tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26112013265752590452024-02-20T02:23:55.956-08:00by george you've got it!the life and times of crafty old Gramma GGrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-7204992489796845232016-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:002016-12-12T14:19:21.833-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 12<div style="text-align: justify;">
The final day of this year's 12 Days of Christmas is here. I always use day 12 for something that relates to the real reason for Christmas - the birth of the Savior. And this year, it's the baby Himself. I saw a cute ornament on Pinterest, but didn't pin it, I guess, because I can't find it. Anyway, it was a little baby Jesus cradled in a candy cane, and I really liked it. So that's our finishing project this year.</div>
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I made my baby like the ones I make to put in my paper mangers, <a href="http://bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-first-day-of-christmas.html" target="_blank">here</a>. They are really easy to make. The easiest way is to cut the finger off a new pair of white cotton work gloves. But if you don't have any and can't find them (I had to go to Harbor Freight because other places only sell them in gardening season, I guess.), then you can take a piece of muslin and cut 2 rectangles about 2" wide and 4" long and round one end for the head. Sew the 2 pieces together, leaving the square end open for stuffing. Turn it right side out and stuff lightly. You can put a face on Him using a permanent fine-point marker, or just leave it blank.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwsUplZE5E8mXBiF62kTMIcHAv5lorGN5Mg7v8oVnO81_iKhLL-CzucIystlb60Ph1R3N2EdWqcxEzEZQBf-ir5MPaRCjErAHyqB7dp1aAf1XKDcJy6LYWmlaXum3yg2xrBLksjPIPt0/s1600/baby+Jesus+face1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwsUplZE5E8mXBiF62kTMIcHAv5lorGN5Mg7v8oVnO81_iKhLL-CzucIystlb60Ph1R3N2EdWqcxEzEZQBf-ir5MPaRCjErAHyqB7dp1aAf1XKDcJy6LYWmlaXum3yg2xrBLksjPIPt0/s1600/baby+Jesus+face1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVMB-YDWvzIE2nL5MhNJbImX6-syuCBcrHO9Zgh4pBWgEFAQWEBJ4q6UbTbzzNXChBKqyI0eNH4fUlEhDe23uIa1UOGHDfqpJ4M6hPJtCpMaro_BR0btVzvveI-XjlIjVJMCAIJYVcjk/s1600/baby+Jesus+face2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVMB-YDWvzIE2nL5MhNJbImX6-syuCBcrHO9Zgh4pBWgEFAQWEBJ4q6UbTbzzNXChBKqyI0eNH4fUlEhDe23uIa1UOGHDfqpJ4M6hPJtCpMaro_BR0btVzvveI-XjlIjVJMCAIJYVcjk/s1600/baby+Jesus+face2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GPljaGtctkZZVJPQY6lEXeHebOPYL2nSDgzBEiUEu3ofMovYa9rvvI6MyNmxcoNEX676OE8RmDOKnjzGB7zOQeT8y1nUQqnPsuarcU0p8cz0Opn63SVepV-onUWyu2UKgmkotcHx-0c/s1600/baby+Jesus+face3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GPljaGtctkZZVJPQY6lEXeHebOPYL2nSDgzBEiUEu3ofMovYa9rvvI6MyNmxcoNEX676OE8RmDOKnjzGB7zOQeT8y1nUQqnPsuarcU0p8cz0Opn63SVepV-onUWyu2UKgmkotcHx-0c/s1600/baby+Jesus+face3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here are some ideas for faces, or you can just put 2 little dots, like I did. Glue a little hair on the top of the head and use a piece of flannel or cotton batting to swaddle Him in. Tie some jute around the swaddling and He's done!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7WvJxXvoSqzyy5ysEYVcYWt5m4UowfuSLWoo2QD5aHnmGnFLVH4G2Jg7zyxNPLZ-ghpkpdesnlnxofXadc_53iCpq07KrWK22GAShHPm-Zdm5mhZn2mricgtFfUiaiut4URdMaeCZ18/s1600/baby+Jesus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7WvJxXvoSqzyy5ysEYVcYWt5m4UowfuSLWoo2QD5aHnmGnFLVH4G2Jg7zyxNPLZ-ghpkpdesnlnxofXadc_53iCpq07KrWK22GAShHPm-Zdm5mhZn2mricgtFfUiaiut4URdMaeCZ18/s400/baby+Jesus1.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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As you can see, my baby Jesus will NOT fit in one candy cane without looking like He's going to drop at any moment, so I decided to use two. The only problem was the ribbon wouldn't stay in place! It wanted to slip up and off the top, and when I hot glued it, it looked kind of dumb because there was a big space between the candy canes. I thought to myself, if I could bend them, it would be better, and then a light went on in my sometimes thick head, and I thought heat gun!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRdXdSVzlsX0r7A7cyivOVJ64ANnbZ5iYs8Tlq3bXL-Yy11YZiJZyXyzOaNB36vSRJhxbAwhPILmhZ2-Mx2EKf4_GLxOREqpQSCN8Le3H1M7SWT9uUsoJ-3pyTDih6_hvrxD1MnyBFLs/s1600/baby+Jesus3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRdXdSVzlsX0r7A7cyivOVJ64ANnbZ5iYs8Tlq3bXL-Yy11YZiJZyXyzOaNB36vSRJhxbAwhPILmhZ2-Mx2EKf4_GLxOREqpQSCN8Le3H1M7SWT9uUsoJ-3pyTDih6_hvrxD1MnyBFLs/s400/baby+Jesus3.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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And it worked! Take your heat gun and hold it really close to the candy cane and turn the candy cane as you heat it. Watch it as you do, because it will start to look like it's been left in the sun too long, and all of a sudden you will be able to bend it. Bend it just a little. If it's not far enough, you can always do it again after you get them both done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyt-dQx-J_MMLdJ6jdJp3Ptd0y15swKQF-N5nFRuF5jUVT7Wgr48CfZvWN264UE3zVcMtyT6eq3at4-eVG7xftDhBIvGxIRYjPglf5nykD1iYRj_0Rzpu9XDHvRypZ4h1xX1cJWoxwgk/s1600/baby+Jesus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyt-dQx-J_MMLdJ6jdJp3Ptd0y15swKQF-N5nFRuF5jUVT7Wgr48CfZvWN264UE3zVcMtyT6eq3at4-eVG7xftDhBIvGxIRYjPglf5nykD1iYRj_0Rzpu9XDHvRypZ4h1xX1cJWoxwgk/s400/baby+Jesus2.jpg" width="286" /></a> </div>
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When I first put the baby in the hanger, He looked like He was going to fall out because I had Him turned too far to the front, so I turned Him more face upwards. You can position Him any way you like. Tie a bow around the candy canes at the bend. I tied a second bow and hot glued it on top of the first one to give it a little more oomph! Hook an ornament hanger through the ribbon at the back and hang Him on your tree. Or do what I did - my tree isn't big enough to accommodate and ornament that size, so I leaned it up against something. And there you have it!</div>
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Well, that's the end of this year's 12 Days of Christmas. I hope you enjoyed it, and will come back again. In the words of author Taylor Caldwell, "This is the message of Christmas: we are never alone." May the good Lord bless you all this Christmas season, and may the miracle of Christmas fill your hearts with joy! Merry Christmas and love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-18079340333078349622016-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-12T12:55:24.225-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day ElevenWell, I;m sitting on a bed in a motel room in St. George, Utah, after celebrating our birthdays with dinner and a movie, so this is a quick and easy project. I don't want my hubby to start complaining!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWMG5HM69bTkCwuyLCfRNoeYS_pvXfDAOKvorRg-iIV5B8aoQlQteK0yqRmKhvvwOkBEyrR0V4DJShjYPZ6Vxe5h0CrqrYi_P07CQBCglGNZp-D8a4GDFM_-N_rYBytuKCi2GT2mCw5w/s1600/list+book1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWMG5HM69bTkCwuyLCfRNoeYS_pvXfDAOKvorRg-iIV5B8aoQlQteK0yqRmKhvvwOkBEyrR0V4DJShjYPZ6Vxe5h0CrqrYi_P07CQBCglGNZp-D8a4GDFM_-N_rYBytuKCi2GT2mCw5w/s400/list+book1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It only takes a piece of cardstock 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" and 4 or 5 sheets of copy paper cut into 7" x 3 1/4" strips. Fold up 1" of the cardstock on one end and tuck the paper strips into the fold. Make sure you catch the papers and staple about 1/2" above the fold in two spots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH-Twc5agiFJ1q6bcm-UCLE027fpyMoId7A9wl4IWa2cyM490SJJqndeut9SddfzCWnq1OjojdirQqtdEMRTB24-zv55EGnk6yWtfSyGG2PW-44Y0MJh5KTTt48J4tSF330M0OCTG2lI/s1600/list+book2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH-Twc5agiFJ1q6bcm-UCLE027fpyMoId7A9wl4IWa2cyM490SJJqndeut9SddfzCWnq1OjojdirQqtdEMRTB24-zv55EGnk6yWtfSyGG2PW-44Y0MJh5KTTt48J4tSF330M0OCTG2lI/s320/list+book2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kAmBvFdTyDajRsQvn22YpEz0kZOBVo9OSkm7h_BTZmkTRP-bKO55LYWCiY26fKOJNpd2NFxPgSn9P_LtBdoOeSXn1j8cSN9k56YrJmnblewNcVPd5pDgLIeMG_UEofAjvRLBRKBvtdY/s1600/list+book3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kAmBvFdTyDajRsQvn22YpEz0kZOBVo9OSkm7h_BTZmkTRP-bKO55LYWCiY26fKOJNpd2NFxPgSn9P_LtBdoOeSXn1j8cSN9k56YrJmnblewNcVPd5pDgLIeMG_UEofAjvRLBRKBvtdY/s320/list+book3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Take the top edge of the paper and tuck it into the fold like a matchbook and fold the whole booklet.. Now all you nave to do is decorate it! Now, you might see that the one above is NOT cardstock, and you would be right. It's a punch card for a time clock, or a time card. It's actually the perfect size. This one was made for me by a friend, but I made the one below, and I thought you might like to see it, because I carry it in my purse all the time. It's a little dog-eared from use, but still useful.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lprgDgIzVWJw4vAs9BO1VzLqpwjPRuk8Q47_d5B-NDwwI01-BN51FxU244y_tniY78Bkl1tYvvt8h8MRz_i4nLtRDQX0cbpd4fLpFuHN8OA15RcO7CFsiEeh_bHb4D5kSqDgjrR45pg/s1600/grandma%2527s+grocery+list1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lprgDgIzVWJw4vAs9BO1VzLqpwjPRuk8Q47_d5B-NDwwI01-BN51FxU244y_tniY78Bkl1tYvvt8h8MRz_i4nLtRDQX0cbpd4fLpFuHN8OA15RcO7CFsiEeh_bHb4D5kSqDgjrR45pg/s320/grandma%2527s+grocery+list1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made them for stocking stuffers a few years ago. I used old-fashioned paper and little tags that read Grandma's Grocery List and they were very popular!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvLedbkmExDH2EuWASKrlHQfFcnJmJwQiEYhmZpp3-n7gxsCrEpUUDAYbLykYiANY5yXl6b_Hxn3PX9_mLkn8X5Ny4JpSLXQ41tVBwuv6P1sjPf5j6oN3I36E9p8EqGGN7K7PeIyab6M/s1600/grandma%2527s+grocery+list2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvLedbkmExDH2EuWASKrlHQfFcnJmJwQiEYhmZpp3-n7gxsCrEpUUDAYbLykYiANY5yXl6b_Hxn3PX9_mLkn8X5Ny4JpSLXQ41tVBwuv6P1sjPf5j6oN3I36E9p8EqGGN7K7PeIyab6M/s320/grandma%2527s+grocery+list2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made these little lists to go inside because I thought they might be helpful, but, at least for me, they are not. They aren't specific enough for me and they take up room I need to write what I really DO need. That's why I just use blank paper now. Much handier. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWcefdYTKlXGO-SGpYD4jBLlrcWmNNT3nPj4K9hW2esrVeaC8LkCAtM7eax84uqy_L6OQHlnh98e62Q4mvYSRym2OMZN_JI1mIZexnn8URs3fu_CC2EIsO8ueYPuQu4hgrDIPYMYQILg/s1600/grandma%2527s+grocery+list3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWcefdYTKlXGO-SGpYD4jBLlrcWmNNT3nPj4K9hW2esrVeaC8LkCAtM7eax84uqy_L6OQHlnh98e62Q4mvYSRym2OMZN_JI1mIZexnn8URs3fu_CC2EIsO8ueYPuQu4hgrDIPYMYQILg/s320/grandma%2527s+grocery+list3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I use up all my papers, I'll just take out the staples and put a new batch in. How easy is that? I will soon use up all those list pages and go to blank!</div>
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That's it! A really fast little gift or stocking stuffer that most women will really like! Have fun and share the love. And try to remember this Christmas season that love weighs more than gold. Love to all,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51ahIlH4AY6R8jqxMaZElVOlN_U3T_8Crx-5pJww2zf7cUJ4hefsVmD1NBhBulX0vZEj6IOPAM5oxLyEukYQBWCxJeVTFfv0pmB_swnXTqNemy78_SzjK8C2pt-NIQD5sHDZfJTC8x7E/s1600/my+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51ahIlH4AY6R8jqxMaZElVOlN_U3T_8Crx-5pJww2zf7cUJ4hefsVmD1NBhBulX0vZEj6IOPAM5oxLyEukYQBWCxJeVTFfv0pmB_swnXTqNemy78_SzjK8C2pt-NIQD5sHDZfJTC8x7E/s1600/my+signature.png" /></a></div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-76445277360440153342016-12-10T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-10T06:00:00.154-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Ten<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 10 is here and so is my hubby's birthday! He's getting soooooo old. Wait, we're the same age, so that means I'm getting old, too! Dang it! I was hoping to stay young forever. Haha<br />
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Well. today we have for your crafting enjoyment......wine cork trees! Now, I'm a Mormon and I don't drink wine, so you're probably asking yourself right about now, "How does a non-drinker Mormon have so may wine corks? Ha! I have about 200 of them! My hubby and I were at a yard sale last year in Elko, and there was this HUGE bag of wine corks. He picked it up and showed it to me and asked me if I wanted them. Well, first I had to lift my jaw off the ground because he was actually offering to add to my craft stash, but then I blurted out a big YES before he changed his mind. It was a steal at $5 but now I have all these blasted wine corks! This will be the first of many wine cork projects.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy0IVjKphCE9T2XVw3AFRaZcCnAqKXpHlqcD7aE54Pdx8MgveuYTMKH9NrKPLI5fkzHAftqxYW6WECLkABYUVNoDbv2Gh2YuEgGQ886UaXO8N9uuDCPJY6t6ULpXQsdWeotAZWl6RmmI/s1600/wine+cork+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy0IVjKphCE9T2XVw3AFRaZcCnAqKXpHlqcD7aE54Pdx8MgveuYTMKH9NrKPLI5fkzHAftqxYW6WECLkABYUVNoDbv2Gh2YuEgGQ886UaXO8N9uuDCPJY6t6ULpXQsdWeotAZWl6RmmI/s400/wine+cork+trees.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I saw some wine cork trees on Pinterest a while back and decided I wanted to try one. My problem was that because I'm a Mormon, and other Mormons come into my home and I don't want them to think I'm a closet alcoholic, I have to cover the trademarks. So I got out some green paper, measured the wine corks and cut strips of paper that size.<br />
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Then I curled them just as you would curling ribbon, using a dowel instead of scissors and being careful not to tear them. </div>
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When I had enough strips cut and curled, I got out my handy-dandy Tacky glue....</div>
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...and glued the green paper around all the corks. Well, not all of them, obviously, because some of then have holly paper. ;) Then I put a stripe of glue where the paper overlaps, and glued the corks together to form tree shapes.</div>
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After they were glued into trees, I glued ribbons around them. Notice that on one tree I started on the top and on the other I started on the bottom.</div>
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This one will have a bow at the top, so I centered the ribbon at the bottom of the tree and only put glue where the ribbon and tree would touch. The excess on the ends will make the bow.<br />
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This one will have a star on top instead of a bow, so I centered the ribbon at the top of the tree, and it is only the length it needs to be to overlap a little.<br />
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I used my handy little saw to cut another cork with a v-shape to fit around the curve of the cork at the bottom center of the tree, and glued it in place. I cut the other half in a v for the other tree,<br />
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I cut a slice of yet another cork and drew a star on it. I cut the star out using an X-acto knife and glued it to the top of the tree. Tree number one done!<br />
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I tied the other ribbon in a bow and tree number two was done!</div>
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I decided I didn't like the star the natural cork color, so I carefully painted it gold, but forgot to take pictures. I know you can picture it in your mind, though. And there you have it....two little wine cork trees. Have fun! And if you need wine corks, just let me know. I'll send you some!</div>
