My 2012 Christmas Tree

Right click on a PC or control click on a Mac to gianormasize.

OK, so this post would seem to be a bit late, but since I just got my tree decorated the other evening it actually isn't. By the time I decorate my parents' store window for Christmas, then a few weeks later their house and 10' tall Christmas tree I am starting to poop out on decorating. I usually get my mantle and other table tops decorated and I even get the tree brought up stairs and the lights all working, but with all the other holiday running around I just never have a block of time large enough before I head home to my parents' to actually get the ornaments on the tree. Now you might be asking yourself, "why even bother to decorate the tree at this point?" Well, ever since I moved into my new house I have had an "after the holidays holiday party" usually a couple weeks after the new year. This has worked out to be the perfect time to have a party as everyone is free of holiday commitments, but still in the holiday mood. So, I HAVE to have a Christmas tree for a Christmas/New Year's party. Unfortunately because of the late date of the party I have the perfect excuse to not make time to decorate the tree until after Christmas has already past. I have actually waiting until the night before the party to decorate the tree, but that was just plain stupid as it was a whole lot of work for just a days worth of enjoyment. I promised myself I wouldn't do that again and I did get this one decorated before New Year's Eve like last year. Maybe next year I will even get it up before the 25th! Well, I can at least "plan" on doing that...

2012 Alice Ogden Christmas Ornament

I present Alice Ogden's 2012 Christmas ornament basket. It is now proudly hanging with the rest of my mini baskets on my basket tree. This one is an "onion" or "garlic" baskets woven in a Shaker "cheese weave".

2012 Christmas Card

I present my 2012 Christmas card! They are all addressed, stuffed and ready to go into the mail.

Ah, the rush of the holiday season

2012 Christmas card parts stamped, cutout and partially inked.

I thought I was doing so good this Christmas. I had my cards finished up before December even started, the earliest I think I have ever had them ready, and here they have sat unsigned and unaddressed. Now I am rushed to get them sent out! Oh well, that's the way every year seems to go. It is always run, run, run.

I always have high hopes of taking step-by-step photos of my card making, but I usually get wrapped up in the process and forget after the first couple of steps. The photo above is of all the Santas stamped images cutout with my eClips machine. I used permanent Archival black ink to stamp the Tim Holtz Santa image, inked the edges with Distress inks and a blending tool, then gave them a good spritz with biscotti colored Perfect Pearls for some shimmer.

I promise to take a photo of the completed card so you can see how they turned out.