Lots of new giveaways!

I have been scanning blogland and found a wonderful collection of giveaways over the past few days. Check the giveaway page and visit your blog friends!

After Christmas Sale on Etsy

I just marked down a few items in my etsy shop. Hop on over and take a peek.

Michelle

My niece's present....

I just have to share this with you because I was happy with how it came out and I know at 5-years old she isn't on Blogger....yet. Oh to be 5 again! I think I might even make a set for  myself.

I bought the pattern from LuckyNielson on etsy and used what felt I had. I had purchased the little wooden peg dolls/game pieces from Michael's to use with a pattern I saw on Wee Folk Art, but decided on the Forest Friends instead. I guess I purchased the boy wood turnings as they do make them with a flared body/dress for a girl.

A painter I am not, but I tried. Hopefully my niece won't look too closely.

I also decided to hand stitch everything together because I am not that great on the sewing machine and it would take me longer to figure it out than to just go ahead and hand stitch. This gave a little extra detail to the flower teepee, but made the hats flare out a bit in the back. We'll just call that dimension. : ) I used pinking shears on the leaf as well for added detail.

Michelle

Only two days to go....

Boy did December fly by! Christmas is always on the 25th of December, but it seems to sneak up on my every year.

This year I was a little more organized than most. I decided to put together kits (can't say what just yet!) and purchased almost everything from etsy. I only had a little bit to do on my end (painting jar lids, bagging "ingredients"). It didn't involve any crafting on my part really, and that was a nice change. The hubs was even surprised at what I came up with and wants one for our home! Now that's a first! I can't wait to share a picture with you of what I gave this year as I think you will enjoy creating one for your own home. Just a few more days!

Until then, I better get back to cleaning the house before I have to go to work this evening.

Merry Christmas!

My holiday photos...

I have enjoyed looking at everyone's holiday home decor photos on their blogs and getting so much inspiration for our home. We have lived here for about three years, this is our first home, and have yet to make it ours. Hubs and I have both decided to make that a priority in 2011. So since I don't have any home photos to share, I thought I would share some photos of cookies that I've decorated over the last few years when I had a cookie business, Sugar House Cookies. Happy holidays everyone!

Latest crafty creations

Wow, two days in a row of no school for the kiddo. Needless to say he is in heaven, though his basketball game and the school band concert were cancelled as a result which he is disappointed about (the game more than the concert of course).

I finally found some wax at the craft store and dipped a batch of salt dough bowl fillers. I need to work on my technique a bit, but I love the way it ages them even more!

I also stitched up a little pincushion for my middle sister's birthday. My stitcheries always start out bigger and then end up smaller than expected just by stitching. One of these days I will remember that when I'm cutting out my material and not after I'm done. : )   This is 100% wool and then I used scraps of 100% wool to stuff it. An upcycled button topped it off. I think next time I will add leaves to make it look like a flower.

Unfortunately I took a bunch of pictures and then shipped it off to Colorado before looking at the final pictures. It's a little blurry, but you get the idea.

Now I'm going to bake sugar cookies for a memorial service on Thursday. A a dear member of our community passed way too early in his life. Take care everyone.

UPDATE: I've added a set of these salt dough bowl fillers to my etsy shop. As Christmas is too close to ship for, if you would like a set of snowflakes please let me know. I will also be making them for future holidays/seasons as they are just too much fun!

Question for you prim painters....

When you are painting furniture or home decor items (dressers, tables, wall shelves, etc.), what type of paint do you use? I can't see using those little bottles of craft paint. Do you use wall paint? I'm totally clueless here, obviously. : )

Giveaway page added!

Check it out for links to beautiful prim giveaways!

I think I need a support group

Bloggers Anonymous. No really. I visit one blog and add one or two from their list to mine, and on and on. I've read on a few blogs that I am not alone. It's a problem. Now there are worse things I could be doing with my time, but there are better things I could be doing as well. I do love looking at everyone's holiday decorations and crafty goodness. We have lived in our first home for about three years and other than painting one room, we have yet to make it our own. We do have plans, but we all know what that takes. I'm going to start setting a timer and when it goes off that's it, no more blog time!

I added a few items to my etsy shop. I have plans for more, and plans for adding 100% wool items in the new year as well.

To keep the holiday spirit going (I tend to be a Scrooge around the holidays), I made up a small batch of salt dough bowl fillers. I will bake them tonight when I get home from work and paint them tomorrow. That's the plan anyway. : )

Stay warm everyone. It's definitely winter in Ohio!

My first rug hooking project

I honestly can't remember how many years ago this was. I didn't have a real rug stand yet, so I had hubby help screw some 2x4 boards together and then used those decorative upholstery tacks to hold the rug in place while I hooked. The rug was for the Yahoo Rug Hookers group. The mother of a member lost her home to a California wildfire I believe, and there were actually two groups that put together rugs, an east coast and a west coast, so she ended up with two beautiful rugs for her new home.

The finished East Coast Friendship Rug



My square was a dragonfly.

 My local rug hooking friend Jeanette helped me with finding some wool and loaned me some of hers. She was next on the list after I was done so she also saved me the shipping cost. Jeanette has since passed and her husband blessed me with some of her wool. I've been working on an applique project for him for way too long. I'm very embarrassed about that and have made it my mission to not let it go beyond Christmas before getting it to him.

I've since only made a few small Christmas ornaments/door hangers, but I would like to get into it again. I have a nice frame and strip cutter (Bliss I think) that hubs bought for me. I guess I should put them to good use. : )

Well that's it, I just wanted to share.