My daughter’s getting married, and I get to make her Wedding Cake!!!

So…. It’s been over 6 months since I’ve blogged… Whoops! How quickly time flies! The big news is, my daughter Kimberlee is marrying Joe, the love of her life in October. They decided not to do the traditional Wedding Cake, and will instead have a dessert buffet. She asked me if I could figure out how to make a Paper Cake for the centerpiece on the Dessert Table.

Not even knowing what a paper cake was, I did a google search to get an idea of what she was talking about. I found several that were very pretty (and EXPENSIVE) but got my creative juices flowing.

Kim bought a set of nested boxes, but I didn’t like how close in size they were, so I wound up not using the middle sized box, and instead used a Costco Peanuts tin for the top.

I had some VERY OLD paper with a beautiful design from my old Scrapbooking Days but it was the wrong color. (I actually had several pieces all different colors) So…. I used some Gesso and painted over the paper and the color was perfect.

John suggested that I use music paper for the bottom layer with a little gesso over it to soften it. I loved that idea cuz my whole inspiration was the musical paper fans. This tied it together.

So after painting the paper and adhering it to the boxes, I made the fans from an old music book that I bought at a used book store. I edged the fans with some silver German Glitter which will patina to a beautiful deep steel gray. (Their colors are burnt orange, graphite gray and ivory)

The hardest part was trying to figure out how to add the wire arch without making it look like it was just glued on. Because that’s a metal tin, I was able to punch holes on either side, and using a coated 10 gauge wire, I pushed the ends through and used duck tape and hot glue to secure it inside the tin. I wrapped the wire with some Tulle and then just wrapped a string of pearls around that.

Kim wanted a vintage looking Bride and Groom, so once again I did a Google search and found the perfect couple. I resized it, printed it out, then reversed the image and printed it out again. I sandwiched some wire between the two images, and punched two tiny holes into the top of the can and adhered with duck tape and sponged a little ink around the edges to finish it off.

The flowers were quite challenging as I had nothing even close to their color scheme. Originally I was thinking of using crepe paper flowers that we made for the place settings, but in a tiny size, but that just didn’t seem to work. I looked through my stash and found a packet of old Prima (or was it Petaloo?) flower petals I think they were hydrangea petals? (four petals to each *flower*?) But they were totally the wrong color, so I painted each one in a pretty Steel Gray (from Golden), Nutmeg (Making Memories) and an Ivory acrylc. I layered the petals and place a tiny pearl in the centers, but it just seemed to *stark* for me. I have this really cool clear glitter from Martha Stewart, so I added that in the middle and it gave it a pretty little sparkle.

I also sprayed some old tiny paper flowers with some Adirondak Color Wash. I tried it with orange flowers, but it still looked too orange, so I tried using the Sunset Orange spray over red flowers and it was perfect!

Joe (the groom) is really into comic books, so using a very old daisy punch, I punched some flowers and layered them and added them with the other flowers. They are subtle, but represent him and his love for comic books. I used lots and lots of book pages as Kim is an avid reader, and most of the teeny tiny flowers were made from pages of a romance novel. I used the same daisy punch, but layered 3 layers, folded them in half, then folded into thirds and added a tiny spot of hot glue to hold them together. Then I smooshed and fluffed them and added little pearly stamins that I pulled off of an old wedding veil that I bought at Goodwill.

Funny thing is, I found an OLD rubberstamp that I’ve had for probably around 15, 20 years and have NEVER used it (sometimes it pays to be a hoarder haha). It stamps a scalloped, spiral that you cut and then roll and it turns into an amazing teeny tiny little rosebud. LOVE it!!! I also still have my old Quilling Tool and it’s perfect for rolling up the flowers.

Committing to the hot glue was the hardest part. I was so scared to actually start glueing, but when Kim was over, she said, Just do it! So…. I just did it. Somehow, magically, it came out looking exactly how I was hoping it would. I added a few little strips of music paper to tie it all together.  Oh…. and I had a super thin piece of wire I had pulled out of a piece of wired ribbon, and applied Glossy Accents, then dipped into the clear glitter and LOVE it!!! It looks so lacy and delicate. (it’s on the left side of the topper)

Kim ordered some aMAZing trim that was perfect for the edging around the top layer. There wasn’t enough to go around the bottom layer, so I wound up cutting it up, but I think it looks pretty.

