Woodland Santa Project - SUPER LONG POST

First off let me say that I am a lazy blogger! I do good for awhile and then POOF I just get to where I don't want to post my stuff because I'm too lazy to upload the pictures and write a post but this project deserves a post. Okay it really does but also I had so many questions about it on Facebook I thought it would be easier to make a blog post than answer all the questions asked individually!

I am a Santa collector and at Christmas my house is mainly decorated with my Santa collection. It makes it easy to decorate the house and also to put them away *okie suddenly wonders if is she is a lazy holiday decorator as well*. Anyway I found this free digital stamp image on  CreatingWithoutCrayons -JackiePNeal when I was doing a search for Santa images and I just knew I had to do something with it!

Since there was so much detail in the image I knew there would be hours of work and it took me 2 days to get the image cleaned up for cutting and the converting to an SVG at that point only took like 3 seconds...if that long!

I used Make The Cut to transform the image from a digital stamp into a workable SVG file for cutting. To do that I had to do the following:

1. Pixel Trace and Clean Up - this required a lot of manipulation with the node mode so I could get rid of a lot of small pieces that give the digital stamp the definition because they were just clutter for a cutting image.

2. Layering - I had to move different individual pieces to new layers and then join them, such as the berries, pieces for the birds, beard, etc so the image could start taking shape and I could add color so I could get a better idea of what I was looking at for the cutting process.

3. Move layers - once I had about 2,491 layers *okie thinks she might exaggerate a bit* I had to make sure I had what layers belong together and then join those so I could get down to my basic layers and I was able to get it down to about 10 layers or so, I'm too lazy to count right now but that sounds about right.

Now once I got the file all ready for cutting I had to find what colors I wanted. I did a solid layer in brown and then the "outline" layer in brown so I would have a base to work with. Cutting the base layer took no time at all but that outline layer...well I went to a family reunion, had 3 naps, ate breakfast, lunch and an early dinner and it was still cutting! Okay so it didn't really take that long but it did take quite awhile, maybe 10-15 minutes.

I started by gluing the bottom of the image of the outline layer to the bottom of the solid base and then put in the poinsettia leaves pieces. I didn't glue down the full outline because I wanted to make sure my pieces fit and if the outline wasn't in the correct place the image wouldn't inlay correctly.

From there I went with  the poinsettia leaves and centers. This allowed me to work from the bottom up on the image and get the outline placed properly.

I would cut each layer, that was dedicated to each different color, and leave it on my mat and take off the pieces as I was placing them so I would know where the pieces went. When I got to doing the berries I was definitely glad I was doing it that way because if I had taken the berries off the mat there would have been no way I would have been able to get them all in the right place and the whole project would have went into the trash!

It took me a couple of hours to do the cutting and putting the image together but it was rather enjoyable and I watch the series "Mindhunter" on Netflix while doing the project, excellent series by the way! And before I knew it POOF the whole image was put together! Oh and if you ever decide to do such a project I would highly recommend getting a FineLine glue applicator because that made it a lot easier not to get glue every where during the whole process!

If you know me then you know I can't leave well enough alone and have to do more detail than just cutting of paper. In this picture you can see the difference between the original and after I added more embellishment for better detail. If you click the picture and make it bigger you will be able to see the difference a little better.

The birds had some Perfect Pearls added in blue and cream and the black of their eyes were done with Nuvo Drops. I used an Promarker on the holly leaves for added depth. The berries were a bit of a process, I used Promarker to shade and then went over with Diamond Stickles and then added Glossy Accents as a final layer. It might not show in the picture but in person it was worth the extra effort.

I did two shadow layers for the Season's Greetings because I'm just extra that way. The bottom layer is Coredinations Expresso and I sanded it for a distressed look and I added Diamond Stickles to the top layer for sparkle...it's Santa, it's Christmas, there has to be as much sparkle as possible!

I found the lightest shade of gray I had and used it for adding shading to his beard, mustache and hair. Perfect Pearls were used on the Poinsettia's to add shading and depth. Although it's not in this picture I did use Promarkers for shading on his face as well and I think that is when I realized how much taking the extra time was really going to make a difference and make the whole image POP.

