Oh Xmas Tree!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You are the tree most loved!
How often you give us delight
Inbrightly shining Christmas light!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You are the tree most loved!

Hi Everyone!

Case File #103 over at CSI this week is full of traditional Christmas colours and imagery. 
Here it is (click on the image to enlarge it so that you can read the clues) ...


Each week, CSI Mastermind Debbi Tehrani finds us a new Scene to investigate. From this image, she takes five colours for the Scheme and inspiration for design elements and journaling prompts.
CSI = Color, Stories, Inspiration

In order to solve the case, you just have to follow all these clues to create a scrapbook page ...

  • All five colours in the Scheme
  • At least two items from Evidence
  • At least one piece of Testimony

As soon as I saw this Case File, I came over all nostalgic and thought it would be fun to remember Christmases past ... and of course, one of the main features of Christmas when my boys were little was The Christmas Tree.

Here they are getting stuck into Grandma's Christmas tree in 1987 ...


Over the years, I tried out various colour themes (red/green/gold, silver/white/black, rainbows, shades of purple) and styles (traditional, modern, quirky, elegant) for our festive decorations - but as far as the boys were concerned, the best way to decorate a Christmas tree is to festoon it with EVERYTHING you have, in as many colours as possible, with as much twinkle as you can muster - you can never have too many lights and a Christmas tree can never be too gaudy and it's not meant to be tasteful - and of course, they were absolutely right! 

I also used this fabulous sketch from the current challenge over at Sketchabilities


Where the banner is shown in the sketch, I've draped a tangle of trims and twinklies to represent lights, tinsel and baubles; I just had to include some paper chains of course (I remember making those when I was a child, and you can STILL get them!), so I made some miniature ones to hang from the top right; and my huge, gaudy title takes up much more space than the one in the sketch - but it just HAD to be huge and gaudy!

So, did I follow all the clues?
  • Scheme: the colours are all there, plus some tiny touches of pale blue
  • Evidence: stars; circles; horizontal lines; ribbon; metal.
  • Testimony: I used the Inspiration Words - Joy, Star, Season
The photo is mounted on a card which folds down, with a couple more photos behind it and the journaling, which reads, "Over the years, we had all kinds of Christmas Trees in all shapes and sizes, but you always loved to help with the decorating and and you always made them your own - no matter how "tasteful" I tried to be, you showed me that Christmas Trees are meant to be fun! Here you are working on Grandma's tree in 1987."

Here's a close-up under the magnifying glass ...


I tarted up the chipboard Christmas tree with a green pipe chenille pipe cleaner and some sticky gems, but I've just realised that I forgot the MOST IMPORTANT THING - the STAR which goes on the top of the tree ... I may have to add that later. Perhaps when my big hairy son arrives home for Christmas later today, I will get him to do it - just like old times! 

Happy Christmas everyone :o)xxx

Comments

Kristin said…
Oooooh, this is awesome! You are such a talented scrap booker - really, you make me want to get out my pictures and glue whenever I visit!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and look forward to seeing more of your work in 2014! xoxo
Unknown said…
Fab job using the sketch! Love how you added that tree to the left! Wonderful layout Annie!
Maria said…
Wonderful Christmas layout!
thanks for playing with us at Sketchabilities
Love You lo.
Tks só much for playing with us at sketchabilites.
Unknown said…
Great layout! Especially love the paper chain and flowers! Thanks for playing along w/sketch #105 at Sketchabilities!
Unknown said…
U am singing already!!! hope you had a beautiful Christmas Annie. This page is adorable!