"SNOWMAN FUN" POCKET LETTER

Silvery glittery blue with white snowflakes paper create the background. I do adore a garland no matter where it is, this one created from chipboard winter themed alphas.  Pockets are filled with bits to match the theme.  A glass snowfolk pendant hung with a bit of ribbon is a charmer.

Antiqued vintage postcards are the base here on the back.  A tea bag wrapped in a sweet prim style wrapper and the envelope for my letter with a pieced snowman.  A simple Pocket Letter but the details make the difference.

"IN THE TREE TOPS" VINTAGE STYLE CHRISTMAS POCKET LETTER

It was the JoAnne of  Vintage Dragonfly posting a Holiday Pocket Letter swap that got me going on Pocket Letters.  This is what I created for my swap partner Karla.

Karla liked vintage (of course), traditional colours and plaids for the holidays.  The plaid papers are Graphic 45, the snowscene was cut from a paper I have had in my stash for ages.  A bit of vintage ric rac, one of my vintage corsage pins and some other bits and pieces.  I didn't take a photo of the back, not sure why LOL

" VINTAGE CHRISTMAS" POCKET LETTER

I created this Vintage Christmas themed Pocket Letter for the "Did Someone Say Vintage" swap at the Pocket Letter Pals site.  My inspiration was thinking of what the holidays "looked like" when I was a child (late 50s/early 60s).


The front;  to start I used two different patterned papers to create this outdoor scene.  The paper for each pocket is trimmed to 2.5 x 3.5 inches (like an ATC) and a 9 pocket acrylic binder page is used for the PL.  I used a piece of vintage red w/gold thread ric rac along the bottom.  Didn't everything have ric rac on it in the '50s?

A strip of candy cane washi tape down the left side of the page, to cover the label area.  Faux fir branch (pipe cleaner) is the base of the swag, with red grosgrain ribbon wrapped from one end to the other, candy striped baker's twine attaches the teeny Shiny Brights (real ones!) and there are teeny vintage red plastic clothes pins on each end too.  I have hung a small stocking (filled with a few more goodies) and a metal lithographed vintage tree ornament from the top left.

The back;  the graphics screamed 1950s to me!

Gathering bits and pieces to consider for filling the back pockets; vintage images cut into scalloped rounds, vintage style thread winder, teeny bottle brush tree, actual vintage candy cane stickers.

"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" - POCKET LETTER

For a theme swap on the official "Pocket Letter Pals" website.

I created this thinking of what I remembered the holidays "looking like" when I was a child (50s/60s) and the theme I most remembered.

The theme;

The front;

The back;

"WONDERLAND SCENE" - A POCKET LETTER TO SWAP AT POCKET LETTER PALS

I need to NOT sign up for another holiday themed Pocket Letter LOL  This one and another (I can't show yet) are going into the mail today, then I think I have only two more to get out this month.  But you know how it is when you are deep into something new.

This one is inspired by and created with several Bo Bunny paperlines from a year ago or so.  I was looking for blues and these were perfect.  I have always been keen on garlands (and other hangie things) and find most (all) of my PLs are decorated with a garland of one sort or another.  This one is quite a bit "quieter" than I would normally do but the scene just cried out "leave me alone"!

I played with the blues of the paper on the back, used the journal spots and tags as the base of the pockets.  All were glittered up and filled with blue, silver and a few red bits.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - POCKET LETTER

We have started a Pocket Letter Swap group here in Victoria BC.  This morning was our first swap, everyone quickly agreed we should do more!  What creativity!  I have created a "Pocket Letters Victoria BC Swap Group" pinboard and posted photos of everyone's PLs, feel free to check it out under my Pinterest account.  I think we will focus on holiday themes so next will be Valentine's Day.

Here is what I put together for Gloria;

All based on Graphic 45's "A Christmas Carol" papers, playing up the blue, green and pink palette. The front

and the back.

"NINE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" POCKET LETTER (SWAP AT POCKET LETTER PALS)

Each of the nine pockets are to be filled ie 1 something in the first pocket, 2 somethings in the second etc.  I had Graphic 45s "Twelve Days of Christmas" paper and stamps, so that was easy!  And so was taking a shabby chic style.  I'm pleased with how it came out and I'm doing another with Graphic 45s "A Christmas Carole".

The front;

The back;

The box;

Holiday Pocket Letters (2)

That post was getting a bit long so here goes the second batch.

"Retro" - I seem to have a "model" underway.  A banner across the top, front pockets filled with embellishments.

The back - the pockets are filled with vintage style images, which are not affixed and can be used and an envelope for the "letter".

A custom made box to contain the letter and mail it.

"Starlight Mints"  - the front pockets filled with embellishments, a tag and a banner across the top.

The back pockets are filled with vintage image gift tags and an envelope is attached to contain the "letter".

I really do love creating the custom box to contain my "Pocket Letters", a special touch.

Holiday Pocket Letters

Are you doing "Pocket Letters" yet?  I just recently discovered them and of course I'm in full production :)  "Pocket Letters" are a mix of pen pal and artsy/crafty fun.  Check out Janette Lane's tutorials and her  "Pocket Letter Pals"  site.

