My Latest Creation

Took a break from the 12 tags of Christmas to make a calendar for my craft room. Got the inspiration from Anne's Paper Fun blog and added a bit to make it my own. It turned out so well, I dearly love it. I used the bottom of a CTMH box (cardboard), covered most of it with Ranger's Distress Crackle paint-Picket Fence and let it dry. I printed the calendar days on my computer and distressed them with vintage photo and a few wrinkles of the hand. Then I placed them as evenly as I could, lol, on the cardboard and went to town embellishing. The hanger I made from a regular wire hanger, improvised. I didn't purchase anything, I just used stuff that I have in my stash. The '2012' is black embossed with a CTMH stamp on to grungeboard and cut out. Too, too, cute!!! Is that not the cutest calendar you have ever seen??? Now to make a few more for gifts! Hope your 2012 is going well! Hugs, ~Jody

Although...............

Christmas is over, I still have a few things I wanted to share. I have been out of town a bit so didn't get to these things until now. The card I made for my daughter, she dearly loved! It was the only one I got made this year, what with the Annual Christmas Tea Party and then leaving town so soon after. I even tried out the new pine cone die from Tim Holtz. It makes the cutest pine cones. Not bad for my first try. I will making some more of these for the 12 Tags of Christmas which I started yesterday. Almost have my first one done. I will try to post it later today. I also tried my hand at the little tree TH made out of the rosette die. It is just the cutest thing, LOVE IT! Enjoy, Hugs, ~Jody

So have you seen the TH Trinket Box........

they are just the cutest things. It's about 6" x 8" and has three latches on it. One on each of the two sides and one on the top where the handle is.

And then when you open it, both sides come down to reveal these little trays that can hold all your ideology findings and some other stuff too, lol!

Then when you pull out the trays, they stairstep out and you have four little trays to fill up too! And then there is the bottom, which is the full width of the whole case, so, you like have a big space down there, as well!

There was so much space, I had to go get more stuff, lol!!! Just love this little thing, it is so compact and it fits perfectly on my shelf between all my inks and stains. YEAH!!! Maybe you should put this on your Christmas list, hugh? Hope you get everything you want! Hugs, ~Jody

Ok, now we're talking..............................

Have you been following Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas? I have but so far had not been too impressed. The first one was great but it went downhill from there for me. Liked the snowman one too but it was basically the same color as the first one. I guess I'm in to colorful things, lol! Anyway, I really like the vintage look too, so that would probably explain why I REALLY like Tag #7. I will be doing most of the tags, maybe all of them but I had a few other things to get finished up first before I started on these. I am trying to not leave any loose ends this Christmas season. Too many times I get started on something and SOMETHING ELSE catches my eye and I end up leaving some of those ideas behind (and a trail of items too). Hopefully this coming weekend, I will be free to start doing tags. Hope you are having a joyous Christmas season. Hugs, ~Jody

Just a peek.....................

at some of the decorations for the Annual Christmas Tea Party. I have all the tags done and the menu is planned, just need to do a little grocery shopping. I will be putting up my house decorations today and getting that all ready. It's getting kind of exciting around here, lol!! Love, Love, Love the Christmas season! Hope your holiday festivities are in full swing and you are loving every minute of it! Merry Christmas! Hugs, ~Jody

Black Friday haul.......

WooHoo, hit the big one this morning, lol! My LSS had a fantastic sale, 40% off EVERYTHING IN THE STORE, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. I was able to get the remainder of the Tim Holtz ink pads that I didn't have and most of the reinkers, plus some stains and some stamps and some texture fades and a new slick mat. I had so much fun! Over $300 worth of stuff for less than $200 including tax, YEE HAW! Come on 12 Tags of Christmas, I'm ready!!! Oh and I forgot, the cutest thing of all, the new Trinket Case, so adorable. It's alot smaller than I had invisioned so I was glad for that. It fits perfectly on my shelf. A huge bargain at $21. Anyway, now to find a place for all of it in my craft room, how exciting!!! Hope you had a great Black Friday as well! Let the Christmas season begin!!! Merry Christmas, Hugs, ~Jody

Gobble, Gobble said our turkey today.....

