CHRISTMAS IDEAS #4 - VOTIVE HOLDER

This little votive holder is not an original idea - but I fell in love with it when I saw it and had to try it for myself. In case you haven't seen the idea, I also wanted to share it here with you.


I made my sample using heavy metal sheets I picked up at Hobby Lobby but they are still so flexible that I will use aluminum flashing for any more that I make. Aluminum Flashing can be picked up at your local hardware store. The advantage of using the metal sheets from Hobby Lobby is that they come in SILVER, GOLD and COPPER so you have a wider variety depending on your decorating color scheme and they WILL hold their shape easily - they just bend in transport.

This was sooooooo easy to make - and FAST! I completed this one in under 3 minutes (including cutting the metal sheeting.) Using the SIZZIX SNOWFLAKES #2 DIE (available from Stampin'Up!) and a die cutting machine that will accommodate the die, cut out 3 snowflakes. Attach the pieces in the center by alternating each snowflakes that the "arm" of the one on top falls between the "arm" of the one below it. I attached the pieces together using Tombow Adhesive, though if using Aluminum Flashing, I would use a metal glue to make sure they hold. Raise the arms of each snowflake to create the desired shape, pop in your votive and it's finished! See, I told you - they are quick to make.

Thanks for visiting with me today.
Until next time,
I wish you happiness.

Jill

CHRISTMAS IDEA #4 - TABLE SETTING

I love a beautifully set table for the holidays.

The men of my household think setting a table is complete by putting a plate and fork on the table and calling it complete - so a special event or holiday dinner gives me an excuse to pretty things up a bit. These items are quick and easy - but add a little Christmas Cheer to the table.

All 4 items - napkin ring, candle wrap, wine bottle tag and placecard - are all created using the same Stampin'Up! products.

Day of Gratitude Stamp Set
Bells & Boughs Stamp Set
Scenic Season Stamp Set
Seasons of Joy Stamp Set
Always Artichoke Cardstock
Real Red Cardstock
Whisper White Cardstock
Old Olive Marker
Always Artichoke Marker
Real Red Marker
Bravo Burgundy Marker
Real Red Ink Pad
Always Artichoke Ink Pad
Jewels Basic Pearls
Corner Rounder Punch
1 1/2" Circle Punch
Sticky Strip (used to adhere the ends of the candle wrap and napkin ring)
Snail Adhesive


To create the wreath on the wine bottle tag, I lightly pencil traced a circle onto the cardstock. Starting at the top center of the circle I stamped the leaf image from DAY OF GRATITUDE in Always Artichoke Ink 3 times down the right side of the circle and then 3 times down the left side of the circle. * Don't forget to erase the pencil line. After stamping, I used a Real Red Marker to color over the red berries. The Poinsettia is from the Bells & Boughs set. I colored it using both Real Red and Bravo Burgundy markers then cut it out with paper snips, added pearls to the center (though I did that AFTER I took this photo) and popped it up on the wreath with dimensionals. The "Seasons Greetings" label was hand drawn and cut then stamped with the greeting from SCENIC SEASON.

The medallion on the candle, napkin and placecard were created using the same leaf stamp from Day of Gratitude. I inked it in Always Artichoke and stamped it 4 times onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock. I started at the top then matched the "tails" and stamped the bottom to keep an even space on both sides for the next two stamps. As with the wine bottle tag, I colored over the berries in Real Red and added the pearled poinsettias to the center.

The Always Artichoke bands, cardbase and tagbase were all stamped using the holly leaf swag image from Bells in Boughs and the small poinsettia from Season of Joy in Always Artichoke Ink.

Simple, quick and festive. Perfect for my Christmas table.

Thanks for visiting -
and until next time -

Happy Stamping!
Jill

CHRISTMAS IDEAS #3 - RECIPE BOOK

Isn't this little apron adorable???



The idea is not an original - I saw it online somewhere - and then after creating this, I saw that there is a card made in this shape in the Stampin'Up! catalog.

I had never noticed it before because the colors weren't vivid and eye-catching. I don't think the same can be said about this one.

At this point, my sample is a card. However, I have plans to add pages to create a CHRISTMAS CANDY/COOKIE RECIPE BOOK. Each page will have a pocket that will hold a recipe card for some delightful Christmas Treat.

