I'm Dreaming of a Plaid Christmas

Just like the one's that T!!!!m showwwed!!

Welllll....not exactly!  But here is my TAKES (yes!! Bonus today! I have TWO tags to share!!) on Day 3 of the 12 Tags of Christmas (yes, yes.  I know that I've skipped Day 2....I'm still thinking on that one!)

This technique is VERY ADDICTING.  I have multiple plaid sheets done just waiting for some inspiration!! I'd share with you what colors of alcohol inks I used, but, uhhhh,....welllll....it would seem that I just kept grabbing inks, and trying different color combinations and in all honesty...I don't remember which one this was!!

After making my plaid on glossy cardstock (NOT photo paper!!)I stamped  my image from SU's Lovely as a Tree using Stazon White ink and embossed with iridescent ice ep.  I then stamped the swirl from SU's Season of Joy using Stazon Black.  Pulled out the forgotten Itty Bitty Backgrounds from SU, tapped it on the white Stazon and got caught in a blizzard!! The image was then mounted on a basic black and adhered to he vanilla tag that has some Distress ink in Pine Needles, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo sponged onto it.  Needed something and since I was lacking in the wonderful embellishments that T!m used, I added some antiqued eyelets and the ribbon in grey and black. 

Now~~this next tag is SOOOO much better in real life!! It even got a "That turned out really cool" from DH!!  This is my FAVORITE tag so far!!

Using another plaid sheet that I had made (I tell you! This is a very addictive technique!!) I stamped the image from Inkadinkado using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and heat set (because this ink will smear on glossy if handled too soon......ask me how I know!!).  I trimmed the image (it has words running along the top and one side) and matted on basic black.  I then pulled out Distress inks in Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Pine Needles and Peeled Paint and did the wrinkle free distress technique.  I then spritzed the tag with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Old Lace.  It gives a beautiful, soft shimmer!! I then pulled out my Olive Vine Glimmer mist and sprayed some on Whisper White and Old Olive paper and punched the leaves from both sheets using a Martha Stewart punch.  The berries are some 1/2 back pearls from SU's Pretties Kit, colored with my copics.  Added a couple of 26 gauge copper wire twists and the copper cording for the top. 

If you are playing along with the 12 Tags of Christmas, leave me a comment so that I can see were your inspiration is taking you!! And if you aren't playing along but are crankin' out the holiday goodies, leave me a comment so I can see what you are doing!!

I'm off to try and find the motivation to do some house cleaning.  I'm having waaaay too much fun stamping these last couple of days, but I've got to get some basic chores done!!

Thanks for dropping by again!! 

One the First Day of Tags

(Get the 12 days of Christmas Song in your head...it is going to be a running theme on my blog for a while!)

On the First day of Taaags T!m Holtz gave to me....the in~spir~aaation for this!!

Ooooooo!! How much fun was THIS?!!  I absolutely LOOOOVE T!m's creativity and the fact that he does the 12 Tags of Christmas!  This year, my goal is to play along  as much as possible and use the tags for the office girls/boss gift bags.  That means I have at least 8 tags that I will be inspired to try!!  Are you all just sitting on the edge of your seats?!! hehe

Ok...for this tag I pretty much followed T!m's tag with my own side trips (I'm lacking in the stamp area of T!m's collection....hopefully not for too much longer!! hehe). I used distress inks in Broken China, Dusty Concord and Faded Jeans for my background.  I stamped a flourish from Rhonna Farrer using Broken China and the snowflakes come from SU's Christmas Punch set and they were stamped using Jet Black Archival ink.  Now....I obvioulsy need to learn how to "frost a cake" better (as T!m describes how much of the Rock Candy Distress Crackle to put on) because I did NOT get the same crackled look that T!m's tag did (trust me...the next one is going to be better!).  I thought I had let the crackle process dry enough before helping it along with my heat gun....Let's just say that the ONE spot that I had gotten a LOT of crackle on bubbled up!! What to do?  Pulled out my new Spellbinders Create a Flake One Snowflake and cut, embossed and stenciled the snowflake to put over my little mess up.  The first layer of the snowflake is attatched using some dimensional tape.  The other layers were then added using my Pro Glider.  I applied some Ranger Glossy Acents and then sprinkled a light coat of Barbara Trombley's Art Glitter inVintage Shards Glass over the layers.  After that had dried, I applied a heavier coat of the Glossy accents on the top layer of the snowflake and then LOTS more of the glass glitter.  OHHHH!! It's sooo puuurrrdy!!