Here are a few that I have done for swaps.

"Santa" - the front, all of the pockets are full of embellishments for my swap partner to use, the banner is attached to the outside,

and the back pockets which I have filled with vintage image gifts tags and and attached envelope I made for the "letter".

I like to make a custom box for the folded "Pocket Letter".

"Krafty Christmas" - the front, again filled with an assortment of embellishments, a banner attached across the top (pop dots)

and the back pockets.  Here I used a single sheet of paper that I have simply cut and and left in order to recreate the "scene".  Again an envelope is attached to hold the "letter".

A custom box to contain the letter.  Do a Youtube search to find several variations on creating the box.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WARM WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR

Thank you to all of my followers and those of you who check in regularly to see what I might be up to!  I so appreciate your encouragement and support.  For the most part the last six months have seen me housebound, creating and connecting with all of you has truly helped me keep a happy, healthy outlook.  We often do not know that we have made a difference in the lives of those whose paths we cross, you have made a difference for me.

All my best wishes for your holidays and the coming year.

This is a gif file (courtesy of my friend Heather) and will print out on whatever background you choose.  Remember to right click and save the larger image!

WINTER WONDERLAND - 1953!

Turquoise and red at the holidays always take me back to my childhood.  Mom always flocked our tree (using the vacuum) and often in a colour, I remember at least one turquoise tree!  I painted this 18" papier mache cone awhile ago and waited for inspiration to hit.  Off white acrylic paint for the lst coat, then "Weathered Wood" crackle medium (I adore this stuff!) with a turquoise acrylic on top.

Deb, a friend since childhood recently gifted me with cards that her mother received when she was in a TB sanitorium through 1953/54.  What a treasure trove!  Lucky me!  I adored Evelyn and feel extra special to be gifted these.  Amongst these I found the perfect special card to use - shiny red foil and a pop out snow scene!

The top is trimmed with a giant chenille stem which I wired on by punching holes every 2" and using regular chenille stems.  A bit of silver ric rac for glitter beneath that and around the edge of the card front.  I used Holly and Candy Cane Stickles to highlight the scene.  A glittery turquoise pom at the bottom and a vintage style chenille Santa complete the piece.  Yep, I guess I am not done with cones yet nor the chenille figures!

I am entering this in the Divas By Design "Let It Snow" challenge...this is a great challenge site if you are unfamiliar with it, do go and have a look,  the "Snowmen" challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks,  "Anything Goes As Long As It Is Festive" challenge at Whimsy Stamps

MEDALLION OF VINTAGE MUSIC SHEETS

I am calling this a medallion because it doesn't have a hole in the centre as a wreath does.  There have been lots of wreaths seen in the last couple of years and while on my "want" list - you might know that I am terrible at churning out multiples of the same thing LOL All those cones!

I used the tips Michele of PRIMP provided in rolling the (oh so many!) cones.  Though instead of closing the cones with a bit of masking tape, I used a small strip of double sided tape (DST) on the bottom left inside corner.  The cone is then adhered on the inside and you won't have any tape bits showing.  Production line!

The music paper was about 60 years old but thick enough to not be fragile.  I used a 9" chipboard cake plate for the base and sketched out about a 4 inch circle in the middle to start the cones on.  There are three layers of cones;  the 2nd layer is the same size as the first back layer with each cone placed on top of and between the bottom layer and the third and top layer are 1/2 the size of the other cones as I wanted to create more depth and abundance.

The pink ruffle is a vintage horse competition ribbon (first time I have used one!), on top of that is a vintage tin Christmas tree light reflector topped with a mini TH rosette and that is finally topped with a vintage sparkly glass button.  I distressed the edges with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and pink Stickles.

I am entering this in the "Distressing" challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow, the "Anything Goes" Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

VINTAGE CANDY CANE CONE WITH SANTA

After a bit of fooling around with my first effort, now I am quite happy with this little project.  Again I started with a 7" paper mache cone on which I painted rough strips in a maroon red and creamy white, you don't have to be perfect because the next step is to cover all of this in a good white glue and coat with Diamond Dust.  I tried several other colors but a silver tinsel pipe cleaner for the handle worked best in this mix.  The red rim is wired tinsel trim from Michael's adhered with DST.  I adhered a line of vintage silver tinsel garland along the inside top (DST) and that along with a bit of snowy white paper shreds make a fine winter nest for the vintage '50s  snowman with plastic holly pick.  I added a rosette (the smaller TH die) made with a MS pp and topped with a vintage button.   A bit of ribbon and a sparkly pompom finish it off.  While I find Diamond Dust stays pretty well put, I have sprayed this this with a light coat of fixative.

I am entering this in the "Vintage Christmas" Challenge #39  over at Sugar Creek Hollow,  "V for Vintage" challenge at the Alphabet Challenge Blog, "Anything Goes" challenge at Simon Says Stamp Challenge, "Glitter and Sparkle" challenge at Divas By Design

CANDY CANE CONE

This year cones are a favourite!

