On Christmas Day at Half Past Three

On Christmas Day

At half past three

Have yourself a cuppa tea.

I'll think of you,

You'll think of me,

Sitting beside the

Christmas Tree!

author unknown

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Eve

Well, I guess you could say I've been scarce for a couple of weeks--mostly running from here to there, finishing Christmas Cards, attending Christmas programs & parties, and the usual wrapping, boxing, and sending it all via the post office...after a lengthy wait in a line of "I don't have time to wait" anxious patrons.  I've even had to post-pone some of the projects I had planned for Christmas prezzies...just ran out of time.  I still haven't gotten the hang of juggling my blogging with crafting, and picture taking, and posting--yet.  But I've got some ideas for the post-Christmas season that I'm looking forward to soon sharing, that will help with the organization of it all, and I'm pretty excited about it. 

For this Christmas Eve day, I thought I'd play a little catch up and post a few photos of the fun busy-ness I've been up to.  Enjoy!




more card making



once opened -- becomes a card with a hanger



Liquid Applique technique (coming soon)




Cody & pups -- and my DH red bull in front of the Christmas Tree.
yes...there is a story there somewhere.




Hercules




Lucky




Poor Man's Turtles!  -- pretzel w/Rollo on top, bake 4 min. @ 350F, top with pecan halves while warm.  We made these for Cody's high school teachers this year -- they loved them!




I love "dressing" my table for the holidays!





The cardinals are so pretty this time of year against the winter white -- can you see it?




winter snows a' blowin'




The snowflakes on the ceiling look like a winter wonderland especially
when we're coming down the steps...I love our snowflakes!



Wishing you all a Cozy Christmas -- remembering Jesus is the reason we celebrate the season!

A Very Merry Christmas to You!!
Lisa

Snowman Buttons

When I went off to college, many years ago, my Mom used to send me seasonal pins to wear for the various holidays, I still have most of them.  When I got older and had kids, I carried on the tradition by buying them pins to wear during the holiday seasons.  One year I saw these snowman button pins in a Family Fun magazine--which incidentally is a GREAT magazine if you have young kids and like finding a variety of ways to spend quality time together.  I started making these snowmen with my kids, and my Sunday School students.  They would always make one for themselves, and the others would be gifts for a parent, teacher, and even for friends.  They're great boxed up, or even as a gift and a card in one.  They're easy to make and quick too (only need a bit of drying time for the glue) -- and repurposing old buttons is a bonus!

LoveLee Recipe:  2 white buttons (w/2 thread holes), 1 piece of stiff black felt for hat, 1 piece of stiff black or white felt for backing, 1 piece of red felt, ribbon, or torn material for scarf, and pin backing. 

1. Take the two white buttons--glue one button into position as the head, with the thread holes horizontal for the eyes, onto a scrap piece of black or white felt (black felt makes the eyes & body buttons look like coal, while the white makes them blend in like snow).
2. Glue the second button into position beneath the head, with the thread holes vertical for the body buttons.  Cut off excess felt around the buttons, leaving a bit on either side of the neck area for stability. 
3. Cut a portion of red felt, or other material, for snowman's scarf -- wrap around neck & glue in place--this will hide the extra felt showing around neck area. 
4. Cut black felt to resemble a hat and glue on head (top button) with a bit of a tilt.
5. Finally, glue pin backing onto back of felted buttons and let dry completely.

A couple other fun ideas, in case you don't want it as a pin -- add another layer of felt to back of snowman holding a pencil in between layers, and only glue top and sides of felt.  Remove pencil & let dry--makes a cute pencil topper.  Use it on a card as decoration only.  Attach a ribbon hanger inbetween a second layer of felt to make it into an ornament.  And, quickly dress up a plain gift tag.  Most of all...just have fun with it.

---"it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

Merry Christmas crafting--Lisa

Paper Folded Christmas Trees



The two trees on left were made w/the same double-sided cardstock, & they are shown using a different side for each card.  The tree on the right was made using a lighter weight paper--not quite as dimensional, and lays flat.  Ornament shown hanging above, top right.

