Christmas/Winter Blog Hop

Hello!!!  Welcome to the Winter/Christmas Themed Blog Hop celebrating our favorite time of the year. This Blog Hop is hosted by Paulette, from Around the Bock with Scrapalette. If you are following along with the Hop you should have arrived from Blingdazzler’s blog.  If not, you can start at the beginning of the hop at http://scrapalette.blogspot.com

Paulette and I will be following along with the blog hop from the Cricut Circle event in Greenville SC!!  My projects for today are serving dual purpose!  For those of you in the Circle you may know that these events for the Circlets typically include a theme, a swap and a contest.  Luckily for me the theme of today’s blog hop is also the theme for the Circle event (love killing two birds with one stone– YIPEE!!).  For information about joining the Cricut Circle please visit www.Cricut.com.  Now that all that stuff is out of the way…let’s get to the real reason you are here J!!

My first project for the hop is a simple card that will fit not only Christmas but Winter too.  It is the card I am entering into the contest at the Circle event.  I love the way it turned out.  I think this is going to be my stock Christmas card this year.  It was soooooo easy to put together, but yet I think it is simply stunning (maybe I am biased heeheehee).  I may decide to change it up a bit too…maybe a nativity scene, or a silhouette of an ice skater???  Who knows!! 

Materials Used for this project:

Stampin’ Up Cardstock & Ink – Basic Gray

Georgia Pacific Cardstock (Walmart) – White

PK Glitz Glitter – Crystal

Zig Two Way Glue Pen

EK Success 3D-Dots - 1/16” thick

EK Success 3D-Dots – 1/8” thick

Stampin’ Up Stamp Sets – Heard from the Heart  and  God’s Blessings

ATG gun

Gypsy (DS or CCR will probably work)

Cricut Cartridges:

Campin’ Critters – Bare Trees (layer 2 – button 42)

Celebrate with Flourish –Rabbit (layer - button 12)

Christmas – Snowy hill (shift  – button 43)

Don Juan – (Christmas) Pine (shift – button 33)

George and Basic Shapes – (shift – button 14; resized to a horizontal rectangle to weld to the snowy hill to provide a flat edge for the bottom of the card)

Live Simply – Squirrel (base – button 9; flipped right to left)

Wildlife – Deer family (base – button 39)

I designed this with my Gypsy.  First I opened a template I had created for a 4.25” x 5.50” landscape card.  This gives me a base to work from in making sure I have everything sized the way I want it.  There are three layers to the scene to give it the depth.  I started with the snowy hill from the Christmas cartridge.  I then welded a base using the square (resized) from George and Basic Shapes.  Then I added the Pine from Don Juan as well as several sets of the bare trees from Campin’ Critters, using the hide contour feature to space/organize the trees the way I wanted.  Next I began to add the animals; I wanted the deer family from Wildlife to be the main focus, then I placed the rabbit from Celebrate with Flourish and the squirrel from Live Simply (again using hide contour on both to avoid cutting the extras).  After I had my scene the way I thought I wanted it I copied it two times and then began to delete the items I didn’t want for each specific layer.  I welded and grouped the items on each layer and would occasionally place the layers back on top of one another to make sure I was getting everything I wanted in the right place.  Once I was satisfied I made my cuts.  Oh, in efforts to avoid wasting so much paper I flipped one of the layers down and moved the layers around so they would cut on one 8 ½ x 11 piece of cardstock (save the paper from the mat to use later on in the project). 

I used my zig two way glue pen to strategically place glue in the tree bends and on the ground where snow would lay and sprinkled with PK Glitz glitter.  I scored my card base and began by adhering the base layer directly to the cardstock with my ATG gun. I then added 1/16” 3D-Dots and attached the next layer carefully lining everything up and repeated with the top layer.  Then I used the leftovers from the Cricut cuts, and cut a piece to 5.5” by whatever I had to stamp my sentiment using Stampin’ Up’s Heard from the Heart “welcome Christmas into your heart” in basic gray.  I then carefully tore the paper to add another layer element, added a line of glue and sprinkled with PK Glitz glitter.  I attached directly to the top layer with my ATG gun. 

On the inside (not shown-sorry!) I cut down a piece of white cardstock and stamped my sentiment using Stampin’ Up’s God’s Blessings “May the miracle of Christmas find you Safe in the Peace of God, warm in the Light of Christ.”  I find this sentiment just beautiful!  While I respect the beliefs of others, I am a Christian and believe that there is no Christmas without Christ.  That is it.  The hardest thing about this card is the design.  Now that I have that out of the way I am excited about getting these made so I can mail them out after Thanksgiving.

I will be happy to share the gypsy file with you (leave a comment including your email), all I ask is for creative courtesy in that you do not share without my consent and please give credit where credit is due J!  If you do not have the cartridges required to make the cuts, I am sure you can find substitutions with cartridges you do have.  Just have fun with it!  I may be posting some additional versions in the future.     

