winter white

On Christmas Eve, the day of celebration in Sweden, we had a very nice and quiet - I don't want to say dinner because we started around noon and finished sometime after 8pm, so let's go with day of food with my family. To match my Christmas decorations, and incidentally also the gifts, I decorated the table with all white on white on white on white. Delicate and crisp and pretty was the way to go this year for me.













Resources:
White plates from IKEA
Glass plates from local second hand shop
Lace mats from H&M Home
Crocet snowflakes from La Rinascente in Milano, Italy
Wreath from local florist Anna Gouteva
Small wreaths are styrofoam wrapped in white lace
Votives from IKEA wrapped in white lace
Candle holders from IKEA
Glassware from IKEA

hybrid | handmade christmas gifts

So I took this class on JessicaSprague.com that had me super inspired to bust out the glue and actually make something tangible for once. It was the Mouse, Paper, Scissors Give class that Jessica team taught with Heidi Swapp. The class objective was to create hybrid gifts, just in time for the holidays.

The first gift I made was a calendar for my mother. She has been asking me for years to make her one with my photos, and I have honestly dreaded it a little because I think the calendars you order from online photo sites are dead boring. But Jessica and Heidi got me excited again. Now, their style is a bit (ok, a lot) more frilly and elaborate than mine and my mother's, but that wasn't a problem at all. I just adjusted to fit and it was a done deal.

The calendar is like a book that holds not only a calendar for each month but also a note pad and pen.








For this project I used digital papers from my Get Happy Paper Pack as well as some Bazzil cardstock, and my Almanac Template Pack. The book thingy was included in the class kit, but could easily be recreated. I also used a clip to hold the calendar sheets, and a notepad that I had in my stash.

The second gift was a little tin of "to do" help for my sister.
(Please excuse the lack of quality in these photos, they were taken at 6.30 am the day there were to be given, and there was very little light at that time)






Now this project was super easy to create. I designed a cover for the tin with paper from the Moments Paper Pack and some brushes and fonts, and for the inside lid with paper from the Valpoicella Paper Pack. I also made some notecards, and lastly created magnets by gluing designed cirlces using the same papers, brushes and fonts and then attaching the magnets on the back. After that I simply added a small pen and the project was finished. I have to say, I like hybrid when the bulk of the work is done digitally! Hee!

The third gift was supposed to be something entirely different, but I had a glue meltdown (pun intended) and had to switch gears. For my other sister I created a subway style poster that I framed.
(This photo was also taken that early morning, so again, please excuse the bad photo)


The poster features the places and dates where and when my sister and her boyfriend were born, met, got engaged, and now live. I love, love, love how this turned out. And it was so easy to make as well. Want to make one of your own? Jessica and Heidi has made a little mini class for this one that is available right now. Check it out! The frame, if you are interested is from IKEA - where else?

So that was the extent of my craftiness this Christmas, not counting spending about two weeks on wrapping all the gifts. Perhaps next year if I start a little earlier I will be able to do more?

Oh who am I kidding?

white on white with doilies and lace

OK, so I felt the need to reshoot the Christmas presents. Here we go again!





So that's white on white with matte wrapping paper, with fabric lace, satin ribbon, paper doilies. I also used silver ink to stamp the initial of the recipient and the "God Jul" (which means Merry Christmas in Swedish), silver wax seals with a snowflake motif (can't leave the snowflakes out), and a sparkly silver pen to write the message.

Present wrapping is very important to me. I take it very seriously and always match all the presents. This year I decided to match the tree as well (and here's a hint - the decor for the Christmas Eve table). Overboard? Me? Nah! :)

this year under the tree

After a full week away on a business trip, I have had a truly busy weekend to catch up with everything that needs to be done for Christmas - like presents to make, buy, and wrap, and  decorations to finish, I haven't had a single minute to sit down in front of the computer. It has actually been a full week since I even opened it last. I can't even remember when that happened before this week.

Because of this, I haven't shared my latest new product, or our Christmas card, that I actually made last week, but haven't gotten round to printing yet (no, there is no time to handmake them this year, so a photo card will have to do). And neither have I shared photos from our Italy trip, which I haven't even finished editing yet. Man, do I wish I didn't need to sleep!

