On the SECOND Day of Christmas....

...I made some Paper Roses!



To make these roses you will need punched or die-cut flowers in graduated sizes (different sizes but don't have to be the same). You can even cut out your own.



You will also need a container of water, some foil and spray starch. Soak your punches/die-cuts in the water for about 15 to 30 minutes.



The optional largest petal should have long, narrow petals. Cut petals longer if necessary. Roll long petals around your awl or a bamboo skewer. Roll on the diagonal to form a twist. Dry with an embossing tool or hair dryer. (Or air dry!)



Cut petals to be about 3/4" long on the next larger petal, if necessary.



Pinch petals in half. Scrunch flower as shown. Make a ball out of foil drape and shape the flower around the foil form. Dry with your embossing tool.



Roll end of of petals around your awl or bamboo skewers using the other larger flower. Drape over foil form and dry with your embossing tool.





Repeat the last step for the medium size flower.



Pinch the two smallest flower around your awl or bamboo skewer and dry with your embossing tool.




Layer all the dried petals in descending order. glue together with glue dots or your favorite adhesive. Mist with Glimmer Mist if you want a sparkle!



Have fun making an entire garden!

ENJOY!!

Laura

On the FIRST Day of Christmas...

I'm not sure when the first day of Christmas is officially, but TODAY is the first day of Christmas here on my blog!I will upload a new project, idea, or tip each day. On the 12th Day of Christmas (actually it will be on December 18th) I will be giving away a one-of-a-kind Mini made especially for this event! To be entered all you need to do is subscribe to my blog and leave a comment that you subscribed. If you already subscribe, let me know in your comment that you are a subscriber....that's it.

This first project is a Gingerbread House Recipe Box!


It would make a great gift for the cooks in your life or a wonderful hostess gift. It can hold either recipe cards or photo's.The little box a the end is one the the first mini's I made. I saw something like it and figured out my own dimensions. I will have a video up on Youtube (http://followthepapertrail.youtube.com) showing this project and will have kits up on Etsy (http://followthepapertrail.etsy.com) to make one just like mine by tomorrow.




To make this Cover, you will need chipboard cut to the sizes shown, a 12" x 12" paper for the outside, cut into two 6" x 12" pieces. You will also need a sheet of 12" x12" paper for the inside cover, cut into two 4 1/2" x 12" pieces.




Attach chipboard to wrong side of patterned paper. Place seams as shown in photo. Make a "shim" with two thicknesses of chipboard. Use this shim to make a consistent space between chip pieces.




Trim corners about an 1/8" from corner at about a 45 degree angle.












Gently roll paper over edge of chipboard and glue in place.






Fold cover towards inside, scoring if necessary






Place inside paper on chip board to cover edges of outside paper, seaming as shown in photo. Adhere to chipboard.





Gently fold cover towards inside again, scoring if needed.









Attach magnets (or velcro dots) as shown. I have had problems with the magnets coming unglued in the past. I like to punch a small flower to cover over the magnet to help attach it more firmly without affecting it's magnetism. I like to use Glossy Accents to attach the magnet and flower. Repeat on the outside cover as well.







































Seal six #10 envelopes closed. Trim approximately 1/4 off ends of envelopes and cut in half.





Use a circle or scalloped punch to cut out "finger" pulls from envelopes.




Run a strip of adhesive 3/4" +/- from each side. Attach all envelopes together.

























I use a stronger adhesive such as Terrifically Tacky tape to affix the envelpope "group" to the coverered chip board cover. Attach approcimately 1/2" to 3/4" above bottom. Attach to front first then to back of "box".































The cover is ready to decorate!


















To make the "roof", trim a 5" x 5" piece of chip board as shown. cover with paper and attach to upper flap. Add dimensional paint to simulate snow on the roof line and windows. Add glitter glue (Stickles) to snow and tree.


Make Recipe cards or photo matt's from solid or pattern paper. I used 4" x 6" for the cards and 3" x 4" for the photo matt.




























































Have fun with this project and make sure to check out the video on Youtube!
Happy Holidays!!

Laura

You know you have a Glimmer Mist and Stickles addiction when:

*Someone comments on your "sparkly" nail enamel and you aren't wearing nail enamel. (Too much Stickles!)

* You ask for something that sparkles for Christmas....and you're thinking Glimmer Mist!

*You look at your pearlized shampoo/conditioner in the shower and try to think of what color of Glimmer Mist it looks like...and wonder if you have that color!

*You notice for the fist time that there is a sparkle fleck in your tooth paste...and it looks like Stickles!

*You consider using a drop of Stickles on each ear when you can't find you favorite stud earrings!

I've never been a sparkle girl till I discovered Glimmer Mist and Stickles!
I think I need "Sparklers Anonymous"!



I have some new fun stuff coming up on my Blog starting Monday!

I will be doing my own version of
The 12 Days of Christmas!

I will have 12 (yes 12!!) ideas for handcrafted decor and gifts. I'm starting now to give you enough time to get them done before Christmas. Some will be super quick and easy, some a bit more involved. I will also have kits available for some of them, but all will have instructions on my blog and a video on YouTube.

Happy Holidays!!!