For my next project I am showing you the tags I made for the Circle event tag swap.  These were soooo simple to make!!  You tend to want simple when you are making 50+ of the same thing LOL!!

Materials Used for this Project:

Stampin’ Up Cardstock & Ink – Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, and Cherry Cobbler

Staz-on Ink – Cotton White

(Unknown Brand) Cardstock - Vanilla

Caron Simply Soft Yarn (Walmart) – Off White #9702

Close To My Heart Stamp Set from the Art Philosophy Bundle – To: and From:

Studio G Clear Stamp Set ($1 Winter set) - Snowflake

Crop-a-dile

ATG gun

Gypsy

Cricut Cartridge:

Jolly Holidays – Mittens @ 2.75 (base & shift – button 29)

Again, designed with my Gypsy, I added as many sets of mittens I could to fit the paper I had; using 8 ½ x 11 paper I was able to cut 6 sets per sheet of cardstock.  On another layer I was able to add more of the shift layers, which was ok because I wanted all of the mitten “cuffs” to be vanilla for visibility on who the gift is to and from (I despise those sticker tags that are so dark sometimes you can’t find a pen that shows up or you can’t read when you are handing out presents!).  I cut the mittens in various colors, then cut the cuffs in vanilla.  I was careful to keep the cuffs for the left mittens together and the cuffs for the right mittens together…this way I knew which stamp should be used on them (to: stamped on the left cuff and from: stamped on the right cuff).  Using the ink color coordinating with the mittens, I stamped the to: and from: onto the cuffs and attached them to the mitten using the ATG gun.  I then stamped the snowflakes on the mittens; on the Cherry Cobbler mittens I used the Staz-on ink; on the Baja Breeze and Certainly Celery I used the coordinating ink.  Next I used my Crop-a-dile to punch holes for my yarn.  I used the smaller hole punch and placed the mitten set together by putting them face to face and lining up the thumb then punching the hole as close to the bottom and edge under the thumb as I could.  I simply inserted the yarn, tied a simple knot and cut the excess off!  That’s it!!  Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!!

I love simple things.  Sometimes I want to get to elaborate and I realize that just isn’t my thing!  I have always liked clean lines, bright colors and cutesy images.  I do try to challenge myself every now and then to go  outside of my comfort zone, but when mass producing I just don’t have the patience…nope, not me hahaha!

Well I hope you have enjoyed my projects.  Please leave me a comment…all us bloggers just love comments.  If you like my projects please browse some of my other posts and become a follower.  You  never know, I may just randomly choose someone for a prize J….hmmmmmmmm…..???

Off to the next blog you shall go…that would be Sharon at  Designs by Sharon

Here are the other participants:
1. Paulette at http://scrapalette.blogspot.com/
2. Debbie at http://bugginattheseams.blogspot.com/
3. Carolyn at http://cccscraproom.blogspot.com/
4. Brenda at http://happyscrapper64.blogspot.com/
5. Maria at http://stampcutcreate.blogspot.com/
6. Chris at http://scrappin-nanapuddin.blogspot.com/
7. Cindy at http://www.inlovewithpaper.blogspot.com/
8. Michele at http://www.michelegreen.com/
9. Lisa at http://addictedtothecricut.blogspot.com/
10. Dana at http://papermemories4u.blogspot.com/
11. Nancy at http://lanancyworkshop.blogspot.com/
12. Madylyn at http://inspiredbycolor.blogspot.com/
13. Wini at http://www.looneybugdesigns.com/
14. Renee at http://icameisawicreated.blogspot.com/
15. Tammy at http://www.scrapcavecreations.com/
16. Debbie at http://debbieduddles.blogspot.com/
17. Kim at http://blingdazzler.com/
18. Brandi at http://scubascrapperbrandi.blogspot.com/
19. Sharon at  http://designsbysharon.blogspot.com/
20. Liz at http://liz-lavendarandroses.blogspot.com/

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First Christmas Project of the Year!!

So as most of you know when you have a lot of people that you are trying to give a gift to, it is REALLY hard to find something affordable!  I really like to make stuff to give away to co-workers and to my church family.  Once I ran across these beautiful handmade ornaments (tutorial can be found HERE) and realized how VERY affordable they were I jumped right on it.  Of course Stampin’ Up no longer sells the kit that is mentioned in the tutorial, so I had to improvise. 

Materials Used:

Cardstock (various)

3” eye pins (found in jewelry section)

Pearls

Crystal Gems

Clear Earring Backings

1/16” hole puncher

Ribbon

For all the materials listed above (excluding the hole puncher, which I already had) I spent less than $25.00; the paper was on sale for 40% off and I used one 40% off coupon for the rest of the stuff!  I can make at least 100 of these ornaments with this stuff!  The 3” eye pins come in packages of 50, I bought 2.  I found a package of 750 pearls and a package of 175 crystal gems.  The earring backs contained 325.  I am going to have plenty of supplies to make even more than 100, I would just need to buy more eye pins. 

