Crafty Christmas Tree

My daughter and I are spending lots of time being crafty together.  What a JOY to be able to have this time together.  She is working on catching up on her scrapbooking, while I am flittering from one thing to another.  On this particular evening, I was working on Christmas postcards and she was working on a Christmas layout.  She was inspired to create a Christmas Tree after seeing the pine needles branch punch I purchased to use on my postcards.  I have not seen this idea anywhere before and I think it is a brilliant idea!  I just have to share it.

And here is how she created this fabulous Christmas Tree...

You need a tree stamp, a green and light brown ink pad, and a pine needles branch punch.

This tree foam stamp is a 5" stamp.  Ink the trunk with brown and the tree with green and stamp it on white cardstock paper.  Cut out the tree.

Punch out a whole bunch of pine needle branches.  She spray glued the pine branches then began layering them on the tree until coverage was pleasing.

For the bark on the trunk, she covered the tree and applied spray glue to the trunk.  She then dipped the trunk in a small pile of tobacco.  (Find someone that smokes and ask them for one of their cigarettes).

This cute tree looks so fantastic on her scrapbook layout.  I think it is such a clever idea.

Merry Christmas!

xxx

Annie

Quoth the Raven Tag

Still playing with my new Raven rubber stamp.  A tag to share this time.  I'm having such fun with this stamp and this background technique.

And on the back.

What I've done is scribble with a Tombow marker on a large candle mirror.  Sprintzed it with water.  Then placed the tag (or envelope) onto the ink, then immediately blotted it to a newsprint paper pad to take up the excess water.  Where it needed more, I repeated the process in that area.  I did one color at a time.

I've found a new tag challenge blog here:  Tag Along Challenge Tag Along is celebrating its 100th challenge and the theme to celebrate is Anything Goes.

Fall is coming, but I hope not too awfully soon,  I'm still loving Summer.

xxx

Annie

Vacation Mail Art

I am having a little visit at "home" for a couple of months.  I'm having the most marvelous time relaxing and thoroughly enjoying life for this short time.  

I have even had time to play with some mail art.

I dug through my old supplies which suddenly looked all new and exciting.  I decided to see what I could come up with after their long almost 5 year rest.  It just needed a little something extra, so I had to wait for the good mail day to bring me the brick wall stencil to finish it off.

Now I need help figuring out where to mail this envelope off to.  Any suggestions?

Then daughter and I went shopping and the raven stamp came home with us.  It turns out that we had both been contemplating that stamp for a while.

I wanted to send him out, but didn't think I could part with him.  So I attempted to recreate this envelope.

You cannot duplicate original art with that background technique.  Which is a very good thing.  I like him too.  But he will fly off to a sweet mail art friend.

I love the envelope mail art best when it has the recipients name and address on it.  That always adds the perfect finishing touch.  

Wishing everyone a good mail day.

xxx

Annie

A Feather in Her Cap

The theme at Sunday Postcard Art is HATS.  This vintage photo is either someone related to me somehow or a friend of someone related to me.  When I came across it in the family photos, I thought the long narrow shape was unusual and that it would be a fun photo to play with.  The hat doesn't seem all that clear, but it's there and it has a feather on it.  Actually, two feathers.  So I couldn't resist pointing it out and creating a collage with the photo.  She's quite proud of her accomplishment...whatever it may have been.

I'm happy to send this postcard off to someone who would like to find it in their mail.  Speak up.

Good Mail Day!

xxx

Annie

Postcard Swap

The swap started out as a beach theme and I think ended as a theme about anything having to do with summer.  My mind went to and stayed at the beach.  With colorful little huts to change into and out of your swimwear.

And my partner made her postcard based on the rafts of the local fishermen.  What a beautiful setting for fishing, eh?  She even shows the reflections of the sails in the water.  Isnt that the most clever creativity.  

This great postcard swap was hosted by Sheila of  Sheila's Quilt World  Thank you Sheila for all your hard work.

Happy Mail Day,

xxx

Annie