Butterfly card

Christmas may be over but the card-making continues! We had to share this beautiful card made by TST's Julie; her cards are so beautiful and a great inspiration.

'In my opinion, when you make cards, you need to think like you are dressing for Winter.....you need layers! I love the weight that the layers add to a handmade card. This card has six different pieces of cardstock/papers on top of the base! (seven if you count the butterfly!) It is a sturdy card!

Of course my love of layers also adds to the postage in sending these cards to loved ones and friends, but in my opinion, it is worth it. One thing you should keep in mind when you heavily layer a card on the outside is that you will need to layer it up on the inside or the card will never stand up on its own well. It would slide down or fall if your recipient wants to stand it up for display. So, make sure you layer the inside too!'

Supplies:

Bazzill Basic kraft cardstock, DCWV papers, paper piercer, American Crafts brad, Fiskars border punch, Inkadinkado stamps, Color box ink.

New Year, New Beginnings Challenge

The New Year always brings us a fresh start and time to reflect on the past year. We make resolutions to improve our life in some way or to reflect on what great things happened the past year and make plans on how to repeat our success.

Here’s your chance to get organized, reflect on the past year, be creative and win a prize! Create a project that reflects what the words New Year, New Beginnings mean to you. It can be a Layout reflecting your New Years resolutions, a mini book of the past year in review, or even an ATC set of all the goals you have for the New Year. Be creative, be Scrappy and email us your results by January 13, 2010 to enter. The winner will receive the very first scrap kit designed by The Scrappy Tree team.

Email: thescrappytree@hotmail.com

Due Date: 1/13/2010

Requirements:

*You must use the title of the challenge.

* Be a follower of The Scrappy Tree.

*Feel free to ask questions here or shoot us an email.

The Scrappy Tree team wishes you and yours a Happy and Safe New Year!

Now, let’s enjoy Julie’s awesome idea for her New Year, New Beginnings challenge!

As each year marks a new beginning, I thought it might be kind of cool to see what the kids might want to do or work on in 2010. I asked each of my children for a list and I wrote down their responses. I think this will be a nice way to remind me and them about what mattered to them in 2010!

Supplies:

Sassafrass Lass papers and journaling spots, Color Box ink, distressing tool, Thickers, DMC floss

Christmas Week winners!

Announcing the winners of Christmas week! We greatly appreciate all of the support from our readers and followers, and as a thank you, the following people, picked through random.org, will be receiving a Scrappy Tree bag! The perfect size to hold all your Scrappy supplies! Please email us at thescrappytree@hotmail.com with your name and address so we can ship it out.

Blog winners
Day 21- Michelle
Day 22- Pigott Clan
Day 23- Dianapena8
Day 24- Erica
Day 25- Chey can cook (and more)

Our Facebook winners
Corey
&
Katie

*Jean and Diana, our previous winners, yours is on it's way, sorry for the delay!

Thanks again to all for visiting and following us often and leaving the wonderful support via commenting. We are gearing up for a Valentines celebration you won't want to miss, including Candy Grams (remember those from school?) Look for a sneak peek soon. We also have a very LOVELY challenge planned and more prizes!

In the mean time check in tomorrow for a New Years challenge! The winner will receive the very first Scrappy Tree kit, put together by our talented design team (worth $25.00)

Don't worry, be Scrappy!

Kristin

Dat 25- Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all. On our last day of the 25 days of Home made holiday gift ideas, we come full circle to the best home made gift of all, the love we can show to those who mean so much to us. Appreciate your friends and family and tell them often how much they mean to you. This gift is free and means more than any other thing in the world.

To help you tell that special person what they mean to you, here a a few more beautiful cards from Julie.



Holly Berry House stamp, Basic Grey and Graphic 45 papers, silver embossing powder, chalk ink, foam squares. This was a very easy card to make. I embossed the cross twice and cut out the desired parts to make a 3d cross when I used the foam squares. I used the Basic Grey paper as the base for my card and then covered it with the torn Graphic 45 paper and inked! Then I put the cross on top. Since the Basic Grey paper was the card base and thin, I needed to bulk it up so I used more Basic Grey paper as well as Graphic 45 paper inside. It gave it the needed heft.

