Mini Ribbon Wreath Ornament

 Kick off the Holiday Season with this quick and easy festive ribbon craft!

Holiday Candy Jars with Gwen Studios Die Cut Ribbon

One of my favorite things to do during the Holidays 
 is to fill unique jars with delightful treats, - from cookies, candy, to cocoa and teas, 
treat filled jars are an inexpensive gift that keeps on giving! 

These new Die Cut Ribbons from Gwen Studios 
will help you transform a plain jar into something 'magical'!

Here are the new Die Cut Christmas Ribbons from Gwen Studios. Aren't they gorgeous?
This photo definitely does not do the ribbons any justice...you'll need to see them in person, which you can,  because they are available right now at Walmart - locally and online! 

For the treat jars, I used the following Gwen Studios ribbons:

• Die Cut Silver Snow Flakes on Royal Blue Satin Ribbon
• Die Cut Red Holiday Lights on Emerald Green Satin Ribbon
• Die Cut Green Christmas Trees on Red Satin Ribbon with Gold Metallic Ribbon

 I used permanent double stick tape to affix the ribbon to the jars. 

Then I tied an assortment of these Christmas Ribbons to the hinge of each jar.

For fun, I decorated this old jam jar with Gwen Studios- 
 Christmas Ribbon, Die Cut Cute Green Christmas Trees and colorful sequins!

The next time you are at your local Walmart, be sure to visit the ribbon isle to stock up on the new Christmas Die Cut Ribbon for all your Holiday crafts! 

See more creative "Die Cut Ribbon" inspiration on the Designer Crafts Connection Blog! 

1st Annual Christmas Putz House Swap - Reveal!

 The premise of this swap was to create vintage inspired Putz Houses.
They could not exceed 3"x 4" and had to have glitter somewhere...

There were 5 of us in this swap, so we made 5 (nearly identical)  little houses and swapped them out! 

If you would like to learn more about swap, please join our group here. 

Christmas Card Holder

Create your own Christmas card holder during the Holidays with Joy® embroidered letters!

You will need:

• Joy® Iron-on embroidered letter sheets - White, Bubble
• 2 Glittered felt sheets
• Fancy chenille pipe cleaners
• Web fusing
• Iron and parchment paper
• White paint pen and a paper piercer
• Permanent colored marker
• Bells or other holiday baubles
• Hot glue 

Instructions:

 1. From the felt, cut as shown, the front and back of the greeting card holder.

2. Use the web fusing and a hot iron to seal the sides and bottom of the pouch.

3. Add details to the pouch with the paint pen.

4. Color your letters to look like mint candies. 

5. Arrange your letters onto the pouch.

6. Make sure the iron is set for cotton, then use the parchment paper to heat press the letters.

7. Add the rest of the details with the hot glue. Use the paper piercer to poke holes in the felt when you need to attach some embellishments.

You can find Joy® embroidered, iron-on letters and numbers at your favorite craft stores.  If you need a special color, white letters are custom dyeable with markers, paint, dye and more!

Vintage Inspired Christmas Tree Light Reflectors

I've always loved the look of vintage tree light reflectors and I love how Rinea Foiled Papers can help achieve that look with out any fuss.

Because I was using the reflectors on our Mexican folk art tree, I wanted to use colors that were bright and festive. I used Rinea Glossy Foiled Paper because one side was colored and the other side was gold.

• Emerald/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
• Ruby/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper 
• Silver/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
• Turquoise/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
• Sapphire/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
• Violet/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper
• Fushia/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper

Cut your foiled paper in 1 ½" strip and score at the ½" mark. Use fringe scissors to cut up to the ½" line. Cut strips into 1" pieces.

Pick out 2-3 colors to layer. 

Place 1/4" strips of double stick tape at the top of each strip. A ball point pen is about the same size as a Christmas tree light, so use that as your wrapping base. Wrap a un-taped fringed square around the pen. Then add the 2nd squarewith tape and then the 3rd square.

