Back to Reality....and a Christmas ATC

I am always amazed at all the things you have to do after taking a vacation...mail, yard work, bills, laundry, etc. You would not think 8 days would create so much pile of chores...and the e-mails, facebook, etc. are chores unto themselves. So many messages, so little time:) I think i finally weeded through my FB account messages, game requests, etc, got the two e-mail accounts all cleaned up, laundry in the washer, groceries in the fridge, mail sorted, bills paid, yard mowed, weeds pulled, plants watered....ahhhh, time for another vacation!

It was a wonderful, busy trip. We went to Key West for 8 days of sun, water and fun. We all came back a little tired and a little sunburned. We did it all...snorkeling, jet skiing, sailing, sunning, shopping, sight seeing, etc. It was a GREAT trip.

Now on to something a little craftier....my latest ATC. This month's swap on FB group was "Christmas Memories". I thought about this for several days and here is what I came up with...

A FIREPLACE! Let me explain...

When I was little we lived in an apartment...so there was always the dilemma of where to put stockings & how would Santa get in. One year, my father decided to make me a fireplace. He used colored paper & markers to turn a little bookshelf into a fireplace. So....a fireplace it was.

I used handmade paper to make the base for the fireplace. I then free handed liquid applique for the mortar. I added a mantle out of handmade papers. I free handed the stockings out of a velvet paper and added a candy cane sticker. I used a brad for the "nail" to hold the stocking on the fireplace. I used real twigs for the logs and the stickles for the flames.