Dec 24, 2011 | Big Shot, Christmas, Holiday Mini catalog 2011, In Colors, Scrapbook Pages |
It’s Christmas Eve! Yep it is here. The next week or so we will spend time with family and enjoy being together. Just a few more things to do today and I’ll be ready to relax and enjoy the fun.
But real quick I wanted to share some scrapbook layouts with you – I have one today and another tomorrow. Now don’t laugh – I know there aren’t any pictures on them. That is pretty normal for me. I love the layouts that I make and most of the time have pictures “planned” for them. The problem is I never actually print the pictures! And then when I think about it it will be on a day of the week that isn’t the “sale” day for printing so then I decide to wait a few days, but then I forget, and so on. And here we are with some layouts that I want to share with no pictures because I don’t want to wait any longer. So just imagine…..
I really love this layout in real life. The pictures are never as nice as the real life layouts. So imagine this layout with pictures of Aspen and Magnolia playing in the snow! Remember last year in January (yes I know it’s been a long time) we had a record breaking snow in Georgia and I took pictures of the dogs and planned to put them on this layout that I created for my December Scrapbook class. I should make a New Year’s resolution to actually put pictures on my scrapbook pages!
So to give you some more details – the background is Crumb Cake (my favorite). The Designer Series Paper is the Spice Cake paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog. It works for winter too. So hurry and buy some before the Mini Catalog ends on Jan. 3rd. There is a strip on the outside and then I enlarged a top note shape and created a template to cut the other piece. There is also a line of circles across the page. 
I have a strip of Very Vanilla that has been stamped with Crumb Cake snowflakes. And there is also some of the Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon – also in the Holiday Mini Catalog.
Going across the page is a strip of Riding Hood Red punched with the Dotted Ribbon Border Punch. The frame is actually one of the frames from the Peek-a-boo Frames Big Shot Die (that’s also in the Holiday Mini catalog).
Going across both pages is a “garland” of Very Vanilla snow flakes – these are from the decorative strip die Northern Frost. Then I used a Stampin’ Write Marker to draw the strings underneath. Over on the right had side is a wide strip of Riding Hood Red that was stamped with snowflakes. At the top of each of the Early Espresso mats I added a Pool Party printed brad.
I spritzed the whole layout with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz. And added the title snow dogs. I hope you like it. The sketch, idea and colors for this layout came from a scrapbook magazine.
Enjoy the evening with your family!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 22, 2011 | Cards, Christmas, family, My Digital Studio |
I wanted to share with you the 2011 Christmas Card that I made to send to our family. I created this in My Digital Studio after seeing a blog post on Mydigitalstudio.net about the Tri-Fold cards. I really liked how it was all laid out with both a spot for a family photo and then a page for photos of the kids and then on the back a place to write. In past years I would write a letter, print it out, fold it up and stick it inside our Christmas cards. But with My Digital Studio the letter part can become part of the card instead of being an insert. So that is what I decided to do for our family – I printed 35 of these – mailed out 34 and kept 1.
This is the card folded it up and it doesn’t look like much. This is the smaller size of the the tri-fold choices – I have to go back and look for sure but I think the other one was either bigger or it was just turned to be portrait orientation. It looks like a really small card but then when you unfold it you get this….
In the center panel I had a picture of our whole family and then the third panel has individual pictures of the boys plus a little note from us.
But there is more – turn it over to the back and you get this –
That is where my “letter” came in. I used two panels to write all of our 2011 memorable moments.
I sent hand-stamped cards to everyone else on my list. I still have a few more to get out. But so far I have used 80 stamps! I bought 2 packs of the Christmas stamps and used all those. Went to the store to get more this morning and they were out of Christmas ones so the rest of my card have regular stamps. I’ll finish up tomorrow with everyone on my list.
I hope everyone likes the MDS card and the hand-stamped cards.
Here is today’s Christmas activity –
Dec. 22 – Attend a Christmas Concert – I knew I had this one in the bunch. We already did this earlier though – I should have planned my days out better when making the countdown project. We went to the Etowah High School Band Concert. Ryan is in the percussion section – his section of the band played three songs – he played crash cymbals on one song, the wooden block on one and jingle bells on one.
IMPORTANT NOTE: we got word from Stampin’ Up! that the Stocking builder punch that is in the Holiday Mini catalog will be discontinued – so if you had your eye on that punch you better order it now. The Holiday Mini catalog end on Jan. 3rd but I don’t know how much stock they have left and there will not be any more once they run out. And remember the Clearance Rack sale – there are some great deals on other punches – current shapes but the older body style. And a steal on the GoGo Boots Alphabet Sizzlets die set – I use this a lot for scrapbooking titles.
SHOP HERE !
Have a productive day!
Dec 21, 2011 | Big Shot, Christmas, Holiday Mini catalog 2011, Tags |
Connie Babbert shared these cute Christmas Trees. You take half of a circle and fold it back and forth to form the tree. I decided to use the idea on these gift tags from my last Hands-On class. I used the Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Series paper for these trees. Cut a 3-1/2″ circle from each pattern and then cut each circle in half. We made 12 trees and put them on 12 tags – 3″ circles in Wild Wasabi and Real Red.
The card stock circles for the tags are stamped with the snowflake and to/from images from the Winter Post stamp set – I used Wild Wasabi ink on both colors. Then glue on the folded tree – I used the multipurpose liquid glue. I added a strip of Early Espresso as the trunk of the tree. Then punched a flower from Boho Blossoms to add to the top with a mini brad. Tie some Baker’s Twine at the top to hang your tag.
We made 12 tags and put them in a tin that was tied with a strip of the Holly Berry Bouquet Fabric (it matches the paper that I used on the trees).