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As the days the days shorter, so does the time until Christmas. I'm madly trying to get things ready to mail, including my cards. I hope you're ahead of me in your preparations, for in the words of Alexander Smith, "Christmas is the day that holds all time together." Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-84121914196215944172016-12-09T01:32:00.000-08:002016-12-10T01:50:52.234-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Nine<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! I spent the day yesterday baking with my youngest daughter, who is having back surgery on Monday, and who needs to get her holiday stuff done before then! We'll be baking some more tomorrow morning before her dad and I head to St. George, Utah, to celebrate our birthdays. His is tomorrow and mine is Monday. We'll both be 62 years old, and we are both starting to feel every year of that! But Christmas is a time to feel young again, at least for a little while, so that's what we're going to do. </div>
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Day 9 is <b>kind of</b> a continuation of day 6, only different. It's a holiday hanging, but this time it's made with cork coasters. They are inexpensive to buy, and easy to use. I have a lot of scrapbook paper, so I didn't have to buy paper and I also keep a stash of ribbon on hand, so I had that too! What I don't have is a Cricket or Silhouette or one of those fancy-shmansy machines, so I do all my lettering freehand. I started with bubble letters when I was a kid and I've just never stopped. I've added to my repertoire, though.</div>
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You need to pick out your papers first. This is a totally subjective thing. If you are of the red and green for Christmas philosophy, then you'll want red and green. But if you are of the pink or purple or blue or ANY color but red and green, go for it! After you choose your papers, you need to trace your coasters on the back, and be sure to keep each coaster with the paper you traced it on, because they are not all the same sometimes. Cut out your papers and glue them to their coasters. You can have just one layer or multiple layers. You can also use a gold leaf pen, like I did here, to frame your coasters.</div>
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I used sheet music on mine, but you can use all different papers. So, I traced the coaster and used it to make my letters the right size. I had this lovely candy cane sparkly stripe and I thought it would look so cute for the letters. and it does except for one thing....if all your letters are red, then all the decorations have to be green!</div>
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So I choose to decorate them all with holly. Except the O. And I had this pretty snowflake that I got last year at the Dollar Tree and I thought it would make a really cool decoration for the O. The circle for the O is made from chipboard, and I wanted the snowflake to stand out a little more, so I used a nice, bright Christmas stripe.</div>
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I glued them all to green grossgrain ribbon, leaving a loop at the top to hang it. Such an easy project! And if you don't have or can't find cork coasters, all the backers can be made from chipboard. Here are some more examples of these holiday hangings, or whatever you want to call them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I had used a red candy cane,<br />
but I didn't have one at the time.</td></tr>
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Lots of ideas, lots of fun. You can spell out whatever message you like and go mad! These would be great gifts for kids to give grandparents, teachers, etc. They're easy enough for even small children to make with a little help. </div>
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Give and receive love this holiday season and you will surely have a joyous Christmas! Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-50497579183352662202016-12-08T22:11:00.000-08:002016-12-08T22:11:27.269-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Eight<div>
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"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree" <span style="font-size: x-small;">Roy L.Smith</span> I learned this from my mother and I firmly believe it. She practiced charity every day of her life. I used to watch, and help when I got older, as she spent hours and hours lovingly making items for the bazaar at church every November or December. She worked all year long so there would be enough items to sell to help with the church budget for the following year. Then we did things like leaving a Christmas tree on a friend's doorstep, ringing the doorbell and hiding as fast as we could! All the things she taught me are what makes Christmas so special for me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our little tiny tree in our motor home.</td></tr>
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This last weekend was the Festival of Trees here in Logandale at the historic old school building. There were locals selling candies and cookies and breads. There was an older man selling handmade wooden toys, ladies selling candles, and others selling handmade gift items. It's a fund raiser for the old school and it gets a lot of traffic. Any one who wants can decorate a tree to be auctioned off to help keep the old school up and running. And whenever I'm here, I always do a tree in memory of Madison. (If you haven't watched the video of Madison, its above, on the tab called Madison) She died of cancer when she was 2 years old. This year, we made paper angels to put on the tree, along with silver ribbon and little white doves.</div>
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So, day 8 is paper angels, with a peek at some of the beautiful trees that were there. The paper angels are all over Pinterest. They are made of sheet music and I absolutely adore them! But I didn't have access to music on paper that was sturdy enough. I know, I know, they make scrapbooking cardstock with music on it, but I was on a very limited budget because it was right before payday, so I used what I had. I did buy just a few sheets to give more of a selection, but not many.</div>
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To make your angels, you will need sturdy paper or cardstock. You could copy music onto cardstock if you wanted, but I think its a lot more colorful the way we did it, and Maddy loved color! You can get 3 or 4 angels out of one sheet, depending on how big you make them..I traced the openkng of a large drinking glass for the body and then found a Tupperware lid about half that size for the sleeves. (I love my Tupperware!) You need one large circle and two small ones to make 2 angels. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJP70fzsNjJdAy1XWPuUI4Q8PLHAVIpjLoairqouNEinYLJkq4uE-569MR-I17vmfVyfIPXpLI4MGQO1ZGDahSPy8eUl3DueogGVBORqfwrHZTwIR8_MoKErCysvQWQLQjkcFZhUiLWMY/s1600/paper+angels2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJP70fzsNjJdAy1XWPuUI4Q8PLHAVIpjLoairqouNEinYLJkq4uE-569MR-I17vmfVyfIPXpLI4MGQO1ZGDahSPy8eUl3DueogGVBORqfwrHZTwIR8_MoKErCysvQWQLQjkcFZhUiLWMY/s320/paper+angels2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Trace and cut out your circles, and then cut them in half, one half circle for each body and two for the sleeves. Take a pencil or wooden spoon handle, something round, and run the paper between it and your thumb, kind of like the way you do curling ribbon. This makes a prettier curve when you glue them shut. Take your two corners and bring them together, making a little fold to mark the middle. Only fold the edge, not the whole thing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1xRk9yi28msyxr4r_-YVBnLPcxYsEtikDfQ506ERxhNB1IKrblOR7gV7WEN0JNJD-aViwcZDaGUDGjbpN-GpjOQWBOKW3C-DXgMus4bvujxqKLliqRSksTpXhcdZn2xB-h-kZeqa-2g/s1600/paper+angels3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1xRk9yi28msyxr4r_-YVBnLPcxYsEtikDfQ506ERxhNB1IKrblOR7gV7WEN0JNJD-aViwcZDaGUDGjbpN-GpjOQWBOKW3C-DXgMus4bvujxqKLliqRSksTpXhcdZn2xB-h-kZeqa-2g/s320/paper+angels3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Working one at a time, take a half circle and bring the corners together again, only this time you want to match up the edges, too, forming a cone. Glue the body cone by just overlapping the edges enough to glue into the cone shape. Put some glue along one edge and overlap the other edge. Use a clothespin to hold it while it dries, if you're using craft glue, or until it cools off if you're using hot glue. When you make the sleeves, you can overlap them like the body and have wide sleeves, or you can overlap the edges more to have narrower sleeves.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVFjprt8YPSy0txo7xGtWw1wgAzh1LHZw0Y6_7gq5WmyOq5bZssOapjfMyD5r_GAcopoze_W9-7jGuXQ5p4DCDVI_NjlksfUAIiCTmH1zNNAuGRR0hFXuKkhnvTom0VeK0wGSkU-3fwY/s1600/paper+angels12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVFjprt8YPSy0txo7xGtWw1wgAzh1LHZw0Y6_7gq5WmyOq5bZssOapjfMyD5r_GAcopoze_W9-7jGuXQ5p4DCDVI_NjlksfUAIiCTmH1zNNAuGRR0hFXuKkhnvTom0VeK0wGSkU-3fwY/s320/paper+angels12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Roll and glue all your paper cones, then glue your arms to your body. Make sure you glue them down far enough to be able to put a head on her! My first one, the blue one below, I didn't take that into account, and I can't fit a head on her. Also, glue the arms a little bit toward the front instead of straight out the sides.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_FqoSKlbnfRLpguAYO25oE_1w9RDqzxxTK_Sap2dIkjx9779FHU5m7gKYYTOR2XWbiQG93dtww_m6Ywnd4iuusaV73vm1o4fKr4vg_sN1LiJ1EWAuobRmKtvzGxcsXQLWPeNs6cbDEk/s1600/paper+angels13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_FqoSKlbnfRLpguAYO25oE_1w9RDqzxxTK_Sap2dIkjx9779FHU5m7gKYYTOR2XWbiQG93dtww_m6Ywnd4iuusaV73vm1o4fKr4vg_sN1LiJ1EWAuobRmKtvzGxcsXQLWPeNs6cbDEk/s400/paper+angels13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlM7IhvEXRNsfh8ZdSu5FA-syOtezlzcC9p94sTn5KY_7tDZM1D4rnTr5nW0SlidRnt78D1EEr4CNGoCaJLFsDcSpzBsqhQPpiVeSa6-4hP4jYT1eEGPAFVTYaG3oMiurGWGw9ZJJjrs/s1600/paper+angels11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlM7IhvEXRNsfh8ZdSu5FA-syOtezlzcC9p94sTn5KY_7tDZM1D4rnTr5nW0SlidRnt78D1EEr4CNGoCaJLFsDcSpzBsqhQPpiVeSa6-4hP4jYT1eEGPAFVTYaG3oMiurGWGw9ZJJjrs/s400/paper+angels11.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what they will look like from the bottom. This paper is double-sided<br />
and really thick, so it was particularly hard to roll.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6gNNTSzTt2evcp4VrfU5eW_u86fA1R6nHB1-sN8so-Ya2Tr0CqXgLBjmQXlvOcjk-lUz-YjIWPYuet0IJXOoNvBfrXMz3WucgVzhZO_Uh9CQ6HGZZILJ9CUlpd1qrSAiUUzVSNlf3Uw/s1600/paper+angels10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6gNNTSzTt2evcp4VrfU5eW_u86fA1R6nHB1-sN8so-Ya2Tr0CqXgLBjmQXlvOcjk-lUz-YjIWPYuet0IJXOoNvBfrXMz3WucgVzhZO_Uh9CQ6HGZZILJ9CUlpd1qrSAiUUzVSNlf3Uw/s400/paper+angels10.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are three different sizes in this picture. We mixed up the dresses and <br />
sleeves on some of them.</td></tr>
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For heads , you have a few choices. You can use styrofoam balls, ping-pong balls, big pearly beads.......or wood beads, like we did. That's because that's what I had and what we found at the thrift store. We didn't paint them and we didn't put hair or faces on them. That's the way we liked them.</div>
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Tie a little bow and glue it under her chin. For the wings, use lace that's about 4" or 4 1/5" wide and cut a piece 5 inches long. Gather it down the middle and tie it. Glue the wings to the back of angel just under the head. You can add lace or rick-rack to the bottom of the skirt or just leave it plain.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81CottAZD1wRFRfIT_3wPVxvZxxOrD_z9xlhFina_rqxtg8yy2476Gw5n9rFK7Fxx54QQwi3Zxaudq-upWKOxk5sL6dCX2W5nAxD3G5sixHMLB03TW71fudlw9mWTAr4msubOC0wRL6E/s1600/paper+angels5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81CottAZD1wRFRfIT_3wPVxvZxxOrD_z9xlhFina_rqxtg8yy2476Gw5n9rFK7Fxx54QQwi3Zxaudq-upWKOxk5sL6dCX2W5nAxD3G5sixHMLB03TW71fudlw9mWTAr4msubOC0wRL6E/s400/paper+angels5.JPG" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This angel is made from a Christmas card. I wanted to use as much of the<br />
pretty border as I could, so I put the seam in the front instead of the back, and <br />
I cut her sleeves at the corners. I really like the way it turned out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLom2q1MS3c2cqBGuq1IQxBgXwg5nWSqXqK1tUEcA9Z8KYrd5KRlnkN0GOiWHgEm1Gp6X_TC6fVhqya_xHb2R5R0NRig4j4qJlK-1_HfaMEDS_SC_x9Nf1jShiWl3SGfrJ74q_H7YssM/s1600/paper+angels1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLom2q1MS3c2cqBGuq1IQxBgXwg5nWSqXqK1tUEcA9Z8KYrd5KRlnkN0GOiWHgEm1Gp6X_TC6fVhqya_xHb2R5R0NRig4j4qJlK-1_HfaMEDS_SC_x9Nf1jShiWl3SGfrJ74q_H7YssM/s400/paper+angels1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut the straight edge of your half circle along the border.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_V6nj9rQ0aZuGR9CF-ck0Kuumj9_n8wItWkg7MICum1Iy4_LyZGCdeHnX5sp_KncskPsBpbzPQriu2ocFwtT3-NVI2D4BSWYhIvRRvaJwEbEWHmKJMYGS9FmCeDGR9M4wI5wCRBtmlo/s1600/IMG_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_V6nj9rQ0aZuGR9CF-ck0Kuumj9_n8wItWkg7MICum1Iy4_LyZGCdeHnX5sp_KncskPsBpbzPQriu2ocFwtT3-NVI2D4BSWYhIvRRvaJwEbEWHmKJMYGS9FmCeDGR9M4wI5wCRBtmlo/s400/IMG_0202.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We gave the topper angel a petticoat of lace to make her skirt longer.</td></tr>
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While we were at the thrift store looking for heads, we found a bag of little doves that someone had already painted white! My hubby drilled holes down through them and I put them on pink ribbon along with a bead and a bell, and we hung those on the tree as well.<br />
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Now take a look at some of the beautiful trees that were auctioned off. I would have loved to have had every one of them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m6GtHJyBgUUd7YJbS0XWIlRBBGtoAKyGD_-umsuG215dtt2I4E1dj3faEyWLW-Hga6ZklFJiRKxxCVHhEPSQkmMtaYBjnqcOaJhIi582C9B3vhpFTkPG0HEffPrOt1V1_rxh_U_s5w4/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m6GtHJyBgUUd7YJbS0XWIlRBBGtoAKyGD_-umsuG215dtt2I4E1dj3faEyWLW-Hga6ZklFJiRKxxCVHhEPSQkmMtaYBjnqcOaJhIi582C9B3vhpFTkPG0HEffPrOt1V1_rxh_U_s5w4/s320/IMG_0240.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">There were quite a few and they were all beautiful, but I saved my favorite for last.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQdZLcZQ9wjUcRLBfRgyoDwUsefGe210MvH7Hhu3dhZa6rg_erBItI1Jk4w9OiFl11tJOYEmbWdp1mOC4fwm8XFNzRoYQhdD55gH70439uvm5CN9Q4-9SiV_jCyvp2BXuVXItzjsuw-g/s1600/paper+angels14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQdZLcZQ9wjUcRLBfRgyoDwUsefGe210MvH7Hhu3dhZa6rg_erBItI1Jk4w9OiFl11tJOYEmbWdp1mOC4fwm8XFNzRoYQhdD55gH70439uvm5CN9Q4-9SiV_jCyvp2BXuVXItzjsuw-g/s640/paper+angels14.JPG" width="324" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If any of you know me at all, you'll know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE<br />
red, white and blue! This tree was donated by Perkins Elementary <br />
School in Moapa, Nevada.</td></tr>
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So that's day 8! I hope you enjoyed it and will make some of these easy, cute angels. We can all benefit from having an angel or two in our homes. And remember......Christmas is all about love, family and children. It doesn't matter what we eat or what presents we get, as long as the holidays are spent with loved ones. Love to all,<br />
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-79294667933338668302016-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:002016-12-07T18:39:08.000-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Seven<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow! This month is moving right along! It's already the 7th! I promise that I will be caught up tomorrow. I've been so busy that I couldn't seem to do two in one day until yesterday. So when I post tomorrow, it will actually BE tomorrow's post! Yay! So, the project for Day 7 is paper pine cones. I found some pins on Pinterest for balls, so I made adjustments to make them more pine cone-y shaped. (Don't you just love my new word?)</div>
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Okay, first you need to pick some paper. I chose a brown paper because I'm too literal sometimes. Pine cones are brown, therefore brown paper, but they could really be any color. I can imagine them all in shades of blue hanging with blue lights. Wouldn't that be pretty? You need one 12"x12" piece of cardstock for each pine cone. You can fold now and cut later, or cut before you fold. I found it hard for my stiff fingers to fold the little, narrow strips, so I cut strips that were the combined width of two or more strips, folded them, and then cut them to the right widths. You will need two 1" strips, four 1 1/4" strips, two 1 1/5" strips and one 3/4" strip, maybe two.<br />