Naughty or Nice?:

Inkadinkado stamp, Glimmer Mist, My Minds Eye papers, ribbon, stickles.

This was a very quick and easy card, perfect for a last minute card you need to give! I used the My Minds Eye paper as the card base. Their paper has a nice weight to it and doesn't need anything extra to make it hefty. I inked the edges of my paper with chalk ink and tied the ribbon on. Then I put the stamped image on the card with Glue dots. I then used Old Lace Glimmer Mist which added a nice, subtle glimmery sheen to the card. Finally, I used stickles on the center of the snowflake on the stamped image. Quick and easy!

Have a Safe and Merry Christmas,

The Scrappy Tree Team

Day 24- Home made jewelry

One thing that never fails is home made jewelry, you can customize the colors and beads for whoever is getting your creation and of course being made with love is always appreciated by the recipient. Below are a couple of items I made. They are pretty basic, you can get much fancier but for about $20.00, you can purchase enough supplies for a few bracelets, some earrings and a necklace, depending on what type of beads you pick, etc.





This necklace was the last of my gifts to my Mother-in-Law. I used tiger tail as the string base added some brown pearls, raw glass beads and gold dress-maker pearls and filled the space with brown iridescent seed beads. The clasp is a gold toggle clasp, I used about 100 beads total and it took about an hour. If you are making one this size, invest in the bead trays that will hold the beads in their pattern until you are ready to string, they will save you a big hassle in the end.

This Necklace is for my daughter, Dy, she has an eceltic style and loves color! With this one I started with a black chain and added a toggle clasp and beads to the structure. I bought the charm on the end to dress it up and add some weight, she likes big things. All the beads were added by using headpins and creating a loop at the end to connect them to the chain, I thought it added a little bit of interest to each bead. I used a combination of ceramic, glass and foil beads and with this type you use less beads but the time is about the same since you have to attach each bead separately.

A few bracelets with misc. types of beads, clasps and charms.
These can be made for children or adults and will take about
20 to 30 beads to complete. All are strung with tiger tail.

Some orange, yellow and red options, charms dress it up a bit or mixing the types of beads that are used make them interesting.





























Remember to comment below to enter the daily Scrappy drawing, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Kristin

Day 23- Red Hot Jelly

Today's home made gift suggestion; another edible but unique tasting one, Red Hot Jelly! Made with real Red Hot candies, see the recipe below and how I finished mine to give to friends and neighbors.

This year I used plastic canning jars, so I can ship them through the mail easier. You can also find the traditional glass jars in your local super market. I used a medium size bowl to get a big enough circle to cover the top of the jar, traced a template and cut them out with pinking shears. Next I measured the width of the top of the jelly jar, cut out the needed circles with my Cricut machine, used a dab of felt glue to stick them to the felt then added at least two lines of a zigzag stitch to hold the paper to the felt permanently. I then picked out some paper embellishments to add to the top of the circles. Lastly I tied the felt circle on with accenting ribbon. *Last year I used a Christmas stamp on a Muslin cloth in a holiday red or green, made a circle top and then tied them on with ribbon, this way saves you the sewing step and the cost of an embellishment. Be creative, there are lots of options.

My Mom loved this jelly, our whole neighborhood got a copy of the recipe and a jar of jelly every Christmas. It is best with English muffins or toast.

Red Hot Candy Jelly

2 cups apple juice

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. margarine
1/3 cup red hot cinnamon candies
1-2 (6 oz.) pouches liquid pectin


Wash and sterilize canning jars and lids.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine juice and sugar, stir well.

Add margarine, and candies. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly,

add pectin once the candies are melted and boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

Skim foam from top of mixture with a large, metal spoon.

