Head Start for December, 2020

Welcome!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

Did you feel so rushed in the last couple of weeks?

Were there decorations you didn’t have time to finish?

Did you plan on sending handmade cards,

 but only had 3 to send?

Are there handmade gifts you had hoped to give,

but there wasn’t time to complete?

No fear!

It’s not too late dear!

For 2020 holidays that is!

By Kathy Hering

I want to inspire and encourage you today.

Start with making a list,

itemizing what you would like to have done for 2020.

My list looks something like this:

Make a list of friends & family.

Make Christmas cards for all on my list.

Start an idea list of gifts.

Complete and frame 1 holiday papercutting.

Finish paper nativity set.

Choose color/theme for 2020 Christmas tree.

Start homemade ornaments for tree.

 A fairy peek-a-boo box, ready to start.

Now, that’s MY list.

Make yours to fit YOUR wishes.

A wonderful papercutting pattern, found on Pinterest.

Artist Unknown

Let’s look at some ideas that might be on your list.

 A vintage paper doll

Start looking at free/vintage paper dolls that you can print.

Decide if you want to give uncut,

or if you want to cut out and mount on sturdy card stock

(like cereal boxes!).

If you cut them out you can add all sorts of embellishments!

Gingerbread House found on Pinterest

Start looking at different gingerbread houses.

There are a ton of them out there.

Sketch out some ideas for your gingerbread creation.

Posted on Pinterest by OhMyFiesta

Why not start making a table centerpiece featuring
this simple sleigh pattern?
You could use heavy card stock, stiff poster board,
a piece of foam core, balsa wood...
Resize on your computer as desired.
Fill it with Christmas candies,
silk florals and greenery,
shiny Christmas ball ornaments,
or....?!
Then, if you like how it turns out,
make a few more to give as gifts!

All iris folded cards found on Pinterest.

If you challenge yourself to make 5 handmade cards
each month, starting now,
You will have 60 cards finished for Christmas 2020!

FYI iris folding makes up very quickly
with stunning results!


Here are a couple of different sleigh patterns for you,
one to cut and frame and one to print and cut.

Apologies, but artist credit is in Russian I think.

Posted on Pinterest by Knick Of Time

Unknown artist

Unknown artist

Another simple papercutting pattern, 
you could use as a Christmas card front, or frame and hang.
And
A fun iris folding snowflake pattern.

Hand painted card by Sharon Krohn

Well, I do hope you feel inspired!

You know,
Christmas is not meant to be a one day affair,
But an everyday way of living.
Enjoy!

‘Til next time,
inkspired

Truth: (usually experienced before coffee and/or 10 am)
Before taking your morning multi-vitamins,
make sure you are grabbing the correct cup.
Hot coffee is not meant to gulp down pills.
Also
there is no need to ‘blow’ on your cup of water
to help cool it down.

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

Tuesday Meanderings

Sang Nian Fai Lok

Cantonese for 'Happy New Year',

(I'm pretty sure!)

Singapore Financial District 2011

photo by Joel Boh

It feels great to be back with my blog!

Had some rough, kinda' icky weeks, but today is a new day!

I'm still fighting a cold or something.

Ick.

BUT

that's the nice thing about the internet -

none of you can catch what I have!

Ain't technology wunnerful?

St. James Parish, Gramercy, Louisiana, USA

Mississippi River tradition

This is a favorite quote of mine:

'Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people,

and to remember what other people have done for you ...

To remember the weakness and loneliness

of people who are growing old ...

Are you willing to believe

that love is the strongest thing in the world ...

stronger than hate,

stronger than evil,

stronger than death...

Then you can keep Christmas!

But you can never keep it alone.'

- Henry van Dyke

a 1986 Greeting Card 'The Christmas Forest'

found on http://www.marlendy.wordpress.com/

I checked out Turkeyfeathers blog, and found a super freebie.

She is offering - for free - 12 embroidery patterns of 12 different nursery rhymes.

Go to her blog (listed on the right, under 'My Blogs') and look at the top right side. There is a button that says 'embroidery transfers', and then 'free'. Click on that, and up comes several choices!

The Nursery Rhymes are just one of those offered.

Be sure and check out her WONDERFUL State flowers embroidery patterns too!

Here is a sentiment that is good all year 'round,

done in papercutting (scherensnitte) style!

Following is the Christmas card base that I created this year.

It is made with all recycled paper junk mail,

and 2 punches (the circle, and the ivy trio leaf).

I then copied it and printed it out on white cardstock.

This was so it would fit on a card front!

After trimming, I mounted it onto either a medium red

(the same color of the circles),

 bright green or dark green card,

with strips of contrasting cardstock for accents.

I hope you like it!

by inkspired

Then on the inside I had clipped various words from junk mail,

such as 'The Messiah', or 'Merry Christmas', or 'Jesus',

or words that were similar. I had a limited amount of junk mail

that uses those kind of words !

(Thank goodness for flyers from The Family Christian Bookstore!!!)

Each envelope had two more word clips.

I used words like 'Good News', or things like that.

Now that I write about it,

I suppose I should have taken pix of the finished cards!

If I find any half done cards, I will take pix and post later.

I loved this photo that I found, by Olivia Harris:

Larry the Downing Street cat on Downtown Street

central London, Britain

There was an old publication named "wee wisdom" in the 1950's.

The cover art is super great vintage.

Here is one:

'Playtime in the snow'

from a vintage wee wisdom magazine

I have created some new Collage Art Dolls,

with Evening Style as a semi-theme.

'Chained Night Life' original Collage Art Doll

www.inkspired.etsy.com

(Lesson learned -

don't seal the Collage Art Doll in plastic before you photograph it!)

'Lipstick Dress' original Collage Art Doll

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

Note that her accessories are from a 'scan your phone' symbol thingy.

I also really like the mis-matched eyes!

and of course....the lipstick dress!

'Night at the Opera' Collage Art Doll by inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

I saw that standing candelabra in an ad,

and knew I had to do something special with it!

I'm trying to remember - I think her dress is from a Lipstick ad...

Next up is a hilarious you tube clip my son Peter shared with us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UqEhUm2B_8       

Who knew?    

See you soon!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

I thought today I would just share a few things that I liked!So charming and vintage!