In the Air

Christmas is in the air!  I love the smell of the real pine Christmas tree in my house (I admit, I also love the look of our fake christmas tree in the living room), I love the twinkling lights (inside and out), and I love all of the memories as I unpack ornaments and decorations.  It's a great time of the year.  But lots of people forget the joy.  I overheard two women in Pier One talking about how stressed they were and how they just wanted to go away during the holidays and forget it all.  People get irritable in checkout lines, at sales clerks and in parking lots.  WHAT?  It doesn't have to be so difficult.  I say focus on the JOY.  This is a time of year where people share with those less fortunate, where we remember loved ones, we honor traditions, we host and attend parties and we eat too much and do too much, but it is all good.  And if it stresses you out to decorate, send cards or host parties - then don't do it!  The world will not end if you choose to simplify.  I'm going all out because I think it's fun and exciting (and no one will see the bags of clutter I'm putting under my desk anyway!)

Here is a Christmas card I made based on (another) of May Flaum's classes.

I used a Tim Holtz red card stock that has a kraft colored interior.  I stitched (just for effect - I actually taped the book page to the base) around the edges of the ripped book page and stamped with gold paint around the edges.  The wreath is made up of several leaf stamps stamped in a circle with various green Tim Holtz distress inks.  I started with the red berries around a circle and embossed them with clear ink.  They then resisted the green ink as I layered the leaves.  Added a bow and a stamped sentiment (popped up with glue dots) and edged in gold.  Very festive.

Hope you can ENJOY the season!

Leslie