Holiday Wishes

Well peeps, ready or not and regardless of which holiday(s) you celebrate they are truly upon us now! Cookie baking is all I have left to do;) How are you doing with everything?

 The above journal page is in my Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal and meant for Try it On Tuesday (Christmas is Coming), and Art Journal Journey (Words and Numbers). I added some extra color and stamping on the printed background then used paper scraps, stickers and bits from my Christmas stash.

 This is where I spent much time the last two weeks making and addressing cards that needed to get out:

 I had my coffee to keep me going in this cute Christmas mug along with a variety of Christmas music playing. Fa la la la la and cheers to the T Stands For Tuesday gang!

 For the 'Year Of Gratitude' Challenge hosted by Ranger Ink and Dina Wakley(you can read more about it here) There are two random drawings each month for a prize package of Ranger/Dina Wakley products. I have won one already and they are very generous!!
 The prompt for December is "I am grateful for creativity" and here is my journal page:

 And a detail pic:

This was done on a kraft page in the Dina Wakley Media Journal and I used Dina Wakley paints, images from her Collage Collective Book, and Collage Tissue Words.Sewn and layered with ephemra from my stash.

And finally, more loose watercolor practice- this wreath inspired by Andrew Geeson which I will share with Moo Mania and More (Anything Goes), and Paint Party Friday:

 I may be taking a bit of a blogging break from Christmas Day through New Year's Day so whatever you celebrate, whatever you will be doing, I wish you love and a most joyous holiday and Happy, Happy New Year!

" Christmas is forever, not just for one day. For loving, sharing, giving, are not to be put away."                           Norman Wesley Brooks

It's Looking Festive Around Here!

 How's everyone doing with holiday decorating, shopping, baking, etc.? I finally got our trees up and home decorated over the weekend not without a few lighting glitches to tend to though (ugh!). But, this is the last year for these tree lights then it's time for new ones for next year;)
 Now it's a matter of finishing and mailing the Christmas cards!

 Wanted to share this candle I just stumbled upon in Bed Bath and Beyond and of course I had to have it!!

  I had only opened the lid to smell the candle before buying it, falling in love with that burning wood scent. I've always wanted to have a fireplace. And since I can't have one I always wished someone could make a candle that truly smells like wood burning. When I got home and lit the candle to my surprise it also crackles like a fire!! I love it!!!

 And now that there's a sweet little fire going, grab a cuppa and join in at T Stands For Tuesday won't you?

My cuppa today is in the form of a journal page in the Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal:

 I cut the teacup from an old calendar. That lovely quote is from Chaim Potok.

 Most of my art time is being spent on card making right now. As I've said this year I'm using up things from my stash along with two Christmas paper pads. Keeping it pretty simple this year. Like this more traditional card I made with the Simon Wednesday Challenge (Traditional Christmas) in mind:

 Ivory notecard and envie (Recollections); holly and berry stamp (Magenta); Christmas Paper Pad (Authentique); Stickles glitter glue - used on the berries and around the card (not visible in the photo).

 Lastly I have a journal page that I made a little while back when Tamara LaPorte offered free online art lessons by a variety of artists. And by the way, she is sharing these Lifebook Summit videos again for a short time:) This page was from a tutorial by ScrapWitch Lisa :

                                        these are the beginning layers

Finished Page:

and a few detail pics:

 Joining Art Journal Journey hosted by Yvonne this month with the theme of (Words and Numbers), and Paint Party Friday. 

 Thanks for stopping by!

" Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."     William Thomas Ellis

Welcome December!

 And December came in with a LOT of rain, some snow, and freezing rain too. As I am typing it is flurrying a bit and thankfully that's all it will be rather than the 6 inches they originally predicted! I spent this past dreary Sunday working on Christmas cards and in between I took a break to watch a You Tube tutorial by Ellen Crimi-Trent and created the above snowman watercolor painting. It is 4" x 4". I plan on following a few more of her tutorials as they are pretty easy to follow and a delight to make:)

PS Eileen if you're reading this- she works wet on wet which is what I have been learning from Laura Horn Art also to create some lovely effects with the watercolors. It really is a matter of play and practice:)
Speaking of practice here is an abstract watercolor  page I did following Laura Horn's Watercolor Explorations online class:

 I also used Posca pens and a pastel crayon for added mark making. Love these colors!


 For T stands for Tuesday I'll share these two food photos from a record/vinyl party hubby and I hosted recently. If you are a regular here you know that every few months our son and future daughter in law and friends Andrew and Lynn get together to play old vinyl records and take turns hosting. It's always such a fun time!

 Lots of pick foods- and there was even more when they arrived with some extra snacks and drink;)

Tag art:

 My tag was cut from a large sheet of card stock I inked and stamped over a year ago. The snowman and silver snowflake are from Michaels. Sentiment is Tim Holtz Small Talk Occasions Stickers. Joining in at the Simon Monday Challenge (Let's Sparkle); Moo Mania and More (Use Your Scraps); and Tag Tuesday (White Christmas).

 The photo just does NOT do this card justice! Using up my stash of holiday papers for CAS cards this year. The note card, envie,  and patterned papers are all an ivory color but it doesn't look that way here. Papers are Authentique two sided 12" x 12" Paper Pad. I added gold and Diamond Stickles glitter glue to give it a lovely sparkle. And I always somehow decorate the envies to somewhat match. Stamps used on envie (Magenta). Joining in at the Simon Wednesday Challenge (Anything Goes).

 A journal page done in my Dina Wakley Media Journal:

 This page was inspired by an old Lesley Gore song - "You Don't Own Me".  Dina Wakley Collage Papers, acrylic paints, pencil, black Fude Ball Pen, black crayon. Joining in at Try It On Tuesday (Inspired By a Song); the December theme of "Words and Numbers" chosen by Yvonne for Art Journal Journey;  and Paint Party Friday.

 That's all for this time peeps. Be well, be happy, be creative!

" What you call freedom is still nothing but choosing how to steer straight into the heart of what chooses you."        Kate Gleason