Fill sterilized jars to 1/4-inch of tops.

Wipe jar rims and seal. Yield: 4 half-pints.

A view of the tops.

Remember to leave a comment to win a Scrappy prize, to be announced on Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kristin

DAY- 22 Altered items

Today's items are a continuation of my Mother-in-Laws gifts. They are misc. altered items for her newly redecorated living room and the box that goes with the cards from yesterday. Thanks again for all the wonderful support, see below and get Scrappy!

These are both store bought items that I altered by adding some colors from her living room. The candle was $3.99, I added some gold patterned Minds Eye paper to the outside of the candle, some burgundy Stickles, copper ribbon and a gorgeous butterfly, her favorite! I finished it with the dangle beads, a Christmas ornament I took apart and tied together with ribbon.

The frame is a ceramic frame, purchased for $2.99. I added a coat of Distress crackle paint ( tarnished brass) a few K & Company flowers and again some fabric butterflies. Topped off with a lovely picture of her granddaughter :)

This box holds the personilzed stationary from yesterday. It is a $2.99 bolsa wood box from Michaels. I added purple paints, some peral Glimmer mist, K&Company chipboard letters and a few Prima flowers with rhinestone centers. Lastly some dried eucalyptus and wildflowers for dimension and scent. The box has plenty of room, for a personalized address book, next on my list :)


The inside of the box: I lined the inside with left over papers from the actual stationary I made. They were all glued in but I did not Mod Podge them since that seems to be a bit sticky for a week or so and I was adding the paper inside. You could put a clear coat of some kind if you wanted to protect it. I also accented all the seams with a gold sharpie to add a little color.

Thanks for stopping by today, only 3 days left, get Scrappy!


Remember to leave a comment to this post for a chance to win a scrappy prize. One winner a day all week! Also visit us on Facebook and don't forget to follow us here and there!

Have a Scrappy Day!

Kristin

Day 21- Personalized stationary & Journal

Today gift suggestions are for my Dear Mother-in-Law whose name I picked for our family Christmas gift swap. I decided on personalized stationary because she lives in Oregon and spends much time writing us and keeping us up to date on things. I also made her a personalized journal. She recently lost her husband, my Father in Law and I thought the journal may inspire some thoughts she may have wanted to share with him. I added words of encouragement and some bible verses to inspire her and make her feel loved. See the sample below.





These personalized stationary cards are complimentary Minds Eye papers and card stock. I added her first initial to the larger cards. I also made smaller note cards and circle and square tags for gifts throughout the year. Each comes with envelopes and accented ribbon. All of the shapes were cut by my Cricut, which made it a pretty fast project. I tied all the different types of cards together with Martha Stewart twine and found an old box to dress up and put them in for storage. This is a pretty wuick and cost effective way to give a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. You may even see one come back :)






This mini journal took a little more time but was pretty simple. I used mat board as the structure of the book, covered it in a plain cardstock and stamped, embossed and inked it to dress it up. There are two holes to hold the rings but I also put ribbon under the front artwork and around the back to help secure it closed. It has 50 white pieces of cardstock for journaling and as I mentioned , I added words of encouragement and some bible verses to inspire. This could also be used as a photo album or sketch book depending on what your love ones interests are. Be creative!













I added some Tim Holtz hardware, flower petals and some dried flowers I had lying around.















This little guy was stamped using an Inkadinkado birds galore clear arcylic stamp, embossed and then cut out. It seems to fit perfectly in the frame among the floral paper.










As a HUGE thank you for all of the wonderful support everyone has given us, today is the start of our Five Day Countdown to Christmas Giveaway! Become a follower here and a Fan on Facebook and leave a comment each day for daily Scrappy giveaways. We will announce the winners on Christmas! So spread the word!

See you tomorrow for more Scrappy ideas!

Kristin

Day 20 - Calendar

We're at Day 20 and Christmas is fast approaching! Get your pics printed off ready to go, and you'll have time to put one of these together!