My friend Carmen had found an excellent deal on some wooden pallet things at Walmart months ago and gave me a few and that is what I chose to mount the Santa on. I painted it with some Red Cardinal acrylic paint and then went over with a layer of Milk Paint. Once the paint dried I put on a layer of Furniture Matte Modge Podge, it was used because it was what I had on hand, and then glued down the Santa image and the lettering. 

I can honestly say this project took a lot of time and patience but I think it was worth every bit of the effort I put in it. I am very rarely happy with my projects but this is one that I can look at and think "dang I did pretty good!".

I do have some more projects to post because even though I haven't posted I have been crafting!!

It's Summer...Hurry Up Christmas!

Happy Sunday and I got something to show you today!!

So summer time is here and many folks will be heading off to the beaches and I have a little project that will be making you want Christmas to hurry up and get here! Okay, Okay I can hear some of you saying "OKIE YOU'RE NUTS!! WE DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT CHRISTMAS DURING THE SUMMER"...but wait!! Just hear me out and see for yourself....and at the end of the post I will remind you that you thought I was crazy!

So when I went on the first Cricut Cruise back in 2011 we were told to gather some sand from each beach so we could use on some of the projects, and for whatever reason I have kept that sand for years...like 6 years to be exact! *okie wonders who the hell keeps sand for 6 years in baggies in a closet* Anyway my friend Karen was coming for Christmas and I wanted to make her some gifts and I had to be careful about what I made to make sure she could pack it for the plane ride back home. I had been working on some glitter ornaments and it occurred to me that I had sand from the cruise and wondered how it would work in the clear plastic ornaments. I used the same method for the sand as I had the glitter, coating the inside of the ornament with Minwax Polyacrylic and the pouring in the sand and moving the ornament around so it would be coated well. 

So go ahead and ask..."Okie how did it turn out?" and to you I say....I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Here is a close up of one of the ornaments. While gathering sand at the beaches I gathered shells as well and most of them where small, causing me much frustration because I wanted bigger shells but boy have those small shells came in handy for crafting projects!! I used some Maya Road twine to go around the top of the ornament because it mimicked rope well, then used a glue gun to apply the shells. I decorated each ornament differently at the top with shells and twine.

Here is a picture of the ornaments on the tree in regular light. It's pretty cool to see how each sand is different from the other. I thought San Juan had the darkest sand but oddly enough it was Megan's Bay that had the darkest sand!  By using different point size with the fonts I was able to put the name of the beach and the location which is a nice touch because as I get older I tend to forget things a lot more easily.

At night time the ornaments almost change looks because of how the light hits the inside and almost illuminates the sand.

Karen loved the ornaments and I love the set I made for myself. We will always have a unique way to remember our first cruise!

Now remember at the beginning of the post where y'all thought I was crazy? Yeah ya don't think I'm so crazy now do ya!! So remember to take those baggies with ya to the beach and get ya some sand and shells while there and get busy making some Christmas ornaments when you get home and now y'all can be saying "IT'S SUMMER....HURRY UP CHRISTMAS!!"

Mixed Media - Advice From A Christmas Tree

I have often looked at Mixed Media projects and thought some of them were really cool looking and my LSS, Scraptopia, has classes quite often and my friend Linda H. asked if I wanted to go to the Advice From A Christmas Tree class and I told her I thought it sounded like fun. I was suppose to do another class one time with her but what I had pictured in my head was something totally different than what they did and when I saw what she made I was upset I didn't go.

Anyway, last night I made it to the class and not only did I have a great time and meet some new people but I also made a really cool Mixed Media project!

I am not sure where Trina came up with the idea for this project but I just love it! I always thought Mixed Media projects looked complicated but I guess it's all in the techniques that make it look complicated. 

I always wondered how they got the textured look on the canvas and was surprised it was just crinkled tissue paper, not to be confused with toilet tissue paper of course, and Modge Podge. 

We did stamping on the canvas as well with a variety of stamps and I was nervous about the stamp not being a full stamped image but Trina assured us that it wasn't suppose to be *okie remembers how she had to take a deep breath on that one and just go with the flow*. 

Now as we all know, or most everyone knows I am all about inking edges and to get the brown ink around the elements we used a brown Tombow, I believe it was, marker and then we either used our fingers or a Q-tip to smear the marker ink. I used my finger and it may never come off but who cares since I have a cute canvas now. 

