Sunday, November 30, 2014

12 days of Christmas- day 7


I AM SO SORRY!  Last night was the iron bowl, and I was up late and overslept.  I thought I had it on a schedule timer, but apparently not.  Mea culpa.


Hello and welcome back!  Day 7.  I can't believe it.  If you're here in the lineup, awesome, welcome you're good to go, but if you're here randomly, please start at Lisa's blog so you don't miss out on the goodies!

I finally made something with paper!  I know, the paper junkie make something with paper this blog hop?  But I did!  And it's cute.

By now you know my computer is s-l-o-w-l-y creeping it's way back to me from HP so I can't use my silhouette.  BUT I can fussy cut!  I made a card, and I have no idea what the technique is called, (though I've seen it before) but I quilt, so I figured it's not taht different from making a log cabin quilt.



Here's what you'll need:
kraft cardstock
christmas paper cut into 1"x 2" strips.
3D sticker (I got this from walmart)
cookie cutter
glue stick

Here's how you do it:
I traced around the cookie cutter in the inside of the card cut to 4 x 5 1/2.  I cut out the star and started gluing strips of paper around the edges until it was covered how I liked it.  (I'm sure there's a tutorial on youtube or something to tell you how to do it.  I have no idea how to explain it to you or even what the technique is called!)

Embelish how you want, but I used a "holiday time Handmade Sticker" from Walmart I got about a bazillion years ago.

Question of the day:  How many presents are usually under your tree?   We do 1 want, 1 need and 1 spiritual gift for each child.  (that's 18 things in our home!) and we also stuff stockings.

Here's the lineup:

Friday, November 28, 2014

12 days of Christmas- day 6

Hi there, again!

I really am glad you've made it this far with me and can you believe we're 1/2 way through?  I am kind of sad.  As you read this, I'm at a craft show in Pine Apple, Alabama.  It's their hunter's appreciation fest.  I wish I could comment on everyone's blog but that just has to wait until tomorrow as I don't have a way to do it!

Ok, first thing's first:  if you're here in the lineup, you are in the right place.  If not, go back to Lisa's blog and start there.

So, now that you're in the right spot, I made another ornament.  I know, don't get sick of them yet.  This one I did my own version and totally jacked from Pinterest.  My lazy version, anyway.  This is going to a friend of mine who absolutely loves hot chocolate.



Here's what you need:
clear ornament
2 packs of hot chocolate powder.  (swiss miss is my choice.)
sprinkles.

Using a funnel, pour both packs of hot chocolate into the glass ornament.  Tap down.  Add sprinkles and layer next.  You can add marshmallows, (but my ornament was a little small, so the opening wouldn't fit my minis.)  or chocolate chips, or pretty much anything you can think of that goes wtih hot chocolate.  In fact, I think peanut butter chips on top would be amazing!

Sorry for the jacked up photos.  Good news is my computer is on it's way back to me.  (word!) Bad news is I can't find the cord for it.  It's always one thing or another isn't it?

Question of the day:  What is your go-to drink during this time of year?  Between hot chocolate, egg nog, russian tea, cider and wassail or even something a little stronger, what is your favorite?  I actually like them all!

Here's the line up, and don't forget to follow me if you haven't yet! :)



12 days of Christmas- day 5

Hey!  You're out of your turkey coma!  Welcome back!  I hope your Thanksgiving was full of awesomeness.

Who else is having a blast in this hop?  I'm loving every minute of it.  Isn't Angela talented?  I feel lost in the talent portion compared to some of these brilliant ladies!  If you're here in the lineup, welcome!  If you're here on your own- start at Lisa's blog at the beginning. :)

Ok, so I found out something interesting doing this particular project.  My punch doesn't like vinyl.  I go to punch out some circles in red and green vinyl and my punch gets stuck.  ugh.  I"ll fix it later, but seriously?  When I need it, it doesn't work?  No problem, I'll just fussy cut it (she said through gritted teeth).  Why didn't I just use my silhouette you ask?  -because it's still at HP getting fixed and of course, they have absolutely NO idea when it will be set straight.  GRRR, that's so frustrating.  And I can't find my cricut cord.  (for those of you looking at me strangely right now, know that I have 6 children and apparently 2 ghosts- not me and I don't know.)

So here's what I did today:


What you'll need:
1 dollar store candle
vinyl in red and green.

Cut out 5 of each color circle.  I started to use a punch but yeah, no.  I then traced around a bottle cap that I found and fussy cut 10 circles out.  Peel and stick in random order (that's an oxymoron!).  Tada.  simple.  I would have added twine as a bow up top, but I didn't have any that matched.

Question of the day:  Since it's black friday, what is your least favorite thing about Christmas?

Here's the line up.  Oh, and if you haven't, follow me!  Ok, now go to Jessica's blog!  See you tomorrow!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

12 days of Christmas- day 4

HO HO HO!  or Yo ho ho if you're in a piratey mood.  But either way, how are you doing today?  It's a fine day in Alabama and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving today!  I will be finishing up all the things I"m cooking in the morning and throwing the turkey in by 11 so it can be done by 3.  I have a 22 pounder- (and yes, it takes less than 4 hours for my bird- I do it by temp, not timer.)  How big is yours?

Once again, if you're starting here, please go to Lisa's blog and start there.  She's giving away some awesomesauce blog candy and I'd hate for you to miss that.  If you're here in the lineup, then welcome!

So I said that I'm keeping a country theme, but this isn't really country.  I had this brilliant idea looking at my candle holder- I got this about a million years ago from a store called The Christmas Tree Store.  it's only in a few locations, but you can easily turn a vase or candle holder red by using alcohol inks or glass stain, or possibly even a spray paint.




What you'll need:
1 large cylinder vase (red is kind of the color you'll need)- not tapered unless you're good at math and possibly aligning the planets or some other complicated junk.
black glitter card stock.
Gold glitter card stock
tape and glue.

How you do it:
measure around the vase and cut a strip of black cardstock 1 1/2" by 1" longer than the measurement.

Cut a "buckle" rectangle out of gold card stock with a rectangle inside it.  My rectangle inside was 1 1/2" x 2" and out side was 2 1/2" x 3".  Glue this to the black "belt" and let dry.  Tape the belt to itself around your vase.  Tada- Santa's belt buckle!

You can't tell in the pictures but the gold paper is also glitter paper.  Again, crappy phone camera vs. my Nikon and a down computer.

Question of the day:  What tradition can you NOT do without?  We have 3.  1- we go Christmas light seeing with hot cocoa (coffee for Dad) and blankets.  2- we have a gingerbread house decorating contest every year and 3- I do Christmas pj's the night before Christmas (I make them for the kids and the hubs and myself) and we watch the Nativity Story with popcorn, hot chocolate and cookies.

Head on over to Jessica's blog and see all the awesomeness she has and if you get a chance, don't forget to stalk me over there with my other favorite stalkers! ;)
here's the lineup:

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

12 days of Christmas0 Day 3

Hello again!  Welcome back.

How is your hop so far?  I'm so lucky to be doing this with some seriously talented ladies!! Once again, if you're here for the first time, you need to start at Lisa's blog and then come through.   I'd hate for you to miss out on the awesome blog candy she's giving away.

Ok, so I know I said no more ornaments, but I have to have another one.  I use ornaments for more than just tree decorating (and you'll see that in a later post.... oooh, something to look forward to) and they're a HUGE part of my Christmas season.

So, what did I do today?  Snow!  It doesn't snow in South Alabama (though with how wonky it's been with the weather, you never know what this year will bring!!)  I have snow today.



What you'll need:
Clear Glass ornament (I used round)
epsom salt.
Ribbon or fabric

You're going to want to run your epsom salt (and you don't need a lot) in a coffee grinder.  I used a baby bullet becuase it's what I have available to me.  and I blended until it looked like snow.  Then I took a funnel and filled the ornament only a litlte ways.  surprisingly it gets heavy, and the thingie can and will pull out of it.  Ask me how I know.   So, keeping with the country theme, I added more homespun fabric.

My daughter said you could turn this into a melted snowman by adding little polymer clay beads and a polymer clay "carrot" nose.  I agree with her!   It would totally rock that way, and be super cute!

Ok, question of the day:  What is your ideal snow day?  Mine is it snows on Christmas only and then is a beautiful 74* for the rest of the year.

So, Here's the lineup in case you need it:
1. Lisa ~ http://honeybearzdesigns2011.blogspot.com/

2. Scrappin Madge ~ www.thescrappinlounge.com

3. Beth McGee ~ http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com/

4. Amy E. ~ http://www.scrapthissavethat.com/

5. Denise ~ www.craftconfectionery.com

7. Cely ~ http://hawaiipaperparty.blogspot.com/

8. Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/

9. Alicia ~ http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com/

10. Anna- http://www.stampanna.com/

11. An'Jenic- http://anjenicgibson.blogspot.com/

12. Angela- http://www.crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com/

13. Heather- www.paper-junkie.blogspot.com        <----------------- YOU ARE HERE

14. Jessica -http://craftinandstampin.blogspot.com/

15. Miranda - www.nanasscrapspot.com

16. La-Vie Borde-Perry ~ http://www.cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/

17. Sandy- http://www.scrapbookblessings.blogspot.com/

18. Carla ~ http://racincrafts.blogspot.com/

19. Lori ~ http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/

20. Ashley W ~ http://marinewifesscrappinlife.blogspot.com/

21. Robin L. ~ http://create-a-latte.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

12 Days of Christmas- Day 2

We're back, and I'm having so much fun this hop!  Today is day two.  Still with the country theme, I decided to make another ornament.  (I promise, I have other things coming!)  This time, it's super easy and I think kind of cute.

First thing's first- if you're here on your own, welcome but please start at Lisa's blog.  She'll get you going in the right direction.  If you're here from Angela's blog, then welcome!  After mine, you go to Jessica and it's all linked down at the bottom for you in case you get lost along the way.

Pinecones.  And I have a squajillion of them in my front yard.  This is done in a technique similar to the hanging that I made last year, but instead of grouping a ton together with ribbon, I used homespun fabric with a single pine cone.  I think it adds more of a primative feel to it.  I also think these would be cute in a bowl or something, but that's my simple way of decorating.

Y'all, I am so sorry about the crappy lighting on my photos.  I have a wonderful camera that I can't use because my "real" computer is sent to HP to get fixed (hard drive crashed) and I have to re-download my adobe because I shoot RAW (best format, loses no info), but until then I'm relegated to my phone's camera that I have to email and chromebook doesn't like to play nice with it.

What you need:
a pinecone.
glue
fabric.

Cut the fabric to about 1/2 inch wide strip and make a bow.  Glue it to the top of the pinecone.  Add twine, or string to the base so you can hang it on your tree (we always have a fake one; hubbinator is allergic).  Tada!  Simple, easy and the kids can do it!  Great memory maker with them.  (and they'll remember things you did, over presents in the future!)

So the question of the day is this:  What is your most embarassing Christmas memory?  Everyone has them of Ralphie's pink bunny costume, so what's yours?

GUEST DESINGERS WILL LINK HERE
I will post info everyday.

Monday, November 24, 2014

12 days of Christmas... day 1

MERRY ALMOST THANKSGIVING!

I love Christmas, and was honored again this year when Lisa asked if I wanted to join in on the fun.  Of course I said yes!  I'm trying something different this year.  This year, our Christmas is themed "country".  In fact, we've kind of themed our lives country and I'm fixin' to (like that?) redo my home.  I've been slowly but surely working on it.  I'm thinking upscale redneck chic- what do you think?  I want something that screams hillbilly with money.  No?  Oh well.  And if that doesn't say "merry random Christmas" then I have no idea what does.

So- where do I begin?  Well, if you've found me randomly, welcome!  Please go back to Lisa's blog to start.  I'm #13 on the list, so there's a few to get to before you get to me.  (love to have you, just start at the beginning because you don't want to miss all the amazing blog candy!)  If you're here from Angela's blog then you're in the right spot!

2. Scrappin Madge ~ www.thescrappinlounge.com
13. Heather- www.paper-junkie.blogspot.com <------------------ you are here!
15. Miranda - www.nanasscrapspot.com

So, what did I make for all of you wonderful people?  Snowflake Ornaments! (oh. Let It Go... HA!  see what I did there?)



What you'll need:
crochet thread
tiny crochet needle
random snowflake pattern
patience and decent eyesight
sugar and water (or fabric stiffener of your choice)
glitter -optional.

Crochet random internet snowflake pattern that you like (or is easiest to follow, as I did!) with the tiny crochet thread and hook. Now, I love crocheting with the next girl, but this was TINY!  It is a wonderful take-along project to things when you're just driving in the car or doing random things that you don't need to spend imense amounts of time on.  Before you know it you'll have several whipped up.

When you have them done, you're going to want to stiffen them so their points stand on end.  I used 4 parts sugar to 1 part water and boiled it making a very heavy, very hard simple syrup.  I saturated the snowflakes in it and then placed them on a styrofoam board covered in waxed paper.  This is where you would add glitter if you want it.  Yes, you may have to actually pin them in place to keep the shape.  Once dry, remove the pins and add a looped thread or a hook to hang them.  TADA!  You're done.


My video camera was MIA thanks to smallish people in my house, so there's no video tutorial for this, but I"m hoping to find it and get the last few days done so you can see them.

Question of the day:  What is your favorite Christmas ornament?

Hugs, and see you tomorrow!!!  Oh, don't forget to follow me!  I don't post often, but that's going to change shortly!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

12 days of Christmas

It's that time of year again that Lisa is putting it on.

I have SO many goodies coming up.  (and in my next post I"ll talk about why I haven't been on NEARLY as much as I should have been!)

<3 and see you in a few for Christmas! :D