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Your two 1" strips will stay 12" long. Cut the 1 1/4" strips to 9" long, the 1 1/2" strips to 11" long. and the 3/4" strip(s) will also stay 12" long. If you didn't fold before cutting, now is the time to fold. You're going to fold them like an accordian in 1/2" intervals. If you have some way to score them, that would make everything easier. I don't have a Score Pal or anything like that because they're too expensive for my miniscule budget, so I use a bone folder and my paper cutter. Place your paper strip in the paper cutter and run the bone folder down the cutting groove. Don't push too hard because it will go right through your paper! After you score all your strips, fold them accordian-style. In other words, up-down, up-down, up-down. If you folded before you cut, be very careful when you cut. You need to make sure that they are flat enough to cut straight. If you've never made a paper medallion before,<a href="http://bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/2014/12/12-days-of-christmas-day-five.html" target="_blank"> here</a> are the instructions from the 12 Days of Christmas 2013, when we made paper medallion Christmas trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1gl4AB2ehDr0A5L74x4rJT1WzqKfW9pkDSZCdNYmlaqTu8orSPr6FKIMGpswPf4Wl9ojI3PAQ-N5ELN_yc6v2qg2Moq-MtZWug0UllxznGuChovMhxnR1672fDt9Qqp4PekvQ2C1OTE/s1600/paper+pine+cones2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1gl4AB2ehDr0A5L74x4rJT1WzqKfW9pkDSZCdNYmlaqTu8orSPr6FKIMGpswPf4Wl9ojI3PAQ-N5ELN_yc6v2qg2Moq-MtZWug0UllxznGuChovMhxnR1672fDt9Qqp4PekvQ2C1OTE/s400/paper+pine+cones2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now you're going to glue some of the strips together. Take the two 1 1/5" strips and glue an up end to a down end, making a 20" strip, approximately. Glue two of the four 1 1/4" strips together, then glue the other two together. Now you should have 6 strips, 7 if you made two 3/4" strips. Now glue the other ends of them all to make a complete circle of each. Flatten each circle down into a medallion like the ones above and put hot glue in the middle to hold it. When all your circles are medallions, glue them together to make a pine cone in this order. From the top down--1", 1 1/4" ,1 1/5", 1 1/4", 1", 3/4" and if you think it needs to be a little longer, then glue the 2nd 3/4" to the very bottom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUDhhyOF2TmNFUP2vctbaDEMwmCJNRYJzQXYYjQh_homfFsnSFpWYaHR08PGGCA7onA6FK1Xs3dr7EilvnEwBsKiVfm4xnWmkI5dO3DV4fafMY7BNRu2CrzqydWIciKpYa9YHHVaQKVk/s1600/paper+pinecones9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUDhhyOF2TmNFUP2vctbaDEMwmCJNRYJzQXYYjQh_homfFsnSFpWYaHR08PGGCA7onA6FK1Xs3dr7EilvnEwBsKiVfm4xnWmkI5dO3DV4fafMY7BNRu2CrzqydWIciKpYa9YHHVaQKVk/s400/paper+pinecones9.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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The pine cones in the photos were made before I figured out the magic formula, and they have folds that are too big and because of that, they have fewer layers. Trust me, they look better with smaller folds and more layers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY2daSDP6j9CQH3Zhm70jnObDoJR6TBXMsgVoCIl9XfTV1U07qFdIJG8T1Z6L6eRAdO-PhE7D0l9lVFsPJuHL3mOmc5SwLKadfFmKH5kgKrRxVPsdhIcsjs-3_ZOjzg7z3TMf0iIULTY/s1600/paper+pinecones4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY2daSDP6j9CQH3Zhm70jnObDoJR6TBXMsgVoCIl9XfTV1U07qFdIJG8T1Z6L6eRAdO-PhE7D0l9lVFsPJuHL3mOmc5SwLKadfFmKH5kgKrRxVPsdhIcsjs-3_ZOjzg7z3TMf0iIULTY/s640/paper+pinecones4.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIUi61qUIcYqzcB9cOwaQm7SBCLhyphenhyphenWfaHzw05-BSrxp7ey5t5PjRKs092xVFRwtlgzi8UubOX-2ogr0JbKQcrP8DLxb9Q1hbAhsW546_TRQqyag6394LxWOf8nl9p4EEoUDu2FN-0aQo/s1600/paper+pinecones8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIUi61qUIcYqzcB9cOwaQm7SBCLhyphenhyphenWfaHzw05-BSrxp7ey5t5PjRKs092xVFRwtlgzi8UubOX-2ogr0JbKQcrP8DLxb9Q1hbAhsW546_TRQqyag6394LxWOf8nl9p4EEoUDu2FN-0aQo/s640/paper+pinecones8.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgj-reIeGu63pqk1Bx7Q3AgMGAl4GMAamlXKcxOWJbrwvMr7GUBgCMeWlfnyhmiitDo_hxI-ME45vf-SCQPBxf2dNByjm2xSUzxSDP1KCc6r7soWcvIEvTmlQOO8L-RhzA-ZwRwEdAVUY/s1600/paper+pinecones7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgj-reIeGu63pqk1Bx7Q3AgMGAl4GMAamlXKcxOWJbrwvMr7GUBgCMeWlfnyhmiitDo_hxI-ME45vf-SCQPBxf2dNByjm2xSUzxSDP1KCc6r7soWcvIEvTmlQOO8L-RhzA-ZwRwEdAVUY/s640/paper+pinecones7.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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So there you have it - paper pine cones. Hot glue a piece of jute twine to the top and then decorate them or just tie a ribbon around the hanger. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. The strips in the photos at the beginning weren't scored, and as I worked with them, they cracked on the folds and fell apart. That why you don't see a pine cone that looks like that in any of the finished photos. These pine cones would be cute hanging on the tree or tied to the tops of packages. You could make 5 or 6 of them in different sizes and hang them different lengths and tie them together with a big bow to hang on a door - there is endless things you can use them for!<br />
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This Christmas season is flying by so fast, that I think we need to slow down to appreciate what we already have. Putting our families first, especially at this time of year, will pay dividends for life, Like Peg Bracken, from <a href="http://raisingfigureskaters.com/">RaisingFigureSkaters.com</a> says, "Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truy merry Christmas," Enjoy your loved ones while you have them, because you never know when they will be taken from you. Love to all,<br />
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-62020592875107845382016-12-06T23:11:00.001-08:002016-12-06T23:11:10.167-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Six<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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Day 6 is more felt goodies. I seem to be having a felt year, don't I? And there's more to come! Anyway, this HoHoHo Banner is both fun to make and fun to give. It takes 1/4 yd. of Christmas fabric and some felt to go with it,, some embroidery floss, a piece of 1/2" to 3/8" dowel the width of the fabric plus an inch and some big jingle bells. Since my background is green, I choose red and white felt for my letters to compliment it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMV-BbaS0RMfPn30l0H9azAWGTTr0gWTruC3Nu6CrNTnS7K8Qb8UhZjFvh1HBvxn00WocjvQ0QI1UrzXXgZOekDeODTUvV_hi4zY3gTcqiscRLBjXqbUrMa1zOBjX-f3TS_KusRQcuC0/s1600/20151111_121303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMV-BbaS0RMfPn30l0H9azAWGTTr0gWTruC3Nu6CrNTnS7K8Qb8UhZjFvh1HBvxn00WocjvQ0QI1UrzXXgZOekDeODTUvV_hi4zY3gTcqiscRLBjXqbUrMa1zOBjX-f3TS_KusRQcuC0/s400/20151111_121303.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Start with the fabric. You can make this part any way you like. If you like nice, smooth edges, you can fold your fabric wrong side out and sew it on your machine, leaving a small opening at the bottom to turn it right side out. You could also sew just the sides, turn it right side out and then fringe just the bottom. I like fringes and frayed edges, so I sewed my fabric with the right sides out. Then I <a href="http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/how-to-do-blanket-stitch.html" target="_blank">blanket stitched</a> around the edges, covering the machine stitching. No matter how you decide to stitch it, be sure to start about 3/4" to 1" down from the fold. Stitch from one side to the other at this pint to make a casing for the dowel. I did a running stitch by hand, but you can sew this on the machine, too. After all the stitching is done, start pulling threads around the 2 sides and bottom to fray the edges. The reason for machine stitching first is so the the frayed edges don't go too far in and leave you with no banner!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirgsLkvp63ISKiEnGFv_nutDqL9sPs2Q7x6-oNB-8LRS-GPqzSJCpCGxZN61S48QxRvkhes7E72o2sFGxSnvGhgymC4IaPMB2l2O6b1hJMnLQA6WD3q72xteUuZyeqG_9jDTuZB400Vw/s1600/20151111_121318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirgsLkvp63ISKiEnGFv_nutDqL9sPs2Q7x6-oNB-8LRS-GPqzSJCpCGxZN61S48QxRvkhes7E72o2sFGxSnvGhgymC4IaPMB2l2O6b1hJMnLQA6WD3q72xteUuZyeqG_9jDTuZB400Vw/s400/20151111_121318.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Give the ends of your dowel a quick sanding to get rid of any edges that might catch on the fabric. Using a <a href="http://www.rockler.com/coping-saw-and-blades-select-option?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&sid=V9146&gclid=Cj0KEQiA4JnCBRDQ5be3nKCPhpwBEiQAjwN1blr8kaTUxU8CyUxUlAwyzP86ChRCWntvIzyCsV6fi58aAuY28P8HAQ" target="_blank">coping saw</a> to cut small grooves 1/2" in from the ends of the dowel, These are for the cord or twine or whatever you use for the hanger to sit in so they don't slide off. Slide the dowel into the casing and tie your hanger in the grooves. I braided red, white and green embroidery floss for my hanger.</div>
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Now that the banner itself is done, you can start on the letters. I drew mine free-hand because that's what I do, but if you don't, you can go into your computer fonts and find one you like, print it out REALLY big and use it for a pattern. Mine are about 6 1/2" tall. Cut your letters from felt, 2 pieces for each letter. Stitch them together using the blanket stitch or machine stitching, stopping with an opening big enough to stuff it through. I would advise that you start and stop on either side of the cross bar of the H. This makes it easier to stuff all 4 legs. I didn't do this on the first one, and boy, was it a booger to stuff! Stuff the letters pretty full, but not so full that you can't keep them together to finish stitching the opening shut! After all the letters are stitched and stuffed, you can stitch them to the banner or hot glue them. This is another reason not to stuff them too full. When you stitch or glue them to the banner, it will cause the banner to follow the curves of the letters instead of remaining flat. You can have your letters all straight or tilt them like I did.</div>
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Decorate each letter with a little something. I put holly on mine, but you could use little wreaths, or ornaments, etc. Or you could use a combination, putting something different on each letter. The last thing to do is stitch the jingle bells in place for the Os, and you're finished! I recommend stitching the bells instead of gluing them because it affects the sound of the bells if glue gets inside the holes.</div>
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Okay, another day finished! Go out and spread some good cheer! Shake the hand of everyone in the grocery line. Offer a mint or piece of gum to the grumpiest-looking lady in the doctor's office. Yell Merry Christmas across the intersection or to the people in the car next to you while waiting for the light to change. You would be surprised at how easy it is to make someone's day. </div>
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Let the spirit of Christmas fill your heart and homes. In this loveliest of seasons, may you find many reasons for happiness. Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-72131861576028324402016-12-06T17:58:00.000-08:002016-12-06T21:09:39.776-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Five <div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. It's my favorite time of the year! I work to get my gifts for everyone finished and I try to get my Christmas cards made and sent out. I bake this most delicious bread with a cream cheese filling, cookies and pies, and whatever else I feel like. I'm a little behind this year, what with the move and all, but I'll make it! I spent the day yesterday wood burning wooden utensils for everyone, so I'm off to a good start! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Day 5's project is a holly wreath made from felt. It's really easy t make and it looks nice hanging on the door or wall, anywhere you decide to put it. All you need is a piece of chipboard or cardboard, green felt and embroidery floss, and some buttons. And, of course, your hot glue gun and glue!</span><br />
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First, decide how big you want your wreath. My piece of cardboard is 12" across because I used a dinner plate to make the circle. Then I used a cereal bowl for the inside circle for the hole. Cut out your cardboard, and if, when it's cut out, it feels kind of flimsy, cut another one and glue them together. The wreath is kind of heavy when finished, so you want a good support base, Cover one side with paper as you can see in the photo below. I used a dark green so it would look good if anyone ever saw the back. Cut the paper bigger than the wreath base and the hole in the middle smaller, so you have an inch of paper around all edges. Sort of looks like a donut! (You can't see this in the pictures, but it took more than one piece to of paper to do this.) Glue the paper to the wreath base and cut in from the edges in about half-inch strips, then glue the strips up over the edge. This will cover the edges of the cardboard so it will look finished.</div>
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Then cut another paper "donut" for the other side, but make it a little smaller than the cardboard, and glue it the cover the strips you glued down. This will be the side you glue the holly to, so it doesn't have to be pretty or anything. It's just the finishing layer on the circle. Covering the cardboard so the edges don't show is one of the things that are the difference between homemade and handmade.</div>
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Now it's time to cut out your holly. The size and number of leaves will depend on the size of your wreath. Draw a holly shape on paper and cut it out to use for a pattern. You will need to cut 2 of green felt for each leaf. My wreath took 16 leaves that were about 6" long, so that means I had to cut and stitch 32 pieces. Put 2 pieces together and stitch around them with a <a href="http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/how-to-do-blanket-stitch.html" target="_blank">blanket stitch</a>, or you can sew them on the machine if you like. Stop about 2" inches from where you started so you can stuff it. Do this with just enough stuffing to give it shape, but not enough to make it fat. After you stuff it, go ahead and finish stitching it shut. Now you need to stitch the veins. You can take your embroidery all the way through to the back, because it won't show and it gives dimension.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">After all your leaves are made, it's time to glue them to the wreath base. Divide the inner edge of the base into quarters and mark them. This is where you will glue your first 4 leaves.</span></div>
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Now glue another 4 leaves in between the first four.</div>
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And four more.... </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">...and then the last four so your wreath is entirely covered with holly leaves, If you want a bigger wreath, you can either make the leaves bigger, or make a totally new layer (or more than one) under this layer. This will make it a lot wider, but be sure to adjust the size of your cardboard. It will have to be wider, too. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">When you get all your holly leaves glued on, it's time to glue the buttons on. I bought a couple packages of red and green buttons so I would have a nice assortment of colors and sizes.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Glue the buttons on randomly or the same way you did the holly leaves, in quarters and then in quarters again and again, until you have enough to make it look the way you like it. It's really up to you. You may want little groups of red buttons, like berries, or maybe just a single row around the middle.</span><br />
