Journal Your Christmas with Simple Stories

Having completed my Christmas album last year....I wanted to make another one this year - most of my kit is Simple Stories Claus and Co, but there are a few other bits in there too like so Tiger punched number tags for an advent calendar and some sneaks of October Afternoon as well - basically anything in my Christmas stash.

The first page introduces our elf, which my youngest was really keen on last year.  I also photo'd the advent calendars for this year too.

Day 2 and some inspiration from Shimelle - using a half card piece of paper in amongst the pockets - love that idea for the extra journalling (I also love watching the videos it is, there is something nice about watching someone else scrap :)).  It was a regular day and I use my album as a diary so it is just all the regular stuff that happens.  I used some Simple Stroeis stickers and wood veneers as well as some Pink Paislee photo stickers too.

Day 3 and our Elf was playing a game - that was my main photo for the day as it was a regular sort of school day, but I documented all the bits and pieces we did.

Day 4 was a double page spread, lots of layering of stickers and trying to keep the washi tape throughout.

Another beautiful Simple Stories sparkly card that I just had to leave, and a little homemade pocket for my cinema tickets.

More layering and stickers and wood veneers.

So this is where I am upto and below is what the rest of my album prep looks like, I kind of make a judgement each day whether I want it to be a double spread or not.  Having a photo printer has made the project lots easier as you can stay on top of it and it's all in your memory.

Kaiser craft Timepiece with Indigo Blu

Here is my second class from the ATDML retreat - Jill sent me some Indigo Blu gilding flakes and they are just beautiful.  This page is heavily influenced from one in the Kaisercraft Ideas booklet by Elena Lishchenko with just a few changes, we used the gilding flakes and Kaisercraft stamp to make the background.  We also coated some Tando cogs with the flakes too.  Lots of tearing and rippint and distressing for this page.

Here is my second page - again a Kaisercraft stamp with some gilding flakes, and then lots of fussy cutting of the elements paper from this range as well as some drops of glimmer mist.

Baker Ross Tree decorations part 2

I also had a play with some acrylic tree decorations.  I started by using some printed text from my Simple Stories Christmas papers, put the wording beneath the tree and then used a glass pen to trace over the wording and let it dry - so I had love, joy, peace, cheer.  I then backed the trees with some papers - I used a clear drying glue and stuck the papers on, then went around with a craft knife to cut them to size.

I also thought it would be nice to have some semi-transparent trees too - so again I put the word on the front of the tree, and then I used a glass pen to colour in the back of the tree to give a layered effect.

Baker Ross and decopatch tree decorations

Just a quick and easy Christmas post - these tree decorations are really easy to put together and you could add glitter and pearls and all sorts of other embellishments on top, but I went with clean and simple.  This is my first play at decopatching and it is messy but very relaxing, I just cut strips of tissue paper, and glued each one and layered it up on my decorations - it would be a great one with kids too.

Baker Ross and Trees for Christmas

Baker Ross sent me some of their polysterene cones and with it being Christmas soon they just had to be made into trees.  I've tried a few different ideas - for the first I die cut lots of leaves from old book paper (I used the oak leaf from the Tim Holtz tattered leaves set).  I pinned them on in layers, then I added a sequin wrap and some pearls (again from Baker Ross).  The final step was a star for the top.

I was also sent some deco patch papers, so I decided to have a go at covering my tree, I then white washed it with some gesso and wound florist wire around the tree and made a little start with it at the top.  To add a bit of glitter I use some gems as baubles too.

For the final tree I used strips of paper and folded and pinned them in layers to then tree, adding another star on the top too.

Here are my trees on my mantel piece, I'm thinking of making a couple more and using them as centre pieces on our Christmas table spread.

Frosty Festivities Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Frosty Festivities blog hop organised by Jennifer Grace - it starts and ends with her blog and as always there is an opportunity for a prize including a set of a Lawn Fawn stamps and more - enter to win by commenting on all the blogs in the Frosty Festivities 2015 hop! The giveaway closes on Sunday the 6th of December at 10pm GMT, and is open internationally.

For my frosty post I went with a summer picture of the beautiful mountains in Chamonix.  I started with a white ink pad and a pencil with a rubber on the end and stamped some snow.  I then punched several vellum snowflakes too.  The papers are a mix from Crate Paper from their Wonder, Notes and Things and also Confetti ranges - yes one of each!  I used an October Afternoon chipboard heart that I covered in glossy accents and a little Hobby House snowflake with some golden washi tape.

Here is a picture of the prize pack

Here is a list of everyone taking part in the blog hop

Jennifer - http://jennifergracecreates.com/

Claire N - http://www.creativemakings.co.uk/

Clare B -  http://clarebrowndesign.com/

Daphne - https://dapfniedesign.wordpress.com/

Furrypig - http://chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.co.uk/

Jacky - http://scrappyjackylive.blogspot.co.uk/

Julia - http://juliaheald.blogspot.co.uk/

You are here >>> Katherine - http://fruitofmyscraps.blogspot.co.uk/

Leslie - http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.co.uk/

Mandysea - http://teacupofscrapisms.blogspot.com.au/

Sheena - http://sheenasscrapsandscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/

Jennifer - http://jennifergracecreates.com/

Your next hop is to Leslie

Mel's class with Glam Factor

This was the 2nd class I went to at the ATDML Retreat and I put it on my list as these papers are just beautiful - I love the gold (Teresa Collins' Glam Factor).  Mel had us cutting out the white bits between the sunburst, offsetting it and mounting it on black.  We then just added a few little decorations.  I used some photos of me and my youngest - I am trying to use more pictures on my pages...I have a huge box full that I need to use!

The next page was another lovely multi-photo layout so I used a few more beach shots from our holiday.  Mel had cut out the black cardstock for us so it we only had to mount all the bits on the back - no worrying about whether it was straight or not, so it gives a beautiful finish.

I still have more from the retreat and look out for me on the Jennifer Grace Frosty Festivities blog hop on Sunday - she's having a give away and a whole month of tips and ideas on her blog - you can find out more here.

We R Family with Karen

Here are my 3 pages from Karen Moss' class at the ATDML retreat, they used the We R Family papers by Simple Stories and she actually didn't use that much paper...only a few sheets and then stickers and chipboards, and of coarse a huge amount of foam pads (I did use less!).  The first page is the bonus page from the kit, mine is a little different to Karen's, but not that far off.

 Karen does a monthly double page spread with a main page and then a project life style page, so here is the main page...with a gorgeous woodgrain piece of cardstock...yes lovely family photo - there is always one :D

Here is the 2nd, project life style page which documents more of our holiday in France, there is loads of chipboard and some lovely heart clips in there to.

I have more of the fantastic classes coming up over the next few weeks, and lots of the challenges too....I think I made it back with 11 completed pages, and only had to finish a tiny bit at home.