I am slowly inching forward on getting caught up!! I finally go the contact info out to all the Pink Mini high bidders and the corresponding maker. Let me know if you didn't get an email and you fit in either catagory! It was a challenge to keep over 50 real names, YouTube names, blog names and emails all straight!! So sorry for the delay getting the info out! Mom had several follow up appt.'s and we spent Friday at the ER last week. Her ulcer flaired up and they wanted to do a CAT scan and other tests. She is better over the weekend.
As I finaly get to look up and see what's going on around me I realize that Thanksgiving is next week! WHAAAAAATTT??!!! Where did November go!! AAuuuggghhh! To everyone I owe a trade ini to, I am working away and will have them all out by the end of the month. I appreciate everyone's patience. I am hoping to get my gate fold paperbag tutorial up later today, as well as a couple of Christmas kits up before Thanksgiving.
I am getting sooo excited this year for Christmas! I love, love, love this time of year!
More soon!

Laura

PS This was what my scrap area looked like last week before I literally dug it out!!

What a ROLLERCOASTER!!

Oh, I have sooo missed all my scrappy friends this week! Thank you all so much for your concern and prayers!! First things first! Mom is doing well! After a few scary days and about a squillion tests they determined that her colon cancer had NOT returned as we had all feared, but rather she had developed a bleeding ulcer! Serious but treatable! Whew! She also has a touch of pneumonia. Her blood numbers were so low that she needed 3 blood transfusions to get things into the normal range. (It seemed like they were taking out almost as much as they put in!!) They were also concerned about her heart due to the low blood numbers. When your numbers are that low, the heart has to work significantly harder and that can lead to severe heart complications. But, alas, she is now back to her feisty self. They are adjusting her meds ... she has severe arthritis and takes a fistful every day ... they think that the meds are the cause of the ulcer, so adjustments are needed. Again, thank you all for your concern and prayers, it helped a lot!! (This photo is from Mother's Day this year)

On a happier note, in the midst if all of this with Mom, I had a booth at a large, local quilting/craft festival. It went very well, only about 10-15% less than last year due to the economy. After 4 nights of 3-4 hours of sleep and 4 days of standing on concrete floors, I feel like I have been hit by several large semi's! I had a tryptic of angels that did very well (you can check them out on my quilting blog: http://lauradenisondesigns.blogspot.com) My studio is scary looking....I can't even get close to my scrap table! I'm teaching a quilt class today (what was I thinking when I scheduled that!) and then I am digging out. I will get the pink mini info out in the next day or two and get working on all the trades and tutorials I have on the docket. Plus, I have some new kits that are almost ready.

Mach 10 with my hair on fire as usual!!!

Love and hugs to all!!!
Laura

A rough day...

I know many of you are waiting to either send or receive your Pink Mini's and you just need the contact info from me. I will be getting the info out as soon as I can. I have just returned from having to admit my Mom to the hospital. She has been experiencing shortness of breathe for about a week now and saw the doctor today. The doctor Immediately admitted her. Don't know what's wrong yet but she is extremely anemic. It could be a touch of pnemonia, the start of congestive heart failure, or the return of her colin cancer. We just don't know until further tests. Needless to say I am freaked out. This coupled with the much less important quilt expo has me feeling that my head may explode at any time! So, please put my Mom in your prayers and be patient with me. I will be sending out the info I have as soon as I am able to.

Laura

Pink Mini Auction Wrap Up

WOW! and THANK YOU!!!! to all participants and THANK YOU to the bidders (especially those with multiple bids)!!!!
I can't say THANK YOU enough!! Everyone's mini was amazing! Over half of the mini's were made from the designers own materials. Again, THANK YOU! Everyone pulled together and made it happen and all the hard work was appreciated greatly! Here is a list of the final bids .If you were not a high bidder, you can still contribute by making a donation at the Passionately Pink for a cure website noted below. Below are the instructions on what to do next.

Album A
Bona: $40 from Shorna
Beverly #2: $10 from purplelsumom
Beverly #3: $15 from purplelsumom
Jana: $10 from Suz

Album B
Amy: $30 from zettibetti
Ebony: $35 from from purplelsumom
Gloria: $15 from Cara
Sandra: $45 from purplelsumom
Ruth: $15 from purplelsumom

Album C
Beth: $10 from At the Brink of Insanity
Felicia: $10 from Joyce
Malin: $10 from Joyce
Tiffany: $25 from Cathy
Lisa: $ $25 from Jude

Album D
Jude: $15 from Cathy
Joy: $40 from Trina
Louise: $10 from MiasMommy
Rowena: $35 from purplelsumom
Joyce: $60 from Jude

Album E
Alyson: $45 from Shorna
Christina: $45 from Shorna
Debbi: $30 from Suzy C
Phoenix: $15 from purplelsumom
Tammy: $10 from Suzy C

Album F
Stacy: $10 from At the Brink of Insanity
Laura: $100 from lconner
Sarah: $50 from Kathryn at Scrapbeach
Tara: $40 from Cathy
Glynda: $15 from purplelsumom

The High Bidders can now go to the Passionately Pink website (http://www.info-komen.org/goto/pink-minis ) to make a donation in the amount of your bid (or more if you choose!). All funds go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. (None of the money goes through me or the participants!) They accept all major credit/debit cards. You will immediately receive a receipt for you donation for tax purposes.
I also need the High Bidders to email me (at quiltedbaglady@aol.com) a contact email to forward on to the mini designer. You can then exchange the needed info to get the mini to the high bidder. All participants have agreed to mail the mini's to the highest bidder. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me! Thank you once again!


BLOG CANDY WINNERS!
My son and daughter drew the names of the Pink Mini for a Cure Blog Candy today. The entrants were anyone who helped advertise the auction, participated in the auction or made a donation. the winners are:
A mini album kit from Jill W (momma2ski): Grab the Scraps
A complete mini album from me: Jill W!!
A mini Album kit from me: Amy (amysscrappyspace)
Email me your contact info so I can get these items in the mail to you!!

BIG PINK HUGS!!!
Laura