Christmas tree skirt

I finished this tree skirt in record time-about 2 days before Christmas. Maybe 3. At first I thought of it as a small project that I could get done really quickly. Then I realized it's the size of a lap quilt. But somehow I got it done. I used a layer cake from Moda called Twelve Days of Christmas and a free tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop called Fruitcake Under My Tree. I didn't want to use yardage for the setting triangles so I sewed extra layer cake squares together for that. I LOVE it even though my seam matching leaves a lot to be desired. The binding fabric is some yardage by Robert Kaufman.



and under our little tree (our last real tree-we bought a fake one after Christmas)

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing all of my blog readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

 ingredients:
Daisy
Fur trapper's hat from Target
Sparky
Santa Hat and collar from Target
"Merry" alphabet and ornaments: Crystal Wilkerson
"Christmas" font: Milkshake

Winter runner

This started out as a Christmas runner. But I didn't get it done in time and Christmas has come and gone, so I'm calling it a winter runner. It's not super Christmassy anyway. I used the Emerson Street Table Topper tutorial at the Moda Bake Shop, only I substituted a couple of plain blocks on each long side and I also shortened it some, since my table isn't all that long. Warning-if you ever try this tutorial, there have been corrections made on the blog post that were NOT made on the pdf file. Therefore, mine is also a slightly different width. The fabric is Colorful Christmas from Riley Blake.





Pictured below is the back, which is pieced from the leftovers. The binding is also pieced from leftovers. I did use bias binding, but because of the corner pinwheel blocks I decided to make mitered corners instead of my usual rounded ones. But even with mitering, I think it is so much easier with bias binding.
 

For the label, I decided to use a tutorial from Jaybird Quilts to incorporate my label into the back. It was much easier and since I was already piecing the back anyway, it was not any extra work. I didn't have to worry about remembering to sew the label on while binding or after finishing it. I loved this method. It's hard to see it, but on the picture above, the label is right by the top left corner of the green fabric. Here is a close-up.

Christmas cards part 2

Here are the other two cards I made for Christmas. I used the new style ink pads with these and boy, are they nice! Much easier to get a good solid image than with the old pads.



Ingredients:
Stampin' Up Word Play and Ornament Keepsakes
Stampin' Up Holiday Ornaments Framelits dies 
Embossing folder
Ink: Stampin' Up
Marker: Copic
Red cardstock: Stampin' Up
White cardstock: Neenah
Silver cord: Stampin' Up


Ingredients:
Stampin' Up Merry Messages and Christmas Lodge
Stampin' Up Top Note Die
Ink: Stampin' Up
Kraft cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up
White cardstock: Neenah

Christmas cards, part 1

Here are 3 of the cards I made. I used my silhouette for all 3 of these, along with some other tools.



For the one above, I used the following:
The tree from the Lettering Delights Feliz Navidog SVG Set.
Madison Window die from Poppy Stamps
Stampin' Up scalloped border punch
Stampin' Up Merry Messages set
Ink: Stampin' Up
Patterned paper: Stampin' Up
Green and yellow solid cardstock: Stampin' Up
Blue solid cardstock: Bazzill
White cardstock: Neenah 



For the one above I used the following:
Presents from the Lettering Delights Tannenbaum SVG set
EK Success scalloped punch
Red cardstock: Stampin' Up
Green cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Die Cuts with a View
White cardstock: Neenah  
Stampin' Up Seasonal Sayings set
Ink: Stampin' Up 


For the one above I used the following:
Shapes from the Silhouette store
Colored cardstock: Stampin' Up
White cardstock: Neenah  
Glitter: Art Institute
Embossing folder
The picture below shows the glitter a little better :)



Tomorrow I'll post the other cards I made.

Ornaments card

I have officially started on Christmas cards! Only I just made one and have a lot to go. Hopefully I can keep up this momentum. ha.

The ornaments are from the Lettering Delights Christmas Dee-Licious svg set and I cut them out with my Silhouette SD using Silhouette Studio. All of the paper is from Stampin' Up except for the white, which is from Paper Trey Ink. I think the twine is from Divine Twine. I also used my little sewing machine to sew around the red patterned paper. The white squares are embossed with the Sizzix stars and swirls embossing folder and punched with a 1.5" square from Creative Memories. One ornament is hanging crooked but I'm leaving it. I used a sketch from Retro Sketches.


