My Christmas Sneak Peak Project

I started writing a post about my December Daily intending to post it today but it is taking too long, so I am going to slip in a quick post about the piece that I showed you a sneak peak of last week.  

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I didn't get any close-up pictures….oops….and sorry.     

This project, like all my recent projects it seems, is an homage to my love of all things Mr. Tim Holtz- I didn't set out to do that and posting it on the heels of my I-LOVE-TIM post is purely coincidental.  I admit that while I have always loved Tim's products, and collected his Idea-ology pieces, I didn't always actually USE them…well, except for the Distress Inks, which I use all the time.  Ok, Yes... there was a little bit of a hoarding situation going on at my house….so, what?  I mean, what is it to you?... I admit I had a little trouble using products that I love…is that so hard to believe?  I mean, if I use them up, I don't get to look at them in all their a.Mazing.nEss.ess. Ever. Again. 

Let's be serious for a moment: I suspect this is a common problem among paper crafters…and seamstresses…and knitters…and….it's... sorta….stupid.  I heard Heidi Swapp once mentions that paper crafters hoard their favorite papers and products.  Digital papers and embellishments eliminate the need for hoarding because they can be used over and over.  Even if the item is given as a gift, the artist can keep a copy for herself to revisit any ol' time she wants to.  The divine Michelle Ward, wrote a post on her blog in July about her "Me First Journaling".  She takes a piece of the beloved paper or ribbon and sticks it in her journal for herself, then no matter what she does with it, she has a permanent swatch to look at anytime she wants and it frees her to use up the rest of her stash.  Brilliant!

That sound you just heard?  That was the sound of husbands all over the land, of every race, color and creed, leaping up and shouting in unison "hallelujah".  

What finally gave ME freedom to stop hoarding all my Tim Holtz products?  I'm not sure.  Maybe it was the joy of seeing the items all blinged up on a finished piece I love?  Maybe it was the realization that Tim will keep on designing awesome things so I don't need to hold on so tightly?  Maybe it was age?  I'm not sure, but when I made the Birthday Configuration, I broke into my Idea-ology products with reckless abandon and it was a joyous occasion.  The end result made me so happy that I just stopped wanting to hoard.  

My Christmas Photo Tray

The base piece is a 7 Gypsies Photo Tray available here for $19.95.  The decorative paper is a 2010 collection from Basic Grey called Mistletoe and Pears, which was exclusive to Michael's. The book paper and sheet music is vintage.  I inked the edges of the blue papers using Ranger Distress Inks in Broken China and Faded Jeans; the vintage papers were inked with Vintage Photo Distress. 

Top Left Square:  First I layered a piece of Mistletoe and Pear.  I made the little houses using the same paper and a Tim Holtz Alteration Artful Dwelling.  The snowflakes are buttons.  I cut the shank off with wire cutters and used a glue dot to secure it in place.  I layered a My Little Yellow Bicycle star sticker with a Heidi Swapp acrylic snowflake and a blue glitter dot.  The little house window is lined with a small piece of Tim Holtz Tissue Tape.

Top Middle Square: I lined the second square with a sheet of vintage sheet music.  The stars you may remember were part of my package embellishments. I bought them on a glittered branch in the floral department at Michael's.  I cut off individual snowflakes and glued them with Glossy Accents.   The little plastic deer were glittered with Martha Stewart White Gold Fine Glitter.  White Gold is by far my favorite color because it looks terrific on everything…I know because it is on everything…my face, my kids, my kitchen table, my Crop-a-Dile, my husband's flight suit, the couch, the …..

