hearts & trees

New Years day isnt even through and I am already thinking about Valentines day and Next Christmas. I get it honestly through 20 years in the retail/import business. I have always lived my life in seasons---a year ahead of time.

I also have most of my holiday shopping done for next year thanks to the after christmas 75% off clearance sales...heehee. I hate that. It feels cheap, dirty & underhanded. But i feel good that all the "extra curricular" gifts are done, packed in a tote, and in storage.

This is a Valentine tree I made today.

I plan to change the tree decorations with each season, updating with new photos, colors & designs. Next christmas this will be THE gift for the grandma's in our family. Each holiday they will also get a new set of photo decorations to hang on their trees. Oh look...another christmas gift done - forever. I rock.

Supplies

Cascada/Salmon Cardstock

Elan Metallics/Bronze

Basic Grey Patterned Paper in 2x2 squares

Maya Road Wings Keychain chipboard

Melissa Frances Pink Glitter Heart Chipboard

Pearl Pigment ink

Pink Stickles

Darice Metal Heart Charms

Glitter Pens in Bronze/Copper

White Raffia

Rubber Coated Metal Tree from Ikea

Cricut with Doodle Charms & Accent Essentials Cartridges

stencil brush

Tim Holtz Tea Dye distress ink

Instructions

Gather six 1x1" closeup photos

1) Cut six 3.5" Doodle Charms Scalloped Hearts from the Elan Metallics Bronze cardstock

2) Cut six 4" Accent Essentials Bracketed Solid Frame (in Shift Mode)

3) ink edges of all pieces with tea dye distress ink

4) use pearl ink on the chipboard wings and add a coat of pink stickles with a paint brush

5) adhere hearts to the background frames

6) layer & collage patterned paper, photos, wings, hearts & charms

7) Punch hole in top and feed two ends of the raffia from the back of the frame thru to the front and tie a bow, leaving the loop to the back of the frame for hanging.

8) hang on tree branches

9) add extra decoration with ribbon, ribbon slides, rhinestones to the tree as desired

Recent Projects!

Holiday Goody Bag!
Designer: Jodi Kennedy, Worldwin Papers Design Team
Featured on
http://www.pinktomatos.blogspot.com/
http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/143663.html

Supplies:
Worldwin Papers/Antique White/Treasures
Worldwin Papers/Ivory/Elan Metallics
Making Memories Glitter Alpha Stickers
Cricut Bag from Plantain Cartridge, cut on Cricut Expressions
Cricut Snowflakes from Accent Essentials Cartridge
Rope Ribbon
Crafters Companion
Kokoyu Dot n Roller

Instructions:
1) Place Antique White Treasures 12x12 cardstock on the Cricut Mat and cut bag shape set on "fit to page"
2) Place Ivory Elan Metallics on Cricut Mat and cut snowflakes & Scallop Border in sizes around 1"
3) Score bag folds using Crafter's Companion and assemble bag using Kokoyu Dot N Roller
4) Apply Snowflakes & Scallop Border to front of bag
5) Apply Making Memories Glitter stickers to spell "joy" or other holiday word
6) Tie the rope ribbon to handle
7) Fill with goodies!

Oh Christmas Tree
Designer: Jodi Kennedy, Worldwin Papers Design Team
Featured on
http://www.pinktomatos.blogspot.com/
http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/143663.html


Who says a Christmas Tree needs to be a triangle! I was messing around with my favorite stamp in the whole world. The Growing In Unity Tree by Unity Stamp Company. I wondered how cute it would look with some garland and ornaments. Well, it looks fab!