I used Real Red cardstock and Candy Cane DSP from the Stampin'Up! holiday mini catalog. The Gingerbread image is from the SU! set "GOT MILK". I used the scalloped lace border punch to create the eyelet lace border on the pocket. The Gingerbread tag pulls up to read "Gingerbread & sugared things, enjoy the sweets the season brings" and is from the SU! set SWEET SEASON - the perfect greeting to introduce an apron recipe book.

Until next time -
Happy Stamping!

Jill

CHRISTMAS IDEAS #2

This cute little ADVENT TREE takes a little time to create, so I thought I should show it to you in November. If you plan to use it, you obviously will want it ready by December 1st.




Supplies Needed:

12 sheets Always Artichoke Cardstock
12 sheets Whisper White Cardstock
1 pkg Deck the Halls Designer Paper
Chocolate Chip Ink Pad
Sponge Dauber
1" Die Cut Alphabet set (stickers will work too)
Variety of buttons
Ribbon
Silk Poinsettia
Sticky Strip
Glue Dots
Adhesive
Scissors
Bone Folder
Paper Snips

I began by making 24 - 2" square boxes using Always Artichoke leaving off one tab so that the front of the box is open. I used a bone folder to get a good crease on all the fold lines. Then, using Sticky Strip, I adhered them together in rows first. Once the boxes were joined to create the rows, then I used sticky strip to join the rows to create the shape of the tree. NOTE: to keep your tree from leaning, lay each row on it's back on a flat table top while joining each row to it's neighbor.

Next, I created 24 more open ended boxes using Whisper White cardstock to make the drawers. These boxes are slightly smaller than 2" so that they slide in and out of the tree easily. I covered the front with squares cut from Deck the Halls Designer Paper that had been edge sponged in Chocolate Chip Ink. Then used a 1" circle punch to create "finger pulls) along the front, top edge of each drawer.

The numbers are computer generated because I don't have access to a 1" die cut alphabet. It would definitely have been less time consuming if I had! The numbers were printed on Very Vanilla cardstock, cut out with paper snips then sponged in Chocolate Chip. I used SU! Snail Adhesive to glue mine to the drawer fronts - but if you have a Xyron machine it would work beautifully. (I was out of the glue tape for mine!)

Because the Designer Paper is so decorative itself I didn't have to spend alot of time decorating the front of each drawer. A few buttons tied with string, a couple of cut-out poinsettias with pearl centers and the drawers were complete.

The last step to completing the Advent Tree was the placement of the draping ribbon and a store-bought poinsettia at the top. The ribbon holds its shape by placing glue dots at the top edge of each box along each side of the tree and adhering the ribbon at each point.

Actually - that's not the last step. The last step is hiding the treats inside each drawer!

Hope you enjoyed today's post and will give this little tree a try-out. It is a little time consuming (approximately 8 hours from start to finish) but the end result was worth my time.

Until Next Time -
Happy Stamping!

Jill

CHRISTMAS IDEAS #1

I started my fall cleaning this weekend. I know I'm off to a late start but I've been busy. Besides which, I probably wouldn't have started it this weekend if I didn't have the excuse to start my Christmas decorating early! Spring and Fall cleaning are ALWAYS at the bottom of my priority list. However, I had a Stampin'Up! Christmas Show last weekend and didn't want to put away the Christmas decorations just to get them out again a couple of weeks later - so I am putting decorations up throughout the house as I get each room cleaned.

The first room I cleaned and started to decorate was the front porch. I have a couple of white, french style chairs, an antique hoosier cabinet and an anitque table on my front porch which gives me ample surfaces for setting things. On one of the chairs is a small sled decorated with a rusty metal wreath of stars, greens and ribbon. On the other is my mother's antique Jewel Tea Autumn Leaves bowl filled with glittery and decorated ornaments.

You can't see them in this particular photo, but several were decorated using the Candy Cane Rubons from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Total cost (not including the bowl) approximately $5 (I still have most of the rubon designs to use on other things.)

Setting in the middle of the hoosier cabinet is a pint-sized "apple" basket filled with greens, pinecones and berries.

