My first BIA project

This is my very first Bind It All project. The BIA is my newest toy. I just love it. This is a 6x6 album that I made for my granddaughter, Mikaela, for Christmas. Aren't the bright colors just perfect for a girl? I'm not sure where the paper is from, I've had if for years. Bought it in one of those paper packs, it is really thick. I've never used it because I didn't have the right solid colors to go with it. I brought out Stampin' Up!' Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie and they match it perfectly! The chipboard M is from a retired pack. The paper that the album is covered with has a lot of sparkle and shine on it so I covered the M with Melon Mambo paper and embossed with Clear embossing powder to give it that shine. I added the Pumpkin Pie cordorouy buttons, tied some of the 1/4 Pumpkin Pie ribbon and Melon Mambo Polka Dot ribbon onto the owire. On the inside of the book I added several pages cut from Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Ballet Blue, and Glorious Green. I added a few sticker borders and I am either going to add some more embelishments or package up some for her to add to it when she puts her pictures in. I'll make scrapbookers out of all my granddaughters. I have 3 right now and another due Christmas Eve. Won't that be a wonderful Chirstmas present?!

Ho Ho Ho

This is a banner that I made to hang in my office. I love Christmas decorations, my husband thinks I'm crazy. He just shakes his head when he sees me come home with more. Half of my storage area is full of Christmas decorations.

I started this project with 3 Scallop Squares cut from Glorious Green on the Big Shot, followed up with squares cut from Real Red textured paper. I cut the H's and the wreath with the Cricut. The Snowman is punch art I found on SCS in the Punch Art and Card Candy gallery (I visit there almost daily!). And the reindeer is the same one from the reindeer gift tags that I posted earlier. I attached these all to a piece of double stitched Real Red ribbon that is 1" wide, I think. Put an eyelet in the top for a hanger and you are done.

Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? There aren't too many days left!

Reindeer Gift Tags

These are from another swap I did. The base is Real Red run through the Big Shot with the Top Note die. I sponged the edges of the Old Olive with Chocolate Chip ink. The Reindeer I found on Ellen Kempker's blog, Blinkin', Thinkin', and Inkin'. If you like punch art you will love her blog. She posts ideas almost daily. Very talented lady. If you are a punch-a-holic like I am though you better stay away. My punch collection has increased since I started following her blog! I made the antlers a little different than hers, I didn't have the same punch. I added some Crystal Effects to the nose that I punched from Real Red to give him that shine. The ribbon is Sleigh Bells from the Holiday mini.

6x6 Christmas Swap

I think I went a little crazy with all of the swaps I got involved in for October and November but I managed to get them all done. Absolutely was worth it! Received such pretty stuff in return. I'll try to get some of it posted so you can see. Here is a double layout that I did for a Fall/Winter/Christmas swap. I also did a 12x12 Fall double layout. Can you believe I mailed it off without taking a picture? And to top it off I didn't make a set for myself because while I was making them I thought I could/would just recreate from the picture that I would surely take before I mailed them out! Oh, well, you live and learn, right?

The base is Real Red textured paper. The border down the side (or bottom) is Old Olive on Chocolate Chip. The ribbon is Sleigh Bells from the Holiday Mini catalog. The photo mat is Very Vanilla. I ran some Real Red cardstock through the big shot in the Petals A Plenty embossing folder, then punched the ornaments with the Ornament Punch, topped it off with a small piece of the silver elastic cord for the hanger and small knot tied with 1/4 Very Vanilla ribbon. Simple layout but very Christmassy don't you think?

Addyson's first stampin project!

This is my granddaughter Addyson's first stamping project with Nana. She is two and at that stage where "I do it myself!". She made this for one of my other granddaughter's birthday. It was the gift tag on the package. We started with a Pretty in Pink scalloped square cut on the Big Shot(left over from another one of my projects). Whisper White cardstock stamped with Pretty in Pink ink with the bug from the Level 1 hostess set Love Bug. Buried under the bugs is a Happy Birthday from a retired set that I borrowed from a friend. She followed that up by gluing some hearts from Pretty in Pink and Green Galore . "I glue! I glue!" She just had to glue something to it because she had seen me gluing hearts to the birthday card that I had just made for Lanie. Addyson just loves to climb up on her little stool and watch me working on things. "I watch you Nana?" They are just too cute at this age. Who can resist those little faces with they ask for something? And of course she doesn't stay on that stool for very long, before I know it she's wormed her way up into my lap. You know how you just automatically do things with the kids when you are concentrating? She waits until I get intent on doing something and just slips right up there. Sneaky little thing.

Here is my card that I made for Lanie. I can't take credit for the layout, my friend Suzanne showed me some cards that she had made and I 'borrowed' her idea. Tweaked it a little but basically the same.

The card base is Pretty in Pink, Whisper White cardstock stamped with Basic Black ink from the same set Addyson used, and colored in with the Pretty in Pink and Green Galore markers. Add a little Dazzling Diamonds to the bugs and used the paper piercer to make a bug flight pattern. I punched a small border for top and bottom with the Scallop Border Punch from Green Galore cardstock and added a couple of hearts that I punched with the Heart to Heart punch. The inside was stamped with Happy Birthday.

Poor neglected blog....

I am a bad blogger. I really have no excuse this time. I have been making things and taking pictures and making more things and taking more pictures...But do I share? No. Shame on me. It will have to be my New Year's Resolution to post at least once a week. Maybe I should make it once a month and I'll be able to meet that. Anyway, this post will be followed up in the next few days with several posts on stuff I've been working on and like well enough to share with you. If you are still following me, thanks for sticking with me!