Sweet Dreams

Christmas of course is all about family, and that of course means that the family usually comes to visit.  Now, I know that it is never easy to sleep in a new bed, in a different place and yet usually most people will always tell you they slept well, when we all know they didn't.  A co-worker of mine tells the best story about sleeping on a futon in a basement at her sister in laws and how awful it was and yet she proudly tells everyone that she told the sister in law that it was a great sleep!  So, knowing that family members do not tell you how awful their sleeping conditions are at your house, I decided this year I would try to make it a little easier.  I made this "Dream Pillow" a few weeks ago at a Gift Ideas class at a store here in Edmonton called Earth's Aromatique.   When I made it I had big plans as to how to make this way better using my sewing machine, and maybe some embroidery, but alas that still has not happened.  This pillow is made from a block of silk fabric folded, and filled with a wonderful blend of herbs, one of which is something called Mugwort (I love the name of this stuff - it sounds like something Gargamel would use to catch a Smurf!).  I am going to tuck this into the spare bed and along with the polar fleece sheets, and warm woolly quilts hopefully everyone will have a somewhat restful sleep.  Nighty, night........  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Cookie Party

On the weekend I hosted my first ever Annual Christmas Cookie Party.  My friends Alyssa, Brandy, and Kathleen joined me for this event.  First we made these boxes to take our cookies home in.  The boxes are the Kraft boxes available from Stampin Up, the card stock is Garden Green, and the paper is from the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper set.  The Poinsettia is again made from the Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge, cut from Cherry Cobbler Paper, and then inked with the flat stamp and tea stain ink.  The center of the poinsettia is lemon colored flower soft.  I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and the cookies (strawberry marshmallows dipped in chocolate, Milk and White Bernard Callebaut chocolate apricot bark, sugar cookies stamped with the Stampin Up cookie stamp, and finally caramel shortbread (the caramel set like stone on top of the shortbread, so we all have to enjoy it warm or will be paying for a dentist's infant son's education !!).  Next year will be even better!!!   Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Christmas Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that I made for my son's grade two class.  I made the cupcakes from a cake mix I purchased while in Montana in November.  The cake mix looked so fun, however, I was slightly disappointed when I opened the box and found that the candy bits were simply a small packages of cake sprinkles!!!  Anyways, they worked and the cupcakes do look like this inside.  The marshmallow decorations on top were also picked up in Montana.  I made a quick simple icing paste, added more sprinkles and put the marshmallows on top.  Apparent early reports are that the cupcakes were "really good".  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Grade Two Gifts

A lady at work asked around a few weeks ago, if others with children gave out cards, or just treats at Christmas to classmates.  I of course said "BOTH".  My son made these a few weeks back.  I found the template for the gift wrappers on the Stuck on Stampin  website.  We used the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White and Baja Breeze card stock and then stamped the design with the Merry Winter Stamp set.  The images were colored with the Stampin' Write markers.  Inside these little wrappers is 8 hershey's kisses and 1 peppermint patty (candy - not Snoopy's friend).  The wrappers were closed and Cherry Cobbler seam binding added for decoration.  Hope the grade 2's like them, and Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Santa's Boots

On the weekend my son and I went to a class at Greenland Garden to learn how to make these wonderful festive center pieces.  I love this garden center as I can kill any plant (sometimes the plant puts up a fight and lasts vigorously but eventually it realizes there is no hope - like the cactus that I forgot to water for 2 years!!!), and yet they are always so helpful and non judgmental about my lack of skill or green thumb (as a Registered Nurse - not sure any one should have one of those - usually requires an amputation), and they offer classes to help those of us with issues.  This was one of those classes.  We were given all of the organic matter that you can see, and actually taught how to use it, arrange it and care for it.  Now if only I could stop sneezing from it that would be great!!!  The little red birds in it are an awesome addition.  After finishing the class we went for a stroll through their Christmas store and got some more really cute Christmas things for the house!!!   Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

The Christmas Table

I have this "thing" whereby I believe that a home must have a wooden old fashioned styled table in the dining room, or the place is just not "home"  I have always had wooden tables in my own home, however a few years ago I found the perfect table.  It is oval with pull out leaves, and has the pedestal with big wooden feet from one end to the other, so no legs on the side.  I LOVE this table.  Now, because I am neurotic about how things look I do not want scratches or burn marks on my table. To prevent that from happening, I have a vinyl table cloth with flannel backing on the table (the table is rubbed down regularly with Scott's Liquid Gold), next the table cloth, and then a clear plastic tablecloth over top of it all.  Due to the last layer being plastic and my rule about a hot supper around the table each night, I have various quilted projects on the table at all times, to absorb spills, and absorb the warmth of plates and serving dishes on the table.  Last year I found these fabric panels (2 of each design) at Sew Divine and instead of just sewing them together, I quilted them so that they would have a layer of batting between the sides of fabric.  A quick stitch in the ditch method around the edges and pictures and they were done.  Took them out of the Christmas closet the other day, and they are ready for service again for another Christmas season.  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Dazzling Details Christmas Tree

Rather than finish off my tube of Dazzling Details like Stampin Up would probably like, I decided to use it again to finish my paining project.  I painted this plaster Christmas tree, and once dry rubbed Dazzling Details all over and let it dry.  It is hard to see the glitter effect on the tree, but it is there.  The tree did not turn out as well as Santa did, however, not bad, and better than using only on paper!!  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy