"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
I worked with a stamp from stamping Bella that I have been wanting to use for a while - it is soooo adorable and perfect for a little boy! I paired it up with papers from We R Memory Keepers and used Copic markers to match the paper.
It was really easy to put together and I was very happy with how it turned out! There is no bottom crust but the recipe called for a top crust. Instead of making up a pie crust, and to make it really easy, I bought some Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, cut strips from the dough and laid them over the filling. They browned up nicely while the filling cooked and the combination tasted wonderful.
I had lots of fun deciding what my tags should look like and then I got busy creating them. I started with a Stamping Bella Stamp and then used my Copic markers to color the scarf and gift. I did add a bit of warm gray to the bear, although it doesn't show up too well in my photos.
Then I added some Glamour Dust to the snowflakes and ground. I also added some Glossy Accents to the bear's nose. I layered the finished image on a large snowflake, a circle of MME paper and a scalloped white cardstock circle. Last, but not least, I tied some ribbon to the top.
Rosanne has promised to host another swap next Christmas and I am looking forward to it already! Thanks Rosanne!
We arrived at 2:00 pm and when we drove down the drive and saw Langdon Hall for the first time, it was breathtaking. I was sure I was going back in time!
The estate is absolutely gorgeous and it was completely decorated for the Christmas season. Every room had a real Christmas tree in it, plus real pine wreaths and boughs. I kept taking in deep breaths of the wonderful smell of the greenery and it brought peace to my soul.
We took our tea in the Conservatory, a wonderful room with windows all around. We were seated right next to the fire place and a warm fire crackled and burned while we relaxed in the beauty of our surroundings.
The finest linens, silver and china were placed before us and we each chose our tea.
We were served Orange Blossom & Traditional Scones with St. Jacob’s Style Apple Butter, Preserves & Heavy Cream. Delicious!
We were also given a variety of savories and sweets that were a treat for our taste buds!
It was an unhurried afternoon of pure delight and we promised we would do it again sometime.
Thank you Mary and Sarah for joining me. It was a wonderful time and a memory I will always treasure.
I did some straight and zig-zag sewing and I just love how much it adds to the card! I used some bits and pieces of MME paper that I had, a stamp from Stamping Bella, Copic markers, and ribbon, button, twine and decorative pin from my stash. The cardstock is Prism and Bazzill. Thanks for a great challenge Avril!
I loved the colors but I have to admit, it took me a while before I came up with an idea.
Based on the swirls and colors in the photo, I decided to make a swirl tree using my Cricut. Then I picked up on the blue by using this gorgeous paper from MME for my background. I added the ornaments by printing words on my computer and backed them using a new punch by Martha Stewart. Then I added a border across the bottom and for a finishing touch, I added some gold bling.
The colors are a soft blue and taupe with just a hint of pink. A nice soothing combination.
I have also added a couple of special pieces that I just love. This little iron bird bath is one of my favorites! Purchased in St. Jacobs, it sits atop an antique secretary desk - the first piece of furniture I bought on my own when I was still living at home before I got married.
Another favorite is my little painted chair. It was originally owned by my husband's parents and it used to be painted brown. One summer, I decided that a nice coat of white paint would look perfect on it. It has worn a little as it often spends time on our front porch, but in the winter months, I love to bring it inside. It now has a special place in our guest room.
'Twas the night before Christmas was created using my favorite seasonal line this year, My Minds Eye. I adore the rich colors and I especially love the plaid!
I combined it with chipboard from My Little Yellow Bicycle (gorgeous!), some twine and brads from my stash. I also used my Tiny Attacher from Tim Holtz to hold my paper ruffle and title in place. It is such a cool tool!
My finishing touch was lots of Vintage Photo Distress Ink! It felt good to create a page (I haven't done one for a while) and I just love how it turned out. If you want to give the sketch a try, just go to the Forum and you will find the sketch under Design Team Challenges. I would love to see your finished page!
Happy 22nd birthday Tyler!
I used a metal word charm, mini safety pin and a metal clip, all from Tim Holtz. Then I added a couple of brads from my stash. I also used some Cosmo Cricket paper scraps I had, Copic markers, a Jenni Bowlin journal card and ribbon from my stash.
I can look back and say that we had a wonderful summer. I enjoyed some traveling, visited with family and our store kept very busy. Then came Fall.
We hosted a huge, successful Fall Retreat, I was away for a scrapbooking weekend with my BFF, I visited my family twice, celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary, attended a couple of courses for work, became part of a new challenge blog and enjoyed our Canadian and American Thanksgivings. It was an extremely good but busy time and seems to have come and gone with barely a walk through the leaves or a cup of warm apple cider to relax and remember it by.
Now it is December 1st, we had an actual snowfall last night and Christmas is on it's way. I am not looking forward to the busy season ahead, but I have promised myself that I will try to enjoy each and every day as we prepare for this blessed holiday. I actually envy people who say that this is their favorite time of year; I have come to dread the decorating, the pressures of gift buying, trying to coordinate schedules with family for a time to get together, the thought of traveling in bad weather and even Christmas baking. I just find it way too busy and stressful and then it is gone before you know it.
To help me have a more positive outlook on the upcoming Christmas season, I have started listening to Christmas music, I am slowly putting up the decorations and I am planning a Christmas Tea with my sisters and nieces. Life is good, very good. But I need to somehow slow down and smell the roses (or poinsettias!). I need to really focus on what Christmas is all about.