Next came the Grunge board flouish from the grunge board plain elements pack.  I painted the flourish using some Folk Art acrylic paint in Spring white and while the paint was still wet, I misted it with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Pearl.  After letting it dry (for the most part...I obviously have very little patience, 'cause I managed to smudge a couple of edges) I lightly sponged some distress inks in Broken China and Dusty Concord along the edges.  I adhered the grunge flourish with some more glossy accents (makes a great glue!).  The final touches were using Glossy Accents along the top edge and first applying some of Martha Stewart's Snow Glitter then another layer using her Carrara Marble glitter.    Saw the Merry Christmas sentiment from Just for Fun sitting on my desk and did a little masking to break up the sentiment and stamped it using Jet Black archival ink.  Pulled out a bit of ribbon from Michael's dollar bin and I'm giddy with excitement on how this turned out!!

I've already cleaned up my mess so that I can start on the next tag!!  I think that my house will never be cleaned up and ready for Christmas at this rate!! Too much fun playing with these new ideas!!  LOL!!

Ok...I'm off to work on tag number 2!

Thanks for dropping by today!! I hope that you will be inspired to try something new and different in your creative time today!!

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

Hey Peoples!!

Are you ready to send me all your snowflakes (since I'm still the flakiest blogger?!! heehee!)?  I'm just popping in before heading off to work (AGAIN!! Geesh...my part time job has literally been a FULL time job as of late! Need to count my blessings that I've got a job instead of groaning about it!).  Just want to let you know that you'll want to pop back in for a lookie see this weekend!! I've got some projects to share (and I'm LIKING them!!)

Have a good one and I hope you'll come visit this weekend!

WANTED: Photographer

Wanted:  Looking for a professional photographer who is willing to work for pennies.  Skills required for this position are:  1) the abilitity to take clear and precise photos of the establishments paper crafts and other creative endevors that the owner might produce and
                    2) the abilitiy to photograph before mentioned creative endevors even if they are on brushed copper cardstock with iridecent ice embossed on them.
Please apply ASAP to the owner of this blog.
                                                                              

Ok.....ever had  project turn out GREAT but no one will ever know it because despite the 50-70 pictures (unfortunately, I am NOT exaggerating on this one) I have tried to take, none of them showed the fact that the brushed copper and the beads MATCH in real life or the fact that the pinecone is stamped in chocolate chip craft and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder.  You are just going to have to trust me on this when I say that this looks wonderful and everything matchs!!  This is the project that inspired this card.

I cut and embossed 3 Spellbinders Fleur de Lis on brushed copper and attached them on the diaganol to make my 3D ornament.  I threaded some nylon monofilament through and added the beads to the bottom and top.  The top is tied off on a hand made copper hanger using 26 gauge wire.  I then stamped the Small Pinecone Ornament from Just for Fun twice using SU's craft chocolate chip ink and embossed with iridecent ice embossing powder.   I cut out both pinecones and attached them back to back over the center portion of the monofilament.  Supplies:  Paper:  Brushed copper.  Inks:  SU's craft chocolate chip. Stamps:  Just For Fun Small Pinecone Ornament B2499.   Accessories:  Spellbinders Fleur de Lis S4-204, Big Shot, iridescent ice ep, heat gun, glue dots, monofilament, beads.

