The Studio Table Setting Challenge

Morning, y'all!  I trust everyone is staying warm out there.  Gosh, it's cold; but we're braving the slick roads and well-below-freezing temps this morning, because we're slated to teach Sunday School to all the two-year-old kiddos whose parents are brave enough to get out and about.  I'm sure we'll all be ready for hot cocoa and some snuggle time after lunch.  Anyway, we've got a new challenge up over in The Studio.  It's another Table Setting Challenge to simply be inspired in any way whatsoever by the photo below.  One of the first things I saw was that trio of trees in the center of the table and the little mimics on the plates.  So, when I found these photos of Kaden, helping to dress our own Christmas tree, I knew they'd be a perfect fit.  I was also drawn to the woodgrain foundation of the table itself, not to mention all the scrumptious plaid; and of course, I couldn't help but toss in a reindeer or two.  Nearly everything I used, once again, came from October Afternoon's Under the Tree Collection.  I'm making good use of that gift ;)!

I started this page by adhering a trio of paper strips, two of which were torn along their inside edges and one of which was secured with gold-threaded, straight, machine stitching, to the woodgrain, patterned paper, base page.  I then smudged a little gesso and watercolor behind where my photos and title work would lie, before splattering everything with more watercolor, as well as Pure Black and Titanium White, acrylic paints.  My photos were matted with white cardstock and adhered in the arrangement seen above.  I then tucked a "reindeer" card, as well as a "RUSH" die-cut tag, under the left side of the top photos.  A nutcracker die cut, popped up with foam tape was secured in their combined bottom right corner and connects the photo pairs...

and a number of hand-cut, from a patterned print, holly leaves, anchored, at their centers, with red buttons, laced with white string, dress up their top edge.

A "VERY MERRY", sticker tab, as well as a "Merry" flair button, backed with a tangle of gold thread, embellishes one of the bottom photos, where you'll also find some more hand-cut holly.

An "IT'S BEGINNING to look a lot like CHRISTMAS" cut-apart serves as the foundation for my "KADEN'S 1ST" title, which was created from red and green alphabet stickers.

The cut-apart's right edge was further dressed up with a Nov. 30th, label sticker, popped up with foam tape.  Under its top edge, I tucked a circle tag, laced with Baker's Twine, tied in a bow.  A scattering of gold, star sequins completes the look.

Here's your December Table Setting Inspiration Challenge photo to get you off and running in the right direction.

You have until Sunday, January 1, 2017, to link up your takes, on this Table Setting Challenge and/or our previous, December Sketch Challenge, in the right-hand column of The Studio blog.  Be sure to stop by the challenge link above to see how the rest of my talented team, as well as our guest designer, Laura Whitaker, was inspired.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a blessed week before Christmas, friends!  Hugs!

{Supplies & Tools}
Paper: white (Recollections); all patterned (October Afternoon) Other: gold thread (Coats & Clark); sewing machine (Janome); foam tape (Scrapbook Adhesives); all die cuts & cut-aparts, letter stickers, flair button, & "VERY MERRY" tab (October Afternoon); buttons (JoAnn Fabrics); gold star sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); white string (Hobby Lobby); Baker's Twine (Clean Country Paper Supplies); gesso (O'Leary Paint); watercolors (Kuretake); Pure Black & Titanium White acrylic paints (FolkArt)