Happy New Year!

Hoping that you all had a great Christmas and wishing you a wonderful New Year from all of us at The Scrappy Tree!  2011 was a busy year, but we're looking forward to sharing more of your company in 2012 :)

My project to share with you today is a calendar I made as a Christmas gift for my mother; I've been making one of these every year for the past few years.  In different years I have used different themes to choose my photos; I've used copies of old family pictures, I've used pictures from over the course of the previous year, and this year I used pictures from our family holiday to Florida for my wedding in September.  This year I also made a calendar for my grandmother who joined us for the celebrations.

 I used a plain Papermania desk calendar as the base for the project - they make these in a larger size if you prefer your layouts to be more 12x12 sized but the smaller size makes for a more manageable project, especially if you're making more than one!  The limited size also means you're not tempted to use more of your alphas than strictly necessary just to fill up the space, there are a lot of months to get through!

 I mainly used paper from my November Scrapagogo kit and added buttons, flowers, alphas and other embellishments for decoration.

I love that as the year goes by you get a nice surprise and some happy memories every time you turn the page for the next month :)

We'll have some more to share with you soon but for now thank you all so much for your support and your comments, we'll be trying to visit everyone to say happy new year in person but for now have a great 2012!

Happy Scrapping!

Gayle xx

December album

 Today I thought I'd share with you my album for this December :) I know a lot of you will be aware of projects like December Daily and Journal Your Christmas(if not you need to go check it out!); well, this year is my first attempt to go right the way through the holiday season and out the other side with Shimelle!  My album is an A5 album from Paperchase (totally awesome for stationery by the way!)...

 ...which I decorated mainly with paper and embellishments from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas range; really loved the vintage look of this paper and red and gold are two of my favourites.

 I added some Thickers and some Making Memories alphas for the year numbers on the front and sides of the album.

In Paperchase, there were also options for different pockets to go in your album; I decided on some A5 pockets for full pages (which I filled with pages cut to size from the double-sided My Mind's Eye paper) and then added business card pockets inbetween which I intend to use for journalling, extra pictures and ephemera from this year's Christmas :)

I hope you're having fun with your Christmas albums, whatever you've chosen; would love to hear about any awesome supplies you've discovered!

Happy December :)

Gayle xx

Calendar gift

Hello! We're counting down the days to Christmas here, are you ready?? I am trying, really I am :) but the postman just doesn't like the unseasonably snowy weather we're getting here in the UK and he has some parcels I need to wrap!

At least I have some of the gifts here in the house (phew!) - thank goodness that there were supplies here to make gifts from! ;)

My project today is a calendar using family photos from the past year that I'm going to be giving to my Mum - I don't want to share too many pages because that will spoil the surprise if she spots this ;) but here's enough to give you an idea if you too are waiting for Santa to deliver your gifts on time!

January includes pictures of a trip me and Mum took to London to see Wicked the musical and shop in Harrods...

...and June simply had to include pictures from our eventful trip on a canal boat to Stratford (that's one family holiday we're sure to remember for a LONG time!)...

I made a calendar like this for my Mum last Christmas and she liked it so much she asked me to make another one this year :) last year I could only include one picture for every month, but this year I've discovered photo collages so it's going to be packed!

I used a blank calendar by Papermania and in these pictures you can see patterned paper by BoBunny and DCWV, calendar inserts by Anita's, and Thickers by American Crafts - there are also flowers from my stash but I'm afraid the good thing about this project (which is being able to use up bits and pieces) makes it difficult to name everything properly - apologies!

Hope you're managing to get everything ready without too much stress ;)

Merry Christmas! Gayle xx

'The Snowman' Christmas cards

We're nearly there folks, just over a week to go! :)
One of my favourite children's films at Christmas is Raymond Briggs' The Snowman; I have very fond memories of watching it as a kid :) so I was excited to see that Trimcraft brought out a craft line last year with lots of lovely images that certainly remind me of Christmas :) last year I just kept it and looked at it, this year I made some cards! :)

I kept it quite simple by cutting out and inking the edges with Faded Jeans Distress Ink, and then stamped some holiday sentiments using 7gypsies and Papermania Christmas stamps, followed by lots and LOTS of Icicle Stickles and a few jewels from my stash.

Most of these have gone to friends of a similar age who I know share the same childhood memories; I know that it will give them a smile :)

Hope you're having a scrappy Christmas! :)

Gayle

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

In the run up to Christmas, each of us at The Scrappy Tree are going to talk a little about special things that for us really get that Christmas spirit going - today, it's my turn! This year for the first time I've been working on a December album, and it's really made me more alert to the things that happen in December that make me feel Christmasy :) Last weekend I went out to a Christmas party, and this weekend we decorated the house and put up our tree.

One of the things I really love are Christmas lights; at our house we only decorate inside, but I love how beautiful it looks when there are lights decorating the trees. I took this picture for my December album while we were at the Christmas party last weekend (does anyone else really enjoy driving around looking at all the lights and decorations people put up outside their houses??)

My favourite thing about putting the tree up and fairy lights all over the house is the cosy feeling of switching all the normal lights off and just sitting in the glow from the Christmas lights - is there anything that feels more festive? Get yourself a warm blanket, cup of hot chocolate (or glass of wine!) and put some Christmas music on - bliss!

At our house, we have a bit of a thing for Disney Christmas ornaments :) over the years, some have been ordered specially from both sides of the pond, some have been treasured gifts from friends and some we even brought home from Disney visits to Paris and Orlando!

