Saturday, November 13, 2010

Christmas with a Twist Blog Hop!

Blogger Templates



Hello and welcome!  Hopefully you arrived from Christine's blog, http://scrappin-nanapuddin.blogspot.com/.

As you've probably heard by now, the "twist" is to not use traditional Christmas symbols like Santa or snowmen for today's hop.  So I made a two page 12x12 scrapbook layout of our family opening presents last year!   To add some fun, I also used the new Smiley Cards cartridge that was exclusive to the latest Gypsy update.


The first task was to arrange the presents on my Gypsy so that I could get them cut quickly.  Here is a picture of my Gypsy screen.  I used a 12x24 mat so I could cut everything at once.  Note - I only cut the shadow, not the base image, as that would really just have been wasting a layer of paper for this project.

Next, I selected my papers and got them stuck onto the mat in all the correct places.  All the papers were from Kaisercraft's two newest Christmas collections, Be Merry and Tis the Season.


Here's a shot of the cuts after they were completed. 
 I cut the presents at the following sizes:
  • Red - 4"
  • Brown - 3.5"
  • Green stripe - 3.5"
  • Candy cane - 3.0"
  • Reindeer - 3"
  I used a variety of stickles, ink, googly eyes, and glossy accents to make my presents look unique and shiny.
 

Sadly, I only had one sheet of the Kaisercraft background paper that I wanted to use.  Luckily, I had enough photos in my layout to cover the other half of the 12x12 area.  So I cut my green patterned paper into pieces that would fit my layout:

I used two sheets of a light pattern that I would never use on anything (you know, pieces from that stack you have that you cannot for the life of you figure out why you bought it...) as my base paper to glue everything on to. 

Next, I assembled everything using my ATG gun and Zip Dry two-way glue pens as my adhesives.  A closer view of the presents assembled:


For my journaling on this layout, I used these two wishlists that were in the 6x6 pack of Kaisercraft's Be Merry collection.  A closer view of those:


The final layout again:


I hope you have liked my layout and if you are still with me this far, you deserve a chance at my blog candy!  :)  I am giving away the gingerbread cart!

To be entered for a chance to win all you have to do is leave a comment with what gift you are most looking forward to giving this year and to whom.  Also be sure to leave your email address or Cricut MB name in the comment so I can contact you if you win. Of course, if you would like to become a follower of my blog, I would appreciate it!  I will announce the winner on Monday! 

On to the next blog!  Have fun visiting SeaSwan at http://seaswancreations.blogspot.com/.

Here is a complete list of today's blog hop participants in case you need it:


Thanks for visiting!!

46 comments:

  1. Very cute layout - love the colors and papers you used. Can't wait to use the Smiley Cards cart. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

    Jess (aka Sparksgal)
    ncscrapper77 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cute LO and thanks for the chance to win the Gingerbread cartridge! I would love to add it to my library!

    The gift that I am most looking forward to giving is a new chess board to our 10 year old son Parker. He just won 1st place in our school chess club on Thursday and he's been wanting a big wooden chess board with really nice playing pieces. I know that it will be a gift that he will love and get a lot of use out of it!

    Melissa
    www.disneydreamerdesigns.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the presents on your layout!! I am looking forward to making the Spa Sock cupcakes to give to family this year. We always do cookies or make gifts to give to the adults in our family and every year I like to do something out of the ordinary.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    jtg0398 at sbcglobal dot net

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love your LO and the little lists you have and the presents are adorable... The colors are beautiful!! TFS

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great layout! I love how you made one paper stretch into two for your background page!! We do a lot of drawing for names for Christmas which takes the fun out of it for me a little. I am looking forward to giving my son a laptop. He is not expecting it. He is a college student and has very limited funds, and he isn't asking for much this year.

    www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your layout! The colors are nice. I am looking forward to giving my children a PS3 for Christmas. They will be so excited!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love your layout. YOu did an awesome job. The colors are also awesome

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very nice layout, I love the faces on the presents. I cannot wait to see my sons face when he opens up his Oilers Jacket! I am now following you and would love for you to do the same if have time.
    http://jennyplace26.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the presents - such a cute idea. I have not even started my shopping so I don't know what I'm most excited to give this year. Only 41 shopping days so I better get cracking!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am looking forward to giving my daughter an ornament that I bought for the baby she is expecting in February. I bought it several weeks ago and had it confirmed yesterday that it is indeed a girl. I purchased a little snowman with the name "Natalie" on it.

    kmrs@msn.com
    karenskorner - cricut mb

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very cute layout I am planning on giving my mom a home made calendar with birthday cards made for all of our family bdays. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  12. Awesome LO. I just love Smiley Cards!

    I am looking forward to giving my oldest daughter a new bedroom set. She has had the same furniture since she was 4 and really wants more grownup stuff.

    desaucier at bellsouth dot net
    Darlene

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love your layout, how creative of you to cut your paper and then place your pics to cover the open areas.
    I am hoping to give my 26yr old daughter a baby bug for Christmas, she is always using my E to make items for my grandchildrens school. She will love it.Cherylann (prinkles)
    prinkles@woh.rr.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's a great layout. I love the little gifts with the faces on them. The gift I'm looking forward to giving my son is the iPod touch that he has been asking for, for the past 3 years. I can't wait.

