It's Not About What I Made

I love making these paper wreaths.

Music paper makes them so special!

I have made NOTHING but some candy type treats this year.

But that's okay........... 

It's not about what I made, although it helps with a photo.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are well and your loved ones as well.

Enjoy this blessed season.

Remember God loves you!

Jesus is the reason for the season.

A Peek!

The shot above is with my iphone........... I think I like it best!

 You can click on these to see them bigger.... the file size is quite a bit larger than that iphone one.

 My walls look more yellow in these shots with the "good" camera. 

Guess I could adjust that in Photoshop....... nah....

   This one below is a little dark........ guess I should've turned a light on beyond the tree....

 This year I "clustered" some ball ornaments..... not bad....

Taking it down before this post is published!

House Centerpiece

Thought I'd drop in here with a few pictures. Made a centerpiece for a fundraising event this month.

Each table will have one of these metal crowns that we've filled with different things.

I put a paper mache house in this one.  I cut a hole in the bottom of it and and in the top of the box that it sits on....... and stuck some little tiny lights inside.

 Put some Christmas stems from Hobby Lobby on the top.  They are just wrapped around the top of the crown and lightly hot glued to each other.  I also put some silver garland down in the crown base before I put the house in there.

This is the back obviously.

I glued some lace inside over the windows. Not sure you can tell.

And below I'm showing you the battery pack hidden under garland, 

where it's easy to turn the lights on and off.

I told you I wasn't going to post much anymore............ looks like that has happened....

Hope you are doing well!

Christmas 2014

Hope you had a great Christmas! I spent mine with the cutest people ever!

A good time was had by all!  

December - First Half!

It's almost the middle of December!

I must tell you that I got most of my shopping done early!

And I decorated the house the end of November!

I wanted December to be unrushed....

The photo above was taken by my friend, Cathy Giffhorn, as she left my

neighborhood a week ago.  Some of our sweet "girls" like to hang out

at the gates in the early evening and eat acorns lately!

It's like they are greeting residents as they arrive home!

I thought you would like the picture as well.

Hope you are feeling God's peace and enjoying the beauty of the season.

Prepare your hearts to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

ThE TrEe!

 

Those are jingle bell (rusty) picks

that I stuck in the top.

 

I couldn't resist the 2013 Anthropologie

ornament below.

 

   I also finally used those button garlands I ordered from Ballard a few years ago!

 

Are you finished decorating?

The Mantle

 

Second Christmas in this house....

 

Still figuring out what works for the holidays...

You know that I definitely have enough Christmas stuff!

But I couldn't resist this sparkly garland.... it's like a bunch of hard glitter butterflies...

Keep forgetting to put a candle in the Angel's holder.... Poor thing.... maybe soon....

She is one of my favorite things.

I bought her in the 80's.

My friend Virginia got one, too.

We have always kicked ourselves because we only got one apiece.

I'm sure that was all we thought we could afford.

 

 

Scraps

 I really and truly thought I took some full pictures of the red/white/blue Log Cabin quilt above....

but I can't find them! Will need to do that when I'm at my son's house....

I started that quilt for my son when he was a high school senior quite a few years ago and got sick of working on it and put it away for years...

got it out this year and finished it and gave it to my son and his wife for Christmas!

And below are some smaller versions of the scrolled paperback book pages made into a wreath/ornament....

I made some for gifts this year...

 ... and the Christmas fascinators that I made for my friends' party...

I made some more for family on Christmas Eve....

(picture at my daughter's house)

That's my daughter holding Ashley Jo, me, my daughter's mother-in-law, and my son's wife!

Did you make fascinators?

Merry Baby!

Merry Christmas from my new granddaughter,

Ashley Jo, and me!

She will be a month old on the 29th!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday.... whatever celebration you do!

May God richly bless you and yours!

Christmas Fascinators

 So the other night I went to my annual "Dirt Diva" Christmas party.

(don't ask)

Since I've been busy on "grandbaby duty", I didn't have to bring any food.

