21 December 2009
Adding holes to the ornaments with an upholstery needle.
These simple-to-make and delicious-to-smell ornaments can be hung throughout the house for extra beauty (and added delicious fragrance).
Cut out ornaments waiting to be moved to the pan for drying.
Cinnamon Ornaments {Recipe}
1 cup ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup tacky glue (we used Elmer’s)
Thoroughly mix ingredients together. Sprinkle counter with cinnamon and roll out the cinnamon “dough.” If the “dough” is too dry, add more applesauce; if it is too wet, add more cinnamon. Cut out shapes by using cookie cutters (do not forget to add holes if you intend to hang them, they will be too hard to do so after they dry). Lay ornaments on foil-covered pan and let dry for 24-48 hours. Use hemp cord and/or wire to hang.
Placing the ornaments on a foil-covered pan for drying.
Hung on the tree or over the kitchen sink, their fragrance stays with them and can fill the room with a delightful aroma.
15 December 2009
Welcome to A Homemade Christmas! This is No. 3 of 4 A Homemade Christmas events.
I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts, decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
{Feel free to learn more about A Homemade Christmas here.}
It is a joy to make special treats for gifts and family gatherings. Our top five choices (of sweets) are Cinnamon Rolls (using our bread recipe), Beluga Babies (Oreo Truffles), Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Fudge. All of these treats can be packaged creatively, making the presentation quite charming!
Peanut Butter Fudge
5 cups white sugar
5 TB white karo
1 can carnation milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
Cook until soft ball (drop a drip or two in cold water, if it stays together it is at the soft ball stage). Stir with wooden spoon to keep the bottom from sticking. Remove from heat.
Add:
¾ stick butter
1¼ cups peanut butter
Stir until dissolved (do not beat). Pour into buttered 9×13 inch pan. Let cool. Cut and enjoy!
I will be adding a couple more posts throughout the next couple weeks to this week’s AHC which will probably include more handmade gifts, recipes, and decorations.
Are you having A Homemade Christmas? Yes? Then I invite you to join me here by adding your link to your post about homemade gift(s), decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
To join us, just sign Mr. Linky below (make sure you use the direct post link). You can get the codes and instructions for adding an A Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. The last A Homemade Christmas event will be December 29th! This Linky will be open for two weeks, until the next AHC event begins.
I hope you’ll join us while we learn, inspire, and encourage one another as we prepare to celebrate (though we celebrate all year round) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
View Other A Homemade Christmas Posts:
3 December 2009
Thank you all for your oh-so-sweet comments about my birthday! I feel so blessed – your words made the day extra special!
My birthday was a lovely day! The celebration was simple . . . and I really liked it that way. (We did enjoy our Coca-Cola and chocolate!) We were able to sew, and although I still have plenty of sewing to do in the next week, I did get a good start.
The project that I am working on now is a green bag that I can carry my camera and lenses in (as well as my Bible and notebook, making it an extra handy bag to carry, especially at conferences). The interior is a floral pattern in Autumn colors.
Once the bag is finished, I will post pictures and share about a few of the specialties about it (this bag has some interesting ingredients, but you’ll have to wait to find out!).
I also wanted to thank all of you for voting for my blog at The HSBA Post under Best Photos and Artistic Content Blog. I am truly honored that you chose to vote for my blog. Thank you.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, praising our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all His wonderful works! We have so much to be thankful for, let us not take a single moment for granted!
There is still time for you to join us for A Homemade Christmas!
Keep updated by subscribing here!
P.S. We are having a Christmas sale on our paper dolls – the sale ends on December 5th!
1 December 2009
Welcome to A Homemade Christmas! This is No. 2 of 4 A Homemade Christmas events.
I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts, decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
{Feel free to learn more about A Homemade Christmas here.}
A few years ago for Christmas, Breezy and I received jewelry making supplies from our dear parents. Now and then we get the supplies out to create a pair of earrings or something similar.
Above are a few earrings that I made this past week after purchasing extra beads and findings.
Making jewelry can be less expensive than buying jewelry. Aside from the pliers, all that is needed are the “ear wires”, head pins, and charms or beads.
