It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

From my little Korner to yours, sincere wishes for a very merry Christmas filled with love and happiness!

Christmas Canvas Fun

A few months ago when I cleaned my workroom and reorganized supplies, I came across two 6x6 canvases that I purchased 3(?) years ago or so. I had set them aside like I often do, and years later, they still sat in the package.  So a couple weeks ago, as a break from making cards, I pulled them out and decorated them with holiday patterned papers, stamps, acrylic paints, glass glitter, etc.   I'm no "pro" at mixed media, but it's sure fun to play with other mediums now and then!

Inspired by a couple of Tim Holtz' tags in his annual series for this year, I pulled out a remaining package of seasonal grungeboard shapes last week (the deer, holly branches, mini ornament, and the snowman), and finished embellishing the fronts.  I haven't decided whether I want to leave them as is for hanging, or attach something fun like a flat-bottomed doorknob on the bottom and a decorative element to the top and use them as tabletop decor. Just in case, I finished the backs with paper and paint, so I have the option to hang them for now, and can make them tabletop decor without having to change anything on the backs - they have a finished look.

A few of the details for the reindeer canvas:

-white German glass glitter was used here for the "snow" at the bottom of the canvas;

-the deer antlers are covered with bronze German glass glitter;

-after applying Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint over the painted holly branch (and letting it dry and crackle), I rubbed white acrylic paint over the crackles, then wiped off the excess, to emphasize the veins and add texture to the leaves;

-the lace edge stamp is by B Line Designs.

A few details for the snowman canvas:

-I copied Tim's technique of die-cutting the "25" into the snowman, and backing it with patterned paper and adding glossy accents to the top;

-after painting the snowflakes white and covering them with coarse clear glitter, I *lightly* dabbed on white acrylic paint over the dried glitter to give it a more textured look (don't cover all the glitter...just some of it);

-black German glass glitter covers the snowman's top hat.

And now, my little break is over...must get to wrapping some gifts!  Have a wonderful weekend...and if you're headed out to shop this weekend...well, just keep smiling and don't let the craziness take away your fun!  (And I will keep repeating that to myself, too! :)  )

Almost there...

There's something enjoyable about the "hustle and bustle" of this season when you know you're not in a rush, and can sit back and enjoy it all without the stress part getting in the way! Today I had to stand in line for 40 minutes at the post office, and it was okay.  All of us in line were laughing about it, and making small talk and jokes, and the time flew by until it was my turn at the window. The Christmas roast is ordered, and the logistics of getting everyone together for the day are finally starting to take shape. There's still a bit of decorating to finish around the house, but we'll make it in time to enjoy the season to its fullest.

Are you tired of Christmas cards yet? Hope not..here are the last of the designs from the Korner for this year. :)

For this group, I used a Spellbinders snowflake die and embossed it directly to the front of a cream-colored card, added a small bit of course clear glitter accents, and changed the accent in the center for variety.

Next up, a fun reindeer card using the last grungeboard reindeer left in a set of Tim Holtz seasonal pieces from a couple years ago. The antlers are covered with bronze German glass glitter, and the patterned paper over the grungeboard is coated with Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint. Spellbinders' Labels Twenty-Two shape was embossed with a Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes embossing folder and accented with white acrylic paint around the edges. The "merry & bright" background paper is from My Minds Eye Lost & Found Christmas collection (6x6 size).

This card was made with Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas papers, and a WRMK "Joy to the World" clear sentiment stamp. Spellbinders' Classic Postage Stamp Edgeabilities was used on the bottom edge.

On this last card, I combined Authentique Wonder collection patterned papers for the background, but pulled the "peace and joy" tag from Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas collection and matted it onto a Spellbinders' Labels Eight die cut background for the sentiment.  The small reindeer was cut from Ranger Claudine Hellmuth adhesive canvas on lightweight chipboard using the Tim Holtz Mini Reindeer Movers & Shapers die.

Thanks for stopping by...I hope your week goes well and you have some time to stop and take in some of the fun parts of the holiday season!



Ornament Cards, Take 2

A couple posts ago I showed some ornament cards, and mentioned I was working on some with removeable and reusable ornaments.  My original idea didn't work out as planned, but I think the simpler end result will be better anyway!  I found some cute unpainted wooden ornaments at the craft store a while back, and that's when the idea first started.  These cards are for the littlest nieces and nephews in our family. The ornaments are actually picture frames - the center circle is held onto the back with photo turns, so the Christmas sentiment that I inserted for now can be replaced with a photo from Christmas. (I also wrote a personal greeting to each child from my husband and I on the back of each ornament.)

The gingerbread cookie ornaments are for the little girls, and the penguins for the boys...each card has different ribbon combinations at the top. I painted the ornaments front and back, added some white and bronze chunky glitters, and tied them to the bows at the top of the cards so they're easily removeable by Mom and Dad if they want to put them on the tree. 



Thanks for dropping by...and have a wonderful weekend!



And a Partridge in a Pear Tree...

OK, well, maybe not really a partridge, but that song did go through my head while I was making these. :)

I'm taking a little break from sharing cards to show you a fun set of 8 silver and cream ornaments I made for our Christmas tree using this Sizzix Bigz die & embossing folder.  I didn't take step-out photos as I went along (I admit it-I was doing it assembly-line style, and didn't think about taking photos until I was well into the process), but I think I can describe clearly what I did and used if you want to make some yourself.

The ornaments on our big tree are an eclectic mix of elegant large ornaments and large, but less formal, handmade ornaments. I like the ornaments on this tree to have enough sparkle on them that they reflect the mini white lights, so that's why there's glitter galore on these. If your style is more country-chic, they certainly would look wonderful without all the glitter.

To start, I die cut 8 birds from Grafix medium weight chipboard (heavier than cereal box thickness; i.e, just strong enough that it takes a bit of effort to bend). Then I die cut 16 of the same birds (I decorate both the front and back so the ornaments can swing around on the tree and still look finished) from cardstock. I used Coredinations cream cardstock with a kraft center for mine. 

After embossing the 16 cardstock pieces with the embossing folder that comes with the die, I used a foam paint brush and matte gel medium to glue the cardstock to both sides of the chipboard by covering the entire surface with the gel medium, matching and pressing the pieces together, and then rolling with a brayer to remove any air bubbles and get a nice, flat surface.  (Any strong liquid glue or decoupage medium will work as well.)

Next I applied silver German glass glitter using Glossy Accents and following the pattern of the embossing on the cardstock, and around the outside edges.  I love using the German glass glitter, because as it ages, it tarnishes to a beautiful patina.  As time goes by, the silver on these ornaments will turn a rich, darker silver, but still have lots of sparkle.  (I purchase my German glass glitter from Glitter and Kitsch on Etsy.)

(*Note: If you decide not to do the next step that coats the remaining open surface with Glossy Accents, I would recommend putting a coat of gel medium or decoupage medium over the cardstock. It will protect the surface of the cardstock and add many more useful years to your ornaments.)

After applying the silver glass glitter, I applied a thin coat of Glossy Accents over the entire surface of the bird not already covered with silver glitter, and sprinkled on Martha Stewart clear tinsel glitter.  This is a fine glitter that gives a more subtle sparkly appearance than other glitters.  Here's a photo from a different angle:

After all the glitters were dry, I added the amber gems for the eyes, and the clear crystal gems on the body. (I used Ranger "white pearl" Liquid Pearls for the white pearl accents.)

The white wool felt rolled rose was made using the larger of the two rose dies in this die set. Before gluing the flower down with my glue gun, I hot-glued two goose coquille feathers (purchased from Moonlight Feathers on Etsy) to the tail of the bird, then glued the rolled roses over the ends of the feathers. By gluing feathers and roses to both sides, it makes the tail feathers look nice and full without covering all the glittering already added!

The We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile works perfectly to punch a hole to add a jumpring to the top of the bird's back for your hanging cord or ornament hanger.

I'll be back soon with some new cards to share.  Thanks for stopping by...Happy Monday!

'Tis the Season...

I have a couple ornament cards to share today.  The package is a wooden ornament that I found at the craft store, and added a bit of paint and glitter to before backing it with a vintage image and some patterned paper. The snowflake ornament is a Spellbinders die, cut from white chipboard and coated with clear coarse glitter, with a circle-punched vintage image in the center. Although these ornaments aren't meant to be removed from the cards, I'm finishing up a few where the ornaments are removeable and useable (if my plan works - wink).

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: Fancy Pants Designs, St. Nick collection

Wood Ornament, Red Bells, Evergreen sprig, Narrow Ribbon: craft store    

Cotton Lace, Vintage Image: Etsy      Pebbles Glitter Candy Dots      Hug Snug Seam Binding

Edge punch: EK Success      Clear Coarse Glitter: Martha Stewart

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Jovial collection

Spellbinders 2011 Snowflake Pendant Die      Papertrey Ink Edgers 2 Edge Die   

Vintage Image, Cotton Lace: Etsy      Hug Snug Seam Binding     

Mini Rolled Rose Die: MyFavoriteThings Dienamics

Red Gems: Recollections      Clear coarse glitter: Martha Stewart

Thanks for visiting, and have a wonderful weekend!

Christmas Minis Part III

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!  Did you shop on Black Friday and find some great deals?  I hope yours was one of the fun experiences I've heard about Friday, and not one of the more outrageous ones that we all read about and saw on the news reports...crazy!  I shopped the mall on Black Friday once, and since that one time, I've never done it again. It was back in the "old days" when you set your alarm for 3:30AM to be at the stores by 4:30 AM and wait in line until they opened the doors at 6AM. Top that with the fact that I'm not a fan of being in a crowd, and you have a recipe for disaster.  But I found the deals I went after...LOL  Now I much prefer to find deals on the computer in the warm comfort of my home.

I'm in full-blown rush mode now to finish more Christmas cards, but to be honest, I'm far from getting the number done that I've made in years past.  I'm not an assembly-line card maker (OK, except for those vintage minis I showed you earlier - I liked all the images on the sheet I purchased from Janet and had to find a way to use them all), and I like to experiment with designs as I go along. While that might make for a more enjoyable construction process for me, it's more time-consuming.  But I'm making progress, and today I have a couple more 3-1/2"x5" "twin" minis to share with you. .

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: Authentique Wonder collection (green), BoBunny (red)

Vintage Images downloaded from the internet      Hug Snug seam binding

Dec 25 stamp: Inkadinkado    Chipboard frames: Tattered Angels

Silver & Gold German glass glitters, Cotton lace: Etsy    Bells: craft store    Pebbles Glitter Candy Dots

Spellbinders Classic Ric-Rac insert Edgeabilities

Thanks for stopping by!

For Our Blessings We Are Thankful

An early Happy Thanksgiving wish to you and yours.

Supplies:

Vintage image: The Vintage Workshop      Spellbinders Fleur-de-lis Squares Nestabilities

Laces and trims: Etsy      Fall bead spray: local craft store

A Thankful Season

It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. and I still haven't firmed up Turkey-Day plans.  I do know, as a long-time San Francisco 49'er fan, I will be joining those who are out of the kitchen and in front of the tv when their game comes on. It's a late afternoon game Pacific time, so it shouldn't be a conflict no matter how the day's plans work out. :)

In the spirit of the holiday, here's a Thank You card made up at the request of a friend.  When she requested it, I knew I wanted to use this sentiment stamp, and realized the design I'd used for the "hello" card a few posts back would work perfectly with a minor size adjustment, so I "card-lifted" myself.

