New Year Challenges...

As the start of a new year sneaks closer and closer I find myself thinking about the year past and the year to come. The past year has brought so much change to my life-fortunately,the majority of it has been good. I am definitely blessed beyond measure of that I am sure! 

So with a smile in my heart I say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011...

 

So about those "New Year's Resolutions", do you make them? I've never really been good at them, namely because I resolve to do things I know will NEVER happen {like learn to love jogging... right, you actually have to be a jogger first} and then I just feel like a big loser because I didn't stick to anything. 

I needed to re-think my process...

 

This year I'm playing it different, I'm not resolving to do anything.  Instead I'm challenging myself to accomplish something. I am a {slightly} competitive person. I can handle losing, I just don't like it. I can accept not being the best, it just inspires me to do a better job at it next time. Tell me I can't do something and you better believe that I will find away to "can!"

I'm hoping this will work for me and that come this time next year I will have a good sized list of challenges checked off as DONE!

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

 Here's what I want to know though, what works for you and how are you going to accomplish it? I read once that a "goal" is only a wish until you write it down. So, here's your platform,write it down for all of us to see. {and be inspired by}I'll start...I'm challenging myself to be more aware of my commitments and to organize/prioritize my time appropriately to best accomplish each of them.(It sounds so much more official when you use BIG words...)  please, leave a comment with your new challenges or resolutions, or whatever you need to call them...we all need the inspiration and encouragementand Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas to you all! Be safe and happy, and I'll see you again in a few days-

 

january {and february}word...of the month kits

I've been cutting/gluing like a mad woman for 2 days to get these done. I'm excited to show them to you.I decided to go ahead and release February's kits now too because I start putting out Valentine decor mid-January, and because you could use some ofthem for both/either month.{And well to be honest, I can use all the"getting ahead" that I can get!} Jan. set #1...

A new year means all new things to CELEBRATE this set will help

you do just that. This set comes cut in 3 seperate pieces for ease in storing and decorating.

(Each section will fit onto a 12x12 piece of paper-no funky seams!)

 And includes 3 removable eye hooks for adding balloons.

I love that this piece is SO versitile.

It's not limited to just birthdays, you could use it for any holiday, baby/bridal showers, anniversaries, promotions, an A on a test-anything that needs a celebration!

Set stands 7 inches tall at highest point and 25 inches long.

Cut from 3/4 inch MDF and can be easily paper covered or painted.

Set sells for $10.

Jan. set #2...

Got Snow? 

 This set is perfect for the chilly winter months of Jan. {and Feb.} whether you have snow or just wish you do.

This set includes 3 letters, snowflake cutout, penguin cutout

and detail pieces (wings, feet, beak, and tummy pieces). Also felt and pattern for the heart.

This set is 8 inches tall at highest point and sets 20 inches long side by side.

Cut from 1/2inch and 1/4inch MDF.

Set sells for $7.

And everyone needs a winter snuggle buddy, how about giving this little one a try...

OH for the love of 2x4's.

 I've issued myself a challenge to see if I can come up with one of these for every month of the year- I'm thinking about calling them "Block Heads". (hehe!)

This kit will include the block, feet, wings, tummy, and beak pieces, as well as the wire and snowflake.

Kit will sell for $4.

*I will start posting full tutorials for these (block head) kits too. That way if you have access to the supplies you can make your own. I will however not release my exact patterns as that is part of what you're paying for when you purchase a kit.

 Look for Feb. Block Heads early next week...

Feb. kit #1...

Everyone deserves a Sweet Heart for Valentine's Day- even if it's just a cookie!

{Looks good enough to eat doesn't it?}

This set is just what it says, sweet. And a perfect little something for your shelf or mantle.

Set includes 5 letters and heart cutout, plus a container of "frosting".

Stands 6 inches tall at highest point and 20 inches long.

Cut from 1/2inch MDF.

Set sells for $7.

Feb. kit #2...

I love all the nick names that turn up during February, my favorite is Love Bug,

 it reminds me of my munchkins.

This set is simple and cute, and goes together fast with paint and patterned paper.

 Set includes 4 letters, bug body, head, wings, and nose pieces. Eye tacks and wire for the antenna.

Stands 5 inches tall and 17 inches long side by side.

Cut from 1/2 and 1/4 inch MDF.

Set sells for $7.

Whew! There you go, start the new year off with some fun pieces. Get the girls together for a new year craft night, or an any night craft night!

 Remember group pricing is available on all orders of 5 or more kits of any one kit-sorry, you can't mix and match for group rates. And shipping is always cheaper the more you order.

