Here is your last Holiday 2006 Challenge

I hope everyone had a Merry and Joyous Christmas. If you are like me you took hundreds of pictures and now you need to be inspired to do something with them. That is where this challenge will help you. Create a layout, mini album or something else creative about your holiday. Maybe your family traditions, your favorite part of the holiday, Christmas morning chaos or like I did you can make a mini album about your holiday treasures. While overseas I have gotten lots of special Christmas decorations and I want a record of where I got them. Like my Scottish nutcracker, tiny shell nativity, German pyramid and lots more. So I have taken a 6x6 Heidi Swapp chipboard album and I am going to use it to record my 'Christmas Treasures'. For the cover I used BG fruitcake papers and fibers and K & Co. Twinkle Type letters, HS jewels and my trusty DMC. I also left the fibers long so I can tie Christmas charms on as I find them. I'll share some of the layouts as I finish them.

Show us your special Christmas creation.

Bonnie

It's Christmas Eve!!!!

One more day till Christmas. Todays challenge is easy - if you have kids. Have your kids write a letter to Santa to leave under the tree.

The layout above is a letter Matthew wrote to Santa last year. The trees and rudolf are Quikutz dies that I decorated with beads, wire and glitter.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday from Bonnie and Cheri.

Bonnie

Gifts!

Here is the Gingerbread Family!

DAY TWENTY-THREE

Sing, Sing a Song

or in the immortal words of ELF {one of my favorite movies ever}:

"The best way to spread Holiday Cheer is to sing loud for all to hear!"

My favorite Holiday song when I was young was "We 3 Kings" (I knew all of the words.) Now it is "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", followed closely by all of the other ones! What's yours? Mike's is "Winter Wonderland" Chelsi's is "I'll be home for Christmas." Guess what?!? Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

Finally frosted our cookies~*~*~ here are a few!

3 days till Christmas

Did you make anyone a homegift this year? There is still a little bit of time if you haven't. It doesn't have to be scrapbook related. Give some of your holiday baking to a neighbor or I'm sure your postman would love a little something sweet when he drops of your mail today. I made gingerbread men last night and took a family of 5 over to Cheri this morning. She has the most beautiful gingerbread houses that her family has made the last 2 years and they needed a little family to go with them. I'll post a picture later - my battery was too low when I just tried.

But I do have pictures of a present I made for Matthew. It is a 'Dog Chain" mini book. All the pictures are from the day we got our new puppy except the last one was taken when we dropped him off at the farm while we went to Paris. I got the idea from all the key chains Matthew has on his backpack and now he can add his mini book to his backpack. All the chipboard, ribbon and ribbon slides are Maya Road.

Bonnie

Last Layout Challenge before Christmas

There's only 4 days till Christmas.
Todays challenge is to create a layout about yourself that reveals something others might not know about you. I did a layout about how I would have loved to be a fashion designer and my love of costumes. Tell us something about yourself that we don't know. It might be your hopes and dreams, something funny, what you are scared of. Be creative.

A Who Wannabe
Here is the Journaling:

As a teenager, I wanted to be a fashion designer when I grew up. Both my grandmothers and my Mom sewed and taught me how when I was young. I’ve always loved the creative process—from the beginning ideas, to the playing and finally the evolution of the project into a finished creation—sometimes very different from the original vision. Victorian costumes with their rich textures of velvet, brocade, silks, laces and ribbons have always been my favorite until….…I saw ‘The Grinch that Stole Christmas’. I sat mesmerized drinking in every detail of the costumes—hair, clothing, shoes, accessories, makeup—everything. I couldn’t stop thinking about ‘Who’ costumes—fabric, details, shoes, hair. I tried for months to persuade my family to let me design costumes for us to be a ‘Who’ family that Halloween but no amount of persuasion could change their NO to a YES. It was then that ‘Bonnie Lou Who’ was born and the creative process began.