So today I spent almost the whole day wrapping presents. The husband was laughing at me as it took me 45 minutes to get the first one wrapped. But once I got going it went pretty well. I have about half of the load wrapped now so they will definitely be finished this week.

Please excuse the crappy photography, the light was rapidly escaping, but here's what our gifts look like this year. White on white with silver wax seals and stamps. All to match the tree, of course.







I hope everyone are doing well, and coping a little better than I am with all the stuff going on in your lives! Have a great new week!

laying it out | countdown

Every year I decide to make an advent calendar. Every year I fail to actually get my butt in gear  long enough before the start of December to be finished in time. So as a small compromise I created a layout instead.


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Supplies: Be Merry Tags Pack, Sassy Season Elements Pack, Clippings Alpha, Postage Alpha, Charmed Alpha, Indulgence Elements Pack, Tabbed Alpha, Meet & Greet Labels Pack all by In the Making Design
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new in store | be merry cards and ornament

I said last week that there would be more from the Be Merry line, and I wasn't lying. This week I have to new products for you guys!

It's about time to start thinking about your Christmas cards this year. If you are going the photocard route, then I have good news for you!



The Be Merry Photocard Pack contains four quick cards with the pretty papers of the Be Merry Paper Pack and custom wordart sentiments. The pack also contains a bonus template for each card design.

If you are into handmade Christmas decor and ornaments then this project is perfect for you. The beautiful paper ornament is easy to make and is very decorative.



The Be Merry Christmas Ornament contains two printable files with beautiful papers from the Be Merry Paper Pack and a printable tutorial with photographs to guide you through the process of making the ornament.

If you go to my Facebook page you will find, in the fan exclusive section, a coupon code to to get the ornament project for free! Please note that you need to be a fan to access the code.

Be Merry Cards Pack and Christmas Ornament Project are both available at JessicaSprague.com today. Both are 25% off today only!


Inspiration

Christmas Ornament project by Camille Robinson

Christmas card by Lauren Madsen

Homemade Christmas decorations

Here I am, coming to you live and direct from a brand new computer! I only unpacked it yesterday so I am far away from ready with migrating everything from the old one to the new, but so far I am totally loving the experience. Superfast and super pretty. What else could a girl want? LOL!

So, with Christmas just over and done with, I want to hold on to it just a little longer by showing you some crafts I did, but never had the time to post about, before Christmas.

These balls were done with papers from the Frostbite Paper Pack




They were surprisingly easy to make with directions from Kaiserkraft (link will come once I have it on this computer) but if you ever decide to make them at one point or another do get a circle punch! I didn't have one in the right size so I hand cut all circles for six balls. That's 120 circles. It took me four hours and gave me a nice little aching hand. Ouch!

I strung some of mine from the light over the kitchen island and it was just the right amount of decoration for me. Not overwhelming and not too ostentatcious. Simple but pretty.

You can also see a small peak of the wreath I made at the bottom of the first photo. All I did was wrap some white organza ribbon and attach some tiny white balls and that was it. It matched the tree perfectly.

Now, I am so not a flower person. I kill flowers and plants with lightning speed. I swear, plants have died within hours of being in my house. But in spite of this I bought some hyacinths and tried to do something crafty and pretty with them. Here's one:


I put a few pebbles at the bottom of a vase from IKEA, wrapped the bulb with fresh moss (apparently from France as per the florist's info) and placed it on top of the stones. I rummaged through my scrap stash and found a sparkly snowflake, a bell, and some gem brads. Those, together with some ribbon finished off the creation. I cannot tell you how accomplished I felt once I put it in the window, lol. Now, it still hasn't bloomed, but at least it's not dead.

Apart from the tree and door wreath, the wrapped gifts, and white pillar candles everywhere, this is pretty much all of my Christmas decor. I guess one can safely say you won't find any santa figurines in my house, lol. At least it will be easy to take down!

I hope Christmas has been good to you all!

With only a few days left to Christmas, and a thousand things to do still, I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas!

I will be spending it with family and loved ones, eating too much food and sweets, playing games, and loving on babies.

Have a great one y'all!