 I love Close to My Heart (CTMH) stamps!  I'm not strictly a stamper girl, in fact, I just enjoy dabbling in a lot of different mediums--so you won't always see stamping in my projects.  But I'm a romantic at heart, and actually it was the name of the company that first caught my eye several years ago.  Since we're a military family I had never had the desire to stock up on a lot of wood blocked stamps--their bulkiness & weight is something I have to consider each time we relocate to another place. But when I found these CTMH acrylic stamps I loved that they were prepackaged in envelopes that solved the easy & lightweight storage issue.  In saying that, I am not a consultant so this isn't really a sales pitch but just a preface to this post really--

I started going to Hostess Club meetings for CTMH a few years ago with some friends and this paper folding technique is something I learned from the consultant, Johanna.  It's an easy process and you can recycle scraps of paper to make it!  You'll need four squares of decorative paper (I like mine two-sided) in varied sizes:  (squared) 3", 2 1/2", 2", and 1 1/2".  You can use any sizes as long as they vary by 1/2" each--these sizes fit perfectly on an standard A2 card (1/2 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11", folded in half--or 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" card). 

You'll fold each square as indicated in the picture above following the steps making sure to firmly press each fold line: 1. pick which side you want to show and fold in half diagonally, 2. open it up and fold it again on the opposite diagonal. 3. open it up, flip to other side, and fold in half -- straight edges together. 4. with opposite side facing up and in a tent-like position, press down on center with finger and you should be able to fold into a flattened triangle on the previous fold lines. 5. with it laying flat in front of you (straight edge on bottom), take the top section, right straight edge of the triangle and fold it, on front, the right edge to the center of the triangle--do this to the left side as well, folding it over so the left edge of the triangle is even with the right edge, in the CENTER of the triangle--press down firmly.  Do this with each of the four squares.  6. Nest the folded triangle together (large on bottom, to smallest on top). Put a glue dot, or dab of glue on the back top of the three largest triangles to secure. 

I used brown scraps for the tree trunk and mounted the tree to an oval cutout before mounting it to my card.  I also made it into an ornament by putting two completed trees together, sandwiching a metallic cord hanger between the two trees.  In retrospect, I think I would've liked the ornament even better with three sides as opposed to the two--but you can play around with it for different options.  I added some miniature tree lights and stickles to the ornament, and stickles & a bauble tree topper for the trees on the cards.  Just a note:  If you use scrapbook paper instead of cardstock, it will lay lighter & flatter for mailing out...if you use cardstock it will be more dimensional and will pop out of you card a bit more.  And I found the cardstock worked better for the ornament, and they even look great on banners as well.

If you have any problems with this technique, please let me know.  I'm hoping to start posting videos after the first of the new year--that should be interesting.  =)

Happy Crafting,

Lisa

Counting Down with Bottle Caps

 Several years ago my son and I put together this simple Countdown Calendar after watching Michael Strong (author of "Don't Throw That Away") on the Carol Duvall Show. For being made of recycled materials it's held up rather well. Anyway, I know it's already into December but I thought I'd still share it. =)

The base is a panel cut out of a cardboard box and covered with wrapping paper--we used gift wrap ribbon for the hanger (stapled on), wrapped the cardboard like a package, and taped it down.  The bottle caps were saved from water bottles & 2 liter bottles of pop/soda--we used double stick tape to stick them down in the shape of a tree (other shapes could be a star or a wreath).  I used two sizes of a circle punch to cut the "lids"-- 2 1/2" circles of white cardstock were cut for the base, and 2 1/4" circles were cut out of Christmas magazines for the decorative tops.  My son especially loved picking out the pictures we used.  We used glue sticks to stick the two circles together.  I filled each bottle cap with different items--the circumference fits a quarter perfectly--some items that fit well are:  spare change, fruit snacks, m&m's, Christmas pins, earrings, stickers, charms, jingle bells, candy, handwritten notes, thoughts for the day, even crafting suppies such as ribbons, brads, etc, all fit great.  To close off the tops until ready to open we ran a glue stick around the top edge of each bottle cap, then place each decorative punched circle on top and let dry/cure a few hours before you hang it up.  You could number each of the toppers, but Cody wanted to choose which one to open each day himself, so we decided not to (we used 25 individual caps). 

Each day the decorative circle is removed from the bottle cap, then pressed to the backing board.  The glue stick retains enough dry stickiness that it easily adheres to the wrapping paper (note: we used a slicker type paper, which made it easy for the toppers to come off the backing board later).  I want to say we probably made this in 2006, and last year was the first year we added more glue to the caps.  The toppers adhered to the plastic caps each year without needing additional glue--pretty cool. 

