Getting Ready for Christmas

This layout was created for the CSI design team. Over the years I have done many pages about Christmas, but not one about everything that I do to get ready for Christmas and our family traditions.  It is quite a whirl wind of activities that I would like to share with present and future family members. 

Color Stories Inspiration always inspires me to do my very best work and to tell stories that I would not otherwise share. Come and join along in the fun when you get a chance.

Techniques used here are inking, stamping, masking, machine stitching, painting, and fussy cutting.

Here, you can see some of my favorite techniques....layering, using texture and 3-D work. 

Products Used: 

Bazzil Basics cardstock
Fab Scraps chipboard
May Arts pom-pom trim
My Mind's Eye Joyous paper collection
Prima flowers, rick-rack, stencil
Sizzix die
Ranger Stickles

The journaling reads, "Getting ready for Christmas is a big deal at my home. I usually start in mid to late November by putting the tree up. We also put wreaths on our two front doors, a garland over the doors and hang the stockings on the hearth. I like to take my time and enjoy the decorating.

Next on my list is to shop for presents, get them wrapped and put them under the tree. It seems this part goes on and on for weeks, as I continue to shop. I like to wrap presents the "old fashioned way", with wrapping paper and ribbons that I carefully make into bows. Inevitably, I have to put some presents into gift bags in order to get it all done on time.

The last few days before Christmas are reserved for grocery shopping and baking. We have baked turkey, dressing and cranberry relish with giblet gravy.  We also have Waldorf salad, green beans, sweet potatoes and a variety of homemade desserts. Everyone has at least one dish that they bring for our family gathering at our home.

The most important and self rewarding thing that I do at Christmas is to sit in the living room with all of our lights off except those on the tree. That is my quiet time to reflect on why we celebrate Christ's birth. This is a tradition started by my mother and I have continued it with my children. We read the story of the nativity, pray, sing carols and enjoy these moments."

Thanks everyone, for taking a peek. See you next time!

Remember This Moment

If we dig back far enough in those old boxes of photos, sometimes we can come up with a real treasure. Recently, I rediscovered this precious pre-digital photo of my daughter who is now thirty. What a treat it was to create this layout for the CSI  Design Team! 

CSI is always a fun place to participate in challenges for the scrapbook artist. Once a month, there is a sketch to inspire us by Emma Straface, a member of the CSI Design Team. If that doesn't encourage you enough, then keep reading. The December sponsor is Prima Marketing, and you know that means great prizes! Forget the holiday stress and come play along, if you can. All the tension will fade away with a little scrap therapy. 

For this addition to my daughter's album, I inked, die cut, border punched, machine stitched, masked, layered, fussy cut, embossed and did some 3-D work.  

Here, you can see the embossing in the background with modeling paste over that. Texture is a "must have" on my layouts.

I also love layers...the trunk with the bears inside is fussy cut, inked and popped up.

Products:

Echo Park punch
Kaiser Craft papers
Petaloo flowers
Prima ink, modeling paste and mask
Ranger Perfect Medium
Stampendous embossing powders
Technique Tuesday die cut

Here is the tag that I created for the journaling. One of the prompts was to tell the story using swirls....that is exactly what I did. Try not to get dizzy! Just to make it easy for you, here is how the story goes: 

"Elizabeth was in fourth grade when she read a biography of Theadore Roosevelt, the twenty-fifth president of the United States. She loved the book so much that she later dressed up like him for Book Character Day at school. One chapter in the book told the story of how the teddy bear became a well-loved toy for children in America. President Roosevelt was on a hunting trip when two men told him that a bear had been spotted. When Roosevelt saw that the men had clubbed and tied up the bear, he refused to shoot the poor animal. He said it wouldn't be sporting to shoot an animal under those conditions. Once the story became known by the public, they loved the tale. Soon, toy makers were creating stuffed bears called "Teddy's Bears". The name was soon changed and children began calling them 'Teddy Bears'. "

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will leave a comment...see you next time! 

Love You, Granny

This latest creation for the CSI Design Team has been a pleasure for me. The photo is of my maternal grandmother as a young woman. 

At CSI, I enjoy getting to know the many scrapbookers from around the world and am always amazed by the beautiful work they do and the stories they tell. 

For this layout, I did some fussy cutting and 3-D work. Also, I included some die cutting and stamping. 

You can see some of the embossing work that I did in the background, the stitching and the work done on the chipboard here.

The dimension can be seen here, as well as the machine stitching.

If I could change one thing about this layout, it would be that I would mark off the area of each brick and remove the glass beads from that area before applying the modeling paste. Live and learn! 

The stamping can be seen here. 

Products: 

Blue Fern Studios chipboard

Graphic 45 paper

Heidi Swapp stamp

Martha Stewart punch around the page, glass

      microbeads

Prima paper, modeling paste, lace, ink, mask

Sizzix die

Stampendous Frantage embossing powders  

Technique Tuesday die

Want 2 Scrap faux pearls

From my stash metal heart

The little tag is folded and tucked between layers at the top of the layout. It reads:

Growing up an only child was not easy in many ways. I longed for someone to play with, but there were not many children in my neighborhood and the little brother that I had hoped for never came. Mother and Daddy were determined that I would not be spoiled, as some only children are. Or, at least, that is the myth. I don't blame them, because it truly is not good for a child to have everything they want or to be allowed to act irresponsibly.

