I Really Do Believe!!

I grew up in a home where nearly every holiday was cause for celebration. My mother was crafty and always had a new decoration to show off; some new thing to hang up and remind us of the holiday to come. She was an amazing talent and Christmas was one of her favorite times of the year. She was the one who taught me about the magic that is created during holiday time - not just in the pretty things that make our homes look warm and festive but in the aura created through celebrating with family and helping those less fortunate. So I grew up "Believing"- in Santa when I was a young child and in the spirit, love and community of Christmas as an adult. I fell in love with Bo Bunny "Believe" the moment I saw it because of the beautiful plum and burgundy and the whispers of stars and snowflakes. Simplicity seemed to be the key when working with these papers, just like Jessica who raved about this line earlier - let the papers work for you - a perfect photo, some heartfelt journaling and embellishment here and there. I used Bazzill as a background paper and layered the Bo Bunny over it. For embellishments, I used the cutouts and made them look like ornaments, adding Prima swirls and Glittered Thickers ChipBoard for the title. This layout is a photo of me and my grandchildren a season ago - the antlers were being given away with a purchase at Old Navy - and we had a bunch of them. I wanted all the kids to put them on and pose----sure, on Christmas Eve, with presents stacked all over the place begging to be opened, get seven kids to pose prettily with their grandma who actually put on a Santa hat for the picture ......well, that did not happen. Everyone was whining and squirming and basically non-cooperative. Then I thought of my mother and "Believed" and I started to sing and the magic began....everyone started singing but the baby, the kids were putting on a performance for their parents and everyone was smiling and laughing and the memory of that special night will be with us always - and, although the antlers are long since gone - every year the kids and I do a sing fest on Christmas Eve!

I used my Bo Bunny Believe scraps to make this little "Tree" to hang in my hallway where I have a small wall. It's made out of Chipboard that I cut into a triangle shape -(the flip side is covered with Halloween paper, like a decorated Candy Corn). I adhered the papers with the Xyron Cheetah and added some Prima Crystals and used Stickles to add sparkle to the snowflakes

I found this word plaque in Marshall's - funny how that words takes on such a significance for me! Since I was in the holiday spirit I altered this word using papers from the Basic Grey Wassail collection - these papers were in AC Bailey's December Kit of the Month. I cut traced the letters onto the papers and cut them out and adhered them with my trusty Cheetah and then filed the excess paper off with the Basic Grey Precision File Set - I also inked the edges of the letters using Quick Quotes Chalk Ink This was a great kit, I had so much product I was able to make cards and do some layouts and also gift card holders with all the scraps !


Wishing you much magic in this holiday season.....and it will happen if you "Believe".

Dee