This project is a fun & easy project for kids to do, and it can be adapted for parties and such any time of the year--just choose a shape such as a smiley face, etc, and you can use it as a game for the kids to find the hidden item, or for countdown to Easter, or what about a countdown to their birthday?!  Oooo...I wish I had that when I was growing up.  LOL  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this quick project.  Thanks for stopping by--and keep recycling!

Mastering the Busy Season

Thanksgiving was wonderful time, but that weekend I wasn't feeling too well and into the next week.  By that time, I was so behind on my "to-do" list that today is the first day I've really had a moment to spend some time online--but this has been a very full week indeed.  First I have to REJOICE in that my hubby has finally been able to finish his Master's Degree -- MBA with focuses in Human Resources & Strategic Management!  WOO HOO--way to go honey!!  I'm so proud of him -- he stuck it out while working a full time job filled mostly with overtime, including a deployment to Iraq, and amongst other adversites.  I keep telling him he's going to be bored, and won't know what to do with his extra time.  However, I'm sure I'll be able to help him out with some sort of a nifty, even crafty, "Honey-do" list.  In the meantime, I put him to work this morning helping me take a load of boxes to the post office to mail out--then shopping at the grocery, and even a bit of house-maintenance.  =) 

I spent the last few days finishing up the last bit of my Christmas shopping, Christmas wrapping, and as I mentioned previously, mailing out all our boxes to family & friends.  All I have left to do is finish the rest of my cards, address them, and mail them out!  And last, but not least--Tim Holtz is continuing his tradition of the 12 Tags of Christmas this year!  He's doing the full tutorials for each of his tags, and if you leave a comment on his blog your name could be drawn for some great prizes!  You really oughta check out his blog.  This is the first year I just might be able to sit down and try out his tags as well.  If I do, I'll be sure to post them.  In the meantime, check out his 12 Tags of Christmas/Day 1--they're totally awesome!  =)



Apple Pie, Pumpkin Rolls, & Pink Stuff --  Thanksgiving Yummies!!



Tied Up With Ribbon

Still working on Christmas Cards--here's another one I made that was super simple to make...and no stamping either.  It's a pedestal card aka easel card -- Splitcoast Stampers has an easy to follow tutorial on how to make these cards.  If you're not a member, it's free to join.  There are SO many resources you can find on their site--it's one of my favorite places to "hang out".  I used decorative Bo Bunny Christmas CS (layered over white, light blue, & ivory CS) -- I loved how the embossed/glittered design, tied up with satin ribbon, made it look like a beautiful package.  So I added the vellum "favorite things" saying, & a vellum tag (December 25) to finish the card.  This is actually one of my favorite cards--didn't take long to make, and didn't even get my hands dirty.  Ummm, okay--I actually like getting my hands dirty, but I still had fun making it.  =)

Well, I'm off here--gotta get prepping for tomorrow's Turkey dinner!  I'm thinking I'll start with a batch of cookies...Yummy!  =)

Woo Hoo--I made the Top 3!

I'm SO excited!  In an earlier post (As Summer Waves Good-bye)  I entered a challenge over at Simon Says Stamp & Show for showing my favorite Tim Holtz stamp, and I found out I was picked as one of the Top 3!  I am now proudly displaying my "Blinkie" on my sidebar!  A big thank you goes out to Simon Says...for a great blog & store!  You can check out their blog HERE, and shop at their online store HERE. 

I just had to share--thanks for "listening".  =)
Lisa

Thankful For...

What are you thankful for?  With Thanksgiving quickly approaching I find myself quite nostalgic of Thanksgivings past.  Being a military family away from "home", I really appreciate the times we've been able to get home for Thanksgiving--as well as our family coming and visiting us.  This year, it will just be the three of us since our older son isn't able to join us either--However, we'll still have our traditional large Turkey dinner I'll be preparing, since my DH loves his leftovers.  I love cooking (and eating), so I actually look forward to it.  I'm so thankful for my family!

But I wanted to actually create this post in honor of my son, Cody.  He came home yesterday asking to bake cookies for his teachers -- he's been taking a Foods class this semester and loves it.  He's always helped me out in the kitchen from time to time, and last year I was telling him I wanted him to start learning to do a bit more cooking & baking--so that when he gets on his own in a few years he can take care of himself (and maybe invite his parents over for dinner sometime).  That's when he decided he'd take a Foods class during his 10th grade year--and it's strictly cooking, so he's really enjoying it.  Anyway...I digress--I guess he had talked to my DH about helping a girl in his class pass out cookies for her.  She asked him to give a cookie to a particular teacher, and that teacher happened to be talking with another teacher at the time.  He had only one cookie to give and felt terrible that the other one was left out--that's when he decided to come home and bake some himself.  He wanted some for his teachers, extras--just in case, and enough left over for our family too.  I was so impressed--and proud.  Cody has such a good heart--I'm so Thankful for Cody!