In the picture you might notice some of the red dots on the tree look foggy, well that was because I took a picture before the glossy accents had fully dried. I still have to go over the whole thing with a coat of Modge Podge but since I have some of that gluey goodness at home I knew I could finish it up later instead of waiting at the scrapbook store and allowing it to dry and then applying the final coat.

I'm so glad my friend Linda H. asked me to go and I can't wait for the next class which is going to be Advice From A Snowman. We won't be doing that one until after Christmas but that's okay and I think I might have my daughter go with me to that one. 

Sometime ago I bought some packs of canvas, because I am sure I got them at a good price, and I can't wait to maybe do some with Santa Claus themes since that is what I love to decorate with at Christmas time. After all, I still have 9 days before Christmas!

Ghiradelli Box with BONUS Candy Favors

It seems at Christmas time, and other holidays as well, we are rushing around trying to figure out cute little things to make to dress up simple things like candy to make it a little more special. One of my favorite things is a little box that holds those scrumptious delectable Ghiradelli Squares!

I have made these for Christmas and Valentine's day and they were always a hit. I try to watch after the holiday's for them to go on clearance so I can use them for the next holiday since they can be quite expensive. 

These little boxes are quick to cut and decorate and are great for coworkers, friends, stocking stuffers, etc. 

There are instructions out there for cutting these without a machine but why do that when we have perfectly great machines that can make the task so much faster and simpler, no measuring is always a good thing in my book!

In the Zip file I have also included the Lollipop Holder and Tic Tac Holder.

The lollipop holder is another fast and easy cut and they are just adorable! You can dress them up for any holiday by choosing different papers. They would also be great for birthday favors.

I have included 5 different decorative tops to choose from so the favor can be used for what ever occasion needed.

The Tic Tac holder does have a snowman cut but I also included a full cut blank cover so you can decorate anyway you wish. There are so many ways to decorate that I can't even list them all. 

I ran red line tape along the middle of the cover and applied ribbon to keep the cover closed and then also used the red line tape down the spine to keep the Tic Tac box in place. 

To purchase just click the "Buy Now" button and follow the directions that are listed below the buy now button.

4 files are included in this purchase and is downloaded as a Zip File.

• 1 PDF file - instructions for assembling the Ghiradelli Box
• 3 SVG files - Ghiradelli Box, Lollipop Holder, Tic Tac Holder

Price: $5.00

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

Grinch Vinyl Quote

About 3 years ago my friend Karen wanted a vinyl quote with the Grinch. I can't remember now what she was going to use it for, or maybe she just wanted it for herself, and while she was here visiting I made the file and we cut it out.

I ended up using it myself and putting it in a frame and using it for a gift. It was one of those that took me awhile to get the font and placement right but I really liked the end results and I need to make one for myself! I have some Christmas pictures I do put up at Christmas, most of Santa but I think this one would be a nice addition to what I already have.

To purchase just click the "Buy Now" button and follow the directions that are listed below the buy now button. 

Price: $2.00

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the file from Google Drive. 

Red Santa Bags - I'm In Love!!!

So my friend Carmen sent me a package last week and I was so excited when I saw it was some red Santa bags! I loved the velvety feel of them but I wasn't sure how well they would hold HTV since it isn't a smooth surface but since a lot of folks have gone crazy over adding HTV to some little cheap elves I figured I would give it a shot and oh boy how glad I did! These bags are HUGE...they measure 27" wide x 36" tall so they will hold a lot of gifts from the fat man himself!

On the first red bag I did I just used the same design that I had used on the canvas bags I did. I had to change some of the colors out since I thought the white would show better on the red than the black. I also had to change the red berries to white berries. Where I had a red stamped circle I changed it to green and the black stamped image was changed to white. I was really pleased on how well it turned out.

Carmen had found an image and emailed it to me and I tweaked it a bit for what I needed and came up with this design. It seemed to waste quite a bit of  HTV but I think I have worked with it enough now and broke it apart to where I can get the cuts using the least amount of HTV *okie so hates wasting HTV* and making it a little more cost effective. That is one thing I love about Make The Cut, the ability to tear apart a whole image and use what you need, add what you want and then put it all back together how you think it works best for you. 

The little star looking designs are some Spectrum holographic HTV that I got a couple of years ago and I think it added a nice little touch but I am going to do a little tweaking with it as well. It really shines in person, so much more than what shows in the picture. 

Hopefully I can get some of these sold or I am going to have a closet full of stuff I can't use for myself! 

