Dec 28, 2009

Last Monday of 2009!

Seriously? Next Monday will be 2010. Anyone else confused as to where the last year has gone? Oh well, time just continues to move faster and faster.

Speaking of New Years, the new ScrapTiffany challenge is posted. The challenge is to scrap about resolutions. I am not usually a big resolution maker and I dont usually get all excited about a new year, because to me it is just another day, but this year there are some things I have been thinking about and trying to work on. This seemed like as good a time as any to put them in writing!



I had a lot of fun with this one as it was my first completed layout after the holiday hiatus. I used Bella Blvd papers, labels, alphas and Bell Bits. The scallop border on the bottom is a Bella flower. I took the layers apart and then cut the large white flowers in half. Then I stamped the Bella clear Happy stamp with Staz On, spritzed with Tattered Angels and sewed it on as a scalloped border. The red "hearts" are the smaller layers from the Bella flower cut into fourths.



Just a happy coincidence that the big Bazzill paper covered brad matched the Bella papers perfectly :)

Go on over to ScrapTiffany and check out the other designers layouts. And if you want to participate in the last challenge of 2009 be sure to send it to Tiffany by Friday.

I will be back again before New Years because as soon as Christmas was over I was back in my scrap space and yesterday I got almost 3 whole layouts done! I am working with the new Color Me Daisy kit and can't wait to share some sneaks :)

Dec 26, 2009

Very Merry

We hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season. We definitely had a very Merry Christmas. On Christmas Eve our tree looked like this:



Santa paid a visit:



The next morning the excitement level was pretty high:





And here is the aftermath.


We're still cleaning up :) But to see those two little thrilled and overjoyed faces makes it all worth it.

Dec 21, 2009

Major Monday

Well it is Monday and just 4 days until Christmas!! I was trying out a new attitude of "what's done gets done" and no one would really notice the difference anyway. And then my little guy decided to stay up ALL last night. No fever, no other red flags, just not sleeping. So of course that means no sleep for me either. And thus, my upbeat attitude has taken a backseat to exhaustion. But it was a productive weekend with lots of baking and wrapping.

In other news, the ScrapTiffany challenge this week is to scrap your holiday traditions. I've realized recently that getting a fresh tree is a tradition that I've enjoyed since I was a kid and is onethat I am no where near ready to give up (no matter how many times Scott says, "have you seen how real artificial trees look these days?"). Here is my layout with a few photos from this year's trip to Home Depot to get our fresh tree. Even though it is the Home Depot lot and not a trip to the mountains, the kids are so excited and the smell of fresh pine reminds me so much of Christmas.




I've had the O Christmas Tree shaped title in my head for a while now and have been itching to use these October Afternoon papers since I laid eyes on them. Go on over to ScrapTiffany and check out all the wonderful holiday traditions each of the designers shared.

I have a few other Christmas photos to play with. We went to see Santa for the first time this year. He was set up at the outdoor mall play area that we go to all the time so I figured the kids would be comfortable with the location. We got there minutes before noon when they opened and already there was a line. They both waited relatively patiently, although Little Man made me carry him he whole time and Little Miss was dancing around in excitement. Once we got to the front of the line they both got very shy. They got onto Santa's lap and no one cried, but there werent any big smiles either.


Little Man barely looked up long enough for the photographer to snap 3 shots.


When Santa asked Little Miss what she wanted for Christmas she said, "uuuummmmmmm" and tapped her finger on her chin.


I realized this was going to take a while and there was a LONG line behind us so I said, "The thing about Little Miss is that she is not very materialistic." And Santa said, "Oh, so you would be happy with anything nice." I think she might have been a little disappointed that she couldnt come up with something she really wanted (think A Christmas Story but with a really nice Santa) and so I explained to her that Santa was magic and even if she didnt tell him what she wanted he would be able to pick out things that she would love. I think I sold it :)

Dec 19, 2009

Past Due

Everything. Library books. Thank yous. RSVP's. Emailing pictures. Blog posts.  I guess tis the season to be behind in everything.

First up is Monday's ScrapTiffany challenge. For Tiffany's birthday week, the challenge is to do a birthday themed project. My layout are some pictures of Little Man's blue frosting smeared face after his second birthday cake.


I used lots of Scenic Route for this one. Anyone gonna miss them as much as I am? Be sure to stop by ScrapTiffany to check out the other fun birthday projects.

Next up is a tutorial I did for the Color Me Daisy blog and forum. I made quick and easy glittered letters using a glue stamp pad. Here is the card I made (all from the November CMD kit) with my quickly glittered letters.


Stop by the CMD blog for the whole tutorial.

And finally some fun photos of the gingerbread house I made with the little monkeys.