I stayed up a bit longer last night to do up some quick cookie packets--he would've been happy just handing them out with a napkin--but it was simple process.  I stamped "Thankful For"  (Stampin' Up Elegant Beginnings stamps) on the front of leafprint scrapbook cardstock (CS), folded it in half and stapled it the top of the cello bags they were packaged in.  I used Tim Holtz' Odds & Ends ticket stamp 'Limited Edition' for the back, and Cody added his name.  I was going to have Cody write the teacher's names on each, but thought that would be too time consuming to rummage through and find the right one.  So instead I stamped "you" and overstamped with a CTMH leaf print, before attaching it to the front of the bag.  For a quick treat bag I thought they turned out well.   As he was leaving for the bus this morning he had one in hand for the bus driver--now won't that be a nice surprise!

I'm Thankful For You--all my blog readers & blog guests!
I'd like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! 
And may God bless you and your loves ones! 
Lisa

Making Cards - Color Me Happy!

I love making cards!  It's one of those "crafty" things that always takes me to that Happy place...speaking of which, I'm running rather late this time adding my post to this week's challenge over at Simon Says Stamp & Show.  This week the challenge was--"Whatever Makes You Happy", and for me, making cards definitely fits that challenge.  But what makes me even happier, is to sneak in a bit of repurposing while I'm at it.  Oh, yeah!

For this card:  I used standard white cardstock for the base, covering the front with deco paper from the DCWV Holiday Collection, Winter Matstack (collection of winter words) leaving a small border.  I stamped my snowflakes & message (CTMH New Fallen Snow stamp set) with VersaMark & clear embossing powder & covered the entire card with Chipped Sapphire Distress ink.  I used a silver Uniball gel pen for some added snow splatter, & added a taffeta wired ribbon.  Finally...I repurposed a Christmas card I received last year by cutting out the tree image and adding pop dots to make it stand out.  

I love that the snowy words are in the background lurking behind the Chipped Sapphire, while the embossed snowflakes reveal a bit more.  How "cool" is that?!  =)

Thanks for stopping by!  Lisa

One Tissue Box

Just a quick post to show what I did with just one tissue box...and I still had a few pieces left over (I could've made a collage card out of those--next time).  I used the front/back panels of the box for a card and the note tag, the top of the box for the oval window card, one and half sides for the teacup, and the rest of the side for the small tag.  One of the sides of the tissue box usually has a bar-code engraved in it.  I used that piece for my small tag, and just covered it up.  I've used the teacup before in a side-step card on an earlier post (Anyone Got A Tissue?).  I thought this one would be a nice place card at the table--I used a small container behind it to add a teabag, or some treats, etc.  I didn't have to take a lot of time on these cards--Quick & Easy!  And seriously...would you have know it all came from a tissue box?  =)

Happy Crafting!!
Lisa

Nature's Beauty - A Challenge & Repurposing too

I'm loving the Compendium of Curiosities Challenges (CCC #22) over at Linda's Studio L3.  I haven't played with my alcohol inks in a while, and this was the perfect opportunity.  The challenges are taken out of Tim Holtz' book Compendium of Curiosities -- this one was from page 52, Alcohol Ink Splatter.  And so much fun!!  I picked out the stamps I wanted to use first--Tim Holtz' Mini Holidays2 & Reindeer Flight, in which I used the two different sizes of trees.  I used the smaller size for my background and the larger size for my overlay, stamped on acetate/plastic.  Which brings me to the repurposing part--I used glossy cardstock I had been saving from various packaging, and the plastic was recycled from another package I just couldn't throw away.  The glossy cardstock was a great find, originally used as a liner in one my of packages--it wasn't as solid as traditional cardstock, but it worked great.  I probably had more bleed through than using traditional glossy cardstock, but no one ever sees the back side.  Oh, wait--guess what...I used that too!  ha ha...  For the quote by Helen Keller (CTMH stamp set "Beautiful Things") I used the back of a portion of my alcohol splatter project...I liked the softer look for the sentiment.  For the main portion of my card I used Tim's technique as in his book with the following colors:  Lettuce, Meadow, Pesto, Willow, Slate, Cloudy Blue, & Gold Mixative.  Yep--I used a lot of color. I stamped on the plastic, heat set it, cut it out and wrapped it with a wire ribbon, strung some lights, and popped dot it to my card. My tree star was a blue button--so I colored it with the gold mixative & blending solution before adding it to my tree.

