Yuletide Greetings...

I've completed the Christmas cards I need for this year, but like usual, since I'm in the mood, I just keep going knowing I'll use them next year.  All together, I sent 37 hand made cards to friends and family this year.  If you didn't get one, it's because I don't have your mailing address.  Send it along and I'll put you on the list for next year.

This is the list of items I used to make the Yuletide Greetings card.  I turned off the flash to keep those plastic wrappings from shining.  If you click on it, it will get bigger and you can read the details pretty easily, hopefully.  I'm still working my way through the pile of Merry January paper I bought a couple of years ago.  This card uses "Breeze" and "Slush".  You can still find it on most paper crafting sites. 

I also used a couple  of Spellbinders nesting circle dies to cut out the dough-nut shape that gets stamped to form the wreath.  I stamped the dough-nut multiple times.  Stamp Forest Green just once, first.  Then stamp Cactus Green 3 or 4 times moving the stamp around on the circle.  Last, stamp the Teal Blue 3 or 4 times making sure you get it close to the edges of the outer circle.  The teal color ink brings out the teal in the background paper and makes it all work.  The black and silver dotty paper behind the wreath is more from the Die Cuts w/ A View Glitsy Glitter stack I wrote about a post or two ago. 

The 2012 Cookie Book Reveal

Whew...OK.  It's done.  It wore me out.  I admit it.  But in keeping with this year's theme of "It's a CRAZY Christmas", I went a little nuts piecing all this together.  I decided I needed to use up the giant box of Christmas themed scraps I had been accumulating.  And I did.  But it nearly killed me. 

Before I get started on the narrative, a big thank you to all the girls who take on the baking.  We have new people every year and we've got a few who've been in on this from the start.  You all are awesome and I love each of you to bits.  Thank you for giving me a reason to build a book every year. 

The pages of this book are all pieced together from the scraps.  I was going for the crazy quilt idea to keep with the theme.  I thought of actually stitching them together, but apparently the Prozac kicked in just in time and I opted to only stitch the upper and lower edges of the pages rather than all the seams. 

Book making is tricky.  There is a lot of engineering that goes into it.  Every time I make one I learn a little bit more.  For example, each page when pieced together winds up with multiple seams.  The seams on the pages need to be in different places for each page, otherwise you get a bulge in the book when it's closed.  The same goes for the recipe cards.  I attached them with small Velcro dots so that they can be removed and used easily.  But the dots can't all be in the same place for each one or again, you get a lopsided book. 

I needed to make 23 books this year.  That's more than ever before.  We have 15 at the exchange and the rest are for gifts.  My sisters have been hinting that they want to be included in the gifts so this year I made one for each of them.  In year's past, I made only one to give to the sister who was into baking, first Mary, and since her demise, Joanna.  Well, this year Bridget and Virginia will get one too. 

And, as usual, I like to make a book jacket.  That center piece is also sewn together with a zig zag stich.  I designed this year's as a full box that opens with flaps on the back.  The flaps can be closed again with the same Velcro dots on the sides of the box. 

This is the Fruity side of the book shown in the open box...

...and here is the opposite side for Nutty recipes.  Remember, now, it's a CRAZY Christmas...

The book on display is an accordian style.  So here is a shot of what it would look like on your mantel or down the center of you buffet table.

 

 

Here are some individual pages and a look at the index.  There is an index for each side, fruity and nutty.  Each recipe page is stamped with a different Christmas image and the edges are stamped with a zig zag stitch.  The hinges were cut with my Cricut as were the page numbers and titles.  Hinges have three layers and all numbers and letters have 2.

Happy Christmas, Everyone!  I'm off to commence with the card making.  I don't have enough yet!

- AMK

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak

This card, still with a song as it's backdrop includes Tim Holtz's bird image.  This is a Stamper's Anonymous wood mounted version, so you'll have to find it there.  It is, of course, a Rose Breasted Grosbeak in silhouette.  I layerd over some holly and ivy cut from Cricut's December 25th cartridge.  We are still using WRMK's Merry January card stock and that Merry Chistmas stamp is from my latest favorite Etsy store, Picture Show.  The inside of this card finishes the chorus with "...and a happy new year!" 

I thought about chalking the breast of the bird to reflect it's natural red color, but I stamped this on a pearl textured paper and I did not like how the color took to the paper after a trial run.  So, he stays in silhouette. 

Christmastime is here...

Hidey-Ho, Everyone!  It's Christmastime once again, and we have got no snow.  :/  Despite that, I'm beginning to get in the groove.  Here are some cards to help you do the same. Once again I take my inspiration from the music of the season.  Vince Giraldi's 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' is often on the iPod this season so, to pay homage, I put some papers from a couple different lines together to make these two versions with the same theme. 

We have WRMK's Merry January line mixed with Bo Bunny's Timepiece line, and to add some shine I pulled a sheet from Die Cuts with a View's Glitzy Glitter Neutrals Stack.  (Sorry, I could not find this product on their site, which btw, is a terrible site.  They could use some help there, but I digress...  They have a brights version available on Amazon but not the neutrals).  This stack is REALLY nice.  It's not your typical DCWV nasty, stiff, white core, impossible-to-crease-cleanly paper.  Rather it's paper coated with a nice, heavy vinyl.  The glitter stays on the paper, not all over your room.  Yeah!  They got something right!  (Am I being harsh?  :p )

Anywhoo...I've added in some clock hands, an oldie but a goodie from Sizzix, a snowflake from Lifestyle crafts, and another from Memory Box.  The words? Just use your computer, folks.  That's what its good at.