner, Hammond Gower, Cardmix, The Art File and of course John Lewis' '
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Treasury of Christmas Stories. Edited by Ann McGovern. 1960. Scholastic. 152 pages. [Source: Bought]
Treasury of Christmas Stories was a delightful discovery for me, a true vintage find. The book was published in 1960, and it features stories and poems mainly published in the 1930's and 1940's. I liked that it was a blend of everything: fiction and nonfiction, stories and poems. I enjoyed the black and white illustrations as well. The illustrator is David Lockhart. Overall, both text and illustrations have a lovely, vintage feeling.
My top three poems would be, "Presents" by Marchette Chute, "Day Before Christmas" by Marchette Chute," and "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. My top three stories would be: "A Piano by Christmas" by Paul Tulien, "Christmas Every Day" by W.D. Howells, and "A Miserable, Merry Christmas" by Lincoln Steffens.
Secret in the Barn by Anne Wood (poem)
It's nearly Christmas--it's Christmas Eve!A Christmas Gift for the General by Jeannette Covert Nolan (1937) (story)
And it's snowing all over the place,
The roof of the barn is sugary white--
Its eaves are lined with lace.
Kennet, at the window, thought that the day was not at all like Christmas. The street he looked into was silent, almost desolate; the few people passing walked quickly with bent heads, as if they were cold, or sad--or both.Christmas by Marchette Chute (1946) (poem)
My goodness, my goodness,Christmas Every Day by W.D. Howells (story)
It's Christmas again.
The bells are all ringing.
I do not know when
I've been so excited.
The tree is all fixed,
The candles are lighted,
The pudding is mixed.
The little girl came into her papa's study, as she always did Saturday morning before breakfast, and asked for a story. He tried to beg off that morning, for he was very busy, but she would not let him. So he began: "Well, once there was a little pig--" She put her hand over his mouth and stopped him at the word. She said she had heard little pig stories till she was perfectly sick of them. "Well, what kind of story shall I tell, then?" "About Christmas. It's getting to be the season. It's past Thanksgiving already."Ashes of the Christmas Tree by Yetza Gillespie (1946) (poem)
When Christmas trees at last are burnedThe Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson (story)
Upon the hearth, they leap and flash
More brilliantly than other wood,
And wear a difference in the ash.
Once upon a time there was a pretty, green little Fir Tree. The sun shone on him; he had plenty of fresh air; and around him grew many large comrades, pines as well as firs. But the little Fir was not satisfied.Presents by Marchette Chute (1932) (poem)
I wanted a rifle for Christmas,A Miserable, Merry Christmas by Lincoln Steffens (1931, 1935) (excerpt from an autobiography)
I wanted a bat and a ball,
I wanted some skates and a bicycle,
But I didn't want mittens at all.
What interested me in our new neighborhood was not the school, nor the room I was to have in the house all to myself, but the stable which was built back of the house.The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe (poem)
Hear the sledges with the bells--Yuletide Customs in Many Lands by Lou Crandall (1941) (nonfiction)
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
Christmas in May? It sounds strange, doesn't it? And yet in the early centuries of Christianity, the birthday of Jesus probably was sometimes celebrated in May, sometimes in other months; certainly it was often observed in January. This was because the exact date of the birth of Christ has never been known.Lord Octopus Went to the Christmas Fair by Stella Mead (1934) (poem)
Lord Octopus went to the Christmas Fair;Christmas Tree by Aileen Fisher (1946) (poem)
An hour and a half he was traveling there.
Then he had to climb
For a weary time
To the slimy block
Of a sandstone rock,
And creep, creep away
To the big wide bay
Where a stout old whale
Held his Christmas Sale.
I'll find me a spruceSilent Night, Holy Night (traditional song)
in the cold white wood
with wide green boughs
and a snowy hood.
Deck the Halls (traditional song)
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (traditional song)
O Christmas Tree (traditional song)
Wassail Song (traditional song)
The Birds (traditional song)
Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep (traditional song)
The Jar of Rosemary by Maud Lindsay (excerpt from a book)
There was once a little prince whose mother, the queen, was sick. All summer she lay in bed, and everything was kept quiet in the palace; but when the autumn came she grew better.One Night by Marchette Chute (1941) (poem)
Last winter when the snow was deepMr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1935) (excerpt from a book)
And sparkled on the lawn
And there was moonlight everywhere,
I saw a little fawn.
The days were short and cold, the wind whistled sharply, but there was no snow.Day Before Christmas by Marchette Chute (1941) (poem)
We have been helping with the cakeA Piano by Christmas by Paul Tulien (1957) (story)
And licking out the pan,
And wrapping up our packages
As neatly as we can.
There was one thing Billy's mother had been wanting, and that was a piano. Mother liked to play, and before her marriage she had played on her sister's piano every evening.A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore (poem)
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseHow Santa Claus Found the Poorhouse by Sophie Swett (1956) (story)
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
Heliogabalus was shoveling snow. The snow was very deep, and the path from the front door to the road was a long one, and the shovel was almost as big as Heliogabalus. But Gobaly--as everybody called him for short--didn't give up easily.Golden Cobwebs by Rowena Bennett (poem)
The Christmas tree stood by the parlor door,The Gift of St. Nicholas by Anne Malcolmson (1941) (story)
But the parlor door was locked
And the children could not get inside
Even though they knocked.
Three hundred years ago in the little city of New Amsterdam lived a young cobbler named Claas.A New Song by Ernest Rhys (1946) (poem)
We will sing a new song© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
That sounds like the old:
Noel.
Blog: Becky's Book Reviews (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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How Many Sleeps 'Til Christmas? Mark Sperring. Illustrated by Sebastien Braun. 2014. Tiger Tales. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: One winter morning, before the sun had even woken, Little Pip climbed out of bed, padded across the floor, and "PSSST!" gave Daddy Grizzle a gentle nudge....