In case anyone is wondering, these are the settings I use for cutting out Stampin' Up cardstock: blade 5 (4 might be enough), speed 5, pressure 33, double cut (it will cut through with a single cut but some sharp corners do better with a double cut).

2011 Christmas Cards

Yep it's been a while. So anyway, these are the cards I made for Christmas this year.



This first one I made with a freebie file from the Silhouette store. I used my new favorite embossing folder, which is the stars & swirls from Sizzix. The baker's twine is Martha Stewart brand, the white card stock is Neenah and the red card stock and green patterned paper are both from Stampin' Up.



The next one was made with a file from Lettering Delights and cut out with the Silhouette SD. The embossing folder is from the evil Provo Craft. White card stock is Neenah and the rest of the card stock and the patterned paper is from Stampin' Up.



This is almost all from Stampin' Up. The off white card stock is Bazzill, the border punch is Martha Stewart and the baker's twine is Divine Twine from Whisker Graphics. I cased this card from Wrestlermomx2 on Split Coast Stampers. Thanks Wrestlermomx2!




This is a card I made to hold a gift card for my nephew. I used a tutorial from Jennifer McGuire. White card stock is Paper Trey Ink and colored card stock and stamp from Stampin' Up. I'm not sure about the patterned paper. The inside card stock is Bazzill. The image is stamped with memento ink and colored with copic markers. The inside scallop is from a Stampin' Up punch and the outside shapes were cut with nestabilities.

2010 Christmas Cards

Here are the cards I made and sent this year:

green cardstock, embossing folder, and word stamp: stampin' up
patterned paper: doodlebug
blue cardstock: bazzill
glitter: doodlebug
string: dmc
border punch: ek success
cricut cartridge: joys of the season


cardstock, patterned paper, ribbon, ink, and word stamp: stampin' up
embossing folder: sizzix
wreath stamps: the angel company
dies: nestabilities


blue cardstock, deer stamp, embossing powder, ribbon, tag punch: stampin' up
patterned paper: digital
phrase font: 2 peas
silver cardstock: unknown
dies: nestabilities


(unless you're Japanese or know about Japanese food you may not understand the humor of this one. Trust me-it's funny)
cardstock and patterned paper: stampin' up
embossing folder: sizzix
markers: copic
stamp: 2 scoops rice designs
dies: nestabilities

this is a small bag I made for giving away candy canes

paper: die cuts with a view
tag punch: stampin' up
stamp: stampendous (I think)
ribbon: unknown
snowflake: cricut (joys of the season cart) and a punch
bag: cricut (tags, bags, boxes & more cart)

Create a Cute Reindeer Critter

I don't post my Christmas cards on my blog until after the holiday so that any of my blog readers who get cards from me won't see it before they get one. But this one was made by my 13 year old for her dance teacher. I cut the shapes out on the cricut for her (only because she was busy doing her math lessons-normally she does it herself) and she put them together. I also made the snowy ground for her. I used some 1" wide miracle tape from Viva Las Vegas Stamps and I stuck it to white paper, tore the top (being careful to tear it toward the back side so that the entire front would have adhesive on it) and dipped it in glitter. Sammy put it all together and added snowflakes drawn with a white gel pen (I think Sakura) and spica pens. Paper on cutouts is all Bazzill. The card base is made with Stampin' Up card stock. I don't know what the white is-it's from a scrap I found lying on my desk. Cricut cartridges we used are Create a Critter for the deer and Christmas Cheer for the tree.

Good Tidings of Great Joy! -- Advent Calendar

We were shopping at a quilt shop and saw this advent calendar displayed. I thought it was pretty cute, and I like the designer, Nancy Halvorsen, a lot. So I bought the panel for it. I fused the shapes to green felt and trimmed around them (you can't see the felt). The buttons are from my stash-some from bazzill, one from stampin' up and some from walmart. The entire panel is a cheater-it's all printed on and I just sewed it up with some batting inside and quilted it (around the printed designs) and sewed the buttons on. I took this picture with all the shapes on it but took them all off and the kids put on one shape each day until Christmas Eve. They like it and have no idea kids all over the world are getting candy or a small toy in their advent calendars each day. So don't anyone spill the beans, please. ;)

Belated Merry Christmas

Belated you say? Yep. I started this wall hanging at least 2, maybe 3 years ago. I had it all done except the binding and all these years, I never finished it. I would think about it, and pull it out, and then suddenly it was Christmas eve and I'd think 'maybe next year' and put it away. Well this time I did it. I finished it! And even more miraculous, way before Christmas! It's from a book by Nancy Halvorsen called Heartfelt Holidays Too and is made with fusible applique. I hand stitched the letters around the border and also around each appliqued shape.