I started with a paper mache cone on which I painted rough strips in a maroon red and creamy white which I then covered in Diamond Dust.  A tinsel pipe cleaner for the handle.  The red rim is wired tinsel trim.  I adhered a line of vintage silver tinsel garland along the inside top and that along with a bit of snowy paper shreds make a wintery nest for the vintage plastic snowman with holly pick.  A rosette made with a MS pp and topped with a vintage button.   A bit of ribbon and a sparkly pompom finish it off.  I may yet glitter up that little snowman....that will take a bit of pondering LOL

"FEELING BLUE" - FUSSY & FANCY CHALLENGE # 76

For the first time ever I am suddenly really taken with blue for the holidays.  I saw this challenge on  a new followers blog (thanks May!) and thought perfect!  The beginnings of this tag were an attempt at the 12 Tags of Christmas probably 2 years ago.  Wasn't happy with it but had put so much effort into it that I didn't toss it in file 13.  I had a request for a stocking tag for Baby Jack and pulled this one out.  I have a few more skills now and thought perhaps I could do something with it!  Baby Jack's mom said "what a tiny head that snowman has"... part of being a snowman with attitude I think!

Check out the fabulous creations at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge Blog!

VINTAGE HOLIDAY CONE IMAGE

A few weeks ago the DH came home with some vintage paper pieces for me.  They are all of Dutch origin and I'm fairly certain date to the early 1950s.  These included some Christmas themed cones.

My friend Heather has once again worked her special magic and erased the "wear and tear" from one of the cones and created several sizes of the image.  I am delighted to share these with you. Remember to click on the image and then save the larger image for best resolution.   These are gif files and will print out exactly as you see them.  For durability print them out on a heavy paper, using double sided tape on the white edge to hold them together.

If you want to get some ideas and see this at it's best, Heather has used the cone for a Really Reasonable Ribbon design team project which she has posted today.   And oh it is sweet!   The perfect name has been used for Really Reasonable Ribbon check out all the possibilities!

MERRY MITTENS AND SNOWMAN BANNER

Credit to Linda Albrecht for the design, published in the 2010 ``Sommerset Holidays & Celebrations``.  I absolutely fell in love with this and actually did it after Christmas last year.  I actually like crafting Christmas after the holiday, it gives me quite a good feeling to think I have a leg up on the next year.

Spied in my craft studio by Ms Snoopy, she has been hinting for quite sometime HA!  Still going to her house but for McLean`s 7th bday party...he has decided on a ``winter wonderland`` theme.

This was a trial project and several of the snowmen heads are looking to the side, I didn`t guide the dh quite enough for the drilling of said heads!  A character giving feature, surely.  Base pps and many of the chipboard embellishments are from Cosmo Cricket.  A sweet line which gave me a retro 50s vibe.

 By now you know I have NO photography skills and I am not likely to gain any!

SHABBY CHIC VINTAGE CHRISTMAS GARLAND SWAP

Did you know that "hangie things" are my absolute favourite!  Banners, bunting, drops, flags,  garlands, pennants, swags - by any name!  Of course I was going to be in on another of the fabulous swaps hosted by JoAnne of the Vintage Dragonfly. 

JoAnne supplied the pattern (choice of two) and we are required to create 6 pieces to swap.  We were to use white, cream and/or  ivory and perhaps the barest touch of other colour along with vintage images. 

I have made all of mine the same; background pps are Graphic 45, the holly border along the top is a MS punch which I embossed in clear for a bit more shine,  the rest is bordered with Opal Liquid Pearls which pick up a bit of the Evergreen Bough Distress Ink which I did the edges in, my vintage image (I'm sorry source forgotten!  Still haven't recovered brain cells lost from anesthetic!) is layered on cream cardstock which is edged with Platinum Stickles, the image is covered with Sugar Beads (translucent microbeads), at the bottom I have used a Prima ivory flower, some ivory stamens from my stash, glittered leaves from a floral pick and a coil of gold bullion wire (both Michael's) and finally a cream tassle.   

JoAnne will put six of our contributions together and mail us back a completed garland!  I can hardly wait! 

SNOWFLAKE ANGEL CHRISTMAS TAGS

I'm still working off the tags shared by Nancy Maxwell James of Sugar Lump Studios.  She has just posted a fabric album using these same images "Little Angels" from Digital Collage Sheets.

Background papers are glittery picks from  Laundry Line by MME - a favourite I have been hanging on to for several years.   Again Stickles for a glittery outline and a bit of shabby ribbon for the top.  The snowflakes I picked up at Michael's, added a bit of microfine warm highlights glitter to soften up the pure silver they started with and centered them with a vintage pearl button.  Snowflakes and button adhered with E6000.

MY "MERRY FAMILY" CHRISTMAS TAGS

No they really aren't "my" family!  These images are from Michelle of  Digital Collage Sheets.  Fell head over heals for this set LOL  I just couldn't resist playing on the sober expressions.  I have some special plans yet for "Granny Mary Merry"!   Still working on producing a pile of tags for our girls, so keeping these simple - Stickles, dimensional embellishments and a bit of crinkled ribbon!