NOTE:  I don't receive any compensation for recommending products, but this is too cool not to pass on.  I wanted to make a quick mention of my Non-stick Craft Sheet by Ranger Industries.  Whether I'm crafting at home or teaching a class I always use this craft mat.  It's awesome!  I purposely photographed my card on my craft mat so you could see the splatters from my ink before I cleaned it.  What is so cool about this mat, is that nothing sticks to it--glue, paint, ink, embossing powder, etc...it all wipes up so easily, and no bleed through.  You can iron on it, heat set, emboss, & more--it even repels water.  Seriously, I love this mat!  Okay...that was my public service announcement---moving right along...   =)

This was the first time I've attempted this technique and boy was it fun! If you haven't gone out and bought Compendium of Curiosities yet, you're gonna want to add it to your Christmas list--if you can wait that long.

Thanks for stopping by...and come again!

Lisa

A Christmas Snow Surprise

For those of you looking for a bit of inspiration in making your Christmas Cards this year, I plan on randomly posting cards I'm making--some are super quick & easy, others will include a variety of techniques.  It's rare that I'll make any two cards the exact same since I tend to recycle a variety of items--but I might repeat a style I really like, technique, or card type.  This is one of those cards themes that I really enjoy playing around with--mostly because I really like the snowy effect.  Though hard to see in this photo, the snow really does glistens in the light, but I didn't use any glitter.  Actually, I made my own imitation snow--it's sturdy enough to stay in one place on the card when moved steadily about, yet when shaken it gives that snow flurry effect before settling back into the drifts (this is some durable faux snow).  Keep reading and I'll explain how I made it.

LoveLee Recipe: 
For the Card:  I used DCWV Holiday Collection Winter Matstack for the background papers...mounted on white CS (cardstock).  I used my Cuttlebug to cut & emboss the frame from green CS before inking the raised areas with Pine Needles Distress ink.  I cut a piece of thin plastic packaging and adhered it behind the frame with Scor-Tape (or any strong dry adhesive).  Using TH Mini Holidays2 stamp set I used Versa-Mark to stamp the snowman & tree images onto the snowflake background paper and heat embossed with CTMH embossing powders.  On the back of the frame I used one layer of mounting foam strips all around the perimeter of the frame making sure to leave no gaps.  I lightly rubbed an embossing buddy (light dusting of baby powder will work too) over the snowflake background, and plastic, before adding the "snow" to the plastic portion of my frame--this keeps the snow from building up static on the plastic.  I removed the backing off the mounting foam, exposing the adhesive, and carefully added the snowflake background to the frame before finally adhering the snow-filled frame to the card base.  Finished off with a blue/silver ribbon, and hand-wrote the message.  And now for my favorite part which involves repurposing, of course--the "Snow"!

For the Faux Snow:  Simply this - take a piece of Styrofoam (the gritty kind) and cut it in half.  Rub the two halves together over a file folder or glitter tray to catch the "snow".  Surprise--that's it!  Easy Peasy!  The possibilities of how you decide to use it are endless; craft projects, in a jar with snowman parts (eyes, nose, scarf, hat, etc.) for a melted snowman, snow globes, cards, and much more.  Isn't this "cool"?!  =)  Okay...it gets better.  Use a prescription bottle, jar, or even a baggie and fill it about 1/2 way with your homemade snow (or with the amount you desire--just leave 1-2" from top).  Add a drop of any color re-inker, close the lid and shake it up for the color to disburse evenly (I start with one drop, and add more as needed).  I used blue re-inker to make some textured water in one of my projects, and batches of greens for wreaths and trees.  Try adding a bit of Diamond Glaze (or Glossy Accents) sparingly to mold it to your projects -- makes great clumpy snow.  And the Styrofoam shavings naturally glisten! 

Try it--I bet you'll be surprised at how many ideas you can come up with.  If you do, leave me a comment with your project link -- I'd love to see it!  Oh--one more tip...when you're working with your faux snow, whatever you do--don't sneeze!

