Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Jesus - the Reason for the Season!

2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which  shall be to all people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:1-19


 Welcome to the Third Annual ’25 Days of Christmas’ in conjunction with My Paper Crafting.com, the blogsite for which I am on the regular Design Team – and loving it!  Here’s a bit of an introduction, history and explanation of what you can expect during this 25 Days of December.  Don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the original posts to this point – You can click on links on Melin’s post to get to posts from previous days.  I am posting on Days 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20, and 25, corresponding to the days of this month – and possibly some other days in between, depending on how my time goes…

We have almost 30 designers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create some spectacular projects to share with you! So pull up a comfy chair and get ready to be inspired! There will be daily projects featuring:
* Cricut Cartridges
*Electronic Die Cutting Files
(Svg type, using Pazzles, Silhouette, Gazelle, Cameo type Machines)
*Digital Stamps with Coloring
(Using Copics, Digital and other coloring mediums)
*Stamping and Inking
*Traditional Dies, Punches and all the other tools we love.
A Little Something For EVERY TYPE of "Paper Crafter"

Format:  Each day the designers were given a “theme” to work with, so each day will be different.  We will also have a daily FREE Cutting File and a daily FREE Digital Stamp-Printable along with some FREE Royalty-Free Vintage Graphics. Today's theme:



Here we are at Day 25 of our December daily Challenges and gifts!  Where has the month gone?  I trust that today, Christmas, will be a Blessed day of remembrance of Jesus’ birth – God’s Great Gift to Us on Earth – and, hopefully, a time to share with Family and Friends. 

Today’s theme is ‘Jesus – the Reason for the Season’ -  I chose to make another new-to-me type of card – called a ‘Surprise Pop-up Card’ by the person whose video I found onYouTube.  It’s fairly easy to do, although a bit tricky at first, and I like the way it ‘works.’  For this card I used the ‘Nativity Sil v11 cf’ from MyPaperCrafting.com. 



Here is the card I made –

Card front - closed

Card open - front side view

View from the back side -

View from the back -


Usually, a silhouette is done in black or a dark color against a light background.   Being the ‘rebel’ that I am, I decided to do it in reverse for this project.  I wanted the Bible background to be Black – and the silhouette to be White – a whole Black and White clean-line theme going on – with a splash of my favorite Christmas colors – Red and Green.  I cut the card pieces from White cardstock and then embossed the top piece before cutting it.  I used the Corner Rounder punch on the corners of the tag.  I printed the sentiment on white cardstock and adhered it to black cardstock before adhering it to the card – the first piece on the bottom section of the folding flap of the card – the second piece, also adhered to black cardstock and then to the ‘base’ of the card inside the open which is revealed when the Tag is pulled out and the card stands up.  I used the MS ‘Pine Branch’ to make pine boughs which have red berries, punched from a regular hole punch, nestled among them.





I really enjoyed making this style of card and I look forward to making more in the future.

 **********

I have thoroughly enjoyed this month of creative expression and have loved seeing the various projects that our Regular and Guest Design Team members have offered!  I have learned much from these talented and giving women – I hope you have, too -  I hope you’ll continue to visit Melin’s blog – and mine! – in the New Year, as we continue to share our creative ideas and projects with you -  ;-}

I trust you are enjoying a lovely day today and that you’ll experience a wonderful New Year – 2013!  Many Blessings to you all – and Thank You for visiting my blog and offering your kind comments these past months!

************

 As mentioned above, Melin will be giving away FREE digital die cutting files, digital printables and vintage graphics. Please note: Each day we will have new files. Be sure to stop by each day as they will be free one day only! Please also note, the free files will have a price listed by them, but when you add them to your cart to check out, they will be free during the day they are posted only. These files have been generously donated by PaperCraftingWorld.com. Be sure to take advantage of the great 50% off sale on all downloadable files through December!


Today’s FREE files are –





Here are just some of the prizes we will be sharing with you!

~ Quick Quotes Prize Pack
~ The Twinery: Twine
~ PaperCraftingWorld.com: Gift Certificate
~ Page-Kits.com: Gift Certificate
~ Melinda Beltran: Close To My Heart Stamping Items
~ Miscellaneous Weekly Prizes

We will share details on all of these prizes as the days unfold. 

SO HOW ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO WIN?!!!!
Be a follower of Melin’s My Paper Crafting blog AND leave a comment on any of our daily posts.   That's it, that's all we ask!!! Please only one comment per day.  ALSO join us on our Facebook Page and leave a comment telling us you did and that will be an extra chance to win! Pretty easy!

Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to go back often in the future for some more great projects and our new FREEBIES which Melin offers weekly!  Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2013!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Stockings, Stuffers and Silliness!

