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mary
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| Posted: Sept 26 2005 at 9:04pm | IP Logged
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lilac hill wrote:
Sculpey Jessie tree ornaments might be more our speed.  |
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what a great idea! I tried to buy the stamps - the site wouldn't let me check out. After reading your post, I realize it was a sign that I wouldn't know what to do with them anyway. We bring sculpey along on vacation. Making a sculpey Jesse tree is perfect. 
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TradCathMom
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| Posted: Sept 29 2005 at 9:58pm | IP Logged
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lilac hill wrote:
what a great idea! I tried to buy the stamps - the site wouldn't let me check out. After reading your post, I realize it was a sign that I wouldn't know what to do with them anyway. We bring sculpey along on vacation. Making a sculpey Jesse tree is perfect. |
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I'm probably the only one who doesn't know but what is "sculpey"?
I wasn't able to check out with the stamps either, I emailed them and mentioned it. Might just be that whoever runs the shopping cart was down for a time?
So many great ideas for Advent! I can't wait!
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Julie
 Wife to Tom
Mother of 11
Julie's stuff
Trinity Acres
JMJ * AMDG
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Kelly
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| Posted: Sept 29 2005 at 10:31pm | IP Logged
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I just picked up a new string of purple lights for our mantel. During Advent, I like to put a plain green garland with purple lights over the fireplace. This helps mitigate the cries of why-does-everyone-else-have-their-Christmas-tree-up-the-day- after-Thanksgiving-and-we-don't. I also put twig wreaths with purple ribbons up on our doors during the days of Advent. These wreaths "magically" change to green wreaths with red and gold on Christmas Eve!
Also, after a long search, I finally found the perfect, stately but elegant, muted purple fabric for an Advent table cloth for our Living Room. It's really pretty, without being glitzy or overly showy, very understated. I picked up some all-purpose purple fabric in a regular purple hue to make a washer and dryer friendly tablecloth for the kitchen, as well. I've found that things like table cloths and lights, done in the theme of Advent, really help maintain the Advent frame of mind...at the same time keeping us from feeling TOO puritanical.
The big feast days we celebrate during Advent are St. Nicholas' Day, St. Lucia's Day, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the Posadas during the nine day novena before Christmas. Which reminds me...now is the time to keep an eye out for white robes/costumes for your St. Lucias. It is usually much easier to find the right costume components now than in December. The same goes for St. Nicholas. I've been adding to my St. Nicholas costume for 15 years, but some of the best accoutrements I've picked up have been from the after-Halloween sales. Last year, I actually found a fabulous Bishop's outfit at very low cost, parts of which I added to my growing St. Nicholas collection. If you really want to put on the dog, you can buy a ready-made St. Nicholas outfit on-line, ordered from Holland, but be prepared to shell out the do-re-mi. My Dutch mother-in-law clued me into the turnkey St. Nicholas outfits, which I've used as models to "build" my own.
I still haven't figured out a way to hang my Advent wreath from the ceiling yet, though...
Random Advent-planning thoughts from Kelly in FL
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MaryM
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| Posted: Sept 30 2005 at 2:23am | IP Logged
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jenngm67 wrote:
| I can't believe how fast the shipping was, but also I'm just so excited on how great it all is! |
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A friend and I went in on an order also. It went to her house so I haven't seen my stuff yet. You're right it was really fast. I think ours came the same day as yours.
lilac hill wrote:
| Now, a "crafty" question-what exactly do you do with the nativity stamp set? Stamp them, color/paint them in? On what? notes, tags, and stationary for the holiday season? |
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Yes, yes, yes to all your questions. Rubber stamps are very versatile and create such nice images even if one isn't artistic. Images can just be stamped and left plain or can be colored in a variety of ways - with markers, colored pencil, watercolor pencil, chalks, etc. The possibilities are numerous and the effects can be really cool.
These nativity stamps could be used to make homemade Christmas cards, stamp on plain paper rolls to make wrapping paper, on paper cups (the ones without a wax finish) or paper napkins to make decorative tableware. They do make great images to stamp onto gift tags or gift bags.
In the earlier message I had mentioned making a homemade Advent calendar. Stamp the images in various places around a piece of paper. Glue another piece of paper over it with doors that open to uncover each image on different days.
The images could be stamped and cut out individually and laminated, then ...
- put magnetic strips behind each piece and you have a magnetic nativity for the refrigerator
-stuck into cakes or cupcakes for decoration
Stamp them on "shrinky dink" material and make small charms that could be added to a necklace or bracelet.
jenngm67 wrote:
| That's funny...because the rubber stamp thing is more my speed than the Sculpey. I was going to ask silly questions like do you use the colored Sculpey, or mix your own...for a beginner Sculpey user I need pointers! |
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Julie, Sculpey is a light weight polymer clay that you can shape and dry in a warm oven.
Jenn, I don't know if the site you found answered all your questions, but Sculpey is really easy to use. I do use the colored Sculpey (although I also mix colors to get specific shades I want - you just put different colors together and roll them in your fingers to blend). Craft stores like Michael's often have sales where the Sculpey or Fimo clays are 30-50% off. That's the best time to buy a variety of colors. Or use a 40% off coupon to buy one of the larger multi-color packs. It's a great deal with the coupon.
jenngm67 wrote:
| But I did find ideas on the Sculpey website to combine both rubber stamping and Sculpey as a project! |
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And I actually like using Creative Paperclay or Delight with rubber stamping. It air dries and is very light in comparison to the polymer clays. It would make great ornaments using the nativity stamps.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Advent planning
