Tree Trimming...

Last Saturday was Crop Day at Michaels.  I decided to pick up a new Sizzix die and play with it.  I'd been toying with some ideas for this particular die and decided it was time to try it out.

I planned to make cards with this and, because it's a tree, I started playing with different patterns of green paper.  As I was cutting out the trees, I thought it would be cool to use the negative side of this die, too, so I made the first tree card using a negative.

I placed a glittery, embossed piece of green cardstock behind the shape of the cut-out tree, matted it, added the ribbon, and I was done.  

This one is using the negative method, too.  I glittered the card, placed the negative cut-out tree over the glitter and added the snowflakes made from Martha Stewart's Punch Around the Page set in the Aspen pattern.  

I used the actual tree on this one.  I did kind of an ombre glitter effect.  The ombre turned out really well, but this was a bit more time consuming.  I mounted it on an embossed mat reminiscent of swirling snow.  

As I was taking a picture of the last green card, Lucky decided to photobomb the picture.  This card has two cut out trees mounted on it - one cut out of a pattern, the other cut out of plain green cardstock - and then decorated with Stickles.  The snowflake pattern along the edge is a Martha Stewart punch.

By this time, I was getting a bit tired of green, so went with a couple of other color patterns.

What's Christmas without the red to go with the green?  :)  This card is a cut out tree mounted on a plain white card, embellished with Stickles, and tied with a glittery, red ribbon.

Again, a white tree mounted on a white mat, mounted on a white card.  Martha Stewart's turquoise and silver tinsel glitters add the sparkle here, as well as three colors of her fine glitter as embellishments.  

Off to play with paints today!  Enjoy those fall colors....  

Kath

Christmas in July

In this age of technology, it's a huge frustration when a computer goes down.  Mine went silent on June 12.  Since then, I've limped along with my iPad, but frankly, it just doesn't do everything I'd like it to do.  So, my blog writing has suffered.

The lack of a computer has not hampered me from creating new things, however.  I've been super busy cranking out item after item.  Over the last ten days, I've been feverishly working to get sample items together.  I wanted to use them to apply for Heidi Swapp's media team.  I completed all of the samples, only to find myself stymied by the lack of proper computer technology.  Kind of tough to actively promote your technology skills with...well...technology.  Three hours before the deadline, I gave up.  There will always be next year.

I also recently put together a mini album.  My sister's branch office assembled a "Christmas in July" basket for a company picnic that was held last week.  She asked me to create an album for the basket.  I pulled out my Christmas papers and went to town.  It was kind of fun to bring out the Christmas stuff again.

The album measures 5" x 5" and there is room for a minimum of 18 pictures.  There are four pockets in the album, a tiny "openable" as Heidi Swapp calls them, and lots of pretty things.  My sister was thrilled.  I hope the recipient of the Christmas in July basket was also thrilled!  :)

This page features one of the pockets and some little embellishments on sticks.  It's finished off with some silver and white twine.  Super cute!

Pennants are a hot theme right now - love these made from lots of pretty papers in the stack.  The embellishments at the bottom include a snowman - his scarf flapping in the winter wind -, a little penguin floating his star shaped balloon, and a sparkly snowflake highlighted with a blue Swarovski crytal.  

Another pennant banner, this one being held up by two cute little snowmen.  This banner floats free of the page so that a picture or journaling can be added under it.  

Another pocket page - this one on the side between the two pages.  I love the cream and blue winter-y colors on this page.  More glittery snowflakes are highlighted....

This pocket holds a journaling tag, or two, if you prefer.  More pretty blue and cream colors.

I love plaids.  This one is so cheery!  More sparkly snowflakes and Swarovski crystals.  

My favorite page of the book!  This is the cover of a mini open-able flip album, as Heidi Swapp calls them.  There is room to mount pictures and journaling on this page, if desired.  But the coolest feature is....wait for it....

The pages flip up to reveal MORE places to put memorabilia, pictures, journaling, notes, or whatever you desire.  On this one small 5" x 5" page, the flip book allows room to store at least five pictures.  Amazing!  More pages of the flip book follow....

This last page is a pocket, too, which allows it to hold more than one picture or memorabilia.  It could also be used to just frame some pictures and skip the pocket altogether.  I love versatility!!  :)

ANOTHER pocket.  More great ways to store things in a small space.  The tag sports red glitter dots along the top edge.   I also love that super glitzy, glittery arrow.  So pretty!

Aren't these guys adorable?!  Love, love, love them!  This is a pocket page, too.  You can see the tag sticking up out of the top of the pocket.  

Here's the tag.  I love the word "this".  Remember this.  Feel this.  Think about this.  Experience this.  Celebrate this.

The back of the "This" tag.  Sweet little bow and some gingham.  You can't go wrong there.  :)

And finally.....

Santa Claus!!!  

I hope you enjoyed this little album.  I had a great time making it.

Summer frames

I've been a busy girl for the last week.

In February, a little girl named Isabella was born.  She was premature,weighing only 1 pound and 2.8 ounces.  She had to have surgery to close a hole in her heart.  She is so tiny - so very fragile. And she is already an important member of our community.

This is Isabella at one month old.

In a few weeks, our community is holding a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for Baby Isabella.  There will also be a Chinese auction.  My friend, Tracy, asked me if I could contribute one of my handcrafted items for the Chinese auction.  

I happened to have a couple of unfinished frames and some new Martha Stewart Crafting Clay in my stash, and I had a few ideas running through my head.  On Wednesday night I got down to work.

Here are the final results.  First up is a summery, rather beachy scene, inspired by Webster's Page's new line called the Palm Beach.  I loved the colors in this line and wanted to find a way to work with them.  

There is a quote written around the heart opening that reads, "The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea."  Isak Dinsen

The other frame is also summery, although it's more about our summer holidays.  So...it's...ya know - patriotic and stuff.

So, which one do you like best?