Thanks for stopping by again!!  I'm off to do some more decorating for the holidays!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!! If you are traveling, I hope you have a safe (and non-eventful) trip.

For all of the men and women who are serving our country to ensure our basic FREEDOMS
THANK YOU!!

I'm very lucky in that my mother in law does all the work for this day of feasting.  The only thing that I'm requested to bring EVERY year is the following recipe for the cranberry salad.  All of the family LOVES this!!  It is very easy to make (my type of "cooking").  This would also make a wonderful summer treat~~just buy some extra bags of cranberries, freeze and enjoy in the summer time.

Cranberry Salad (originally found in some little book called The Little Book of Christmas Joys)

Yield:  16-20 servings

1 pound cranberries
4 oranges, one unpeeled
1 15-oz can crushed pineapple, drained, reserving the juice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/2 pound pecans (optional....my family is nuts, but doesn't like the nuts!)

Wash and sort the berries.  Peel all but one orange and cut up all of the oranges.  In a food grinder or food processor grind the cranberries and oranges.  Add the drained pineapple, reserving the juice.  Stir in the sugar and mix well.  In a small saucepan combine the reserved pineapple juice and orange juice.  Sprinkle the gelatin on top and stir.  Heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved.  Add the gelatin to the fruit mixture.  Pour into a pretty bowl that will hold  about 3-quarts (the recipe calls for pouring into a greased 3 quart mold, like a Bundt pan....I tried one year to do that....the "Erma" in me couldn't get it out of the pan all nice and pretty, so now I just make it in a pretty glass bowl and we serve from there!!)

I'm off to try and make a Pumpkin Flan recipe.  Pumpkin pie is not the favorite dessert offered on the table,  so I always take the opportunity to experiment with a new pumpkin dessert!!  I figure if it doesn't turn out, there are lots of other desserts to eat and we can pitch the experiment!!

Again~~Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!  And THANK YOU for dropping by and visiting my little corner here in cyberland!

SALE!!

Just a real quick heads up on a SALE that starts Thursday at midnight!!

JUST FOR FUN is having a special 48-Hour Black Friday Sale! Beginning at 12:00 midnight Thursday, Thanksgiving Day and until midnight Friday, November 28, all purchases will receive a 25% discount!

I will be back tomorrow to wish you all a formal HAPPY THANKSGIVING and to share a DELISH recipe (every once in a while the "Erma Bombeck" pulls a "Martha Stewart" hehe!!)

Till then.....sweet dreams!!

Here Comes Santa Clause

Here comes Santa Clause, Here comes Santa Clause, right down memory lane (and now, you too, can have that song stuck in YOUR head!! hehe)

Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year!! I just LOVE all the lights, decorations and music (though, I could do without all the added stress I put on myself during this holiday! hehe).  I'm pulling out the decorations today and thought I'd share a small peek.

I have different themes for the different rooms of my house.  My formal room will have my large tree that is decorated in white, cobolt blue ornaments leaning towards snowflakes/Santa.  My other room accents are my small, but growing collection of Santas.  Now, mind you.  Not just any Santa will work.  All the Santas that I have must fit a certain criteria.  Which is very simple.  They must be dressed in white/silver or cobolt blue.  That's it (ok...I broke the rule for one Santa. He is dressed in a lovey brown/copper suit that just goes lovely with my brown walls)

A couple of years ago I made a wreath to go over my couch in this room. OH MY!!! Can I just take this moment to pat myself on my own back? I LOOVE how this wreath turned out. It far exceeded my idea. I wish I could capture the beauty of this better on the camera (seriously, I REALLY like this wreath, can you tell?! hehe!!). Since I just pulled it out and put it up on the wall I thought I'd share a peek.

 

Ok....so I'd love to hear what your favorite Christmas/holiday decoration is.  If you have pictures, even better!! I'd love to take a peek between decorating binges!!

Off to work!! Thanks for taking another peek today!! I'm hoping that doing some decorating will get my creative juices flowing for some paper crafting!!