Home for Christmas

The words to the song "I'll be home for Christmas" kept ringing in my ears when I found an old Rand McNally atlas turned to display the State of Kansas. I couldn't get the song out of my mind, so I created this in a book I dedicated to Christmas tip-ins from 2004 and my Christmas related art. It's an old Christmas craft book, with recipies, crafts, and small handmade gifts on every page of the book.
Since each page in the book has a photo displaying the projects on that page, the first thing I did was gesso the background. The red is Pinata Ink (Chili Pepper) by Jacquard. Unfortunately, I need a lesson in applying alcohol inks, since I did a terrible job and the ink wouldn't spread. The green and blue are pigment inks that I DTP'd.

I spent most of Sunday looking for a stocking pattern, but to no avail. I looked and looked, thinking I had something I could use. Even my socks didn't give a good stocking pattern, so I tried to freehand it. Next time I'll be sure to have a pattern before I begin cutting. Rick-rack was glued to the "cuff" and top of the stocking for decoration. I wound a green ribbon around a pencil and wet it, then let it sit overnight to get the curling, an effect that was lost when I smooshed it down in the scanner. The blue ornaments were made using "faux shrink plastic." That is #6 plastic from the grocery store. I used the same rubber stamp I had used earlier on my to/from cards, this time leaving off the ribbon (on the stamp). I tried to work a small flower onto the stocking cuff just above the green ribbon, but it wasn't the right size. Back to the drawing board on that one.

The right side is gessoed and ready to add "If only in my dreams." Now I must find the little girl sleeping in her bed (a Dover image) before I can design and alter the right side.

Merry Christmas to all. And I hope you are at whatever home you love for Christmas, too.