Danee HINT: Look for Martha Stewart Fine Glitters on clearance after ANY holiday.  There are always  holiday sets and packaging that will go on clearance after the holiday making it an ideal time to stock up.  In January look for colors like White, White-Gold, Garnet, Gold, and Sterling as well as the Carrara Marble and Crystal Course and Fine (shown at right) which look like snow.   I like to get several jars of my most-used colors.  I dump them all into a plastic container, add a label, a spoon, and snap the lid on tight.  I prefer to use a low, oval shaped container (I think they are Glad) because it is easy to access the glitter and they stack nicely on my shelf.  No matter what size and shape container you use, this system negates the need to use that ubiquitous folded-piece-of-paper or the glitter tray to catch the extra glitter.  You won't again try to get all the extra glitter BACK into the container.  How many times have you glittered to your hearts content only to find that the glitter won't fit into the bottle it came it?  Even after you glittered your living room accent wall (it looks gorgeous BTW) the "extra" glitter won't fit back into the bottle it came in.  Does glitter reproduce and multiple?  Is your glitter getting FAT and like the rest of us can't fit into its clothes anymore?  What is going on? (I know it just trapped air in the jar but there isn't a joke there)  You tap…tap...tap…and add a littler more…tap…tap…tap… add a little more…tap..oops you tapped too hard now you have glitter all over the kitchen table….you attempt to gather the glitter using the side of your hand to push it back on to the paper….great! now you have glitter all over your hand (and shirt) and  it is now EMBEDDED into the grain of the table…stay calm….you can do this...you blow your bangs out of your face….oooops you blew too hard…there is now a fine dusting everywhere….it's on your chair….and all over your project…..OMG you've had it…..you grab the wet kitchen cloth…time to stop playing nice…you are done trying to save that last 1/8 teaspoon of glitter….the wet dishrag is genius-the water that will cut down on the static and help you gather the glitter on the table…simply rinse and you are on your way to project complete….

(2 hours later) 

Him: "honey, dinner looks great.  Oh...wait…dinner looks….very festive.  Why is my chicken sparkling at me?"

You: "just eat it"

Him: he turns to you and gives you that smile reserved for those moments he knows you are about to loose it..that crazy-wife mode….  

You: cringing as you notice his grill is very shiny today…wait a minute you are a middle age PTA mom, your husband doesn't have a  grill….then why are his front teeth so sparkly….Oh….No…pretend nothing is weird…maybe the glitter will go down with the food….don't tell him….act normal….and then you hear…..

Kid:  "daddy, why are your teeth so pretty?"

Thank you…thank you….I'll be here all week….

I avoid this type of glitter mess (oh but I make many other types of messes) by simply hold my item over the plastic tub of glitter and use the spoon to sprinkle glitter on the wet glue.   Sometimes  I simply "dip" the item into the glitter.  Then I snap the top back on the container and I am done.  No mess…no fuss….eeh, it is glitter after all…there will be some mess.  Lest you think you will use 1 spoon for all your glitter colors, one word: static.  

And now a word from our sponsor:  

I prefer "fine" glitter for the majority of my general glittering because of it's rating on the sparkl-o-meter.  However, Martha Stewart Vintage Leaf Glitter is extraordinary.  It resembles small pieces of gold leaf, but comes in 12 divine colors.  It certainly isn't for every project, but it can be the thing that takes a piece from good to spectacular.  

We rejoin our blog post already in session:

My Christmas Photo Tray
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The Bottom Left: A vintage book page is covered with rosettes made with a Tim Holtz  Alternation die and embellished with the Idea-ology Tissue Tape, snowflake buttons, tinsel, and Webster's Pages Sparklers.   

    

The Bottom Middle:  Again the paper is Basic Grey Mistletoe and Pear.  The reindeer is from an Alternations die, the filmstrip is Idea-ology, as are the metal numbers "2" and "5".  I painted the numbers with Ranger Paint Dabber Lettuce.  The Reindeer has a pear necklace and was inked with Vintage Photo Distress.

The Bottom Right: One of my favorite pieces of Basic Grey Mistletoe and Pear.  I added velvet leaves from Making Memories, tinsel, a faux green berry, pearls as a necklace, and the snowflake buttons with the shank cut off. 

That is it….it wasn't such a short post after all and it is almost 1 am…oh well.  

Laters….