christmas elf

We are really and truly in the swing of Christmas by now, all of my children turn into elves overnight and become really interested in putting up the decorations and lights, I don't know if it is the promise of presents soon, or that they are just used to it, but they do help, not for long mind you, each has their own thing they like to do, and attentions spans are not the best. One tradition they have is to watch Santa Clause 1 , 2 and 3 to put us in the spirit of Christmas, I must say it works for me.

My page this week is using the Spellbinders poinsettia Die, to create lots of layered flowers. I have used lots of glimmer mist and pearlescent medium with traditional red and green colours. I put up most of our decorations, and this year I will photograph some of them and post them on the blog over christmas, this will be a rest from doing paper craft, I hope lol. It seems lately I have heaps to do and it keeps coming.

christmas banner

I just love this project, it is actually longer and says Merry Christmas but I could fit it in the photo, and I am going to hang it up at Christmas time. I have used the Spellbinders pennants and lacey pennants dies, they may not be your first choice to buy, but they have really proved very versatile. I know many of my students are going to make this with names on them for their friends and nieces etc for a gift, such a lovely idea for a quick gift any time of year.

I have backed my patterned paper with thin chip board, cereal boxes are ideal as they are not too thick, but support the paper so it will last much longer and not bend or crumple. I also have the chip letters on both sides, but you could have them on only one if you were hanging it against the wall. In my sample I have used scrap patterned papers, but you could buy colours that suit the person you are giving it to if you want to. I will be teaching this as one of my last classes at Paper Trenz, and it is almost booked out.

santa's helpers

This week I have made heaps of headway in my christmas plans, little things like buying paper plates and serviettes, I like to get the boring stuff done and out of the way, so I can work on the fun stuff, as christmas comes closer.

This page for Down Under Inspirations, uses just blue and white cardstock, and some of the really neat snowflake dies, I admit I am addicted to snowflake dies and punches, I have just about all of them, there is something about their unique shape that I love. Shame we don't have them here, snow that is not the dies lol. I have used a black and white photo, it is a little trick to remember, if your photo does not match or sit well with the colours you want to use, just get it printed in black and white or sepia. I like this one because, once the colour is gone, you notice the spots of light and bling better! Another thing I have done in this layout is sand the edges of the photo, which a lot of people do, but I like to sand it on concrete (that's right) the pebble concrete on our driveway gives a flaky spotted effect on the edges just like snow. It is the same principle as rubbings. Just place the photo on the concrete and gently sand the edge, move it around if you want more white flaky bits!

Well I am off to do a class, and yet more christmas preparations.

snow globe

With christmas coming I have heaps to do, I always plan to do a lot and start early, but somehow, end up worried that I wont get everything done, but I always do. Christmas at our house is a big thing with 7 trees and the main living area's fully decorated. My kids love it and so do I.

This is a Snow Globe that I am teaching at Stamp and Scrapbookmadness, it is a Greg Sudenko concept that I have altered, I love the angels and the trees are 3 d made from circles that have been scored and scrunched. And of course lots of snow.

cute Spook

Here is my Halloween page for Down Under Inspirations. I have used just plain cardstock, Elephant, I think and spritzed it with bleach this gives it a spooky look. I love how you can invent your own paper, with things like bleach and glimmer mists. I like bleach for removing colour and glimmer mists for adding it, or a mix of both in layers. Add some graphic black stamps and you can achieve wonderful results. I have also used some Mica shards here just about the title, and little googly eyes in the o's. This photo of my middle son was when he was 2 or three and I think is soooo cute, those black eyes and teeny tiny teeth, just looks like a cuddly kitten, which is what he was that halloween. Mind you he would hate me saying that now he is 12, not cool

spooky house

This blog is for my friend Barbara

who just loves this house that I did some years ago as a Halloween project. It is a wooden gothic house that you put together and I have decorated the wood with papers and paint etc. I love that it is actually a dolls house, and have had fun over the years filling it with stuff, I now have a teeny tiny candle stick for the piano and a skeleton that fits in the rocking chair. I also have a black scream box in it, so if you clap your hands the house screams out you scared me!! Currently you can see this house at Stamp and Scrapbook Madness and it is screaming out you scared me every time Barbara stomps by lol

halloween lanterns

Halloween is fast approaching but this year being on a Monday I dont think my kids

will be doing much trick or treating, they have Tae Kwon Do, so it is not really

practical to be working out while dressed as a witch or goblin. I think my middle boy

wants to paint his face though just to give his instructor a fright!! meanwhile I have

lots of little lollie bags filled with sour worms and black jelly beans and some lolly pops

called blood suckers ugh! I will hand these out to all the kids I do see.

I decorated these lanterns that I bought from a thrift shop for a dollar or two. Just check the glass pops out from the inside and you can spray paint them any colour and then reinsert the glass. Can you imagine them done in glittery white for christmas too, it was a real struggle to decide which I would do halloween or christmas, so I will probably do some more for christmas