12 X 12 Travel layout (11/150-2015) - Canal Love (Venice)

Happy Sunday to all!  I hope you had, are having or will have a wonderful day depending on where in the world you are - I hope you are warm, or cool, as the case may be LOL.  As for us, here in Quebec, Canada, we are still in the deep freeze.  It is the coldest winter in over 20 years according to the experts.  On Friday, the maximum for the day was minus 23 deg C!!! Hmmmm 'nuff said. 

I wanted to pop in today with my final layout for the portion of my trip that I spent in Venice.  This one is aptly called "Canal Love".  It is also for a challenge over on the Victoria Marie Facebook Group.  If you are not a member of the group yet, head on over there; it is a really fun place to be.  A great group of scrappers, tons of inspiration and motivation,  fun challenges and well Victoria is just a hoot and more - her posts crack me up!! 

I love Canal cities and towns - they are so beautiful and lovely to walk around.  I spent 2 or 3 days just walking around Venice; discovering almost every corner.  I also enjoy going off the beaten track so I deliberately allowed myself to get lost and wind up in residential areas where peoples' boats were tied up outside their door.  I don't have great balance when it comes to standing in moving vehicles (of any kind), or vehicles that are not on a firm footing, or ground LOL.  So I would probably wind up in the water as often as I would go through the entrance if I lived there LOL.   There is something so very calming about strolling around canal streets.  I do hope to get back there one day.  If you have been to Venice, I would love to see any pages you might have made and read about your discoveries, likes and dislikes!

The supplies are entirely from the "mega" kit I prepared from the January Scraptastic kit and add-on (This must be the place), together with the October TLN kit and the October main and add-on (Heart It Races).  

The only items I added from my stash are the enamel dots and black gems (the latter are from BoBunny). 

This was the 11th layout I made with this kit.  I have made two more layouts since and still have enough for about 4 more.  With scraps, I might even it make it to 20 !!

So there you have, a quick visit today, with the ramblings somewhat in check LOL.  Thanks for being here :) Have a great scrappy day and I will be back with another page, and post, on Thursday. 

A December Documented (or Daily) Prompt - make 3 X 4 cards from the scraps left on your work surface after completing another project :)

Good morning and happy Thursday to you all!  It's December ... woot, woot!  Can you hear the song :  "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." LOL.  It is one of my signature songs - I sing that portion of it in response to all sorts over the earlier part of December.  When my mom told me they had decorated the dining room at her residence, that was my response.  When my friend told me she was starting her Christmas shopping, I sang that portion of the song ... you get the picture.  Have I now implanted that in your brain for the day - will you be singing it all day???  Yay, my job is done LOL.  We can now move on to the subject at hand :

I made about 50 Christmas cards this year, here is a selection of them :

Here is my scrap table after I finished making all the cards :

So we all have messy desks after a project, right?  Please do not disillusion me if that is not your case!!  We all hate the cleaning up part, right?  Except for my cat Chopin that is (you can see his paws up in the right hand corner LOL) who loves playing in the leftovers, but usually just makes the mess messier LOL.  And finally, cleaning up that mess takes away from valuable crafting time, does it not?  So what's a crafter to do??  

TURN THAT MESS INTO 3 X 4 CARDS FOR OUR DECEMBER DOCUMENTED ALBUMS !!!

I did not buy anything this year for my album, used only things I had in my stash (the Scraptastic December kit will be Christmas themed, but it may not get here in time for me to use it in the album).  I am using a 6 X 8 album, with pocketed pages but did not have a single 3 X 4, or 4 X 6, Christmas/winter themed card.  So I cleaned my desk :

As I was making these cards, I thought of three different categories of cards that I would use in my album, and that I could make ahead of time :

• date and event specific
• event specific, but no date
• generic filler cards

The generic filler cards are the easiest and fastest to make.  I just trimmed scraps to the 3 X 4 size, rounded the corners and then searched for little bits on my desk that matched the colour and that I could layer :

There is still plenty of room to add a title or a date.   I search for different shapes and sizes from that little scrap heap, at least 3 little bits, so that I can layer.  Each little layer touches at least another one.  I also add just a touch of dimension or bling for texture and pizzazz !

Then for the event-specific cards, although I don't know yet when these events will happen :

We have not yet had our first real snow storm - that 20+ cm snowfall, but it surely will come and probably sooner rather than later ... maybe in the next few days.  So I am ready with my card.  

I don't have a tree in my house because I have my kitty and my sister has two, plus Oliver, our golden retriever; and we spend a lot of time at each other's homes.  So no trees for us.  But my mom has one, her residence has many, we have one at work, other family members and friends also have trees.  So a page will definitely be dedicated to Christmas trees.  My card is ready.  I used twine for some added texture here to represent garland on the tree and stickles on the tree to represent the lights.

Lastly, the presents.  I document shopping, wrapping, giving and opening so I am not sure where is card will wind up in my album ... probably buying because it is actually a gift card holder that I made. I may decorate the inside, or add the list of the gifts that I buy as well as who they are for:

And the very last category, is a card that is very specific and very personal to my Christmas period :

This will be the title card for December 18th.  I work in an Italian gourmet food shop and bakery and Christmas is our busiest time of the year.  We get all sorts of special orders for pastries, cakes, food, baskets .... so on the 18th of every year, I become the "List Lady"... I make lists pretty much all day - special orders by category, orders from vendors, extra staff on call, ingredient lists, crew load lists .... lists and more lists... At the bottom of each of my lists, I always write, and then sing when I give the list to whoever  "And, a partridge in a pear tree" !!! LOL

So now I have implanted a second song in your brain for the day ... wouldn't want you to get bored singing the same song over and over ... so now you have two.  You don't have to thank me, it was a pleasure!

There you have it, I hope I have given you a few ideas for 3 X 4 cards; they are so versatile and easy to make and much more fun than cleaning off the desk !!!

Pop on over to our facebook group, December Daily Inspiration Group - Anything Goes,  for lots more inspiration and gorgeous projects.  There are close to 200 amazing DD crafters in the group making beautiful stuff.  Also pop on over to Sue's You Tube channel (shiles728) to keep up to date with everything going on in the group.  And, of course, there is still time to join in Kristy Nitro's amazing challenge (Kristy Nitro on You Tube).

Are you still with me?  All the way to the end? .... Wow, you are as amazing as I thought.  Thanks so much for sticking with me and my ramblings!  Have a wonderful fun-filled day and don't forget :  SING IT FOR ALL TO HEAR !!!

My job is done LOL.  Hugs xoxo