Christmas Time Is Here, An Ornament Project by Kent Mullens

Christmas is one of my favorite times of years.  It is a time of being with family and friends.   There also seems to be a sense of hopefulness around this time of the year.

Christmas is important to me because of my faith.  When Sandra asked me to be a guest on the Muse I  had the perfect idea of what I  wanted to make.    I love to make and create ornaments to give to my family especially my wife and daughters.  I had seen a couple of new releases that I knew I wanted to utilize to make a Christmas ornament.  This Chiristmas ornament will not be given away. It will be something  that I will save for myself.  It will be a reminder to me about the true meaning of Christmas. 

I chose one of the Cathedral windows to use for my piece.   These windows remind me that the past always holds the keys to the future.  The windows can be a shining light illuminating the future by looking at the past.  I used water colors in shimmering platinum and and grey. On the roof I added a touch of green to help create a patina.  I then took granite pencil over all the raised areas so that the texture would be exposed.  I used swarovski crystals and pearls  to give the window a sense of opulence 

I also chose the crown from the Mini Santos collection.  The crown is a symbol of royalty and power. I colored it with watercolors in gold, yellow and pewter so to give it depth.  I then embleshied it with Swarovski chrystals and pearls.  

I then used a star stamp from Tim Holtz set Christmas Time 2 CMS 389.  I embossed it on Yupo paper with shimmering gold embossing powder.  I cut it to fit the window pane and adhered it with glue.  

I then took the smallest doll in the tribe series and wrapped it in Tim Holtz Mummy cloth and glued it so that it looked like swaddling cloth.  

I attached the crown to the bottom of the window upside down and then glued the baby to the bottom of the crown.  I then attached a gold ribbon to the back of the ornament so that it will hang from the tree.  

I love the symbolism of this piece.  As a follower of Christ I am constantly reminded that Jesus came to turn power upside down and is a reminder to us that love, hope, compassion are the way in which people will know who are true followers of Jesus Christ.  I hope you have the merriest of Christmas and a hope filled New Year.   

Thankfulness and Nutcrackers with RELICS & ARTIFACTS Ambassador Milagros Rivera

Thanks to Hurricane Maria, I skipped Halloween for the first time in 23 years.  No Thanksgiving either, although, I sat down with the kids and told them the million reasons why we needed to be thankful.  I refused to skip Christmas!  I found solar Christmas lights online and put them up. There's no shortage of sun here!  Last week, we got power at our work places so we're immensely grateful. Can you imagine celebrating 75 days without electricity?  Well, home is that way and so it is the reality for more than 60% of Puerto Rico.

After the free vaccination clinics we did, we're now spaying and neutering the same amount of dogs, 753 to be exact. It's the reason I'm still helping my husband at the clinic and you barely see me anywhere. Not that I don't miss you, which you know I do like crazy, but there's no time and almost no connectivity to the internet to go on social media as I used to.

I have collected nutcrackers since my son was a baby and about five years ago, I started creating my own using blank wooden nutcrackers to alter with paper. Last year, I experimented with Relics & Artifacts gorgeous Dresden trim collection to create one. This year, I thought I'd have to forgo the tradition when I spotted a single box at my local K-Mart. It was a girl, a Plum Fairy one at that and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed wrapping her hair in gold!  Her face is highlighted by one half of the wings!! Dresden certainly gives me a lot of creative license in how I use them and with their sparkle it's the perfect touch for the holidays!

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Dresden Trim
Wood Nutcracker
Craft Paint

"On Angel Wings We Soar!": A Very Cool Feature with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Milagros Rivera

Since you already know our Christmas here in Puerto Rico lasts long into the New Year, I thought I would share this tree with you. If you take a closer look at the presents underneath the tree, you'll see they are all David Yurman bags.  Yes, David Yurman, the jeweler!  Don't I wish they were all for me, but an even closer look would reveal this:  Relics & Artifacts® ornaments!!!!

I made *50* of these beautiful chandelier pendant ornaments for this display.  My eternal thanks to David for rushing them out to me!

This year has been a whirlwind for me. I can't even begin to describe all the good things and opportunities I have been given.  The words "grateful" and "blessed" have been on my heart all year. Going back to the way it all started, I remember doing my New Year's Resolution this way:

It was actually good to go back and read my last post of 2015 and all the hope I had for 2016.  As the new year approaches, I bid you creativity, opportunities and wings, as I feel that on angel wings we soar!

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Chandelier Pendants

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® On the 6th Day of Christmas...

Ready to ring in the holiday season with a bit of RELICS & ARTIFACTS® cheer?!!! We are up and sharing it up loud and clear over on the Prima Marketing Inc. blog!! 

We have LOTS of amazing and simple inspiration along with our very own Sandra Evertson, RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassadors, Louise Nelson and Milagros C. Rivera, and the Prima design team in a beautiful collaboration!!

View fullsize

Created by Sandra Evertson.

View fullsize

Created by Sandra Evertson.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Want to know how these projects were created? All the details including supply lists + step-out tutorials are available over on the Prima blog! Oh, and there's even video too!!

Want to play along with some RELICS & ARTIFACTS®? 

1. Create ANY Prima-based card, tag, or ornament with one of the 12 product challenges.
2. Upload your project photo (using the inlinkz link provided on the day's post.)
3. Include which challenge day (1-12) you are entering in your title.(Ex: Sharon- Day 1-Victorian Christmas)
4. You can enter as many times as you wish by December 14th, 2015, at 11:55 EST!

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Tribe | Merry Merry Ornament Challenge

MERRY MERRY ORNAMENT CHALLENGE over at the Tribe!!

Not a member of the Tribe yet? Come join us!!

Here's how it works:

1. Create your most spectacular ornament using any combination RELICS & ARTIFACTS® matte resin craft blanks.

2. Post it to the RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Tribe before December 12th. Let us know it is for the MERRY MERRY ORNAMENT CHALLENGE.

3. Enter as often as you like! Tag and share with all of your friends.

4. Pieces will be "judged" by a secret faceless, nameless panel hidden in an undisclosed location. :)

5. Prize will be YOUR Santa's "wish list" of FOUR assorted packages of RELICS & ARTIFACTS® products. IN ADDITION WE WILL INCLUDE A SPECIAL HANDMADE SURPRISE GIFT created for you by Sandra Evertson!

6. Be joyful, CREATE and HAVE FUN!! Good luck to all!

*Follow RELICS & ARTIFACTS® on Instagram @relicsandartifacts

*Invite all your friends to join our RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Tribe on Facebook

*Shop it up for RELICS & ARTIFACTS®: www.sandraevertson.com