Supplies:
Worldwin Papers/Cascada/Sky Blue
Worldwin Papers/Caribbean Colors/Passion Fruit
Elan Metallics/Warm Dust
Dye Ink Pad in Aqua
Unity Stamp Co/Growing in Unity Tree
Crafters Companion
Stickles in Platinum & Hot Pink or Burgundy
random word stamps such as wonder, believe, dream, inspire

Instructions:
1) Using the Crafters Companion score & fold 2 A2 sized cards from the Cascada & Caribbean Colors cardstocks
2) Stamp the Unity Tree on the front and embellish the limbs with Platinum Stickles and "dot" ornaments in burgundy or hot pink
3) Tear the Elan Metallics to create "snow drifts" and ink the torn edge with the Aqua ink pad.
4) Adhere the snowdrifts to the bottom of the card
5) stamp with word stamps


Loaves of Love * Holiday Bread Bag Toppers
Designer: Jodi Kennedy, Worldwin Papers Design Team
Featured on
http://www.pinktomatos.blogspot.com/
http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/143663.html

Supplies
(Makes 9 Bag Toppers)
White/Treasures Cardstock x 3
Melissa Frances Glitter Chipboard Christmas Shapes x 9
Melissa Frances Christmas Rub-Ons x 9
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad in Tea Dye
Stencil Brush
Sheer Organza Ribbon in Green
Red Marker
Crafters Companion Score Board
Cricut Expressions Christmas Cheer Cartridge with Scalloped Card
Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive

Instructions:
1) Use Cricut to cut Scallop Shaped Cards approximately 5.25” when folded
2) Use Crafters Companion to Score Fold line and fold all cards
3) Use Stencil Brush to apply Tea Dye ink to edges of all cards & Glitter Chipboard Pieces
4) Tie Ribbon around front Flap of Topper card, positioning the knot toward the right side. Trim Ends
5) Use Red Marker to accent the Glitter Chipboard pieces as desired – such as in areas that represent berries.
6) Apply Chipboard to top of ribbon toward the left side of the card using Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive
7) Apply Rub-ons
8) Attach toppers to bags using a standard stapler.

november update~~~

November brought a lot of new projects and commitments. we had a lot of fun at the Glamour in the Slammer Bridal Show which was held at the old Ohio Reformatory. a fabulous old building that is creepy in a most gorgeous way. To think it was a jail and that it is "haunted" was a little unsettling--but all in all - a very cool place.

It was also fun hanging out with 40 or so women during a weekend scrapbook retreat at the Christian Childrens Home. PT was a vendor there and we met a bunch of great ladies. It was relaxing too, to get away, even though we were officially working.

Random Projects completed:

Worldwin Papers / Accu-Cut / October Afternoon / JustRite Stampers

Worldwin Papers / Jillibean Soup / Cricut

Worldwin Papers / Jillibean Soup / Cricut

Worldwin Papers / Jillibean Soup / Accu-Cut

Worldwin Papers / Unity Stamp / Stickles

This is a great example of our new Scriptology Designs - we have this one in the shop at a workspace. Our customized wall graphics are becoming more & more popular locally and hopefully soon we will have them available to order online through our website...

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. it was a stress-free one for me, no cooking - no cleaning. Can't ask for anything better than that!

PS3, Halloween, Paper

thom's birthday cake - he turned 10 on 9/30
i am HATING that.
and a few of his best bud's came over for a campout & a fire, which ended up all over the living room floor because it was too chilly out.





wooo hoo! just got meeself the latest in gaming enjoyment (well its not the latest, but i was late is getting one)- the PS3. Should have gotten this when we got the Wii. But the boys love that so i guess all is well. they are gunning for the PS3 in the WORST way though - too bad i have it hooked up in my bedroom. Ratchet & Clank is my favorite.

















its oct 14 and i cannot believe halloween is right around the corner...where the heck did summer go? i love the fall - its my absolute favorite. the leaves are changing here, it smells like autumn and its time to burn candles that waft apples & cinnamon & pumpkin. its a great time to be outside. I took matt to the pumpkin patch with my sister, jen and my niece, wren

A little project for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's a Blessings Box made with Worldwin Papers & Melissa Frances Products. the mini deck of cards inside and reminders and inner peace-keepers.

this would be "jofus" doing his thing. which is climbing trees and skateboarding. oh and hopping onto a homecoming parade float, just because he can.

