Make Mine Vanilla!

I love that Paula Deen!!! My daughter is addicted to the Food Network, and I love it too. Ms. Paula made homemade vanilla extract once, and I thought that would be the perfect Christmas gift for family, friends, co-workers, teachers, and neighbors...24 to be exact. After all, I don't know anyone who doesn't use or like vanilla. I was shocked to learn that the pure stuff is 100% alcohol. I didn't even realize that it is made with alcohol. When I looked at the grocery store the best I could find was 60% alcohol. No wonder people always bring vanilla home from Mexico...they make the good and pure stuff!

I ordered Madagascar vanilla beans and bottles from Amazon for a very good price. After sterilizing the bottles I split 5 beans in half length wise, removed the tips and bottoms, and place them in the bottle. Then vodka (you can use rum too) was added to completely fill the bottle. You give it a good shake everyday and in about 4 to 6 weeks (6 to be safe) you have vanilla extract. You can fill the bottle with more vodka when it is about half full and keep making more a couple of times as well. When you have finished the vanilla up, you can remove the beans, dry them off, and place them into your sugar jar where they continue to give off their lovely flavor. It really is the gift that keeps on giving...for a while at least.

All White ATC

Hello All and Happy Holidays! Before I begin my post subject, I would just like to tell you that last night I was scrolling through the Simon Says Stamp and Show's blog, and caught my name. I read through and realized that 13 days ago I won one of the top three blinkies for my Diva Christmas Tree! I was in shock, this being my first to win a challenge, especially when there are sooooo many other projects that are far superior to my piddly tree. I have my blinkie proudly displayed though. Wow! Thank you to all the SSSandS team. I really am deeply honored!

This month at the All Things Tim Yahoo Group, the theme for the Monthly ATC Swap was an All White ATC Christmas style. I was concerned. I have never done anything all one color...you know me! I had to email Sandy, the coordinator, and ask if a touch of silver was okay to accent with. She said yes...phew! I decided to make it into an ornament after I found some paper mache rectangle ornaments just a little bigger than an atc, for only $.50...what a bargain!

I die cut white cardstock and dotted ribbon with TH ATC die.

I attached the ribbon to the ATC with Glossy Accents.

I die cut mini reindeer from white cardstock and painted them with TH White Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint. When dried, I heat embossed them with UTEE, and added wire ribbon around their necks.

I die cut mini trees using white glitter paper and painted them with TH Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

I painted the paper mache ornaments with TH White Picket Fence Distress Stain. Then I attached snowflake Tissue Tape to the sides and repainted with the stain.

I painted TH Christmas Sentiment Muse Tokens with Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabber in Snow Cap, then heat embossed them with UTEE. I also painted TH Memo Pins with the paint.

I slipped embossed paper with "North Pole" and an arrow into the memo pin, attached a star above the tree, added German foil lace, and a beaded snowflake to the ATC. I attached the ATC to the ornament, added a bow and token, and used Stickles to trim it out.

Supplies:
Vagabond Material Used- TH Alterations ATC & Corners and Snowflakes Texture Fade, Movers & Shapers Mini Pine Tree & Holly Set, and Mini Reindeer & 25 Set
Paper Used- Paper Mache Ornament; white cardstock from my stash; The Paper Studio Glittered Christmas Cardstock Pack; Celebrate It Wide Ribbon (white tulle with dots); 32 Degrees North Dresden Foil Lace in white; TH Tissue Tape in Tidings (snowflakes)
Coloration Used- TH Distress Stain in White Picket Fence; TH Distress Crackle Paint in White Picket Fence and Rock Candy; Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Snow Cap; TH Distress Stickles in Clear Rock Candy; Ranger Stickles in Silver
Embellishments Used- TH Idea-ology Muse Tokens Christmas and Memo Pins; Mark Richards Metals Silver Star; beaded snowflake (can't find packaging); white wire ribbon from my stash

From My Door To Yours...Merry Christmas!!!

