Advent calendar + Christmas project.

I have been SO BUSY lately!

With the end of the school year happening this week & hectic deadlines for Friday & other commitments, I just haven't had a chance to blog which is so frustrating because I have so many crafty projects to share with you. This has also meant I am slow with hauling out my Christmas decorations too this year.

I am happy to say that slowly our home is starting to transform though & starting to feel alot like Christmas. Forget the fact the temperatures are beginning to soar LOL & the pool is looking more & more inviting.

We put our Advent calendar up &amp on the 1st & the kids are LOVING opening each little box to score the candy inside everyday. It is a project I made for a magazine page call some time back but it wasn't picked up needless to say I am so stoked I made it. There is something so rewarding & wholesome about a homemade calendar as apposed to a store bought one. Oh...before I forget: It was inspired by an idea I originally saw on the Lilybee blog some time ago, can't remember who the designer was though.

Advent calendar by Kim Watson

Page Supplies: Cardstock & Ribbon: American Crafts; Patterned paper: My Minds Eye, Fancy Pants, Lily Bee; Rub-ons: Fancy Pants & Lily Bee; Chipboard & Fancy Brads: My Minds Eye, Number stickers & Flowers: Little Yellow Bicycle, Mist: Studio Calico, Adhesives: Fabritac: Beacon, Tombo, 3L; Tools: Trimmer & cutting mat: Fiskars, Xacto knife: Elmer's; Punches: Martha Stewart, EK Success, Tonic; Paper Piercer by Close to my Heart ; Score board: Martha Stewart; Paper & Printer: HP, Software: Adobe, Other: Thread, Sewing machine.

Each box is an empty matchbox covered in patterned paper, embellished & filled with candy!

While I'm up... here is another Christmas project inspired by an article in the Nov/ Dec Creating Keepsakes mag, 'Holiday cards on Scrapbook layouts'.

 Tis the Season by Kim Watson

Page supplies: Cardstock, Pinwheels, Brads & Pen: American Crafts, Patterned paper: My Minds Eye, Fancy Pants; Flocked Transparency, Alpha stickers & Buttons: Fancy Pants; Ribbon & Fancy Brads: My Minds Eye; Journal tags & Felt snowflake: Little Yellow Bicycle, Star pins: Maya Road; Adhesives: Fabrictac: Beacon, Tombo, 3L; Tools: Slice Die cutter: Making Memories; Trimmer & cutting mat: Fiskars, Xacto knife: Elmer's; Punch by Martha Stewart, Paper Piercer by Close to my Heart, Stapler by Tim Holtz for Advantus, Paper & Printer: HP, Software: Adobe.

Digital supplies: Patterned paper & Sparkles by Michele Coleman http://mysecondmile.squarespace.com/, Bracket paper & Bracket frameby Wendy http://wendys-craftycreations.blogspot.com/, Stitching by Kristin Tilley http://wyowoman.blogspot.com/, Word art & twill tape by Ali Edwards at Designer Digitals http://www.designerdigitals.com/, Tag by Chris Hertel http://workforscraps.blogspot.com/, Fonts: Aurulent Sanshttp://www.fontsquirrel.com/, Susie's Hand http://www.dafont.com/

For our 2010 Christmas card, I took x4 photos from our family photo-shoot which were 'less than perfect' but perfectly summed up our family's craziness. I designed the card digitally then had them printed out onto mat photo paper. It was cheaper & faster to do it this way with so many friends & relatives living overseas. For my layout, I printed out a copy of the 6x6" card cover and used it as the focal point on my page. For the title I cut out the sentiment from the inside. 

 This type of page is a great way to preserve out cards inside & out for the kids to remember when they are all grown up.

OK...x2 down...more to follow though.

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season as much as we are. This time of year is so special for me as the 25th approaches, I become increasing more aware of why we actually celebrate: 'Jesus & His gift of salvation'. 

Happy days to you all!

Thanks for stopping by!

December daily + Part #1

Can you believe it is December next week? Yikes this year has flown by so fast... it just feels like yesterday that I was winging over to LA for Winter CHA...& it is almost that time again. So last week I decided it was time I started giving my Dec to-do list some thought...you know... Dec daily, Christmas cards, teachers gift albums etc etc. 

I am happy to day I am well on my way with my December daily (which is a first for my this early in the season). I admit I was spurred on by a FABULOUS contest/challenge happening over on the Fancy Pants blog.

Here are the details: Create a December Daily Album using at least some Fancy Pants product, post photos (your album cover and at least 2-3 pages/spreads) of it to your blog or online gallery, and leave a comment on this post on the Fancy Pants blog with a link so we can see your lovely creations.

Should you choose to accept this challenge (and we hope you do!), you'll have a chance to win a Brag Book (like one of the ones some of our Pocket Chicks used for their dailies) and some Saint Nick goodies!

A few of the DT'ers posted their December Dailies :here: and here is mine using 98% Saint Nick products & a neutral brag book from Fancy Pants.  

2011 December Daily by Kim Watson

With the cover being hard cover. I put together the decorative front together, including stitching, 'loose', then stuck it down afterwards. This way I could still add the stitching texture I love so much. 

Page #1 December Daily by Kim Watson

I included a red envelope between these x2 pages to include the children's letters to Santa & wish lists.

 Page #1 open December Daily by Kim Watson 

Paper doilies in different sizes are a fabulous inexpensive way to embellish 25 page spreads. 

Page #2 December Daily by Kim Watson

The super thing about the Fancy Pants brag books, is that they have a variety of different page types included in the book. So you can add & move them around to suit your album design. Here I used a standard double 6x4" photo holder & divided it into x4 for embellishments, photo places & journaling (all to be added later.)

Page #2 open December Daily by Kim Watson

This is the photo protector open, underneath is a pouch page which I spritzed with white Mr Huey & stitched for interest.  

Page #3 December Daily by Kim Watson

Notice how I used blue thread top & bottom on my sewing machine, this way I get the great stitch detail on both sides of the brown pouch page.

Page #3 open December Daily by Kim Watson

This time I left the photo protector open for photos. I stuck my embellishments directly on top of the plastic cover leaving the pockets unhindered. 

Page #4 December Daily by Kim Watson

For this spread I punched a large tag for extra journaling on the back, as well as a decorated envelope to house memorabilia.

I have done some more pages but I'll post them next week...so as not to bore you silly. 

But now people.... ENTER this contest!! The ST Nick collection is so stylish & I just know you'll love it. For more details & the challenge rules see :here:

I'm glad you stopped by!!

Congrats to the winner!

We have a winner of the latest Creating Keepsakes special issue: 

Holidays & Celebrations!

CONGRATULATIONS! Desire!
I'll make sure your issue gets mailed out to you asap. (A random fact...this is the first time in all my years of giveaways that the very last comment was selected. It was obviously meant to be yours.)

Thanks for playing along peeps! I'll be having another giveaway next week. So remember to  stop by for the details.
Have a fabulous day!