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…
Proverbs 15 : 13


Welcome to the Third Annual ’25 Days of Christmas’ in conjunction with My Paper Crafting.com, the blogsite for which I am on the regular Design Team – and loving it!  Here’s a bit of an introduction, history and explanation of what you can expect during this 25 Days of December.  Don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the original posts to this point – You can click on links on Melin’s post to get to posts from previous days.  I am posting on Days 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20, and 25, corresponding to the days of this month – and possibly some other days in between, depending on how my time goes…

We have almost 30 designers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create some spectacular projects to share with you! So pull up a comfy chair and get ready to be inspired! There will be daily projects featuring:
* Cricut Cartridges
*Electronic Die Cutting Files
(Svg type, using Pazzles, Silhouette, Gazelle, Cameo type Machines)
*Digital Stamps with Coloring
(Using Copics, Digital and other coloring mediums)
*Stamping and Inking
*Traditional Dies, Punches and all the other tools we love.
A Little Something For EVERY TYPE of "Paper Crafter"

Format:  Each day the designers were given a “theme” to work with, so each day will be different.  We will also have a daily FREE Cutting File and a daily FREE Digital Stamp-Printable along with some FREE Royalty-Free Vintage Graphics. Today's theme:


Today’s theme is Stockings, Stuffers and Silliness –  and I made two projects with these things in mind.  Recently, I ‘re-Pinned’ an item on Pinterest because I thought it was an easy yet creative use of a simple Tag cutting file.  I have been Amazed at the huge number of ‘re-Pins’ that item has had!!  So, I decided to make one – changing it up a bit – as I always seem to do – and using this week’s FREE  ‘Stocking 1012 cf’ – and the ‘cwc mb tag g451 cf’ that I’ve had for a while.

Here are the files –












Here is the finished product –

The Stocking Tag Box -

Front end of the Stocking Tag Box -

End view of Tags in the Stocking Tag Box -

The back of the Stocking Tag Box -


I’ve discovered that oftentimes an idea percolates in my head and I know what I want the finished item to be.  I’ve also learned that I must become somewhat of an engineer, along with my ‘crafty traits,’ to be able to do the mechanics of my mind’s eye designs!!  For this project, I needed a container to put the Tags in and I needed to connect it to the Stocking file to make it look like they were stuffed into the Stocking.  I often use leftover boxes in re-purposing them and decided that an Onion Soup Mix box was just about the correct size I needed – with a bit of ‘tailoring.’  I cut it and took a few pics as I worked to show you –

This box was the right depth for this...

I 'measured' the tag to the box...

I cut the box, fit one side into the other and taped it well.

I then decorated the Stocking, adding ‘sparkly snow batting’ on the cuff to emulate ‘fur’ and pearl gems to the flourish design.
 
Rather than using traditional Red, White and Green colors, I did the whole project in more subtle Cranberry, Sage, Pink, Cream, Brown, and Blue shades.  I made 12 Tags, using several cutting files from Melin’s huge selection.  I added some punched designs, also.  Here are the Tags – with a list of files following.

12 Gift Tags of various patterns -

Back side of the Tags -


List of files used on the tags –  These can all be found at:  MyPaperCrafting.com

pcw reindeer tag

poinsettia silhouette cf

pcw bell flourished 211 cutting file

cwc mb swirl ornament

I used a ‘To: - From: ’ stamp on the backs of the Tags and I added a ribbon tie to each one.

 **********

My second project has to do not only with the Stocking aspect, but with the Silliness aspect.  Since I tend to be serious rather than silly, I contacted a Dear Blogging Friend who writes a really hysterically funny blog about Food and Family and I asked her for some silly suggestions.  (Go visit Meg at www.justalittlenutty.com - and tell her I sent you!)  From the list with which she Replied, I chose the ‘sentiment’ for this card and tried to engineer a card with the Stocking and a little surprise hidden inside of it – to be pulled out by the recipient.  It was tricky to figure it all out, but I was pleased with how it all turned out!

Card front with Mouse Tag in the Stocking -

Card front with MouseTag partially pulled out -

Card and Mouse Tag -

Mouse Tag -


Along with the Stocking cf, I used just the mouse head, arms and tail from the ‘Mouse Baking Fun cf Set.’   



 I embossed the Stocking and cuff after cutting it out.  I punched along the edge of the card and adhered the punched-out Snowflakes to the Flourish – then added tiny pearl gems.  I added a strip of white paper to the inside under where the punched border lays.

Closeup of Mouse Tag -

Closeup of Stocking -

Inside of card -

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing these as much as I enjoyed making them!  Merry Christmas to All!  - And to All a Good Night!  ;-}


************

 As mentioned above, Melin will be giving away FREE digital die cutting files, digital printables and vintage graphics. Please note: Each day we will have new files. Be sure to stop by each day as they will be free one day only! Please also note, the free files will have a price listed by them, but when you add them to your cart to check out, they will be free during the day they are posted only. These files have been generously donated by PaperCraftingWorld.com. Be sure to take advantage of the great 50% off sale on all downloadable files through December!


