Christmas is over....time for New Year's...

Well, the hectic Christmas time is over and I believe I won't recover until next weekend...  Hubby and I visited both his and my families, spending Christmas morning with his family and Christmas afternoon with mine....I got to watch all the nephews and nieces open their presents...And I have to say that there is nothing better than seeing the 4 year old come down and look at what Santa left for him!! 

So we're closing out 2011 and entering into 2012....I usually have a hard time keeping resolutions....I did cut back on scrappy supply spending this year, which was one of my resolutions.  For 2012, hubby and I talked and decided to make a joint resolution....We're going to try a new recipe once a week....I think this came from my upgrade of cooking utensils this year.  After receiving new Paula Deen cookware and a Paula Deen knife set this year, I am going to put them to good use.  So every week, we are going to scour both cookbooks and the internet for a somewhat-easy recipe and make it together.  Not only will this prevent us from eating fast food one night a week, but we will also get to spend time together...

Another one of my resolutions is to scrapbook more.  I have tons of supplies and it never seems like I have time to do anything with them.  So I am setting a goal of at least one project a week.....whether it's a layout, card, or other project.  Maybe I will be able to get some crafty time in this weekend....

This weekend, I think hubby and I will go out for New Year's Eve....we usually stay in, but I think we're just going to go to the local American Legion, which is about a minute drive from our house.  We'll spend the night with the family at the Legion....

Look for more projects in the New Year!  I hope to get more followers (another one of my 2012 goals). 

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas Eve....

Well, all the presents are wrapped, the food is made (just needs to be baked), and I can relax...phew....We kind of procrastinated....getting all the gifts way late and not wrapping until last night... We definitely pulled a late-nighter getting them all finished up at 2am....(yawn)

This year, hubby's family is making gifts for everyone....so I made everyone some glittered ornaments as shown in a previous post here: Glittered Ornaments.  I was also looking for another project and came across an idea in the November/December 2011 of Paper Crafts....On the cover they had a mason jar candle holder.  Using that basic set up, I tweaked it a little.

Starting with a mason jar, I found a votive holder that would sit in the mouth of the jar.  Then, I made bands to wrap around the jar out of paper.  I cut a vintage Christmas greeting out of Graphic 45 paper.   I finished the jar up by wrapping twine around the lip, tying a bow, and adhering a poinsettia on top of the bow.  I made 4 of these and filled them with different treats for the family....

 Supplies used:

• mason jars
• votive holder
• super tape
• glue dots
• May Arts Twine
• Martha Stewart Punch: Infinite Double Loops
• gold metallic cardstock
• Graphic 45 Christmas Past Collection
• Petaloo Red Velvet Poinsettias

Thanks for looking!  Merry Christmas!

A new card....

Had the work Christmas party tonight!  I always have such a great time at these parties.... I am really fortunate to work with such a great group of people!!   :)

I have been pretty inspired this week so I've made a few cards......

This first one is a Happy Anniversary card.  I'm just making a few cards here and there to have 'just in case'. 

Using Tim Holtz' Natures Moments (CMS001), I stamped the 'weed' in both Wild Honey and Crushed Olive Distress Ink on white card stock measuring 3-1/4" x 5-1/2".  Then, the sentiment from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings (cl342) was stamped in Forest Moss Distress Ink.  Then, I tied May Arts twine around the bottom of the white cardstock and adhered it to the metallic green background.

I'll post another one (maybe two)  this weekend.  Thanks for stopping!

A Design Team entry....

I had recently applied for the Spellbinders Design Team and I found out today that I didn't make it to the next round.    Since I didn't make it, I am now permitted to show the entry so here it is:

Supplies:

• Bo Bunny Snowfall: (Wintertime, Blizzard, Drift)
• Bo Bunny Snowfall Trinkets
• Hero Arts Earth & Sea Dots
• Pink Paislee Snow Day Wood Shapes
• Kaisercraft Pearl Strips
• Distress Stain: Faded Jeans & Picket Fence
• Spellbinders dies: Create a Flake 2 & 3
• White Pearl Cardstock
• Kraft Glassine
• Alcohol Ink: Denim
• May Arts Ribbon

And just because I didn't make this design team, doesn't mean I'm giving up.  I do have a few more that I have applied for and am waiting on responses.  Well, back to the craft room to finish gifts....We're getting closer and closer to being done!  Yay!!

Thanks for stopping!  :)

A new Christmas project...

Hubby's family agreed to make Christmas gifts this year and I have been struggling with what to make for everyone with the little time we have.  So I have been scouring the internet and magazines and found a few ideas....I stumbled upon another blog called  My Pink Mexico and found a tutorial on Glittered Christmas Ornaments. 

