Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Tradition #5

Santa Claus is Coming to Town.......

Yes boys and girls since we moved to our home 18 years ago, Santa has gone by our home every Christmas Eve accompanied by our local Volunteer Fire Department.

Santa along with his Fire Elves drive around the Township and collect food donations, monetory donations along with a few baked goodies from those who wish to donate.

My husband and son were both on the Fire Department for many years and they would be Elves helping Santa.  My husband is now retired from the Fire Department but my son still continues the tradition.


Now it is time for you to think about your family Traditions. What they mean to you and how you may be able to create new Traditions or continue old ones.  May all your Traditions live on forever!

From my Home to Yours, I would like to wish everyone Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Feliz Navidad or whatever you celebrate!

Nancy

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Traditions #4

The Breakfast
A Christmas Tradition in our home since I was little is Christmas Breakfast.  This was when all of our family would gather. Diner is usually very light.  We always have a special breakfast with scrambled eggs, Canadian back bacon or regular bacon rolls, raisin bread, an orange/cranberry juice blend a fresh fruit tree and my Mom's special Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake.  I still have the original recipe book that she used, stains and all.  There is no publication date on the book, but I can assure you that it is at least 50 years old.

NO ONE is able to open gifts until breakfast was done and cleaned up. TALK ABOUT TORTURE!  Stockings however are free game!

I would like to share with you the recipe for the Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake.  Taken from a Robin Hood "Holiday Entertaining" booklet.
Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake

1 1/2 C Robin Hood Pre-Sifted All Purpose Flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (I usually substitute Cinnamon)
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk
1 15 oz tin pitted red cherries packed in syrup drained

1/2 c Robin Hood Pre-Sifted All Purpose Flour
1/4 c blown sugar
1/4 c butter

MEASURE flour (without sifting) onto a square of waxed paper.  Add baking powder and salt.  Stir to blend.

CREAM sugar, shortening, eggs and vanilla ingredients alternately with milk.  Mix until light and fluffy.  Add blended dry until smooth.

SPREAD half the batter into bottom of well greased 9 inch square pan.  Arrange drained cherries evenly over batter.  Spread remaining batter evenly over cherries.

COMBINE flour (not sifted and brown sugar in bowl.  Cut in butter until particles are the size of small peas.  Sprinkle evenly over batter.

BAKE at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.  Serve Warm

YIELD:  9 to 12 servings

This recipe is a must try.  I know you will not be disappointed.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy 


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

TST#46

I have been asked by CherylAnn Robinson to be a Guest Designer this week on Try Stampin on Tuesday.

The challenge is this...

So after a bit of thought process this is what I have come up with.

I started by printing out a scaled sample of the card.  Then using sticky notes I measured and cut out the different shapes.

Starting with Elegant Eggplant I sponged the smallest rectangle horizontally. I covered that one and then sponged the next one with Rich Razzleberry vertically.
Covering this one I went on to the last one and sponged it again using Elegant Eggplant.

Once I was finished I stamped the snowflakes using my favourite snowflake stamp set (sorry not a SU one and can't remember who it is by). I blended the two colours across the stamp set and laid it across the card.  Added a little bling in the center of the snowflakes...you are done!

The illusion is that when you look at it it actually looks like there are three different layers on the card but actually there is only one and it is all done with just the inks.  When I brought the card to work, which will end up going with the gift for our department lead, the girls actually thought I had made it on the computer.  They were amazed that the layers looked so real.

Lastly...don't forget your envelop as it is also part of the great gift that you are about to give.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Christmas Traditions #3

                                                                                  Getting Ready for Christmas Breakfast: The Place Card

The first of my table embellishments is the place card/holder.  Using the Decorative Label Punch as the base and the Ornament Punch onto which I have placed the name of the person for the setting.  Use dimensionals to raise the ornament from the decorative label.  You need to raise it to make it easier to weave it on the fork.  The snowflake is then glued on and a little bling is added for that extra sparkle.






