Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year!! I hope 2010 is Better than all the years before and that each of us finds new happiness, good health, safety, riches in our pockets and in our love. That we all learn what matters and what doesn't and we make better use of our time and resources. This is what I wish for, for 2010!!! I hope your New Year is filled with all those things!!! Hap, Hap, Happy New Year!!!
Cheers,

Thank You!!

Thank you cards are what I'm posting about today! Do you send them? I try to always, but sometimes I forget. I hate that. I hate forgetting because it feels great to get one, doesn't it? I need to be better with that!

I stamped these cards using the saltbox studio A Basket Celebration set, I love those baskets and a Amuse, Thank You, sentiment. After I colored with Copics I then used liquid applique by Marvy for the tops of the cupcakes to give them the appearance of lots of frosting...because that is the best part of the cupcake and who wouldn't feel Thankful after receiving a basketful of cupcakes with piled high frosting!!!? Whew....

And speaking of Thank Yous....before the New Year starts....I wanted to say Thank You, to YOU! I wanted to say Thank You for stopping by. Thank you for each and every order and purchase! Thank you to every follower! Thank you for every comment left and know that each one completely makes my day!! So....Thank You.......Thank You!!

Fun Wine Tags....I'll Drink to That! =:O)

If you're anything like me, you find yourself taking a bottle of wine over to a friends house, sometime during the holidays. I never like to take them undressed and these cute little tags, do the trick!

The base of the these tags are craft card stock from Papertrey Ink. Covered in vintage Christmas sheet music and painted with a little Tim Holtz Crackle Paint they then get fun embellishments and who can resist some happy ribbon?!

This tag uses a chipboard piece that I sewed and attached pretty felt to the backside...makes a little color pop! The Glimmer Mist helps too...and you know I love a little sparkle!! I love this way to dress up your wine bottle and your recipient can reuse it too...its perfect for a scrapbook page or Christmas tree decoration, or even use it on a package as the gift tag...Love that!!!

Hard to believe Christmas is just next week!!! Are you ready? Have any fun plans? We will be having our annual Smorgasbord Party at our house. A yummy pot luck of fun! Our older Kids will spend the night on Christmas Eve and that is very special. I like having everyone home, at least for a couple of days or so =:O) Remember if your are out and about, heading to Christmas parties...Please don't Drink and Drive!
Happy Holidays!!!
Hugs,

Chocolate Covered Pretzels! Yum!!

Busy, Busy, Busy! That's how this time of the year is! Beside the shopping and the wrapping, the cleaning of the disaster that was once my office, I've been baking and cooking and making these like crazy......

I made them before each Holiday Boutique I was in. They were a big hit. Then an order or two. Tonight I made these for my Daughters class. I have to make more this weekend. I have made Hundreds!!! Hundreds of little yummy pretzel sticks all decorated pretty...

I'm behind on everything else! I need to finish my Christmas shopping and wrap the gifts. This year I am praying I get it all done so that I am not up till 3am wrapping on Christmas eve! I hate that. I've always hated that..I want to relax on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa!! What have you been doing? I saw a neighbor's Persimmon tree....It was heavy laden with the ripe fruit. I wanted some. I wanted to stop and say....can I Please pick some of that beautiful fruit from your tree? I want to bake with it. I hope they don't let it go to waste. It was a beautiful sight it just needs to be picked. Hmmmmmm.....persimmon cookies....persimmon jam....What are you baking? Back to the pretzels, they are calling.....
Hugs,

Snowman Soup!

Snowman Soup...that's what the weather is like. Pouring rain. Off and on all day long. Dark and cold. We stayed in bed till almost eleven!! Drinking coffee with my Husband, a Daughter or two playing around with, well, a dog or two. Still snuggled in we watched the movie, Julia and Julia. Made me want to run out and buy her cookbook...Okay maybe not run out right now...but next time I'm in the bookstore...I might want another cookbook, hers might be it!?!
When I finally did get up...I knew I had better hurry up and get busy making some items for the Holiday Boutique tomorrow. I had run out of several items on Friday. Note to self: Do not schedule back to back Boutiques. Its important to have time to make new items that sell out! Like these:

