Is It Too Early to Start Christmas Crafting...

 Happy February, crafters! After an overlong break from creating cards, I am again pulling out papers, images, Copics and more (oh, my!). Today I'm showcasing a holiday card, because, let's face it, it's never too early to start stacking up those Christmas cards.

My image is from Vintage Christmas Sticker Sheet from Conjuror of Dreams. It's one of several beautiful winter scenes. I printed two and after framing and adhering the first onto my card face, I fussy-cut two trees from the second copy and used dimensional tape to add to my scene. Since I am trying to declutter, all my papers are leftovers from previous projects and remaining sheets from raided stacks.

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

On the 23rd Day of Christmas Crafting...

 

I think I've finally pulled myself of my card-making rut. I've made seven cards this month alone. There were two last month, and I made a wedding card in May. I haven't been making cards for quite a while now, but Pat got her groove back (mostly because she recovered all her hundreds of digital images that were backed up in the Cloud but couldn't access until recently).

This holiday card uses designer paper, two die cuts and a few snowflake stickers on dimensional dots.  I just reached my hand into my magic bag of die cuts for the holidays (eyes closed) and pulled him out. This time I matched the papers and embellishments to the snowman die cut...

Do you draw out or plan your cards ahead of time?  Do you base them on the images, the papers, the embellishments, or does it just come together as you're playing with your crafting supplies? I have to admit when I make a card I have no plan, no diagram, no sample to work off of. Often, an image will inspire a greeting or quote (usually funny or punny). Other times, I will search for the right image for a particular quote. Unless  I'm challenged to create something with specific parameters, it's like trying to catch a fish in your hands at the local creek. Whatever I catch shows me how to cook it.

Now that the craft fairs are a thing of the past (month), I'm tapering off new crafts so that I can pack away items to sell at next year's fairs. I'm also planning on decluttering my stash, in order reclaim my basement as a family area (mostly for entertainment). Once it's clean, organized and uncluttered, I plan on hosting a brunch for neighbors and friends. Maybe make the theme a "Board Meeting", as in everybody bring their favorite Charcuterie board to share. There are plenty of Pinterest posts to inspire a few friends to try something new...

On the Second Day of Christmas Crafting...

 

This piece caught my eye at a thrift store. When I go to garage sales and thrift stores, I see what things could be after altering. Do you? This was rusted and ugly and had no backing, but I saw it in my mind with new paint and a pretty winter scene hanging behind it.

Giving new life to this old card holder was fun. The copper acrylic paint looks good and I created a backing out of foam board to fit the circle. A ribbon and bow finishes it off and I'm ready to add cards to it. Um, does anyone still snail mail holiday cards out?... 

Spilling Things onto Canvas

 Today I felt like drawing, so I took out my trusty gel pen, opened my art journal and drew a tree- a naked tree. Instead of filling in its leaves, I decided to break out the watercolors and gave the tree trunk and its branches a bit of life. It wasn't until I saw the paint dry that whimsy took over and I opened the kitchen cabinets, looking to find some "leaves".

My first find was a container of dried parsley. I tossed some onto my page and fell in love with my new canvas! I was going to move my journal but the way the sun shone through the open blinds onto the pages caught my eye and I was happy to take the photo before sweeping the oregano off the page..

And then I was off on a hunt to find more leaves...my next find came out of a drawer of baking decorations. I thought the stars would be interesting, so...

I love the way it looks. I just wish I could figure out a way to frame each canvas. While walking Honey, my terrier mix rescue, I spied several tiny branches that were similar to full-grown trees. I picked them up for inspiration. Now I will broaden my search for more entertaining ways to create "leaves" for my trees. I'll feature them in another post. Until then, keep crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

  A Place to Start - Anything but a Card

Art*Journal*Journey - What Makes You Happy

DL.Art - Anything Goes

  Four Seasons - Anything Summer Goes

WeLove2Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes

24 Days of Christmas - Day 2 - Stitched and Painted Canvas

 

Today I have another wall decor project. This one combines stitching and paint. I received a couple framed cross stitch canvases from a storefront called Help Heal Veterans. Any veteran can come in and browse shelves of craft kits and supplies once a week. I served in the US Army a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (well, it was a long time ago LOL). I was actually the first female mechanic in the 54th M.P. Company at Fort Ord, CA. Like I said, a long time ago...

Anyway, I picked up these free framed canvases and took them home just in time for my Christmas crat series here. I started with acrylic paint, setting the background for a forest of pines around a frozen lake. Once I had colored in the sky, trees and lake, I added a some snow on the trees, but it was very abstract.

Enter the needle and embroidery thread...I sewed the stars first, lighting up the night sky. My trees definitely needed some definition, so I went in with two different shades of green to give the trees some support. The sky needed a little more lightening, so I took a toothbrush and sprinkled on some distant stars, and my project is finished.

I just recently started to use both paint and thread on the cross stitch canvas material, and I like it! Have you tried it yet? Careful, it's addicting! LOL