First of all, if you know me I love the look of glitter, but I hate messing with it.  I'm a Stickles gal....very little mess, no glittered critters, and easy clean-up.  So when I saw this tutorial, I first thought that it was going to be messy and I wouldn't want to fool with it.  I was way wrong!  The tutorial was easy to follow and the designer's instructions were phenomenal.  And the best thing about it is that it was fairly cheap!  All I needed were clear glass/plastic ornaments, glitter, and Pledge Floor Care!  The only expensive thing about this project was the glitter....I bought the whole Martha Stewart sample kit of 24 glitters....mainly because we live in the middle of nowhere and no one seemed to have glitter in colors....I just love the sparkle!!  Check them out!

On another note, our tree is up!  It finally feels like Christmas with the tree up.  It's a pre-lit color tree and I added a string of my favorite multi-function lights..My 10 year old strand of multi-function lights went to light strand heaven last year..I almost cried....But I found an LED strand at Wal-Mart this year and snatched them up!  Since I am a snowman nut, 98% of the ornaments on this tree are snowmen; the few exceptions being ornaments for the pups and cats....

Well, I'm off to bed...Nighty night...

A Christmas Tradition....

"It's that time...Christmas time is here..Everybody knows there's not a better time of year...Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way.  Hip hip hooray, it's Christmas Vacation..."

Yep, it's that time....We've managed to watch our favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, three times already this season... Both hubby and I had the same traditions in our families.  We'd always watch Christmas Vacation together with our parents at least once during the holiday season.  It seems now that we watch it every time it is on....(As I write this post, we are watching it on TV.  LOL)  It's nice to have Christmas traditions and this one always manages to bring the family together for at least two hours.  We drop everything and sit together, in our festive pajamas normally, and watch Clark W. Griswold, Cousin Eddie, and their Christmas hijinks..And this movie never gets old, even though we all manage to quote it throughout the year....


On a crafty note, I'm getting more and more anxious about hearing news about my Spellbinders entry...They are supposed to announce them on December 14....2 more days....I'm crossing my fingers that I make it to the next round...  :)  There are a few others accepting applications for Design Teams right now, so if I don't make it on to the next round at Spellbinders, I can always try again!!

Well, the movie is over, so I'm off to the sack....

I did it...

Yep...I took the plunge...I did it...I tried out for a design team...The Spellbinders Paper Arts Design Team to be exact...I sent in the application and the photo of the layout this afternoon....Got the confirmation of receipt...Now the waiting starts.....  Three rounds of competition before placement on the design team.  I'm happy just to have the chance to apply!  Won't be posting the project on the blog anytime in the near future, but I will tell you it features Bo Bunny and Spellbinders!  teehee...

On another note, a BIG Congrats to my darling hubby John for his pending graduation from Urbana University tomorrow....graduation with honors I might add!  (I might be a teensy bit proud...teehee)  Hubby has worked hard; having a full-time job, bowling for the university team, schoolwork, and putting up with the wifey and his efforts are paying off.  He will have a dual Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Criminal Justice.  Congrats to you hubby!!  Love you and so very proud of you!

Well, I am off to my warm toasty bed to catch up on the lost sleep that the cat thieved! Hoping to get some projects done on Sunday, as tomorrow will be spent celebrating my graduate hubby!  Have a good one!

Winter Tags....

This set is another pair from the vault....These tags were featured in two classes last year at the Scrapbook Outlet. 

Both have backgrounds created with my favorite Distress Inks. 

The tag on the left was first embossed with the Tall Pines Texture Fade.  I created the background using various Distress Inks, going lightly over the trees.  Then, using a marker nib, I colored the embossed trees using Forest Moss and Brushed Corduroy.  Then, I created a stamped tree using Forest Moss and a pine bough stamp.  Spray entire tag with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mist.  I finished with a wooden button and some hemp twine.

The tag on the right was inked with Distress Inks and a snowflake was stamped on the background using Chipped Sapphire.  Then, a piece of dotted grungeboard was die cut with the Winter Wonder die, making sure to have two snowflakes.  The snowman was then painted with Adirondack Paint Dabbers in white and black.  His arms were inked with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink.  The snowman's eyes were made with black enamel accents and his nose, with Spiced Marmalade Distress Stickles.  Out of grungepaper, I die cut a fence from the On the Fence die and painted it with Weathered Wood Crackle paint.  When using Crackle Paint, I made sure to paint a layer about as thick as peanut butter on there.  It takes a bit to dry, but once it starts cracking, you can slowly heat it to speed it up.  Then, out of the Seasonal Paper Stash, I cut out a little sign and made a post out of scrap grungepaper, inking it with Walnut Stain to color it. The snowflakes were painted white and then coated with a thin layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  Distress Stickles can be dried with a heat gun, unlike all other Stickles..  :)  After all the pieces are dry, assemble tag, adhering pieces with glossy accents.