Earrings are lovely gifts that can add an extra touch to any lady’s attire!
Are you having A Homemade Christmas? Yes? Then I invite you to join me here by adding your link to your post about homemade gift(s), decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
To join us, just sign Mr. Linky below (make sure you use the direct post link). You can get the codes and instructions for adding an A Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. The next A Homemade Christmas events will be December 15th and December 29th! This Linky will be open for two weeks, until the next AHC event begins.
I hope you’ll join us while we learn, inspire, and encourage one another as we prepare to celebrate (though we celebrate all year round) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
View Other A Homemade Christmas Posts:
26 November 2009
“Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.”
Psalm 111:1-6
Have a lovely and joyous Thanksgiving praising our God for His wondrous works!
May God bless you all!
17 November 2009
Welcome to A Homemade Christmas! This is No. 1 of 4 A Homemade Christmas events.
I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts, decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
{Feel free to learn more about A Homemade Christmas here.}
A wonderful thing about having A Homemade Christmas is knowing that the handmade gift given, decoration hung, food enjoyed is special because it was made with love.
When something is made with love it is cherished. It doesn’t have to be fancy, nor does it have to be expensive. But when it’s made with love, it cannot get better than that.
The one who receives the gift, sees the decoration, or enjoys the dish will know and remember that those things were not there because we ran out of time, but because we took the time.
My latest project has been knitting fingerless mittens. I have not been knitting (the correct way) for very long, but have found it most enjoyable! It is relaxing (although the occasional dropping of a stitch is a bit unnerving) and easier than it may look.
The pattern is simple: a knit-pearl square that is slip-stitched together on the side, leaving a hole for the thumb. I still have yet to learn to cable-knit (I am looking forward to my sister teaching me how), and I’m sure once I’ve learned that there will be a few more projects that I will make using the cable stitch.
This sage pair of fingerless mittens is completed, and I have a couple more pairs in the making. They will be gifts to keep my family’s hands warm this winter.
Are you having A Homemade Christmas? Yes? Then I invite you to join me here by adding your link to your post about homemade gift(s), decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that make your home extra special for Christmas!
To join us, just sign Mr. Linky below (make sure you use the direct post link). You can get the codes and instructions for adding an A Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. The next A Homemade Christmas events will be December 1st, December 15th, and December 29th! This Linky will be open for two weeks, until the next AHC event begins.
I hope you’ll join us while we learn, inspire, and encourage one another as we prepare to celebrate (though we celebrate all year round) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
View Other A Homemade Christmas Posts:
| 1. Kyleigh 2. Kristen~Pajama Mama 3. Bridgett 4. Susannah (sevensisters) 5. Angel-homemade cocoa jars 6. Angel-keeping CHRIST in Christmas cards! 7. Rachel 8. Maddy 9. Lady Kate 10. Rachel Grace 11. Danielle |
12. Breezy 13. Robin 14. Tarissa 15. Elisabeth LaMouria 16. Maggie @ Painter of Words 17. Rebecca @ Renaissance:: Baby Sweater 18. Rebecca @ Renaissance::And MORE presents 19. DHM, fabric ‘paper’ doll |
20. Elena 21. Peggy 22. Miss Jen 23. Hannah @ Reflections of a Face 24. Michelle 25. Jen 26. Sewmelody 27. Haley Steele 28. Watalulu 29. Esther~ Andrew’s Socks 30. Cassie |
14 November 2009
Last year I began the meme, A Homemade Christmas, where I posted every week about creating gifts to give away at Christmas, and invited others to join me.
This year will be a little bit different.
Every two weeks (dates are below), I will be posting about a project that I have completed or am working on that is either a gift, recipe/food, or something that will make the home extra special for Christmas. And, I’m encouraging you to join me, and have yourself a homemade Christmas.
What is A Homemade Christmas?
A Homemade Christmas is when you create things to give as gifts to friends and family, make decorations for the home, make Christmas goodies (food), etc.
