Happy Birthday Grandma!!

My Grandma's birthday was last week... She was born on Pearl Harbor Day before it was Pearl Harbor Day (I figure if I don't tell the truth about my real age, I shouldn't let hers out of the bag either!).

Anyway, this is my crafty Grandma and the one for which I make the Bazaar stuff.

She wasn't having must to do with me taking pictures; I think she just wanted to dig in her loot!! Yet another thing I get from my Grandma...feeling like a kid in a candy store anytime I am opening a gift.

I cut all these out using my Cricut and one of the Christmas Solution carts from 2009 (I am too tired to walk downstairs and look right now... I will check later and let you know.)

I sprayed the white on Rudolph with Glimmer mist and I added Stickles to the left edges of the Christmas tree...like the snow was really blowing! I also added Stickles to the white on the top of the stocking. I think my favorite is the red background snowflake with the tinsel top! My sister sent me the tinsel

Sugar Crash Blog Hop-- Yeah!!

*Give away closed.* (See post dated 11/8/2010 for winner.)

WELCOME!!!! You are on the CardSwaps Sugar Crash Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Chi Chi Memories and Natalie. If you did not, take a look around here and then head to the first stop... You don't want to miss any of this greatness!! (BTW, there are 17! stops and you won't want to miss a one! There are many prizes to be had and the only way to cash in is by leaving a comment on the posts. Plus, it's just nice to leave a little love don't you think?

Before I get to my project, I would like to invite you over to CardMaker Magazine's Card Swaps! We have a Sugar Crash Crop going on! You must come over and play...plus there are more prizes. (Don't head out quite yet, I have something to show you before you leave...and don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win... and because you are nice and you want to leave some love for me :)

Ok, here's my project: Stinking Cute Photo Holders!

If you have spent much time around here, you know that I make several things for my Grandma's Church Bazaar. I made several of these for her Bazaar this year.

This one is my favorite! (I think because it's one of my favorite pictures!) I did spray my Hobby Lobby open stock paper with Tattered Angles Glimmer Mist to up its glitter factor but I will admit, it is not very Christmas-y... Don't worry, I am your Christmas girl! Let me show you first how I made these functional little do-dads.

I started with these. (Yes, I purchased them. No Staples did not pay me or ask me to show them off.)

Then, I got out my scrap paper drawer and began cutting pieces 1 1/4" x 2". Some pieces I sprayed with Smooch or Glimmer mist. Next, I creased the paper around the binder clips (mostly to make sure it was going to fit correctly). I used Terrifically Tacky Tape (the red roll) on each side (so three strips of tape total) and stuck down the paper. (Credit: When I couldn't get mine to stand up correctly, I watched this video.)

I selected ribbon to coordinate with the paper. (The pink is from Michaels (below), JJ put it in my stocking last year. The black is fab! satin ribbon from Stampin UP!) I put a little bit of adhesive on the ribbon right where it goes around the silver parts of the binder clips... otherwise, the ribbon rides up and there's no where for the picture to go.

Here's my Christmas sample:

That's paper from the open stock at Hobby Lobby. Those snazzy chicks in the photo are my sister and I in San Fransisco a couple of years ago.

House of Jones Holiday Traditions

Our first Christmas as husband and wife, I decided we needed to start some Christmas traditions! (Now, every since I have had my own Christmas tree (i.e., not living with my parents) I have left the tree lights on all night long on Christmas Eve and slept in the living room... JJ does this with me too. And someday, I will let our children do the same I am sure.) So, that first year, which was just last year in case you are counting, I bought us both fun/cute Christmas PJs to wear to bed on Christmas Eve. My thoughts were that our Christmas morning pictures would be better since we wouldn't be in old sweats but... I don't even think we took any last year. Anyway, that's our thing! And I love it! And JJ plays along with my game!

Now! Leave me some love for a random chance to win my candy.... can't really show it to you... but trust me! I am the last blog on the hop. Head on over to CardMaker and check out the challenges. Have a ball with all the challenges and thanks for stopping by!

In case you are lost... start with Lora and hop on through.

Lora

Carolyn King (Guest Designer)

Meredith

Ashley

Christy Croll (Tiddly Inks - Guest Designer)

Susie

Diana

Jane

Traci (Guest Cardmaker)

Angelina

Tami Mayberry (Guest Designer)

Irina

Ana

Margaret

Natalie (Chi Chi Memories - Guest Designer)

Laura <--- You are here!

Card Maker Message board is your last stop from here - http://www.cardmakermagazine.com/cardswap/index.php/board,57.0.html

And A Smooch For YOU!!

Ok, well, it seems that I loaded these picutes backwards... bear with me. Above is an upclose to show you the glimmer from SU's new Smooch spray which is kindof like Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist... except not... See below for my opinion on the two. (Note, that's an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.)

Here' the bottle of Smooch. 0.37 ounces! Check out how much of the container it took to spray that one sheet of paper!! Yikes!! Below, is the pic that was suppose to be first... of the piece of paper in my home made spray box. AKA old box with the flaps cut off.

So, I wanted to compare and contrast Glimmer Mist and Smooch Spray.

**Before you freak out: I am not a Stampin Up demonstrator and I don't work for Tattered Angels. Neither company asked me to use their products; I purchased them myself and decided to give you my "2 cents".

Pros of Glimmer Mist: *Larger container (2 oz) for almost the same money *more color varieties offered *you can get it at the store (at least around here) rather than waiting for it to ship to you

Pros of Smooch Spray: *smaller container seems to keep the product in solution better when in use (as compared with GM) *less globs on your paper

Cons of Glimmer Mist: *nearly impossible to spray without clumps even if you keep the container in constant motion and shook the crap out of it initially

Cons of Smooch Spray: *I think I will go broke purchasing replacement.

And the winner: I must say Smooch Spray does win out over Glimmer Mist. Sorry Tattered Angels, as much as I love you, SU's tiny little container, while stupid expensive in comparison, has my heart because it throws less clogs for a more uniform finish.