Snowman Ornaments with Hats and Gingerbread Bonus!

Last year after Christmas when I was in Houston I hit up a few Hobby Lobby's and bought a few packages of the 3.25" clear ornaments, there is 4 in a package, that everyone had been using to decorate so I could do some of the glitter ornaments that is all the rage. I really hadn't decided exactly what to do and I have done a few that are personalized. I had gotten some brown fine glitter a few weeks ago thinking I could do some Gingerbread ornaments and I also wanted to try my hand at some snowmen ornaments.  

I  made a file for a Gingerbread face about a week ago and loved it and after that I decided to make some for snowmen but that wasn't good enough and I thought "They need hats!". After two days of designing and tweaking *okie thinks she really needs to get a degree in engineering or something to make this whole process go faster* I was able to get the files done.

I have already posted some pictures in a group on Facebook and got an overwhelming response about how much people loved the ornaments. For once I was pleased with my results, so many times I don't like what I make but ya know they say we are our own worst critics.

Since the hangers are covered by the hats I included a hole in the top of the hats so ribbon can be tied to the hanger and then threaded through the top of the hat. After I got the faces on I thought they looked a little plain so I decided to try some alcohol ink to put a blush on the cheeks and it worked! Just don't be heavy handed with the alcohol ink and if you have some alcohol blending solution it makes it easier to correct any mistakes, or an alcohol blender pen will help with any touch ups a well. I used one of those little triangle make up sponges and just a dot or two of ink and then pounced on paper before pouncing on the cheek area.

 

Decorating the hats was a lot of fun because there are so many options. The file does include a cut for a paper ban but I used ribbon instead. I also included some holly leaves in the file but for mine I used the Martha Stewart holly leaf punch and tree branch punch. The red "berries" are some hot fix embellishments, I believe from Imaginisce. On the lady hat I also added some hot fix rhinestones. The little silver embellishments are ribbon slides. I added some Sobo glue at the bottom edge of the hat so they would stay in place on the ornaments. Guys I can't tell you enough about how awesome this glue is for things that are hard to adhere!

 

Now about the Gingerbread bonus! 

The brown glitter is some that I found at Hobby Lobby, not in the scrapbook department though. I am going to replace their mouths with some white vinyl so they show up better because with the brown glitter they are just too hard to see since they are so thin. 

The girl Gingerbread man *okie thinks that just doesn't even sound right* I added some eye lashes so she would look more womanly, or girly, whichever you prefer. The ribbon is attached with Sobo glue but I think some redline tape would work just as well. 

Putting on the squiggle outline can be a little tricky because of the spherical design of ornaments and I did have to trim a few areas because there are wrinkles after applying. While I feel like I am an adequate designer, I am not a genius in this area and wasn't able to make the file to avoid this. But hey, it's a free bonus!!

If you would like to purchase this file you may do so and once purchased it is yours to do with what you wish, as long as you are not re-selling or sharing the file.

Price: 5.00 

Once you hit the "BUY NOW" it will take you to Paypal where you can pay for the item. Once purchase is complete Paypal will redirect you to "Return to Merchant" where you will given the link to download the files from Google Drive. 

4 files are included in this purchase.

• 2 PDF files - 1 with basic instructions for the SVG files and the other that is a picture tutorial of how to assemble the hats.
• 2 SVG files - 1 file of Snowman faces, along with the Gingerbread faces bonus. The other file is for the hats.

Christmas Themed Acrylic Mini Album

I tried to get all fancy and edit the video I made but that just didn't work out too well. I hate that we are forced to change things that we know how to use and then can't find somthing similar, such as the Windows Movie Maker. Oh I could use it but it won't recognize the type of file my camera uses and well it was just one headache after another so I just uploaded the dang thing to Youtube "as is". Ya'll are gonna have to excuse my poor video skills...I know I really do suck at it.

The paper I used for the album is Basic Grey Wassail and was one of the first BG collections I purchased. Oh how I did use to love my Basic Grey! At least until they started getting some really funky patterns and by then I had started my love affair with Graphic 45.

Anyway here is video of the mini album and by golly someone better watch it because it a dang hour and a half to upload! I seriously went to Walmart and came back and the thing was still uploading so....

WATCH THE DANG VIDEO PLEASE!!!

