Heather's First Tree of Christmas and Bella Creations Card Challenge

Hello Friends!!  

I have finally gotten around to doing a little tree decorating! Today I have my First Tree of Christmas :0).  It is kind of like a Tim Tag, on steriods...LOL.  I am going to start off with my favorite little 5ft tree.  It's home is in the dining room, nuzzled in a corner.

Here it is before

Today I had to add a new light strand.  The bottom one had burnt out.  Here are some pictures of it now.

I have many antique ornaments on this tree that I have collected over the years.  This tree is my favorite.  Probably because it is small, but packs a lot of beauty!

That little gold ribbon fan that is on the right was made by my father.  Can you imagine a Retired tool and die maker making these delicate fans?  Not that my dad is not creative, bur normally he is building arrows (for target shoot only) or wood things.  Not dainty Christmas ribbon fans...LOL.  So you may see them through out my trees.

Here is a full shot.  I still need to add some ornaments to the bottom that are bigger...just got to find the box that has them in it.

Let's take a break from trees shall we...lol.

This month at Bella Creations I am hosting the Card Challenge.  I have designed a Sketch for inspiraton!

It is up to you to what colors and theme you would like to use this month.  I thought it might be fun to show it turned as well.

Why don't you come and join my group...and create something fun!!

Hugs...and I hope you enjoy my first tree, and card sketches.

Christmas Tree Madness has begun :0)

Hello Friends...and Welcome to my Christmas Tree Madness.

I just started blogging a little over a year ago, and so some of you may remember that I have a sickness for Christmas Trees.

I know it is crazy...but I just can't help it.

Just to clarify, I consider decorating Christmas Trees as my Art Flavor for the month of December.  I will leave my trees up till The end of January.  You might say..."Don't people think you are weird having them up that long?"...actually people think I am weird, but they always love my trees.  Since I live with teenage boys and my DH and new kitty (so things could get interesting this year)..I am the only one decorating.  I have tried all that happy get the family together and decorate...and my family is just not into it anymore.  My youngest has a White tree in his room, and he decorates it himself.  Okay....here we go. 

Here are some photos of my trees after being dragged out of the attic, down the stairs and stuck in a spot.

The Dining Room Trees

This one is one of my favorites.   This one is older than my kiddos.  First little tree that I bought.

This one is in the opposite diagonal corner from the one above.  It is nine feet tall.  Now imagine you are a Christmas Tree Hoarder and you walk into Walmart the day after Christmas and find this tree for only $34.  I about had a heart attack at that great deal.  PRE LIT...so you know what happened....

Yep...you guessed it!  LOL...I went back to the tree department and got another one.  It hangs out in the family room Kitchen area..(you know I did go back and get another one for my brother and his wife at the time for their house...lol).  What can I say..I am madd :0).

Look at that poor tree...LOL.  I got to the point that I didn't want to take the beads off from last year...LOL.

Back to the Dining room.  Back a gazillion years ago, I was painting ornaments for tiny pink trees and selling them on ebay.  So if you wanted a Shabby Pink Roses Chic tree...I had it. (I still have at least 7 of these trees in the attic, but they are 3ft).  

You know what this tree is saying????  Listen close...

GINNY...come and decorate me please :0).  Not sure if it was last year or the year before, but my BFF came over and helped me with my sickness.  Not that she is not sick herself...because she puts up a pile of trees too.  You can click the link in the top right corner...Polly's Paper Studio...to find her.  You could stop by her blog and tell her my Pink Tree is looking for her :0)  that would be funny!!

Now to the foyer.

This one has some sweet antique lights that I got at a yardsale on it. It also has a wood trunk base (woodland tree).  Mr. Frankie Kittens..has been doing a little bark shaving.  Not sure how that is going to work :0)  Kind of messy.

On the other side of the door is this little tree.  I call it my Charlie brown tree.

Next is the Red Room.  Our rooms are named by color..and the dining room used to be the Blue room, but it was recently painted a Coral pink (dining room is easier).  This tree I just got a couple years ago.  After a trip to Greenfield Village.  I decided my big poofy tree needed to be replaced by a more vintage looking tree.  

Unfortunately I had to put the stinking lights on this tree...LOL.  I found some awesome LED Christmas candle lamps on ebay..they are GORGEOUS!  When it is decorated..I will post a close up.

My kids do complain about this tree, they preferred the big poofy one.  The tree base on this one spins (so does the one in the family room)..so it gets decorated all the way around.  You can find the heavy duty revolving ones at Home Depot and Michaels (that is where I got mine...after Christmas a gazillion years ago).

Okay..so there are a couple more small ones...but I am tired, and all I have done is carried down decorations and blogged about it.  So, check back this time next week...and MAYBE I will be finished.

LOL

Hugs!!

Christmas Cinema Crop at Bella Creations

Hello Friends!!

This evening starts the Christmas Cinema Crop at Bella Creations.

Each DT member will have a challenge and a game for you to play!

I designed this fun puzzle below for one of my games. So go ahead and push the play arrow and give it a try!  Just so you know, you will be timed :0).  
Here is the image not as a puzzle.

Feel Free to send this puzzle as a post card to your friends for Christmas.  I have it set up so you can do that!  Just click the puzzle below, and it should take you where you need to go.

Once you have completed the puzzle, please head back to my group and let me know your time!!  Feel free to do it a couple times if you like :0)  

I created the puzzle using Gecko Galz and Graphic Fairy images.

My Challenge is an easy one for the Crop.  I have some scenes from the movie posted in my Group which you are to use as your inspiration to create something fun!

Here is an item that I created for Inspiration!

I will be sharing both of these projects that I created this week with Simon Says Stamp and Show Vintage (stars), Simon Says Stamp (anything goes) and The Shabby Tea Room (winter picnic).

(feel free to check out their challenges, you may be able to share what you create with them too).  I am also sharing this with the Faded Charms (White Wednesdays).  Many beautiful inspiration for you to see at all of these blogs!

Here it is.

I created this with an image from Gecko Galz.  I started out with a skate cut file from the Silhouette online store.  I embossed it with an embossing folder.  Then I wet embossed it with some Zing embossing powder. I added some MS glitter to the edges of skate.

Here is a close up of the embossing.  I added some silver glittery pipe cleaners to add some vintage charm!  I used one to look like the blade of the skate and the other to hold a snowflake in the skate.  I did cut two skates..glued the bottom section of the boot together and pop dots at the top..so it is a pocket.

I used some Christmas picks that I bought at Michaels, as well as a stick pin from a swap (Cathi O). I used liquid pearls in bisque to apply some polka dots to the woman's hat and sweater.

 I used a Stamp by prima and stazon jet black ink to stamp on the tag that fits inside the skate.  I inked all edges of the tag and the Skate with Ranger's vintage photo distress ink.  The tiny stars are some charms from Ranger too.  I used seed beads to create the buttons on the skate.

I hope this inspires you to create something fun today, and that you may stop by the Cinema Crop and play.

Enjoy your day!

Hugs!!