A Bit of Christmas Decorating

 So this year I changed up my tree.  Normally, I decorate for the kids with toys, and candy colors, but I was in the mood for something a little more "grown up."   I took one of my thrifted doilies and set it on the table for the tree to sit on instead of the traditional skirt.  I stiffened a collection of smaller crocheted doilies and pieces of battenburg, a couple of white cotton angels with crochet trim, glittered spent light bulbs (FUN recycling project), made some paper ornaments, fabric roses, a 6 yard strand of faux pearls instead of garland, silver icicles, and the darling little candle lights clipped to branches were a Christmas in July gift from a friend two summers ago.

 The basket the tree is sitting in has for the last ten years has been a natural color.  Part of my change included the basket.  I painted it a rich chocolate brown, hit it in spots with black spray primer, then lightly sprayed over the entire thing with white.  For whatever reason, it came out this GORGEOUS blue-gray and it was the best as far as happy accidents go! :)  On the table, I have a mercury glass angel and two bottle brush trees that are normally part of my winter forest.

 A peek at one of the ornaments I'll share with you this weekend.  I found a set of 6 apples at one of my thrift stores for a whopping 50 cents.  I didn't want them red, so painting was called for.  At first I tried a soft aqua, but the red came through & made one purple.  Then I tried white...it went pink, which wasn't terrible, but it wasn't really what I was going for either.  Finally, out came my trusty can of Rustoleum metallic spray paint in CHROME and I ended up with these absolutely darling faux mercury glass apples.  I'm in love!

 This is the winter forest on top of my entertainment center.  I try to add something every year.  This year it's the milk glass cup with silver & white berries wrapped in pearls, a stacked paper tree (not shown), and that darling memory/tag book on the tripod.  I'll share a VERY detailed tutorial for that with you another time.

 And finally for today, this is the top of my microwave cabinet.  The glass collection is always there, I simply put my glittered bird and some pretty miniature blue ornaments under the cake dome, and put some pearl sprays in one of my hobnail milk glass cups.

I also made a really neat garland for my front window...I'll share that tomorrow with details on the ornaments.  Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Merry Christmas!

Playing "Catch Up"

I cannot believe that it's been nearly a month since I've been on here. This is what happens when life gets in the way of all the things you want to do. Figured since the next 6-8 weeks aren't going to be much better, I'd make today a show n tell kind of day. Ready?

I managed to do a bit of thrift store hopping. I picked up these adorable glass pieces, for less than $5 combined. I found the LONG pearl strand at a converted house in Ogden, called Pnuji's Place, and had to stop myself at just one pretty...she has some milk glass and other goodies that I'd LOVE to get my hot little hands on!

I finally managed to get my funky window in the master bedroom covered. Again, thanks to a thrift store jaunt, I picked up six of these Battenburg panels for $8...only needed four for the window, so I plan on using the remaining two for my back door.

Here's a single panel so you can see just how pretty they really are...

One of our friends didn't get to participate in our Christmas in July swap (we had an odd number sign up, so she volunteered to sit out)...we've all been sending her gifts over the last six months and this is my contribution. I got the stocking at Dollar Tree, then used some tiny doilies and trims that I had and stitched them on. I think it turned out gorgeous & if I know Sharron, she's gonna love it!!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I've got the top of my entertainment center all decked out with my winter forest again. I've added some white bottle brush trees this year and an angel that I got at JoAnn's last year on clearance.

I saved one of the trees for this little project. I had a new blogging buddy send me a GORGEOUS antique Ball canning jar with a zinc lid and I just had to use it one of the darling ideas that we were gushing over on Pinterest...I think it looks fantastic sitting on my bookcase with my shelf of antique books.

Thank you Linda (beautiful hostess of the Prairie Flower Farm blog)...I love this jar and will treasure it and our new friendship always!

Well, that's what I've been up to lately. I'm hoping to be able to share some more really soon. I'm making some last minute Christmas presents, burning files to DVD/CDs for the end of the year and I've got to save everything I've ever purchased from PC Crafter since 2007. They announced a week or so ago that they're closing down their website, which really stinks, because so many ladies are being left out in the cold in regard to the purchases we made with them. They smacked us TWICE when they said if we have any money sitting in our "PCpurses" (aka store credits) that we don't get it back, but we're more than welcome to spend it at their new focus...cricut.com. Sorry, Provo Craft, I don't own a Cricut, I never will, and the way that you have handled the closing of the PC Crafter website makes me want to sell my Cuttlebug, dies, and folders. There are so many things they could have done differently.  Trust me when I say that I can be perfectly happy using Tim Holtz dies/folders by Sizzix, my Spellbinders, and throwing a little money toward some yumminess over at Paper Trey Ink!  *sigh* Okay, kiddos, I'm jumping off my soapbox...tons still left to do before the end of the year.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!!

