Christmas in April (fits the weather, eh?)

In light of the snowstorm about to brew out my Iowa windows...here's the challenge I just finished up for Jen Wilson's Project 52.


Christmas hymns to me are an epitome of the Christmas season. I adore singing; I adore the music, especially when accompanied by piano or organ. And I actually get shivers if there is SATB. When sung in company, the hymns make me feel more a part of a community of God than at any other time I can remember.
I am worried that with the lack of carol singing in this day and age, we are raising a generation of children who will no longer be able to hum the tunes, let alone sing the words, to the carols. I love our liberal United Methodist Church, but am disappointed that we “suffer” (my words) Advent at the expense of celebrating Christmas. It means the carols are only sung on Christmas Eve and the Sunday following Christmas. I hope we are able to have a piano at home in the near future so we can have our own caroling there!


JWD Merry Days First (blended 2 papers together)
JWD Circle Words Holiday (with a chipboard style applied)
JWD Holiday Rings
JWD Seasonal Stamped Borderlines (stamped along the bottom)
Melissa Renfro Star Bright style
Keri Schueller Holiday Time (NOEL)
Jan Hicks Coin Folder Chip style
AL Aunt Marie and Candara font
Seishido.com let it snow brush (star with a glittery style applied)

More Holiday Memories

Christopher's holiday party at school was to have been the day before break, but that turned out to be a snow day. So we got to return to Christmas this Wednesday:) Here it is, scrapped already thanks to Scrapgirls and their ingenuous challenges to scrap pictures from this week!



Journaling: The winter party was snowed out the day before winter break and had to be postponed. The children didn’t seem to mind Christmas in January at all. There was cookie decoration (and eating!), ornaments to make, hot chocolate to be drunk, winter books to be read, and lots of fun for all. Both Mommy & Daddy were able to attend your party and had a good time with you. At the end, Mrs. Fisher gave every child a book and candy cane. Back at home we hung your ornaments right away until we took the tree down a couple days later.
Font: FuturaEF
Amanda McGee Cookie Swap collection and Dynamic Brush Sprinkles
Ariadna Wiczling Stamp a Date brush set

This was the Christmas pageant (aka "Manger Gifts Service") at our church a couple weeks before Christmas:



Brandy Hackman Spiced Cider
Brandy Hackman Abstract Expressionism (paint mat)
Shalae Tippetts Holy Night
Sarah Batdorf Color Matched drop shadows style
Melissa Renfro Star Bright brush and style
CK Regal font
I used a "soft and faded" action on the photos, then found it went perfectly with the Spiced Cider collection!
Journaling: Christopher really wanted to be the sheep in the pageant this year at church. A perfect fit since he loves to dress up and likes animals! And he was perfectly happy up at the manger for the first 20 minutes or so, including singing “We Three Kings” with the other elementary school-aged children and performing with the bell choir. But after that, he just got hot. It’s no wonder. . .I’m always hot in the winter at church too, even with short sleeves. So Jonah took over sheep duties, somehow wriggling into the way-too-small costume.


And a different kind of holiday:



I completed this one for the "Auld Lang Syne" challenge at Scrapgirls. We had to look back to our very first purchase at their site and use some/all of those supplies:)
This was serious fun...a trip down memory lane and combining some things I wouldn't have thought to!
products from my very first SG purchase:
Durin Eberhart Mixed Media
Brandy Hackman ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays: Street Grunge - Scratches
Thao Cosgrove Earthen Vessel
Other supplies used:
Sarah Batdorf Sugar Coated style (on the title)
Amanda Sok Nostalgia photo masks
Thao Cosgrove Luxe borders brush set
Scrapgirls Collaboration collection "Eternal Spring" birdhouse and eggs
Seishido.biz soeggciting brush (bunnies)
Anna Aspnes Easter Word Art (egg hunt title)
Pineapple Plantation painted eggs
Journaling (CK_Ali's font): Prairie Flower Children’s Center (aka Preschool) holds a spring egg hunt each year. The parents and children dye eggs at home, the hare hides them, and much fun is to be had hunting them all down. This year the event was postponed due to a snow day, then rather cold. That’s Iowa in the spring!

