Merry Christmas! Wishing you so much joy!

Holiday Keepsake

Make a stunning Christmas wreath from old ornaments.
This front-door beauty is sure to become a treasured holiday keepsake.

A handful of eye-catching ornaments are simply set in a background of inexpensive tree balls, all attached to a foam base. Easy but elegant, this perennial performer will never wilt or drop needles on the carpet.

You need
• Cylindrical Styrofoam wreath base, 14-in in diameter, 2-in thick
• Approx seventy-five 2-in diameter ball ornaments
• Approx thirty 1-in diameter ball ornaments
• Approx 20 vintage ornaments (such as 2- to 2-1/2-in diameter glittery, mirrored or painted balls, or odd-shaped ornaments and decorations such as angels, birds or beasts)
• Loose glass beads recycled from tree garlands or costume jewelry (optional)
• 1.00 m wire-edged satin ribbon, 2-in wide
• Glue gun

To make:
1. Fold ribbon in half so ends are even, forming loop. From back of base, thread loop through wreath, then slide ends through loop and tighten at top; secure loop to base with dabs of glue. Tie ends in bow to make hanging loop.

2. Working counterclockwise from top and leaving spaces to accommodate vintage ornaments, glue 2-in balls all over sides then front of base (glue balls to each other, as well as to base, to secure); arrange vintage ornaments as desired, then glue on. Glue 1-in balls (and, if desired, beads) into spaces in between.

3. Trim ribbon ends, then shape bow loops and ends as desired.

Designer's tips:
• Before gluing ornaments around sides, place small pieces cut from corrugated cardboard or clean Styrofoam meat trays under ornaments, to position balls slightly forward of base back and prevent breakage when the wreath is hung against a hard surface.

Shop Target for GREAT picture frames!

All pictures by Linabell Photography

Merry X-mas

Cookie Swap

Giving Thanks

More ideas for hanging pictures

Hanging multiple framed pictures so that they look orderly can be a challenge. The secret is to divide and conquer: Mark a horizontal mid line on the wall, and hang all pictures above or below it.

The line can be made with a strip of painters' tape and then removed once the pictures are in place. To unify the group, choose a single color for all frames and, if displaying photographs, stick with either all black-and-white or all color shots.

Picture Hanging How-To

Unfurl a length of painters' tape (ours was 1 1/2 inches wide) horizontally across a wall, making sure tape is level.

Determine nail placement for frames above the mid line by measuring from the bottom of a frame to its bracket. (If the frame hangs on wire, pull the wire taut, and measure accordingly.)

For frames below the mid line, measure from the top of the frame to the bracket. Use additional strips of tape, positioned vertically, to create even spaces between pictures arranged next to each other.

When all frames are in place, remove tape from wall.

Two Parallel Lines

Similar to the hallway arrangement above, this approach creates a unified look by arranging artwork in straight lines. Arrange the frames so that the tops of the frames that make up the bottom row are at the same height, and the bottom of the frames that make up the top row are also at the same height, about two inches above the bottom row.

Here's a way to plan a display of framed pictures without making a single needless nail hole. First, trace around frames on craft paper to make a template for each piece of art; cut out. Pull hanging wire on frame taut; measure distance from top of wire's arc to top of frame. Make a corresponding mark on template. Lay picture hook on template so bottom of hook is on mark; make another mark where nail hole will go. Use drafting tape to hang templates. When you're satisfied with placement, hammer nails through picture hooks and into wall over the marks on the craft paper. Rip off the paper, leaving nails and hooks in place, and hang your frames.

Hanging pictures the easy way

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  Group the pictures on the wall. Juggling pictures to get the right one in the right place can be difficult; instead work with pieces of paper. Trace the outline of each frame on paper that contrasts with the wall. Cut out the shapes, place masking tape loops on the backs, and experiment with grouping the pictures. (See photo above.) For the security of anchoring heavy works and mirrors into wall studs, first locate the studs with a stud finder. To support especially large objects, drive hangers into adjacent studs.
  
  To see how a picture grouping will look on the wall, first lay it out on the floor. You're getting a bird's eye view, and you'll find it easier and quicker to move things around as you work out a preliminary arrangement.

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  Nail a hanger to the wall. To determine the exact position for the hanger, poke a pencil point through the paper cutout at the spot where the picture wire will be when fully stretched by the picture weight. When you find the best location for the picture, tap a nail through the hole just enough to mark the wall.
  
  

Trick or Treat

Have you boo'd yet?

What is a "Boo Gram"?

A Boo-Gram is a mysterious note, left on neighbor's doors in the middle of the day. The note is usually a poem of sorts, and a large "Boo!" decoration for their front door. The decoration serves as a means of communicating to other neighbors that this house has already been "hit". By Halloween, it is not uncommon to see Boo-Grams lining up and down the street on all the doors in some neighborhoods!

Accompanying the Boo-Gram is a collection of goodies, determined by the giver. The goodies may vary from small Halloween treats, to kid's toys. The magic of these Boo-Grams is the reciprocation of this gift, as it is expected that when you are "Boo'd", you must "Boo" 2 other neighbors as well (after all, if you don't like your "Boo" gift, you can always re-gift to another neighbor!).

Adventurous types "Boo" their neighbors in the broad daylight or early evening hours, as it increases the possibility of getting caught... those familiar with the famous "doorbell ditch" prank of their childhood years will be happy to know that this tradition lives on, though the recipient gets a fun gift in the process.

Many neighborhoods start in early October, however the common time to start seeing "Boo-Grams" is a couple of weeks before Halloween. However don't wait for someone to "Boo" you - start the tradition in your neighborhood... you'll be surprised how quickly the excitement spreads around the neighborhood!

How to start the tradition:

1. Create a "Boo" bag/basket o' goodies (if this is new in your neighborhood, you may want to create 3 or 4)

2. Print a "Boo" gram

3. Find your unsuspecting target

4. Make the "drop"

5. Ring the doorbell and knock

6. RUN!!!

Halloween is coming...

Witches, bats and ghosts will be coming soon!

Linabell Photography

Check out Linabell Photography!
linabellphotos.blogspot.com

digging in the closet

Best friends and cousins :)
Every year M & M get their pictures taken
together for Christmas cards.

This year I decided to dig in their closets
to see what I could find.
I didn't want to spend any money.
This is what I came up with.
I didn't want the girls to be too matchy matchy.
I went with more of a casual look.

To save money,
I might just send something out like this
for the girls Christmas cards this year.
Cute, simple and cheap!

Halloween Greetings