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I like mine all stacked up and full circle!</div>
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I also put a white one every once in a while, because I thought it needed a touch of white,</div>
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I added a bow of red mesh ribbon to finish it all off and I think it looks pretty! I also thought it needed a little pop of whimsy, so I glittered the ends of the holly leaves in two different colors of glitter. I just brushed a little glue on the tips and shook the glitter on it. It added another dimension.</div>
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The color in these last two photos is off a little because I hung the wreath on a door in the family room to take the pictures and the light made it look kind of funky, but you get the idea. I really like this wreath and I think I'll be making more of these for gifts.</div>
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Are you ready for Christmas yet? I'm getting there. I'm going to be baking with my youngest daughter tomorrow so I'll be a little closer tomorrow night. Have a nice time with your family this season, and remember.......it's not what's under the tree that matters, it's whose around it. Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-43031450682002325132016-12-04T17:28:00.003-08:002016-12-06T21:09:01.944-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Four<div style="text-align: justify;">
I LOVE SNOWMEN!!! They come in all sizes and shapes and materials and I love them all! So for today, we have a little snowman ornament made from felt and fleece and a little embroidery floss. Oh, and some tiny little blue buttons! They are fairly easy and don't take a lot of time to make, which makes them perfect for me to make for my grandchildren. And that's just what I did last year! We have 20 grandchildren now, and 5 other children to whom we are honorary grandparents, and with us living on my hubby's disability, we don't have much money, and especially not at Christmas! So I decided last year that I was going to start an ornament collection for each grandchild, so that when they leave home, they will have some decorations to put on their trees. I also told them there would be a little something extra, too.</div>
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I saw some little ornaments on Pinterest that I really liked and chose the snowman, of course, because I love snowmen. I made myself a pattern, which took a couple of tries to get what I wanted, and then set about cutting them out. 52 little snowman bodies, 2 for each, and 26 little snowman pockets. Did you notice there was an extra one there? I had to have one for my tree, too! </div>
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I finally mastered the<a href="http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/how-to-do-blanket-stitch.html" target="_blank"> blanket stitch</a> a couple of years ago, and I chose two different colors of icey blue embroidery floss to stitch them. One color for the boys and one for the girls. It actually came from necessity--I ran out of my color one night and I didn't want to wait to get more, so I just used another color. <b>Then</b> I decided to do the boy-girl thing.</div>
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Okay. You need 2 body pieces and one pocket piece for each snowman. Start your blanket stitch at one side of the pocket and stitch across the top of the pocket. When you get to the other side, pin the two bodies together and pin the pocket to the front. Stitch up and around the snowman's head and on down around the body, capturing the pocket piece in the stitching when you come to it. Stop when you get to the other corner of the pocket so you can stuff him, and then finish stitching him together. Tie off your floss and put your needle through to the other side of the snowman and then cut your thread. This hides the thread so it doesn't stick out where your knot is.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put chapstick in mine, but money is always appreciated, too. Notice the different<br />
colors? Lighter for the girls and darker for the boys.</td></tr>
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My little snowmen are about 4" tall and 3" wide. They can be made in any size, but that was the size that looked best to me for an ornament. Take the width of the head and double that for the hat. Cut a piece of fleece that measurement by about 4" for this size hat. So my hats were 4" tall by 3" wide because the heads are about 1 1/2" wide. Sew the 4" edges together. Bunch the hat all up and with some good strong thread tie it good and tight about an inch and a half from one edge. Wrap it 3 or 4 times and tie it really tight with 2 or 3 knots and trim the ends of the thread. Cut the fringe on the short half and fold the long half up to form the cuff. Slip the hat on his head and tack it in a couple of places, either with needle and thread or glue. Cut a scarf 1" wide and as long as you like and cut fringes at both ends. Tie it around his neck and he CAN be done right there. I wanted to make sure that each child knew which ornament was theirs, so I used fabric paint to write their names on the pockets. Hook an ornament hanger in the thread that ties the scrunchy part of the hat and he's ready for some embellishment. Glue two tiny buttons on his body and either use fabric paint for his face or embroider it, like I did. I used french knots for his eyes and nose and a running stitch for his mouth. If you do this before you put his hat on, you can hide all your knots at the back of his head.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gaggle of geese, a shiver of sharks, a parliament of owls. What about<br />
snowmen? A drift of snowmen?<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Or a mound? A pack?</span></td></tr>
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Okay, so there is probably no name for a group of snowmen, so make up your own! I kind of like drift because snow drifts, but you can also drift in the water when it melts. (hehe) Have fun with your snowmen. Make them as large or small as you like, and share them! A snowman can always put a smile on someone's face. And remember.....a Christmas present is a reminder to someone that they are loved! Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-31343977283975321562016-12-04T15:57:00.001-08:002016-12-04T17:43:54.083-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Three<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welcome to day 3 of this year's 12 Days of Christmas. Did you ever do any wood burning as a kid? Or see some that someone else did? Those raggedy, jaggedy, uneven lines and shading that was so bad it was hard to tell what the picture was actually supposed to be? Well, today's project is wood burned, but these designs are so easy that anyone can do them and have them turn out great! These designs are from Better Homes and Gardens back in the 70's, and they are still as nice today as they were back then. I wood burned some utensils for Christmas presents when I was first married 43 years ago, and when I was at my sister-in-law's home in October, I noticed she still has hers! That was nice to see.</div>
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If you Google "wood burned wood utensils", you will get literally hundreds of designs, ranging from beginner to very advanced. I even saw a set of 4 spoons that were burned with kind of abstract images of the Beatles! I think I'll have to make those for my youngest daughter, who is a dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fan, even though she's only 37. With all those options, I'm sure you'll find something you like. As for me, these are still my favorites. They are easy to do and relatively quick to finish. And all you need is your wooden utensils, your pattern, unless you free-hand them like I do, and a wood burning tool, which I got at Wal*Mart in the craft department.. The spoons I use I also get at Wal*Mart for either 97 cents or $1.97 for the set shown above, I can't remember which, but either way it's a good deal! These are soft wood, which is really easy to burn, but they do carry other spoons that are hardwood or bamboo, they just cost more. The bamboo set pictured lower down is 4 or 5 dollars for 5 utensils, and they burn nicely, too.</div>
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So, let's get started. First decided what design you are going to burn. Like I said, there are LOTS of patterns and designs out there to choose from, but these BH&G designs are some of the easiest for beginners. Use a pencil and lightly draw your pattern on your spoon, or trace a design on paper and transfer it to the spoon with graphite paper. You can also rub your pencil over the back of the paper and then trace it, making your own graphite paper! I think this is something that every kid learns to do in elementary school. </div>
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Now it's time to heat up the burner. It doesn't take long, so be careful! It burns wood easily, so what do you think it will do to you? The burner comes with a little stand to keep it up off of any surfaces you set it on, but I have a metal bowl that I sit mine in. I'm kin of clumsy and don't want to take any chances. Plus, I can sit on the couch and wood burn without starting any fires.</div>
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The wood burner also comes with a set of different tips for making thick or thin lines, shading, etc., and the new one I just bought has two tips for burning your own stencils, too. I hardly ever use any tip but the basic one, which looks like this.......</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">And the round one that makes perfect dots and looks like this. (Sorry they're a little blurry,)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_isVF3ezS-CMKLo_NSxxetlCPt2MD5NpZVMWJDUZX0yd69GsMho-vFHtkJqEDq-O-E3mNFqThY8_QcPc3TsrTGu7K7sfAhPohfSG_Zmi5j1E0bWQu1HRNaPLC3mF4I-p_Wqb1W26esSE/s1600/wood+burner3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_isVF3ezS-CMKLo_NSxxetlCPt2MD5NpZVMWJDUZX0yd69GsMho-vFHtkJqEDq-O-E3mNFqThY8_QcPc3TsrTGu7K7sfAhPohfSG_Zmi5j1E0bWQu1HRNaPLC3mF4I-p_Wqb1W26esSE/s320/wood+burner3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I recommend you buy an extra set of utensils so you can practice. You can always practice on a scrap of wood, but since the softness or hardness won't be the same, it really is better to practice on the same thing you plan to wood burn. Draw a pattern on your practice piece and start burning. Hold the burner <b>only</b> by the plastic handle. This will still get warm up at the top but not nearly as hot as that metal piece above it! You can really burn yourself if you aren't careful. It's going to be weird at first, because you're used to holding a pencil or pen down closer to the end, but a little practice makes it easy to remember.</div>
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So, holding your burner like you would a pencil or pen except up higher, start burning your design. You can make thin lines by not pushing as hard or going as slow, and you can make thicker lines by doing just the opposite.....push a little harder or go a little slower. Lines are made by burning with the thin edge, and shading can be done by turning it on one of it's flat sides. You can also use the shading tip, which looks kind of like a paddle or spatula, but I don't like having to wait for the tip to cool so I can change to a different one, so I have learned to do everything I need with that one tip. I even make dots with it if I don't mind them being little triangles. But I do change the tip for nice, round dots. I burn everything but the dots on everything I'm burning and then change to the other tip. That way I don't have to keep changing tips!</div>
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Remember, practice makes perfect. Experiment with different ways to hold the tip to get different types of lines or shading. Use the whole set of spoons for practice, if that's what it takes. After all, it's only a couple of dollars you're spending, and it's better to practice and have a nice finished product that it is to just barge ahead and have a product that doesn't look as nice. Think about it this way......if you would give it to your mama, then it's good enough to give to someone else! I always ask myself that question, and the answer tells me if I have done a nice job or not. I'm just sayin".......</div>
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One other thing you will need that I forgot to list above, and that's some fine-grit sandpaper. after you have finished burning your utensils, rub the design with some really fine sandpaper to smooth out any "hairs" or rough edges on the burning. Blow the dust out of the lines and you're done! Put them in a pretty jar or tie them with ribbon with a cute little tag to give as a gift. They also make good stocking stuffers or oven mitt stuffers along with a package of brownie mix or your favorite recipe.</div>
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Here is the set of bamboo utensils. These are for my daughter-in-law because she can't stand the feel of raw wood. I just kind of made up the patterns as I went along. I hope she'll like them.</div>
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And that's it for today. I hope you enjoy making these cute, inexpensive gifts for all your family and friends. And here's a little bit of wisdom for you...."It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." <span style="font-size: x-small;">W.T. Ellis</span>. Love to all,<br />
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<br />GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-5121208547018125412016-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:43:41.524-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day Two<div style="text-align: justify;">
The weather is getting colder now in southern Nevada. I guess I should tell you that we just left Oregon and moved back to southern Nevada so my hubby could be nearer his siblings, two of which live here in the Logandale/Overton area and one who lives in southern California. It was already cold and rainy in Oregon and really cold at night, and when we stopped in Elko for a couple of days at our oldest daughter's home, it was really cold at night but not too bad during the day. At least after 11:00 am or so, so I guess we can't complain too much when we can still wear short sleeves and sandals.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2nlu8CdXBikX_ekKjX0k9uGI5F5wVcpz9cCLQvgOqRLIwg0USh9GeE-DtrrCtkwaQclUQ5YrYQY-jZgutPD40VBr9CFuN-O9HiT95J5tEswtLDI_RG3i9xQsARs9VEaiyXOXqSfWMcA/s1600/fog+in+Oregon+-+11-2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2nlu8CdXBikX_ekKjX0k9uGI5F5wVcpz9cCLQvgOqRLIwg0USh9GeE-DtrrCtkwaQclUQ5YrYQY-jZgutPD40VBr9CFuN-O9HiT95J5tEswtLDI_RG3i9xQsARs9VEaiyXOXqSfWMcA/s400/fog+in+Oregon+-+11-2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the view from our motorhome in Oregon, one mid-morning in the middle of November.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">For day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas, we have a cute, little angel made from, of all things, a badminton shuttlecock, or as we say, a birdie! She is about as simple as it gets to make and as cute as a bug on a rug. The skirt of the birdie is kind of lacy and makes a perfect dress. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">You'll need some birdies, a can of spray paint, some flesh-colored paint in the hue of your choice and some hair. You'll also need a paint brush, a fine-tip permanent marker, something for her arms and something to go around her neck, because the birdie's head is flat at the bottom--not a very comely shape for the chin of an angel!</span></div>
