Curating Christmas 2016-17 - "Share your heART" - Jill Norwood/Greenwood Girl Cards

Hello everyone!  I am so excited to share with you that I am participating in Curating Christmas 2016-17 - "Share your heART".  For the past few year Jill Norwood from Greenwood Girl Cards Blog has been doing Curating for Christmas.  Basically you take a space in your studio, craft room, table, or wherever your creative space is and create an area with all kinds of Christmas crafting goodies.  You can set it up however you would like.  You can add in finished projects, cards, things other people have gifted you and basically anything that will inspire you.  This is my first year doing this and I had a lot of fun creating my space.  I will say it has been very inspirational and I do find myself using a lot more supplies because they are all in one space.  If you aren't familiar with Jill Norwoood, I encourage you to check out her YouTube Channel and also her Blog.  Jill is one of the sweetest ladies and she is beyond talented!!  Every year Jill has a tradition.  She makes many beautiful Christmas tags that she share with her family and friends.  You can click HERE to visit Jill's YT channel and click HERE to visit her blog.  If you would like to see Jill's Curating Christmas video you can click HERE.  A good majority of the people who participate in Curating Christmas are Jill's subscribers and friends on YouTube and a lot of them have done video responses to share what they have done.  If you go on YT and type Curating Christmas 2016-2017 in the search bar it should pull up a whole bunch of videos for you to check out.  You can also type #curatingchristmas2016-2017.

Here is a overall look at my Curating Christmas space.  I had so much fun creating this space!  I don't have all of my Christmas stuff out just because I wouldn't have room for everything. Also, since I design for a few different companies I have all of those supplies in other areas. You can click on any of the images to enlarge them and see more details.

Here I have some wooden spools, jingle bells, flowers and some bottle brush trees.  I also have a wood box in the back that is filled with vintage salt and pepper shakers to create some snowmen.  You can also have a peek at a Christmas canvas that I just finished and it will be on the Tonic Studios Blog soon.

This is a little dish with some vintage buttons and a sweet little vintage ballerina. 

This is a little pine cone Christmas tree.

Here is a vintage muffin tin with some fun embellishments.

In this picture there is a little Christmas treat bag I created for Tonic Studios.  Then I have some tiny ornaments that I made using bottle brush trees, vintage spools and some vintage sheet music. I have a snowman figurine and another ballerina with some tiny faux peppermint candies made from melting perler beads. 

Here is a close up of one of the tiny bottle brush tree ornaments.

These are a couple of ornaments I made using vintage tart tin and more tiny bottle brush trees.

This is a Christmas tree made with a vintage wooden spool, strips of material, and ribbons.

In this picture I have some Christmas picks, glass glitter, a container with some washi tape, and a basket full of different kinds of snowflakes.  I also have some felt mitten ornaments that I made.

Here is a close up of the mail box.  My sweet friend Tammy gave me that last year and it was filled with all kinds of yummy goodies.  

These are some Christmas tags that I made last year and I have a few left.

This is a Christmas ornament that I made using ICE Resin and also lots of pearls and crystals from ButterBeeScraps.

Here I have a basket filled with ribbon, twine, flowers and a few other supplies.  The snowman wreath tag is something that my aunt Gail designed and gave to me last year.  It's so cute!  Then I have another basket with some of the Christmas cards I have made this year.

In this picture I have some felt ice skate ornaments and some punches.

Here I have a couple more punches, glitter and some felt poinsettia ornaments.

Here is my last picture with a close up of the Christmas tree.

Jill also asked if we had any Christmas traditions or fun stories to share.  Our family (extended family) started a newer tradition just a couple of years ago.  We decided instead of buying Christmas presents for each other would would take the money we would have spent on the presents and do something good with the money.  It was up to each of us--we could donate to a charity, buy presents for the angel tree, toys for tots, teddy bear toss, or maybe a buy food or presents for a family in need.  I think it's a wonderful tradition that we will carry on for many years to come.  It always feels good when you do good.