The Angel Tree Christmas Story

Every Christmas I share this story and I thought I would post it a little earlier than Christmas day this year. This story actually reminded me of what a good heart my child had when she was going through some difficult times and gave me hope that God would lead her back to her good heart. I am proud to say she made it through her dark years and now is in possession of this giving heart once again. 

THE ANGEL TREE CHRISTMAS STORY

When my daughter turned 8 years old she had gotten birthday money from relatives,  probably a total of about $40. We went to Wal-Mart so she could spend her birthday money. I had decided we would go to McDonalds to get a bite to eat first. There was an Angel Tree in front of the McDonalds there in Walmart.

My daughter asked what it was and I explained to her that it was for children whose parents couldn't afford to buy them Christmas gifts. I told her let's go eat and she continued to look at the names on the tree.

She grabbed my hand and said "Mom look, this little girl only wants some clothes and a barbie doll". I think she thought it impossible that a child would want mostly clothes.

I looked and noticed the only toy on there was a Barbie, I think the child's age was about 5.

My daughter looked up at me with pleading eyes and said "Moma would it be okay if I spent my birthday money on this angel?"

I couldn't speak as a piercing warmth shot through my heart. I was fighting tears, as I am now remembering this moment. My daughter looked at me and said "I won't Moma if you are gonna be upset". I told her "hang on a minute" while I continued to fight back the tears and choked to find the words I wanted to say. I knew I would just bust out crying if I said much more. After a few moments and a couple of deep breaths I composed myself I told her "baby if you want to spend your birthday money on this little angel then I will match you dollar for dollar".

We went to eat and my daughter kept looking over the list of items from the angel she had pulled off the tree. After we got done she was so excited to go and buy for this little girl. I did as I promised and  matched dollar for dollar, plus another $20 because daughter thought the little girl needed some things to go with her barbie doll that she picked out for the little girl. My daughter even said "you don't have to buy me anymore gifts Mom, just spend it on her. Santa will bring me stuff anyway".

We got the shopping done and took it to Customer Service where my daughter informed the lady to "make sure it is wrapped pretty". My daughter spent every last dime of her birthday money that day on someone else.

I can honestly say that on that day I had never been more proud of my child and still am to this day for her unselfish act of giving up her birthday money to make sure some little girl got her Christmas wishes.

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

I didn't get to play with the Explore last night due to the kids coming over. My Goddaughter Amber and I had started watching American Horror Story Freak Show series before I moved and last night was the first time we were able to catch up. Thank goodness I figured out the DVR and can record shows! Also my daughter had texted me and asked if she could come over and put up the Christmas tree so needless to say my evening was filled with time with the kids...but that is a good thing! I cooked dinner for the kids, we had Garlic Shrimp Pasta, Chicken Alfredo, Garlic Bread, Breadsticks and Salad *okie wonders if she should tell that the pasta and bread were from the frozen food section but decides to let everyone think she has become a master chef over the last 6 months*. I made them eat at the table and told them "no cell phones at the table". I really enjoyed listening to them have conversations about various things and the good thing was that most of the people they talked about I was familiar with and that lets me know I'm doing something right because even though they are young adults I am still in tune with what goes on in their lives.

The Christmas tree I have was procured *okie is suddenly impressed with her vocabulary with using the word procured and then feels sad remembering she is easily impressed* at my local bargain store a few years ago. My daughter and I were in there looking around and came across this tree and I liked it because it was slimmer than the one I had and it also already had the lights on it. I think I paid a whole $20 or $30 for it and then come to find out it was an almost $400 tree from one of those home shopping network places. The lights at the very bottom on one side don't work but we just put that side toward the window and it's not noticeable.

I love, love, love Christmas trees! I love to see all the decorations and could browse pictures of trees for hours. There are so many different ways to decorate a tree but every year ours is decorated with the same ornaments. Each of our ornaments has a story behind it and my daughter and I can tell you about each one. When Shiane was probably in 1st grade we started going and picking out ornaments that were alike but just a tad different and then writing our name and the year on the bottom or back of the ornament. One day when she has her own tree she will get her ornaments for her tree. It gives me so much joy to look at my tree and see the ornaments because it's not the ornament that means so much but the memory behind each one. I have some from friends, some that I made, some that we bought and all the ornaments that Shiane made me when she was little. My tree will never look as gorgeous as the ones in the magazines, nor will it be one that makes people gasp with admiration but the truth is the most expensive ornaments in the world would never be worth more than the ones I have on my tree because mine is filled with love and fond memories that gladden my heart and make me smile.