I used Scraptivity gelatin stamps for 'Who', MM chipboard stars and the fabric above the picture is what I used to line the hood of the cape I'm wearing in the picture.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Bonnie

DAY TWENTY

Plain Brown Wrapper
How cute is a package wrapped with brown paper? Use those handled paper bags to hide that precious gift. Tied up with raffia, ribbons, or string it can be adorable. I have used brown butcher paper to wrap with for years. You can paint on it, stamp on it, or just leave it as is. My kids like doing things up with a western(cowboy) theme and the plain brown wrapper is perfect for this. It is also great for tags, cards, and what about those cute paper bag journals. Have fun! *c*

DAY NINETEEN

Recipes to Create by:
Wassail
1 box apple juice (not the juice box)
1 can gingerbeer (or ale)
1 box pineapple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 pieces candied ginger
Heat all ingredients on low heat and keep on the stove. Ladle into mugs. Not only is this yummy but it makes your whole house smell wonderful too!
Chocolate Trash
3 bars melting milk chocolate (150-200g)
1 box of Shreddies
1 bag of plain salted pretzels (broken up)
1 bag plain M&Ms
1 bag peanut M&Ms
1 bag of peanuts
Melt chocolate in microwave(follow directions on package). Mix all other ingredients in very large bowl. Lay large piece of wax paper on counter top. Pour melted chocolate over dry ingredients and stir carefully. Spread out on wax paper and allow to cool. Break up and store in airtight containers! The original recipe that I received for it calls for white chocolate and hence it was called "White Trash".
~*enjoy*~ c

DAY EIGHTEEN

Today's Challenge is to watch a HOLIDAY MOVIE! Kelli is looking for "White Christmas" right this minute! We watch it every year! My girls did the "Sisters" routine 2 years ago at the school's Lip-Sync!

Great challenge yesterday! I made 2 of the card holders to put in my binder. What a fantastic way to keep track of each year's special cards, letters, and pictures.

Todays Challenge

Do you keep the holiday cards you receive every year? If you do, how do you store them? Matthew exchanges cards with his classmates every Christmas and I have been meaning to create pocket pages so that they can be in his scrapbook. I just finished pocket pages for 2003, 2004, 2005 and I even have this years ready for the cards he will receive!!!!! And I have an extra one to use in Toms scrapbook. It feels great to finally get them organized. So, your challenge is to organize the cards you have been saving.

Bonnie

DAY FIFTEEN

Ten more days 'til Christmas!

Today's Challenge is to SCRAP WITH A FRIEND!

Here is my layout for yesterday's challenge: There are mini beads on the cats, photo corners, and under the "a". I also overwrote some of the "cats" on the background paper with a green sparkle pen.

Day Fourteen

Here is your 3rd layout challenge. Create a layout with sparkle and shine. Use glitter, beads, sequins, rinestones - anything sparkly or shiney. 'Disney Witches' is my 1st attempt at sparkle and shine and I must say I am sparkle and shine challenged. I envisioned using lots more than I did but this was as much as I could do. I love to see layouts that have lots of sparkle but with 2 boys, hiking and travel layouts I don't have much opportunity.

To create the title for 'Disney Witches' title I used some QK dies. For the brooms I used the die and then tied MM twistel around the broom part and then cut into strips. For the hat, shoes and caldron smoke ( I cut this from felt) I used Ranger Icicle Stickles for the sparkly bits. I made the 'C' with Heidi Swapp rinestone flowers and for the 'e' I cut it with a QK die and then glued the sequins to it. Patterened papers are Daisy D's from the July Scraptivity Kit.

Are you up for the challenge? Show us your sparkle and shine creations.

Bonnie

DAY THIRTEEN

Make Tags! I'll say it again~~~Make Tags!
Today's challenge is to make tags! I bought a huge box at a office store about a million years ago. They are manilla, with a string , and about 2 inches by 3 inches. I love them. My children love them. We use them for everything, but especially at this time of year. I try to stamp about 100 before the wrapping rush starts at my house. They are so handy for not only our gifts but to tie on the cookie plates, etc. Enjoy your day!

DAY TWELVE

Sorry !!! Fell asleep without posting!
Here is Yesterday's challenge: Check out that writing instrument stash! Is it all over the house? Assemble those pens and markers--any dried up and need to be binned? Do you have way too many of a certain color? How do you keep them at hand?

