Wassail Package

Technique:  Papercraft

Stamps:
Chef Tilda
snowflake stamp

Pens & Inks:
Copic Markers
Dusty Pink: R81, R83, R85
Earth Tones: E11, E13, E15, E17, E19, E21, E23, E25, E29
Flesh: E0000, E000, E02
Sakura Gellyroll Pen in white
Versacolor in white

Papers:
brown craft paper
spotty patterned paper is a free download from here

Other:
Threading Water punch by Fiskars
string

Wassailing is the pre-cursor to the Christmas tradition of caroling, wassailing refers to a traditional ceremony that involves singing and drinking the health of trees in the hopes that they might better thrive.

Wassail the beverage is a hot, mulled punch often associated with Yuletide. Historically, the drink was a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and topped with slices of toast. Modern recipes begin with a base of wine, fruit juice, or mulled ale, sometimes with brandy or sherry added. Apples or oranges are often added to the mix. 

The tradition, as it was taught to me, included villagers going around from house to house with a wassail bowl (a toasting mug).  At each house their bowl would be filled with a warm alcoholic cider and they would give a loud WASSAIL! (the toast).  There are several versions of wassailing songs that were sung as the wassailers went from door to door, I imagine the more often their wassail bowl was emptied the rowdier they became!

Wassail (mulled wine) is something I make when we celebrate "Christmas in July" or the mid-winter solstice.  One of my friends has often asked me for the recipe, but I have always told it to her verbally, you know how it is "oh its just a bit of this and a bit of that", so this is my gift to her.  Cooking is one of her passions, and she spent a great deal of her childhood in Holland, so little Chef Tilda felt perfect for her.

I am entering this into the Winter Wonderland challenge this week, which is Girly Christmas (must have an image of a girl).  I doubt it's fancy enough to win anything other than a big smile at Christmas, but that's worth more than anything :o)

Morgan's Mulled Wine

10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 roughly grated nutmeg

1 orange, skin intact, sliced

1 bottle of Merlot

Place all the ingredients in a 

crockpot on low for an hour.

Joy Christmas Tag

Technique:  Papercrafting

Materials:
grungepaper ornament base
600gsm card stock
glue
Antique Royal Coat
embellishments
Tim Holtz Distress Inks:
* Vintage Photo

Tools:
Tim Holtz Alterations:
* Tags and Bookplates die
Sizzix Big Shot
scissors
paintbrush

A few days back I showed you how I made the crackled grungepaper ornament.  The post is here in case you missed it.  

Today I am going to use the ornament to create my version of Tim's tag:

First off, here is the link to Tim's ornament, and his step by step instructions.  I haven't really deviated much in the way of technique, the main difference is I have chosen to use a few different materials.

The backing paper I used is a sheet of vintage Christmas decoupage paper which I aged with some antique Royal Coat (same stuff as Modge Podge), and then gave it a light sand and a white wash (literally a wash of watery white paint to lighten it).

I wanted to do something a little different with the cracked ornament also, so I sanded it lightly.  The sanding causes fine white dust, which falls into and fills the cracks, causing the white contrast.  I love this effect, it really brings out the cracks.