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First, you want to spray paint the lacy part of the birdie. Spray the inside first, then set it on some cardboard or paper and spray the outside. Try not to get too much on the head. I used a regular spray paint and the paint has come off in a few places as I worked with it, so next time I will definitely use Krylon, the one formulated especially for painting plastic surfaces.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7wUa7klXpam9SL7hJABayFEcizoPe2nb185NSkZuJuta5r0HwC09oREqX01kaNuxSKBFNTxQPcwB7puX6gPrf6PKm62vg8Zy1SPThUo9r1DnLPFUuMip0F7LpmIPC7jq8qdi20TD0Ik/s1600/shuttlecock+angels+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7wUa7klXpam9SL7hJABayFEcizoPe2nb185NSkZuJuta5r0HwC09oREqX01kaNuxSKBFNTxQPcwB7puX6gPrf6PKm62vg8Zy1SPThUo9r1DnLPFUuMip0F7LpmIPC7jq8qdi20TD0Ik/s320/shuttlecock+angels+1.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that flat edge at the bottom of the head? This one will<br />
have to have a bow in the front, too, to hide that masculine chin!</td></tr>
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After the spray paint is dry, use a small paint brush and paint the head. When that is dry, use a fine-point, permanent marker and give her a little face. Be really careful when giving her a nose. A teeny, tiny little dot is good, because if you make it too big, it looks like a pig face!</div>
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Next, you put lace or trim of some kind right up under the bottom of the head. I used hot glue for this because I didn't have the time to hold it in place to wait for regular glue to set up. I used some cute pink and blue trim I had leftover from another project for the arms. Glue them under the head in the back. I tied a knot in the front to represent her hands before I glued it..</div>
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I used a variety of different doll hairs for them. The one on the left is short pieces sewn down the middle and I just glued it around and around until her head was covered. She has a bit of a shaggy look.The one in the middle has two little pom-poms glued next to one another to cover her head, then a piece of trim glued around like a headband. A hair-do kind of like my granddaughter's. The one on the right took a little more time, but was really easy. I braided 15 strands of loopy white yarn, 5 strands in each bunch, and then glued it around and around until her head was covered and then added a few more rounds to make a little bun, which I tied with a ribbon. There is one that isn't shown here that has skinny, loopy yarn hair that I cut long, tied in the middle to make her a part and glued it to her head. Then I twisted it in the back at the bottom and brought it up and glued it in place with a bow, letting the yarn stick up above the bow. She also holds a candy cane in her arms.</div>
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This one I left the "natural" color of the shuttlecock. On my camera, it looks the bright yellow-green that it is, but on my computer.....not so much. The birdie is an even brighter color than the lace is, so you can sort of get an idea. Her hair is another bun-do, with lace around it instead of ribbon.</div>
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You can see that they all have different trims, decorations, etc. Just have fun! And this would be a great craft to do with the kids! Just be careful with the hot glue, because it really burns.</div>
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You can see from the back view how I did the wings. I just drew a shape I liked on a piece of copy paper, folded the paper in half and cut it on the fold, so both sides would be the same. I glued 2 pieces of Christmas cardstock together and cut the wings from that and then hot glued the wings to the back of the angel. I thought it looked a little bare, so I tied some embroidery floss through a button and glued it to the middle of the wings, and !Voila! She's done! Now you may notice some little white dots and some dark, slobbery places and some dents. Needless to say, I have a puppy who wanted to play with these birdies right from the moment I took them out of the can, and she finally got this one! And, yes, that is a glue string you see in her hair. Eeeeeew! I don't know how I missed that! The two with plain solid color on the wings are going to get a little sanding done on the edges for a more primitive look.</div>
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Well, today's project was very simple, and took less time to make than it did to write this post! But it was fun, and I hope you will make some of these with your young'uns and spread a little holiday cheer. And remember......Christmas decorations CAN be bought from a store, but making them, and making them with loved ones and friends, makes them mean a little bit more. (To wildly paraphrase the Grinch!) Love to all,</div>
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<br />GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-85634650143779233782016-12-01T17:27:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:43:15.848-08:00Twelve Days of Christmas 2016 - Day OneChristmas time is upon us again, and I'm ready for it this year! I hope I am, anyway. I just got an error code while typing that I don't know anything about, so we'll see what happens.<br />
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Day 1 of my 12 Days of Christmas this year is a fun little gift or goodie holder that you can hang on a doorknob or have a basket of them in the foyer. If you like leaving little things on friends or neighbors door steps, you can hang it on the doorknob, ring the bell, and run! We used to have so much fun doing this! </div>
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All you need to make these are toilet paper tubes, scraps of paper big enough to cover them, and some wire for hangers, unless you don't plan to hang them. :)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNKKBcpx47qyljAHea1p715-qmrq-jV7Q8MlhJmsXM0yAoFjtYOP-hgv5_PPY8qHA8odxZR28fEIyhRpESF8Joc1JuveFBhORVX1uo3Qvsa7CESfae1c8shIM_9yYnw7kh19GBWVn1J4/s1600/day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNKKBcpx47qyljAHea1p715-qmrq-jV7Q8MlhJmsXM0yAoFjtYOP-hgv5_PPY8qHA8odxZR28fEIyhRpESF8Joc1JuveFBhORVX1uo3Qvsa7CESfae1c8shIM_9yYnw7kh19GBWVn1J4/s400/day+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those blue-patterned things that look like some really strange fringe on the bottom of the<br />
tube are really just decorated clothespins. The photo should have been at a better angle. Sorry! </td></tr>
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Start by flattening the toilet paper tube. If you will be stuffing it with something more substantial than candy canes or pencils, then don't flatten the whole tube, just the bottom. Glue the bottom of the tube together with a thick glue like Tacky Glue. I have used hot glue and scrapbook adhesives, and the tubes come open and lose all their goodies all over the floor! Take my word for it, use Tacky!</div>
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Next you're going to glue the paper to the tube, and you can use any kind of glue you like for this. If you're not going to put a hanger on it, then you're ready to decorate it and stuff it. If you're giving it a hanger, punch holes in the sides about 3/4" from the top. This gives you enough tube so the hanger won't tear through. Now you can decorate the tube any way you want. I sometimes put fringe on the bottom, and I usually put ribbon or raffia or something around the top before I add anything else, but that's just my preference.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxDfiacFsOHYRwvx0sQgNpujHbDw0ldAfQftodHx8OihJCfrp2IRIy9jvDjf_bWWHjJDTB0aGJdPwhfU5Uz89qWiTUpZO5dWZ6rz3fXaC2fu4MUrju2KAGNEy4vLf3JaRaw4uNMyvoW8/s1600/day+1a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxDfiacFsOHYRwvx0sQgNpujHbDw0ldAfQftodHx8OihJCfrp2IRIy9jvDjf_bWWHjJDTB0aGJdPwhfU5Uz89qWiTUpZO5dWZ6rz3fXaC2fu4MUrju2KAGNEy4vLf3JaRaw4uNMyvoW8/s400/day+1a.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you make these to give to guests as they come visit, you don't need handles. Just stuff a nice <br />
basket full of them and give your guests their choice. (The taller tube is 2/3 of a paper towel tube.)</td></tr>
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If you're giving it a hanger, cut a piece of wire for your hanger and be sure to cut it long enough! My first ones were too short to hang on the knob AND have goodies in them, too. If you know what you're putting in your tube, I would go ahead and stuff it before putting the hanger on, just to be sure there's enough room. Bend the ends of the wire so it will go in the holes easily, then bend them all the way up and twist the ends. You can just twist them around the hanger itself, or you can twist them in curly cues by wrapping them around a pencil. I also wrapped the hanger shown below in the middle just to give it a little extra cuteness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6BHlgDfx5DEpjwZxCynM3rN1vN7_08UvPsOKW1E0lkjdIhyaBGUr8lvC_h18C2uJ14nwV5Gr7pzK-LagOn7TONgcIZ04C-k0YFPez8RSqV2cp4_4vDoWPfAVLvgH4NipfhS-3b1SBYY/s1600/day+1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6BHlgDfx5DEpjwZxCynM3rN1vN7_08UvPsOKW1E0lkjdIhyaBGUr8lvC_h18C2uJ14nwV5Gr7pzK-LagOn7TONgcIZ04C-k0YFPez8RSqV2cp4_4vDoWPfAVLvgH4NipfhS-3b1SBYY/s640/day+1b.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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And you're done! Easy peasy, right? I usually start saving TP tubes about a month or two before I'm going to make these, so I have enough. You could also get your friends to save theirs for you. When they ask you what they're for, just say, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Be sure to say it with a sly, secretive smile. hehe</div>
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I hope you will enjoy making these little treat hangers. Make lots! Your friends and neighbors will love you for it! And remember what Dale Evans, wife of Roy Rogers, said, "Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." Love to all,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-44152835469005203492015-12-23T09:22:00.003-08:002016-12-04T17:40:48.458-08:00No Days of Christmas 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm feeling a little blue this Christmas. I'm doing the things I always do--watching Hallmark movies, making Christmas gifts, singing in the church choir--but I don't seem to have the spirit this year. I have only baked one batch of cookies, haven't made my Hungarian Cheese-filled Bread, haven't even gotten out my decorations! I feel so out of place without my decorations all around me.</div>
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I think the true problem is I'm not busy enough! For the last 4 years, I have been active on a website called Swap-bot. I've mentioned it before. It's a gathering place of artists and crafters who make stuff and swap it around. I have loved doing it and being a part of this amazing community, but I can no longer participate for a few reasons. 1 - I can't afford the postage anymore. 2 - I don't have room for all the supplies anymore. 3 - It drove my husband crazy because I was always busy! Anyway, I was always so busy at this time of year making swaps that I was rushing around trying to get everything done, along with all the other things I had to do, like making Christmas presents for the family. I don't buy my gifts. A few small things, or stocking-stuffers, but not actual gifts. I make them. And I usually procrastinate, but this year we had family come visit for Thanksgiving, so I made a real effort to have all my Christmas done by then, so I could send it home with them and not have to ship it. And I succeeded, but now I have nothing to do.</div>
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I've also been working on my 12 Days of Christmas for 2015, and all the projects are done, the photos taken and all, but I can't do anything with them! I think this is the biggest problem. I look forward to this event on my blog every year! I don't even know if people look at it, but I love doing it, so it doesn't matter, but this year I am feeling crippled. Here's why.</div>
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I got a new computer. My son gave me a really GOOD one, with lots of memory and RAM and anything else I could ever need except a TV card, and I will probably never need one of those, so I'm okay with that. It is really fast and has a lighted keyboard so I can see to type in the dark, which is something I've wanted for a while, because I work after my hubby is asleep and the computer is in the bedroom, so I can't turn on the lights. It also has a keyboard that makes noise. You know how the first keyboards made a clicking sound for every keystroke? Well, this one does, too, and I love it! Anyway, I installed the new Windows 10 before doing anything else, and then set about installing all my favorite software, and that's where the problem hit. Some of my favorite software is too old to work with Windows 10!!!! And my photo editing software is one of those programs! So I can't crop, fix color issues, etc. I can't re-size and do all the things I normally do to my photos. And I can't go back and re-take them because the projects are already done, so I'm between a rock and a hard place! I know, you say just go by another program! I can't afford to do that. On my VERY limited budget I can't afford to shell out $150 or more for a good photo editing program, plus I don't have the time to learn it before using it, so again......rock and hard place.</div>
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So now that I've boo-hooed you to tears, I will say that this year's 12 Days of Christmas will be posted in the new year, after I either get rid of Windows 10 (I don't know if I can, but I'm going to try) or I save up the money for a new photo editing program. It will be weird, but I haven't missed a year since 2010, and I'm not about to now!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQkg28yE95y_T4dZfLLKMKZHSYEO2D2mLfAswvMsBMPN9vq-HQn56yGKBAnrtufys_q7jQTlILQcpjotuHtbDAvIwNyeZ_hC8GubzdPmRcTXN0M7XNqI-L9VaWus52YQUiTTFq0gb6Cc/s1600/Rudolph+JOY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQkg28yE95y_T4dZfLLKMKZHSYEO2D2mLfAswvMsBMPN9vq-HQn56yGKBAnrtufys_q7jQTlILQcpjotuHtbDAvIwNyeZ_hC8GubzdPmRcTXN0M7XNqI-L9VaWus52YQUiTTFq0gb6Cc/s640/Rudolph+JOY.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not cropped, but here's one of the projects, the Rudolph JOY.</td></tr>
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To end this post, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, with a wish for you to receive all the blessings you deserve for the new year!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByYXqi5mz7hJVQLfQL0y9mVXRamrGFT1E5ebcTH2a4kWqgDCl75SQZE-C4A-0dqzsPAbswPDbOfcoM81np1QBKTSVHLL8vfuB-EMixyMjqDXF6-UHrET3ZDtmcSXQ3fvw5kmlf1uH3P4/s1600/my+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByYXqi5mz7hJVQLfQL0y9mVXRamrGFT1E5ebcTH2a4kWqgDCl75SQZE-C4A-0dqzsPAbswPDbOfcoM81np1QBKTSVHLL8vfuB-EMixyMjqDXF6-UHrET3ZDtmcSXQ3fvw5kmlf1uH3P4/s1600/my+signature.png" /></a></div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-74893305290193541262015-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:41:37.153-08:00A New Beginning.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Hello, hello! Well, it's now almost Valentine's Day, and I thought I had better get back to blogging again! I am changing things up a little this year. I am participating in a group called The Documented Life Project, or DLP, which is an art journaling journey through the year. I did it last year, too, but I didn't do all the prompts, and I was always behind, so I thought this year that it would give me a little more motivation if I posted this journey here on my blog. It's a new beginning for me. A new year for blogging, a new journey through art, a fresh new start on some goals I want to reach. I will still be doing crafts and recipes and giving you a little of my life's journey........thid just adds another piece of the puzzle that is my life!</div>
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The reccomended journal for use this year was the Dylusions journal, but I didn't have the money for it, so I took a trip to my local thrift stores and found this cute little cook book. I liked the size of it and it had what I thought was enough pages with a few extras (we'll come back to that later) and it cost me a whole 50 cents! What a bargain!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkFxY1Ilp3dMYB99VNul3lkGWuodBeVdVBIZNHDSEb3VUrxrTCvrCgRmuEeayUfya4mwv0nuvcSrHuojm5kaAc54Mer0JdkfPkYRixeKtW8h_qlzCFIayG2040aHfO0iCOYdPhEhcJPg/s1600/little+cookbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkFxY1Ilp3dMYB99VNul3lkGWuodBeVdVBIZNHDSEb3VUrxrTCvrCgRmuEeayUfya4mwv0nuvcSrHuojm5kaAc54Mer0JdkfPkYRixeKtW8h_qlzCFIayG2040aHfO0iCOYdPhEhcJPg/s1600/little+cookbook.jpg" width="346" /></a></div>
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I spread the wire binding and pulled out all the pages so I could gesso them. If I gessoed them while they were still in the book, I could only do two pagse at a time, and I'm too impatient for that! I didn't take any pictures while I was gessoing, but I had pages spread all over the kitchen table! I also did the cover while the book was apart. After I got all the pages gessoed and the cover done, I put the book back together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8c6tMQ1mRoBERM3iepGtuiLum4N_mP5yHiptRPtnoyyavHRZYwj017-a0n9QVBSXoO-PnHyt3vCkpy-qop38mu-c1hRY702SJPGydpx4o85GkNNEH2hNTY3oHwXf43sLeUZ24no4HA/s1600/front+cover+without+title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8c6tMQ1mRoBERM3iepGtuiLum4N_mP5yHiptRPtnoyyavHRZYwj017-a0n9QVBSXoO-PnHyt3vCkpy-qop38mu-c1hRY702SJPGydpx4o85GkNNEH2hNTY3oHwXf43sLeUZ24no4HA/s1600/front+cover+without+title.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
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Here is the front cover.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzfsi1keeYaGbXQ3ZdLxndhyYfVsj9I5Bmi2z2ejJ2wGjbWTmWPUiuDqTkHAwyai_zFjnKqeSUw1cWrsJk9KFNjki-aL6ftB4nZpWODBrt-fr9d97JjRyOvTOx9G88ucfHzwyRX0t6ag/s1600/back+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzfsi1keeYaGbXQ3ZdLxndhyYfVsj9I5Bmi2z2ejJ2wGjbWTmWPUiuDqTkHAwyai_zFjnKqeSUw1cWrsJk9KFNjki-aL6ftB4nZpWODBrt-fr9d97JjRyOvTOx9G88ucfHzwyRX0t6ag/s1600/back+cover.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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This is the back cover.</div>
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I don't have a title on it yet because I can't decide what I want it to say or how I want to do it. So now that the book was together, I had to decide if I wanted it to be an art journal/ planner, like last year, or just an art journal. I chose to do an art journal/planner, so I needed a two-page spread for each week, and this is when I realized I really DIDN'T have enough pages! So I had to re-vamp my plan. Last year we used tip-ins to make enough space for art AND planner, so I thought I would do that again. So I cut tip-ins (flaps) for all my pages, got out my washi tape and started adding them in. I had to add two tip-ins to each page, one for the front and one for the back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi7swVBZH_pU6iNxggbjbHBTnQsymaNajTRlcZ3r0ljeVBb3k5wU6p_QZK8hHVCJJtggCIQsrKl7cZ8KV7x0TOVWDrytEeoOPZP6XzV1rvHh9KPsVr514HqvlcrJ-uqE9veXrNRCd4jU/s1600/calendar+tip-ins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi7swVBZH_pU6iNxggbjbHBTnQsymaNajTRlcZ3r0ljeVBb3k5wU6p_QZK8hHVCJJtggCIQsrKl7cZ8KV7x0TOVWDrytEeoOPZP6XzV1rvHh9KPsVr514HqvlcrJ-uqE9veXrNRCd4jU/s1600/calendar+tip-ins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the back of each week's calendar is my spot for notes on scripture study. I need to be more vigilant about studying my scriptures, so I made a space for it. And it's helping, too, because that blank page just bugs the heck out of me!</div>
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Now it was time to start my pages. Every Saturday, the ladies from <a href="http://www.arttothe5th.com/" target="_blank">Art to the 5th</a> , who are running this project, send us an email with the weekly prompt, along with their take on it and how they made their pages. And this year, they are giving us a monthly theme and an an art challenge along with the journal prompt. Lots of fodder for our pages! (If any of you are interested in joining us in this year-long journey, go to <a href="http://www.art5academy.com/the-studio/the-documented-life-project-free">http://www.art5academy.com/the-studio/the-documented-life-project-free</a> .)</div>
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The theme for the month of January was "The Blank Page and How to Face It!". Week one's art challenge was book paper and the prompt was "Be Your Own Goal Keeper." Here is my week one page.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCEj8rK-sSXOKK86ymRW8RYUUkbIE7bSuMd1FK3sALdlV1HdIc5J19Vog72SMCCrFQlPtR3p3F-vE2KqpMVAcIZp-SNYb-TBv3MW2vy1NsHad3Da8b8V5qK9kjnZ3m6cWwBHWnSycrF0/s1600/week+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCEj8rK-sSXOKK86ymRW8RYUUkbIE7bSuMd1FK3sALdlV1HdIc5J19Vog72SMCCrFQlPtR3p3F-vE2KqpMVAcIZp-SNYb-TBv3MW2vy1NsHad3Da8b8V5qK9kjnZ3m6cWwBHWnSycrF0/s1600/week+1.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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I started by Mod Podge-ing different papers on the background. You can see that I used book pages, pieces of maps, sheet music and dictionary pages. Then I used a gift card to spread a thin coat of gesso over them so you can still see them. Then I used the card to spread some paint over the gesso. I used purple, pink and dark blue. When that was dry, I sanded it a little so the paper showed through a little more in places. I used my handy-dandy black pen and some letters from magazines, advertisements, junk mail, etc. to list my goals for the year. I wanted to keep my goals very simple. Every year I vow to do the same things and every year I fall short of my goals, so I figure if I make the list short and simple, I may succeed! And that's it! I sprayed it with some clear acrylic and it's done.</div>
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It's a very simple page with not much adornment, but I like it. I hope you do, too. And I hope that you will go over to <a href="http://www.arttothe5th.com/" target="_blank">Art to the 5th</a> and check it out, even if you don't want to art journal. The ladies over there have some great tutorials and ideas!</div>
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I'll be back soon with another DLP page (since it's February and I've aleady got 5 pages done) and some more goodies for you to make. I hope you'll come back and see me! The quote for today is by Thomas Merton: "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-71488333009883193602014-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:39:51.610-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Twelve<div style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Day 12! It seems like it came so fast! I am 60 years old today and sometimes I feel every day of it! Haha! This is our last post for 12 Days for 2014, and like I said yesterday, it's another angel project. And I think this one is my favorite of the 12 for this year. In the past, I have posted pictures of trips to the coast of Oregon, including all the driftwood my hubby and I like to collect. Well, I thought some of the pieces would make pretty angels! If you don't have any driftwood, you can buy it at nurseries and the like, but you could use whatever you can find. Really big pine cones would be nice, or old, weathered wood that you could cut a shape from and file the edges.......use your imagination and see what you can find. I love using "things" I have found for totally different uses.</div>
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Choose the pieces you want to use. I chose 3 pieces all different sizes and shapes, so you can see that all sizes and shapes work just as well! Ignore the holes for now. That comes later.</div>
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You will start with some baling wire. I chose it because it's black and rustic looking. And it will rust if you want that look. Now find something to use as a form for the wings. I happen to have a container of wipes that is oval instead of round and I used it to wrap my wire around, but you could use a round one, too, or a peanut butter jar, etc. </div>
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Wrap the wire 3 times and then slide it off the form.. If your form is round, squeeze your wire wraps into a kind of oval shape, and then pinch then in the middle. This takes a little muscle because baling wire is pretty stiff.</div>
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Bend the short end of your wire at a 90 degree angle, wrap the long end around the middle of the wings, and cut it the same length as the short end. Using a pair of pliers, twist the two ends together like a bread twist.</div>
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Spread your wire loops out to look like wings. It doesn't matter if they are not all the exact same size. That just gives her more character. You can see in the photo below that one of my angels is quite a bit larger than the others, and I just coiled the wire by hand instead of trying to find something big enough to wrap it around..</div>
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Now is the time to drill your hole for the wings. Use a drill bit that will drill a hole that the twisted wires will fit into without being too lose. Choose which way is up on your wood and drill a hole at the top. Depending on your wood and it's shape, you might have to drill the hole right at the very top or down a little lower. Adjust for what you have. <br />
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Try the wires in the holes to make sure of the fit. If they fit well, then use a strong adhesive like Beacon 527 or E6000 to glue them into the holes. Let them dry before you go to the nest step, or they will keep falling out! (This is the voice of experience talking. I tend to be impatient and I had to glue them back in 4 time!!!) If you accidentally get the hole a little big, use a little piece of bamboo skewer or tiny dowel to put in the hole to fill the space. Just put the wings in first, with glue, and then wedge the skewer or dowel in the side. Let the glue dry before using some wire cutters to cut the skewer off.</div>
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All you have to do now is put on the finishing touches. Most important would be a head! She would look rather funny as the headless angel of Christmas! I used a head bead for the little angel. It had a hole all the way through, so I used some moss for hair to cover up the hole. For the two larger ones, I used wooden balls that had to be drilled. For all of them, drill a hole for a dowel that will fit the hole in the wood ball or bead and glue the head on the dowel and the dowel in the hole on the angel.</div>
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After the head is dry, glue some trim around it for a halo and some lace or half a doily around her neck. That's it! She's done. You can see that my three angels are completely different shape of driftwood, but they all look beautiful! You just have to see the potential of the wood.</div>
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It's kind of like people. You have to see the potential in them, even when they make it hard. We all have our weaknesses and strengths, but we don't always share them with others. This can make it hard for others to get to know the real us. At this Christmas season, I would challenge us all to look past the outer shell to see the good and the potential in everyone we come in contact with. It will change your whole outlook! And if we all do this one little thing, although not always easy to do, we can make a real difference in someone else's life, and therefore in our own lives. Remember the words of Christ when he said, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."</div>
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Spread some cheer, and have a very, merry Christmas!</div>
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Love to you and yours,</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-85448369386119919322014-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:42:56.522-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Eleven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Wow! Time flies and it's already day 11! For the 12th day, I always do something to do with the nativity, but this year it's the last 2 days. And both are angels. I seem to be on an angel kick this year. I cut a picture from a magazine, probably 35 years ago, of some cute little angels, and I've been trying to get around to making them ever since! I decided this is the year! I made mine with soft-sculpture faces, little pear-shaped bodies, jute arms and legs, and button hands and feet. So, let's get started.</div>
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Start by cutting a square of a nylon or knee high stocking.The square should be about 3" square. They stretch a LOT so it doesn't need to be any bigger than that. Take a ball of stuffing about the size of your fist, and roll it up into a ball.</div>
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Place it in the middle of the nylon square and pull up the corners and then the sides, making sure that there is no stuffing showing any where.</div>
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Tie it up really tight. You need to use something really strong so that you can tug on it pretty good. I used embroidery floss in the photo so you could see it, but I usually use heavy button and carpet thread.</div>
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Then trim off the excess stocking and string. </div>
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Now do the same thing again, only make the ball the size of a pea.</div>
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Next, you need a fairly long needle and some brown thread. Once you draw up the face, the thread won't show, but believe you me, it will if it's white! Thread you needle and tie a large knot in the ends. With the knot at the back, start by poking the needle from the back to the front left dot on the diagram above. If you take it through the thickness of the knot, it won't pull through.</div>
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Now take a stitch and go under the cheek and back out at the first stitch of the mouth. Stitch around the mouth, go under the cheek, take a stitch and go back out the back. Pull on the thread and draw up the stitches so that the cheeks and mouth puff out a little. Tie a good knot, then come back out the front where the nose is attached. Got through the back of the nose where it's tied and then go back out the back of the head. Pull on the thread so that the nose is pulled into the face and tie it off good again. Clip your thread, but not too close, otherwise you take a chance on the knot coming undone. Glue on two little black seed beads for eyes and blush the cheeks, mouth and nose.</div>
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Now you're ready to make the angel's body. Cut two pieces of fabric 4" wide and 4 1/2" long. Fold them in half and cut a kind of pear shape with a flat top. You will also need two pieces of jute 10" long. Tie knots is both ends of the jute pieces..</div>
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Lay one body piece right side up and lay the jute pieces on top of it in the position for the arms and legs. Then lay the other body piece over them, right side down and stitch around the body, leaving the top open.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80sZrdLxHGg/VIlXP8hQQkI/AAAAAAAAEI4/qttTMmQqQFM/s1600/put%2Bjute%2Bon%2Bright%2Bside%2Bof%2B1%2Bbody%2Bpiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80sZrdLxHGg/VIlXP8hQQkI/AAAAAAAAEI4/qttTMmQqQFM/s1600/put%2Bjute%2Bon%2Bright%2Bside%2Bof%2B1%2Bbody%2Bpiece.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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Turn the body right side out and stuff lightly. Turn the top down 1/8" and run a gathering stitch around it. Gather the edge up a little and tie of your thread. Cut the jute pieces in the middle and wrap a little piece of scotch tape around each end. Roll the tape as tightly as possible and cut the end at an angle, making a kind of needle. </div>
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String 3 buttons for each foot onto the leg jute. I used red, green and white buttons. and I mixed them up. I wanted a kind of whimsical look. String white buttons on for the hands. I made my angels into a string-o-angels, so my hands are connected. I think if I ever make another string of these, I would do the arms separately and then tie the hands together.</div>