A handmade social stationery set made with worldwin papers and melissa frances products. Her I used the Pear Vintage Labels - love these things! - the rest is all WWP and the patterned paper is actually stamped with Paper Artsy.

catchin' UP

i am risking sitting here blogging at 7:00 am when my booty should be up getting ready for work and getting kids breakfast and off to school, but i am justifying that I am having my morning joe (in more ways than one) and as long as i am sitting enjoying that i might as well catch up on my blog.

just a few points to catch things up...

i found that i am using my new blackberry too much. i seem to be keyboarding on my computers like i do on the BB. the shortcuts arent the same.

i am still flip flopping on whether i should use this as a store blog or not - i mean, it is called pink tomato afterall. but for today, this is my personal blog.

kids are back in school now, for a few weeks. it was Fair week this week and the county gives all of the local schools in the county a day off school and a ticket to the fair - how awesome is that?

we officially are full time parents of 3 as of august when my step son, Joey, came to live with us permanently all the way from tallahassee. so far things have been great and we all are adjusting well. its his first yr of HS and he's trying to find his way in this new life. he's settled in and has made lots of friends, and is realizing its a totally different world here in rural ohio. he's also a young man. scary. his first official girlfriend is named lauren. uhm. we dont know her last name. and neither does joey. ugh.

christy is bummed. apparently in that long contract from stampin' UP, you cant be a store owner. so they gave her the boot. even though her sales have increased. go figure. curious though. I just hope there wasn't anyone being catty out there and turned her in. that would be really disappointing. but its OK if you are on a Design Team for another company or if you work at another store. Soooo - i think maybe we will do some sort of stamp club with one of the lines in the shop - perhaps UNITY STAMP CO. or ART DECLASSIFIED (coming soon!)

speaking of the store - we gots lots of new & unique product in and we are beginning our first phase of creating our clearance section, we have some things on sale and we are pulling more this week.

we are unrolling this week custom invitations for parties & weddings and will be showing at a local bridal show on sunday.

finally and in closing - it's 9/11. i remember that day vividly. i remember driving my 30 minutes to work from lake worth to boca raton. i remember distinctly turning OFF the morning radio so that I could get into my head and think about planning my day. I remember coming into the office shortly before 9:00 am and someone mentioning a plane crash in NY. i remember being concerned, but as i was making my way to my office, I was more interested in what was in my morning email. i remember sitting down, turning on the computer and letting it boot up. i remember my chat programs coming up, AIM & YAHOO, and going to get a cup of coffee. i remember sitting down and my mom, in ohio, popping on yahoo messenger typing me a message freaking out about another plane crash in NY. i remember several moments of confusion as to why this could be significant in a much bigger capacity than just a plane crash. as if a plane crash wasnt devastating enough. i remember a little hullaballoo starting to take place in the office and people pulling up msnbc.com or cnn.com to see if there were any stories. as the morning rolled on and two more plane crashes later, i remember everyone trying to figure out what the hell was happening and wondering if we were being attacked. i remember dropping everything i was doing and leaving to run to walmart to grab a TV so that we could plug it in and see the news. and it wasnt good. in the days and months to follow, i remember being glued to my television every morning causing me to be late to work and every night until i fell asleep. i remember every moment looking over my shoulder. afraid to leave the house. afraid to go to a mall. afraid to take my family to disney. because we were all targets. i remember crying. out loud. something i never do. and i remember the day President Bush announced we were going to Iraq. i remember wondering why we were going there, but at the same time feeling like if he said we needed to, then he must know more than me and that i should trust that it was the right thing to do. how naive i was. i remember the horrible pictures on tv of the two dead sons of Saddam Hussein in that tent. i remember jessica lynch and all the other horrible stories of death & destruction.

7 years later. i still choke up thinking about that day and the chain of events that followed.