Every summer, I visited my Granny in Houston. She doted on me and spoiled me rotten! From a child's point of view, being spoiled was a wonderful thing, and I loved it! Granny bought dress up clothes for me to wear and took my cousins and me to ride the ponies on Main Street. We would ride around the track time and time again. Granny went out of her way to make friends with people in her neighborhood who had children so I would have friends to play with during the time I spent with her. The fun seemingly would never end.

This sweet soul gave me, for a few days each year, all the spoiling and indulgences to last not just for a full year, but for a lifetime!

Thanks for taking a peek! I always appreciate comments.

Daily Pleasures

Hello blog friends! Here is another LO that I created for the CSI (Color Stories Inspiration) Design Team. 

I always enjoy contributing to the weekly challenges and getting to know other scrapbookers from around the world! 

Techniques used here are painting, diecutting, masking, border punching, 3-D work, fussy cutting and stamping.

Products Used: 
Authentique paper
Basic Grey paper
Blue Fern Studios chipboard
Krylon pen
Liquitex modeling paste
Martha Stewart punches
May Arts ribbon

More Products used:

Prima paper, flowers,  self adhesive jewels
Pro Art gesso
Staz On ink
Technique Tuesday stamp
The Crafter's Workshop stencilTim Holtz die

The tag is tucked behind the two bottom layers at the top of the page. It reads,  Dear Lord, Thank you for this daughter of ours, who has become a beautiful person, inside and out. I pray that she will always enjoy the beauty that you provide for her: The beauty of rain as it nourishes the earth, the song of a bird, the sun as it rises or sets, sand between her toes, a rainbow's promise, a snowflake as it lands on her nose, a rosebud with a fragrance so sweet, a butterfly on the wing, and brightly colored leaves falling to the ground. May she enjoy these daily pleasures and know that you are GREAT. Amen

Thanks for taking a peek! 

Jen and Hunter's Wedding

Hi everyone! Sharing a layout that I created for the CSI  Design Team. I really love the colors this week. Don't you think the lighter colors pop against the black background, for a dramatic look?!! Even though I have been contributing for about ten months and am now on the CSI Design Team, I feel as though I just got started there. The challenges are always fresh and new. I always enjoy playing along and making friends from around the world. 

Here is the Case File and Em Straface's sketch that I turned 90 degrees clockwise. Be sure to check out Em's blog here. 

Elizabeth and her gentleman friend attended a wedding recently and she shared these wonderful photos with me. Below, you can see a photo of Liz with the bride and groom. Romance is definitely in the air!

Products used:

Bo Bunny Star Crossed Collection papers and      layered chipboard stickers
Jenni Bowlin stencil
Liquitex modeling paste
Martha Stewart punches
May Arts lace
Petaloo flowers
Pink Paislee paper
Prima inks, flowers
The Metal Guy heart frameFrom my stash:
     chipboard, valentine metal pieces, taping and
     bedding tape, black ribbon

Techniques used on this layout include inking, stitching, embossing, painting, layering, masking, 3-D work and die cutting. I was having so much fun with this one that I just couldn't stop!  

Thanks for taking a peek! I hope to see you back here soon. 

A Calling

Sharing with you, a layout that I created for the CSI Design Team. What a joy it is to be a member of this amazing group of uber talented ladies!  If you haven't already been inspired by their work, you need to hop over there and start taking in the beauty today

If you are a scrapbooker and have never participated in this fun challenge group, it may be a high point in  your scrapbooking. It has been in mine, so give it a try! 

Techniques used for this layout were inking, painting, layering, stenciling, die punching, and stamping.

Products used:
Blue Fern Studios chipboard
Crafter's Workshop template
Heidi Swapp stamp
K & Co. paper
Liquitex modeling paste
Maya Road flower
Petaloo flowers
Prima flowers, ink
Stampers Anonymous-Tim Holtz Stencil

Want 2 Scrap chipboard shapes

Zig markers

From my stash:
Metal bee
Die cut tags

One of the most important aspects of scrapbooking for me is journaling the stories of my family.

In a former life, I taught in public schools in Arlington, Texas, United States for twenty three years. I also taught for two years in a private school, but this layout is about my public school days of teaching. I taught second, third and fourth grades. In this photograph, I was a second grade teacher. 

The journaling for this layout reads:

A Calling

For me, it was about changing lives for the better and helping young people realize that an education is something that cannot be taken away.

Next to being a medical doctor or a minister, it is probably the most important calling from
God that a person could answer. The people who put in hours and hours of time over and above what is spent in the classroom sacrifice their own time, well being and time that would normally be spent with their own family.

All, in order to be the best teacher they could be. 

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my album!