To place it on the fork weave the side that has been raised with the dimensionals on the fork.  Clean simple, but a little different for a different touch to your holiday table.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas Tradition #2

The Favour



In past years I have usually purchased the Christmas Crackers from the store, but this year I decided to give it a try myself.  No little hats, no big bang (since it scares the dogs), just little things that each person can use.

Each favour will have little items in it that that particular person will find useful.



To make this cracker start with the Candy Wrapper die and two pieces of CS cut to 3 1/2" x 8 1/2".  This will cover only half of the die when you place it on top.  To prevent the paper from shifting while you run it through the Cuttlebug place a piece of tape at the top.


Keep the small pieces that are left over from the ends for your next project...yet to come.

Cut a strip of CS measuring 1 1/2" or 2" by at least 6".  Then punch out a border on this strip of CS along with one of the end pieces.
Score all of your lines and add sticky strip to the one end.  

Put your favour together and then place your items inside. 

It takes a little bit to get the ends to twist properly, but once you have it it goes together really quickly.

Once finished place your Place Card on top of the package so that you will remember who gets what package.  

Next up the Place Card!

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

TST#45


Here is another challenge from Try Stampin on Tuesday.

I have once again tried to take a simple card and make it special by changing the opening.

First I punched out the border using the MS Double Scallop Punch.  The scoring at 1 1/4" and again at 5 1/2" for the base of the card.

Securing a strip of accent CS on the scalloped side measuring 1 1/2" x 5 1/2".  Punch out a decorative piece to place just under the scallops, but making sure that there is enough of a space to allow the right side of the card to fold between the two pieces.

Using the SU Decorative Strip Join In the Cheer I only cut out the word "Joy" then adhered it to the decorative piece on the front of the card.

Randomly stamp snowflakes on the right side of the card front.

The card will close by placing the right side of the card between the decorative punched piece and the left side of the card.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Christmas Traditions #1

The Christmas Tree

Over the next couple of weekends I would like to give you an insight into my families Christmas Traditions.

The first tradition is the Tree.  Each year my kids would make Christmas ornaments to put on the tree and to give away as gifts. These ornaments were simple and easy to make for the kids, like cinnamon sticks glued together with a ribbon.  Another tradition was an ornament that I would make with a picture from that year of each one of them.  I would usually use an acrylic key change, which when I found them I purchased a ton of them so that I would be able to use them every year.  On the back I would put the year and their age. Those along with the yearly ones that I gave them grew and grew.  Then once my son moved out and married he had his own ornaments to take with him to start his own traditions.  My daughter will be able to do the same SOMEDAY!

Since the kids are now grown and moved on I am able to have my Special Tree.  The one that you only see in magazines.  As my daughter calls it "My Martha Stewart Tree".  This year it is done in all blues.


Don't forget to drop back next weekend for the next of my Christmas Traditions.

Here is a sneak peak!

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas Buckle Card

If you know me then you know that I enjoy making cards that have unusual folds or something special about them when they open up.  This card is just one of those special cards.

I used two pieces of CS one plain and the other a DSP.  You can use whatever you like and maybe stamp on one side rather than using DSP. Each piece measured 8 1/2" x 4 1/4".  The DSP was scored and folded at 4 1/4".  The plain was scored at 3" and 6".  I ran it through my Cuttlebug with the SU Northern Flurry embossing folder.  Then using the SU Northern Frost die I cut out 3 snowflakes, along with the SU Thanks Embosslit in white CS.  Place the snowflakes were you want now before adhering CS together.  That way you will not see the backside of the brads that hold the snowflakes on the front of the card.  Now fold the plain CS and adhere the two 3" sides together.

On the patterned paper cut a slice along the scored line measuring 1 1/4". This will be were you insert the buckle piece.   Cut a strip that measures 1 1/2" x 5" of plain CS. This will be your buckle piece.  Adhere the buckle piece to the inside of the card through the slit that you made on the DSP. Then sandwich the plain CS inside the patterned CS and adhere all the layers together.