As always, thanks for stopping by! 
Lisa

Veteran's Day - Remembering

Growing up I can remember my parents talking about how poorly our Vietnam Vets were treated when they returned from war--that left quite an impact on me as I grew up of how important it is for us to recognize our military members' service, both past & present.  If you don't know the history of Veteran's Day, you can check it out ---> HERE. 

In the meantime, I just wanted to post my sincere gratefulness to all who have served, and are currently serving in our military -- including my husband who is currently serving in the USAF, my father who served in the Army (now in heaven), my grandfather who served as a Marine in the Korean War (also in heaven--hanging out with my dad), my father-in-law currently serving in the USAF, my brother-in-law currently serving in the USAF, my husband's uncle who served in the Navy, and so many more friends & family members that have served or are currently serving our country.  I thank you for your service!



My wonderful hubby!




My Dad in 1957
Oh how I miss him!




G'pa with G'ma & I
He was always proud to be a Marine!



God Bless You All! 

w/Love, Lisa

As Summer Waves Good-bye - challenges combined

I thought I'd participate in two challenges with this tag -- Studio L3's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge 21, and Simon Says Stamp & Show Your Favorite Tim Holtz Stamp. 

Fall is my absolute favorite season...which makes Tim Holtz' Falling Leaves stamp set (4 leaves border stamp) my favorite!  I took the border stamp of four different leaves and, dare I say, cut them into four separate stamps--however I didn't cut the excess rubber off so that I could easily fit them back together on an acrylic block if I decide later to use it as a border.  So I guess if I say that the "Leaves Border" stamp is my favorite, then that gives me a bit more bang...4 in 1!  =)  ahem...moving right along --

For the Perfect Distress challenge I followed the directions in Tim Holtz book "Compendium of Curiosities" page 38 using Pine Needles Distress ink & Perfect Pearls Forever Green with TH Shabby French stamp set (wildflowers).  The base of my tag consisted of Antique Linen Distress ink & Vintage Photo, over-stamping using black archival ink with TH Letters to Santa stamp set (script).  I used lots of fun Distress ink colors for the leaves:  Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Crushed Olive, & Vintage Photo--adding some light veining with my Zig black marking pen, & a light spray of pearl mist before scrunching into shape.  I circle punched the sun, distressed the edges & inked with Wild Honey & Rusty Hinge, adding "rays" to the tag directly behind it.  My message was stamped with CTMH Summer's Wave stamp set in Vintage Photo Distress ink on metallic vellum--veined on the back of the vellum with Pine Needles Distress and a Fantastix nub, and edged with Wild Honey.

Finally, my tag was finished with some fun "Fall" fibers & a metal leaf brad.  I had thought this would look great on an Autumn themed card, but when I held it up to the window the light shown through in all the right places and really popped both the sun & the perfect distress greens...so now I'm looking for a small frame, or something I can attach it to, so it can hang in my window before the seasons change once again. 

Lincoln's Birthday Brochure Book & a Coin!

In a previous post, Paper Bag Books - Disney Vaca, I talked about the paper bag book I made for my DH for his birthday in 2009.  I had planned a trip to Springfield, IL to visit President Lincoln's home town and such (DH's favorite President).  I had obtained a brochure from the area and since Lincoln's 200th birthday celebration was going on at the time the brochure was all about visiting everything Lincoln!  I thought it would be great to condense it down to a smaller, more portable size and make it a bit more interactive--which ended up making it a great gift to showcase the trip I planned.  So using the brochure and paper lunch sacks I put together "Lincoln's Birthday Brochure Book", adding ribbon and a few embellishments, and finally leaving a bit of room for some pictures, once our trip was complete.  There were some great facts & trivia from the brochure that I made into tag cards to fit into the pockets of the bags--I left the back of the tags blank for additional photos/journaling.  And when we returned from our trip I added our tickets from seeing Lincoln's home & Presidential Museum which had even more trivia on them, as well as a few other bits of ephemera we collected. 

And since this all coincided with our local base USAF Arts & Crafts show (Fall 2009), I decided to enter the book into the show.  How exciting, and what an honor it was when I received a "Special Achievement Coin" for it, as well as it being chosen as one of the online gallery items showcased from our base, for the U.S. Air Force (2010)!  Woo Hoo!!  What a blessing!

This brochure book initially took about three hours to make--we took it with us on our trip, and it was invaluable for helping us navigate the places we really wanted to see while there.  I hope you enjoyed taking a look--you can see a picture of the coin I received on the side bar of my blog...thanks for stopping by!