Before slipping these over any lights, fringed reflectors. 

I personally love how these look on colored lights, they remind me of childhood trips to mexico during the holidays with my Dad.

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas! 

Felt Candy Cane Holders

These miniature stocking candy cane holders are just the right size to adorn a package or hang on a tree!
Plus its a craft you can easily do with the whole family!
See the full tutorial here! 

Foiled Paper Christmas Tree Card

Dazzle your friends and family with this handmade foiled paper Christmas tree card!
See the tutorial here!

Merry Christmas!

~ The other day while in Walmart buying replacement lights for some outdoors ones that shorted in the rain, I was almost tempted to buy a set of those bubbling lights that I've enjoyed as a kid. But with no price to be seen , I opted out knowing I could always find them somewhere else-anytime, online.

~ I spent the better part of yesterday organizing my closet and sorting clothes for next years artistic altering, cleaning the master bathroom, tossing old lotions and expired products, smelling and keeping all my perfumes in a special spot because they bring back so many memories.

Almost Done

This is card # 3, made up then scanned for our possible family Christmas card. My holiday banner is card # 2 and if you scroll down a few post, Card #1 "Believe" is the one that made the cut.
I believe I'm almost done with Christmas shopping. I won't see some of my friends and family until after the new year, so that gives me some time.


Wed, I plan to get the oil changed then have a hopefully stress free trip to Hilo Hati at the block of Orange. It's a yearly thing for me to get Brian and Dyllan matching Hawaiian shirts. I also scour the papers looking for their annual 40% off coupon to which I scored two!

Then possible lunch at Johnny Rockets and then home for a nap(both of us) cause I have a potluck party later that night.

I've been receiving the swaps from the 12 days of Christmas swap I hosted. I'm very excited that it's going well and can't wait to show off all the wonderful mini-masterpieces soon!

Another note, remember way back when when I had my 100th post winners? There were 14 of them and I'm just now getting their goodies out! Sorry !

I also asked 12 people to send me their profile pic. I got 12 total. These surprises will be going out in Jan-2008 because of the detail involved. I really hope the girls like what they will get!

I have not added to my shop in like a month! and I'm not happy with that, but then I have to blame the holidays cause I always take on more than I can chew even when I scaled back a ton!

I have alot of "new" surprises to add to my shop that I can't wait to share with you next year! Some of it is old school talent that is starting to re-emerge and the rest is myself really applying my energies to what I've never done before! I'm very excited!

~ So now I'm off to finish "crafty" things while I watch the DVD series "House" - I'm so hooked!
Thursday is my "finish the baking or bust" day.

Disneyland Splendor

~Last Sunday, Dyllan, Grandpa Jim and I went to D-land. As we got there around 5:30pm, we got to see the parade. Then we had dinner at a Mexican place over by Big Thunder. Rode the train once, Pooh Bear twice, saw the fireworks and snow, rode Casey Junior four times, and did Small World twice!

Rogers's Gardens

~Last Saturday, Dyllan and I were supposed to participate in a community parade. But I got sick, (again) on Friday and could not see myself pulling Dyllan in a decorated wagon for 2 hours.
So I suggested to the hubby for us to have lunch at Fashion Island and to stop off at
Rogers Gardens for a look see. Brian watched Dyllan out in the garden area, Dyllan being entranced by a electrical train, while I purused, dreamed of fairytales and took lots of pics to share with the rest of you! I also left my wallet in the car, on purpose. ;)

~ So enjoy, feel inspired and click on every pic for beautiful details!

 
  

Season's Greeting's!

~ Please click on any Photo for detail!~


~ Still have a few deco's to put up...the nativity scene finish the staircase and other yummy's. Above is a advent calendar I made for Dyllan. I made little gift boxes out of paper cards and glues magnets on the back. In each numbered box is a ornament for him to hang on a mini tree daily. I decoupaged a old tray to hold the boxes.



Our front door is metal and a perfect place to showcase any art Dyllan does.