12 Tags of Christmas Ornament 9

Mason Jar Lid 9

Don't tell on me.  I should be cleaning and cooking for tomorrow, but this latest tag from The 12 Tags of Christmas would not leave my brain alone. 

So let's have a gander....

 

I, for the first time (and quite possibly last) used a fine sheet of gold leaf metal to cover my jar lid. I did like most times and ignored instruction, causing the most sticky gilded mess ever. I looked like I had tried to tar and feather myself in bling.  Needless to say, it got completed and once attached, I applied 'glob dots' of TH Distress paints in Black Soot and Antique Linen for highlights. THEN, if I wasn't plastered up enough (and I don't mean in the fun liquid way) I added even more sticky stuff to seal it all in with Mod Podge.

Setting that lid waaaay out of my sight for a bit, I focused on the inside of the lid for the background. I decided to have  my first play with the Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #16 and whereby I am sworn to secrecy and cannot, out of respect and utmost admiration for Tim and his wicked groovy brain, divulge the technique steps. Except for to say that the challenge is Layering Stencil: Embossing, pg. 50.  That much I can say and the above picture shows some TH goodies I used to make mine.

Now to the 3rd step in this ornament. The inspiration piece that really jumped off of Linda's tag for me....the vellum!  Yes indeedy, Linda's creation is oozing with distinguished and lavish beauty and took my breath away, but I was hyperventilating at the sight of her translucent yumminess she included. My entire ornament is designed around the black, gold and cream colors and vellum.

Above you can see where I've drawn on the vellum.

Here I've added some liquid glass and opalescent 'snow' flakes to make my frozen lake.

Oh, one other thing. Linda's snowflake has musical notes peeking out from the rosette and I really loved that so I coated my traditional plastic snowflake with decoupage and then fitted a sheet of music to it best I could.  

Pine cones and foliage were added that mirrored the stamping on Linda's tag also.

Then the little skaters and the scenery was complete.

   And there you have it!  Ornament #9 completed and ready for the tree.  Speaking of tree, I need to get up, decorate and start cooking for the family.  

Before I go, thank you so much to The Funkie Junkie Boutique for sponsoring not only Linda's challenge at The Funkie Junkie but also for CC3C.  I'd also like to add this little ornament to the Frilly and Funkie Challenge for their inspired ideas for A Gift From the Heart.  My grandmother Jerry's birthday is on Christmas day and she LOVES to collect ornaments for her tree. It's the perfect gift!

For those of you whom celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving to you and for those that do not...I hope you have a fabulous and relaxing weekend.

Hugs to you and ALL and happy crafting,

Lisa x

Nicecrane Design Ornaments....

I am feeling so much better today and I believe that the skin under my nose is finally starting to heal...yeah! Since I do feel more human, I decided it would be good to renew my relationship with the elliptical machine again....SO stupid! 

Funny that I thought the flu was trying to kill me. Let me not get started on that death machine...

Anywho...

I was able to shuffle myself into the craftroom this weekend and decided that I would have a little play with Ignacio's latest images Funny Christmas Ball I and II.

Nicecrane Designs

They began on Silhouette cut rosettes

and then for some idiotic reason I thought learning origami at 4 in the morning wouldn't be taxing at ALL on my brain...  Let's not go there either!

But lookie here, I did it!  I would recommend a full 8 hours of sleep and perhaps actually finishing one cup of coffee before starting, but if you'd like to make these as well...here's the link.

HINT: They give you instructions on how to fold paper to make the beginning hexagon shape...I have a cutting machine that cut one out for me and then I varied the sizes for small, medium and large.

Each rosette is double sided and layered with an ornament ball.  

The foliage and pinecone are made from the TH Tattered Pinecone Sizzix Alterations. Papers are from 7 Gypsies and all colored surfaces are with TH distress paints.

The files are so much fun to play with. Ignacio makes each sheet the with the perfect amount of layering circles and it's up to you how you'd like to decorate them. I think these will be going on some gifts this year.

Thanks EVER so much for visiting me!

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa x

Psst...also this...

Coming SOON!

12 Tags Of Christmas Ornament 8

Mason Jar Lid 8

Back again with the 8th tag for The 12 Tags of Christmas.  Inspired by Linda's warm and cozy tag, my eyes couldn't steer away from the stocking.  My ornament was built around where stockings are hung...the mantel.

 

Texture pasted with faux brick and DP applied, I prepped the background.

Cut a piece of white card stock to make the mantel.  Colored it up with Copics and then set out to create the fireplace with stockings, fire and Santa's legs. 

Topped off with a sparkly white snowflake, sentiment, greenery and bingo piece.

Thanks again to Linda at The Funkie Junkie for hosting this yearly challenge and for sponsoring the prizes at her store The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

I'm so glad you stopped by!

Hugs and happy crafting,

Lisa x

A little Cork Board in a Little Town...

 

I live in a small town and it seems at times as though modern civilization has forgotten us.  There is one McDonald's and one Sonic and a local restaurant, most on the Interstate won't have heard of, that serves up an incredible bacon cheese steak-burger.   Mom and pop stores come and go, but most go out of business. There is however one new flea market that seems to be doing quite well in the infamous 'haunted building.' I myself have financially supported their endeavors on a weekly basis! (Shhh, don't tell the hubby...)  It's a great mix of people that bring their goods to sell. Military wives, Mennonite women, local crafters, the Knobites (born and raised here) and we all eat donuts and drink cocoa in the mornings, gathered in an old historical building established in the 1880's. 