Better Late Than Never (long)

Finally! Life around here has settled down enough that I can share some things with y'all that I crafted around Christmas. I still wasn't at 100%, with all of the "bugs" going around if you recall, so doing the all-out Christmas decorating thing wasn't an appealing option for me, but I did want to do some little SOMETHING to pretty up the house for the holiday.

I had a tree made from distressed book pages that Lori sent me last summer during our annual Christmas In July party that became my jumping off point. So, with a trip to $Tree for some foam cones & other goodies, a quick dig through stash that turned up some paper mache cones, a visit to the DI and the Rescue Mission for candle holders, I ended up with a lovely winter forest.

{remember to right click & open in a new tab to view the pix better}

I'll break this into groups for ya. Group #1 (to the left of the little red bench) - ruffle tree, feather tree, green bottle brush tree, glittered glass, rose petal tree, aqua glass star tealite holder, & "sitting stump" (there's a cute, quick story with that one!). Group #2 (on top & in front of red bench) - pink mercury glass, white bottle brush, glass, Lori's paper tree, pearl tree & antique jar of "faux" snow. Group #3 (right side of bench) - bottle brush tree, ruffled crepe paper tree, twine tree with glitter "Hope" ornament, ruffled eyelet tree.

Details on the ruffle tree: Using 2 different shades of burlap, muslin strips, tea-stained 1 inch wide twill tape, sandcastle fabric, a bit of warm n natural batting, & lace, I basted the fabric strips, pulling the top threads to create ruffles, then tied knots to keep the ruffles in place. I started at the bottom of a foam cone layering the ruffles & trimmed the top with a bit of gimp to close the slight gap between the top ruffle & the finial. The finial was picked up from Lowe's & painted in Rustoleum's "Chrome" for the silver finish. Glass candlestick came from the DI.

The feather tree is a small maribou boa glued & wrapped around a paper mache cone. The rose petal tree base is a candle cup from an old sconce that I picked up from the Rescue Mission. The rose petals are from the wedding section of $Tree and hot glued (one.petal.at.a.time) onto a foam cone base. The little glass tree was a12¢ score from the Rescue Mission - I sprayed some adhesive inside and sprinkled poly "fairy dust" for the sparkle. A narrow pompom trim adhered with 1/4 inch double-sided tape to the edge of the plastic "lid" on the bottom of the tree finishes the look. The green bottle brush tree was purchased at the DI for 25¢ and the "sitting stump" was something that Devin brought me after going out for a walk one day. Said he just looked down at the gutter & couldn't figure out what it was. When we got it washed off, it was so stinkin cute that I couldn't not include it in my forest. *LOL*

For the grouping in the middle - with the exception of the paper tree from Lori, those are all store bought. The white bottle brush came from JoAnn's (79¢ in the Christmas clearance section); the pink mercury glass was a tree topper from Michaels ($1.99); and the small glass tree from the DI (15¢) & trimmed with double-sided tape and 1/4 inch pompom trim, like it's bigger brother (I left it clear but may attempt a faux mercury glass technique on it - haven't decided).

On this right end- kinda hard to see, but there's a tree that I glued hand-ruffled crepe paper to a foam core from $Tree, then added "Icicle" Stickles and dew drops for a bit of sparkle; the one with the aqua glittered "Hope" ornament is a foam core with creamy white twine glued and wrapped (bottom to top), then I did one of my little muslin strip rosettes for the top, the ornie came from the DI (10¢); the antique jar is also from the DI (5¢) & I filled it with faux snow that I used for candle jars a couple years ago; the eyelet tree base is a votive holder from the DI (25¢), a foam core from $Tree, 2yds of eyelet trim from the Rescue Mission (75¢) and the finial is from Lowe's, just painted with some white paint that I had on hand.

That darling little snowflake you see hanging from the weather vane was crocheted by my dear friend, Myrna, and traveled to Utah from Oklahoma with no issues (I just LOVE that snowflake!). Thanks, Miss Myrna!

You missed one, Nora. What? You missed a tree. Actually, no, I didn't. You're thinking about that "pearl" tree. Well, I took photos of the steps to make it and thought I'd share them with you. You'll need:
One bag, color of your choice, of Decorative Container Fill. I got the cream color from $Tree. They also carry a really pretty red and a soft, sage-y green. You can get other colors from JoAnn's for a bit more, but for a buck, you really can't go wrong. If you work it right, you'll have enough pearls for future projects.

