Deer in the Forest Chritsmas Mini Album inspired by Tim Holtz

I decided to really go all out with the Tim Holtz treatment on my fifth mini album. I used a number of Tim Holtz techniques, embossing folders,  edge die cuts, Ranger Distress inks, Perfect Pearls and thanks to VintagePrims on ETSY, some of the deer and tree die cuts.  I don't own the dies yet, but she does and makes items others can purchase!  I was so thrilled to try a variety if ways to make them my own with embossing powders and pgiment inks. This album turned out to be another blend of contemporary with traditional aspects using some of the K and Company embellishments. 

I think this mini album is a great way to capture those moments and magical in the 12 pages which offers plenty of photo mats, journaling spots, and tags.

Cover includes Tim Hotlz die cuts ofpine trees and a deer, as well as a Tim Holtz metal card holder stating 2011.  There are special accents, Tim Holtz mini fragments of Santa and a snowman, and cool options for photos which include an ornament which opens into a photo mat, a gift which opens to triple photo mats, and a pullout envelope folder which offers five photo mats. In addition to Tim's product line, I used Recollections, Martha Stewart, K and Company and open stock papers form A.C. Moore and Michael's. Embellishments include handmade flowers, handmade papers and tags, faux Swarvski crystals, Prima bling. Word sentiments add another facet to the album. It's always a final step for me and one that;'s lots of fun and sometimes a challenge! This chipboard album measures 5 inches by 8 inches and the pages are bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns. I think this particular album harkens back to my New England heritage more than any of  the others I've made so far.

This album is up on ETSY for sale. I hope that whoever purchases it or gives it as a gift sees it as a way to start a new tradition or continue an old one with a mini album the family will pass down from generation to generation. 

I only have one more to post for sale and the rest will be gifts for my family but I'll do blog posts on those as well because is one turns out so differently. 

Christmas Angel Mini Album

I couldn't think of a  way to save those magical Christmas memories than in this lovely vintage styled Christmas angel mini album. As I like to do, I love to include many photo mats, journaling spots, and tags to save photos and record memories, traditions and family enjoyment of the 2011 holiday season.

Throughout this 14 page album I tired some new special accents including acetate photo holders and pockets.

I used open stock Christmas and regular papers in addition to papers from my stash and I also used some handmade papers, embossed papers, gold accented papers  from the Once Upon a Time collection. The cover angel comes from the new K and Company Christmas embellishments/tags. I made the letters om a piece of copper carstock using Tim Holtz Vintage Market die cut alphabet and made the large flower using his Sizzix flower die.  The other two flowers were made with some of the flower paks I found in the dollar baskets at Michael's.  I just layered, added Sitckles and added a pearl or a faux gem for the centers. I added some Prima blign and went on to the inner pages. 

Tools and techniques were inspired by Tim Holtz, 7 Gypsies, Recollections, Martha Stewart, Perfect Pearls, Ranger Distress Inks and more. Embellishments include handmade flowers, handmade papers and tags, faux Swarvski crystals, Prima bling. Word sentiments add another facet to the album. 

This  album measures 5 inches by 8 inches and includes 16 pages,  bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns. 

Four of the pages are half size pages. One of them is an envelope page into which the mini tree fold out photo flap is stores and the other is a photo mat I repurposed form some packaging. And then there is the green page above which features and acetate photo holder.

K and company papers form the small paper pak were used, in addition to their tags for this year.

They weren't quite as vintage as some of the other collections and a vintage look which wasn't quite so Victorian as some of the other popular collections this year.

Joy Christmas mini album

The more I make Christmas mini albums , the larger they get and the more techniques I try.  Of course I often refer to Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas series going as far back as 2008.  He outlines every step of the techniques he uses on his tags in his blogs and even has a 30 something page pamphlet you can print out for some of the more recent years.  My second treasure trove of ideas are the You Tube videos of other altered paper arts crafts folks who also give lots of info and come up with some amazing concepts about fold out and accordion pages, waterfall photo spots, journaling spots.  I'm still learning like crazy and may be at the moderate range of trying some of these.  They can get complicated but are so beautiful and offer more space for those treasured memories.