I guess you could say that Knob Noster isn't too far removed from the map. After all, this town was mentioned in the 1983 Television movie, The Day After.  Yes,it's true, this town was always small, but in the late 1800's it was referred to as "The boomingest settlement in the county" during the decade of lucrative coal mining. Then it all dried up and the great fire happened and most of the not so big town was destroyed.  The town eventually rebuilt itself and remains to this day the small quaint quiet place with the general store, mom n' pop hardware, barber shop with the vintage light still outside, a one room library and a cute little hair and nail salon...and that's where my little cork board comes in...

I've gathered at this little hair/nail salon for over 10 years now and the people that go here don't come for just highlights and manicures. They come together for the warm coffee and friendship.  I always thought the barber shops had the monopoly on 'bonding time' but through the years I've shared in so much with these amazing ladies.  We sit around and tell our modern 'war time' stories and they share their 'WWII' and Vietnam stories with us.  It's a beautiful and wonderful thing to gather knowledge, wisdom and strength from them.  Now that my husband is recently retired from the military, I find that I have been promoted to the ranks of 'elder' where I now impart encouragement to the new military wives.  

The circle of life seen in a small town is like no other...

Aside from gabbing, eating, shopping and socializing, I also have a little store of my own. It's on a cork board, decorated up with the word CARDS at the top and on that cork board hang a few little makes that I bring in weekly.  I have the sweetest regulars that keep me busy with cards for their families. I don't charge much at all for them as I just enjoy making them, but it's not about the money.   The real payment is in the hugs these sweet ladies give me and that's payment enough.

So I guess you could say, it's okay that I don't have big craft stores, or shopping malls or even a Walmart in my town...I have so much more. I have incredible memories and friendships that I'll treasure always and that is truly something to be thankful for!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Lisa x 

NASCAR & Glass Jars...Let us All Give Thanks....

Hey ya'll! Welcome back to my blog..

Here's a little Autumn centerpiece I'd like to share with you today.

It's been a fun month guest designing with Serendipity Stamps and I am so happy to share with you my last project where we were asked to recycle or repurpose something for the holidays.

Boy howdy was I ever excited to get started.

I began by choosing the most fabulous Floral Dragonfly Die and Stamps Set, Pumpkin Die, and Wheat Sheaf Cling Set as my inspiration.

Steps;

1.) Cut several die cut pieces out

2.) Spray backside of die cuts with repositionable adhesive spray

3.) Adhere die cuts to glass jars and secure firmly

4.) Spray jars in well ventilated area with  Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass

 

5.) Find an old serving tray or Nascar TV tray, like I have here, and cover it with 

Rust-Oleum Rusty Metal Primer

6.) Let the paints dry and peel off the die cuts from glass jars and decorate.

7.) Plop a cute little tea light candle inside, light, and enjoy. 

  

8.) Don't throw away the original die cuts either. Find a twig from your yard or tree and stick the die cuts to them and add them in a and about your centerpiece.

I've also made a name placard to match the centerpiece motif.  

So there you have it.  You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the redneck out of the girl! ;) 

Which is why I'll always be thankful for NASCAR, glass jars, spray paint and Serendipity Stamps!!

Hope this idea inspires you for creating your own recycled decorations. If so, I'm sure they'd love to have you join them over at the challenge blog for their Thankful theme.

 

This week’s sale is Free Shipping on any US order of $15 or more.
 Offer good through Nov 26.  

Ya'll are awesome and I'm so happy you stopped by. I am feeling MUCH better today so thank you for all your sweet comments, texts and calls making sure I was okay. 

Big HUGE hugs and happy crafting!

Lisa xx

Please visit these lovely ladies for more recycling and re-purposing ideas.

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Vickie Zimmer

Jeanne Jachna

Jenny Gropp 

It's Gobble Time...

This time around at The Cutting Cafe, we are sharing Thanksgiving makes. 

 I chose to use Turkey Shaped Card.  A few more of these around the dining room table and you've got such cute name placards for friends and family.  The file also comes with sentiments.  

Check back on the 21st to see all the DT's wonderful Thanksgiving offerings right here.  Leave a kind comment and you'll automatically be in the drawing for 3 cut files of your choice.

Hope this finds you all happy, healthy and crafty.  I am sick as a dog currently and have tissues lodged up my nostrils as I type.

  I know, I'm bringin' sexy back...

HUGS!

Lisa x

12 Tags of Christmas Ornament 7

Mason Jar Lid 7

We're on the downhill slide of this 12 week challenge and I still continue to find endless amounts of inspiring ideas from Linda's tags.  Below you will see how hers oozes with goodness and then the photos following show what I did.

I didn't have a stencil like she had, but I thought it was so pretty and a real eye catcher, I decided to make my own. Crackle paste was then used to create the background.

I tried to pull the light creamy colors from Linda's tag so I used Versamark to hold the shabby white embossing powder Fran-tage to cover the mason lid.  A heat tool set the powder in very nicely.

                       

                                                                                                                                               Vintage photo, Victorian velvet, Tattered rose and black soot Distress paints were used to highlight the crackle paste.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Decoupage antique primer from Americana was used to prep the plastic snowflake for paint and heat.  Once primed, I painted it with Vintage photo, Victorian velvet and black soot and then shrunk to desired size.    

Linda's tag has wonderful holly on it and so I added its traditional color in Rayon seam binding using Dylusions ink spray.

Here's a close-up of the latest ornament and all it's many layers that were inspired by tag 7 of 

The 12 Tags of Christmas Challenge.  

Again, there's still time to play along and EVERYONE wins a prize. Just check out the rules at The Funkie Junkie and then hop over to see who's sponsoring her prizes..hint.. (SHE is) at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

Until next time,

Hugs and happy crafting,

Lisa x 

I would love to enter the following challenges, please:

1.) Simon Says Stamp - Ornament (Announced Nov.24th)