Tradition...

is the word for Urban Scrapbook's December challenge kit.  I'm sure we all have certain traditions that we do each year during the holiday season.  This month the kit is filled with Teresa Collins paper and embellishments which is so easy to scrapbook with!  We all had to do either a 2-page layout or a layout and two cards, so make sure you check out what the design team came up with!
Our family has a few traditions, but I think we all enjoy going out to Lake Isle every Boxing Day (that's our Canadian "Black Friday" on Dec. 26th) and just enjoying the peace and quiet.  By that time we are all shopped out and need to get away from the commercial side of Christmas.  There's usually a couple of patches of ice cleared on the lake for skating and hockey games, so depending how cold it is, some of us enjoy that.  I love going for walks along the quiet roads.  Last year, three deer ran across the road, right in front of me.  Luckily I had my camera and managed to get a few fast photos!  There's usually a crib game going on inside and someone always brings a puzzle for everyone to work on.  We all get pretty determined to get that puzzle finished, as you can see by my photos on my layouts.  The men seem to think that it's better when they stand while working on the puzzle!  One year, nobody brought one out,   but luckily our niece's daughters got a Miley Cyrus puzzle for Christmas.  It was pretty funny to see all the men gathered around working on that puzzle!

We had a piece of gold vellum in our kits, so I stamped mine in spots with Staz-on ink and a music note stamp, then cut out snowflakes with punches, my Slice and Spellbinders.  I also embossed the bottom strips of red cardstock with a Tim Holtz snowflake embossing folder.  It's hard to see here in the photos, but it embossed so nice!
Tomorrow is December 1st and Tim Holtz starts his 12 days of Christmas Tags!  Even if you don't do the tags, he has some amazing techniques and ideas, so be sure you check out his blog.  I'm sure he will be using some of his new dies and embossing folders, so I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.
Also, starting tomorrow; Urban Scrapbook is having 12 days of Christmas specials - so check your emails!  If you don't receive their emails, sign up - because that's the only way to get in on the specials!
Have a great day!

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Some Little Black Dress....

projects for their November kit.  Love all the new Glitz paper and embellishments in this kit!

Love all these "Glitz" vintage looking cards.  The papers used here are My Mind's Eye and The Girl's Paperie. I used my Slice Mistletoe cartridge for the gingerbread man and the snowflake.  I circled the numbers; 3,7 and 9 on the bingo card 'cause that's how old my kids were!

The background paper here was Basic Grey, but I inked, masked and stamped it.  I also cut out a square the same size as my Tim Holtz "Postcard" embossing folder from that same sheet (in that same spot you see it here on the layout) and put it through my Cuttlebug.  I cut out two sheets of Glitz paper, each one a little bigger than the other and layered them underneath the embossed paper, sewed around the edge of the plain paper and distressed the edges.  I then adhered that paper back over the area where the hole was, after I placed the photo and diecuts.  I cut out the flowers with my Slice. This was the last time my daughter came home for Christmas, I wish she could come home every year!  This year she's spending it in Italy! (Lucky girl!)  In this next layout, she's 2 years old here, where did the time go?

Lots of inking, masking, misting, stamping and distressing here too!  I used everything on this Glitz polka dot paper.  I like to lightly stamp in the corners or different areas of the paper so you can barely see the stamp.  Just like some papers that you buy already like that.  In the kit, there are some vintage book pages and I tried to emboss one.  But it kind of fell apart so I inked and glued all the pieces behind the polka dot paper. There's some Teresa Collins paper too in this layout, more Glitz diecuts, Jenni Bowlin chipboard button, and a Maya Road flower.  I used my Slice again for the star, snowflakes and words.

More Glitz paper and diecuts here and the background paper is Pink Paislee's Anthology line(inked and misted). The deer are cut out using the new Tim Holtz deer alterations die, then embossed with Ranger's glitter embossing powder.

I had this unfinished wooden box, so I covered it in the My Mind's Eye,"Lost and Found" paper.  I then used a flower from the kit, diecut, glitter tulle and  flowers made with my Slice and decorated the top.  It's always nice to give a gift certificate or giftcard in a special container, then it feels more like a gift!
Well, that's my projects for this month's kit.  I still have some bits left, I might just try to do a few cards to  use it all up.
Have a great weekend!

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Time to move on....

I packed up all my Halloween decorations yesterday, it's time to start thinking about Christmas.  My house looks so bare right now, but it's way to early to decorate for Christmas.  I am hoping to start  earlier this year on my Christmas cards (I say this every year!) and actually make all of them instead of just for the Girls at Urban!
 Here's my November page challenge for Urban Scrapbook.  We all had to use the word "happy", in our title or journaling and this month's kit was filled with Fancy Pants papers and embellishments.

This layout is of my youngest son and his girlfriend.  They both graduated from University with a Bachelor of Design Degree this June.  Right now they are both in Shanghai.   Devin has been there since August designing office furniture and he has sent us one email.  Sarah joined him just over a week ago, and she has already emailed me, telling me all the news!  I've told him many times, don't do anything to screw this up, she's a keeper!!  He is so in love, I'm sure  there won't be any chance of that!  Anyways, this is my layout, check out what the rest of the girls have done at Urban.  Speaking of Urban Scrapbook; I worked on Monday and it was the first day open at the new store.  Other than not knowing where everything is now, it was so nice to be in the new location.  They are planning a grand opening on Nov. 6th, so come and visit us and see our gorgeous new store!
Have a great day!

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