Winter Memory Photo Ornament With a Special Quote and Tiny Envelope

The ingredients:
1. Inspiration
2. Photo
3. Quote
4. Sewing machine and thread
5. Tiny envelope punch
5. A bit of paper

Now I generally don't start off my posts with a materials list, but that's kind of the Tip of the day.

In our busy lives making time to craft, especially for the holidays can be a real challenge. But this is how I solve that problem. By deciding what I am going to make and then gathering the supplies, then the making is generally the easy part. I really find the first two can be the most challenging.

So number 1 was inspiration and my favorite and most handy answer to that is, BOOKS!

Today's inspiration is from

True Vision
Authentic Art Journaling

By

L.K. Ludwig

**Featuring the artwork of over 25 leading artists**

As art journaling grows in popularity (even attracting a new breed of scrapbookers who call themselves "life artists"), there is a movement afoot toward creating more authentic, personal, what some people call "raw" journals. These journals are filled with not just attractive, well-composed pages, but pages that are filled with personal, meaningful content.

True Vision is focused on ways to bring authenticity and meaning into one’s art journaling. The book examines themes and topics common to all while offering activities and exercises to create rich meaningful content. Each chapter highlights familiar subject areas such as life events, spirituality, childhood, and even an artist’s favorite writings. Within each topic, readers are given guided activities and exercises for developing content, provided one or two artistic techniques, and are shown inspiring examples of work by a variety of talented art journal artists.

L.K. Ludwig works predominantly with mixed media artist books and photography with a strong inclination toward creating personal intimate works. Her artwork has been featured widely in books, magazines, and galleries and is held in private collections. She is also the author ofMixed-Media Nature Journals: New Techniques for Exploring Nature, Life, and Memories

I should also back up just a wee bit and say I wanted to make an ornament for my Mom for her Birthday. The constraint was it needed to be light because it was going on a tree that could only support light ornaments. Paper it was!

And I am all about old photos these days (if you haven't figured that out by now)

In True Vision, Chapter 3's Title is "The Written Word" and that really sums up my mom these days, she likes to write letters to the editor and has to write important documents that effect people's lives.

The quote on the page was perfect!

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think."

-Lord Byron, Don Juan, 1819

So, with picture and words I was all set!

I printed them both out.

Then I stitched them together with the back sides together. I purposely did it in an irregular line since I know I wouldn't get it perfect I figured really wonky would look more "artsy".

I punched out a tiny envelope with the Marvy Clever Lever Giga Square Envelope Punch and glued it onto the back. This was the perfect place to write a tiny note to my mom.

This is what the front looks like:

 

Now on to day 8 of our:

15 days of Holiday Goodness Giveaways!

Simply leave your answer to each day's question in each day's comment section and we will randomly pick a winner of a book from each day's commenter. You can enter every day but you are only eligible to win 2 times! (You can go back and answer previous day's questions. We will be drawing the winners after the first of the year.)

8.  Do you tend to make a whole bunch of the same thing or do you create unique gifts for everyone on your list?

My Answer: Both. For the people I tend to see as a group, co-workers, book club, extended family etc. I do a similar gift.

And for close family and friends I do unique things. Special request are my favorite. I love when someone asks me to make them something. I feel a bit like "Handmade/custom Santa" It is kind of funny when they get what they consider picky, I say that's the whole point of me making it, I can do it just the way you want!

Be sure to read the comments of others, maybe you can pick one up a good idea that will make holiday crafting a bit more creative and personal!

And be sure to sign up for our Electronic Newsletter, (top right) to get more crafty goodness!

Comments

[BrendaLea]

I rarely make more than one of an item....even when I try very hard to make more..I have trouble....they don't turn out the same at all....I like too much of a variety to make a bunch of a single item.

[Hollie]

I do both. For people close to me, I individualize the gift and for people that I work with or professors, I'll make the same gift, but personalize it a bit.

[kathleen m]

I used to make a lot of the same -- but this year everyone is getting something very different.

[Lindart]

I used to make every Christmas card different, but now I make groups of 8-10 the same, then change the design.

[Linda Morgan]

I make the same thing but each one is a little different.

[Janet]

I usually pick a new project each year, but individualize it with different image themes.

[Jeanne Louise]

I do both. This year I'm making rosaries for 3 of my nieces (all born within the past year) and for my brother-in-law, who converted this year. Co-workers also get the same gifts. But other family members will get unique ones, fitting their personality.

[julie m]

I usually make everything different. Some things start out the same but they always end up different from the previous one. I just can't resist trying different things.

[wendy]

I usually make the same Christmas card, although this year I did several different ones.

[julie m]

i seem to be incapable of making a lot of things alike so i don't even try anymore. i do sometimes use similar backgrounds but i make the embellishments based on who i to receive the gift.