Kits arrive unfinished and can be purchased through my
  Etsy Shop 
or by emailing me at
 wmgar@comcast.net

Finished sets are also available for purchase in my shop.

Just a quick note to this already HUGE post, I'm keeping my December sets (Santa, JOY, and 2x4 reindeer) in my shop through January, and the FROSTY set through February.

Happy Crafting!

Ruffled Christmas Tee

Need a super cute last minute gift or party outfit for a little one? Give this a try...  Find a fantastic tutorial over at Stuff by Ash. So cute, and the perfect way to use those few extra tee shirts I have left from my pj project! Amazing idea Ashley-thanks for sharing!!! Happy Crafting... 

"Poppin' by for a Holiday HI!"

Today we're making these...

{Photo and recipe via Counrty Door Recipes}

Don't they look just YUMMY!
This is an easy recipe and a super fun family activity. Just in case you want to try it:

Grandma Wieland's Never Fail Popcorn Balls

1 cup of white or dark Karo ^® syrup (I use white)
1 cup of white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

5 quarts of popped popcorn
Food coloring (optional)

Put syrup on to boil, as it begins to boil stir in sugar, remove from heat, add baking powder, stirring until foamy, then add butter and vanilla, mixing well. Pour over 5 quarts of popped popcorn, mix well. Lightly butter your hands and form mixture into balls. Makes approximately 24 popcorn balls.

If you wish to make colored popcorn balls, add food coloring to syrup mixture before pouring on popcorn

 Happy Eating!  

Christmas PJ's...

 Christmas Pj's are a favorite tradition at our house. We each get a new pair every Christmas Eve. Because the girls know they are coming,we try to spice it up a bit with a treasure hunt to find them and a PJ Fashion Show afterwards.  As my girls are pretty close in age, I'm a sucker for all things matching. My oldest however, is not. This year she won and I bought them all fun jammy pants and crazy holiday socks.  Still feeling the need for some holiday unity my heart skipped a beat or two when I saw this... The same but different-the answer I needed! Sarah over at Harrigan Howdy put together a great tutorial on how she and her mom whipped up these super cute pj's. She even shared a link to a free jammy pant pattern if you're feeling like sewing! Here's my little snowman all ready for wrapping and a fun and festive Christmas weekend...{I was able to use the same piece of freezer paper for all 5 shirts! Big surprise, bigger relief!} 

 Thanks Sarah for the inspiration and Happy Crafting to you all!  

A BIG THANK YOU...

I need to send out a huge THANK YOU to the fantastic ladies that participated in my Far-Away Friends Ornament Exchange. You each made it so easy and fun!My girls had as much fun as I did checking the mail and opening every package. They ooh-ed and awed at each ornament we received. (And dove in quickly to the treats!)I love each and everyone of them, so THANKS again to those that played along. If by chance you missed out, I will definitely be doing this again next year (with a few added new and improved tweaks).Also, because I had more than a few of you ask about other holiday exchanges, I'm planning on hosting a Valentine Swap in Jan/Feb. Watch for sign up details the first part of January and join in to "Share the LOVE!"  ***Ladies, I'll make an attempt to figure out how to add a flicker album, until then, email me a picture of the ornaments you received and I'll add them to this post! 


 

Thanks again, I love them all!
 Wendy

   

To Amy T, in Utah



From Your Little Ones...

Today should have been "Word...of the Month" release day. I know what I'm doing, just haven't had time to cut anything out. So forgive me, I'll have them out this weekend-plenty of time for you to put together a New Year craft night! Today I hosted a preschool Christmas Party. Just wanted to share the gift the kiddos made for their families.

They each painted a small flower pot and then stamped their hand prints onto thin cardboard. We cut them out and glued them onto the rim for antlers, painted a face, and added some felt ears.

Inside is a bag of cinnamon red hots, I added this poem:

Super cute and a fun keepsake,

Happy Crafting!

A Hand-Made Christmas Part 2

The inspiration for this project came from a PB picture I found in my inbox a few weeks ago.

Photo Credit (Pottery Barn)

I immedialtely fell for these! Love those ruffles!  (These ones are $19 for 2, that doesn't include the monogram) So thank you Pottery Barn, you led me one gift closer to having my list complete.  

These are the ones I made for my sister. I bought the towels in a set of 5 for $5 at Wal-Mart, spent about $5 on the ribbon, fabric, and buttons to finish them. (I had left over heat-n-bond from my still unfinished pillows-UGH!)Found a fun red cassorole dish for $8 at the grocery store to put them in, and I still have a few dollars to play with in my per-present budget!(I'm thinking of adding some matching bowls) Gotta LOVE a fun knock-off!  Happy Crafting! 