I grabbed a cheap foil baking tray, a tv table, my Scotch quick drying tacky glue, another $Tree foam core (I'm telling ya for $10, I had PLENTY of these lil babies lying around!), a paper towel, & a bowl to hold my pearls (the bag is too static-y to keep them in while you're working).
Work in sections. I would put a bit of glue onto the foam, spread it kinda thick with my fingers, then place the pearls into the glue. Work down toward the bottom & make sure you don't go past the edge of the foam, especially if you're not going to give your tree a trunk. Allow time to dry between sections - I gave an hour to overnight. Don't worry if the glue shows through just a bit, because it will dry clear.
When it was finished, I took a wooden candle cup that I had in my stash, painted it with a vintage cream acrylic to match the pearls. Added it to the collection, and VOILA! A winter wonderland that can stay out till the first thaw.
I did find an angel, holding a cream bottle brush tree, that I'll add to this menagerie next winter. AND, I still have some paper mache cones, so there may even be more trees! *LOL* Hope you enjoyed looking at my new collection and maybe got a little inspiration for your next year's decorating ideas.

ETA: I'm linking this to ~~

Tomorrow's share - an embroidery project. Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Building my stash

Next year's Christmas card stash, that is! *LOL* So, did everyone have a good Christmas holiday? Did my Canadian, UK, and Aussie friends find some great Boxing Day deals? I certainly hope so! My Christmas was nice and mellow...just how I like it! The boys each got one gift, that they LOVED, and we just stayed here at home...together. All of our relatives are back in Texas and Oklahoma and our friends here all have their families, so it was just the five of us, and that's okay. I'm not one for running all over the planet, the way my guys all are, so for me it was fantastic to just hang out at home. I didn't hear any of them complaining either! *LOL*

Anyway, when it comes to crafting, for the last 10 years I've usually started making my Christmas things early and finishing up by September or October, but 2009 just did NOT want me doing that, so I was occupied with other things (like finding a home that we could afford to keep). 2010 isn't going to keep me from being ready, so I'm starting NOW.

I had a few of those vintage images cut out and left over from my card making frenzy of the last two weeks so that's what I used for the first two. (and yes, it was a frenzy...110 cards in just over 10 days qualifies as a frenzy in my book! *LOL*)

Paper on this first one is from My Mind's Eye, the paper doily is distressed with Ranger Inks, & the vintage Christmas card image was a freebie snagged from The Net. Sentiment is from Inkadinkado, stamped with Rich Cocoa Memento ink.

Background paper on this one is from ProvoCraft, another snagged vintage Christmas card image, my Ranger Distress Inks, and two types of a peachy-pink satin ribbon that match the coral in the angel's gown. Elegant simplicity!
Now this little cutie is listed in my DigiStamp file as "TRSDhalloweenfreebieDL" so I can't say with certainty where I grabbed her from. I thought she would be just DARLING as an elf, and I'm so happy I was right! I had to have one in green....
And one in red. Background paper on both is from K&Co, images colored with my COPIC markers, sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink is from The Angel Company's purchase with purchase stamp program (Holly Jolly).
Tomorrow is Keepin' It Simple Sunday, so I'll see you then...and...if things go well, and I'm very, very lucky, I may have a bit of a treat for you in a few days. I'm waiting to hear from someone special before I share, though.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

3 cards to share

The mood to create hit me last night...just as all of my men were heading off to bed. I ran a load of towels, washed my hair, did the dishes, and sat down to make some more cards - I needed a ready-to-grab stash for those last-minute cards that come in or a teacher that a child might have suddenly remembered. I'd love to say that this is a jump on next year's card stash, but I'm not delusional! *LOL*

This first one was for Aidan's 1st grade teacher. It was a free digi stamp that I snagged while out surfing one day. I love the Anime look to it & I kept seeing "The Dance of the Sugarplums" from "The Nutcracker." I colored her with my COPIC markers, dusted some frosted lace Stickles on her hair bows & skirt, cut out some white & dusty plum cardstock with my two largest classic oval Nesties, & raised her up with some foam tape. The fun snowflake background paper is last year's DCWV Winter Mat Stack release.

I think she's just darling! (NOTE: the matching of her sweet eyes to the blues in the paper was NOT intentional, but I LOVE how things like that just happen to work out!)
This next one was SO MUCH FUN to make. I followed all 12 days of Tim Holtz and his annual "tags" tutorial/festival of eye candy in green-eyed jealousy and head shaking awe - that man has more crafting talent in his little pinky than any one human should be allowed! *LOL* I actually used Tim's wonderful tags for inspiration on this card & I just HAD to make another brown Christmas card. I colored the sweetest freebie image from Inger Harding at Simply Inger with my COPIC markers & cut her out. Then I took some K& Co paper, mounted it onto a pre-made A2 card base & grunged it up with some Ranger vintage photo Distress Ink. The piece of paper that makes the "pocket" is from My Mind's Eye, with Ranger ink on the edges - I have this really cool ruler in my EK Success 1-2-3 set that has a deckle edge for tearing curves - my secret to perfect quarter circles.
Here you can see the finished tag, peeking out...
Here's a shot of just the tag. It started out an ivory 3.5"x5" tag. I trimmed an inch off the bottom so it would fit into the pocket, then used vintage photo, walnut stain, and tea stain Ranger Distress Inks on a sheet of acetate (just like Tim taught us!) & spritzed it with water, and dipped the tag 3 times, till I got the look I was going for. I used vintage photo & a makeup sponge to darken the edges. I used a swirl from Inque Boutique's SeeD stamp set "Boutique Grunge" inked with old paper Distress Ink at the top and bottom. The snowflakes at top & bottom are from the TAC set "Vintage Santa" and inked in tea stain Distress Ink.

