Thank you

We don't exchange Christmas gifts any more, preferring to donate that money to charity.  But sometimes a small token is given with a note about the charity chosen.  This is the card I made to say 'thank you' for those gifts of love.

The base card is white card stock.  Another piece of white card stock was run through Tim's 'Holiday Words' texture fade and smudged with red, green, and brown distress inks.  With his 'Packages & Bows' bigz die I cut out several sets from Authentique's 'Festive' collection of 6x6 paper.  I used a gray pencil to add shadow and dimension on the packages and bows.

And a very big 'thank you' to those who visit my blog.  Maybe I've inspired you or encouraged you in some way.  I hope so.  You may not leave a comment but I do appreciate your visit.

May 2014 bring all of us just what we need...whatever that may be!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases!

Nearly 100 of these dies were cut out of metal sheeting that had been run through a Xyron.  Near the end I remembered about using wax paper between the intricate die and the metal sheeting.  It made things easier and I was able to better maintain the circular shape when adhering it to the card.  The evergreens and balls were not stuck down, only their connecting stems, so that the image would be more dimensional.

Bazzill card stock; green and white card stock; Hero Arts alpha stamp; metal sheeting; Die-namites die; Ranger Fern Green Archival Ink

Holiday tokens

My family will be here Sunday for our holiday luncheon.  We don't exchange gifts but I usually create a token to remember the day for each of them.  This year I loved a Tissue paper Ornament I found here.  Claudine has some great ideas and I am always anxious to see what she has up next to share on her blog.

I didn't have nearly enough fragments but did have plenty of Inkssentials 2" glass slides and frames (silver and copper).  Then I thought about another surface that could be used...dominoes.  In the end I made 6 slide ornaments and 7 dominoes (not ornaments). 

But how to package them?  Sizzix to the rescue!  I used their Candy Drawer Box die and Bazzill cardstock to create a gift box.  I punched holes in the outside layer so I could run the ribbon through the holes and through the jingle bell name tag.  The jingle bells were cut from chipboard, painted with pewter distress paint.  Once dry I drizzled some Glossy Accents across the top and sprinkled Clear Rock Candy Dry Distress Glitter over the top for a bit of added charm.  Ta da!

Items used:  Ranger - Inkssentials glass slides and frames, archival inks, Glue N'Seal, Multi-Medium, Adirondack Butterscotch marker, Glossy Accents, distress paint, dry distress glitter; Sizzix:  mini jingle bell die, Candy Box Drawer die; Stampers Anonymous:  Mini Holidays CMS066, Odds & Ends CMS100, Mini Holidays 3 CMS114, Mini Blueprints 5 CMS170, Mini Holidays 5 CMS177; Idea-ology tissue wrap; Bazzill cardstock; gold & silver sharpies; ribbon; chipboard

Time is getting tight to make gifts but perhaps one of these could be added to a stocking or even the top of a gift.  Letting the adhesives dry took the longest time and even that wasn't very long.

Refrigerator art - it's not just for kids!

A number of years ago I purchased a cartridge of laminate/magnetic material that would fit in a Xyron 1200.  I didn't own that size but felt the price of $5, originally retailed at >$80, was too good to pass up.  One way or another I was going to be able to use the cartridge.  The magnetic material is quite thin so it's not that great for holding things up.

I often make holiday magnets to use as decor.  How about using Tim Holtz (by Sizzix) Bigz & mini movers & shapers dies to create a scene...or 2?  Hmmmmm...so I adhered black cardstock to the sticky side of the magnetic sheet (pulled some off the cartridge) so I could color the images if I chose.  Most I left as black...looks sharp on my white refrigerator. 

I took a small piece of cellophane and colored it with Sunshine Yellow alcohol ink and adhered it to the back of the lamp post.  The holly leaves and berries were colored with distress paints.

'Joy', 'Wish', and 'Noel' were painted with Tarnished Brass, Distressed Pewter and Antiqued Bronze distress paints.  I wasn't too careful about painting them as I wanted some of the black to show through.  I also left the texture for more dimension.  A bit of brown and black archival inks around the edges and smeared across the ornaments and word help created more patina and age.  In person you'd be hard pressed to know they weren't actually old metal pieces.  The smaller bells got the same treatment but I added Pumice Stone and Antique Linen distress glitters over the top of the paint (acts just like a liquid adhesive!).

