christmas thank you

After the holiday gift giving (and receiving) come the Thank You cards.  I always want to make them ahead of time so I do not have to worry about them first thing in the new year.

This year, I used one of my all time favourite holiday sets, Papertrey's Peaceful Pinecones. And this time, I went "hybrid".  I recall reading a post from Heather Nichols over at Papertrey about dressing up a store bought card with some handmade stamping.  

I found this box of holiday cards from My Mind's Eye on sale last year.

The cards inside look like this...

I realized after I made my card front that it will pair up very well with the browns and reds of my pinecone card. 

I used Wreath for All Seasons and Butterfly Dreams for my sentiment

I like it when things work out like that.  My production time was instantly cut in half as I did not have to cut and score my card bases.

Here are some of the finished cards...

And here they are waiting to be signed and mailed after Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by!

advent tree

I bought a Kaisercraft Advent Calendar tree after the holidays last year.  Right after buying it, I told myself that I will decorate and put it together during spring so that it will be ready way before the busy days of Christmas arrive. Well, it is already the 13th and I just completed decorating it.  I did not realize that it takes time to put this little tree together. 

Here it is....

I kept the embelishments to a minimum.  I used patterned paper from My Mind's Eye, bow punch from Martha Stewart and some number dies from my stash. 

So the next question is what to put inside. After buying it last year, I had big plans of putting clues in those little boxes and letting my DD figure out what the surprise is and where it is hidden (could be a small toy, a treat, a book or a craft activity she can do). But since I am now way behind, I decided to start small and focus on just treats this year. We'll see what happens next year, lol. For now, she might even be happier since she does not need to figure out clues to get her treats.

Here is the assembly line of treats I prepared earlier.

And here they are making their way to the tiny boxes...

.... and into my DD's mouth.  Yum!

Thanks for stopping by!

Our tree is up

We usually put up our Christmas tree around the first or second week of December, but this year we decided to set it up early. Having the tree definitely put me in the proper holiday spirit. 

As you can see I have not wrapped any presents yet

We make or purchase ornaments every year to add to the tree and these guys that I posted here and here are now part of the  collection. 

I also made these pompoms using my new pompom maker. 

This ornament was purchased from an online seller I met through Instagram. 

 And this one was bought from a local craft show. 

I hope you are all enjoying your Christmas preparations. Have a great week everyone!

Until next time.

homemade with holiday cheer

One of my favourite things to give as gifts for the holidays is homemade baked treats.   Some of the treats I did last year were hot chocolate squares with marshmallows found here, biscotti and tea found here and a chocolate chip cookie mix found here.  This year, I went traditional with my banana walnut bread. It is healthy (no chocolates involved!) and very easy to make, thus giving me more time to work on my cute packaging.

Here is a sample of one of them.   

I found this genius of a box at my local Winners store and I knew immediately that I will have to make bread this year.  Just mix your batter, pour on the box, pop in the oven and wait for it to be done.   Because the packaging is already cute, all I needed were clear FDA-approved bags and tags to match.

Here is a close up of the tags.  I used Papertrey’s Holiday Treats  and Bells and Bough sets, Tag Sale die and Kraft cardstock.  The ribbons were from Michael’s.

And here is my first batch all together.  I tucked in a packet of tea at the back to enjoy with the bread.

Thanks for stopping by!

Crafter's Dream Job

To our friends and readers, please indulge me one last time as I showcase my last event for the year.  This time, I partnered with another event planner to bring to fruition the first ever "Christmas Gift Fair by the Vineyards."

The event was a lot of fun to put together as I got to meet a lot of fabulous craftspeople and artisans.  The event even caught the attention of local press (Niagara Events Presents “Christmas Gift Fair” by the Vineyards | Niagara Falls).  I was in awe with the assortment of handmade goodies and the support from Niagara residents.  

Clockwise: Soaps by Nikki, Wanda's Wicked Jelly, TCH Catering, Cherryl Corris of Better Homes & Garden Realty / Photos courtesy of Daniel Morel, Nichole Robinson

Clockwise: Lucien Gagnon Reclamations, Those Girls' Garden Arts, Simply Stitches, Kozmo's Kos

Clockwise: Waggin' Walks, Angelic Stones, Collier Creations, Imagine it Crafts

Clockwise: Grandma Jean's Creation, Lucien's Gagnon's Reclamations, Clocks by Walter, 4 Paws Pet Bakery 

 I find my new "gig" very rewarding. Not only do I get to promote local craftspeople, but we were able to collect toys to build Niagara Regional Police toy mountain during the event.  I am hoping this will be a start of a Holiday tradition in the community.

Enjoy your Holiday shopping and don't forget to support your local artisans & businesses!

Upcycled Crafts

Just a quick post to share some of my most recent projects.

Here's a vintage pillow case that I made into a market tote bag using this tutorial from Grow Mama. 

And here's an old wooden cigar box that I decoupaged and now use to store my buttons. 

This mug rug was made from the scraps left over from the quilt I made. 

I hope you are all having a good week.

Until next time!

christmas tags and wraps

Tags are one of my favourite things to make for the holidays. After I have decided on a design, I find it relaxing making them over and over again.  I sometimes put together bits and pieces of it while waiting on my DD's ballet class. 

Here is the tag (and wrapping) for this year...

I used one of the dies from Papertrey's In The Meadow set. The tree is from Hero Arts and the To/From is from one of the Fillable Frames sets, also from Papertrey.

One of the things I ordered recently from Papertrey is the Get a Handle on It die.  I was not in love with it when it first came out but the more I see people use it, the more I feel I have to have it, lol.

I had plans of using it to make pretty packaging for the bath and soap products I love giving away for Christmas.  And I am quite pleased with the results. This will go to my DD's daycare, piano/ballet/gymnastics teachers.  

Here they are together... makes me happy looking at them.

Thanks for stopping by!

   

cake emergency

Yes, this is an all-edible cake (except for the lights that are battery operated).  It is for Gary, a selfless and hardworking paramedic from Toronto who recently celebrated his 50th birthday.

The whole structure is made of vanilla cake with strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream filling.

I attempted to replicate the actual ambulance that Gary uses and put in working flashing lights to complete the look.

It was a treat for me to create this cake for someone who has given so much for the community.

The birthday celebrant at his surprise party

I wish you all a safe and wonderful week!

Bebsy