You can find the trim here:

Pretty sparkly trims

All in all I’m pretty happy how it turned out. Now it’s on to decorating the Bird Cages for the cards…

Is this the little girl I carried… Is this the little boy at play… I don’t remember growing older… When did they???

When did she get to be a beauty… When did he grow to be so tall. Wasn’t it yesterday when they…. were… small???

That song always gets to me. I was looking through all the photos I’ve taken of Daniel and Kim standing in front of the Christmas Tree. I started the tradition when Daniel was around 2 1/2 and Kim was around  18 mths old. I LOVE not only seeing them growing up in each photo, but it’s so interesting to see how different the tree looks from year to year.

There was one year when Daniel refused to stand next to Kim. I remember being so frustrated with him so decided to just take them individually. Now I’m so glad I did LOL.

I thought I would stop taking their pics when they reached 18/19, but I still take their pics in front of the tree, whenever I can get them in the same room at the same time. Sometimes Kim reminds me so I don’t forget.

I LOVE the tradition of them being photographed together in front of the tree, every single year. I’m not one of those moms that dressed my kids up for the perfect shot. I would just shoot them in whatever they were wearing at the time I was able to get them to cooperate. Some of the outfits are pretty goofy, but I love it!

Now that they’re both all grown up, I’m a little sentimental about the holidays. I can feel myself not having quite as much energy and desire to do Christmas like I use to, in the old days. Traditions are changing…. I know longer host Christmas Eve, not everyone comes to Christmas Dinner anymore, but I have to be ok with that. I’ve always resisted change, and I need to learn to just be ok with what is. I have lots of wonderful, wonderful memories raising my kids with our traditions. Time to just sit back and reflect on what once was.

Cruisin’ for Christmas Lights with Haylee

Haylee spent the night at Gramma’s and Grampa’s Saturday night so we thought we’d take her out and show her some Scotts Valley Christmas Lights. This town use to be ALL lit up every Christmas Season. We use to have the *Holiday Light Cruise* where most everyone would go all out decorating their homes and compete for prizes for having the best light display. A number would be placed in front of the house and as cars would slowly drive by, they would write down the number of their favorite light display.

The City of Scotts Valley would place arrows all over town to help you find the lights. If you begin at the beginning, you’d go to the Civic Center, pick up a map, and then get in the long parade of cars with a Fire Engine all decked out in lights, with Santa Sitting on top, leading the parade.

There were 5 pit stops along the route. You’d drive through a pit stop, hand the cheerful helper a can of food, they’d in return, let you put your hand in a paper bag and pull out a card from a deck of cards. At the end of the cruise, you’d go back to the Civic Center where they had a bon fire and Santa waiting, and everyone would sing Christmas Carols. They then would give out super cool prizes for the best poker hands.

This went on for almost 20 years, until just a few years ago it abruptly stopped. I guess those who worked so tirelessly each year to make it happen, got a bit tired and noone was willing to do the work to keep it going.

So… now driving around where full neighborhoods were once lit up, we’re lucky to see 2, maybe 3 of the same houses with the same amazing displays. It’s so sad that things have to change, but I understand why they do.  I’m thankful my kids got to experience what once was, but my grandaughter’s must settle for the occasional ooo… and ahhhh…

On the 12th Day of Christmas….

I’m participating in an Advent Calendar Exchange with some artsy friends. We were told to alter 25 little match boxes into ornaments, all numbered 1-25 and include a little giftie in the boxes.  It was a LOT of work altering 25 boxes, but oh sooo worth it!

I have a love for pink and sparkle, so my little boxes are *Christmas Pink* and sparkly. I was stumped as to what to put inside, so I went with my gut. I searched high and low for the perfectly shaped, smooth rocks (25 of them) and wrote *Gratitude Rock* on each one. I then printed out a little card that says *Hold Gratitude rock in your hand and reflect on what you are grateful for* I have a Gratitude Rock (as does John) that was given to us by Carlee when she was 2. She found the rocks in her yard and was so proud that she was giving us her treasures, so we turned them into gratitude rocks. I keep mine by my ‘puter so I see it every day and John keeps his in his pocket. When I’m having a rough day, I pick it up and hold it in my hand and focus on the things I am grateful for. I love my little gratitude rock, and hope the recipients will love theirs too.

It’s been so much fun to open one of the beautiful little boxes each morning, and peek inside to see the amazing little gifties. They are all so different and special. LOVE this swap sooo much!!!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. In the Boring Home….

