Our Christmas Eve Tradition

This is the cover of Our Christmas Tradition Book.

      Every Christmas Eve we gather as a family and read the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2. We discuss the miracle of Jesus Christ and his gift to us and all the world, and we remember our blessings and our responsibility to follow his great example and truly be Christians. This year I finally got down to work and made an altered book for Christmas. A couple of years ago Somerset Holidays & Celebrations had an article by Mary Benson showing her altered book about the Christmas story. My book was inspired by hers. It is not exactly the same, but I have used some of her ideas. Her book used the story from a sweet children's book titled "This Is The Stable" by Cynthia Cotten and illustrated by Delana Bettoli. I have combined the verses from Luke and the storybook, as well as favorite Christmas songs and poems in my book. The papers are a combination of stock scrapbook paper, pages from the storybook, and a digital collection from Scrap Girls called Holy Night Collection,  http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/11403/Holy-Night-Collection.
    Since this was my first venture into creating an altered book, it definitely has flaws. I have learned a lot about what not to do, and hopefully the next time I feel the ambition to create another book like this, I will do it much better. Since I lean towards jewel tones and sparklies when it comes to Christmas, I tried to embellish each page with glitter, jewels, beads, and golden trims. Here are the inside pages, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:

First page. Tag slides into slit on right.

Tag is stable scene.

Stable scene is framed and inset in Bethlehem.

Manger close-up is inside folder.

Stable close-up.

Inside the stable.

Open the stall gates to see the animals.

Mary and Joseph welcome the baby Jesus!

Close-ups of Mary and Joseph inside.

Shepherds watching their flocks.

Tag slips out with Luke 2:8-12 on it.

Three layers of angels stacked, glittered, and flocked.

These are the wise men...

Library pockets with gold embossed flourishes.

Verses about the baby born that night.

The Magi and their gifts.

Slider tags with verses pull out of the tops.

Corner pockets with verses on tags.

Close-up of tag fronts.

Close-up of tag backs.

Inside back cover with tags stuffed in pockets.

Tags with songs and poems.