PCS November 2014 ~ Holiday Fun

Get ready for the holiday with a few of these crafty project ideas from the November Sampler, "Holiday Fun".

This month's template is the Holiday Secret Gift Box.

$12.99

  

Here are a few sneak peeks for you:

November ~ A Merry Season

The Christmas issue of the Sampler is live.  Make sure you take a break during the busy holiday season and enjoy a little crafting time for yourself with ideas from the seasonal Sampler, "A Merry Season".

Merry Makings.....

The November issue of the Paper Crafters Sampler, "Merry Makings" is just 3 days away.

This month the design team members are offering a free issue of the November sampler to one lucky reader.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post sharing one of your favorite holiday traditions.  Baking cookies, visiting neighbors or sitting by the fire opening gifts.  All entries must be posted by 5pm tomorrow (Monday evening) to be eligible. 

Want to double your chances?  Join PocketsOfInspiration.NING and post a sample of your latest project in the Photo Gallery.  Once again,  you must post a photo on the Pockets Of Inspiration.NING site by 5pm tomorrow evening.

Check out the video below for a little sneak peek of what the November has in store.




Merry Makings from Melanie Schulenberg on Vimeo.
Preview of the November issue of the Paper Crafters Sampler.

Holiday Vignette Part II

Now, let's move on to the mantel. First you must remove your clock, and making sure the lizard is WELL out of the area. I think he snuck in when I brought in some things from the shed.

Start with an empty frame like this

Grab your ornaments and some fabric and soon you can create this:

The silver ornaments were purchased last year at Z Gallerie's after Christmas Sale (1/2 off, possibly more). The largest ornament is approximately 8" long.  Pairing the shiny silver against the dark red of the fabric (which is a plush throw by the way) was the main goal.  They look so rich together; I  was determined to make it work.  Here's a view from a different angle.  Silver and Wine decor.

Old frames are a great resource for creating displays. You can find them everywhere, from garage sales to flea markets. The old frame above had a deteriorating canvas which I removed with a sharp blade. You can still see reminants of green canvas on the left side of the frame.  Once your canvas is up, drape your fabric over so it falls gracefully (with a few pins to secure it in place). 

This mantel is the most challenging to decorate. The brick fireplace above is on a skew, making one side of the wall higher than the other. I'll share a photo once everything is completed to show you exactly what I mean.

Here's another great purchase from Z Gallerie:

Isn't she lovely? Mercury glass with those delicious rhinestones on all four sides and an antique brass topper. This ornament is about the size of an orange.

I hope this little tidbit helps get your decorating juices flowing.  I'm taking a small break the rest of the weekend to just look at things to decide what I'm doing next.  Decorating is a progressive venture.  You need to step back and take a look at what you've done to figure out what you need.  Besides, I'm in some serious need of some paper crafting time.  I get withdrawals if I'm away to long from my crafting room.

Until next week, lat-uh gat-uhs!

Melanie

Holiday Gold

I'm still working on getting the house set up for Christmas. Sadly, there is not much time left in the day when you get home at 6pm every night.

I call this Holiday Gold. It's one of the displays I have set up on my side table. My original color scheme for this year was going to be blue, white and silver for a winter wonderland, but it seems I've acculated more gold and white peices through the years; so the theme will be Holiday Gold (with a bit of traditional thrown in).