Natures Gift Die by The Stamp Market

This unfinished PTI Home Made template house has been sitting on my desk for several years. so is a bit too shabby to give, but I wanted to see how the leaf spray would fit.

A closer view

I love how this gilded spray turned out with striped vellum leaves  and gilded skeleton leaves (spray paint on watercolor paper).  It's very pretty but I'm not sure about the berry colors.  they are more varied and a little paler in real life.

This house is based on Howard Lamey's  Twin Peaks Beach house.  I did my own thing with the windows and doors though.

Little paper house

I made this from an Etsy paper pattern.

Regent Street, London

Christmas is the time of year when cards start to arrive from home (London) and I have longings of Christmas past.

Journaling:
Card from Home "We went shopping down the West End"

Can there anywhere be a more beautiful and spectacular sight than London's Regent Street at Christmastime? In the early 1950's, London was dull and lifeless, with a grey depressing look because of the veil of dust that came from smog and the remains of bombings of the war, but several years later, before I left, to live in Hawaii, this long passageway from Oxford street to Piccadilly Circus had turned into a magical wonderland, and I believe all of London's Christmas charm began here.

I remember the one year when I had a little money saved so I could give gifts to all those I loved, I was pleased with myself and decided to give this street a go. I sauntered from one shop after another searching for that one special thing that would make each person happy. I know I spent more time looking at the window displays and decorations than my shopping, and In the end I spent my money closer to home where the costs were more within my range.

It was Regent Street that stole my heart that Christmas, and I realized that even though most of London still wore a tawdry cloak, and money was still scarce, that in all the world, London was still a good place to be.
Credits:
Photo by permission of freefoto
Katie Pertiet card from Letter Box Christmas Kit
Ali Edwards_DecemberDaily_LayeredTemplates

A YouTube Christmas

I need a break from all those hearts!
Stef's Creative topic in the Digishoptalk Forum for this week, is about creating layouts when there's no photo of the memory, story, or event, etc.  These are mine from a couple of years ago.

 

Journaling:

Holiday music began in the stores before thanksgiving, setting the mood for shoppers to get their lists crossed off before the big day, Most of us need it, that holiday feeling to get started with cookies and decorating.
I never realized music played such a big part of getting into the holiday spirit, and not being able to hear it well these past several years I found myself in an empty place I'd not experienced before. Then came my Bose headset. Plugged into the computer and with a search on Youtube, I was lost in the flood of nostalgia I'd been longing for.
The soft and velvet tones of Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby worked best.  Listening to these old friends brought fond memories of Christmases past.

credits:
Dana Zarling - Grungy little Christmas papers
Ali Edwards - TemplateNo13 with Font
Katie Pertiet - Brush from Days of December

Christmas Decorations

Meeting Santa

Meeting up with my daughter and two of her children and her two grandchildren at the mall. It was over an hour wait the little ones did well in line until we were almost at the end. The little one, Bria, spilled her drink all over her tights and Brooke, who was so excited before, decided she didn't want to meet Santa. Fortunately there was a Gymboree close by so I rushed and bought an overall and Linda just changed her in time. Couldn't get a smile from them!

I made the bubbles from a web tutorial

Bria no longer a baby!

Bria
We haven't seen you since before we left for our trip and what surprise to see you have grown so much - from a baby to a toddler. Where did that baby nose and those big saucer eyes go?

Everything from DesignerDigitals.com except the glass balls and the background papers. Oh, and the stitching holes that I scanned a number of years ago from real stitching holes.
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The glass balls: (This isn't a tutorial, just the steps I took)
for the ball cover I used Filters: Render > Lens Flare and Distort >Polar Coordinates
then used the tools: Transform, Radial Gradient, and Color Burn.

Underneath with Katie's ornament brush, I took it into styles and played around with stripes and a couple of other styles (turned off the shadows because it would flatten the ball. A real hanging ball would send a cast shadow if close to a wall or such)

Then tweaked with the Burn and Dodge tools, and set the transparency for the glass cover so the underneath pattern would show through (had to add more highlights because of this)
Katie's ornament brush was great because it already had a pattern, top, and hanger.

Oh Christmas Tree

Our grandson about four years ago!

all from Jofia's Warm Christmas kit

"Christmas Dinner Menu, 2007"

Click pics to enlarge.

THE MENU:
While waiting for the rest of the family, Lauren lights the
candles to warm the table for Christmas Dinner. Prime rib,
roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding are keeping warm,
while Lauren’s chocolate fondue with strawberries, chocolate
cake balls, and other delicacies to dip, wait until after we’ve
opened our gifts. Linda and family are on their way with
the vegetables and an apple pie for dessert.
In the hustle of finishing the dinner, I forget the bread
and spinach salad, but because of all the other foods these
aren’t missed!

Credits:
Jessica Sprague template
From Designer Digitals:
Dana Zarling Paper: Grungy Christmas
Katie Pertiet: Old Time Christmas Kit
Doodle Do Title Borders
Lil Metal Charms_Christmas Collection

"Christmas Day"

Linda, our oldest daughter in front of the tree on her first Christmas. I remember the toys well. The tall plastic sailor toy went missing while we were visiting New York the following year. She'd thrown it out of the car window!
Everything by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals.

Faces of Christmas

Jessica Sprague template
from Designer Digitals:
Dana Zarling: Grungy Christmas
Pattie Knox: FeltFriends_Reindeer Dudes