Adorable Snowman Soup packets! Packed in Glassine bags which I stamped with a snowflake stamp from Papertrey Ink and used the download for the tag. A little wooden snowflake, painted and glittered sits on top and inside is filled with a packet of premium cocoa, a Hershey bar wrapped up pretty, a package of Jet Puffed marshmallows and a peppermint candy cane for stirring. They are so cute and they make the perfect cold day treat!! A woman who bought several of them said she was going to attach a gift card to them and that was going to be the gift..how fun is that!? A fun way to spruce up a gift card. Gift cards are great but I always think if your giving one you should take a little time to present them better....just my thinking.
I tried getting a better picture, but its almost midnight and its dark and rainy and it wasn't working no matter what I tried and I think I'm too tired now to give it another try.
Another busy day tomorrow and the Girls have a performance at the church as well! After Tuesday, I will be able to focus on my home and Family, completely and that feels good. Its been a busy couple of weeks and I'm ready to clean up the mess and start watching Holiday shows with the Kids!
Hope you have a Great today and a better tomorrow!!! Wish me luck for another successful boutique!
Hugs,

The New Year is Coming!!

Can you believe it? Its going to be 2010 in just a few short weeks!! Are you ready? What are your goals for the year 2010? I'll have to think about mine and write them down....you know if you write them down and put them in a place where you can see them...you'll be more likely to reach them!!?!!
I've been busy making some more 2010 Calenders! They are so fun to make and make perfect gifts for co-workers, friends, neighbors! Everyone likes to know what day it is...Right?

I used 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 square coasters for the base! Followed by lots of different scrapbook paper, cardstock, matching ribbon and brads! Easy! I also found these adorable little clear plastic easels that fit these perfect and are so fun for the desktop....you could also put magnets on the back too if you wanted it to go on your fridge!!

Wrapping these up is sooooo easy too....I stamped the Happy New Year sentiment from a Melissa Frances Clear stamp set onto a tag and added a matching ribbon! Easy Peasy and fun too! Perfect for sticking these in a co-workers mail box.

I'm hoping 2010 is better than 2009 for my Family and I. Its been a long year with a Husband who is a General and Plumbing Contractor. Our business has dropped dramatically this year and that has caused us to make quite a few changes, some great, some not so much! I'm hoping for only good things and I hope 2010 is Great for YOU too!
Have a Great Day!
Hugs,

Ahcoo! It's that time of Year!!

Whewww....its been a busy week! My first craft fair was a success, so much so, I will be doing a couple more before the season is over!! How fun it was to meet new people and see Friends who came out to support me!! Thanks to Everyone who stopped by to say Hi and those that made a purchase too!! It was Wonderful!! I did make a purchase from one of the vendors at the fair, Schmidthead Canning, she had said she's never sold her jam before but they were trying to raise money for their Son to go to the Boy Scout Jamboree, OMG...I bought some Strawberry and Fig Jam....deeeelish! It was certainly some of the best jam, I've ever had!! The lady at the table next to me, sold Scentsy Wickless Candles and all night long I got wiffs of these yummy scents! All in all, it was a fun time! If you havent been to your local craft fairs, you should really go, its a great way to support local Artists and get some great things that you normally don't see on the shelves of the local stores!

My Girls have both woke up this week with the sniffles! Ugh...runny noses and sore throats! Knowing that my Kids are not the only ones who feel this way, I made these cute little Get Well Soon! Survival Kits, which will be in my etsy store soon!!

How fun are they!!! Sure to make Anyone feel better!! I hand stamped the High Hopes image and colored him with my Copics...added a few rhinestones from Prima and ribbon from Papertrey Ink. My favorite part is that the bag can be used for those sniffle tissues!! Too funny!!! Inside, is just what the Dr. might order....Hot Cocoa, Soup, Tissues, Hand Sanitizer, Chapstick and some Ricolas!!!

Very Fun stuff, I tell you and perfect to make someone feel a little bit better because who wouldn't feel a little better after receiving this??
Another busy week ahead to get ready for the next show! Exciting and Fun!
Have a great Weekend!!!
Hugs,