I started with a bare desk calendar from Papermania, scanned and printed off some old and new family photos and then had great fun going through all my supplies making every page look different.

This was great fun to make and is great for the scrapbookers out there because every page is a mini layout - because each page is fairly small (approx 13cm x 25cm) it's not too much of a task for those who don't usually do a lot of papercrafting either - enjoy!

Come back tomorrow and celebrate the beginning of Christmas week with The Scrappy Tree!

Gayle

Day 19 - Cookies!

Nothing says I love you like homemade cookies! It is a gift that keeps on giving, and a great idea for the person who has everything! There are so many ways to deliver these lovely morsels, baked fresh in a cute box, or on a gorgeous serving plate, that can double as a secondary gift.

For that person far away, send just the dry ingredients with a recipe and instructions on how to finish. You can make the jar a secondary gift as well. If you are worried about the glass breaking, find a plastic version or use a clear bag and dress it up with a colorful bow! The person receiving these will see your ultimate dedication and love! Some of our samples and suggestions are below. Thanks to Michelle for this recipe and beautiful picture of Gingersnap cookies.

Gingersnap Cookies in a clear bag, ready to be shipped. The receiver only has to add a few ingredients, pop them in the oven and enjoy! See the recipe here.



Mint Chocolate delights, from Nestle toll house. See the recipe here.


Mint Delights in a beautiful jar that can later be used for the finished cookies, coffee or so much more!





This box holds 6 large cookies or 12 smaller cookies and is ready for a neighbor, teacher or co-worker.

Pictured: Box (.50 cents @ Michaels) with a (.99 cent @ Michaels) bare wood ornament. I inked this ornament in red Distress ink by Tim Holtz and sprayed it with pearl glimmer mist spray for some shine. Red sparkle ribbon ($1.50 @ Michaels)











So heat up that oven or get out that measuring cup, you only have 7 days left! Visit our online community for the recipes. Thanks for visiting today!

Kristin

Day 18 - Exploding Box

Today we've got a project that will really put you in the mood for Christmas, courtesy of today's guest designer Robyn from Brisbane, Australia. Rob's project is an exploding Christmas box -absolutely gorgeous! If you fancy having a go yourself at making one of these, check out the Kaisercraft website for step by step instructions.

Of course, you can choose any theme you like for an exploding box, adding family pictures, journaling, candy - this can make a great gift for any occasion.

Rob added a lovely twist to the original idea by including a Christmas carousel as the central piece inside the box.

Thanks for sharing this with us Rob! It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas :)

If you want to check out some more of Rob's work, you can go and visit her gallery at sb.com.

Come join us again tomorrow as we enter the last week of The Scrappy Tree's 25 home-made Christmas gifts.

Day 17- Homemade Candy

The way to their heart is through their stomach...right! Today we bring you a few edible Scrappy creations. These are so simple, quick and everyone likes chocolate!

Let's start with Bark! I use Merkens Chocolate for most of my candy recipes. It is great tasting and can be used in the microwave and melted vs tempering. I go here, The wonderful Classic Cake Decorations store in Garden Grove , CA. Visit the store if you can or the website if you get a chance. If not just ask for Merkens chocolate wherever you search and you will be happy with your results.

For simple Bark, you need a 1 pound bag of chocolate, about 4 oz. of crunch or filler (there are many) a cookie sheet and a microwave. Melt the chocolate in 30 second internals until done, mix in your crunch or filler and pour on to a cookie sheet. Place in the fridge to speed up the setting process (about 10 mins) break into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces and package accordingly.

White Chocolate with peppermint crunch. I added a green edible glitter and some silver and white sprinkles for bling (add while the chocolate is warm)

These cute little boxes were .39 cents in a craft store I visited recently,
they hold just the perfect amount!
Milk Chocolate with Rice Krispies, one of the most popular combos I make. My personal favorite is a white chocolate with lime and raspberry crunch. You can also add some liquid flavors for more variety.