The house has long since been devoured. It was a kit from Target and I have to say, super delicious as well as super easy to decorate.


It cracks me up how perfectly decorated the picture from the box is compared to the relative chaos that was our house.


I made some hair for the gingerbread girl.


Little Man wanted to do the hair for the gingerbread boy--it looks a bit like someone dumped a bucket of frosting on gingerbread boy's head!

Little Miss was more interested in eating the candies than decorating them.


Little Man preferred the frosting.


I still have santa photos and christmas tree shopping to share, but that will have to wait for another night :)

Dec 7, 2009

It was a dark and dreary Monday...

I'm actually not complaining, we have had such a dry spell we REALLY need the rain, but it is going to put a crimp in my photo taking today.

Fortunately I already have a photo of the layout for the ScrapTiffany challenge today which is to use sewing on a layout. I love sewing on layouts. Thing is I am not a great sewer at all (did you see the post where I talked about my Mom bailing me out and sewing Little Miss's Halloween costume?). Yeah, I dont know how to sew clothes AT ALL. Turns out, that is not a skill you need to have fun with a sewing machine on layouts. I love the texture and the unique, homemade look that sewing adds. Before I ventured into machine stitching, I was hand stitching everything and now I love to add both. This layout has a bit of both.


 I machine stitched around the circle


 and hand stitched the scalloped border. The scallop border punch I used has tiny holes and I used those to stitch through.


Check out the rest of the fun sewn projects at ScrapTiffany and if you take the sewing challenge be sure to email it to Tiffany.

I'll be back as soon as I can get some sun to take pictures of the projects I worked on this weekend. Until then, hope you all are warm and dry :)

Dec 5, 2009

Little of this...

Am I the only one struggling to stay on top of their to do list these days? Yikes, Christmas is going to be here before I know it and there is so much to do.

Color Me Daisy is hosting a 12 days of Fast Holiday Ideas. Just some quick and easy projects to get everyone's creative juices flowing. I know everyone loves to give and receive handmade, but at this point in the month if it doesnt take less than 1/2 hour, let's face it, we're saving it for next year lol! So every idea posted in this special thread will take less than 15 minutes. Mine was posted today and it is a quick and easy "snowy" ornament. It involves a very quick and simple way to cover and decorate and personalize a chipboard ornament to use on the tree or decorate a gift. Here is one of the ornaments I made:


Check out this thread on the Color Me Daisy message board for my tutorial and to see what the other Daisy girls are creating.

Things are busy over at the Posh blog too. This week I had this card posted:


I made a quilted look by punching squares from various Basic Grey Nook and Pantry papers and sewing a zig zag stitch around them. The chipboard sugar bowl, buttons and brown letters are also from the Nook and Pantry line. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this collection?

Also the first Posh Wish List winner was chosen this week. Hurry over and make your own wish list for a chance to win $100 worth of product! All information is HERE.

Also take this sketch challenge for a chance to win a cute stamp.

Come back here Monday for the latest ScrapTiffany challenge.

Oh, and keep coming back next week because I am getting seriously close to my 100th post and I am going to HAVE to do a giveaway to celebrate that momentous occasion ;)

I know... BUSY, right? Hope your busyness isn't craziness. Happy weekend :)

Dec 2, 2009

Counting down to Christmas

Yesterday got away from me, so I decided I had to get these pictures up today and of course now we are having super short and overcast days so the pictures are kind of dark, but....

This is the advent calendar I started with.


It is made by Kaisercraft. The outside is particle board and the drawers are plain chipboard. You have to assemble it, which wasn't my favorite part of the process. Not difficult, just not any fun. I spray painted the whole exterior and then covered the drawers with patterned paper and coated them with glossy mod podge.


The chipboard numbers were also included and for those I inked, painted, glittered and again covered with Mod Podge.


In the center I used some American Crafts Thickers and I was going to create my own paper mantle and hang stockings from it, but then I saw the cutest Jolee's mantle and Christmas tree and decided to take the quick and easy route. I laid down a felt "rug" placed the tree and mantle and strung the lights.

 The only items I hand made were the presents. I tried folding my own chipboard boxes and was unsuccessful so instead, I tore the handles off a brown paper shopping bag, rolled them into different sizes, taped them up and then wrapped and decorated them to look like mini presents.


They are my favorite part of the whole thing. The kids like them too and I am now wondering if they are going to last ;)

They are going to take turns opening a drawer each night. Sometimes there will be little treats and sometimes stickers or small toys or tickets for something special to do. I am not usually so on the ball with getting holiday stuff done in time, but I am so glad I got this project completed because it has really increased the already mounting excitement about Santa's visit. Now if I could only get everything else done!!