Now that 12 Tags is over I am frantically trying to finish up making gifts, and preparing our home for guests. I also have not even attempted Christmas cards yet. It has been five years since I have sent out cards to everyone on our list, which is quite large. I have only sent a few to family. However, I had an idea for a Christmas card tag, so I have also been working on that the last few days when I can spare a much needed moment to create. I'll only make a few and send them out to family, because it is so time consuming. I envy and respect all of you who make every single one of your Christmas cards to send out. That is a real WOW!!! One year, I will try to do that, but I'm sure I'll have to start in April.

For this tag, I tried to replicate my front door, but in mini form. I used a jumbo manilla tag and die cut a frame into it to create the hole for the glass...or in this case, the plastic. I embossed a piece of plastic that was cut from a package, in a pattern to mimic the large version. I added 2 pieces of embossed and colored paper for the door panels. Hardware was added for the knob and key hole. The knob is actually made from a solid brass charm base with a hitch fastener glued to that. For the wreath I die cut two rosettes, colored them, and decorated. 

Here you can see the pattern in the plastic a little better.

I died the plaque with alcohol ink and added Crackle Accents, then embossed with UTEE.

 

Supplies:
Vagabond Materials Used-  TH Alterations Texture Fade in Wood Pattern; Sizzix Texture Fade in Damask Pattern; TH Alterations Die in Styled Labels, Mini Paper Rosette, Paper Rosette
Coloration Used- TH Distress Ink in Black Soot, Peeled Paint, Festive Berries; Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist in Forever Green; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Black Magic; Ranger Stickles in Christmas Red, Golden Rod
Embellishments Used- Ganz 3D Stickers; Artchix Studio charms (key hole, charm base); TH Idea-ology Plaquettes, Hitch Fasteners; Ranger Inkssentials Memory Foil Tape in Brass

The Finale: Day 12 Of 12 Tags

A bittersweet day since this is the last tag of  Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas series for this year. And, what a tag it is! Here is my comment to Tim that I posted this morning on his blog. 

From the deepest depths of my heart, I thank you and Mario for giving all of us crafty people pure joy from the dedication, techniques, inspiration, and gorgeousness your 12 Tags of Christmas, have brought us this year and past! You have blessed us all as well as brought us together by the uploading of tags (thank you Inlinkz) so that we may catch a glimpse of those we would otherwise never have had the chance to. It brings to mind a song I have sang in my head this whole 12 day period...We Are The World, We Are The People. And you, Tim and Mario, are the ones who have made this a brighter day!!! Merry Christmas and happiest of New Year's to you and yours!

I loved Tim's tag today. It was fabulous, but instead of replicating it completely, I wanted to finish off by making a tag that pays tribute to the real reason why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Jesus was born to the world so that He could teach, model, instruct, and ultimately save it! So many get caught up in the decorating, cooking, baking, buying, and receiving, that they lose all clarity in the true meaning of this whole celebration in the first place. It is a very easy trap to fall into, especially once you walk into a store.  I have had to remind my "gotta have it all" children of this several times in the past, and it seems to be sticking...well most days anyway! Enough of my soap box, but I give you warning now...this post is lengthy and you might not like some of the things you are about to see. 

My finale, tag 12, "A Savior Is Born".

I stamped my tag with every Christmas related sentiment I had and 1 Merry Christmas stamp that I really liked.

I wrote in all of Matthew 1: 18-25...The Christmas Story. This is the first time I have ever used my own handwriting for a background like this, but I could not find the stamp that Tim used today. I love how it looks though, and it's personal.

I used the plastic from a package of embossing folders to create a shelf that I could adhere to my tag.

I doubled it up to really keep it sturdy. I also doubled my tag up to strengthen it as well.

This is the finished background and I covered the shelf in tissue tape to blend in with the tag.

I was married right before Christmas and my mother gave us our first nativity set. I have treasured it all these years and put it out each Christmas. I have never liked the bright colors though, so I had a thought.

Here's the part you might not like...I coated it in White Picket Fence Distress Paint and then sealed it with Plastercraft Acrylic Gloss Spray Finish by Deco Art. I love the new look, and all the colors are toned down. It has a great crackled finish that I wish you could see better. You will probably not like this either...and I did call my mother for permission. I used a hack saw and cut off the tail end of the base of both Joseph and Mary, so that they could fit a little better on the shelf of the tag. It worked great, as the pieces are resin. There was no crumbling, just dust. I know,  I know, I'm crazy...right? When I have an idea, I commit...and besides...my mother trusted me completely!

