300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 31, 2011

Amazing to me that it's already the end of March!!  Here in Englewood, Colorado, March is going out like a lion.  It's a beautiful and warm day, except for the wind.  As one of the area weather forecasters occasionally says, it's one of those "small animal" days.  In other words, so windy out that you need to tie down your cats and small dogs!  Yikes!  Needless to say, the one cat that's allowed outside has elected to stay in.

Less than 9 months till Christmas.  If December 25 was truly the day of the birth of Jesus (it isn't, but that's another discussion!), Mary would be newly pregnant about now, give or take a little.  That's one of the things I've always liked about December 25 being Christmas.  Mary's pregnancy began in the spring, the time of new life and new growth.  Just another reason to celebrate this beautiful time of year! 

In addition to my almost obsessive knitting of bell ornaments right now, I've found some time for a few other crafty, Christmassy things.  First up, on Tuesday, was the continuing theme of card-making.  I found some blue cardstock (quite a bit, in fact!) in one of my boxes.  I still had lots of "pieces" from making cards out of the red cardstock, so I made about a dozen new cards, using the blue cardstock as base/background.  For a change, I'm showing only one photo of the front of a card, the rest are of the inside greeting.

And here's what goes on the back of every Christmas card I make.  The rest of the year, the holly stamp is replaced by a stamp of Piglet.  Piglet because he is small and seemingly insignificant, but makes a huge difference.  That's what I hope for in terms of myself.

Yesterday's project was something I've done before, and will continue to do -- Christmas themed thank you cards.  I don't know anyone who doesn't intend to send thank you's for their Christmas gifts.  So a few years ago, I made a bunch of cards up -- a Christmas stamp, a thank you stamp.  Instead of on a card with a card cover and interior, I just do it on a single "postcard' style card.  I don't send them as postcards, but in an envelope - just adds a really nice touch to do that.  So here are the ones I made yesterday.  I'll be making lots more!!

Over this past weekend, one of my original mentors in youth ministry and the living of life passed away.  Alden Tyrol was the director of the Silver Lake Conference Center in Connecticut for over 30 years.  He was one of the wisest, most caring people I've ever met.  He saw the good in everyone, and one of his goals was to help us all see that in ourselves and others.  Every week at Silver Lake started with his welcome to "our" conference center, and the reminder to "Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself, and you'll have a good week."  I hadn't seen Alden in years, but his lessons have always stuck with me.  In honor and memory of him, I'll be working on a God's eye ornament this afternoon.  Don't know if I'll get it finished today, but when I do, there will be a photo or two.

-Jayne

300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 29, 2011

Yikes!  I can't believe it's been a week since I've written here.  Not like I've even been busy or anything either.  Just a bit lethargic, taking things pretty slow.

In the past week I've written a few haiku.  My favorite of the bunch is this one:

clear, calm and wondrous

silent, holy, crisp and cold

greet the newborn babe

Other than that one, I was seeing a pattern develop, and the haiku were starting to sound the same.  So, for fun, I'm working on writing haiku using familiar Christmas songs and carols as the base.  Something a bit different.  I'll have some of them here eventually.

I also spent a lot of time knitting the past week.  Worked on a Christmas gift, and worked on a bunch of Christmas bells.  Last night I did the finishing work on several - stitched up the seam, added the jingle bell and they're ready to hang.  Here are a few shots.

Another thing I worked on was card pattern research.  As much fun as the card-making is, it's really easy for me to fall into a "rut," using the same stamps, same style, etc.  So it's time to be shaking things up a bit.  I found some really cute patterns, in a couple of books that I have and online.  The nice thing is that I've already got most of the supplies I need on-hand, so I can give them a try any time.  And I have a few supplies to get, and a few favors to ask of my more talents sewing and knitting relatives, and then I'll be able to try the others that I found.

 

Meanwhile, I'm back to cards for a few days.  I have some navy blue cardstock, and a bunch of stuff that I'd already cut, embossed, etc.  I'll see what I can come up with from those.

One thing I thought of in terms of cards is that at some point I want to make some Thank You cards that are specifically for Christmas.  I did it once, several years ago, and they were really handy.

 

Off to card-making!!

 

-Jayne



300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 22, 2011

After a few days away with limited opportunities for Christmas creativity, I've jumped back in with both feet!  And it feels so good. 

Yesterday's activity was mostly making cards.  I finished off the red cardstock and most of the pieces that I'd stamped, embossed and cut.  Just put them all together to make a bunch of pretty red cards.  Since I've done a lot of similar stuff already, no photos of those.

I'm playing with the haiku - I have a bunch of "lines," pieces and parts that I need to complete at some point.  When inspiration strikes, I guess!

Today's fun and continued jumping back into the creativity has included some new cards, some gift tags, and working more on knitted bell ornaments.  I created the cards using another pack of the green glitter edged blank cards that I picked up a few weeks ago.  I decorated with "packaged" bling, and stamped the inside with a combination of "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" greetings.

Yeah, I think I'm really obsessed with cards right now!!  Well, it's just too soon to start baking!  :)  And I found a few new card ideas online last night.  I'll just have to get a few supplies and try them out. 