Let's see~~~5 pattern papers~check, 3 ribbons~check, hand journaling~check, 2 embellishments~check, stamps~check

Yes, I think I did it!

DAY ELEVEN

LIGHTS*LIGHTS*LIGHTS

Challenge 11 is to notice, find, be amazed by, take pictures of, and enjoy LIGHTS! The photos aren't too swell, but I love the lights! *C*

Bonnie, loved your newest layout!

Another Layout for this weeks challenge

Here is another layout I did with this weeks challenge. I covered the chipboard 'C' with strips of paper that I had left over from the layout I did with the serindipity squares and used the same technique. So on this layout I used 5 patterned papers on the letter 'C' plus the background sheet. I did do my journaling on the computer but added a small hanwritten touch with the date stamp. I used the Heidi Swapp ghost letters for the rest of the word clown and stitched them in place. I think you can read the journaling but if not I'll edit and add that later. Lets see your layouts using the challenge. Email them to either Cheri or myself. *****edited to add journaling:

My favorite part of Halloween is the costumes. I love making them and wearing them but most of all I love to see the creativity that others have put into their costumes.
I found this clown pattern and knew that I had to make it for you to wear Halloween. I looked and looked for fabric in Houston but nothing looked like the fabric ideas I had. When we lived in Lafayette their was a great fabric store that always had awesome fabric. That’s right, I drove 4 hours just to look for the perfect “clown” fabric. And I found it!!!

Cheri asked about our collections and I collect Dept 56 Snow Baby ornaments and the Dept 56 Dickens Village. I haven't gotten any pieces since we've been in Scotland but I'll definately resume once we return home. I also have a small collection of nativitys and have gotten 2 since living in Scotland. One very tiny one inside a shell that I got in Italy and the other is a straw one from Prague.

DAY TEN

2nd Sunday in Advent---2 candles burning!

Today's challenge is to write about your favorite HOLIDAY MEMORY!

Tell us about that snow that fell as you walked to church or receiving your favorite gift or how about that time the cat climbed the tree and knocked it over?

I am sure you have lots of favorites to write about!

Here are 2 of my collectibles from yesterday's challenge: 1) a nativity puzzle that is about 18 years old and bought at a craft fair in Egypt 2) My largest set which my parents have been sending to us piece by piece over the last 3 or 4 years. Don't ya just love them?

DAY NINE

Sooo... tell us about what you collect. That is today's challenge---talk to us about YOUR COLLECTION. I collect nacimientos, also called creche, cribs, or nativities. I have a few Santas also. My children collect miniature ornaments.
Last year I did a 4 page layout of my nacimientos. I want my family to know how and why I started the collection and where or who all the additional sets came from. I leave some of my sets out all year long. I love them and love what they represent. *+* cheri *+*

DAY EIGHT

Great layout yesterday! I had better get busy!

Today's challenge is to write down something about your Christmas/Holiday traditions.
***What is your favorite tradition?
***What are your family favorites?
***When do you open presents?
***Do you eat something special?
***When or how did a tradition start?
I'm having so much fun keeping up with this list of challenges. Hope YOU are too! *>*>*<*<*c

Layout Challenge

Here is your second layout challenge:

Create a layout using at least:

5 different patterened papers

3 ribbons

2 embellishments

hand journaling

stamps

Join in the challenge and email us your layout & we'll post it on the site.

I love this layout - it truely captures Matthews silly side. For my layout I used 9 different BG Color Me Silly papers to create serendipity squares. This is a great way to use your left over pieces of paper. To make your own serendipity squares cut stripes of paper and adhere them to a piece of cardstock and them cut to the size or shape you want. After I cut my squares I used stamps and rubons on them and then stitched around them. I made the arrow with Karen Fosters loopy brads and made a smiley face button with a sharpie poster paint pen.

I know we are all busy with shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating & more but take a little time to stretch your creativity share your creations with us.

B

My Ribbon Storage

Cheri posted yesterday to organize your ribbon so I thought I'd show you my ribbon storage. My neice came over in April and we spent some time scrapping while she was here. She saw what a mess my ribbon was in and told me she organized hers in DMC thread keepers. So I converted and it is so much easier to see what I have this way. I have some ribbon that is on spools and would be too much to wrap like the other ribbon so I covered a shoe box with paper and cut dowels to store this ribbon.