    Laura
    laurascott26@hotmail.com
    Laura567 on cricut.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love the LO and the presents are adorable. My son just got his first car and I am excited to give him his GPS for Christmas. I love giving gifts and seeing smiles on faces. I have also been working on making a DVD of our vacation to Disney when my kids were younger with their grandparents and us. I think they will be so excited!
    lfuchs1 at wi. rr. com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love your layout! The presents are so cute, they remind me of when my son used to watch Blues Clues. The pesent I am most looking forward to giving this year is a scrapbook I have been working on for my 79 year old Mom. It has been a labor of love, so worth it!
    Cricut MB name: Gonescrappin
    cdm317@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great layout. I love the google eyes.
    slgpage@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the present idea on the layout and it was so clever of you to "stretch" the paper to two pages! I am looking forward to giving my 20 yr old son a passport for Christmas. He hasn't asked for one but was joking about doing some traveling earlier this year so the passport will be a welcome surprise :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love your layout - I haven't tried the smileys yet!

    Karen
    kstevens211@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your beautiful LO sparks the eyes and is absolutely charming -- the twist with the smiley gift boxes is precious and oh so cute!!!
    I am looking forward to giving my DGD (age 7) the Egypt craft box she has been wanting. She is studying about Egypt and will be making a pyramid and other relics of this ancient civilization. She will be sooo excited as she adores making creative things!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love your LO! I love the smiley cart!! TFS! and the chance to win another cute cart!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great layout! Way to go on maximizing the use of that paper! I'm excited to send another batch of cards to Operation Write Home. And hopefully I'll double my last package.

    spunkycrayon at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love your pages and the step by step photo's! My BFF is getting a scrap room her DH is finishing for Christmas and I will get her a Cricut. Sure hope she will use it! lol

    ReplyDelete
  24. Such a great layout! I love they way you used simily cards! Thank you for joing us on the hop!

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a cute layout!! I so love the Smiley Cards cart. What a bonus it was to get it!! Thanks for the inspiration! Will be back later to look around your blog more. Thanks for the chance--would LOVE to have that cart!!!!!!!
    CC MB TeacherMom

    ReplyDelete
  26. How cute love your page

    Hugs Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  27. wonderful layout. thanks Toys for the grandkids --I love to see their faces when they open presents. millierose651@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Absolutely beautiful layout! I have uglier paper than this! Ha ha! I love how you used up scraps... I am very impressed! And thanks for sharing how it looked on your mat etc. I just got a gypsy... not in time for the smiley cart. That is ok ... I am just happy to get one. I have so much to learn... I would love to win your candy... that cart looks so much fun... Thanks for the hop! I am a happy new follower!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great layout. My favorite Christmas memory is when all of my sister and brothers with our children would meet up at my mom's house the week-end before Christmas. We would have a big celebration that week-end and then we would spend Christmas at our individual homes since we all lived in different cities. The children loved it!
    marionment@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I cant wait to give my hubby the signed jersey that I have been hiding from him for 3 months!

    ReplyDelete
  31. And, I'm a follower =) b_aldous@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. very clever!! I Love how you used Smiley cards for the presents.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Very cute. I"m getting my sister the Wii. I am so happy to be able to bless her with something she really wants but would never be able to get :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. I love your layout! I am looking forward to giving my sisters/sisters' in law the mini albums I have been creating this year! There are 12 of them! (My husband has 9 sisters!)
    qtme2003 at yahoo dot ca

    ReplyDelete
  35. absolutely wonderful! i am getting in the christmas spirit and it's early! :) we have been doing the smiley cartridge projects on sweetsassydiva blog this week. i'm so honored to be a part of this blog hop! TFS and the wonderful blog candy! I will be so excited for my dd this christmas as she is nearly 2 and will have fun opening her presents. :) love christmas with little ones!
    http://sweetsassydiva-gspot.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Love the layout. I am giving my grandkids ski/snowboard passes. And, my daughter some Cricut Cartridges

    pennyspad at sbcglobal dot net

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love how you incorporated the Smiley faces into the presents in the layout -- very clever. Cute LO. I'll be giving glitter ornaments that I make to my famiy and a few close friends. Thanks for the chance to win.
    tcsobotka at charter dot net

    ReplyDelete
  38. Your LO is so cute! Those little gifts are precious with their little faces. The pictures are too cute for words. TFS.

    jvilla95ar at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Awesome LO!! I am loving my smiley cards so much!! TFS!!! Great Candy!!! Love the gingerbread!!

    ilovetonkinese2athotmaildotcom
    http://ibecircled.blogspoy.com
    Rexann

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks for the great tutorial! I also just signed up as a follower.
    rab1127 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I am most excited to give my nieces and nephews gifts! This is my first year as an aunt and I am VERY excited!

    dmcarlisle09atgmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  42. very nice!!!!
    love anything christmas
    thank for great ieas
    debbie
    gad1974@windstream.net

    ReplyDelete
  43. Clever way to use 1 sheet of 12x12 to do a two page layout!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Your dbl layout is great. Your presents are so cute. Thanks for sharing. thanks for the chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I love your LO. The gifts that I am looking forward to giving are 2 mini albums that I have been working on for my mother and MIL. Yay can't wait.


    amandaremus at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. You have 24 mat, I'm jealous!! I love your layout and I also love the new Smiley Cards cart!! So cute!! TFS!! Take Care!!
    Jennie @ http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete