a merry (punchy) christmas layout

today i have another layout (sorry! ha ha!) to share!
i made it for the current challenge over at a blog named hero - using a punch or die cut! and BOY...did i?!

the layout is christmas, and the pictures are from last year, but it really got me in the holiday spirit this year, already! so i'm really glad i finally got to scrap them up! :)

so, if you can't tell, i created a shaker layout, or what i'm calling, a snowglobe layout! :)
first of all, i sewed a clear sheet of acetate over the background patterned paper and then i literally used my ek success circle punch to cut create the 'snow'. i punched out an entire 12x12 sheet of white glitter paper!! it took some time, but i really like the effect it gives in the 'snow globe'! under the acetate, i put a picture and a few layers of punched out trees --> which i distressed with white ink to make it look snowy! :)

the pictures were also cut with my nestabilities dies for added interest. the trees are from hero arts 'snowman christmas', which i paper pieced (one is popped up with pop dots). i also used the snowflakes from that same set and stamped right onto the acetate with white. that was fun! 

the tab is also a die cut (from my favorite things). and i used the letters from 'fanciful alphabet' to create the 'nolan's first christmas' section. :) and lastly the 'merry' sentiment is from the hero arts set 'holiday sayings'. i stamped that right onto some freckled fawn washi tape, and it worked perfectly! :)

so that's it. sort of a lot going on. but i like it! it reflects what christmas day is all about - crazy, fun, family and snow! :)
enjoy!