Making Memories

Multiple Photo Challenge

It seems like I always have LOTS of photos this time of year, so this week’s challenge is to use several photos on your page. For this layout about our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm I first created a grid in Photoshop. I felt this was a simple, orderly way to display my photos on the page and hopefully it helps make the page a little easier on the eyes. After arranging the photos and printing them out as one section, I used a bunch of the holiday papers (as well as a little bit of the Boho green) to create layers at the top and bottom of the page. I also used the MM ledger paper for my journaling, which was taken directly off my blog entry about last year’s trip. Then I added tabs, ribbon, and tin photo corners for additional dimension.

Give it a try with all the photos that you took this holiday season.  Make sure to upload it when you are done to the MM Idea Gallery.

Supply list:

Holiday papers, stickers, ribbon, and metal frame combo
Light green Boho paper
Ledger paper
Brown Boho frame corners
Winter brads (one red one)
Brown ink
Rub-on images

Joanna

 

Holiday Photos

How did you and your family spend the holidays?  We would love to see photos of the day’s events.  Upload your favorite holiday photos to MM’s Idea Gallery.  On January 3^rd, we will pick one lucky winner to win an album, paper and supplies to scrapbook your holidays this year.  We can’t wait for you to share. 

Winners will be announced on January 3^rd.

Congrats!

Congratulation to the following people who will be receiving a late Christmas present from MM. 

Grommet Tool Kit

Becky T.

Shelly J.

Dawn

Tag Maker Punch

Sheila Bowman

Kiera Black

Michelle Early

The winners have been emailed so make sure to send us your address.

We hope the rest of you had an enjoyable holiday.

Happy Holidays

From all of our family to yours, we want to wish you a happy holiday!

Mary's Rocky Road Fudge Recipe

Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without Mom’s Rocky Road Fudge.  She’s made this for the holidays for as long as I can remember.  Now I make my own every year, to share with friends and neighbors (and to eat myself, of course)…but for some reason it always tastes better when Mom makes it, so I eat some of hers too!  Seriously, this is the best fudge ever! 

Mary’s Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients:

20 ounces milk chocolate, broken into pieces (we use regular Hershey’s bars)

1 - 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

1 cup butter (or margarine)

4 cups sugar

1 can (14.5 ounce) evaporated milk

2 ½ cups mini marshmallows AND 1 ½ cups frozen mini marshmallows

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 pound walnut halves (4 ½ cups)

Instructions:

1. Put first three ingredients (chocolates and butter) in large bowl and set aside
2. Bring next three ingredients (sugar, evap milk, marshmallows) to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir to a light, but steady, boil for SEVEN minutes
3. Remove mixture from heat (#2) and pour over mixture in bowl (#1)
4. Stir with WOODEN SPOON until melted and well blended
5. Continue to stir until candy loses it’s shine (yep, your arm will be aching by the time this step is complete – this is a good time to call in reinforcements!)
6. Stir in last three ingredients (frozen marshmallows, vanilla, walnuts)
7. Pour into a buttered jelly roll pan
8. Refrigerate at least 1 ½ hours before cutting
9. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve
10. Freezes well!

I hope you like this recipe.  It's easy to make so if you haven't already made your holiday treats, you can give it a try.  Here's a quick peek at the holiday card that I sent out with this treat. 

Happy Holidays!

Wendy

Holiday Traditions Challenge

During the month of December some of the design team members have shared some traditions that they enjoy for the holidays.  I wanted to create a challenge that incorporated some traditions that we share. My favorite tradition is making cookies for Santa with my kids.  Think of the traditions that you enjoy and document them by creating a layout.  Let your kids do the journaling for this page to get their perspective on the tradition.  Make sure you upload your project when you are fun so we can see your page and enjoy your traditions.

Happy Holidays!

Keisha

Items Needed:

MM Kids (Kate, dots) paper

Cheeky (Emery, dots) paper

Defined Stickers

Cheeky jigsaw stars

Rub-on letters-Misunderstood

Star brad

Scrapbook Colors paint in red wagon

To create this page:

1. Cut green dot patterned paper to 6” x 9” and red paper into 1” strips.  Use decorative scissors on the edge of red paper. 