With a pencil lightly mark on the front of the card were the buckle comes across the front of the plain CS. Using the SU Word Window punch, punch a hole through the two layers.  This may be difficult so make sure you are on a good solid surface to be able to punch.

Punch out using the SU Word Window punch a piece of the plain CS. This piece will cover the "Thanks" on the embosslit piece.  Make a sandwich of the Thank You embosslit piece, word window piece and then the snowflake and secure with another brad.  Adhere this piece to the front of the buckle.

Your buckle card is now complete.  Congratulations!

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

TST#44



The challenge this week over at Try Stampin on Tuesday was a square card with a diagonal center.


This is what I came up with can you tell what it is just by looking at the card?  If you can't just look to the right!  Can you tell what it is yet?

So first of all I hope that my daughter does not look at my blog for the next week or so because she asked for this book for Christmas and I am pretty sure that Santa is bringing it to her stocking.  Shhhhh!




As with any book you need a bookmark and I like to try and make tags or markers that go with the book cover either matching the colour or the subject.  Here I went with the colours.  Very simple diagonal with a cross over in the back that will hook onto the corner.  Very simple sentiment with STOP..RIGHT..HERE, lets you know exactly where you left off.


Hope you enjoy.



Nancy

Monday, December 5, 2011

Stampin Fun & Friends "Sweet Spring"


The next round of Stampin Fun & Friends starts in February.  Are you ready?  This round will be limited to the first 50 people so don't wait. 

You will receive 15 projects in 15 days, along with being able to join in on the live chats.  There are also challenges that you can try your hand at it you would like.  Learn new techniques and just have fun.  Click on the link below to go to CherylAnn's blog to register.  

Stampin Fun & Friends Sweet Spring

See you there!

TST#43



CherylAnn has been after me to try the "Try Stampin on Tuesday" challenges for a bit now and I had an extra 5 minutes yesterday so I came up with this quick and simple card to go alone with the sketch challenge.

Using plain white CS I scored in one inch from every edge of the card and then made a second line 1/8" to the right of that line.  Then I cut two pieces of CS from scraps of Chocolate Chip CS and DSP.  Using Lovely as a Tree stamp I stamped using Old Olive and then took my Chocolate Chip marker to accent the tree trunk.  The top section with the tree has been elevated using dimensionals.

Clean, simple and fast to produce if you need a card in a hurry.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

Sunday, December 4, 2011

SSC232

















I haven't tried any sketch challenges from other sites, but when I saw the one for this week at stamping411 I remembered that I had made Christmas cards that were similar to the sketch.

What I have come up with is again a sponge masking approach with the snowflakes stamped overtop and then a simple ribbon for adornment.  It may not be exactly to the SSC sketch but I was happy with the results.   Plus because I have not stamped a sentiment on the front of the card the card can be used either as a landscape or portrait view.

Hope you enjoy.

Nancy

Saturday, December 3, 2011

A Different Shade of Christmas


Most Christmas cards are made with traditional colours like red and green, or shades of gold, or blue and silver.  I have decided to go a different route using shades of purple.

I started with a template made from CS and sponged in from both sides two different shades of purple.  Then removing the template and still using the same shades of purple I stamped over the shaded area but with the opposite colours.  Add a little bling and you are done.

You will also notice that the majority of my cards have the envelop stamped as well.  It adds a personal touch and also a hint as to who the card is from when my friends and family see it coming in the mail.  So next time don't forget to add your little extra touch!

Keep the template that you have made, both the positive and negative sections, so that you can use them over and over again.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy

Friday, December 2, 2011

Another Wreath



A few days ago I showed you how to make this little wreath using the MS Branch Punch and the SU Northern Snowflake.

With my sample I decided to make this simple card.  I cut a slice in the card and ran the ribbon through the snowflake and around the top of the card so that it also showed on the inside.  Then added a simple bow.  Embossed it with the Cuttlebug Iron Works and then stamped the sentiment using SU Heard from the Heart.

It is always great when you are able to use up what you already have and sometimes we have more scraps than we know what to do with.

Hope you enjoy!

Nancy