John, every year, creates a Snow Scene. He always changes up the theme from year to year. This year he dedicated his snow scene to our 3 grandchildren, Carlee (6), Haylee (3) and Lilah (18 mths). There’s a little Fairy Forest with Fairies that are hiding, that is interactive. The girls play with the fairies and love to hide them in the Fairy Forest. The Forest is complete with it’s own waterfall.

John’s snow scenes have become a tradition in our holiday seasons. Every year he does a different theme, and it’s always a surprise.

Last year he surprised me with an OWL theme! So cute with an owl box and Molly the Owl as well as her friends.

It’s funny to look back 20+ years ago and remember that it all started with me purchasing my very first animated object off of QVC. It was a sleeping Santa and Mrs. Clause. Santa snores to the tune of Jingle Bells. Both their belly’s rise and fall as they snore.

The next year I bought some animated snowmen. The next year I bought some more animated Santas.

Through the years I have collected nearly 50 *animated objects. John decided instead of me just setting them up around the house, he would create scenes. Some of them have been really elaberate!

I plan to do a scrapbook on all the Snow Scenes that he’s created through the years.

Oh… and that Santa and Mrs. Clause? They are right now, sleeping peacefully under the tree

Princess Land

The Tale of the Family Jeweled Christmas Stockings

The very first Jeweled Stocking that began the tradition over 50 years ago!

Jeweled Memory Stockings have been a tradition in my husband’s family for over fifty years. His great-aunt made one for each of the six children in his family while they were living in Ghana in 1959. They were given to the children as Christmas presents. She used her own jewelry and the jewelry of her late husband as a way of preserving the memories of their lives.

Part of the charm of her stockings was that she had the ability to see the pieces of jewelry in different ways than was obvious. She would pull the jewelry apart and use pieces to create scenes. Each child’s stocking represented their personality.

Over the years, the stockings became so popular that she set out to make one for every member of the extended family. When she passed away, my husband and I picked up the tradition and made them for our kids, in-laws and grandkids. As family members have died off, some of the stockings have found their way to our house and it is becoming a priceless collection.

The tree on the top of the stocking is a place to attach your own *Memory Jewelry*. Pieces from your grandmother, jewelry from old boyfriends, special pins and charms bought during your travels, old rings, broaches, pieces clipped from old necklaces… Anything that has sentimental value, but pieces that you don’t wear anymore.

This photo was taken over 50 years ago of hubby and his syblings, each holding their own jeweled stockings.

This is our collection of Jeweled Stockings. We add to the collection, each time a new member enters the family.

Mother B’s Stocking.  (the one that started the tradition)

My Mother in Law’s stocking. She was the old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.

My Father in Law’s stocking. He loved living in Africa

This is the first stocking I made. It’s for my son Daniel. He was born on the day the first Space Shuttle touched ground,

so I added a Space Shuttle. At the time, he wanted to be an astronaught.

This stocking is for my daughter Kim. It has been tradtition through the years to take her to see the Nutcracker.

I didn’t have a stocking, so John and Kim surprised me with a stocking of my own! I was really into Scrapbooking at the time, so they created a camera and filmstrip and even made a little scrapbook that opens! I LOVE it!!!

This stocking is for my DIL, Denne’, who moved from the mountains of Colorado, to the beaches of Santa Cruz to marry my son.

(Notice the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk haha. Daugher Carlee’s name is carved in the sand)

This is for our oldest Grandaughter, Carlee. When she was a baby she LOVED the water! She would play with Grampa in our little creek he built in our backyard. When she was 3, she would pretend to be Sleeping Beauty and would *sleep* on the Marble Bench by the little waterfall. Either I or Grampa would be *Prince Charming* and we’d kiss her to wake her up. She always stretched her arms as she awoke.

This is our latest edition. This is for 3 yr. old Haylee. She LOVES fairies, so John made her a Tinkerbell Stocking just for her!

I still need to add some Memory Jewelry to her tree.

This year John and I decided to make a few stockings to put in my Etsy Shop for anyone who would like to start this tradition in their own family. There are only a few, and we more than likely will not do this again next year, as they are really a labor of love. Everything is handstitched and some of the jewelry is glued if stitching is not available. You can see my Etsy Shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/debilynndesigns

Well I’m finally here….

I never thought I was the blogging type, but alas… I thought I’d give it a try. I’m not sure where I’m going with this, or even if anyone will read it, but that’s ok. I’m kind of just experiementing here, and thought I’d share some of my projects that I’ve been working on, and maybe, perhaps, I may even inspire someone! Stranger things have happened…