I just love decorating for Christmas. HubbyDoc and I have made many of our decorations or ornaments. This is a garland that my daughter and I designed this year. I never do the same thing from year to year. This is a very full, fake greens garland that I got for free on the side of the road. Someone apparently didn't want it and put it in a box marked "free". I snatched it in a New York minute! The snowflake garland is one that I made by crocheting snowflakes, starching them, and then I tied them together. There are silk poinsettias with leaves, red shiny ornaments, and a crystal garland (hard to see in the pic but it gives off lots of sparkle and shine). The candles are fake and the best thing about the is that they're remote. So, I can have the ambiance of candlelight without torching up the house. I LOVE it when that happens! This little guy is fun. I just took a planter (that I really don't like), put it in my Grandmother's butter bowl (that was used countless times), put fake greens around it, added some picks (and I made sure some were sparkly!), dried peonies (that I'm sure everyone has just lying around the house), tiny battery powered lights, some tall picks to make it more vertical, and a santa for some holiday spirit. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Probably for New Years, I will take the Santa out and add some sparkler type thingies. I hope this gives you a few ideas as well. Next, I will post my stairway garland and pics of my handmade Sculpey Santas.

Christmas projects 2010

So, I saw someone's project from a Stampin' Up group and I really loved it. I made one from memory and then went back to look at the original to get some ideas, and my project was almost totally different. Go figure. However, I liked the project so much that I made 4 more of them for gifts. I gave the first one away at a brunch with some former co-workers. I stopped working 19 yrs. ago when my first was born, but the "old co-workers" still get together on the second Sat. of Dec. for brekky. In the 23 yrs. that I've been going, I only missed one. It's truly a wonderful re-union. We always laugh and cry and share each others' grief and joys. It's a real treat. Anyway, my one co-worker was the recipient of my gift, which is always a random exchange. She loved it, and even passed around my matching card. I love blessing people! Anyway, here are the pics. Hope you enjoy. The paper is Stampin' Up regals.

This is a piece of grungeboard with a stamped piece of paper on top, finished with bling, of course! The tags were cut with my SCAL, the star is grungeboard, and the J was cut with my Christmas Cheer cartridge.

And, the tree, of which the file was so generously donated by Penny Duncan, is place over am image stamped with Versamark (clear), and then dusted with silver perfect pearls. The tree was also stamped with a swirly background stamp, and then embossed with silver powder.

Another SVG file by PD. She is amazing! Anyway, I love her poinsettias. My garland is adorned with them (pics will be posted soon). I sprayed these using the mini misters and the silver Perfect Pearls (mixed in water, of course). I'm so looking forward to giving all of these for Christmas.

And, last but not least, my companion, Jessie. She's a sweetie, and stays in the cold basement with me. Of course, her crate has several blankets for her. I wouldn't want her to be as cold as me.

On another note, HubbyDoc is taking me to Home Depot today to get a space heater for my Happy Place. I'm so excited!

Happy Crafting! Tami