I decided to change mine up a bit; some are double balls, some single, some have pearls and gems at the top and the bottom.  I don’t want them all to be exactly alike.  I will be switching up the papers too; the Christmas package I has so many cute pages and it looks like I should be able to make about 5-6 ornaments for every two sheets of cardstock. 

I am going to the Cricut Circle event in Greenville SC this weekend.  From what I hear you really don’t get any work done at these events, it is more about learning, socializing/meeting your fellow circle sisters than actually cropping.  However, I think I will take the stuff with me to make these ornaments…not a lot to pack and something I can start and stop if need be!!  Hoping to get a head start on making these :o}!!

I just love this time of the year!  Things start to get busy for me though.  I have several birthdays in my family in Nov and Dec, Husby and I go to Myrtle Beach in Nov every year (he attends a convention for work), then holidays  with cooking and baking and shopping and wrapping and lots of activities at church…you all know what I am talking about!!  Love it, love it, love it!!  Some of my friends think I am a freak LOL! 

What is  your favorite thrifty handmade Christmas gift?  Have you already started making or planning stuff for Christmas?  I am always looking for ideas, so please share!!

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First Christmas Cards of 2010

As usual, I am behind on my posting.  I am trying to catch up tonight.  My mom came for a visit a couple of weeks ago, which just happened to be when a friend has scheduled her  SU! Holiday Workshop.  My mom agreed to go because she enjoys crafting; she just doesn’t participate on a regular basis and doesn’t want to invest the time and money it requires (she’s been there, done that many times in the past – you all know what I am talking about  - when you go out and drop a bundle to buy everything you need to make the latest craft trend,  only to have it last one season and you didn’t even have the time to make it LOL).  I wasn’t sure if she would like making cards or scrapbook pages, but she had a great time and was so proud of her projects.  She made one of the scrapbook pages and gave it to me since she doesn’t have scrapbooks and I gave my cards to her (since I can make more and she can’t).  I think it worked out great.  I wanted to share the cards we made; I think they turned out great!

 

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Another amazing Christmas

Ooooops, thought I posted this last week!!!


Once again, I have had an amazing Christmas. The best part to me is family! Although this was the first year I have been without any grandparents, I still had the memories of them in my heart and plenty of family still surrounding me. Christmas Eve is spent with the DH's family, which is much bigger than mine. We have a great time with them, but being around my family is so much different...we are all a little more goofy and there is much more laughter and silliness. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I feel like everyone is so full of joy and happiness this time of year. It really is a magical time to me. I am very blessed, and I thank God for his ultimate sacrifice.


So, here is a list of the goodies I received for Christmas...DH bought me a new digital camera that I picked out (Nikon P90-point and shoot with all the manual settings of a SLR camera), an extra battery and a camera bag along with a few other little things. My parents bought me 10, yes I said ten, Cricut Cartridges and some 3-D pens!!! They got me some of the cartridges that were on my wish list that I just wouldn't buy on my own. Mom also got me this really gorgeous basket; it is a root carving...made from the root of a Chinese Fir Tree. It is very interesting and unique; I just love it. Then my Aunt and Uncle surprised me with an Olympus E-600 (a Digital SLR camera)!!!! I was floored!!! So now I have to pick up my game and learn how to use it LOL. My choosing the P90 was to help with that because it had all the manual settings like a SLR, but not the lenses and quality of a SLR. I am truly blessed to have the family I have.

I thought I would share with you one of our goofy Christmas traditions. My Aunt started getting these funny hats from her sister quite a few years ago and so she brings them out and we all have a good time trying them on and getting pictures. We spend a good half hour belly laughing at these and how everyone looks with them on. Here are a couple of pics of our posing with the hats...



I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and I wish you the very best of New Years.

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Christmas Craft Projects

Here are some of the craft projects I have done for Christmas presents...

Glass ornaments:
As you can see here, I have two types of ornaments. I took clear glass ornaments and used the floor wax technique to adhere glitter to the inside of the ball. For the frosted glass ornament I cut snowflakes using the Cricut and wonder film from PK Glitz adhered them to the outside of the balls and "glitzed" with PK Glitz glitter.



better pic of the frosted glass ornament. I just love the way these
turned out!



And here we have a glass etched mug and canister. The mug has been filled with a cellophane bag of marshmallows and some chocolate covered peppermint sticks. The canister is filled with homemade hot chocolate.

It was really hard to get good pics that show the etching...I hope you can see it.



maybe this shows up better...


Thanks for looking! I hope you have enjoyed and been inspired by something. If you have questions, please feel free to ask!

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