After the cards today, I made a few gift tags.  Usually I make all my gift tags from the previous year's card fronts.  I cut them down with decorative scissors, punch a hole, and add the "to" and "from" stamps, and tie them on the Christmas gifts.  But I decided to make some gift tags out of some of the longer embossed pieces I made last week.  I'm pleased with them.

And now, I'll knit for a while.

Oh yeah, I'm looking for ideas of things to do with egg cartons.  I have a bunch and will continue to, since I do so much baking.  I know that I can make little bell ornaments out of them, but I want some other ideas as well.

-Jayne

300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 21, 2011

Ahh, vacation!!  Back from enjoying four days in New Mexico with my husband.  We visited Los Alamos, Bandelier National Monument, Jemez State Monument and Fort Union National Monument.  Beautiful weather, some good hiking, amazing views and our National Park/Monument system never fails to impress me!  A photo from Bandelier National Monument.  Wow.

One thing's for sure.  It's difficult to maintain the pace on a project like this when you're traveling and your focus is on so much else.  I took very little with me, knowing that it was unlikely that I would get to do anything involved, like card-making.  So, my primary work was knitting. 

I worked on knitted Christmas bells, and on knitting a Christmas gift.  A little each day - sometimes in the car, especially on the interstate, sometimes in the hotel room at night as we unwound from the day watching the NCAA tournament.  I have the feeling that if I have to take this project on the road again between now and Christmas (and it's likely I will, at least once), knitting will be the way to go.

I did write a haiku as well.  Last night, after we got home, before bed.  While I think that it's more of a Thanksgiving haiku than Christmas, I think it could be used at either holiday.

the family gathers

the turkey roasts and pies bake

giving thanks for love

As wonderful as vacation is, it's always good to get home, to sleep in my own bed, to cuddle and play with my kitties, to get back into the routine.  Perhaps some card-making today ...

-Jayne



300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 16, 2011

What fun today, to take all the pieces and parts I've been working on and to make them into cards, using some of my beautiful new red cardstock.  I find that I'm falling into some trends - using the same stamps and messages over and over again.  I do have other stamps with lots of designs and holiday messages, but right now, these are the ones I like the best!  I have to remember that while I see them over and over again, if/when I send them to someone, they only see one of them and have no idea of how many other similar cards I've made in addition to theirs!  And I'm sure that at some point, the time will come when I'll change it up and start playing with some of my other stamps.  And I'll start doing things other than embossing.  I want to do some material layering at some point, and to incorporate some bows and things other than glue to hold some of the layers together.  But for now, what I'm doing is fun, so I'll keep on doing it!

As an aside, but still related to a holiday, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.  In preparation/celebration, we had corned beef and homemade "Cape Cod" Irish Soda Bread.  I call it "Cape Cod," because I didn't have any raisins in the house, so I used "craisins," and we all know that cranberries come from Cape Cod (among other places!). A wonderful meal!!

Here are photos of a few of today's cards.

-Jayne

300 Days till Christmas Project - March 15, 2011

a merry christmas

wishing you season's greetings

and happy new year!

 

A new haiku seemed to be the order of the day yesterday.  Something relatively simple for a Monday, especially a Monday after the time change.  I really hate the time change, especially the springing ahead.  It makes me cranky and for days I'm not really sure what time it is!!  So, I was not to be trusted with scissors or fine detail work yesterday!  It was, however, nice to have daylight last later into the evening.  It means more and more time in the garden!!  Yay!!

 

Today's project was to start prepping to make cards out of all that beautiful red cardstock I bought over the weekend.  So there was lots of embossing, cutting and coloring!  I have enough stuff prepped to make a bunch of cards tomorrow.  Very excited.  I do love making cards. 

 

No photos today, but I'll post some of the completed cards tomorrow or the next day.

 

 

-Jayne

300 Days Till Christmas Project - March 13, 2011

What a great, beautiful weekend!!  Yesterday we headed out to the paper store.  I picked up some cardstock.  I needed red, because, after all, you can't make Christmas cards without red cardstock!!  Of course, I couldn't stop there - I got some burgundy too.  And a few other colors for a few non-Christmas cards because, yeah, I do make other cards!  I bought a box of cream-colored envelopes.  One thing I've noticed is that because of the style of cards I make, and the materials I use, most of the time my cards look best with envelopes that are a bit off-white.  And, score purchase of the day - some white cards trimmed with green glitter.  All I had to do was add some "bling" to them and stamp some messages or decoration on them, and there would be cards!!  Oh yeah, they were on clearance!!  So I bought three packs of 25 each. YAY!!

Picked up some "bling" to glue and stick on, and headed back to Creative Ground Zero!!  The Saturday project was "blinging" the cards - with sparkly stickers in the shape of Christmas lights and poinsettias.

Today's project (in and amongst watching my dear husband make me a cold frame for the vegetable garden) was to finish the cards.  I stamped the insides, mostly with a simple "Merry Christmas" stamp, but embossing the message in a variety of colors: red, gold and black.  Lots of fun, easy, and now I have 25 more cards to add to my growing pile!!

And here, of course, are some photos!

-Jayne