Here's a poem that my mother wrote years ago. It has been around my family ever since I can remember. The turkey picture here is one I made this afternoon after reading Tim Holtz's blog this morning. That guy is so creative. I thought my little "Quirky Turkey" turned out pretty good for the first try. I will set him on my table tomorrow for conversation, ha! It's made out of Tim's rosette die and some paper from his 'lost & found' paper pack. I used some scrap canvas and colored him with fired red brick ink and gathered twigs ink. It turned out so darling!!!

TURKEY TALK

“Gobble Gobble”, said our turkey today, instead of November I wish it was May. Yesterday I was King of the Coop, today is the day I get put in the soup. They fed me well and I’ve enjoyed the year, but suddenly I wish I wasn’t even here. They will have goodies like cranberries and pies and homemade rolls of considerable size. There will be vegetables and sweet potatoes too; they’re looking forward to seeing you. Meanwhile here as I strut through the yard, what I am seeing is really hard. A hatchet is raised and his steps are fierce, and suddenly my legs are in reverse. As you know reverse is not full speed ahead and I must shift gears or I am dead. I take a step forward and slip right in it and wonder just why in the world I did it. I find myself wishing I could sidestep his gait, and as he dreams of roast turkey I’ll wait. Till he slips and falls and loses the hatchet, I’ll make a quick turn and try to catch it. Then I’ll turn on him with a breath of gust and he’ll find himself down facing the dust. This turkey will run as fast as I can and he will be dreaming of Hickory Smoked ham.

-Marva Smith (1964)

I got off work early today so came home and made my cherry pie for tomorrow. I had to cover it with a towel so I would stay out of it, IT LOOKS SO GOOD!!! Is it disrespectful to serve a pie that has one piece missing already?? (LOL) Ok, ok, I won't if I can keep my mouth from watering. I enjoyed a glass of homemade White Sangria while I was making the pie. Maybe I'll just have another one of those instead.

I wasn't going to go shopping on Friday either, that is until I received an email from my local scrapbooking store saying EVERYTHING will be 40% off from 9:30-11 a.m. Friday morning. YOWSER, how can you pass that up. They are have all the newest Tim Holtz stuff too! Even changed a doctor appt. for that, lol!

So...........................really just wanted to say I hope you have a truly grand Thanksgiving Day celebration with your loved ones. Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Hugs,

~Jody

It's Almost Turkey Day!!!

I have been working on some Thanksgiving Day cards for a week or so now. They are turning out very good, I think. I used the Olivia paper pack from CTMH and some raffia. Made some colored stick pens out of some ordinary ones that I had with alcohol inks. And, I made some little leaves out of Tim Holtz's leaf die and some shrink film. I colored them with alcohol inks before I shrunk them and they turned out so cool looking and the size was perfect. Then I colored some ribbon with vintage photo distress stain and inked the inside of the card with Sunset ink from CTMH! I colored the inside stamp with a water blender and some distress inks. The sentiment I printed on the computer and then punched it out with a cricut die/embosser folder. A couple more and they will be ready to put in the mail. Are you staying home and cooking? Or are you off to grandma's house this year? I will be home cooking. Have some family coming and a friend. I think I have every thing except just when I think I do, I think of something else I want. Still need to get the celery for the stuffing but then I should be done. Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, please remember the reason for the season. We should be very thankful for all the things that we do have! Hugs, ~Jody

On to the Next Tea Party!

Which I will be hosting. Here is a photo of the invitations that I gave out yesterday. I really like that new stamp set by CTMH. It is called Captured Moments (C1423). It has a winter scene (this one), a fall scene with leaves blowing about and a halloween one. Very cool! The little tag was from a CTMH set of long ago. I white embossed the snowflakes and winter scene on the front of the card and blue embossed the tag. On the inside was a white embossed snowman. They turned out pretty cute, I thought! Now to find a tree that will fit in my tiny living room! Hope you have a great weekend, Hugs, ~Jody

November Tea Party

Had a lovely tea party yesterday at Gloria R.'s. She certainly does a fantastic job of setting the mood. The decorations were very fall festive and the food was really good too, YUM! I will a little slow in getting out the camera though so only have photos of the bunch of us before every one left. Will have to wait for Beth to get her pictures up-loaded and sent around, so I'll show you those next year, lol, she's about six months behind! Anyway, we had a great time and waddled out like little piggies with leftover desserts in hand!