Supplies:

Patterned Papers & Cotton Lace: Prima (Romantique collection)

Sentiment Stamp: Papertrey Ink     Large Fabric Flower: Frogfeathers, Etsy

Stick Pin: Maya Road      Leaf & Pearl Flourishes: Recollections

Hug Snug Bows      Handcrocheted flower

Happy Monday!

Two for Thursday

Hope your week is going well.  We've had a beautiful fall week (so far, anyway) with mild temps and light breezes.  The leaves on the oak trees out front have turned deep orange and deep red, and in the afternoons when the sun is on that side of the house, the orange light comes through the front windows - it's just beautiful! But rain is supposedly on the way, so I'm thinking those beautiful leaves will be all over the lawn soon. LOL

I have a couple more cards to share with you today. The first is a masculine birthday card, in a turquoise and brown combo that I love to use.

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: Authentique Gathering Collection        Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Sentiment block:  Spellbinders Labels Twenty-two      Buttons: American Crafts

Edge Punches: EK Success and Fiskars

This card was made for a friend's recent housewarming party.  I have a stamp that has this sentiment on it, but the size wasn't right, so I printed it on my computer to get the size I needed. 

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: PinkPaislee Nantucket collection , Bo Bunny et cetera collection, BasicGrey Curio collection

Angel wings: Tim Holtz      Pearls: Recollections and Martha Stewart      Mini Roses: Prima

Hug Snug seam binding      Cotton lace: Etsy

Thanks for stopping by...I'll be back soon with more to share.

Green Tangerines November-Part II

This card is made with fun in mind.  Yes, it's a bit bulky for mailing, probably requiring a padded envelope, but every now and then it's fun to send a card that's a surprise with its dimension!

There's a fun little mini bag in the kit that I trimmed with pinking shears at the top, and covered with a strip of patterned paper and one of the SRM stickers applied to a punched scalloped circle.  I applied the "believe" SRM sticker to the strip of patterned paper, and distressed it by rubbing gently with the side of a bone folder.  I needed a little more "weight" on the bottom of the card to counter the perceived weight of the tags stacked inside the bag, so I pleated some of the velvet ribbon in the kit, folding the pleats as I adhered the ribbon to the papers beneath. The papers covering the tags are all included in the kit, as are the mini clothespins that I used as "clips" at the top of two of the smaller tags (so the recipient could remove the two small tags and use them as package decorations or put on their tree!). I added stamped sentiments and mini sentiment tags to the smaller of the two tags, and mini bells to the top of the larger tag. 

Next up is an A2-sized card that is cut into a pennant shape.  It uses another of the "Happy Holidays" rub-ons from the kit and more of the pretty red velvet ribbon.  I die cut a poinsettia and leaves using Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia die set, glittered the edges of the flower petals, and used 5 of the Queen & Co. yellow gems from the kit to simulate the inside of the flower.

Here's another card with no sentiment on the front, but unmistakable in its message.  Everything here is from the kit with the exception of the evergreen piece and the mini pinecone.  And once again, I pleated a small portion of the velvet ribbon to add more texture to the top of the card to support the perceived "weight" of the evergreen and pinecone pieces. The Hug Snug bows are centered with one of the American Crafts buttons from the kit, and topped with more of the yellow gems, which are repeated on the lower right corner of the card.

This "noel" card was made with pieces of patterned papers left from the other cards. It's accented with more of the May Arts crochet velvet ribbon, and another of the Maya Road transparent snowflakes that's been accented with clear coarse glitter and the Queen & Co yellow gems from the kit.  

And lastly for this month, another snowflake card, this time using the aqua patterned papers, three of the Maya Road transparent snowflakes, and more of the KaiserCraft pale blue pearls as accents on the glittered snowflakes.  I printed the sentiment on my computer and "anchored" it with two blue pearls.

I have a few more new cards to share with you later this week...until then, have a great one!