A New Year is Here!!!

  I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone and we are in the New Year. Time seems to go so fast. I have been wicked busy with Christmas preparations since we went to Disney in the middle of the season. And then I was pooped from all the hustling and bustling. On top of that the workers were here working on our new shower  right up to and after Christmas Day.  So I now I am  resting and planning my projects for January.
  I did finish a 6 x 6 album for a friend who wanted to give it to a friend for Christmas. I worked around the clock to make the deadline, but I did it. I really like Graphic 45 Birdsong paper. It has an oriental theme. This is just what Kelly wanted.                                                                      

A 6 x 6 album for Kelly......

  I love making these pocket page albums. The directions are at My Sister's Scrapper. She does an excellent job of taking you through the steps and showing you how to do it. Her video is on Youtube, also.
  Here are some pics of the inside of the album.

Love this paper.

Flaps can be used for journaling.

Paper comes with great tags.

A like the pockets you can make for tags.

I used most of the paper from this collection. Love the way each sheet works well with the theme. It was fun to put together. I am anxious to get started on another album which I think will be a wedding album for my son's upcoming marriage this June. I am getting materials together for that one.
  I also finished another Christmas project for the owner of the Market Cafe, Cindy,  in Woolwich. She has a lovely restaurant that my husband and I go to every Wednesday morning for breakfast. We go with my friend, Elaine. We have a great time there. Everything is excellent to eat there. Cindy  wanted a smaller album for her daughter, I believe. I made an Envelope mini-album. I love making these, too.
   These albums use regular envelopes. So you can make them any size that envelopes come in. I have already linked directions to this album in a past blog post. It's on Youtube, too.
 I used a Christmas collection from DCVW called Christmas Cheer Stack. It has very pretty paper.

Christmas Envelope mini album

This is a smaller pocket.

  I found the angel at a gift shop in Falmouth. I think the name was Crate and Barrel. I am not sure though. It is right my Bernie's restaurant. The gems just gave the cover a little bling. I thought that Cindy's daughter could write her own title.

The pockets are great for storing tags of anything.

 I hope to make more of these little albums as gifts or just to keep for myself.








  Well, I am working on making thank you tags for the favors for the upcoming wedding of my son, Nathaniel and Kristin. Love doing this. I needed more paper and found the match at Stamped Designs in New Hampshire. So I am cutting the squares and then attaching the sentiment. Shouldn't take too long. I will post this and wedding invitations after they are sent out in February.
  Here are a few more shot of our recent trip to Disney. Happy New Year everyone!!

Nathaniel and Kristin

A Happy Place

More, more, more Christmas!

   I have been working soooo hard on getting ready for this Christmas Holiday Shopping Event being held at the Topsham Cornerstone Church in Topsham, if I haven't mentioned this enough. My sisters and I are working round the clock to be ready. It is kinda fun doing the projects we have wanted to do, but now have a deadline to do it.. If my cards don't sell I will use them for my Christmas card this year. Good thinking, huh?
  This is what I have been working on : Card in a Box, Envelope Albums, Treat Boxes, Christmas Cards, and an Album in a Box ; just to name a few. I have  been busy.

5 cards with envelopes for 15.00.

These cards were really fun to make. I think 3.00 a card for buying 5 at a time is  not bad.
  I have made one more of the Card in a Box cards.

More cards....

Card in a Box that folds for sending

They are easy to make but the theme and the elements of the theme are time consuming. I made this box to be elves going through gifts. However, I think the elf hat covers his ears, so I am going to cut his present ears off ( Ouch!) and put them lower. My sister, Chris, agrees with me. She thinks he looks like the Grinch.

 

Card in a Box winter scene

The second Card in a Box is a winter scene with a deer and a bunny. I used white Flower Soft for the snow. I like the effect it gives the whole card.
  I plan on making at least one more. I hope it doesn't take all day. I am using Graphic 45 on the last one. I love that paper because of the quality and the artistic elements. So pretty.

Christmas Album in a Box

Opened Box with pages showing

Tags on another page

Flap on a page for more pics

Last page with tags

Love the boxes that have an album hiding inside. The box is easy to make using black chipboard. I bought the directions from Paper Hoarder, I think that is the name. Doesn't sound right, though.
  

Pyramid Treat or Gift Boxes

 
 











 I have been decorating these pyramid treat boxes or you could put a gift inside. One of the sides comes open when you remove the ribbon. I love Christmas paper especially if it sparkles. I think they look festive. If they don't sell, I will decorate my fireplace mantel with them for the holidays.

Christmas Tags

I discovered I love making tags. They are so cute. I am not sure which ones are my favorite. The Santa tags came out great. I used Enamel Accents for the buttons. On the snowflakes I just used a Sizzix die cut for the snowflake and added gems and a sentiment. Love 'em.
  I have to go rake leaves now. I hope this is the last time. Some leaves just don't want to fall. It will be good exercise and then back to work. I will be making another  Album in a Box and another Card in a Box. I hope to finish decorating my cigar boxes , too.
 Hope you are getting excited for the holidays to come. I know I am.

Here at Chambersburg, Pa

View from car window.

View from car window

  We have been traveling all day to get back to my brother's home. It was a smooth trip. We started seeing the changing trees around Virginia. They are passed peak.. looking like November. I took a few pictures of the trees along the way.

When is Christmas?

   We reached Chambersburg, Pa and found a Hampton Inn. We like the rooms here. The bathroom is really nice. Right across the street is a Cracker Barrel. Who doesn't like Cracker Barrel. We had a lovely meal.  The hotel gives you free chocolate chip cookies so that was our dessert. Nice, huh?
   Of course, we looked around the gift shop at Cracker Barrel. Alot of the merchandise is about Christmas.  It seems way to early, but I guess Thanksgiving is around the corner. It was fun to look at the cute items.... Possible Christmas gifts lurking here.
  We didn't buy anything 'cause we have a Cracker Barrel at home; so why lug the bags here... 

Santa lights up: wicked cute.

I want the candy cane cluster for my tree.

Hal and Charlotte do not have power yet, so we aren't staying over night with them. We will visit for a bit and then head home. We have been praying that their power come on soon and that everyone gets relief from this disaster.  We are so thankful that we did not get hit. I did hear we might get a nor'easter, but I think that it is just wind and rain. We are used to storms like this in Maine...not a hurricane.
  It will be good to get home even though we had so much fun on this vacation. Thanks to everyone for helping us to enjoy good times.