The 2022 Holiday Season is here already; only slightly unbelievable how quickly time goes as we get older, since we're watching our family grow as fast. We're making the most of the time available to us here in our Indiana home, getting it closed up and ready for the move to open up the Florida home in just over a week from this typing. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the older set of Kids and the 2 older Grandbabies at their home, while the younger ones hosted family from Canada as well as some new friends there in Oswego. Princess Rose seemed to enjoy her very first Thanksgiving the same way she takes in everything- with a happy look or smile! What a beautiful baby girl she is! The next evening, we were sitting together (again, with the older set) on a corner of the downtown county seat, watching the Light Up Logansport Parade. It was actually the first one we've attended for some years since we used to lead that parade- either being in Cub/Boy Scouts carrying the US Flag or leading it in the GVFD firetruck- hitting the horn to begin. Our Scouts were asked to lead the very first one they held, so we just kept on from there. Once the ChiefHubby retired in 2015, it was time to 'pass the torch'. It had to be the best weather for it that I can remember of all those years, and it was the first chance for our older 2 Grands to be able to see a parade up close and catch the goodies. The next night, the younger set was able to get out and see theirs up in Oswego, but I have yet to find out how Jamie liked it. We did get a msg this morning on his 3rd year checkup... BIG healthy boy! We are very blessed to have healthy, happy Grandbabies! Sunday morning brought the first chance for Peanut and Princess Pistachio to play in the Bell Choir. They had practiced during J.A.M. with about 50 of the kids, but only 11 actually made it for the service. I think it was a huge hit with all the kids, though. You can see the video on Church of Christ at Logansport's FB page HERE (just past the scrolling info graphics) and Princess looks like she was having the time of her life playing those bells; she was smiling ear to ear and shaking the ringer outta those bells, lol!
While Christmas is not my favorite holiday, it's an important one. CHRISTmas is just that: a celebration, gathering, or proclaiming CHRIST's birth. And in everything, I try to put GOD in the priority to which HE belongs: first. I'm human and I fail- at everything and that includes putting GOD first all the time. But I try, and that's the best I can do. So, when it comes to my Sunday School Class, leaving for the winter puts me in a bind as to how I can keep this holiday important to them. I am blessed to have found a substitute whom the kids know (and LOVE!) in one of the Moms of my students, but I still have the responsibility. Last year, I used my computer to miniaturize a Little Golden Book "The Christmas Story" into 3-inch-high books with string loops for hanging as ornaments for their tree at home. I did the same thing this year. And this story being an important one for me, I took it a bit further for my contribution to The Funkie Junkie Boutique's Inspiration Ave. for Chapter 4 Stamps.
Keep reading and you'll see!
Tim Holtz 2022 Chapter 4 Christmas Stampers Anonymous Stamp Sets
is our theme for the next two weeks at The Funkie Junkie Boutique's Inspiration Ave! Check back in for all Design Team makes as the days go by to find out which set they chose, and what they created with it. Remember to leave a comment on that page, so you will be entered into our random drawing for a $25 shopping spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique!
Happy Mail again- from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, of course!
I've chosen Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Department Store
for this make. I not only love the music notes and
the old-fashioned-looking Merry Christmas sentiment, especially,
but for this, I wanted to try a layered wreath.
*Links for products will be listed at the end of this first part.
Remember from an earlier posted make; I got my hands on
Sets 1 & 3 of the TH Distress Watercolor Pencils.
Now was my chance to do some real coloring with them!
I covered the Tag and included Reinforcer piece with plain cream cardstock.
I like to make a back Reinforcer, so I always cut layers of plain circle die of same size,
and simply cut a hole to fit.
I burnished all the edges with my TH Sanding Block,
then added a thick-in-some-places/thin-in-some-places layer of
Ranger TH Translucent Crackle Paste. If you haven't tried this product by now:
you surely will want to after you've seen what it can do!
I allowed this to dry overnight.
After the cracks appeared and were dry, I scrubbed some Ground Espresso Distress Crayon
into them, and also went around the Etcetera Tag/reinforcers edges, then heat fried again.
I got out some Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black and some watercolor paper
and began making some practice stamped images with my TH Stamping Platform.
I'm one of those folks who is "stamp challenged" so I made several images
from which I would be able to choose the best parts of 3 images...
one full, one ribbon, one all ivy leaves/berries.
From these, I would form the layers.
Distress Watercolor Pencils are the best things yet!
But I'm certainly not one to toss out my Distress Crayons;
they still come in very handy- especially if you don't have the shade you want in a Pencil.
I've got my 3 chosen and colored. And also my sentiment from the Stamp Set.
With my plan in place by (No. 2) penciling under one that will be cut up,
I made sure to heat dry everything first.
Next came the cutting. TH Tiny Snips are great for the tight turns of corners on the wreath!
Now, I was free to layer it all up with some Sizzix double-sided foam sheets.
Note to Self: Self, check which house (Indiana or Florida) you are sending your dies to
or you will end up not using them until the next year!
It worked out well in any case, but I have no idea if TH Fireside is still in production at all.
It does, however work well with Etcetera Scalloped Trims- which I used here.
I cut a few layers of Fireside out of Kraft Stock Stack (Warm)
using the BACKSIDE of the paper. The brown of the back just looked better as "wood".
Then ran the paper through my Big Shot with TH 3D Impresslit, Lumber
(You can also use Mini Lumber, which may fit scale better.)
using Black Soot Distress Oxide onto the folder's indents.
I also cut pieces to fit the Etcetera Shelf pieces.
Then edged all of it with Distress Oxide in Ground Espresso with a
bit of DO Black Soot where the smoke of a fire would leave smudges.
Cutting out the smaller detail pieces was a bit hard for me,
but well worth doing so after the make was finished!
I used Glossy Accents for all adhesion, which allows bending
the flames while it's still wet. That gave the black grate some
real dimension around the fire.
I inked up all the edges of the layered wreath and several pieces
from the TH Christmas Layers 2022, even if I didn't use them all.
Here's where the Little Golden Book "The Christmas Story" came into play.
I took my book (which is an original first print which I found many years ago in a yard sale- a truly scored treasure!) and carefully copied each page onto my computer.
I have a program which helps me size/shop photos for printing.
Then printed it out on plain paper and using plain white cardstock to form the
outside cover in which the zig-zag folded pages fit between.
A paper string is added into the spine before the final gluing (with Glossy Accents).
Making a tiny book fit to 1 inch size was easy following this method.
And that is how it ended up in my make.
*Please be aware of copyrights/rules of use to printed books.
Here's a list of links to help you find products to make this Tag:
Hoarded away TH Crinkle Ribbon (retired) with some Antique Linen Distress Oxide.
A few TH Christmas Confection sticks cut in half add a bit of whimsy.
The grundgy-ness of this Tag shows through- on both sides.
Grab your glasses to read "The Christmas Story"
which is the entire point of CHRISTmas itself.
The 'official Christmas postcard: From Our House To Yours!
A Silver Snowflake Charm on a TH Wire Pin as the perfect touch for the ribbon.
Linda (owner of TFJB) always adds little freebies in the Happy Mail that goes out!
A Christmas stamp from the TH Christmas Layers pack.
Inspiration Ave!
The next post you'll see from me will be typed from the (hopefully much warmer)
Florida Emerald Coast. I'll be taking as much of my Craft Studio as I can pack
so I'll be able to create more over the winter months to share with you.
So, until next time...
Stay Safe &
HAPPY BLOGGING!!