I hope you enjoyed all if the pictures and hearing about our family tradition.  I want to say a Huge Thank You to Jill for all of her inspiration throughout the year, her friendship and inspiring so many to do the Curating Christmas!!  Hugs to you my sweet friend!! 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Exciting News To Share!! Tonic Studios USA Blog Ambassador and Christmas Star Shaker Tag

Hello blogging friends!  Today, I have some exciting news that I can finally share!  If you follow me on Facebook then you already know but I also wanted to share the news here on my blog.  I am so very excited to share that I am a Tonic Studios USA Blog Ambassador!!  I am so honored to be able to design for Tonic Studios!  They are a fantastic company and have so many beautiful products including--dies, punches, tools and cutters (the Tim Holtz tools!), glitters, paints and so much more!!

You can click HERE to check out the official announcement.  :)

I also have a project to share with you using some of the fabulous Tonic Studio dies.  I designed a star shaker tag using the 643E Star Bauble Die Set .  You might have seen this posted on the Tonic Gold Blog but I also wanted to share it here.  I know this tag might look like a lot of work but honestly the dies do most of the work for you lol.  It just a matter of making the die cuts and then layering the pieces together.

1.  Die cut the large fancy star with the center inset star die from gold foil paper.

2.  Die cut the straight edge star with acetate.

3.  Die cut the star ornament piece twice–once from gold foil paper and once from white craft foam.        Then fussy cut and make a couple of snips to remove the center stars from the ornament pieces             leaving just the frame of the largest star.

4.  To assemble use Craft-Tacky Glue–start by gluing the acetate to the back of the gold ornament             piece.  Then adhere the white craft foam ornament piece.  Set aside and let glue dry.

5.  Add sequins.  Use the star die cut that was the drop out piece from the fancy star (gold foil star),          flip to the backside (white) and adhere to the back of the shaker.  Set aside and let glue dry before      shaking the sequins.

6.  To finish adhere fancy star die cut to the front.

7.  Add red seam binding and gold metallic string to attach to gift bag.  This could also be used as a          Christmas ornament!

Here is a look at the shaker tag on the gift bag.  It really dresses up a simple kraft paper gift bag!  I also added some Lipstick Red Seam Binding and May Arts - Metallic Gold String.  I used the 419E Craft Tacky Glue 120ml to adhere all of the pieces together.  I have to tell you on the bottle of glue it says--extra fine precision tip--it really truly is!  There is a tiny pin hole in the tip and it is prefect for adding glue to very detailed die cuts.  Also, I have been using this glue for a while now and I haven't had any problems with the tip getting clogged up so that is another plus!  I used a mix of sequins from Cartwright Sequins to fill the star shaker.  One key thing to making shaker tags or cards -- don't overfill with sequins.  If you add too many sequins they won't be able to move around and when you go to shake the tag or card you won't have any movement.  Sometimes less is more.  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies:

Paper:  DCWV - Gold Foil Paper

Dies:  Tonic Studios - 643E Star Bauble Die Set  

Ribbon:  May Arts - Metallic Gold String, Lipstick Red Seam Binding

Accessories: Tonic Studios - 419E Craft Tacky Glue 120ml, Craft Foam, Acetate, Cartwright Sequins, Kraft Gift Bag

Vintage Christmas Angel Ornament - ButterBeeScraps and ICE Resin

Hello everyone!  I can't believe on Sunday it was 84 degrees here in Minnesota but today we are back down to the more normal Autumn temps -- it's in the 30's this morning!  Brrrr  LOL!  Today, I have another Christmas ornament to share with you.  I am going to be doing a show in November for Small Business Saturday (more information to come) so I have been busy creating--Christmas ornaments, lots of jewelry, home decor and small gift items.

Here is a look at the Christmas ornament.  I started with a Hobnail Circle Bezel and added the Christmas Angel Image.  The bezel is filled with ICE Resin and then I sprinkled in a little Silver German Glass Glitter.  I added 4 mm Rhinestone Chain around the outer edge of the bezel and then I added a piece of Bronze Metal Filigree Embellishment (#020-B).  I spray painted the filigree with Krylon White Flat Spray Paint, buffed it with steel wool and then sealed it with Krylon Crystal Clear Sealer.  I also added little clusters of SS12 Clear Flat Back Glass Rhinestones and white flat back pearls around the metal filigree piece.

Here is a close up of the embellished bezel.  I just love the image of this little angel! 

To create the beaded chandelier dangle I used some bronze wire and wire wrapped the Clear GLASS Chandelier Drop Pendants (#GL1437-CL) and then I added Bronze Filigree Bead Caps (#CAP629-B) (Lg Bead Cap).  Next I added some pearls from my stash and a Bronze Filigree Bead Caps (#CAP052-B) (Sm Bead Cap) with a couple of Clear Rhinestone and Bronze Rondelle Spacer Beads – 8mm (#BD008-B/CL) and Clear Rhinestone and Bronze Rondelle Spacer Beads – 6mm (#BD006-B/CL).  Then I connected the dangle to the bezel and wire wrapped the loop.  To finish off the bezel I added some seam binding for the hanger.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Don't forget to hop on over to ButterBeeScraps and check out all of the metal filigrees, bling and jewelry findings--there is something for everyone!

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Hugs,

Heidi

Supplies
ButterBeeScraps
Bronze Metal Filigree Embellishment (#020-B)
Clear GLASS Chandelier Drop Pendants (#GL1437-CL)
Clear Rhinestone and Bronze Rondelle Spacer Beads – 8mm (#BD008-B/CL)
Clear Rhinestone and Bronze Rondelle Spacer Beads – 6mm (#BD006-B/CL)
SS12 Clear Flat Back Glass Rhinestones
Bronze Filigree Bead Caps (#CAP629-B) (Lg Bead Caps)
Bronze Filigree Bead Caps (#CAP052-B) (Sm Bead Cap)

Other Supplies
Krylon White Flat Spray Paint
Krylon Crystal Clear Sealer
E6000
Steel Wool
Bronze Wire
Pearls
Flat Back Pearls
4 mm Rhinestone Chain
Hobnail Circle Bezel
ICE Resin
Silver German Glass Glitter
Christmas Angel Image
Seam Binding
Round Nose Pliers
Bent Nose Pliers
Flush Cutter
Mod Podge
Ranger Multi Medium Matte

DIY Snowflake Christmas Ornament Tutorial with ButterBeeScraps and Krylon Paint

Hello everyone!  Today, I have a quick and easy Christmas project to share with you.  Halloween is right around the corner and before with know it we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  I love decorating for the holiday but some of the home decor and decoration can be a little spendy so I love doing DIY projects.  Especially if I find something really inexpensive like items from the dollar store and I can put a creative spin on it to create something beautiful for the home.  Today, I am going to share with you how I used snowflakes from the dollar store and added some embellishment to make some beautiful ornaments for the tree.

Here is the snowflake from the dollar store.  It's just a simple plastic glittery snowflake.  Pretty on it's own and full of sparkle when the lights from the tree hit all the glitter.  But think of all the ways these snowflakes can be embellished.

Check out the snowflake after I added some metal filigree pieces and a bit of bling.  It totally changes the look of the snowflake.  I just love how these turned out!  So beautiful and elegant.  To look at the snowflake now you would never think it came from the dollar store.

All of the metal filigree pieces and bling that I used are from ButterBeeScraps.  All of the metal filigree pieces were bronze and I used Krylon Flat White spray paint on all of the pieces.  Then I buffed them using steel wool to reveal some of the metal.  You can see in the photo the oblong metal filigree piece Bronze Metal Filigree Embellishment (#683-B).  I used four of these filigree pieces and cut them in half for a total of eight pieces.  I also used two of the Bronze Snowflake Metal Filigree Embellishment (#203-B).  I left one of the snowflakes flat and the other one I bent the tips for some added dimension.