The A Homemade Christmas meme is when you have the opportunity to share about the creative things you are doing for Christmas (such as listed above) on your blog, and drop by here to leave your link so that others can see what you are working on and be inspired in their own creative pursuits (and so you can be inspired by others’ projects, too).
When should we post about our homemade projects?
A Homemade Christmas begins this Tuesday. Every other Tuesday for eight weeks (making four events), a new A Homemade Christmas post will be up here on my blog. There will be a place at the bottom of my posts for you to add your link(s) to your A Homemade Christmas post(s) (make sure it is the direct/permanent link).
Dates to participate in A Homemade Christmas:
• November 17th
• December 1st
• December 15th
• December 29th (wrap-up with projects/gifts we couldn’t share before Christmas)
The main/opening dates are listed above, but the linkys will be open two weeks after the beginning date so that you have plenty of time to get in your posts.
The Reason for A Homemade Christmas (and extra notes):
Through this, I hope we can inspire and encourage one another in our preparation to celebrate (though we celebrate all year round) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
If you would like an icon to put in your post or sidebar, just click here, copy the code of the icon you would like, and paste the code where desired. Voila!
And remember—to make this extra fun—I need your participation! I’m looking forward to doing this with you all!
P.S. You are welcome to spread the word about this, and I hope you participate!
10 November 2009
Are you ready for A Homemade Christmas? Last year I started a meme for others to post about what gifts they were making for Christmas. This year will be a little bit different. There will be four two week periods, and they begin next Tuesday, November 17th. This time you can post about gifts and recipes, decorations, and any thing that has to do with giving to others and making the home special for Christmas. Stay tuned for more information!
My aunt Lou made the quilt above for my aunt Glenna. Lou has been making quilts for quite a while, and she made the beautiful quilt here for my momma. Lately she has been working on several knitting projects (as well as her daughter), and has inspired my sister and I to start knitting again.
In the past I have knitted, but after finding out that I was had been doing it wrong (actually backwards) I retired to crocheting (the good ol’ standby). Now that I have picked knitting back up—and am doing it the correct way—I am thoroughly enjoying it! I have began working on a pair of green fingerless gloves.
If you have any left-over home-directed magazines, you might wish to cut the pictures out and make note cards! I received this dear card and envelope from Monica at The Homespun Heart, which gave me an idea as to what to do with the pages I have collected of inspirations from magazines. You may also like decoupaging something special.
And now that Christmas is only forty days away, you can start preparing to have a homemade Christmas . . . and don’t forget to enter your posts in the meme (starting Nov. 17th)!
4 September 2009
Breezy and I spent the last six weeks working on a project that the Lord blessed us with. He has seen us through every moment of painting, designing, and writing, giving us inspiration and perseverance!
All of your guesses have been most inspiring (some of you even guessed another project we have in the works), and a few of you guessed correctly! The first was Maddy (I’ve emailed you!), who gets to choose which C — or Collection — she would like.
Our project is . . . A Paper Doll Series of Historical Women in Christ’s Kingdom!
Entitled Daughters of His Story Paper Dolls, this “new series of paper dolls gives young ladies a wholesome and delightful product to enjoy while strengthening them in biblical femininity, character, and love for history. Beautifully and modestly dressed, the ladies featured in these collections are women of God who sacrificed much to serve the Lord, their husbands, and their families.”
Each collection comes with two ladies, two short biographies, three outfits apiece, two timeline figures, and a pocket to be attached to the inside of the keepsake folder. (Cutting is required, so parental oversight is suggested for younger girls.)
As to the clues . . .
— Anything having to do with food was referring to hospitality (these ladies were very hospitable).
— The Queens — Queen Anne’s Lace — has to do with future ladies which, Lord willing, will be included in future Collections (at the time we had not selected all of the ladies for the first three collections).
— The Computer desk is where I have sat for the past six weeks, cleaning up the images and laying out the booklets.
— The C1, C2 and C3 color swatches are the background colors of the collection covers.
— The Toys from the Past was hinting at paper dolls as toys from the past.
— The Clues with Abigail Adams referred to the research done for Collection Two (which includes Abigail Adams).
These dolls are currently at the printers, and should be available, Lord willing, by early October!