2. Center cut paper pieces on a 12” x 12” piece of cardstock and adhere. 

3. Paint chipboard stars and allow them to dry

5. Add Definition stickers and sew around edges

6. Add journaling

7. Apply rub-on title to top right

8. Once stars are dry add to layout

9.  Add photos and star brad

Great Gift Ideas – Part III

We are featuring MM’s new Tag Maker punch and Grommet tool for our final great gift idea post.  These items just started shipping, so you could be one of the first to have them.

Tag Maker Punch: Like it or not, seeing is indeed believing.  To that end, we have created the Tag Maker Kit – complete with our easy, top-view punch tool and tag rims.  See exactly what your final creation will look like before punching.  Also, just one punch tool accommodates interchangeable punch cartridges, allowing you to switch up your style as often as you like.  Punch cartridges come in medium and large circles, medium and large squares, medium and large hearts and tags. 

Grommet Tool: The genius behind a nicely set grommet starts with a nice set of tools.  MM’s 6-piece tool tin contains hole punches and setters for both large and small grommets and a double-sided base used for setting.  Also enjoy a setting mat and 12 colorful, decorative grommets in this kit.  Grommets are perfect page accents, book closers, boarders, frames, and more.

We are going to give 3 of each product away.  We understand that the holidays can be a bit stressful for all of us so we are going to make this an easy question.  Tell us what you hope to see under your tree on December 25^th.  Post a comment to be entered into this contest.  The winners will be announced on December 26^th.  Consider this an after Christmas present!

Center Piece

If you haven’t already decorated your home for the holidays, you might be running out of time.  Today we wanted to show you a VERY easy and quick idea for a centerpiece using candles and MM’s photo wreath kit.  Candles are a popular item to put on the table because they are very inexpensive and beautiful.  Here’s a quick way to embellish them (we promise it won’t take a lot of time).  Couple that with a beautiful wreath and you are set.  This idea comes from Joanna Bolick and is featured in our Celebrations book.

How to:

1. Remove photo wreath from box and place face up on table
2. Tie small strands of various ribbons around branches
3. Attach buttons, crystal brads and gems amounst berries
4. Attach safety pins to knotted ribbons
5. Embellish three candles and place in center of wreath

Items needed:

Photo décor wreath kit, crystal brads (clear circle and square red wagon), woven ribbon (red and white), blossoms (Poinsettias), Vintage Hip buttons, findings and alphabet stickers (Gracen), MM Kids trims (Sam), ribbon cards, safety pins, Simply Fabulous gem stickers (Brooke), and buckles and naked line trims: Making Memories

Holiday Traditions

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?  This week it’s Maggie and Christy’s turn to answer. 

"One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is that Brian and I exchange our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve after we put the boys to bed. Christmas morning is usually pretty chaotic and we are always focused on the kids so this is a nice quiet time for us to really focus on each other and enjoy exchanging our gifts. It also gives us a chance to stop and talk about the true meaning of Christmas and reflect on the things we are grateful for. I love it!!"

Maggie

Our family enjoys many Christmas traditions. There are so many that each year, I get so excited because it really brings our young family together. One tradition I really look forward to (and I know my kids do as well ) is making Christmas Pajamas. Each year, I buy Christmas flannel fabric and make pj's bottoms for each of my kids.  I also buy them plain white long sleeve shirts, which we decorative together. First, I iron on a printed holiday saying, then we get out my holiday foam stamps and paint.  We have fun going to town personalizing our pj shirts. My kids look forward to this each year and now it's turned into an extended family tradition. My sisters and I get together and make the pj's bottoms, then our kids spend the afternoon decorating their pj tops. It's definitely a memory I cherish each year.

Christy

Winners of the Cheeky Collection, Instant Setter, Runway Totes

A GREAT BIG congratulations goes to the following people who will be receiving a featured item from MM’s holiday wish list:

Cheeky Collection

Tracy Rizzo

Jill Scripts

Marjorie

Instant Setter

Marianne Squire-Maszer

Cindi

Fran Heupel

Runway Tote

Evelyn Rosado

Amanda Hensley

Jennifer in GA

We have one more giveaway to do next week.  Take a look on Wednesday to enter again.

Have a wonderful Friday.