Today’s desk was photographed late Tuesday night because it’s not going to change at all on Wednesday.  I’ll be out and about and not playing.  🙁

(If you’re wondering why does it matter whether it’s Tuesday or Wednesday then you need to get acquainted with What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday. Fun stuff!)

I’ve finished up  the scrapbook layout about my son’s first Christmas.  (Oops, just realized I need to add the date somewhere on the page. It was December 1988.)

In fact, you can see from this pic of the left side that the glossy accents have just been applied. (Click on any of the photos to see larger images.)

It had been my hope to finish up trying the techniques from all 12 of Tim Holtz’s 12 Tags of Christmas by the end of January.  Alas, this page brings me up only to day 9.

It’s probably not apparent, but I tried his stamping & clear embossing technique on the dark green strips at the bottom of the pages.

First I stamped the snowflakes (Inkadinkado 7-Piece Snowflakes A-Plenty Clear Stamp) with Tsukineko Brilliance Platinum Planet Ink and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder and a heat tool. Then I inked over the entire background with Peeled Paint Distress Ink, and embossed that also with clear embossing power.

Before embossing, Tim tells you to knock off some of the powder by giving the paper a good “flick” and also rub some of the powder off the edges.  Then I inked over the whole thing with Vintage Photo distress ink.  Since the embossing resists the ink, the Vintage Photo ink only stays in the crevises and areas where you knocked off the powder.

The effect is definitely more obvious on Tim’s tag, but I like the way my snowflakes came out.

Here’s the right side of the layout. Except for the solid green cardstock, all the papers are from either Tim Holtz’s Seasonal Paper Stash Pad or K & Company’s Yuletide Specialty Paper Pad.

I love how the title letters came out.  They were cut using the Vintage Market Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die, painted with Peeled Paint Distress Crackle Paint and inked with Vintage Photo distress ink.  The excess ink was rubbed off, leaving it mainly in the crackles.

To finish up I lightly brushed the letters with Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold and topped each with Glossy Accents.  The banners are made from the Tattered Banners decorative strip.

If you’re wondering just what the title is all about, the journaling will explain it.

‘Twas Josh’s first Christmas, and all through the home,
The folks were both busy, Josh was playing alone.
Dad was at work, grinding away,
Mom was in the kitchen after a long, busy day.

When from the next room there arose a strange whump,
It was sort of a crash, but more like a thump.
Mom sprang to the door and what met her sight?
‘Twas the tree on the floor, and with it the lights!
How could this happen? How could this be?
Where is the baby? Not under the tree!

Then from somewhere beneath the tangled up mess
Came the soft muffled cry of her son in distress.
“My baby!” she shouted, as she grabbed hold of the pine,
She swept it aside and stopped her son crying.

Then she scooped up the lad, but something was ringing,
Attached to his jammies ornaments were clinging,
As she held him they dangled, and what did she see?
Why, my little son, “You’re a Joshua tree!”

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