On our side-by-side refrigerator...the lamppost, victorian carolers, snowflake, cardinal, branch, 'wish' and 'joy' are on the left side.  The deer, trees, snowflake, 'Noel' on the right.  The smaller bells are below the handle on the freezer (bottom of the refrigerator) as if they were dangling.  It's difficult taking a photo of all the magnets in place because of the glare but I did my best.

You still have time to create your own display...or maybe make some for gifts...they work up so quick and easy. 

Gingerbread treats

I LOVE gingerbread...cookies, bread, muffins...doesn't matter. So making a gingerbread man cookie would be perfect for the 12 tags of 2013.  If you haven't tried Clearly For Art by Studio 490, you're missing out!  Add Tim's Frosted Film and your art takes on a new look.  Using both, my cookie takes on dimension and a slight shimmer as if sprinkled with sugar. 

I had a dickens of a time getting the 'icing' to stick to the colored Frosted Film.  Multi-medium finally took hold.  Then I covered the paper icing with Enamel Accents for dimension and shine.  The brads were colored with white distress paint and glossy accents.  The metal sticker strip made me think of the cookie sheet he would be baked on.  The Cropadile was used to create the bite out of his head.  Yummy!

Here's what I used to create my #8 tag..the last of 2013.

Sizzix: Gingerbread Bigz die, movers & shapers heart

Stampers Anonymous:  Holly Bough stencil, Mini Holidays 5 stamp set

Studio 490:  Clearly For Art (clear)

Ranger: Antique Linen Distress Stain, Superfine Detail Black Embossing Powder, embossing ink, distress inks, distress paints, Enamel Accents (white), Jet Black, Potting Soil, Red Geranium Archival Inks, Glossy Accents

Idea-ology: Frosted Film, metal stickers

Miscellaneous:  ribbon scrap, brads, Hero Arts alphabet stamps

Time to go bake some holiday treats!

Christmas is coming!

front

Have you seen this Merry Christmas Configuration Book by Jan Hobbins?  While perusing the aisles of my local Michaels recently I found a lone configuration book on the shelf.  Hmmm...why not give it a try?  I did use a lot of Jan's ideas but added quite a few of my own, including making my own candles.

I'll list the items I used but not the colors; I couldn't keep track of all that I pulled out and used.

spine

 

inside

close up of upper left

close up of upper right

close up of center

close up of lower left

back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sizzix:  Window & Window Box, Pine Tree, Packages & Bows, Christmas Bells, Tattered Poinsettia, Tattered Pinecone, Holly Branch, Victorian Carolers (Bigz); Stacked Words-Christmas, Holly, Beaded & Snowflake Garland, Festive Greenery (dec. strip); Branch, Bow, Deer, Cardinal, Pine Tree, Snowflakes (mini m &S); Snow Flurries, December Calendar, Textured Poinsettia (Alterations)

Idea-ology: Holidays Past Paper Stash, Seasonal Salvage Stickers, Grunge Board, Grunge Paper, Christmastime Remnant Rubs, Christmas Tissue Tape, Configuration Book, metal word bands, glass vial

Stampers Anonymous: Mini Holidays 5 (shrink plastic Santa)

Ranger:  Glossy Accents, Multi-Medium (glossy & matte), Rock Candy Distress Stickles, Clear Rock Candy Dry Glitter, distress paint, distress ink, distress stickles

Core'dinations: Adirondack, Kraft Core, Distress

Miscellaneous:  shrink plastic, wreath (bleached), made my own candles from tiny dowels & flame punch, Darice tiny silver bottle cap, Deco Art Glistening Snow Writer & Snow Writer & Snow-Tex, Floracraft Diamond Dust Twinklets, silk ribbon, button, metal sheet, fence (painted white), gold beads, brads, Provocraft embossing folder - Tartan

Now that my Frosted Film has arrived I can start work on my version of Tim's December tag for 2013.  And maybe participate in more challenges now that I have proper reading glasses (just 1.25 magnification...lower than the doc suggested but working just fine!) and can see what I'm doing.