Today’s FREE files are –

 






Here are just some of the prizes we will be sharing with you!

~ Quick Quotes Prize Pack
~ The Twinery: Twine
~ PaperCraftingWorld.com: Gift Certificate
~ Page-Kits.com: Gift Certificate
~ Melinda Beltran: Close To My Heart Stamping Items
~ Miscellaneous Weekly Prizes

We will share details on all of these prizes as the days unfold. 

SO HOW ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO WIN?!!!!
Be a follower of Melin’s My Paper Crafting blog AND leave a comment on any of our daily posts.   That's it, that's all we ask!!! Please only one comment per day.  ALSO join us on our Facebook Page and leave a comment telling us you did and that will be an extra chance to win! Pretty easy!

Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to go back tomorrow for some more great projects and our new FREEBIES!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

November: Give Thanks - Count Your Blessings Gratitude Journal


    When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with BLESSINGS.
Psalm 84 : 6


  
Welcome to the Third Annual ’25 Days of Christmas’ in conjunction with My Paper Crafting.com, the blogsite for which I am on the regular Design Team – and loving it!  Here’s a bit of an introduction, history and explanation of what you can expect during this 25 Days of December.  Don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the original posts to this point – You can click on links on Melin’s post to get to posts from previous days.  I am posting on Days 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20, and 25, corresponding to the days of this month – and possibly some other days in between, depending on how my time goes…

We have almost 30 designers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create some spectacular projects to share with you! So pull up a comfy chair and get ready to be inspired! There will be daily projects featuring:
* Cricut Cartridges
*Electronic Die Cutting Files
(Svg type, using Pazzles, Silhouette, Gazelle, Cameo type Machines)
*Digital Stamps with Coloring
(Using Copics, Digital and other coloring mediums)
*Stamping and Inking
*Traditional Dies, Punches and all the other tools we love.
A Little Something For EVERY TYPE of "Paper Crafter"

Format:  Each day the designers were given a “theme” to work with, so each day will be different.  We will also have a daily FREE Cutting File and a daily FREE Digital Stamp-Printable along with some FREE Royalty-Free Vintage Graphics. Today's theme:



Today’s theme is ‘November:  Give Thanks ’ – and I have re-purposed a lowly $$Store Composition Notebook into a 'Count Your Blessings Gratitude Journal' to give as a Gift to a Special Woman in my life.  I used the FREEBIE cutting file for today and added a few punched elements to accent it and a new-to-me technique I tried on the front of said journal.

Here it is – Before - and the cutting files I used -














Here it is – After –


I have seen several tutorial videos about making textured images on canvas, tags, or pages and when I saw Melin’s ‘Brick 12 x 12 (Paper lace) Template cf,’ I knew I wanted to make a brick wall on a project at some point – and this was it! 

*  After cutting the template, I  paper-clipped it to the paper I’d chosen for the front so that it wouldn’t move.  I used MS Gesso applied in a stippling motion with a flat-tipped brush, choosing which ‘bricks’ to make so as to have an ‘old broken wall’ of sorts.




*  Next, when it was dry, I did the same with Acrylic paint.




*  When that was dry, I gently applied ink using a foam shading  nib to give depth and texture to the bricks.




  








 I then added the sign and pumpkins and leaves (punched from cardstock and wallpaper scraps) to make an 'arrangement' on the ledge and on the ground.






I added coordinating papers to the inside cover and the back of the journal.  I wrapped twine around the front cover tied a bow, adding a bit of Crystal Lacquer to the center of the bow to prevent it from becoming untied.  I then adhered a metal element with hot glue.




I enjoy doing projects like this - more 'Beauty from ashes' - and I hope the recipient of this will enjoy keeping track of the Blessings in her life in it.  ;-}


************

 As mentioned above, Melin will be giving away FREE digital die cutting files, digital printables and vintage graphics. Please note: Each day we will have new files. Be sure to stop by each day as they will be free one day only! Please also note, the free files will have a price listed by them, but when you add them to your cart to check out, they will be free during the day they are posted only. These files have been generously donated by PaperCraftingWorld.com. Be sure to take advantage of the great 50% off sale on all downloadable files through December!


Today’s FREE files are –




Here are just some of the prizes we will be sharing with you!

~ Quick Quotes Prize Pack
~ The Twinery: Twine
~ PaperCraftingWorld.com: Gift Certificate
~ Page-Kits.com: Gift Certificate
~ Melinda Beltran: Close To My Heart Stamping Items
~ Miscellaneous Weekly Prizes

We will share details on all of these prizes as the days unfold. 

SO HOW ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO WIN?!!!!
Be a follower of Melin’s My Paper Crafting blog AND leave a comment on any of our daily posts.   That's it, that's all we ask!!! Please only one comment per day.  ALSO join us on our Facebook Page and leave a comment telling us you did and that will be an extra chance to win! Pretty easy!

Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to go back tomorrow for some more great projects and our new FREEBIES!