Premise/plot: Little Pip is a young cub who is so super-excited about it being almost-Christmas that he wakes his dad (Daddy Grizzle) up every morning convinced that Christmas is HERE at last. Every day, Daddy Grizzle tells him how many "whole sleeps" until Christmas. They are able to fill their days with fun and exciting Christmas-y activities.
My thoughts: I found this one ADORABLE. In part, perhaps, because of the illustrations by Sebastien Braun, but also because of the super-fun-and-adorable twist at the end of the book!!! True, I'm not sure that bears actually celebrate Christmas. But Little Pip and Daddy Grizzle are just adorable together. Love the enthusiasm and joy this one conveys throughout.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Blog: wonkyworks (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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FREE STINKY CHRISTMAS EBOOK FOR KIDS FROM OTTO FISHBLANKET!
(Abysmally illustrated by Gerald Hawksley)
"lame . . . dud . . . mean . . . boring . . . poor effort . . . not very amusing . . . smelly"
Just a few of the things reviewers are saying about this book!
Ten one star Reviews!
(Six one star reviews on Amazon.com! Four one star reviews on Amazon.co.uk!)
We can do better than that! More one star reviews, please!
And you are free to write a stinky review. The stinkier the better! Get it now!
Stinky Santa Christmas ebook for kids! |
Blog: Becky's Book Reviews (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Saving Red. Sonya Sones. 2016. HarperTeen. 448 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Why Am I Out Here/ In the middle of the freaking night/ wandering the streets of Santa Monica/ looking for homeless people/ when I could be lying in bed/ watching videos of babies eating lemons/ and soldiers reuniting with their dogs?/ Because I need four more hours/ of community service this semester./ That's why./ And/ I need them/ by tomorrow morning.
Premise/plot: Molly narrates this newest verse novel by Sonya Sones. If you've read Sonya Sones' past books, chances are you'll need no persuading. (Anytime I see she has a new book coming out, I admit I squeal a little.) What is this one about? In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Molly makes it her project to reunite her new friend, her homeless friend, her zany yet troubled friend, Red, with her family by the holidays. In the process, she falls in love (well, at least in LIKE), worries her family a bit (to be fair, she spends equal amounts of time worrying about them), and comes close to losing her best friend in the whole world--her dog Pixel.
My thoughts: In a way, you could classify this as a "problem" novel about mental health or about America's homeless situation. But it's so much more than that! This is one emotional roller coaster that feels genuine and authentic perhaps not from page one but close to it!!! Red is not predictable, and, Molly has her own (secret) internal struggles. I felt this one was realistic, for the most part, and the holiday setting was a nice touch for me!
I would definitely recommend this one!
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
British fashion company Boden have produced a range of homewares especially for Christmas which includes mugs, coasters, place mats and teatowels. Prints include a sweet baubles design (above) and some very colourful 'All is Bright' typography which features across their seasonal campaign. I also loved all their Christmas jumper designs, and this cute hot water bottle (below) with two back to
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The Christmas Story. Robert Sabuda. 2016. Candlewick. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Long ago, in the town of Nazareth, there lived a young woman named Mary. She was soon to marry a carpenter named Joseph. God sent an angel to her with a message: "Hail, Mary! The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid. Soon you will have a baby, named Jesus, who will be the Son of God." "Let it be as you have told me," Mary said. "I am the servant of the Lord."
Premise/plot: The Christmas Story is Robert Sabuda's newest pop-up book. The story may be familiar, even too familiar, to some. But it's a story that is timeless. The pop-ups are quite detailed and though done simply--only in white and gold--they are indeed 'exquisite.'
My thoughts: I liked it. I do think Robert Sabuda's pop up books are more for older readers--like adults--than younger readers. But I think if young readers are careful, they can get a lot from this story as well.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Pressed & Folded was launched in January 2016 by James & Malissa Brown. They have a fabulous range of card collections including Shapes (above & below), Geometrics, and Floral. They also a new collection of Christmas cards available in ten different designs that can be purchased individually or in packs of 6.
Yesterday we featured fab stationery by Australian/Swedish company Kikki K. So it seemed like a good time to also mention their 2016 Christmas offering. Their collections feature a metallic mix of simple graphic designs in black, silver and copper, and a traditional Scandinavian influenced range of cards and wrapping paper. All seen online at Kikki K.
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You may remember I posted about the publication of a new book by designer Paul Farrell a few weeks ago. But now I have actually seen the book in the flesh I just had to post again with new pictures as it is just so full of beautiful graphics. Called 'Great Britain in Colour' it is a treasure trove of colour and shape across a whopping 240 pages - just a small sample of which I have snapped
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I know it is only November but as I had visited Anthropologie on Friday it seemed a good time to mention their Christmas selection. I loved the folky felted letters, which are part of an entire alphabet of tree or garland decorations. The core of their offering this year was mainly designed by Portland based company Quill & Fox and below I have picked out a selection of items spotted online at
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Designer Susse Linton has a great little online shop selling her paper goods - such as these fun cactus cards. Susse has just added her Christmas designs to the store with lots of new Christmas cards and an A5 holiday activity book. The book contains patterned papers ready to make garlands, gift tags, etc. There is also a 2017 calendar featuring Susse's whimiscal illustrations. All available
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Talking of Belly Button Designs I noticed they had posted some brand new Christmas designs on their blog. In keeping with their everyday ranges we can expect a lot of metallics along with smart, simple typography and stylish illustrations.
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Love, love this book and hadn't thought of it in so many years. It was a favorite when my kids were small. Thanks for posting!