I love how this turned out. It is the very best tag I have ever made, and what a great keepsake. I also love how the star charm turned out. I die cut the star with the plastic and stained in with White Picket Fence Distress Stain, then affixed it with the snowflake brad. Add blingy baubles made the tail of star shine. You might not see it, but there is a baby Jesus hanging on it too. How cool was it that Tim used stickles to create the dotted border? Love that accent!

The shelf worked perfectly after the bases were trimmed. Love the flower made from tissue wrap. What an awesome technique and so easy to do.

View from the top.

View from below.

This tag looks gorgeous on the tree! Thank you Tim for the inspiration!!! I am also submitting this tag to the Sunday Stamper Challenge...theme is Christmas, and to Simon Says Stamp and Show's projects with depth.

Day 11 Of 12 Tags

Here we are on the Eve of 12 Tags! I cannot wait for the finale tomorrow.  Tim's day 11 tag has a vintage whimsical feel to me and he used an uber cool technique using the ever so fun melting pot, that Suze Weinberg has made famous, and shrink plastic. I am sad to say I have no shrink plastic, and have never even used it. For some reason it has never appealed to me, and I have many charms people have made using it that are awesome. But now...I have to have some, just to really try this technique out with! Instead though, I just die cut greenery and a star out with plastic packaging from a texture fade I recently purchased. I could not pass up an opportunity to play with Alcohol Ink...love that stuff, but my fingers and nail beds do not. I even used the plastic packaging for the title piece. I colored all of that with the inks and flipped them over and gave them a coat of White Picket Fence Paint Dabber, so my inks would pop better on the blue background. On my Santa, I stamped the image on glossy paper, but with Pumice Stone Distress Ink, because I cannot stand the fact that Santa's suit would be black if I used Archival Ink. Yes, I am strange, I know! But, to me, Santa's suit has to be red. So after stamping, I filled an Alcohol Ink Pen up with Red Pepper Ink and colored in the lines (this time) to fulfill my need. The rest of Santa was colored in with Sakura Glaze Pens...love them! I cut only my Santa out, because I did not like the look of all the extra paper that comes with the movement lines. It would cover up that great background of the tag. Instead, I drew the movement lines on the tag itself.

Day 10 Of 12 Tags

Ten down and two to go! Tim's day 10 tag had ornaments on it made from faceted pieces that had self made image transfers on them. It was such an amazing technique that you can use for so many things. I am already thinking about an ATC project using this technique.  Talk about great Christmas presents with this! 

I wanted this tag to be a streamy blue color, as I am feeling a little blue myself (funeral today). I dyed the "believe" with alcohol ink in Stream. Alcohol ink colors anything. I even dyed a leather belt a couple of weeks ago to match an outfit I was wearing, perfectly. Anyway...off track...I recently picked up some old chandelier crystals at a flea market in New York City and decided to use one for this tag. It was shaped like an angel so I added wings to it. The image is from Graphic 45 's Steampunk Debutante Line, as well as the Santa in blue coat. The other one is a Tim Santa. The "believe" and transparency trim is from K&Company. The wings are from Artchix Studio...love them! Everything else is from my stash.

Day 9 Of 12 Tags!

When I viewed Tim's 9th tag this morning I thought to myself, "Wow, this looks easy and will only take me an hour tops!" Perhaps if I would have stuck with Tim's design, it would have only taken a short time...but no! I decided to keep pulling stuff from my stash, try it on, get more, etc., etc., etc.! It was like an eight hour episode of What Not To Wear. Except that, I did not learn anything and left the show still looking like the "chandelier from a brothel". Yes...that would be my title for this tag! Instead of the cool vintage Christmas chandelier I had swimming around the corners of my mind, it came out like this...high on creative crack! I really think my first mistake was using a black tag. The chandelier ended up lost amongst the patterns of the double embossed image. The background is beautiful, but it and the chandelier just don't mesh. So I kept adding stuff to make it pop, and now it belongs above Madame Porter's boudoir. Oh well, we are kind of big, flashy, and gaudy here in Texas...or is that just my tag!?!