A Hand-Made Christmas

I was caught a little off guard when I realized how many of my gifts I was actually making this year, it was a very pleasant surprise. I've always felt that there is so much more love and thought put into a handmade present. So, I wanted to share a few of them with you in case you still need a little something for that particular someone... My dad is hard to shop for. Not because he's picky, but because he always tells you to get him the same thing no matter what the occasion-a good book or movie and a can of peanuts! BORING! And my hubby is hard to shop for because he buys everything he wants or it's so crazy expensive, it just isn't going to happen! Therefore, I have to think very hard... My hard thinking came up with this: 

My girls LOVE to play board games with their dad and grandpa so I combined the two into a

Photo Tic-Tac-Toe Board!

I started with this:

A 12x12 inch shadowbox frame

{I bought mine at Wal-mart for $10}

9 3x5 inch pictures of my girlies

{I changed all the coloring to sepia and added their names

and the year to the pictures on Picnik, then printed them out on my printer.}

I cropped and cut my pictures down to 3x3 inches each. Then went to work on the frame.

Open the packaging and turn the frame wrong side up. Pop up the small tabs that hold in the backing. Remove the backing and paper insert. Pop out the side bars that are holding the glass in place. {4 black pieces next to the frame.} They are held in place by a small piece of double-stick tape and come out easily. Using a pair of pliers, pull out the remaining small tabs from the top edge of the frame.

You should be left with the bare frame and glass pieces. Set them aside.

With a paint brush and black paint, paint the backing piece and the edges of the pictures.Once the backing is dry, mark out your grid with painter's tape. 

You need a 1 inch border all the way around your board. And 1/2 an inch between each picture.

Mod Podge your pictures into place, remove the tape and apply another layer of Mod Podge over the entire piece. Set aside to dry.

Make your X and O markers next.

I used cardstock, Mod Podge, and clear glass gems found at the dollar store.

Print out 5 X's and 5 O's onto heavy cardstock. Lay a gem over each letter and trace around, staying close to the gem. Cut out each letter and adhere it to the bottom side of the gem. Apply one more coat of Mod Podge to seal the paper. Set aside to dry.

Make the pouch to hold your pieces while everything is drying.

You'll need a strip of fabric that measures 36 inches long by 8 inches wide and some hook and loop strips.

Fold the fabric in half length-wise. Sew a seam down each of the long sides then turn the fabric so the seams are now on the inside. Fold in the edges of the open end and sew shut.

 Press your seams.

Fold up the bottom 6 inches to form the pouch, pin in place. Cut a 7 inch piece of the hook and loop velcro and pin it into place on the pouch pocket and the top flap. 

*Be sure you only pin through one side of the pouch pocket.

Undo the pouch pins and sew down velcro pieces.

 Refold the pouch and sew the two side seams that form the pocket.

Fold down the top flap and your pouch is done.

Put everything together!

Place the backing board back into the frame, be sure the glass is clean first. Run a line of strong glue around the edges to hold the backing in place. {I use e6000, hot glue would work too.}

Glue the pouch onto the back side of the frame, once dry add your playing pieces and your very person gift is ready to go!

Tomorrow, I'll show you what I made for my lil'sister.

Happy Crafting!

Linking to these great sites!

2010 Teacher/Neighbor Gifts

My daughter's class is doing the sweetest thing for their teacher this year! As a former teacher, I would LOVE to receive this. 

 The room moms decided on a theme of "The Giving Tree" based on the book by Shel Silversteen. We are giving her a copy of the book with the students autographs inside and a tree full of gift cards to her favorite places. {We had her put together a list of those places and then had the kids each bring in a gift card of their choice.}My part in this is finding a cute way to hang the gift cards. I ended up making little burlap "purses". They are just the right size for the cards and look so cute on that tree! 

I used this tutorial to get the wording on the burlap.

Sewed two quick seams (YEAH! The sewing machine is back!)

And then had a blast embellishing them.

I recruited my girls for the handle-beading and we finished all 20 bags in a few hours.

I liked them so much I decided to make some a bit bigger and use them for my neighbor gifts this year.

I'm thinking I'll fill them with some homemade caramels. YUM!

Happy Crafting...

I linked up to this week's contest over at Poppies at Play Go check out all the fun, super cute entries!

And check out all the craftiness going on this weekend at I {heart} Naptime!