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The wings are two pieces of muslin, 4"" by 3 1/2" with some cotton batting sandwiched in between. I made mine kind of butterfly shaped. Draw your pattern on the top piece of muslin and stitch around the wings on the lines. Cut them out with pinking shears 1/8" from the stitching. </div>
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Now it's time to put her all together! Glue some hair of your choice to her head. Lay the wings down first, then lay the head where you like it and the body under the head. Glue it all in place with hot glue. Be sure to glue the front of the dress/body to the chin of the face.</div>
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You can give each a different hair-do and color, or make them all match. I'm not a match-y match-y kind of person, so mine are all over the map!</div>
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True to my commitment not to spend much this year, I used embroidery floss for all the bows because I'm out of tiny red and green ribbon.</div>
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I have 7 angels altogether in my string-o-angels, and they look so cute! When I was storing them until it was time for this post, I folded them up like and accordion and stuffed them into a gallon Ziplock bag. That is a good way to pack them and keep them clean from year to year.</div>
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I hope you like these little angels and will give them a try. They sound a lot more complicated than they really are! I enjoyed making their little faces and seeing the character that came out of each one. I used to do soft-sculpture a lot and that was always my favorite part.</div>
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Tomorrow will be our 12th and last day for this year, and I think the angels for tomorrow are beautiful. Come back and find out if you agree. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes by an unknown writer: "Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God will come to know God because they know you."</div>
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Until tomorrow.....</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-18285393879988738512014-12-10T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:44:21.886-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Ten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
How many of you out there have a set of Christmas cookie tree cutters from Wilton that are shaped like stars and have 10 sizes, ranging from 2 to 10 inches? I've had them for a long time and love to make cookie trees, but this year I used them for something different. </div>
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I'm sure you won't be surprised to find that day 10 is another Christmas tree! And this one I'm NOT giving away! This one's for me! I call it the Tall Tree and I really love the way it looks like a tall tree in the forest. Except, of course, for the fact that it's made from Christmas fabric! lol</div>
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I used the cookie tree cutters for my patterns. I didn't use the two smallest ones, but started with the 3rd one. I traced them and them cut them out with an extra half inch all the way around. I included the photo above so you can see the shape of the stars and the size increments. I made the tree originally using these patterns and didn't like it. It wasn't tall enough for the look I wanted.</div>
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So I added 4 more larger sizes! Now I have twelve layers, and the tree looks just like I had it pictured in my head. Now it's time to get started!</div>
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First, you need to choose 3 different Christmas fabrics. I chose a green with candy canes, a red one with big green polka dots and a black one with ornaments on it. I bought a half a yard of each and had some of the red and green left over. I used the black for the largest layer and there wasn't much left after I cut it and the other three black layers. </div>
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Cut four sizes from each fabric. It will make it easier if you number your patterns 1 - 12. Cut numbers 1, 4, 7 and 10 from fabric 1. Cut sizes 2, 5, 8 and 11 from fabric 2. And cut sizes 3, 6, 9 and 12 from fabric 3. Stitch around all sizes 1/2 inch from the edge. Sew all the way around without leaving an opening. Using a sharp pair of scissors, snip fringes almost up to the stitching and about 1/2" apart. After you have snipped all 12 layers, throw them in the washer and dryer to make the fringes fray and curl.<br />
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Now, snip a little hole in one side of the star. Eventually, you will snip a hole in the other side, too, but if you do it now, it makes it really, really hard to stuff it, because the stuffing wants to go out the other side! Stuff all your layers, but not too firmly, because they don't stack as well if they're too firm. </div>
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After you have stuffed them all, snip a hole in the other side of each one and using a needle and thread, stitch around the holes, stitching both layers together like a buttonhole. </div>
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Using the pattern for the smallest star, cut two from yellow felt. Stitch around them with a buttonhole stitch, like I did, or stitch them on the sewing machine. When you get to the last section, stuff the star and then finish stitching it. Glue a tiny dowel or a bamboo skewer in the star.</div>
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Now it's time to make the trunk of the tree. I was out in my son's backyard one day and noticed he still had his Christmas tree from last year laying in a pile of scrap wood. My brain just clicked and I knew I wanted to use that! In fact, the idea for this tree started with that trunk! Anyway, I got my husband to cut it off at about 2 feet long and straighten the bottom so it would stand upright. He cut off all the branches except for one little outcropping that I thought would be a good spot for a bird's nest. I fastened it to a board that I had painted a light blue and drilled a hole in it for a dowel. The dowel is 1/2" or 5/8" and I drilled a hole in the top of that for the star.</div>
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Now you stack your stars up on the dowel and put your star on the top and you have a nice little woodland-type tree. I will be using some batting to cover the board and make it look like the tree is standing in snow.</div>
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Here is a close-up of the bird's nest. The bird's eggs are red jingle bells!</div>
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I almost forgot.....I tied some raffia on the dowel right under the star. I like the look of it and it helps cover the space between the dowel and the star. I had the thought that the <a href="http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/pinecone%20elves" target="_blank">pinecone elves</a> and the little <a href="http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/log%20reindeer" target="_blank">log reindeer</a> would look cute under the tree. Make a whole little scene!</div>
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Well, that's day 10 done! It took me two days to make this one, what with all the time spent cutting and sewing and washing and stuffing, but I love it and it was worth it! I hope you like it! And when you look at all the gifts under YOUR Christmas tree, remember this little quote by Burton Hillis: "The best gift under the tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other!"</div>
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Love to all and see you tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-82974045855237016652014-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:44:40.309-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Nine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's day 9 already!! Only 3 more to go! Christmas is getting closer and closer and I'm not ready yet. Arrrrg! I swore I was going to be ahead of the game this year, but so far, not happenin'. But I am closer than I usually am, so thank heaven for small favors!</div>
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Our project for today is a snowman swag. You know how much I love snowmen, and these are so cute! And we're back to making <a href="http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/paper%20medallion%20Christmas%20tree" target="_blank">medallions</a> again. Oh, yes, those lovely medallions! I told you they were good for so many things, and here's another example. You will need some scrapbook paper, or rather, cardstock, in your color of choice. I chose icy blues/silver because, after all, snowmen are kind of icy! I chose a stripe and a plaid, but it's not necessary to have two different prints. I just like to mix it up!</div>
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Start by cutting a star pattern, 5" across from tip to tip of any two points. Use this pattern to cut stars from your cardstock. If you are using two different papers like I did, cut 4 stars from one and 5 stars from the other. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsMnY5vEBwXB4I3izMulDTT13koI1XAMo8nUBkAw_js9NZEU5t68Q_bmdLDfxQQaCp4sjcQzmJo8uIVSnA5eXCsGDI-2UOzwFMlkPGSm0X5hWeRWXt5AY7njj-ACd_gfBIOZDaLcoS90/s1600/snowman+with+plaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsMnY5vEBwXB4I3izMulDTT13koI1XAMo8nUBkAw_js9NZEU5t68Q_bmdLDfxQQaCp4sjcQzmJo8uIVSnA5eXCsGDI-2UOzwFMlkPGSm0X5hWeRWXt5AY7njj-ACd_gfBIOZDaLcoS90/s1600/snowman+with+plaid.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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Now cut a 2" x 12" strip to go with each star. I cut striped strips for the plaid stars and plaid strips for the striped stars. Fold the strips into accordions like we did for the paper trees and glue the ends together. You will have to cut one fold off one end of each strip before you glue them to get them to match up right. Flatten them out into medallions and glue them to the stars.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXLD386RLR2CfRO26D3KzWi52h_gMsqZlOaeIoB-1mopat9qkIACq2Nj6OihW9EVc-QkSP10GuCH6vOZ3SxCRbZHKV8Ayoh7NdVhMUHY4dahVoR3TMG_oF4lQYWuZURNZOq3_TRUPGuQ/s1600/snowman+with+stripes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXLD386RLR2CfRO26D3KzWi52h_gMsqZlOaeIoB-1mopat9qkIACq2Nj6OihW9EVc-QkSP10GuCH6vOZ3SxCRbZHKV8Ayoh7NdVhMUHY4dahVoR3TMG_oF4lQYWuZURNZOq3_TRUPGuQ/s1600/snowman+with+stripes.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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Now draw some cute little snowmen and glue them to the medallions. Use permanent markers to draw eyes, nose and mouth. Use a paint brush to give them a light coat of glue and sprinkle them with super fine glitter. Use glitter glue or sparkly fabric paint to give them scarves and let them dry. Because I used paper with silver in it, I used a really thin silver cord and some little tiny blue clothespins to hang the stars. You can make the garland longer by spreading out the stars or shorter by taking out a star or two. That way you can easily use it in different places.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizChHiz5fCRYJPOsxDgFQarFKAJkjacZkDvzcPiX_U1QhGG5kTO9JSZxClbhENSN2Nbln5HRXDGEwbad9TJc5CVP-cp-YfoLfsR51A_yFRq0-iPRmhFDmUDxHV6HbJIu1wOewor90upDA/s1600/Snowman+Garland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizChHiz5fCRYJPOsxDgFQarFKAJkjacZkDvzcPiX_U1QhGG5kTO9JSZxClbhENSN2Nbln5HRXDGEwbad9TJc5CVP-cp-YfoLfsR51A_yFRq0-iPRmhFDmUDxHV6HbJIu1wOewor90upDA/s1600/Snowman+Garland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know this isn't a very good picture, but you can see how cute the swag would be if you could see it! lol Now go make one for yourself and two or three for friends!</div>
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I love Christmas! It's my favorite time of year! I love the cold weather, the snow (when I live where it snows), the Christmas tree with it's lights and ornaments, the children's faces when they see the pile of gifts under the tree, and most especially, the spirit of giving and loving that comes with knowing the true meaning of Christmas.</div>
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See you tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-58596669224417825002014-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:45:04.171-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Eight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's day 8 and I have the cutest little log reindeer for you! I have wanted a set of these deer for years.......the big ones that stand in the yard! But I have never been able to talk my husband into making them for me, so I made my own in miniature! From the bottom of his feet to the top of his antlers, he stands about 6" tall and I love his cute little personality. I haven't decided yet what to name him, but I'm sure the grandkids will be more than glad to help me with that.</div>
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You need a little "log" to start with. It's a branch about 1" around and 4" long for the body and 1" x 1 1/2" for the head. You can see in the side view further down the page that I found a log with a bump where a branch was cut off, and I cut the log right there, so that little branch bump becomes his tail. It was just perfect!</div>
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You will also need some Sculpey clay in red or green, a silver pipe cleaner and a tan or brown pipe cleaner, 2 googly eyes, a little black pom-pom, a pair of needle-nose pliars for cutting and bending your wire, and some good, strong glue. I used Beacon 527 glue, which along with E6000, is my glue of choice for gluing metal, (like the jar rings from day 3). </div>
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I used nice, heavy baling wire to put him together because I knew that if I used little sticks or tiny dowels, they would get broken and I would have to fix him every year! You need to cut 5 pieces of wire. 1will be 1" long for his neck, and the other 4 will be 4" long for his legs. </div>
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Okay, take the 4 leg wires and using the needle-nose pliars, bend a 1/2" crook in one end of each wire. Take the Sculpey clay out of the package and squeeze and pull it, kind of like pulling taffy. This will warm ot up and make it easier to work with. Make 4 small balls approximately the size of a large grape and shape them into boots. Take one of the wires and push it up through the bottom of one of the boots and push the crook into the clay until it's even with the boot bottom. Do the other 3 legs and then stand them up on a cookie sheet and bake them according to the directions on the package. When they are baked, take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let them cool thoroughly before you touch them. The wires will be HOT!</div>
