"NOEL" Christmas Banner

I really can't get enough of the banner craze.  I eat, sleep and Pinterest banners. 

At a local shop, My Heart's Fancy, I've had the damn fun chance to participate in two banner 'swaps.'

For anyone who is not 'in the life,'  a swap is when a group of people all make a series (or collection of) of things and then send them all to one person, who re-distibutes the things back to the people who submitted things.  Did I explain that well?  Maybe someone, someone more into the swap-world, will jump in and give a better description.  They're always happening around on the online scrap-sites.  And they often come with a fair amount of drama- someone always seems to be 'flaking,' about to 'flake', or has 'flaked' in the past.  'Flaking' is when you don't do what you promised to do in the swap- whether it's not sending in your stuf or if you're the one in charge of the swap, absconding with either all the stuff or the postage, or whatever.  It's its own whole thing, let me tell you. 

I've never participated in an online swap, because I hate going to post office more than I hate doing laundry.  Seriously.  I've had the same DVD from Netflix since I opened my account because I don't know where my outgoing mail slot is at and I don't want to go to the post office. 

But I will do a swap at My Heart's Fancy- because, well, it's more personal-feeling to me AND I don't have to go to the post office- I just gotta MAKE the things and then drive them up to the shop.  I did have to get over my fear of people getting a piece of mine, holding it up, and exclaiming, "I MADE SUCH AND SUCH AND SUCH AND *THIS* IS THE KIND OF THING I GET IN RETURN?!" 

Okay- to make a long story short- here are some of my results from the 2012 My Heart's Fancy Christmas Banner Swap!

I used Prima's 'LEDGER' stack for my most of my pennant bases.  I love that stack.  I made a huge (if you consider that huge) rosette from kraft cardstock and layered on a 'Lacy Oval'  cut from a Spellbinders die.  On top of that, I placed a 'Styled Label' cut from thick chipboard with the Tim Holtz die that I 'painted' with the amazing BRUSHED PEWTER Distress Stain.  Do you have the new metallic Distress Stains?  They're too cool for words.  Trust me.  They'll make anything look like metal and, well, just plain incredible. Aaaaand on top is a chipboard letter that I covered with silver glitter.  At this point, my aim was to stay away from traditional Christmas colors and try to make something that appeared more timeless, yet still Christmas-sy.  Christmassy?  Christmas-y?

Aaaand then I just had to have something RED, so there went my first intention for something pale pink and silver and cream.  Besides, nobody is getting the entire banner, so I figured to just make each one independent of each other.  Excuses, excuses.  But dangit, I suddenly had the urge for a red glitter reindeer.  I love Mr. Holtz's Reindeer Flight die.  I love those precious damn deer. 

And here's where I thought I needed to use green.

And here's where I completely abandoned my original idea and: more red AND a 'Santa' Bingo card.  The kraft 'ornate' frame was cut from the 'Happy Hauntings' Cricut Cartridge... and I had a plan to use it front and center on another pennant, until I noticed that there were bats in the design motif on the sides.  I thought I had been so so clever to cut off the majorly Halloween-y part at the top- and then SURPRISE!  Bats!  So.. it ended up there- hidden enough to cover the bats.  I guess I could've glittered the entire thing and claimed it was a foreign Christmas tradition of 'The Christmas Bats,' but I thought, no, not with all the Wikipedia and smartasses around the internets.

As part of the swap's directions, I also made another set of N-O-E-L pennants.  But for some reason, I didn't photograph them all- I can't remember if it was because I was in a hurry or if it was because I didn't like them- but now I am thinking there were others I liked more than the ones above.  My life is one complicated moment after another, I tell you, and this is just the crafts. 

My FAVORITE part of the banner swap were the instructions to create three 'decorative' banners- no letters.  Just whatever I wanted to die cut, cut, glue and glitter.  Oh, that would be a good craft rap song.  Die CUT, CUT, GLUE AND GLITTER.  Yo.  Crafts.  Let's tip over a cop car.

I made the pleated ruffle with a piece of vintage dictionary paper.  Where do I get all of my classy vintage dictionaries that I can cut up without a shred of guilt?  At the Friends of the Library Booksale.  Every February.  1.00 each.  I used a strip of seam binding over the edge of the pleated dictionary ruffle.  Some metal photo corners (Hobby Lobby brand), a piece of embossed white letterpress paper, another red glitter reindeer, and a tag cut from a piece of some brands (sorry) Christmas paper from last year.  I am now obsessed with pleated dictionary ruffles.  Look for more of that, ladies and gentlemen.

On top of this pennant, I used a pre-made sheet music ruffle from Bazzill.  Which is where I got (stole?) the idea to make my own paper ruffles.  Theirs are not made from actual sheet music/newspapers- but appear to be printed on near-cardstock.  They're very thick and sturdy.  I'm now confused as to why I used an uncolored piece of kraft 'greenery' (kraftery?) there under the rosette.  That just looks....bad. 


And now, for my favorite piece of my NOEL banner:

I made the 3-D ornament with a Tim Holtz Carved Ornaments die and (yeah, more) dictionary paper.  I cut a stack of dictionary with a piece of thick chipboard.  I folded each piece in half and (very carefully) glued them together side of back to side of back (now THAT makes sense, doesnt it?!) until they fanned out when glued to the chipboard backing.  I love how it looks and I want to make more... the only trouble is that it's hard to find a spare 90 minutes to MAKE EACH ONE.  Who knows, maybe I'd get faster with each one.  But I love this one and it was hard to part with...

I couldn't resist but to share another angle.

Okay.  I've got work to do and it doesn't have anything to do with Glossy Accents.  I'll see y'all later when I'm back with some CARDS! 

-kory