P52 - getting closer to the end

I can't believe there are only two more weeks left of this year! It feels like it has gone by way too fast, like I blinked and all of a sudden the year is almost over. Huh?

Although, looking back at the P52 photos makes me realize that a lot has actually happened this year.
I cannot express how happy I am that I decided to continue doing this project. As nice as it is to have a bunch of pretty pictures gathered, it's the reflection it sparks when I look at them that is priceless to me. Every single photo means something. Some weeks less than others of course, but still they represent our lives.

If you are thinking about doing this project next year, even for a second, all I can say is you won't regret it!

#50, 2010
The presents are slowly being bought, wrapped, and placed under the tree. I hope to have the last ones finished on Tuesday or Wednesday (I know, cutting it close, lol).


This year I am going with a white/silver/blue theme. The papers are white with silver patterns and the ribbons are blue. I made the tags, with papers from the Frostbite Paper Pack, and they are glued to the ribbon/paper. No big bows. No frou frou. Just the basics. Simple but effective. It also looks nice with the white theme of the tree. I can dig it!

Just for kicks

Just for kicks I created another layout with pics of my tree.
Can you tell I love my tree? I really do. And this year I love it extra much as I, after years of contemplating, got all new baubles in white and clear glass. There's just the lone ranger blue ball that my dear friend Karri got us for our wedding nine years ago. :)


All my stuff apart from the staples which are by Vinnie Pearce. Go here for full credits.

New in store - 12 Days of Christmas Hybrid Project Friday

Happy Friday! Bet you never thought I'd have something new up in my shop at JessicaSprague.com on a Friday? Well, times they are a-changing folks. This week is the first week of, I hope, several where I bring you a project for Hybrid Project Friday. Yay!

The project is a handmade accordion fold book devoted to the 12 Days of Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas

(click on the image to go directly to the product in the shop)

The project includes printable PDFs for the covers and inside pages of the book for those who prefer to stay out of Photoshop, fully layered psd templates for Photoshop fiends, and a complete printable PDF tutorial with images to guide you through the bookmaking from start to finish.

The book consists of 12 pages, one for each day of Christmas, with room for one photo on each page. When finished you will have a simple, but sophisticated mini album to remember your Christmas.

Here's my book




Here's what Meg did

Meg used the Frostbite Paper Pack for her book.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I will spend it making Christmas cards and sweets. :)

Sitting down for a Christmas breakfast

One lovely tradition that my husband and I have with his brother and family is to have breakfast together on Christmas Eve. We started doing it a few years back when we couldn't find another way to see eachother during the holiday and now it's one of the things I wouldn't miss for the world.

This year we met up at our place and despite being very busy the days leading up to Christmas I tried to make it the place nice and inviting.



I went for a traditional look for the breakfast with a sand coloured linen cloth and a hugh mutha of a wreath that I tied with red satin ribbons and finished off with matte red balls.


I used glass candle holders from IKEA, that are quickly becoming my favourite, with white candles. To keep it simple I used tea light candles in glass holders also from IKEA.


I put a few matte red balls in clusters at the base of each candle trio to add colour.


The white china (of course) was complemented by the napkin holders that I recieved as gift several years ago. The little girls dressed up in Christmas gear are perfect for a traditional Christmas setting.


These last two photos were taken on the morning of, right before we sat down to eat. It was still dark out and with the candles, and the snow glistening outside, it was a perfect Christmas morning.

God Jul - Merry Christmas

With only four more days until Christmas Eve and so many things to do; two more days of work, baking, the last of the wrapping, and a couple of visits with friends, I am not quite sure I will be able to stop by here again before Christmas. So with that I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! I hope you will have a lovely time with lots of love and warmth and good times with those you love!

God Jul - Merry Christmas - Buon Natale!

Project 52 all wrapped up

With Christmas just around the corner my photo this week is all about the holiday. I have been working on getting all our gifts wrapped every night this week. I am happy to say that I am almost finished with just a few small ones left to wrap.

I always have a distinct theme for the gifts (no surprise there, eh) and this year I went with red, white, and silver. Looks good because it matches the tree. :)

#50, 2009


Here are some more photos of what is hiding under the tree, about a third of the lot.