Next up, Chocolate covered pretzels, my favorite! Salty meets sweet! Grab your Merkens chocolate, melt it in a 2 cup glass measuring cup and let it sit for a minute. Decide ahead of time what you will roll it in and prepare that while the chocolate is melting in the microwave. Any type of sprinkles, crushed candy or other sweet treat will work. If I use sprinkles, I make a tin foil pocket, with four sides, to hold all of the sprinkles and roll the pretzels right in that. For this project I bought red and green peppermints and crushed them in a ziplock bag with my wooden meat tenderizer. Dip the pretzel in the chocolate about half way, let the excess chocolate drip off before laying it back down to dry slightly (again, I use tin foil)Once all are dipped wait another minute and begin to roll in your candy or sprinkles, ley back down to dry. I put mine in clear candy bags once complete, and tie with ribbon. You can also pack them with the rest of your holiday goodies or store in an oversized ziplock bag to keep fresh until needed.



Lastly, regarding the packaging at the top of the post. I used clear candy bags and scrapbook paper and some ribbon. I folded the bags, covered the fold in paper and put two holes for ribbon to add some color and help secure the bag shut. These are very simple ways to show someone you care, get scrappy with some chocolate today!


*Remember to follow the blog (using the follow button on the top left of the page) and become a Fan on Facebook to win some great prizes next week. We will be giving away 1 prize on each site, so that is two ways to win everyday for a week, but you must be a fan or follower to win!

Thanks for stopping by !

Kristin

Day 16 - Bookmarks

Day 16! Hope that you're all finding some great gift ideas to use this Christmas, I know I certainly am!

For today's gift, Julie from The Scrappy Tree design team made these beautiful bookmarks - a simple but very pretty idea for the readers among your loved ones.

"I thought bookmarks were a fun idea for a gift. I know a lot of readers so this was the perfect project for me. This is a very quick, fun gift to make. I used only scraps left over from other projects."

Friend bookmark: DCWV La Creme stack paper, sheet music from antique store, gemstones from Michaels, fabric flower from antique store purchase that I cut apart, velvet ribbon from Michaels.

Hello Sunshine bookmark: Cosmo Cricket paper (the 'Hello Sunshine' is even from the bottom of the sheet that typically gets cut off of the 12 by 12 sheet!), Crystal Effects, acrylic piece from Clear Scraps, Bazzill ribbon, lace from personal supply.

Joy bookmark: Paper from stash, Maya Road journalling spot, Thickers, Prima flower, gemstone from Michaels

Graphic 45 bookmark: Graphic 45 paper, Fiskars punch, Crystal Effects (I put some on every dot on the papers), ribbon from personal stash.

These are wonderful Julie, thanks for sharing these with us! Especially loving the different styles you used for each one, they are all so different and so pretty!

Come back tomorrow for another Christmas project with The Scrappy Tree - to be in with a chance of winning a prize in our Christmas giveaway between 21st and the 25th December follow The Scrappy Tree using the 'Follow' button on this page, and also become a fan of The Scrappy Tree on Facebook.

Thanks for visiting! Remember, don't worry, be scrappy!

Day 15 - Star Ornaments

Welcome back to The Scrappy Tree! We're on Day 15 of our home-made Christmas gift ideas and today we're bringing back guest designer Diana L. with another fabulous project! How about a few of these to hang on your tree? Or a pretty Christmas gift for a loved one?

"Making your own Christmas ornaments has its advantages; you can pick the colors and patterns and it even costs less then the store brand ones."

"These are 4.5” metal stars - I painted them with acrylic paint in silver, bronze and gold. Each side is decorated with mixed pattern paper and I added a coat of Mod Podge to protect the paper from dust and time. I made the centers with some mini Christmas embellishments and added them to the stars with a glue gun."

"Have fun making your own ornaments!"

Thanks Di once again for sharing your beautiful work with us - these are gorgeous, I need them all!