TFL,
Cheri

Pie Bandit has a page already :)

This one begged to be scrapbooked right away!;) See previous post for more details...

Mandy Steward Spice Collection
Brandy Hackman Blossoms & Blooms Holiday
Paula Wright Ribbon Journals emb. templates
Cheryl Barber inked edges neutral style (tweaked to make the edges light golden brown)
LD Dear Diary font
Pea Kristin font

The Pie Bandit and other Christmas Moments

Here's the pie bandit (so named by her grandparents, my in-laws), and otherwise known as Lucy (my niece) in action:) This one is worth big-ifying (in other words click on it!)

Michael was tearing wrapping paper into tiny little pieces with his teeth.

I'm not sure who was more interested in Christopher's stocking...him or Zoe (my s-i-l & b-i-l's dog) :) Obviously there was candy in the stocking!

Michael in action...jumping off the ottoman.

And last but not least, instead of "The Great Pumpkin" we have "The Christmas Beagle" :) She is framed in the humongous wreath we purchased 1/2 off at Michaels a few weeks ago and will get decorated, lighted and hung next year on the peak of the garage facade of our home.

Christmas Leftovers

Nope, not food:)

(Amanda Sok Glitzy Christmas (red paper)
Brandy Hackman Sassy's Pumpkin & Hopsack (brown paper)
Valerie Randall fireplace (freebie)
Melissa Renfro star bright style
Cheryl Barber inked edges style
Chatterbox flourish font)

Scrapgirls had a challenge to do a layout reflecting a religious tradition from the holidays and this is what I came up with. I combined the music paper with a swirled overlay (on which I applied a glittery style) to make the background.
Kerry Veale A Victorian Holiday
Shalae Tippetts Holy Night
Melissa Renfro Downtown Brush Set & Star Bright style
Erica Hite Enchanted paper template
Amanda McGee LYO Vintage Label brush set
AL Serenade and Amienne fonts

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

More Pages

I always enjoy the holiday challenges at scrapgirls.com...here is a smattering of what I've done so far this year:
This is our favorite Christmas decoration...an Avon (go figure!) fiberoptic house given to us by my mom a few years ago. It's fun to watch it change colors:)
SG 2008 Holiday Hoopla Task #5 SB your favorite holiday decoration
Thao Cosgrove Merry Mine overlay
Diane Miller Bitsy brush
Brandy Hackman Spiced Cider background (recolored)
Diane Miller Edgy thin overlay
Jan Hicks Life Quotes 3 brush set special (title)
Amanda Sok Micro Glitter 6401 style (behind title, at reduced opacity)
Amanda Sok Icicle 6401 style (photo mat)

I couldn't resist redoing this one a little...I just wasn't quite happy with it before, and thought of the "Witch Holiday" title after I finished it the first time.

SG Holiday Hoopla Task #8 SB your favorite gift (given or received)
Jan Hicks Scruffy Neutrals (white background)
Sarah Batdorf Felt 6501 style (orange background)
Melissa Renfro Well Loved (title, frame)
Thao Cosgrove Passion (striped paper) & Freestyle Emb. Templates (stitched heart) & Friendship collage paper (journaling paper)
Cheryl Barber inked edges style
CK Carefree font
journaling: My big wish for Christmas that year was for Tenderheart Care Bear. Unfortunately, millions of other little girls wanted the same exact thing, and Care Bears were not to be found in any store. Grandma and Grandpa found a woman selling homemade Care Bears in a nearby town and purchased one for me. Mom, being the wise woman she is, gently warned me of the shortage of “real” bears and the fact that I was to receive a “fake” at the Meyer family Christmas gathering. I managed to act happy (and surprised) and swallowed my disappointment, knowing I’d probaby eventually receive the “real” bear too. Turned out this was my favorite childhood bear!