Christmas Tins Featuring Graphic45

A few years ago I found some mini lunchbox tins at Dollar Tree and have altered them with several different themes. For the last 12 I had I did a Christmas theme using Graphic45 papers that I had picked up on my vacation last year while in Orlando. Some of the papers were punchout sheets and it made it really easy to alter the tin. I had made these for the craft show that Linda and I did and I only sold one of them. People just weren't buying much of anything at the show so I don't feel too bad. I used two for gifts and put some small Bath and Body Works lotion and body wash in them. I will find a use for them along the line.

For this tin I used a daisy punch to make poinsettias and used the branch punch to add some greenery. The black flourish is a piece of a larger design made by Prima Marketing. I bought my first ones at a LSS but I still pick them up sometimes at Hobby Lobby when they are on sale or I have a coupon.

 I used some felt flowers to add embellishing on this one and also some hotfix stones in several areas. I thought the 3 brads at the bottom of the larger punch out image added interest as well.











I wanted to show this one where I added Flower Soft to the wreath on Santa's head. It gives some great dimension and is super easy to use. I used a holly leaf punch and Perfet Pearls to add a little more embellishment to the tin.

My friend Karen and I made handles out of clear and pearl beads since the original handles were white plastic and didn't look well with the theme of the tin. We also added a few feathers and a snowflake charm to the handle.

 

Here is a picture of how I had the tins displayed at the craft show. A few people wanted to know if the Bath and Body Works came with the tin. The Tin was priced at $12 and since the little bottles run about $5 each I couldn't help but look at them like they were crazy and reply "those are for display only".

Winter Wreath - File Available

One of the few Martha Stewart things I like is the branch punch that came out a few years ago. I have seen people use the punch to make wreaths and they are beautiful but after using that punch quite a bit I know how hard it can be to punch out the paper and when I saw this image I thought it would be a great wreath.

I do have 3 color layers but it might look good with even more layers. I didn't add any cuts for berries or such since I think it would be great with some Candi paper brads or the small "skittles" as we all called them a few years back, or whatever your imagination can think of.

Download File:
Winter Wreath

Snowman - File Available

Sometime ago my friend Carmen asked me if I could make a file from a snowman image she found. I thought he was so cute that I told her I would try. Okay let's be honest here, I did it because she is one of my BFF's and I always try a to make a file if she wants me to *okie thinks there are some benefits of being one of okie's BFFs*.

The black strings of the scarf were something that perplexed me a bit since I didn't want to have to cut all the tiny white pieces so I fixed that by make the black of the scarf a new layer. This will also make it pop out a little more for some dimension.

With all the cold and snowy weather on the east coast last week hopefully someone can use this in a layout and if you do please be share to a picture of it.

Download File:
SNOWMAN

Naughty Or Nice - Layout

I have to find a picture of my daughter with Santa for this one, I know I have one somewhere in all my pictures, at least I think I do!

I was thinking maybe I could use the list image for the journaling. The layout seems pretty plain and not sure I will use the basic layout as it is but I do want to use the Santa face and the list. The font I used is Santas Sleigh and it is a great font for Christmas projects.

 Download File:
NAUGHTY OR NICE LAYOUT

Poinsettias - File Available

One of my favorite Christmas items are poinsettias. I love the big green and red leaves of the plants and of course the small center flower just adds more interest and color to the whole plant.

I am wanting to eventually use this for a Christmas layout and maybe even add more layers to fluff them up. I'm not sure how well they would work for a card with all the "veins" of the leaves. Of course one of the good things of Make The Cut is that they can easily be removed.

Download File:
POINSETTIAS

Fancy Ornaments - File Available

I mentioned in a post a few days ago I had some files I would be sharing and this is the first of them.

I found an image of these ornaments and thought they would make great embellisments on cards or layouts. I broke them apart to add layers for different coloring and I just used the red, black and white to show the contrast of the design better. I haven't cut these so hopefully they cut okay.

I wish my fancy ornaments were down off my Christmas tree and put away, along with all the other items. My friend Carmen keeps telling me that I can't take it down until the 5th of January because the Magi haven't returned, or something like that. I told her "well that was 2014 years ago so I think they got back a long time ago". Actually my tree and ornaments will come down when my daughter gets them down. I didn't even want to put up a tree this year but she insisted. I did tell her "if you put it up then you take it down", to which she agreed. I just forgot to stipulate a time limit on the agreement *okie thinks she needs a lawyer sometimes to handle such things*. 