The inch that I cut from the bottom of the tag was edged on top & bottom with deckle edged scissors, then inked all around with vintage photo & a makeup sponge. The sentiment was stamped in walnut stain Distress Ink and a stamp from TAC's Vintage Santa, then mounted to the center of the tag. To finish it off, I took my copper leafing pen from Krylon & went around the tag hole for just a touch of shimmer.
And my final creation from last night. You've seen this angel before...she's from TAC's November Vintage release "Fall and Winter Whimsy." I can't NOT use her - she's just so much fun to color up. This time I used the blue-green shades I had in my COPIC markers; some diamond Stickles dusted over her wings, flower centers in her hair, the candles & the star on the tree. My largest classic oval nestie was too small to cut her out with, so I penciled around the OUTSIDE of the die, then cut it by hand. The snowflakes were run through my Xyron for some "sticky" & dusted with clear & silver MS glitters. The fantastic soft teal background paper is from K&Co.
Look at those bits of shimmer...just like angel's kisses!
Well, today was the boy's last day of school till the New Year begins, so you know what that means...I'll be back OFTEN with more crafts (gotta stay sane somehow! *LOL*).

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Simon Says Challenge

I was going to take a break from making Christmas cards, but I couldn't resist the double challenge. Lorraine wanted us to enter the Merry Christmas Challenge at Simon Says in order to be eligible for her blog candy. How could I resist? Blog yummy from Lorraine (and it's GREAT too) AND a chance to win $25 worth of stuff from Simon Says Stamp? No brainer!

Don't know what it is, but I'm SO non-traditional this year!! For this card I used a wheat-colored 5x7 pre-made base by K&Co, a paper doily grunged up with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, an oval punched sentiment from TAC (Little Cupcake), a handwritten sentiment on the 2nd oval, image colored with COPIC markers by Mo, & background paper from My Mind's Eye to tie it all together. Perfection in under 20 minutes - I'm HAPPY - now if I could just win 'em BOTH! *ROFL*

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Rising to the challenge...

Vicki's challenge, that is! *LOL* "The music within my soul?" How 'bout the music bouncin around in my noggin? I had three ideas, got them all put together & scrapped two of them. This is the one that I was happiest with. I'm going to disable my Christmas music for a few days so you can enjoy the music I'm embedding here to explain my card...I used the lyrics to inspire me. It's so pure and beautiful that I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Playing along & more cards

Kristine over at DbyK (aka Wench'd Grafix) received an award the other day. She asked us to take the questions & post 'em on our blogs to share, & the responses can only be one word, so here goes:

Your cell phone? Charged
Your hair? Long
Your mother? Mean
Your father? Spineless
Favorite food? Bagels
Your dream last night? SCOTTISH (bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
Your favorite drink? Pepsi
Your dream/goal? Solvency
What room are you in? Cave
Your hobby? Crafting
Your fear? Poverty
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Confortable
Where were you last night? Home
Something you aren’t? Liar
Muffins? Punkin
Wish list item? COPICs
Where did you grow up? Oklahoma
Last thing you did? Shower
What are you wearing? Clothes
Your TV? Off
Your pets? None
Friends? FABULOUS
Your mood? Creative
Missing someone? yes
Vehicle? Oldsmobile
Something you’re not wearing? Makeup
Your favorite store? Craft
Your favorite color? Blue
When was the last time you laughed? Today
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Your best friend? GOD
One place that you go to over and over? Bathroom
Facebook? Nope
Favorite Place to Eat? MacCool's

'K! Now I've shared a bit about me. If you have a blog, copy these questions for your blog, post 'em & lemme know you've done it so I can come visit you! Now for more vintage Christmas cards....














Hope you liked looking as much as I've liked making! *LOL* Now, I'm off to run some errands with Chris, then I'm coming back to rise to Vicki's challenge. I've got a song that I can't get out of my head (or heart, depending on how you look at it!) and I've got to find a way to make it work...

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!