This one will be printed and given to my grandparents as part of their Christmas present this year:)
Task #2 2008 Scrapgirls Holiday Hoopla
Shopping Challenge...SB the last 3 products you purchased in the SG boutique
1. Brandy Murry Ephemera & Holiday in Lights
2. Thao Cosgrove Christmas Tidings word art & Radiant collection
3. Erica Hite Crochet Snowflakes
Angie Briggs Urban Love background
Shalae Tippetts Embellishment Templates: Sentiment (tag)
Melissa Renfro Golden Holiday ribbon (on tag)
Erica Hite Bookworm staple
Cheryl Barber Stitching & Holes style (I created the staple holes)
Brandy Hackman A Little Worn Out (journaling lines)
Invitation & McGannahan fonts
Journaling: Christmas in some respects hasn’t changed much over the years. . .family, good food, gifts, decorations. Every year Bud would cut a cedar tree from the pasture. Each child would receive a couple gifts, ranging from a .22 rifle, BB gun, doll, hand sewing machine, globe, truck toy. Christmas Eve involved church service and get-together with Elwin & Pearl, The 25th was time spent at a grandparent’s home for dinner with extended family. When Darlene was a child, her grandma Brisler raised a goose to roast, later, she would raise a turkey. Pearl’s specialty was candy-making, especially divinity and fudge.

TFL!:) For those of you in Iowa, be careful tomorrow in the ice and snow!!

Merry Christmas

This is scraplifted from Sarah in VA's most gorgeous tree she posted last Christmas.

I already had many of the collections she used, so didn't mess with perfection...I did substitute for things I didn't have.
This has been uploaded with Sarah's blessing:) I plan to have this framed!

I hope you are all having a very merry holiday season:)

Kerry Veale "A Victorian Holiday" overlay/border
Amanda Sok "Winter White" overlay/transparency
Amanda Sok Glitzy Christmas
Durin Eberhart Blue Christmas
Brandy Hackman Blossoms & Blooms Holiday
Trish Yochum AYO Christmas Tree
Melissa Renfro Golden Holiday
Melissa Renfro Star Bright brush set
Syndee Nuckles Spearmint Kisses freebie
Katie Pertiet Lil Metal Charms
Shabby Miss Jenn Snowkisses
Raspberry Road Color of Christmas
Thao Cosgrove Gold 5702 style
Brandy Valenzuela Grungelle brush set

Witch Holiday is this???? I'm Confused!

Journaling:
Ok, the disclaimer first: This was my 5 year-old’s idea, not mine! Really, it was; I’m not just “blaming” him! Ok, well, I hope that you believe me…

I will admit that this is one of the best, creative ideas I’ve seen in a long time. It has a certain, “bah humbug” type appeal to me as an adult, though Christopher was only going for the “joke” factor. I am, in fact, inclined to leave it this way (with decorations of course). The bow that normally resides on the tree is beautiful, to be sure (I made it myself, after all), but…

I am the first to admit that I hate decorating for the holidays, especially Christmas. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love the end result, but all the work of getting there, and the thought of having to put it all away again in a few weeks, just makes me tired. And then the inevitable string or two of lights that won’t work properly that necessitates a trip clear across town to purchase more. And then convincing two small children to leave the ornaments alone, both for the ornament’s sake as well as our bare feet. Who wants to step on an ornament hook?

So I will say, that a Christmas tree with a witch hat on top makes me smile, in a cynical, Grinch sort of way. Perhaps after all, Halloween and I have more in common than do Christmas and I. Everyone expects a monster, a grump, at Halloween…


Supplies:
Brandy Murry Holiday in Lights
Erica Hite Bump in the Night
Amanda Sok Glitzy Christmas
Brandy Hackman Blossoms & Blooms Holiday
LD Deck the Halls and dreamed about you fonts


So do I win the prize for the most unusual tree-top decoration or what?! (IS there a contest around...anyone?!)

Finally Getting Around to it...

Finishing up 2007 Christmas SB pages, that is:)

Santa Was Here uses Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp chipboard frame, Kelly Pannacci Sandylion chipboard.

I don't often bake; I consider it enough of an effort to put a main course on the table...but last year made the effort for a friend's caroling party (which was kind of my idea, but she has the piano, lol) I LOVE these candy cane cookies. They are one of those rare things that are as good to eat as they are to look at. Decorated sugar cookies are almost always a disappointment to me...they look awesome but usually taste like cardboard.