Last two Christmas cards

Here are the other two cards I made for Christmas.

This one is made using digital papers by Crystal Wilkerson. I printed them on shimmery cardstock. The stamp is from SU and it's stamped with Brilliance Rocket Red Gold ink and punched with a punch from SU. The heart punch, ribbon, blue paper and vanilla card base are also from SU.


This one is from the Very Merry Tags cricut cartridge. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder, digital paper from Jerri Ingalls, cardstocks from SU, Bazzill and Lasting impressions, shimmery vellum, SU border punch (from an upcoming catalog) and ribbon from SU.

Two Christmas cards-and a sketch challenge

I'm posting only two of my cards right now. The other two cards I did are going to people who read my blog-so I'll post them later.

This one is made with a digital stamp that I found here. I used the same background as the freebie but changed the color and then put the image on top and then printed it. I colored it with copic markers. I tried shading and all that but the colors looked so light (pink instead of red, for example) so I just colored it solid. The markers I used (forgot to take a picture) are C5, G07, G17, R17 and Y38. I printed the image on shimmery cardstock but you can't tell from the picture. It's shimmery though. I used some Stampin' Flock on the white parts of the hat. Cardstock and patterned paper are from Stampin' Up and the Christmas Greetings stamp is from..I think Hero Arts. Embossing folder from Cuttlebug. For this card I used Aly's sketch shown here, turned on its side. I didn't have room for the 3 dots so I left them out. I didn't want to make square cars since I don't have enough envelopes that size and shape.



the sketch:


This next one was made using a digital kit by Crystal Wilkerson. I printed the patterned papers onto some cardstock and then cut them up just as I would regular patterned paper. The tree and sentiment were printed on shimmery cardstock. I cut the tree out and glued it to the oval (which is SU vanilla cardstock). I also used nestabilities and my SU scallop border punch. Kraft cardstock is from Stampin' Up. I used stickles at the top of the tree.

It's over-finally!!

Christmas, that is. The big holiday is over and the living room is full of toys and empty boxes. Today I'm throwing out all the empty boxes and throwing the toys in the kids' rooms so we can walk around again. Here is what everyone got:
Steve got a tool set, back massager thing that sits in a chair, calendar, jeans and socks (he's not easy to buy for). I got a cd, brain age (I have no nintendo ds but hey, that's a minor detail. I just use the kids' ds units), cricut cartridge (cuttin' up), 3 books, 2 applique books and we got a gift card and some money from his brother to share (but I probably won't share). Jenny got an American Girl doll, hawaiian doll outfit, cooking mama 2 ds game, build a bear ds game, 3 books, jibbitz, sweatshirt, discovery channel living with tigers dvd, American Girl get better set (has all the supplies for the injured American girl doll), 3 die cast Disney cars, American Girl hair care set, and bunch of gift cards and cash. Sammy got an American Girl doll, Littlest Pet Shop Biggest Littlest Pet Shop, 3 littlest pet shop toys in her stocking, 3 books, puppy bowl dvd, mario party ds game, jibbitz, sweatshirt, American Girl doll ballet outfit, LPS (littlest pet shop) Whirl Around Playground and Leapin' Lagoon, and bunch of gift cards and cash. Jake got a Science Lab kit complete with personalized lab coat, remote control helicopter (this is really fun), tshirt, 3 books, mario party ds game, mario kart ds game, Discovery Channel Chased By Sea Monsters dvd, jibbitz, 3 die cast Disney cars, Monopoly and Sorry Express, Nintendo Monopoly, and bunch of gift cards and cash. The family got the first season of Meerkat Manor and a set of Discovery Channel "best of" dvds. Santa is sending a Wii for the whole family but it is going to be about a week late. That means we get to listen to a whole week of "IS IT HERE YET???" Daisy (the puppy) got a bratty cat seen here:

and the cat got a pouch of tuna fish (much better than a toy, for him).
I think everyone made out pretty good this year. Santa even left this picture of Rudolph for the kids: