Christmas Crafting

Hello! How are you today? Are you busy with Christmas activities? I've been crafting up a storm! Each day I've been working on our December Daily album and holiday decor projects. Today I will start making some gingerbread ornaments for our friends and family. Tomorrow we will head to the mall to visit Santa! Christopher is so excited! How about you? Have you been baking? Wrapping gifts yet? Christopher is the only one who has his gifts wrapped and under the tree so far! :)

Here's one of the decor projects I made this week, a Let it Snow frame.

The patterned paper I used for this frame is from October Afternoon's Very Merry collection.

I used a glue pen to trace all the snowflakes and added Crystal Fine Glitter from Martha Stewart. I love all the sparkle it creates!

The sheet music is from 1927 and I also outlined all the notes and bars with a glue pen and glittered them.  The tag, from Staples, was stamped with a Papertrey Ink stamp and glittered around the edges.

The snowflake in the center is a foam sticker from my local craft store. I topped it with a pink button and a pair of mini jingle bells. If interested, this is listed in my Etsy shop.

Would you like to see our latest December Daily album pages? I've seen many beautiful December Daily albums that are so inspiring!

For the 6th of December I created a page about working on our December Daily book! ;) I had to catch up from the weekend before and created three pages on the sixth!

I printed small wallet size photos of the three pages I worked on and tied them together with baker's twine and made a little library card pocket with a Papertrey Ink die. The journaling tickets and stamped edges are also Papertrey Ink.

In between the 6th and 7th pages, I added this transparency to jazz up our album a bit.

December 7th is all about hot chocolate! Yum! We drink a lot of it this time of year!

On December 8th we had snow on the ground and a morning temperature of only 18 degrees! That's cold for us, 20 degrees below normal! While I was uttering "brrrrr," Latte was sounding a "purrrrr" as he was curled up in the sun on the couch! ;)

I have one more share for you before I take off and work on this year's ornaments. For years I've wanted a Christmas tree in my bedroom. It stems from wanting to sleep under the tree when I was a girl! At 44, spending the night in front of the tree in a sleeping bag doesn't sound all the comfortable, but I still like the idea of falling asleep under the glow of Christmas lights. This year I found a sweet little flocked tree that I set up in the bedroom.

Here it is! Isn't it lovely? I took all the vintage mercury glass ornaments I've been collecting to decorate it. I think it's so beautiful and I feel so spoiled when I get into bed at night to read with just the soft glowing lights of this little tree! I am able to read without a light on because I read books on my iPad.

I'd like to leave you with a little assignment! That's right, homework! ;) Wait! It's good homework! I want you to do something special for yourself. Spoil yourself with a tree in your bedroom or whatever it is that would make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps that would be a hot toddy?!  If it means you have to spend $100 dollars, tell your husband that Kathy told you to do it! ;)

WARNING!!! Rated-Xtremely Cute!!!

Hi! I'm so happy your here because I plan to melt your heart with some incredibly sweet photos! :) I've been playing on Michelle Clement's blog today because she's having a great big blog party!

Anyway, while clicking around Michelle's blog I found some ultra adorable bunny photos that I must pass on because we all can use a dose of cute, right?

Makes me want one!

Can I hold him?

Please?

Pretty please?

This one looks like a toy, doesn't he?

Stop! I can't take it anymore! ;) Just kidding. I can dig lots of cute!

Before I show you some adorable  photos I'd like to remind you that when you're done browsing here, go check out Michelle's blog! She's having some ultra talented guest bloggers and lots of prizes!

Okay, here's a whole lot more cute in a tiny package!

This prickly little critter is a baby hedgehog from Penny's Prickly Pigs, a breeder here in North Carolina.

Look at that wrinkled baby tummy! Is he ticklish?

Ready for more cute?

These next photos I found on Robin's Egg Blues a blog I hopped upon. These photos are of a tiny one pound fawn taken by cesarean section from it's mother after she was hit by a car. He is expected to make a full recovery. Only 6" tall and will fit in an adults hand. How deer is this?

Could this sweet fawn be any more precious?

He's just too cute for words!

Oh bless this little guy!

Wow, that was a great big does of cute! Did you ohhhhhhh and awwwwweeee? I did and I've seen these photos many times already! :)
 
Now to announce the winner of yesterday's Christmas tag with Apple Cider recipe on the back. Vera W. Yates of Ling's Design Studio is the winner! Congratulations Vera! I'll be in touch to get your address.
 

How about a crafty share before I go?

 

This is a vintage button ornament I made yesterday. Easy to make...just fill a plain glass ornament with some old mother of pearl buttons and wrap the top with some ribbons and trim. I added a Papertrey Ink die cut ticket with stamped image. I colored the image with Copic makers and then rubbed a white ink pad over it to lighten the colors.

Thank you for stopping by. I love to read your comments so send some love! ;) Enjoy your weekend everyone! :) Kathy

The Weather Outside is Frightful & Giveaway

Brrrrr! It's 18 degrees outside right now! You may be hovering in the teens too or colder, but in our neck of the woods, North Carolina, this is about 20 degrees below normal! Brrrr!

My big boy Latte doesn't mind the cold temperatures because he's got a thick fur coat and a sunny spot on the couch where he's taking his morning nap! :)

Over the past couple days I've been sharing our holiday home with you and today I'd like to show you one of my favorite spots in the family room. Apparently, it's Latte's favorite spot right now too! ;) This is the couch I sit on each morning drinking my Starbucks Christmas blend, checking e-mails and gazing at our beautiful tinsel tree.

I love how the sun makes this tinsel tree and ornaments sparkle and casts speckled light on the ceiling!

This snowman and children figurine found at a second hand shop is actually an ornament, but I like to use some of our larger ornaments for decorating. Notice the square milk glass dish below? That's a lovely recent find at a local antique store. Plates like this are harder to find because of their fancy edges that are susceptible to breaking.

This a simple and inexpensive holiday decor idea...a vintage Ball jar filled with jingle bells.

This white doe was a recent purchase at another local antique shop. I believe I only paid about $5 for her. She had a bow around her neck that was too narrow and in bad shape so I replaced it with this silver bow complete with a couple jingle bells.

I made this snowman bottle last year with an empty Prima Flower bottle, rub-ons, and vintage sheet music. If you like him, I have one for sale in my Etsy shop! :)

I love this tiny white wagon. I found it at a flea market for $1! It looks adorable on my table with a couple vintage tags I made placed inside. There's a recipe for Apple Pie Cider on the back. I would love to give one to one of you who leaves a comment on this post. I will draw that name tomorrow morning and announce it on my post!

Here's one of the holiday cards I created this year. I enjoy using my cards, tags and other handmade items to decorate with.

This silver glittered 'JOY' sign was found at Target last year in their Dollar Spot department and I made the little blue snow box from an unfinished birch box you can buy at your local craft store.

As you can see, decorating doesn't have to cost a lot when you use things you make. Remember that thrift shops, flea markets and after holiday sales are a great places to find inexpensive decorating treasures. Another thing to  keep in mind when looking for decorating items is to look for things that will work for all holidays, like ball jars, glass and white pieces, etc.

Now, to announce the winner of yesterday's Helen Keller tag....Sandra Correale of Daily Re-Creation! Congratulations Sandra! I'll be in touch to get your mailing address. Thank you for visiting my blog!

I hope I've helped give you some fun crafting and holiday decorating ideas today. Do you have some you would like to share on your blog? Please leave me a comment and I'll come take a look. :) Kathy

Christmas Shares & Giveaway

Hi! It's the most wonderful time of year! That means there's so much to share with you! Yesterday I was blog hopping and ran across a great site that had this quote tag to download. I've been searching my computer history this morning trying to find the blog I found it on with no luck. Note to self...write things down! :)

It's a lovely quote by Helen Keller and I love the way the font size is changed and the text is arranged. Doesn't it make a sweet little display? I put it in a vintage pressed aluminum bowl in my bedroom. I made a couple of these so I could give one away. Just leave a comment on this post today and I'll draw a name tomorrow morning and post the winner.

I spent some time yesterday working on our December Daily album and have some photos to share with you.

My entry for the third of December is about coffee and crafting. Oh how I love the holiday drinks at Starbucks and their Christmas Blend! Do you have a favorite Starbucks holiday drink? And what would the holidays be without crafting?

I did some holiday crafting on the third that included this little vintage Santa tag.

The fourth of December was an exciting day because we got our first snow, an unusual event in our area! We only get a few inches a year and it almost always falls in January and February. What a lovely surprise that made shopping in downtown Hillsborough feel like Christmas!

Do you spy my peppermint mocha? I can't resist a hot cup of Joe on a snowy shopping day!

For my December 5th entry I have a photo of Christopher's little snow guy. There was enough snow left from the previous day to make him. I went on a treasure hunt with my friend Audrey and found more vintage ornaments for our tree. Well, it's shaping up to be a wonderful December!

Now I'd like to show you some more photos of our holiday home. Yesterday I showed you the living room and today I'll show you the dining room.

Here's our little folk artsy looking tree. It's fun to have a few little trees around the house in addition to the main tree in the living room.

Photographed below is an even smaller tree! Isn't it darling...covered with snow and colorful ball ornaments? It's actually an ornament (see the hanger), but I like to display it this way.

I love this sparkly berry wreath...an after Christmas clearance item from Target I picked up years ago.

I think this little wreath could use one of my handmade tags and a beautiful bow!

Continuing on the rustic theme, the table has a couple fur trees that I left a la natural.

Isn't this little elf and his Jack-in-the-box darling? He's a Lori Mitchell figurine. They are the sweetest and you can collect them for every holiday!

I didn't want our little elf to be alone so I've placed this adorable little lamb on the table with him. He's got a soft woolly coat and rusted jingle bell around his neck.

For my last photo, I made this vintage image Santa tag. He looks splendid placed in this hammered aluminum bowl with an ornament!

Well, I hope you are enjoying the holidays. If you have some decorations you would like to share or a December Daily album, leave me a comment and I'll come take a peek. Thanks for dropping by! :) Kathy