So my newest album, The Joy Christmas mini album offers 14 chipboard pages which feature many photo mats, tags and journaling cards in addition to pockets, fold out photo mats, library card holders, and a present which opens into a photo mat.  There is also mini scrapbook, which adds further record keeping. I used open stock Christmas papers that I found at Michaels and A.C. Moore this time since I was focusing on reds, greens and blues.  In addition I made some of the photo mats from the mini paper pak from K and Company's Christmas paper pak of this year.  They are the perfect size. My chipboard embellishments and some of the papers came from the Once Upon a Time line, items form the dollar baskets at Michaels' from years past, 7 Gypsies journaling tags. The entire book is accented lavishly and embellished with Prima pearls, faux Swavorski crystal, chipboard accents, handmade papers and handmade flowers. This photo album is a 6 1/2 X 5 1/2 inch mini album and is bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns.And of course, I used my Sizzix Tim Holtz edge dies to make the edges more interesting and then repurposed the cut off pieces.  And to finish off some of the pages, I added color to the edges with Ranger Distress Inks in green, red and black. The gorgeous matte copper cardstock I found at a wholesale paper supply house in Raleigh a couple of years ago for use in my book printing business, Shadow Archer Press. But they may be available this time of year at local office supply stores like Staples and Office Max.

On the cover I used some K and company chipboard elements, copper cardstock numbers cut with my Tim Holtz Sizzix Vintage Market alphabet die (I love making my own letters and numbers), a handmade flower, Prima bling, vintage Christmas postage stamps and large chipboard letters for Joy.  These letters I layered and layered with paint and pigment to get a more vintage look.

Back in the swing

The holidays are a wonderful time to gather influences and absorb undercurrents - a paradoxical time of action and reflection, a time to look back and reminisce with family and friends, renew old traditions and establish new ones, welcome the floods of memories and create those to savor in the future. There's the hustle and bustle, the creation of foods from family recipes, the handing down of those recipes, the sharing of family recipes and delicacies with friends. What surprised me this year was the flood of memories as Kendall, Beth and I unwrapped ornaments from four different families, some dating back to the 50's. Kendall even had memories this year of where we found ornaments at Tybee, Hampton and Folly beaches, her trip on the Polar Express train in the mountain when she was three, and the traditions of seeking out various routes to see the best Christmas lights.

But this year, we had new experiences which truly brought back many memories. When Kendall danced in her first ballet performance on the stage, tears came to my eyes as she followed her mother's footsteps to the footlights. And as Kendall sang in the Phyllis Wheatley Repertoire (an award winning repertory company) at local programs (one held in a church way out in the country), she established a new tradition for us, treading new ground, since my family are not known for their sining voice. Beth and I were so proud. And it's strange to see how natural Kendall is onstage, doesn't get nervous at all, while Jeff and I, and even Beth, are shy in front of people.

Because I worked so much over the holidays, I'm eager to get back into my studio and do some creative work, either writing, drawing, or art journals. I finished one drawing this morning with the new pencil set my son, Jeff, gave me to add to the sketches for the art show I'll hold at the release of Shaman Circus. I plan to have a number of sketches of the characters, as well as some of the scenes and have already finished seven paintings related to both Shaman books. I'd like to hold a mixed media event like I used to with The Howling. Not sure what that will involve yet.

And while I mention seeing friends as a good part of Christmas, that's barely happened yet. I've been too busy working at the various jobs and watching Kendall. Bethany and I have spoken briefly at each of our work areas at the mall, but that's not getting together in the fun kind of way. So all of that will have to happen after New Year's.

It's been a busy December with acceptances of short stories and poety and my job as arts and poetry writer for The Examiner, an online national newspaper with local sections. Calliope Nerve http://calliopenerve.blogspot.com/ published three of my poems around Christmas and a short story will appear in Metazen with a poem, The Quintessential Language of Bridges accepted for publication in Full of Crow in 2010. Plus two of my paintings, Wheel of Fortune and Carnivale will appear in the Chronus Confusium show on Jan. 1st and 2nd. This is a show feraturing thee Inner Circkus as well as other circkus acts at the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC. Carnivale is one of the New Olreans street scenes from Shaman Circus.