Photo Contest

I want to enter a photo contest, but I'm having a hard time picking which photo to include, it can be any subject, just from 2009, here are what I've come up with, click on the picture to make it bigger, please let me know which you think I should enter and why.
Thanks,
Diana

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Nutcracker

The winner of the stocking contest is Elaine, my daughter picked out the winner without knowing who did what so it was fair.



I made this nutcracker yesterday and thought he turned out so cute, I'm converting a bunch of winter holiday files and this is the first one I've cut out, this is from a monthly group I used to have so all my files are in .gsd format, it will take me a while to convert them all over, but my plan is to have them up in the store by Jan 1st so I can offer them 1/2 price, I may list them seperatly also, but the 1/2 price will apply to the collection. They will include some Christmas, some Hannakah, Valentines, New Years, and a few Presidents day.

5th stocking

Keep them coming, tomorrow will be the last day then I will take down the stocking file, I won't be posting a free file next week, it's Christmas and a busy week for everyone, especially me, I have some gifts to finish yet. Anyway I'll announce the stocking winner on Monday.



I got a little time today to use the pen tool and cut out your stocking. Not
fancy or traditional colors but fun. Thanks, Ginger "Games"

4th stocking

Stocking.... Nothing fancy but I do love the file.
Papers used:
Paper Company Al Fresco White
Basic Grey nook & pantry nap-2054
Bazzil Red
Cut out all the pieces (cuts nicely) & lightly brushed a copper clalk ink on the white. Used a Septa ink for the stocking base distressing. Wanted to do handwriting so used a black marker for this. Holly & Berries were made using Smooches Green & Red. Ribbon is a Holiday ribbon found in Michael's. Taped on 2 mini candy canes and that's it!

Made up 12 of these (have to put the candy canes on them yet) with all the kids & fur kids names on them. Just need to find a spot to put up the tree!!!!! Nice file and thank you for allowing us all to play with it! Thanks again, Deb

Another stocking

I made this stocking from your stocking file. I used your poinsettia file to make the flower. The stocking was cut from DCWV glitter card stock. I use ranger embossing powder on the poinsettia and white stocking top. I used ranger yellow stickles on the flower and ranger diamond stickles on the boot patch. Thanks for giving out all the free files you do. I enjoyed making this stocking.--Suzanne

Christmas Stockings

Here are two entries that I've recieved, you only have 2 days left to submit them to me, just a brief description of what supplies were used or any special techniques and a picture.

This stocking was made by my dear friend Elaine Wright



carstock and paper- Real Red Cardstock with Merry Moments Designer Paper Stampin Up
box-Fancy Favors box die Stampin up

The top and heel/toe are fabric. I put it on a box , you could put treats in it or use it like I did to hold silverware at your holiday table (yeah, we are both so fancy). I'm sending 3 pictures because, well, I'm an over-achiever :~) -Elaine

2nd one is from one of my readers

Both stockings are cut from DaisyD paper and misc white and dark red paper. The DaisyD piece is leftover from a slab I had. I was looking for something that looked like patchwork material and this was perfect.

Both stocking bodies were distressed on the edges with black ColorBox chalk ink then outlined with a black atyou Spica pen. I also outlined each heal. I used a garnet and lipstick red atyou Spica pens on the dark squares in the paper to give them some sparkle.

For the smaller one I cut my son’s name out of misc black paper then covered it with black stickles to make it look like it was done in glitter on the stocking top. For the larger stocking I covered the top with DecoArt Glistening Snow Writer to make it look fluffy. I cut “Merry Christmas” from Diana’s Merry Christmas Title file to put on it and used a small red rhinestone to dot the “i” in Christmas. To finish it off I added a holly charm (from www.acharmingplace.com) colored with Emerald Green Liquid Pearls and Xmas Red Stickles.--Sandra


Where are all the other stockings???

Diana

Poinsettia's

I always say glitter always makes it better :). Sue has been working very hard cutting out my poinsettia files, here are some pictures of the finished files, you can purchase the files in all formats here.




Stippled the leaves with copper stampers ink and the poinsettia with strawberry stampers ink. I outlined the edges of the leaves and poinsettia with a glitter pen. I LOVE this. ---- Sue

The free file is still the Christmas Stocking, the due date is 12/20, I have one finished one, she may win by default, I'll post that one on Friday.

Ballet Files

Winner of the Blog Hop is Angela K, please e-mail me your postal address so I can mail you the stamps.

This is a layout that Sue has made for me, she used my files from the Ballet Collection, Click here to purchase file. I sell it for $4.99 at Paperthreads, and it includes a total of 15 files, including a full page mat, 3 borders, several titles and ballet images.

I'm working on a friendship album for my daughter for Christmas, I'm pretty sure she doesn't read my blog, but just in case, she did ask for it, and probably knows I'm working on it anyway. I have a few more things to make for Christmas, and it's really getting fun, trying to figure out what to make everyone, it makes it more personal. I've come up with an idea for next year for my kids, recipe books. All the recipes I've collected and make, especially their favorites, I only have 1 that is married and living on his own right now, so next year will be a good time to make this for them, maybe my two younger one's will be closer to moving out on their own.

Diana

All Wrapped up Blog Hop

I'm so excited to be participating in this months Angel Company Blog hop, this month the theme is "All Wrapped Up" I'm making all my gifts this year. Times are tough and I'm actually having a ball making all my presents. Every year I try to make a different ornament and give it to my kids, neices and nephew. This year I decided to recycle some boxes into ornament boxes, and I will put this years ornament inside it, then they can put all their own ornaments in their boxes and store them for next year.



