Origami Christmas Tree

For the first time ever, I've started making my Christmas cards earlier than December 20th. I wanted my cards to be quick & easy... but way cool & retro in design.

Since I found the tutorial for these cards on Stamping Videos, I can't take the credit for the idea. But I can take the credit for making them suit my personal style.

Hello Retro!


Now because I'm inherently lazy, I made a trip to Michael's and purchased a package of Recollections blank cards & envelopes. The size I used for these cards is 4" x 5-1/2".

For the outer frame of the card, cut a piece of paper into a 5-1/4" x 3-3/4" rectangle. And for the tree you'll need to cut four squares at 3", 2-1/2", 2", and 1-1/2". For my card, the two papers I used are from Anna Griffen and KI Memories.


Next, using my Cuttlebug and a Spellbinders Nestabilities die, I cut an oval into the center of the rectangle. Affix this framework to the front of your card.


Take the 3" square of paper and fold it in half. Open and fold the paper in half again, in the opposite direction.


Open the square up again and this time, fold the paper into a triangle... corner to corner. Open again and repeat the process in the opposite direction.


Now that you have all the creases in place, fold the square in half again and push in the two sides to form a triangle.


Next fold each of the triangle's "wings" down as shown:


This is what you should end up with.


Repeat the same process for the other three squares.


Now it's as simple as using your glue dots and nesting the sections of tree on the front of the card. Top the tree off with brads, bling or buttons. For my card I used a Fancy Pants rub-on.

And you're done! Super easy, huh?

Oh... one more thing. Don't worry about how these cards will mail. As shown below, they'll lay completely flat within the envelope.

Woman vs Food

Remember back in Juvember when I started my "Paula's Visit" recap? Yeah... me neither. So to refresh your memory, day 1 included giant cement corn, Chief Leatherlips and dancing bunnies. Day 2 was a really full day, so I opted to break it into two segments, the first of which involved our spending an afternoon in the slammer.

Cool? Good. Now that we're all caught up, let's continue.

If you're familiar with Travel Channel's Man vs Food, you may remember the segment he did on Columbus' very own Thurman Cafe... home of the best burgers in Columbus.



Thurman's is nothing more than a little hole-in-the wall restaurant with no convenient parking (street side only and had to walk several blocks to gain access), an extremely long wait to be seated, and something I'd, admittedly, drive right past if not for having had tons of previous recommendations.


They seated us at the bar, which enabled us to see every burger as it made its entrance from the kitchen. Wow. There are no words for the size of the burgers that passed us. Just wow. After studying the menu we finally made our selections. Paula opted for the classic Thurman burger (I had to talk her down from the Thurmanator), and I chose the bacon burger. Hello! Bacon! Paula's Thurman burger is the one pictured on the right, below.


Consider this my official Thurman's Cafe endorsement. I have NEVER had a better burger. Hands down. Best burger I've ever eaten. And from the size of my double chin in the photo below, it's very clear I've consumed a lot of burgers in my day.


She ate the whole thing! How is that possible?! Paula woofed down that entire burger in record time!


It was such an impressive feat that the woman sitting next to us actually shook Paula's hand and commented upon how much she'd enjoyed the show. In addition to watching Paula inhale the burger, apparently there were so many sparks flying off her utensils, it made for a dazzling light spectacle.


After paying our bill (Really affordable! Both burgers less than $10!), we waddled back to the car (remember... several blocks away) and plopped ourselves into our seats. There may, or may not, have been some bodily noises along the way from each of us. Wow. That was good eatin'. But as we settled in, Paula made her Woman vs Food victory sign. Food 0. Woman 1.


Sorry it took me so long to continue the recap. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a Julie-shaped butt imprint on the couch cushion. These things just don't happen overnight. Very much the same way great friendships don't happen overnight. So yeah. Paula is the butt print to my cushion. No. Paula is the cushion to my butt print? Paula's the butt? Any which way, her friendship's left a permanent imprint.

Be sure to return for Day 3 of Paula's visit. No, seriously... it'll be posted soon!

We interrupt the previously scheduled blog post...

... for a very important message.

Susan Goetter and Delaina Burns are awesome.

I, fortunately, am also awesome.

And since we can no longer gather in one location to touch our rings together in such a manner as to create a super surge of awesomeness, we've decided to use our powers for scrapping.

Dressed in spandex, tights and a cape, Susan spent hours on her couch, surfing the Internet for this month's super sketch.


We wish to thank Sketch Support for their sketch. We also wish to thank them for not pointing out that Susan had a giant food stain on her chest, instead of a giant "S".

Since we're in the whole "back to school" season, I flipped my cape over my shoulder, jumped dramatically into my scrap room and pulled out some school-themed papers and embellishments. Once I'd removed my tights-wedgie, I also pulled out my high school senior photo.

"Beer is good, sex is heaven, we're the class of '87..."

Would it surprise you any to learn that our class song was Mony Mony by Billy Idol?


If only my seventeen year old self, the one who dreamed of being a super successful journalist, living the fashionable single gal's dream life in NYC, knew that in 25 years her only writing outlet would be a scrapbooking blog which she types from her broken down couch in Delaware, Ohio, and that her fashionable wardrobe would contain a lot of stretchy separates, sensible shoes and cardigans coated with cat fur.

Super Awesome Julie says, "Stay in school, kids."

Lucky for you mere mortals, one of Super Awesome Julie's superpowers is the ability to hyperlink.

Super Awesome Susan's Blog and Super Awesome Delaina's Blog.

And since her other superpower is the ability to suggest ear worms...