Once you get the folding down these are quick to make. And since the Big Shot cuts all the circles you can cut several at a time and be done in no time.
And the next Christmas Activity – Dec. 21st – Take a drive and look at Christmas lights. Ryan wants to know why we don’t have any lights outside. I told him it was because no one will help me put them up or take them down so I decided not to do it this year. He said I needed to talk to dad about that. Hmph. I was hoping he would say he would help me. So instead we get to enjoy the lights around us and we will have to take a drive through the neighborhood ourselves.
We are baking tomorrow and I’m going to try to make peppermint bark. I already made my almond chicken cheese balls. And some snickerdoodle cookies – with the snowflake Sweet Pressed Cookie stamps. I used store bought dough and I don’t think it was as good as the recipe I make. Oh well….
Dec 20, 2011 | Big Shot, Christmas, Holiday Mini catalog 2011 |
The Stocking Die in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini catalog is a great size for gift card holders.
I made these using Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla. Cut two stockings in one color and the accent pieces in a second color. I used one of the textured embossing folders (Vintage Wallpaper on this one) on the front stocking piece. Then glue around the edges to the back piece creating a pocket opening at the top. Add the cuff – stamped, and the toe and heel.
I stamped the holly and cut it out and added it to the stocking. Then punch a hole and add some Baker’s Twine and a Mini jingle bell. Now you can hang it on the tree.
The gift card just slides into the back.
I created these in pairs and used the opposite colors to make the second one.
Christmas Activity – Dec. 20th – Stamp gift tags. These could be gift tags or the gifts themselves. I have another tag idea coming this week so come back for another visit.
Enjoy!
Dec 19, 2011 | Big Shot, Christmas, Holiday Mini catalog 2011 |
It’s Rudolph! Isn’t this a cute reindeer?
And guess what he is actually a box so you can fill it with fun treats. Maybe chocolate covered raisins or peanuts (for reindeer poop)!
This idea came from Cindee Wilkinson.
Here is what I used for my reindeer.
Cut two sets of Crumb Cake card stock with the Holiday Stocking Bigz die and the Big Shot Die-Cut machine. Sponge the edges on both sides of the stockings, the toe pieces, and the heel pieces. I did not use the cuff pieces. The stocking is the head. Glue the toe pieces in place. The heel piece is what I used for the ears.
Cut one Box #2 (or Mini Milk Carton) from Crumb Cake card stock. This becomes the box on the inside between the two sides of the reindeer. I used the Box #2 and cut off one end. If you use the mini milk carton cut off the top to make a short box or leave the top without folding to make a taller box.
Cut two sets of Swirls Scribbles Sizzlit Die and the Big Shot Die-Cut machine. I used Chocolate Chip card stock. These are the antlers.
Punch a 3/4″ circle of Red Glimmer Paper for the nose – one for each side.
Punch a 3/4″ circle of Whisper White card stock for the eye – one for each side.
Punch a 1/2″ circle of Basic Black card stock for the eye – one for each side. Add a white gel pen glimmer to the eye.
Use a Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write marker to add faux stitching around the head and to add a smile.
Tear a 1″ strip of fabric from the Spice Cake Designer Fabric pack (the Soft Suede print) and tie it around the neck of the reindeer. Add a Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Button, some White Baker’s Twine and mini jingle bells.
Many of the items used in this project are in the Holiday Mini catalog. We only have a short time left to order from it so don’t delay.
Have fun!
and a few more Christmas Activities for you –
Dec. 18th – create a Christmas Scrapbook page – check back later this week and I’ll be posting the ones we made at my December Scrapbook class.
Dec. 19th – Make a garland. Use popcorn or paper rings or die cut stockings. There are lots of different ways to make a garland – then hang it on the tree, on your mantle, or the staircase.
Dec 16, 2011 | Christmas, Holiday Mini catalog 2011, Tags |
Have you seen this little idea to use the 1″ x 8″ cello bags as a wreath?
This is my version. I’ve seen several versions floating around. I decided to put mine on a card stock circle so that it could also be used as a gift tag. The card stock is Lucky Limeade, stamped with an image from Punch Pals stamp set, and then punched with the 2-1/2″ Circle punch. You can’t see it but I punched a hole in the top with the crop-a-dile and then pulled a piece of the Whisper White Taffeta ribbon through it. The 1″ x8″ cello bag is filled with red and green skittles candies – I put about 15 in the bag – you don’t want it very full or you won’t be able to curve it around into a circle. I’m not sure how everyone else did theirs but what I did was put the candies in and then I took the closed end and curved it around and stuck it inside the open end of the bag and then took the adhesive seal and sealed it to the bag to i had a circle. I tied the ribbon around so that it was over where the two ends of the bag cross each other. I tied a bow with my ribbon.
The tag is another stamp from Punch Pals – punched with the Word Window – pierce a hole in the end and add baker’s twine and tie it around the bow. leave tails if you want to tie it onto a package or trim the off if you are just giving it as a treat.
We will be making these in my Hands-on Class today and I also gave them to my friends at Pokeeno on Wed. night. Have a fun day today!
Here is the Christmas Countdown Activity –
Dec. 16th – Deliver Neighbor Gifts – I have several posts from my gift making class that would make good neighbor gifts.
Dec. 17th – Make treats for your pets – I have some recipes that came from the kennel – I’ll need to try them out and let you. I caught Magnolia peeking in the shopping bags today trying to find her Christmas present – she knew exactly which bag came from the pet store.
So to give you some more details – the background is Crumb Cake (my favorite). The Designer Series Paper is the Spice Cake paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog. It works for winter too. So hurry and buy some before the Mini Catalog ends on Jan. 3rd. There is a strip on the outside and then I enlarged a top note shape and created a template to cut the other piece. There is also a line of circles across the page. 