Here you can see how I started to add the metal filigree pieces.  I used Ranger - Multi Medium Matte with a fine tip of the bottle to glue everything in place.  This is a great adhesive--it's very strong just like glossy accents but it drys with a matte finish so if you have any adhesive the seeps out from under the embellishments you don't see it.

Here I added the second layer of the filigree pieces.  After I had all of these pieces glued in place then I layered the two snowflakes and added a Bling Center RES823-CL.  I also added some SS20 Clear AB Flat Back Crystal Rhinestones for a little more sparkle.

Here is a close up of the snowflakes in the center.

I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy DIY tutorial!  I know I will be making a few more of these snowflakes--I think they will look beautiful on the tree!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Don't forget to hop on over to ButterBeeScraps and check out all of the metal filigrees, bling and jewelry findings--there is something for everyone!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Hugs,

Heidi

Supplies
ButterBeeScraps:  Bronze Snowflake Metal Filigree Embellishment (#203-B), Bronze Metal Filigree Embellishment (#683-B), SS20 Clear AB Flat Back Crystal Rhinestones, Bling Center RES823-CL

Other Supplies:  Krylon White Spray Paint, Steel Wool, Ranger - Multi Medium Matte

ButterBeeScraps Christmas Crystal Wreath Ornaments

Hello everyone and Happy Holidays!  I can't believe Christmas is just a few days away!!  Are you ready for Christmas?  I know I'm not--I still have so many things to do.  But it will all get done--it always does.  I am a room parent for our youngest son so the past few days I have been getting things ready for the Christmas party and getting all of the little gifts together for all of the teachers and school staff. 

Today, I have a couple of last minute Christmas ornaments to share with you.  I know they look fancy but they were actually pretty quick and easy to put together.  Most of the supplies I used are from ButterBeeScraps and they are all in the supply link list below.  I love all of the metal filigree pieces that Monique carries in the shop!  She has so many fun things to create with.  

I started with some mini grapevine wreaths and I painted them with a white acrylic paint.  Then I added some DecoArt Snow-Tex.  Next I took a piece of Artistic Wire Bronze 20 Ga. and wire wrapped the Clear GLASS Chandelier Drop Pendants (Item #GL1437-CL).  Then I added a Bronze Cone Bead Cap CAP057-B, 2 Small Bronze Bead Cap CAP052-B, 2 clear crystal beads and a Rhinestone Rondelle Spacer Beads (Item #BD010-P/CL).  I wrapped the extra wire around the bottom of the wreath.

For the leaves I used the  Large Bronze Leaf Bead Cap (Item #CAP038-B).  I flattened the bead cap and used a mix of Ranger Patina Clay and Moss paint and applied it to the leaves.  After the paint was dry I lightly sanded the piece to reveal some of the metal.  Then I cut the leaf sprigs off.

To create the flower I used Large Bronze Bead Cap (Item #CAP251-B) and Copper Filigree Embellishment (Item #CAP041-C).  I used the Ranger Patina Ruby and Clay paint to paint the flower.  Then I added a SS16 Clear Flat Backs crystal to the center of the flower.

One of the Christmas ornaments has a flower and a few of the leaf sprigs and the other one has several of the leaf springs and a few S520 Siam Flat Backs and S512 Siam Flat Backs crystals.  I think the flower looks kind of like a poinsettia and the leaf sprigs and crystals look like holly and berries.

For the hanger I added some wire and wrapped it around the wreath.  Then I added a few more beads and bead caps and curled the top of the wire to make a hanger.  I did the same thing on the other ornament.

Here are a few close ups of the green Christmas ornament.

Here is the Christmas ornament with the flower.

I had a lot of fun making these Christmas ornaments and they really were quick and easy to make.  The longest part was waiting for the Snow-Tex to dry. 

Please don't forget to hop on over to ButterBeeScraps and check out Monique's shop!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies

ButterBeeScraps:  Large Bronze Bead Cap (Item #CAP251-B), Copper Filigree Embellishment (Item #CAP041-C), Large Bronze Leaf Bead Cap (Item #CAP038-B), Small Bronze Bead Cap CAP052-B, Rhinestone Rondelle Spacer Beads (Item #BD010-P/CL), Bronze Cone Bead Cap CAP057-B, SS16 Clear Flat Backs, S520 Siam Flat Backs, S512 Siam Flat Backs, Clear GLASS Chandelier Drop Pendants (Item #GL1437-CL), Large Green Crystal GL1437
Other Supplies:  Mini Wreaths, White Acrylic Paint, DecoArt Snow-Tex, Artistic Wire Bronze 20 Ga., Beadalon--Flush Cutter, Bent Nose Pliers, Round Nose Pliers, Ranger Glossy Accents, Hot Glue, Ranger Patina Ruby, Clay, Moss, Clear and Green Crystals

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Christmas Banner Wall Hanging

Hello everyone!  Today, is my day to post for The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.  I have a little Christmas banner wall hanging to share with you.

I used one of the Melissa Frances Backdrops Chipboard - Curved Triangles for the banner shape.  I painted the entire piece with ivory acrylic paint.    

Then I covered the piece of chipboard with some of the paper from Webster's Pages-A Christmas Story 6x6 paper pad collection.  I fussy cut a couple of the images from the paper and added them to the banner.  Next I added Melissa Frances Organza Pouf Ribbon - Pink and the rose colored trim from the Webster's Pages-A Christmas Story Designer Trims.

I used ivory cardstock and three of the dies from the S5-185 2013 Snowflake Pendant die templates from  Spellbinders Creative Arts® to create the snowflake.  I used 3D Foam Squares in between the layers of the snowflake to add some dimension.  Next I applied Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue to the snowflake and then covered it with Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter.  I added one of the  Webster's Pages Designer Cameos - A Christmas Story to the center of the snowflake.

Here is the snowflake on the banner.  I also added some Sequins - White Iridescent - 8mm, Sequins - White Iridescent - 5mm and Melissa Frances Pearls - Cream.

Check out this sweet little Melissa Frances Hanger - Decorative Scroll Clip 4".  I just love these hangers!  They are so shabby and fun to add to your projects.  I didn't want to cover up too much of the hanger so I just added a little bit of Seam Binding Cameo Beige and a few Melissa Frances Pearls - Cream.  

Please be sure to check out The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store for all of the fantastic paper crafting products and the Blog for inspiration from the Design Team.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hope you stay warm and cozy during these cold winter days and 

have fun decorating for Christmas!

Hugs & Smiles,

Heidi

Supplies

Paper:  Webster's Pages-A Christmas Story 6x6 paper pad collection -The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store; Cardstock-Ivory
Dies:  Spellbinders Creative Arts® S5-185 2013 Snowflake Pendant
NOTE:  You can also find Spellbinders® products at The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store
Ribbon:   Melissa Frances Organza Pouf Ribbon - Pink [MF-GN581], Webster's Pages-A Christmas Story Designer Trims, Seam Binding Cameo Beige - The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store
Accessories:  Melissa Frances Backdrops Chipboard - Curved Triangles 6/pk, Melissa Frances Hanger - Decorative Scroll Clip 4", Melissa Frances Pearls - Cream, Webster's Pages Designer Cameos - A Christmas Story, Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter; Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue; Sequins - White Iridescent - 8mm, Sequins - White Iridescent - 5mm; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L 3D Foam Squares; Ivory Paint
NOTE:  You can also find Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L® products at The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store