The background is older Christmas paper, and the white scraps are just that...scraps from Basic Grey. The cookies are Westrim Paper Bliss.


Race On uses Basic Grey paper (see a trend here...I could probably scrap the rest of my Christmas pictures for my whole life just with my current collection of BG...oops, that might be too much info for DH if he reads this;), May Arts & Doodlebug ribbon, Stencil font, and race car cut with CraftRobo. Oh, and if I may say so myself...I pulled off using ORANGE on a Christmas page!! (too bad my in-laws didn't pick a red car to match the usual Christmas colors, lol)

TFL:)
Cheri

Trying Desperately to Stay Awake for Santa

I did this one in response to a challenge on
scrapgirls.com to scrap a conversation...this one came
immediately to mind, and I wanted to get it typed down
before Mom & I forgot what all her little notes about
it meant anyway.

I can't cut & paste the journaling b/c I had to
"rasterize" the type on the digital page (to make it
more legible...for those interested, you can use the
Edit/Stroke command to essentially outline your text
with the same color, thus thickening your font!! I was
so psyched when I figured this out...I came up with it
all by my little self, lol). ANYWAY, the text should
be legible on the right side alone page, and IMHO is
worth reading:)

Supplies:
ASO Glitzy Christmas (scrapgirls)
MST Bubble Buttons (scrapgirls)...the acrylic "page
pebble"
MRE Star Bright (SG)...the glitter style on "Santa"
LD Deck the Halls font
University Ex and CK cursive fonts

TFL,
Cheri

Recipe Pages

Well if Pauline reads this, she'll see her last (I think...there might be one more blank side on the project itself) recipe pages, but otherwise, it'll be a surprise when Jeff delivers them on Tuesday:)

The top one is for the immensely popular Oreo Truffle Balls that I've never heard of until this year:
Ingredients

* 1 package Oreo cookies, crushed
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1 package white almond bark
* 1 package chocolate almond bark


Directions

1. Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together.
2. Roll into walnut size balls. Chill.
3. Melt approx 3/4 package of white almond bark.
4. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark.
5. Allow to harden on wax paper. Takes about 15 min.
6. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark.
7. Decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark.

Christopher and I pronounce them DELICIOUS!

The second 2 photos are the outside and inside of the Wassail recipe page. This was a new thing Pauline made for our Christmas Eve celebration together, and again, Christopher pronounced it delicious!:)

TFL,
Cheri

Recipe Flip Book

Click on this image for a much larger version.




This should fulfill the challenge to make something
for someone...I actually made part of this for
Christmas 2005 for my m-i-l. The intent was, 1/2 would
be for recipes we like that we thought they would also
(that part was given to her with the base in 2005),
and the other 1/2 she would provide some of her
favorites for.

Anyway, she decided she wanted them all to be recipes
of ours, so then I had to think up more:) And it took
2 years to actually finish it, well, you know how
things go, lol.

The base was a class I took in Pella, but I designed
each page.

The newest page is the strawberry pie one with the
scalloped shape on it (cut with CR) and meant to look
pie-ish:) I'll post 2 more new pages tomorrow when I
can photograph or scan them.

A Layout a Day...

I am in a challenge to complete a layout for each day this month, so I will challenge myself to post them all here too:)

The photo/layout at the center was our Christmas photo this year. It's a digital design of mine, using www.scrapgirls.com "Blue Christmas" by Durin Eberhart and Brandy Hackman's passport embellishments, and LD Deck the Halls font. The background (which is traditional, ie "real" scrapbook paper) is from Heidi Grace and has soft, fuzzy parts like the 1980s stickers:) I also used some snowflake buttons.


This has to be the quickest page I've done in a year:) Just our Christmas letter and some MM papers. It'll be a nice year-in-review page in our album.


I'm working backwards to 1994 here. We used to go to a couple dog shows a year to scout out potential beagle breeders...that's her at left on the newspaper article (OMG look at the cute little beagles!!) And there's Jeff at the center right, videotaping me taking a picture of him (can you tell we were in college?! Cheap entertainment, lol). Most supplies are Karen Foster, and the title is from Cecelia Dossey at thescrappinpath.com and cut on the CraftRobo.

