In our home, we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of Jesus Christ, “The One Who Was Sent to be the Savior of the World.” The fellowship we have together as a family, and the exchanging of gifts is intended to bring Glory to God who sent His Only Son that first Christmas.
Here are a few moments from our time together.
I pray that each person who comes by my blog would personally know the Christ of Christmas. God created you for a purpose! Do you know Him?
Interesting to me that the very last tag I am making for this Christmas Season is the first idea that came into my mind when the holiday season began. One of my son’s favorite Christmas carols is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” About November, I started thinking what a pretty tag that would make. I had trouble finding a “bell” die. My latest Cricut cartridge, December 25, happened to have this image, so problem solved! I cut the bell from chipboard, as grunge board doesn’t do well on the Cricut.
Then when I saw the Cinnamon Dry Stickles, I knew that would help create bell I saw in my head! I used Martha Stewart Garnet glitter for the bow and Xmas Red Stickles for the holly berries. I used music paper from Tim’s Holiday Stash for the background, sprayed with Heirloom Gold Mist and stamped with some holly leaves in Brushed Corduroy (and heat embossed with clear EP).
Thus, the last tag for this season is all done and on the Tag Tree.
Entering in these challenges:
Frilly and Funkie Make it a Tag Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Merry Christmas
So, tomorrow my children and their families will all be here for our Christmas. Everything is ready (except for six more recipes to make tomorrow). Can’t wait!!!
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
I love the blueprint stamps from Tim Holtz, and this is my first “Christmas tree” tag! I painted the tree and ornaments with Lumiere paint. For the background, I used Wild Honey, Mustard Seed, and Brushed Corduroy.
And here it is on my Tag Tree:
Entering in these challenges:
I finished my 2012 book today. I love looking back through it to see the verses that were especially meaningful to me throughout the year. (To enlarge, click on each picture.)
January
February and March
April and May
June and July
August and September
October and November
December
It has been fun participating in Split Coast Stampers Faith-Based Challenge, Scripture Verse of the Month. I chose to make my verses into a minibook, entitled Keys to 2012. This last page uses an image from the Cricut December 25 cartridge. I stained the starlight with Distress Stain, Tarnished Brass.
Sometimes a memorized Scripture passage pops into my head, and today I had a special reason to be thankful. While I was pondering that, this verse came to mind. I was already planning to use the Nativity scene for my December page. When I recalled the verse, I realized it would fit perfectly with the scene!
Well, this is one of my favorites this season. Once again, I used the double emboss technique, with one of Tim’s snowflake stamps, white ink for the snowflakes, and then the new Salty Ocean Distress Ink for the background. For the swirl and the single snowflake, I cut it from grunge board, painted it white, embossed it with Sticky Embossing Powder and then applied Rock Candy Dry Stickles. Loved using the Tarnished Brass Distress Stain for the “light” inside the lamppost and the globes of light as well. Gorgeous green ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.
Here it is on my tag tree:
I am entering this tag in these challenges:
Frilly and Funkie Make it a Tag
Anything But a Card Celebrating the Light
Simon Says Stamp Challenge What’s Your Favourite?
(my favorite Tim Holtz Holiday Die: Lamppost and Holly
When I found an especially pretty package of tissue paper amongst the wrapping supplies at Wal Mart, I decided I wanted to use one of the sheets on a Christmas tag. I used the Tim Holtz technique of tissue paper collage, using collage glue stick and then wrinkling the tissue paper on top. For this tag, I used some gold paint on the edges of the tag. I cut the ornament die from grunge board, stained it with Tarnished Brass Distress Stain and then painted it with Rock Candy Crackle Paint.
And here it is on my tag tree:
I am entering this tag in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge What’s Your Favourite? (favorite Distress Stain: Tarnished Brass)
This was a really fun tag to make. I made the background with Tim Holtz’s double emboss technique, using the Evergreen Bough Distress Ink. The technique involves stamping a background stamp and heat embossing the stamp. The next step is to coat the entire tag (the stamped image acting as a resist) with Distress Ink and then embossing the entire thing with clear embossing powder.
The Santa cameo is cut with the Cricut December 25 cartridge from chipboard, embossed with clear embossing powder and then covered with Black Diamond Stickles. The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.