I love that our tree has ornaments that tell stories of lots of different Christmases and visits and family and friends - some of the ornaments are older than me, while the most recent were bought in Florida just a few months ago. I know he's not Disney, but even Dobby the house elf now has a home on our tree :)

It's usually me and my Mum that decorate the tree between us, and I love being the one to hang the ornaments on the branches because it gives you the chance to really look at each one before it goes on the tree and becomes part of the complete picture. Of course the tinsel has to be draped over the clock and the picture frames, the little village of Christmas houses has to be set up on the windowsill and the snowflakes have to be stuck on the window too!

It's the Christmas ornaments and fairy lights that really make me smile though :) Have you got a favourite Christmas decoration with a special story? Do you always decorate at the same time each year? Whose job is it at your house to decorate the tree?

Come on folks, let's get festive! I want to hear your Christmas stories :) look out for our next Christmas post from Diana next week :)

Have a Scrappy Christmas everybody! Gayle xx

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 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 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!

Day 14 - Coupons

A slightly more unusual gift for Christmas is giving a gift of your time - this cute little coupon book is a great way to think up some things that you can do for your loved ones (i.e. cook a meal, babysit, bake a cake) and then scrap them into embellished coupons.

For this coupon book I cut strips of Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love paper measuring approx 7cm by 15cm and decorated them with small strips of the coordinating papers from the same collection, either leaving them plain or using Fiskars' threading water punch to add detail. I inked the edges of each card with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and added a journalling spot and some Papermania and Prima flowers, plus buttons and brads from my supplies. For the front cover and the numbers on each of the coupons I used Thickers, adding some Glossy Accents to make them stand out.

I punched a hole in each card using a Crop-a-Dile and added a coordinating eyelet so that the coupons could be put onto a book ring. The book ring was decorated by tying pieces of ribbon onto it (American Crafts, Hobbycraft, and a recycled piece of ribbon from some clothing).

The fun part of this project was thinking up 'gifts' to write on the coupons! You can be as inventive as you like with this one, and show your friends and family how much you care this Christmas by offering this simple home-made gift with a difference.

Come back tomorrow for another Scrappy Tree gift idea! We'll be doing a great giveaway Christmas week (21st - 25th December) - all you have to do is follow The Scrappy Tree blog using the button on this page, and become a fan of The Scrappy Tree on Facebook.

Gayle

Day 13 - Easy Breezy Ornaments!

Today's project is super easy, fun and it can be a great project for kids as well as a gift! So let's get started!



Here's what you'll need:

Paint - any type of craft paint (glass, acrylic, metallic,etc)
see the picture below for some of the ones I used.
Glitter - silver, green, blue, red, white
Clear glass or plastic bulbs - I purchased mine from Michaels but you can find them in many places.
Ribbon - your color choice







Here are the few simple steps:
1. Choose the colors you would like to use (I used two or three paint colors and one glitter color.
2. Remove the cap of the bulb. Take your first color and squeeze about 1 tbsp of paint into the glass bulb. Turn the bulb slowly and watch it come alive. Let it drip up and down and all around, being careful to not let it drip out of the bulb top. Once it looks good, repeat the process with your second or third color.
3. Next, pour 1 tsp of glitter (via funnel) into the bulb, slowly turn the bulb so the glitter grabs the paint and coats the bulb. If you want the glitter to be loose in the bulb and not stick to the paint, let the paint dry overnight and then add your glitter.
4. Lastly choose a complimentary ribbon and tie it to the top hook.

Optional additions/alternatives :

• You can use Stickles or some other glitter glue to write a name or holiday sentiment on the outside of the bulb.
• If you don't have paint or would rather work with something a little less messy, try shredded colored paper or basket fillings.
• You can also decorate the top and outside of the bulb with holly, flowers, bells, etc.

See below for a sample bare bulb and some examples

Sample glass bulb

White acrylic paint, blue metallic and white glitter

Green metallic, yellow glass paint, red acrylic and red glitter

Red acrylic, green acrylic and green glitter

Each will be unique and different, so get started, have fun and be Scrappy!

Help us spread the word, we will be hosting daily giveaways the week of Dec. 21st- Dec. 25th. You will need to be a follower of this blog as well as a Fan on Facebook.

Thanks for visiting today, see you tomorrow!

Kristin

Day 12 - Mini Albums

Julie brings us two beautiful mini albums as a great idea for a memorable keepsake or lasting family tradition. See below for the wonderful projects she is sharing with us today.

'Christmas Wishes' mini album

"As a scrapper, I want to preserve my family's lives and what better way to do that than by preserving the kids' Christmas wishes for the year! I had them write in their own handwriting."

Supplies for 'Christmas Wishes' mini album:
Creative Imaginations mini board book, Making Memories letters, Fiskars punches, Pink Paislee paper, Hero Arts Stamp, Stickles, My Minds Eye journaling spots, Prima flowers, button from personal supply, Martha Stewart bakers twine, Stampin' Up photo corner punch, glitter snowflakes from Michaels, Hero Arts gemstones, K and Co. lace.

'Family' mini album
"I made a second mini album for a gift to a cousin. I put some family pictures in it for her, but I made sure that there were some empty spots so she could add her own choice photos."

Supplies for 'Family' mini album:

Cover: Simplicity pattern, Making Memories red ribbon, Making Memories tag, Anna Griffin chipboard title, flower (unknown supplier), The Paper Studio brad, rubons from We R Memory Keepers, K and Co. paper.

Interior pages: Making Memories ledger paper, We R Memory Keepers flower stickers, Marvy punches, K and Co. paper.

Thanks Julie!

We're nearly half-way through our 25 home-made Christmas gift ideas already, stay with us this December for more great ideas in the run up to Christmas!