TFL,
Cheri

The Hanging Chair (aka Indoor Swing)

My friend Rosalie is doing a list of scrapbooking challenges for our local group. This layout is for the challenge to scrapbook a favorite holiday memory.

Journaling: Who knew furniture could be so fun?! I
fell in love with a similar chair at a family friend's
home so Mom & Dad (I mean Santa) scoured the stores in
Omaha until they (I mean he) found this one and its
stand at another store.

I still remember Christmas morning, seeing the chair
in the living room, thinking how magical Santa was to
fit it in the sleigh...it was like an indoor swing.
Even Grandpa Charlie tried to sit in it...it swung and
he ended up on his bottom-oops! (He wasn't hurt)

Supplies include Basic Grey paper, Heidi Swapp
chipboard, ribbons, and rubon, MM metal charms, and
unknown source for the Santa paper clip. Oh, and Queen
& Company brads.

Visits with Santa

In Jeff's own words: "I put together a little slideshow movie of the 5 years of Harley Santa.
I thought Michael's pouty face was pretty silly until I found the
picture showing how much Titter liked Santa when he was that age."
(The sequence on the video goes...Christopher's first Christmas, Michael's first Christmas, C's 2nd, M's 2nd, and so on).

Christopher is mature enough the last couple years to chat up Santa and tell him exactly what he wants. Michael would have none of that, although did smooth out his expression to neutral after the big pout above:)

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know
your friends.

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not
to be a

SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email
and paste into a

new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers
so that they

apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of
people you know,

INCLUDING the person that sent it to you.. 'Tis the
Season to

be .........NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Either...I like that
gift bags are recyclable, to a point, though I admit
it's more fun to tear into a wrapped gift.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? within 2 weeks of
Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? as an adult I
decided I could take it down whenever I wanted, so I
usually leave it up until Epiphany. Not necessarily
b/c we celebrate, but b/c I like leaving it up
longer:)

5. Do you like eggnog? yes, but not out of a carton

6. Favorite gift received as a child? a toughie...the
homemade Care Bear I thought I wouldn't like b/c it
wasn't the real thing (the year they were so popular
no one could find them in stores), the hanging wicker
chair (who knew furniture could be so fun...it was
like an indoor swing!)...

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? my husband-he waits
until the absolute last minute to tell anyone what he
wants and meanwhile not only do I not know what I'm
getting him, but I have his parents and sister
breathing down my neck wanting ideas too, lol. My
parents gave up a couple years ago and usually give us
money for this reason!

9. Easiest person to buy for? Kids

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My mom's
cousin Shirley is well known for her, shall we say,
unusual gifts. I have a stellar pic (OMG I need to
scrapbook some of these stories I'm telling!!!) of
Jeff wearing a ridiculous boa thingy she made
(something similar to crochet I think but it was a
really really weird stitch of some sort) one year for
me. Now to her credit, she has actually given the boys
some rather nice presents lately, so this is all in
the past, knock on wood. (A book she gave Christopher
last year is one of his favorites and one of Michael's
favorite blankies came from her).

11. Favorite Christmas Cartoon? The Grinch

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I was never much for
the non-animated Christmas movies, so I'll repeat
Grinch here.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
whenever. If I see a perfect gift in the summer I'll
get it, but usually around October.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes...shh!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Another
toughie...chili, the Thieleke tradition of Elegant
Beef Tenderloin, pretty much any dessert, peanut
brittle, ...

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear on one,
colored on the other.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Another toughie: O Holy
Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World,
Angels We Have Heard on High...

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? depends on the
year. My parents usually come here from Atlantic, we
go to Jeff's parents in Urbandale, and some years we
go to Massena, Jewell, or Indianola IA to celebrate
with my dad's side of the family.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, and I
was disappointed that Basic Grey (scrapbook thing)
didn't continue on past Blitzen and Dasher.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star on one
tree, huge ribbon bow on the other.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? a
little of both

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Traffic and parking lots, lines.

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme?
Both trees have mostly Hallmark ornaments on them, but
there's a healthy amount of homemade and other special
ornaments as well.