Download the file -
FANCY ORNAMENTS

Happy New Year! Grinch File Available

Just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I have my ribs in the oven, black-eyed peas in the crockpot and will be making some cabbage a little later. I'm in no hurry to eat right now so those things will be for supper. My daughter has to work so her boyfriend will be taking her food to her later. She is excited to work today because she gets paid time and a half.

I thought I would post a Grinch file I had made and haven't gotten posted. I will be trying to get some other files posted soon as well. I have been busy making files but just not getting the posted. Hopefully since this is a new year I can start over and start posting more often *okie thinks she really dropped the ball in 2013*.

I did the mean face Grinch first and then thought I probably needed an nice face Grinch as well. I did start designing a layout with the two images but not sure I like it so probably won't be posting it.

Download the Make The Cut file by clicking below:

Download the SVG file by clicking below:

Christmas Memories - Layout

I have been working on this layout for the last few days and most of the time layouts don't take me this long but this one did! I think it was all the detail in the Christmas tree that was the hold up.

For holiday layouts I usually always like to do two pages so I can get more bang for my buck, or in other words, more pictures in the layout.  I could have used smaller pictures and used more but how many pictures do I need of the kids opening gifts?

In choosing the pictures I tried to get them opening their favorite or meaningful gifts and then of them with their gift from Santa. I am glad I got a good picture of Chuck and Shiane in front of the Christmas tree. I did choose to double mat that picture and pop dot it. I know it's hard to tell in the pictures sometimes how much dimension there is on some of my stuff but most of ya'll know I love dimension!










I was very lucky this year and the kids did the cooking and cleaning up, best Christmas present EVER! My daughter's friend Alicia came over to open her gifts and to have dinner with us so I made sure to get pictures of her for the layout as well.

It made sense to me for me to use a picture of the kids at the dinner table for the big picture. I think in the future sometime Shiane can always look and remember how they cooked Christmas dinner. Dinner was very good by the way!

A lot of Mica and Bling cardstock was used in the layout and I usually don't use so much in one layout but it needed to be festive and special for Christmas. I used various embossing folders to add some interest to the gifts. I was going to use patterned paper but then thought I would like the embossing better.

I did use a few regular rectangles for gifts so I could fill in an area or two without having to make all special cuts. The stack of presents was one from a file from Miss Kates Cuttables, can't remember which one right off hand.

On the title I used Script MT Bold, one of my favorite fonts for welding and cutting. I cut the capital letters in red and the rest in an olive green. On the C and M I used the Divine Swirls embossing folder and for the rest of the word I used Swiss Dots. I added Stickles to the embossed areas. For the date I used Stampin Up Modern Label and Word Window punches.





 
Now for the tree...oh that tree! I found the tree image on the internet and did a pixel trace in MTC. I cut it out of a shade of olive Coredinations and then sanded the "branch" ends for a distressed look. I added pop dots under the branch areas as well.

The pearl garland was totally made by me. I used a curve shape and then added small circles to the curve and then welded. To get the garland to fit right I copy and pasted the first string and placed them where I thought it looked okay. I then welded several sections together at a time so the garland is in about 4 pieces. I was afraid the machine wouldn't want to read all the nodes well if I did it as a single piece. I only glued the main ends down and then a spot or two in the middle so the garland would have a swaggy, loopy look.

The ornaments on the tree are from a Stampin Up Digital Download file called Ornament Keepsakes Kit. I imported the SVG file into MTC and then resized them to fit for the Christmas tree. I could have made the ornaments just solid but I remember my mom having some very old ornaments where the middle "sunk" in and was more decorative than the rest of the bulb so for the ornaments cut shapes out of the middle of the larger ornaments.

To decorate the ornaments I used Liquid Pearls which worked out nicely. I used a silver gel pen to add the "cap" to the ornament. I pop dotted most of the ormanets and placed some where they looked like they were hanging off the branches.

I am making the file available for download but the ornament images will not be included in the file since they came from Stampin Up. The rest of the images are there available to cut.

To download the file for use with MAKE THE CUT click below:
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES LAYOUT