Vintage BoBunny Ornaments

This year I participated in my first on-line ornament exchange. A Cherry On Top message board gave me an opportunity to create an ornament keepsake for a fellow scrapbooker. I learned that Sandi, my recipient, liked vintage and old Santas. I decided to create a couple of handmade ornaments using BoBunny's new holiday line. I utilized papers from their mini album die-cut paper packet. The smaller image designs of Santas, children, and such were perfect for the little spaces I had on these two charming paper mache ornaments.

Sparkle mod podge was used to embellish both the papers and buttons used in the project. One cannot have a holiday ornament without some bling, IMO.  I topped one button with a pearlized gem sticker, and chose to thread some sheer ribbon through buttons on the other ornament, and frayed it for a more vintage appearance.

When sending my ornaments off I whipped up a simple gift tag using a piece of manila folder, more BoBunny paper, and created the ACOT logo with some red buttons and hand-drawn stems and leaves.

Sandi is thrilled with her ornaments, and it was a pleasure to create a gift specific to a person's likes.

Happy creating,

Rita S.

Punch up your packages!!

It's the holiday season and one of my favorite things about Christmas is gift wrapping. I love the lightly wired ribbon and feel it gives the gift a special ooomph! Recently I obtained Martha Stewart's butterfly punch, and it immediately made me thing of a snowflake with all of its holes. I decided to embellish packages for the ladies on my gift giving list this year with this elegant little bow topper. I purchased white on white varnished scrapbook paper from a wedding section, punched out the butterfly and coated it with sparkle Mod Podge. I then added little pearl stickers down the abdomen and attached it with a light wire.

"May the beauty of Christmas alight in your heart and your soul."

What do you think of that sentiment? I am still considering my tag design, and thought maybe it could have a saying such as the one I just shared with you. If you have another thought on how to tie a butterfly into Christmas I am all ears! (LOL)

Are you using your punches to punch up your gift packages? Give me a link  - I would love to see how you decorate the packages for the special people on your giving list.

Happy creating,

Rita S.

Candids are sometimes best...

Thanksgiving weekend we had the chance to visit with my sister-in-law, her husband and see how much our godson, Jed, has grown. He will be two in February, and as you can imagine, a formal family portrait was not something he wanted to sit still for.

My favorite photos were obtained later, as I noticed him interested in the fireplace. I thought I would share them with you, because hey - he is SO cute!

I am very much in the Christmas spirit, how about you? Christmas shopping is done, and I could stop decorating now and be fine with it. Now I am helping my single brother, my mom and my husband's mom with some shopping. Oh, and I added some things in my last amazon.com shopping card for the cousins on my in-laws side to give the kids. Guess that makes it easier for everyone, but what I really think would be wonderful is if we would cease the gift exchange totally.

My side of the family is doing this this year...as we were encouraged by Advent Conspiracy to bring it up. Times are tough for many, including my nieces and nephews out on their own or those looking for jobs. Christmas should be joyful - it's about the little ones and spending time together as family. In lieu of the gift exchange we're going to play board games in that time slot. AND have our white elephant gift exchange which is always a hoot - no purchase allowed - it must be something from your house. The white elephant exchange is always a highlight of our Christmas gathering.

We're having a dinner party on the 19th for friends who are alone for the first time this Christmas. I had hoped to make invitations today, but since that did not happen I am not going to stress myself. Instead, we will give them a verabl invite, or note, at church tomorrow. I am all about cutting stress out of the Christmas, afterall it is not Christress. (LOL)

Take time to enjoy the true meaninig of this season,

Rita