I purchased the basket unpainted at a local orchard for $3 and the greens from the local dollar store. I painted the basket green (which matches Always Artichoke very nicely) then painted the horizontal bands white. Once dry, I then stamped the bands in Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, and Chocolate Chip using stamps from Season of Joy and Lovely as a Tree stamp sets.

I tied a bow to the handle using a length of Stampin'Up! ribbon and let the ends drape loosely into the arrangement. Total cost for the arrangement (including the paint) $8.

There will be more Christmas additions to the front porch later - some candles and a wreath on the door - but for now this has gotten me off to a good start.

Thanks for visiting today and until next time -

Happy Stamping!

Jill

ONE STOP CHRISTMAS SHOP

I particpated in an "open to the public" shopping event this past weekend and even though the turn-out was smaller than hoped for, I still had a good time. The best part of course was creating all the projects to display. My "booth" had three tables - one for display, one for ordering and one for a quick make n take project.

Here's a photo of the display table.

You'll have to look closely to view all the goodies - the advent tree, snowman soup, snowflake ornaments, cards, tags, basket of greens, basket of ornaments, table setting, Santa Boot, etc. Can you see them all? If not, don't worry. I'll be showing each one between now and Christmas.

The make n take project was quick and easy - but I love the way it turned out. So much so I plan to make more to attach to the presents going under my tree this year.

To create this tag you will need the following supplies:

Crumb Cake Card Stock

Always Artichoke Card Stock

Deck the Halls Designer Paper

Twill Ribbon
Always Artichoke Ink Pad

Soft Suede Ink Pad

Craft White Ink Pad

Always Artichoke Marker

Real Red Marker

Season of Joy Stamp Set

Sweet Season Stamp Set

Vintage Labels Stamp Set

1/4" circle punch (non-SU!)

1/2" circle punch

1" circle punch

Scallop Circle Punch

Corner Rounder Punch

Sponge Dauber

Emery Board

Self-adhesive Pearl

1. Punch a 1/4" hole in a small piece of Always Artichoke cardstock. Turn the 1/2" hole punch upside down and center the 1/4" hole you just punched in the opening. Punch to create a hole reinforcer. Repeat this step to create a second reinforcer for the tag back.

2. Cut a 2 3/4" x 4 1/4" piece of Crumb Cake cardstock to create the tag base. Use the corner rounder to round all four corners. Use a sponge dauber and Soft Suede Ink all around the edge of the tag.

3. Apply one of the reinforcers to the top center of the tag. Using the 1/4" hole punch, line up the punch with the hole in the reinforcer and punch through the tag. Turn the tag over and adhere the other reinforcer to the back.

4. Using the Always Artichoke Marker color the words and the line for the bottom greeting only. Use the Real Red Marker to color the heart. Stamp the image leaving approximately 1/8" between the image line and the bottom of the tag. CLEAN THE STAMP.

5. Cut a 2 3/4" x 1 7/8 piece of Always Artichoke Cardstock and a piece of 2 3/4" x 1 5/8" piece of Deck the Halls DSP. Sponge the edge and front of the DSP with Soft Suede ink, then distress it by rubbing the emery board across the surface to bring out the white center of the paper. Adhere these to pieces together lining up the sides and creating an evenly spaced border of Always Artichoke along the top and bottom. Adhere this piece just above the stamped greeting on the tag.

6. Using the Always Artichoke Marker, color the words and line for the top greeting only. Stamp it in the center top between the reinforcer and the Always Artichoke CS. CLEAN THE STAMP.

7. Stamp the Medallion Stamp from Vintage Labels in Always Artichoke ink onto a piece of Crumb Cake CS. Use the Scalloped Circle Punch to punch it out by holding the punch upside down and lining up the points of the medallion into the center of each scallop on the punch. Adhere this piece to the center of the DSP.

8. Stamp the snowflake from the Season of Joy Set in Craft White Ink onto a piece of Always Artichoke Cardstock. Let this piece dry for several seconds then use the 1" circle punch to punch it out. Adhere the snowflake to the center of the Medallion.

9. Add a pearl to the center of the snowflake and a ribbon through the reinforcers to finish.

Very quick, very easy - but quite a nice finishing touch to any package.

Thanks for visiting - hope you enjoyed today's post.

Until Next Time -

Happy Stamping!

Jill