Beautiful to Me

 

Simon says, "make a shaker card." What?! Never done that before but sure, why not? I had to find some how-to videos to get an idea of where to begin and, in the end, I have a new appreciation for this engineering feat.

Mine was made using a piece of craft foam as the dam behind a thin piece of acetate. I used a black Sharpie to disguise the foam edges, filled it with vintage glitter (circa 1920-30), covered it with a die-cut page from an old book (Simon Says Stamp Devonshire) and made some paper punch lace (Martha Stewart).

I re-cut the butterfly out of black paper and placed it over the acetate and heat embossed text (Simon Says Stamp Delicate Flowers) using black ink and clear powder.

The background page is from Prima Epiphany and it was mounted on black card stock. I always line the insides of my black cards with a piece of light paper so you can write on it with a regular pen. A little Distress Ink and some white paint splatters completed the look.

I had no idea how much glitter to use and may have used too much and the hardest part? Figuring out how to line up and paste the shaker on the front of the card while working with it upside down so the glitter wouldn't fall out. If I make any more, I should probably watch a few more videos ☺.

As always, I hope this post finds you well and happy and I appreciate your visit.

Until next time, take care.

 

Merry and Bright

 

 

• Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it white. -Bing Crosby
• Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold! -Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon
  
• There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child. -Erma Bombeck
  
• Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more! -Dr. Seuss
• Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. -Charles M. Schultz
• When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things--not the great occasions--give off the greatest glow of happiness. -Bob Hope
• Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. -Larry Wilde

Wherever you are, whatever you are facing, whatever your challenges or opportunities may be…may your days of Christmas be merry and bright.

Praying for Time

  

 

I've used a favorite Found Relative for this tag, I can't explain why this image appeals to me like it does and I only use it for special pieces. 

This Christmas tag has a melancholy side as I made it to commemorate a singer songwriter who passed away four years ago on Christmas day. His name was George Michael and he wrote a song called "Praying for Time." The words to this ballad are especially poignant during the holiday season and speak volumes about this tumultuous year.

The techniques I used include fussy-cutting, distressing, stamping (hand-carved), and placement of ephemera on some Paper Stash. 

I think it's worth noting that whenever possible, I peel the backs off photos, ephemera, etc., and rub away as much of the paper as I can to make these elements nice and thin. They naturally become more fragile but I encase them with medium (applied to both sides) so they hold up well when pasted down or painted over.

As always, I hope this post finds you well and happy and I appreciate your visit.

Until next time, take care.