December 28th Weekly Post

 Happy Sunday, everyone!

The theme at SPA this week is Polar Bears, hosted by Mandy.

On a 4x6 pre-cut card, I used a Memory Box birch tree stencil and Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink to make a background. After it dried, I splattered "snow" on it using Tim's splatter brush dipped into some Daler Rowney FW white acrylic ink.

On a separate scrap of white card I stamped the polar bear from Paper Artsy's Eclectica EDY26 (We Three Kings) stamp set using Nocturne Versafine Clair ink. I colored him with alcohol markers and fussy cut him out to add him to my scene. I also stamped and added sentiments from that set, outlining the fussy cuts with a black pen. Then I used a clear Wink of Stella brush marker and some Frosted Lace and Arctic Blue Stickles on the snow. I should have not used the WofS because it makes his snowball look muddy and dirty. Oh Well.

I hadn't used any of those stamps before, despite having them for several years.

Here's an angled shot that picks up some of the glitter.

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I'd promised some photos of our Christmas decorations so here they are, such that they are, lol. We have cut down quite a bit from prior years' decorating. I gave a relative our collectibles village and an artificial tree. We still have 2 other trees in their boxes with no desire to pull them out (although I'm thinking that next year I may decorate with one). So, I've decorated little spots in the house with stuff that can be easily stored in smaller boxes.

Our front door is adorned simply, with a wreath and snowflake window clings. We had solar lights the last 2 years but didn't replace them when the panel gave out.

You may can see the porch ceiling is painted a haint blue, not to ward off evil ghosts and spirits (although that is a bonus!), but to keep bugs from living and nesting up there.

IT REALLY WORKS!

No spiders, wasps or other critters (a minor miracle down here where I live, even in Winter). 

Our front foyer, using the rest of the window clings on the mirror and a table arrangement of my art deco's and faux flowers in a glass vase with red cranberry bead balls.

The view of the fireplace corner wall as you walk into the living room. I lucked out this year finding some very nice red glitter faux poinsettias and some red and white eucalyptus flowers.

The Winter banner I made uses the same dies and process as my Autumn banner.

I've also got a hand sewn folk art star hanging above it, which you can barely see, but I hope to replace that next year with something else larger. And also make some snowflakes for the wreath using some large Sizzix 3D dies I have.

This year I tried making these stockings using a Sunny Studio die set.

While hanging them, I promptly dropped mine into the fireplace but miraculously no dirt or soot got on it. I did get the candy canes and greenery cut out to add to them, but that will have to wait until next year. These are so small that I'm thinking of just adding them next year to the giant wreath below the banner.

And the velvet stockings are too long for the fireplace space, so they get hung here.

(The first year I did hang them from the hearth and had to constantly watch that they didn't get dirty, so I like them here better.)

I have ordered an R stocking for the kids' new puppy they named Ripley, which they tell us is our granddog. So, she needs a stocking, too!

We will then be MARCK instead of MACK, lol.

A view of the wall opposite the fireplace.

Our 3-foot-tall tree went here originally, but the last few years I've been lazy and just used my Tim carrousel, lol. 

I put this out every year and it always entertains us. That's Honey, me and Katy with our Santas. 

I have to brag on my Honey. He used his scroll saw to halve saved wine corks and picked out some cigar box lids from our storage to create these wall hangings. Of course, he used my paints and supplies, but the work was all his. He's currently making another one, using his car key collection and epoxy that he went to Hobby Lobby to buy. He gets his ideas from YouTube and is quite independent about it. And when he asks me a question, I give him his options but remind him it's his art, not mine, so he makes his own decisions. I am discovering he likes grunge, though. 

This is Honey's wine and beer bar, and I keep it the top rack decorated year-round.

These are this year's Christmas cards we received.

I could make these basket arrangements all day long. I used pinecones I saved from my childhood home front yard when my parents moved in 2005. They are still in great condition!

Using my wedding present crystal as baskets...

And strings of faux cranberry beads.

A winter deco amidst the other tchotchkes on the shelf. 

A very large keepsake ornament.

This is one of my metal "trees". I made a gold star for the top and the bottom "skirt" is a very long string of faux cranberries.

And last but not least, my crystal bowl of faux holly berries and gold balls.

I just couldn't stop making these arrangements!

😊

Thanks for hanging in there for all these photos.

And thanks also for the visit.

Here's wishing all of us a good last few days of 2024 and a fabulous beginning to 2025!

See you next Sunday!

XOX