Hope you enjoy these tags!  I'm off to work on some Design Team submissions!  Thanks for looking!!


Supplies used:

Tag #1 (left)

• Sizzix Alterations Pine Trees
• Distress Inks: Stormy Sky, Wild Honey, Bundled Sage (bkgd); Forest Moss, Brushed Corduroy
• Perfect Pearls Mist: Heirloom Gold
• hemp twine
• wooden button
• marker nib
• Pine Bough Stamp from Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous CMS066

Tag #2 (right)

• Distress Inks: Tumbled Glass, Bundled Sage, Stormy Sky, Pumice Stone (bkgd); Brushed Corduroy (arms); Chipped Sapphire (snowflakes)
• Enamel Accents: black
• Distress Stickles: Rock Candy, Spiced Marmalade
• Distress Crackle Paint: Weathered Wood
• Adirondack Paint Dabbers: white, black
• Sizzix Alterations: Winter Wonder
• Grunge Snowflakes Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous CMS098

An experiment...

I made this project earlier this year.  We got some 5" x 5" canvases in at the store and I wanted to attempt a wall hanging.  I first sealed the canvas with gesso, which seals the canvas and prevents it from soaking up any color.  I then sprayed the canvas with color washes in Sailboat Blue and Sunset Orange and heat dried it with a heat gun.  These two colors will make a touch of green.  To make the flowers, I first adhered some 7 Gypsies paper to a piece of Grungepaper using glossy accents.  After it dries, I then die-cut flowers using the Tattered Florals die.  Each flower was inked with Mustard Seed, Fired Brick, Worn Lipstick, and Spiced Marmalade.

I die-cut vines using the Elegant Flourishes die and grungepaper.  The vines were colored with Forest Moss.  All the pieces were then glued to the canvas using glossy accents; gluing the vine down first and layering the flowers on top.  The wood button, which was colored with Sunset Orange Color wash, was threaded with hemp and adhered to the large flower.  I then took Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls and sprayed the whole canvas.  (I love this stuff!!)  Then, I took an adage ticket and attached it to the canvas using a memo pin....

I really enjoyed playing around with the different mediums while making this canvas....It proved to be a bit messy.. I looked like a smurf when I was done with the color washes!!  LOL

Supplies

• Distress Inks: Forest Moss, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick
• Color Washes: Sailboat Blue, Sunset Orange
• Perfect Pearls Mist: Heirloom Gold
• paper: 7 Gypsies Conservatory Collection: Mesofauna
• 5" x 5" canvas
• Sizzix Alterations Dies: Tattered Florals and Elegant Flourishes
• hemp
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Memo Pins, Adage Tickets
• wooden button
• glossy accents
• heat gun

Thanks for stopping!!!

A Christmas Tag...

I found this oldie, but goodie and realized I hadn't posted this one yet.  This is one of my all-time favorites.

Using a #8 mailing tag, the background was created using Barn Door, Peeled Paint, and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks.  I quickly heat set it with a heat gun.  Then, I took one of the Tim Holtz 'Bitty Grunge' stamps and using black archival ink, stamped across the bottom of the tag, creating a grass-like effect.  Using the pine bough stamp from the Tim Holtz 'Retro Holiday' and both sepia archival ink and Pine Needles Distress Ink, ink the stamp.  The image was stamped a few times toward the top of the tag, reinking between each stamp.  Then, because Distress Ink can act as an embossing ink, I added Pine Needles Distress embossing powder onto the image.  The powder will only stick to the Distress Ink.  Heat the embossing powder to set.  I then took a piece of harlequin grungeboard and die-cut the Sizzix Alterations Reindeer Flight.  Then, I inked the reindeer with Walnut Stain and immediately embossed with clear embossing powder.  I used black Enamel Accents for the eyes and Christmas Red Stickles for Rudolph's nose.  For the tag in the bottom left-hand corner, I took a Fragment and adhered a piece of Tim Holtz Seasonal Paper Stash to the back using Glossing Accents.  Then, all the pieces were adhered to the tag.  The tag was finished off with some fibers as an accent at the top.

Supplies Used:

• #8 Mailing tag
• Distress Inks: Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles
• Archival Inks: Jet Black, Sepia
• Sizzix Alterations Reindeer Flight
• Grungeboard: Harlequin
• Glossy Accents
• Enamel Accents: Black
• Stickles: Christmas Red
• Distress Embossing Powders: Pine Needles
• Foam Applicator
• Seasonal Paper Stash
• Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection: Retro Holiday and Bitty Grunge
• fibers

Thanks for stopping!