B

DAY SIX

I have a busy day today, so am posting this early!
HAPPY SAINT NICHOLAS DAY!!!!!
This is a great site all about St. NIck!
www.stnicholascenter.org
Your challenge for today is to learn something new about Jolly Ol' St. Nick and have a great 6Dec.06.*~*~*c

DAY FIVE

Hi ALL! How are YOU doing?
Today's challenge is to clean up, clear out, organize, rearrange, redo, and/or recharge your RIBBON stash! Have fun!

Here is evidence of yesterday's challenge----I hope it says, "My 3 beautiful children"

My photo for yesterdays challenge

Here is my photo of some cookies I made last night. I was playing around with my camera and took them in the Apeture setting mode but I didn't have much time and am not really pleased with the picture so I'll try taking some more in that setting later this week and let you know how they come out. These are some of our favorite cookies. They are from one of the Saisburys monthly mags. Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Chip, Raisin and Sunflower-seed cookies

75g (30z) butter 1 small egg, beaten
75g (3oz) golden caster sugar 1 ts vanilla extract
50g (2oz) plain flour, sifted 75g (3oz) raisins
1/4 ts bicarbonate of soda 25g (1oz) chocolate chips
1/2 ts salt 40g (1 1/2 oz) sunflower seeds
40g (1 1/2 oz) porridge oats

Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, gas mark. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined. Using a tablespoon, spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 –15 minutes , until golden. Allow to cool on a rack.
Makes 15 biscuits.
Per biscuit: 131 cals; 7g fat, of which 3g saturated fat; 2g protein; 16g carbohydrate; 5 g added sugar; .5g fiber

B

DAY FOUR

Hello everybody!

Today's idea is to scrap or journal using a different language! Here are a few possibilities: Oui, magnifique, hyper-cool, maravilla, excelente, !Que diga! Sorry about the missing accents.

Yesterday's challenge~*~*If you know me at all you will know what one of my favorite Christmas Treats is. In fact, in the last 6 years you might have searched it out and had to post it to me! Here it is and it is in another favorite ~~~~~ Christmas Polish Pottery! ***c

DAY THREE

Merry, Believe, Eggnog, Gingerbread, Santa, Baby Jesus, stockings, lights, candles, snow, Advent, Happy, Angel, Star, Mint, Holly, candycane, gifts, joy, peace, love, hope, Mrs. Claus' Cookies, red, green, gold, silver, white, elf, cocoa, sparkle, Rudolf, reindeer, North Pole, Cheer, wreath, tree, nacimientos, jingle bells, manger, midnight mass, family, feliz navidad, fudge,noel, tinsel,etc.~~~~~~~ Just a few from yesterday's challenge. Thanks Kelli for your help! Send us yours!

Today's challenge is ---Take a picture of your favorite Holiday Treat. Or copy your favorite treat's recipe.

Happy First Sunday in Advent! Light your candle! ***c

DAY TWO

Happy December 2nd!
Today is nice and easy---Make a list of 25 Holiday words! See, told you it was easy. Later you can use the list as titles, in your journaling, doodled into your background paper,etc. Have fun!
Here is my mainly digital layout from yesterday's sketch. Hmmm-can't seem to upload any pictures. I'll get back to you!***c

Here is my layout. Just got back from seeing "Scrooge"---that put me in the Holiday Spirit! It was a musical with lots of {heart}!

First Challenge

Hi Everyone,

It's the first day of Advent and I hope you and your family are off to a great start to this wonderful time of year. I'm sorry this is so late in the day. I couldn't figure out how to log onto our blog-yes I'm techo-illiterate!!! At least I'm learning.

Our first challenge is to create a layout based on the sketch Cheri put up this morning. You can see my layout above. We are hoping you will join us in the challenges and we want to see your works of are so later so in a couple of days we'll give you some instructions. We plan on having a layout challenge every 7 days during the holidays and lots of inspiration, ideas and mini-challenges in between.

Lets get scrapping!!!!!!!!

B

DAY ONE

Happy December 1st!