So I told them I would bring the "joy"!!!

I made Christmas Fascinators

.... in honor of this year's Royal Wedding!

I bought Christmas ornaments at Target and hot glued them to cheap plastic headbands!

The divas loved them and some wore them the next day to "appropriate events"!

hee hee

You should make some for Christmas Eve!!!

Let me know if you do, I want to see!

QB5 Christmas!

Remember the shakers from last post that I made for the QB5 December swap?

Well.... this is what I got in return.... such a talented group of women sent me the following:

First is Patty's soft felt ornament.... love the little bird and the way she applied the "feathers"!

 And

she used her hand dyed ribbons...

 has sweet crochet and netting.

  And she attached one of her wire bird's nests! A treasure for sure...

Then we have Carole's

darling Santa snowman...

she sold them at fairs this month in New Zealand...

not sure if she still has any in her Etsy shop...

His hat can be lifted up and I could see me hiding something in there!

Here is Nathalie's precious pin cushion in a china doll appendage!

I love appendages.....

 she has some in her Etsy shop....

 or did... you'll have to check...

these are adorable and I want to figure out a way to wear it.

...and Margaret

....  she sent a packet of goodies (as they all did)....

and this adorable matchbox...

she has some of the best images and just being in Switzerland makes it all so much more special

 ... all that snow and Heidi...

well, you know!

My packages arrive here...... thought you'd like to see my lights...

Merry Christmas!

(come back tomorrow to see the Christmas fascinators I made for a party last night!)

Christmas Shakers

 I made these little "shakers" (for lack of a better word) for the Queen Bee 5 Christmas Swap.

I ordered watch part cases online..... name of shop escapes me.

I painted some vintage white on white wallpaper and cut it to fit the backs for the background.

Then I punched two holes in the top edge with my crop-a-dile and pulled white ribbon through with a jingle bell hanging inside.

I had some of those theme tags from the dollar bins at Michael's.... had bee skeps on them....

so I cut the bee skeps out and then I hot glued a cork to the back and the skep image to the top of the cork.  (cut wine corks into thirds with a knife... pretty easy... to provide depth)
(Disclaimer: I don't recommend YOU use a knife though!)

Then I spread some glue around the cork and along the bottom edge and sprinkled mica flakes and a little glitter in.

Made some "word art" in a circular shape to glue on the back of the case!

Really simple!

Fun to make..... you can put soooooo many things inside these....

Have you done this? I'd love to see!

(I'll show you what they all sent me in the next few days.)

It's Starting to Look A Lot Like....?

 Pottery Barn has their Christmas stuff up!

  Edited on Friday... due to comments....

those of us that make stuff for Christmas have already begun.....

so I think this isn't as upsetting to us.

Plus, I have my first grandchild due in early December.... so I'm getting it all done before then so I'm ready!

You KNOW you can replicate some of this.....

Don't you like that word.... replicate? !!!!

I'm always picking up berry stems at Christmas time....

.... and I love this deer with flowers in his antlers....

And this journal..... it's A Line A Day journal.....  I can do that in one of my many blank journals waiting for their job!

Now.... if Anthropologie will just get their stuff up...

(and...no.... I don't even have my fall stuff out here in Texas... where it's going to only be in the 90's the rest of the week!

Yeah... summer is ending...)

Mail Call....

The QB5 Junkle Swap this year is slowly arriving.

(it was a hard December across the globe)

Above is Nathalie's made from a light bulb!

Isn't it brilliant! It has paint and mica on it...I think.... we need a tutorial, Nat!

Thought I'd show you a couple of other things I've received in the mail this month...

Below is an adorable paper angel from Katie at Ragamuffin Gal.

Her wings are corrugated cardboard! I think that would be a great swap!

Isn't she precious! (the angel, too)

Jeanie (Marmelade Gypsy)

sent me this little matchbox

this week that she made

in honor of my daughter's wedding....

(last July)