It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Paper Trail Blog Hop

Welcome, hoppers, to the 2010 Paper Trails "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" blog hop!!  I am SO excited to be the December Guest Design Team member for The (Paper) Trailmakers Challenge Blog!! 

The blog hop will run from Dec. 1 - Dec. 4, and on Dec. 5, each blog owner will pick a winner for a small giveaway or RAK from those who've left comments!!  Here are the blog hop participants, in case you've started in the middle, so you can make sure to catch all of  us:

1. Trail Makers blog

2. Savanna

3. Sandi

4. Jen - you're here!

5. Krystle

6.. Karen

Without further ado...here is my first project for the month, using the December Paper Trails kit:

First off, let me just say - I am *LOVING* the December Paper Trails kit!!!!  The papers, the embellishments - they are all STUNNING!  And SO versatile - I am finding that they allow me to create something more on the elegant side, like this piece of home decor, or something more on the whimsical side - which you'll see with the first Trailmakers Challenge.  ;)  (Interested??) 

For this project, I used all of the papers in the December kit, with the exception of the solid red cardstock.  I started with a plain-jane burdundy-red wooden 8x10 photo frame.  I sanded it a bit, using my Tim Holtz sanding block, and then painted it black using a black Adirondack paint dabber.  Once it was dry, I sanded it again, giving it a slightly worn look and allowing some of the underlying red to show through.  

Then I cut a sheet of the black cardstock from the kit, to fit inside the frame.  I then used a 1 3/8" square paper punch to punch out lots of squares from the patterned papers, as well as a few from the white cardstock.  I went around the edges of the squares with a white Adirondack paint dabber, to help the squares stand out against the black background, and once dry, I adhered the squares to the black cardstock using adhesive.  I then put the piece in the frame and closed it up.  

I adore Thickers, so I was thrilled to get some in this kit, and I thought they would look great on TOP of the glass in this project - and I was right - I love the effect!!  I placed the letters for "JOY" over three of the plain white squares, and then placed one of the gorgeous chipboard buttons over the fourth white square - again, on top of the glass.  

I used my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (one of my absolute NECESSITY scrapbooking and crafting tools!) to make pleats in the red and black ribbon from the kit - a gorgeous piece of ribbon, I might add!  I then used my hot glue gun to attach the ribbon, Prima vine, and Prima poinsettia (all from the kit - seriously, this kit is LOADED!) to the frame.  Finally, I added the "Merry Christmas" cardstock sticker, over the ribbon, and my project was complete.  (And I have TONS of kit product left over, I have to add!)

I supposed you would like to see a picture of everything that's actually included in this kit, right?  Well, here you go:

I promise you that there is no way you could buy this kit at retail for what the kit is selling for!

Whether you need to make cards, scrapbooking layouts, home decor projects, gifts, or whatever else your imagination can create - you cannot go wrong with the December Paper Trails kit!!  Hurry - go get yours right now!!  But don't forget to leave a comment first, for your chance to win a little something!

And keep an eye 0ut - I will have a couple more projects later in the month using the same kit!!

The next stop on your hop is Krystle's blog!  Happy hopping!