Christmas Card Photo Shoot… re-cap!

A little re-cap of our Adventure to capture some shots for the family Christmas Card. Whenever we head out to shoot photos, I have to take a deep breath.  Getting 5 kids ready, outfits coordinated, hair styled and make sure everyone is happy is enough to put me over the edge.  We managed to do it and get some shots to make a Christmas card to send to family and friends.  

As we were driving to our photo destination, I turn around and find this one sacked out.  Yeah, not a good start to a photo shoot!

  I wanted to find a more industrial looking background.  We drove around for a while and then I spotted some dark doors with texture that caught my eye!  

Once we got Ivy a little awake and happy, we were able to start shooting.  I could not have asked for a better day!  It was cloudy and the weather wasn't too cold.  The light on the side of this building was awesome, it gave such a good glow.  I shot with my D200 and my 50mm portrait lens.  

The best group shot I was able to get was this one,  I did have to do some touchups but not too bad.

I started taking the individual shots.  Here are Ava's… Little cutie! She has always reminded me of the littlest girl on the Narnia movies.

Once we got Ivy to cooperate, she did alright.  She has a hard time looking at the camera.  She gets distracted easily.  There's a lot to look at when you are three! Love her!

 Next up, Parker.  Can I just say, taking Parker's pictures is the craziest challenge.  First of all he is a Comedian.  He is so funny.  I can rarely get a serious shot out of him.  For instance, He will give me these froggy eyes...

But then I was able to get him to come around and give me some good shots.  I crack up at this kid!

 Next we tackled McKay's photos.  He is so funny.  He rarely will smile in a photo.  He's at that cool stage. 

I loved this.  I was shooting his photos, he's giving me his best looks, but it is so hard to act tough in photos when first of all your mom is shooting them and second,  your younger brother is standing behind her cracking jokes.  

 

ahh,  there's a smile!

 I loved this one turned black and white…

and last, my Madi.  What a sweetie she is!

This is how I put them together for the Christmas Card.  

 The Group shot, I put together in Rhonna Designs.

For the Individuals, I put 3 things that describe them the most.

 I did a 3-fold Christmas card that I cut out of card stock on  my Silhouette and glued them together. I went with black to coordinate with their outfits.  This was the front cover.  I cut some  deer out of silhouette's adhesive foil.  I had the front cover,  show just some of their feet with the word Christmas visible... 

Next the flap opened to reveal the rest of the feet..

then unfolded all of  the way…  There is a little pocket that I put the individual shots in and did a little doodle on with a white pencil. I also placed in there a little signature card where I wrote a  note to everyone on. 

It's a wrap!    Christmas Card photo shoot done!  Of course we had some funny shots too...

I love that  McKay and Madi are posed, Parker, the second one in from the left is just looking up at the sky, Ava is mad and Ivy is just off in wonderland!  

I love this one of Ivy teasing Ava!

We hope you have a Wonderful Holiday Season!  Thank you for reading my blog!  We love you!

Happy Holidays!

Photo Gift Tags...

You can create are your own gift tags!  These tags were made using different Christmas items from around the house and a camera.

I simply used an old window, a berry wreath and a candle.  I shot different pictures at different angles, and turned the picture black and white.  Resized them to 2.5 x 3 inches, typed To and From on the picture, printed it, glued it to some card stock,  cut the card stock to a shape of a tag, punched a hole and tied some twine!

 

This next one is one of my favorites!  I wrapped up a box with a bow, got my little one to start to open it and  took pictures of the process!   I resized it and made it into a tag too!

There you have it some simple gift tags that you can create yourself!

Simple Foil Garland

 I wanted to share with you a fun idea to help Celebrate the Holidays!  This foil Garland is fun to make to decorate a tree, hang behind a party table or add some flair to a gift!  You can make your garland whatever size you may need it to be.  I made this one smaller to be a simple accent to a tree.

This foil Garland was made using Printable foil that is adhesive.  It is made by Silhouette and is so great to work with!   I cut mine using my Silhouette Cameo.  I made several circles sized them roughly 1 in. x 1 in.  I cut the deer at roughly 1.5 x 2 in.  

I also had to make the deer on one side opposite so they will stick together evenly on each side of the jute with sticky sides together.

Take enough length of string or jute to complete your garland.  Peel and stick your bottom circle or deer

take another circle or deer and cover it on the top sticking the two items together.

continue until you feel you have enough garland to cover your tree or accent a gift.  On my garland, I did a pattern of 5 circles and then 1 deer etc. 

The foil deer by itself also makes a cute accent to a gift too! Wouldn't they make a darling Cupcake Topper?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

How to Make a NOEL Sign

I have had some readers ask how I made this Long NOEL sign.  It was so fun to make and I have loved having it on our Porch this Holiday Season!  

This can be made a couple different ways.  

I cut mine out of 1/4 smooth finish plywood with my skill saw and double framed it first with scrap plywood cut at 3/4 in wide to lay flat around the perimeter on the back and then framed on the sides with 1 1/2 in. pine so it can be hung.  

 OR 

You can also just purchase a 11 1/4 in. pine board that is already the width you want it.  You would just need to cut the length.     For this option, You can frame it the same way I frame my 1/4 in. plywood, BUT you will not need to do the Scrap plywood on the BACK due to the  thickness of the pine board. You can just use the 1 1/2 in wide. pine to do your finish framing on the outside of the board.  The only thing you will have to do is, if you want to hang your sign, you will have to drill a hole or add some kind of hanging device to the back.  

The measurements of my NOEL sign are as follows

for a 11 1/4 in. pine board from Lowes I cut it

11 1/4 in. wide x 54 in. tall.

******

for the 1/4 in. plywood,  I hand cut it with my skill saw at

11 3/4 in. wide by 54 in. tall

I next painted the board the color I wanted it.  I used Americana paint that I found at Michaels.  For the Green, it is a Hauser Light Green.  For my Red sign I used Americana Crimson red.

For the Stain to distress all colors of the sign, I used Minwax stain in Provincial color.

I then cut my Letters for the Stencils on Contact paper on my Silhouette Cameo.  Each of the letters are roughly 8 1/4 in. tall by 6 in. wide. In the font (Gloucester MT Extra condensed)   You can make them whatever size you would like.  These are roughly the sizes I used.    I placed my letters on the board roughly 2 1/2 to 3 inches in from each side and then spaced each of the letters roughly 5 1/2 in.  apart down the board.  I then painted in my stencil with white paint.

I next framed my boards by first using 3/4 in. scrap plywood on the back that was cut to fit the entire outside of the board. I used my brad nailer and 5/8 in. brads to secure.

I then framed the outside using the 1 1/2 in. wide Pine that I ripped on the table saw and then cut and fit it to the outside.  I secured it with my brad nailer and 1 1/2 in. length brads.   I painted it white and then sanded it down and distressed it using the Minwax stain in Provincial color.  

I sanded down the topside of the board in various places to give it a roughed up look and then ran stain over the entire board to distress it using the Minwax stain in Provincial. 

Project complete!  These add such a fun dimension to a porch or inside a house for the Holiday Season!

If you decide to make a NOEL sign , I hope you enjoy it! I have LOVED mine!

Happy Holidays!