And here it is on my Tag Tree:
I am entering this tag in these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge What’s Your Favourite (my favorite background technique: double emboss)
Several have asked that I post pictures of my “tag tree” in the lower level of our house. We have three trees, and this is the “old-fashioned theme” one in the lower level, where some of my teddy bears and dolls, as well as my husband’s very first electric train, reside during this Christmas season. The tree has about 26 tags on it so far (made this season and last), more to be added.
Since I can only upload a specific blog link one time to each challenge site, I’ll create this separate blog posting for the second of the two tags. Description of this tag is in the previous post.
This month, Tim Holtz posted his 11th and 12th tags of 2012. It has been fun following along, creating my own projects based on his ideas/techniques. This month he posted the December tag as well as the tag he “owed us” from last January (as if he owed us anything more than he already gives, really!).
Here are “my takes” on those two tags.
When I was a student, I was always one to follow directions exactly. Seriously. The upside to that was good grades. Great grades, actually. The downside to that is that I did not allow myself any “space” to be creative. Since nothing I do is for a grade anymore (YAY!!), I have discovered that I actually do have a little creativity hidden deep inside me (somewhere)—have to pull on it to “get it out” sometimes! So, now I find that I never make a project exactly like the one I am using for inspiration—because I don’t have to, and I don’t want to, and I do think that is a good thing, in the end!
For the Snowman Joy tag, I used Broken China and Brushed Pewter Distress Stains to create the background. I stamped the Tim Holtz blueprint snowman directly on the tag and also on watercolor paper. I stamped the hat an additional time. I cut out the stamped images from the white watercolor paper. After using Distress Inks and a water pen to color in and shade the snowman and the extra hat, I covered the shaded areas on the snowman as well as the holly leaves, with Distress Rock Candy Stickles. Then the cut-out snowman was popped up on top of the stamped image on the tag, and the extra hat on top of him, for a 3-D effect. As for the frosty look (Stickles), you know the story—glittery, glitzy things do not show up in my photos very well. Here is a close-up for a little better view (if you click to enlarge, you get a much better idea):
I placed a strip of music tissue tape along the bottom, with a strip of Tinsel Twine stapled under it. For the JOY letters, I put metal foil tape on card stock, embossed it with the snowflake embossing folder, painted the raised snowflake with Stream Ranger Alcohol Ink, cut the word from my Cricut December 25 cartridge, and raised it up on the tag with foam tape. I added a snowflake brad and some clear bling from my stash. The crinkled ribbon was stained with Broken China and Brushed Pewter.
For the Deck the Halls tag, I created a similar background as the snowman tag, using Fired Brick and Tarnished Brass Distress Stains (for the tag and for the crinkled ribbon).
Necessity is the mother of invention, and I did not have any poinsettias except an image on the Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge. (It is not intended to be dimensional, but I just played with several layers of it until I was fairly satisfied with the look..) I found the music to “Deck the Halls” in a Little Golden book of “Christmas Carols” that I have saved from my children’s growing-up years. I scanned it, printed it onto cardstock, and cut it on the Cricut. Then I sponged the petals heavily with Fired Brick Distress Ink. (and a little Pine Needles for the leaves). I love that the poinsettia is made from the music to the song that is the theme of the tag (she said, proudly patting herself on the back). I printed “Deck the Halls” on the computer, inked the edges, and adhered it to a ticket. My pewter music notes didn’t go with the gold on the tag, so I painted them black with Ranger Alcohol Ink.
The flourish is cut from grungeboard from Tim’s Movers and Shapers die and then stained with Tarnished Brass Distress Stain. I usually use the Gold Paint Dabber to make a gold flourish, but I really love the new metallic stains for this!
I wanted a little more bling on the poinsettia, so I sprayed it with my “go-to” Perfect Pearls Mist (Sunflower Sparkle).
And here are these two tags on my “tag tree”:
I will be entering one or both of these tags in several challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog—Snowflakes
My Grafico Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge-Inspired by Tim’s 12 Tags
Addicted to Stamps Challenge-Bingo
(Snowman tag: Glitter, Embossed, Snowflake)
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge-Christmas
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge-Snowmen
Stampin’ for the Weekend-Let it Snow Challenge
2 Sisters Challenge Blog-Snowflakes
Anything But a Card-Seasonal Holiday Challenge
Inspiration Journal Challenge
(Snowman tag, using Joy’s favorite Distress Ink, Broken China, and the word “Joy”)
Now, off to spend the day tomorrow with my mother, who is having a major, scary surgery. Prayers appreciated!