How I made the boxes
I sprayed the tops with krylon paint, used my klick-n-kut to cut out vinyl to write their names on the top of the boxes, and used the stamps sets Holiday Boys and Holiday Girls to decorate the outside edges. (Shown is Holiday Boys)
Hope you enjoyed my project, I have some TAC stamps that I'm giving away, all you have to do is post a comment, and/or become a follower and post another comment, that you became a follower. Be sure and leave your e-mail so I know how to contact you if you win.

I'll draw for the stamps on Tuesday 12/15. Your next stop is Angela.
Participants:

Jen
Shirley
Laine
Chris
Diana <--You are here
Angela
Stacy

TMITA Recipe Challenge

Paper Cupcakes where the main ingredient is love.
I love blog hops, and I just participated in one on Paper Cupcakes, here is the url if you want to check it out http://havinganartatack.blogspot.com/ One of the challenges was to make a card using the mouse and cupcake image.

Recipe
1 tag (I used a sizzix die to make it), 2 textures (swirls embossing template on the scalloped circle, scorebug all around outside of base), 3 patterned papers (one is the tag, and 2 of them is behind the circle), 4 folded ribbons (sheer pink on tag), and 5 brads (glimmer brads in pink). I was allowed 1 color of cardstock not counting the base so I used a darker pink than the base. I wasn't too sure if we could add anything else, but it was screaming for a saying so I stamped Happy Birthday with a stampin'up stamp. I also colored the mouse and cupcake with prisma colored pencils and copics. This was really a challenge for me, but I enjoyed it.

Come back tomorrow at 8pm for a Angel Company Blog Hop, the theme is "All Wrapped Up", it will be fun!! I might even give out some stamps.

Diana

Christmas Stocking

Here is the free file for this week, simple, but you can dress it up as much as you want, in fact, Im going to make a contest out of this. Let's see how creative you can get with this stocking. You may use any embellishments you have, pearls, ribbon, paint etc. You can use cutter files to embellish it, but they can only be my designs. You need to write a short list of supplies that you used or directons to any techniques you used to dress it up. Due date is 12/20. Here is a example of how I want it done. Winner gets,,,,,ummm how about $5.00 worth of files, your choice?
My stocking was cut out of Velvet Stocking-Blitzen Collection-Basic grey paper, white and red. I sponged fire brick ink distress ink on the patterened paper, black on the edges of the white and red paper. then I glued them together. I think using a sponge to apply the ink gives it a softer edge and the white looks like fur when I do this.-------Diana

I've added 2 crafters to my design team Caz and Sue, So you'll see more designs made out of my files from them, if you'd also like to be on my design team, please send me an e-mail and let me know, I'd like some samples of work you've done, if you can embellish diecuts, make cards, scrapbook your qualified.

Here is the first thing that Caz did, she does a lot of digital scrapbooking

"JOY was a freebie available I snagged from your Blog and has a style applied to it. The Dandelion I have used in shades of gray to suggest stamping, I like the final effect.
Card designed to show cutter files can be used digitally successfully!"

Caz

OK, I had my kids and my husband vote on which two they liked the best, I had 5 entries, remember 1st place gets $20.00 worth of files, 2nd place gets $10.00 worth, you just have to contact me and let me know which files you want and I'll e-mail them to you.


Submitter aussiecazdesigns
This won 1st place with 3 out of 6 possible votes, I'm glad this one won because she actually used my files to make the layout, the flowers, bee's and beehive are from my "bee's and beehive" files, you can get them here http://www.paperthreads.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_dnld_info&products_id=1512


Submitter wrightplace4
This layout got 2nd place with 2 votes, I think everything in this layout is stampin up

Submitter barracudasue
This layout gets honorable mention with 1 vote, in fact my son said the reason he gave this layout a vote was because he thought the title was funny.


Submitter BRobin1116
This one also used one of my files, the bird, it's actually a freebie on paperthreads, you can get it here
http://www.paperthreads.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3645
I also have 7 more at paperthreads in a collection if you like that one.


Submitter Momof5

This was fun, I was very excited to get each and every entry, so thank you all. Do you want me to do more sketch contests? How much time do I need to give, maybe next time I'll give a free file for everyone that enters, hmmmmm.
Have a great day,
Diana

Christmas Presents

I'm working on Christmas presents now, so I'm not getting much done in making new files. For my daughter I'm going to make a friends album, that is what she asked for, and my son is rebuilding a car, he's got the engine out and is in the process of rebuilding that, and he's been taking pictures all along, so I'm going to make him a simple album that he can put his pictures in. I'm still thinking about what to make for my Mother and Father. My daughter makes fudge and candies and gives them out every year, her friends look forward to her treats. What are you making for Christmas?
I have 3 entries for the layout contest, you have 1 more day to get your entry in to me. I'll post all the entries on Monday and announce the winner then.
Diana

More Pictures from Mexico

Thought I'd share a few more pictures I took in Mexico, I really liked the older looking buildings best. The first is a fountain at the dock, and the next are buildings and churches in Meridia.
Diana

Blog Candy Drawing

Oops, sorry, I had such a good day babysitting my grandson yesterday that I didn't even get on the computer, I did have him draw the names though,,The winners are Starry43 and Jzayler, I'm going to send them an e-mail after I post this to let them know which collection they won, thanks for the comments.

Diana