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While your boots are baking and cooling, you can drill holes for them, and for the neck, ears and antlers. You will need a little tiny drill bit for this. Try to find one that is the same size as your wire so it will fit nice and snug. Drill one hole at the back end of the head and one at the front end of the body. Drill holes for your legs, 2 at the front and 2 at the back, angled out slightly from the center, and on the opposite side of the log from the neck hole. Drill 3 more holes in the head, 1 in the middle at the back of the head for the antlers and 2 for the ears, angling them outward. These holes may need to be a little larger. Check the photo near the bottom to see where to drill the holes. Now you're ready to put him all together.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dElBNolFTYQ/VIUhkn47r2I/AAAAAAAAD-c/l-CI_p_vUEw/s1600/side%2Bview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dElBNolFTYQ/VIUhkn47r2I/AAAAAAAAD-c/l-CI_p_vUEw/s1600/side%2Bview.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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First of all, glue his leg wires in thier holes. He's much easier to work with when he's standing instead of rolling around. Glue his neck wire in his body and glue his head onto the neck wire. Set him aside while you make his antlers and ears. Cut your silver pipe cleaner in half and then fold each half in half. Bend each half into the shape shown below. It will look a little like the vein of a leaf. Now twist the two pieces together at the bottom. Do the same with the other piece. Cut two pieces of the tan pipe cleaner 1 1/2" long. Fold them in half and twist the two ends together. This is his ears. Glue the antlers and ears into the holes you drilled for them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLSo0S88RQwITe9YKcG64BEUrRppq6ufwhFAwpPqdEMFTSDxsoxn92-cwcmkIHXrWBa6y53r4bzfo_LUVo5lWqnkuS8ffKHPJNz8-6AHsHawgBFH29ML-O4jta44dl3YY9NnlcCL2KkI/s1600/antler+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLSo0S88RQwITe9YKcG64BEUrRppq6ufwhFAwpPqdEMFTSDxsoxn92-cwcmkIHXrWBa6y53r4bzfo_LUVo5lWqnkuS8ffKHPJNz8-6AHsHawgBFH29ML-O4jta44dl3YY9NnlcCL2KkI/s1600/antler+pattern.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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You can see the placement of the antlers and ears in the close-up below. Sorry it's blurry, but my phone doesn't take very good pictures close up and it's the only camera I have right now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36_rsign-dpMo_4Z1S9wJK7sXUUUhmrjdstYo56i90YvWM1BOujL__PuXQ5RxFhTkVsxtJmFx1zyMLHqbaEYJurGXpszB9RJoRmuUpW_YJwl7IIvxQzIprZ9tB-zH1pHhqwbxkNIBKxQ/s1600/close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36_rsign-dpMo_4Z1S9wJK7sXUUUhmrjdstYo56i90YvWM1BOujL__PuXQ5RxFhTkVsxtJmFx1zyMLHqbaEYJurGXpszB9RJoRmuUpW_YJwl7IIvxQzIprZ9tB-zH1pHhqwbxkNIBKxQ/s1600/close-up.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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Glue on his eyes and nose and you have the cutest little reindeer ever! I know I said yesterday that the next time you saw him he'd have a bell, but I totally forgot! So you will have close your eyes and imagine him with a little bell tied around his neck. lol </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2omrBuoqN6s/VIUhZmhmgsI/AAAAAAAAD-A/pvgpmmhorTQ/s1600/Little%2Blog%2Breindeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2omrBuoqN6s/VIUhZmhmgsI/AAAAAAAAD-A/pvgpmmhorTQ/s1600/Little%2Blog%2Breindeer.jpg" width="404" /></a></div>
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Isn't he cute? And he looks great with the pinecones elves. He's just the right size for one of them to ride, if reindeer liked to be ridden.</div>
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Okay, that's day 8 all wrapped up. I think I need to make 8 more of these and then figure out how to make a little sleigh to go with them! I hope you are all in the Christmas spirit and getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year!.I am really close to having everything finished and ready to be wrapped and some of it shipped. Just a few more things to make.</div>
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See you tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-32102331958717607772014-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:45:24.342-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Seven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Day 7 is something I did with the grandchildren a couple weeks ago. It's another idea I've been seeing all over the internet, but these litlle guys have been around forever, it seems! I remember making these when I was a kid, and that was a loooooooong time ago! (I will be 60 next Friday, so that really is a long time.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ_7UuOv6AMSuTxK3ROay1vALCAYAApyia83yELax_JMX1ci772PjE3sMad37JTylX6rvRcAHiwJLw1yWd0ePvtD_hRPb1f9aFwYU-T58N4KUEDm2lNwM1-SrtkS4c4J4kO8zTtjNWWs/s1600/three+elves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ_7UuOv6AMSuTxK3ROay1vALCAYAApyia83yELax_JMX1ci772PjE3sMad37JTylX6rvRcAHiwJLw1yWd0ePvtD_hRPb1f9aFwYU-T58N4KUEDm2lNwM1-SrtkS4c4J4kO8zTtjNWWs/s1600/three+elves.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
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First of all, you need pinecones. Duh, right? You will some that aren't too big and aren't broken or smashed. Nice, pretty-shaped cones. Turn them upside down on a cookie sheet and bake them on the lowest setting for 20-30 minutes to get rid of any critters that may have taken up lodging in them. Let them cool while you gather your supplies. You will need pipe cleaners, felt scraps, glue, small wooden head beads, pom-poms and some Sculpey clay if you like the shoes we put on ours, or you can use felt to make their shoes. I thought if I used Sculpey for their feet, they might have enough weight to stand up, but it didn't work very well. Anyway, if you are using clay, you need 2 small balls approximately the same size. Shape them like shoes and poke the end of a pipe cleaner into them to make a hole. Pull the pipe cleaner back out and bake them according to the instructions on the package. When they are done and cool, you will glue the pipe cleaner legs into the holes.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgoOFZvNaEo/VILJKYrQmWI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/ORk5ZasuN9I/s1600/Elf%2Bsliding%2Bon%2Bsnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgoOFZvNaEo/VILJKYrQmWI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/ORk5ZasuN9I/s1600/Elf%2Bsliding%2Bon%2Bsnow.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Now, cut your pipe cleaners in half. One half will be the arms and the other half the legs. We used tan, but you could use green or red, too. Find the middle of each piece and wrap it into the pinecone at the bottom for the legs and up higher for the arms. Use some good glue or hot glue to glue them in place. Now is when you glue the legs into the shoes, and make some hands or mittens to glue onto the arms. Glue your head bead to the top (which is really the bottom of the pinecone) and make a little hat to go on it. You just have to measure around the bead and cut a triangle that's about 1/2" bigger at the big end, to allow for overlap when you glue it. Make a little cone out of the triangle and glue it together, then glue it on the head. All the kids wanted pom-poms on theirs hats, too! Cut a long rectangle for the scarf and fringe the edges if you want. Wrap it around his neck and glue it to keep it in place.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dISqr_yGK7Q/VILJIidldKI/AAAAAAAAD9I/XvTCa34vObo/s1600/SJ's%2Belf%2Bwith%2Bsnowball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dISqr_yGK7Q/VILJIidldKI/AAAAAAAAD9I/XvTCa34vObo/s1600/SJ's%2Belf%2Bwith%2Bsnowball.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Draw 2 little eyes and a nose with a permanent maker, and a mouth if you want one. They look cute with or without mouths, and if you put your scarf up under his nose, you don't even need a mouth! You can also use a teeny, tiny pom-pom for the nose, like the one above. This one was made, with a little help, by my 4-year-old grandson, SJ. He wanted his elf to have a snowball in his hands, so we used a white pon-pom for the snowball.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaZ8hBZrvH1R9e0Lan4yQ7i5QE4YI2G9YtKrZsHAyavY1ZFJgwKAMRJ4NOxX4I6KLteINgYDB8aOBncJsknlShPlMk5SrgNnS0cKzg1R6A-xiG7yWVOELEMLmsfkqCET6xoO8aKk4-P8/s1600/elf+with+bulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaZ8hBZrvH1R9e0Lan4yQ7i5QE4YI2G9YtKrZsHAyavY1ZFJgwKAMRJ4NOxX4I6KLteINgYDB8aOBncJsknlShPlMk5SrgNnS0cKzg1R6A-xiG7yWVOELEMLmsfkqCET6xoO8aKk4-P8/s1600/elf+with+bulb.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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Mine has a (plastic) Christmas light so he can help decprate the tree. And I glued the point of his hat down, too, but nost of the kids liked theirs sticking straight up. It's kind of hard to tell, but I pointed the ends of my elf's shoes and curled them up just a bit to make them look more like elf shoes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorPJMDQoJD_-7mDtMDBe4Z_p25L19Vxpc8z3g0aSm9dlAhZJIbzXtKLTC_kfV64qleFZq3137A5SdKMeq2ttMbNaVooh3HwKBiO_Eckm231i9MZU30ZTy2VfoV3vyfHFofD_YRGFINhE/s1600/Elf+with+reindeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorPJMDQoJD_-7mDtMDBe4Z_p25L19Vxpc8z3g0aSm9dlAhZJIbzXtKLTC_kfV64qleFZq3137A5SdKMeq2ttMbNaVooh3HwKBiO_Eckm231i9MZU30ZTy2VfoV3vyfHFofD_YRGFINhE/s1600/Elf+with+reindeer.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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If you put your elf's arm around a reindeer, he will actually stand up! Plus he looks really cute! The reindeer is the next project, so you can have one, too, if you like! Or 6 or 10! (I just realized that I forgot to put his bell on him! When next you see him, he will be complete, I promise!) </div>
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This project is a lot of fun and the kids had a ball! Even my 20-year-old granddaughter and her boyfriend had fun! This is a whole-family craft and it doesn't even cost much at all, so gather a few pinecones and gather your family and spend some time having some good, clean fun!</div>
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Here's a little joke for you. Q - What does the gingerbread boy have on his bed? A- Cookie sheets! Hahaha! This time of year should be full of fun, family-oriented good times, making memories that they will never forget. And if you don't have family near, there are always children who need someone to care about them, especially at Christmas. Go ahead, build some memories, and you won't regret it!</div>
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See you tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-21011435820369247102014-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:45:46.496-08:0012 Days of Dhristmas 2014 - Day Six<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day 6 is a timely project. I haven't even made my Christmas cards yet, but I know that many of you have and are receiving some of your own, so today's project is a card holder swag. It's very, very simple and takes very little time, but looks really cute. I bought a roll of this burlap ribbon with red sparkly snowflakes on it. I had no idea what I was going to use it for, but I knew I would. It was $1.98 at Wal*Mart for 15 feet, which was exactly what I needed!. I happened to have a part of a package of clothespins left from last year, and the paper came from my stash! I used 22 clothespins because I put 1 in between the Merry and the Christmas and 4 extras at each end. You might want more than that, or maybe less, that's up to you. It turned out to be about 7 feet long, but that's okay because I have this big, long wall to put it on! It can be shortened just by moving the clothespins closer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPisLV9VTSuEzVEhhpJPCIsVgTHp87fJ2vYWPuPBEZht8vDnhHcx3DE7Ee7eL8zkWOhX-J9H2WiwxlqSuUC1Xe1jOk1_TFI1UdKHKK5SgfPxsoc5gWD5GGAoBwZMtr76NaTWUr9jtp5A0/s1600/Christmas+card+swag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPisLV9VTSuEzVEhhpJPCIsVgTHp87fJ2vYWPuPBEZht8vDnhHcx3DE7Ee7eL8zkWOhX-J9H2WiwxlqSuUC1Xe1jOk1_TFI1UdKHKK5SgfPxsoc5gWD5GGAoBwZMtr76NaTWUr9jtp5A0/s1600/Christmas+card+swag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You start by covering one side of the clothespins with a small print or solid color paper. I used an off-white background with little red polka dots. (I love polka dots!) I used two punches to make my circles....a 2" flower punch, which you've seen me use before, and a circle punch that is 1 1/2". Glue the smaller circle to the larger one and then get out your alphabets.</div>
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Choose your letters to spell Merry Christmas. You can see that I used both upper and lower case letters, mixing them up. That was partly because I like it that way and partly because I didn't have enough of either one to do the whole thing! lol Glue your letters to your circles and then glue the circles to the clothespins. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UutA0OtUeqU/VIK8ZKEXsRI/AAAAAAAAD84/9OhchGCRBqY/s1600/swag%2Bbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UutA0OtUeqU/VIK8ZKEXsRI/AAAAAAAAD84/9OhchGCRBqY/s1600/swag%2Bbow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tied 2 bows and fastened them to the ends of the swag so that it looked more finished. Clip your clothespins to your ribbon and that's it! You have a fantastic looking card holder swag!!</div>
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I've never really had much of a system for displaying my cards. I usually just taped them to a wall or around a door frame, but now they have a place of honor!</div>
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I leave you today with this thought: Christmas isn't toys or presents or even a tree with decorations. It's a celebration of life. The life of Christ in particular. If the world would remember that more and worry about the other stuff less, we wouldn't have so many wars and so much crime. It would definitely be a better place to raise the future generations!</div>
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Here's a quote that I really like. "They err who think that Sants Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart." Mrs. Paul M. Ell</div>
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Have a nice Saturday and I'll see you tomorrow.</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-45637523211150128232014-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:46:09.747-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Okay, it's day five and it's time for a Christmas tree. I love Christmas trees and I know I have too many of them, but I still make aonther one just about every year! Sometimes I give them away, but not always. lol Anyway, this tree is made from paper medallions, which I have discovered you can use for lots of pretty things! </div>
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First you need to choose your papers. You need 9 or 10 different papers that compliment each other. For the bottom 3 layers, you need 2 sheets of each paper. You can get the next three layers from one sheet apiece, and scraps will do for the top 3 layers. Starting from the top, you will cut the following strips: </div>
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#1 - 1 strip 1" x 12"</div>
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#2 - 2 strips 1 1/2" x 12"</div>
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#3 - 2 strips 2" x 12"</div>
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#4 - 3 strips 2 1/2" x 12"</div>
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#5 - 3 strips 3" x 12"</div>
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#6 - 3 strips 3 1/2" x 12"</div>
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#7 - 4 strips 4" x 12"</div>
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#8 - 4 strips 4 1/2" x 12"</div>
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#9 - 4 strips 5" x 12"</div>
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If you put a 10th layer, it will be 6" x 12" and you will need 4 strips for it, which is 2 sheets of paper. My tree had that 10th layer, but one of them got messed up, so I wound up with only 9 layers. (You'll notice in the photo below that my 7th layer is made of two different papers. That's because of the mess up, NOT because I chose to make it that way. I didn't have any more of the papers I was using to make it over, so I adlibbed!) I also used an edge punch to give the edges a lacy look, but this isn't necessary if you don't have an edge punch.</div>
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Paper medallions are all over the internet and Pinterest, so you may already know how to make them but if you need instructions, here is the link to a post from last year's 12 Days of Christmas:</div>
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<a href="http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/paper%20medallion%20Noel%20swag">http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/paper%20medallion%20Noel%20swag</a></div>
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Now that you have your paper strips folded and glued, you're going to make them into medallions, with one difference. You need 2 - 2" circles for each layer and you need to punch a hole in the middle of each circle. Then when you glue the accordions to the circles, make sure the hole is in the middle of the medallion. This is where your dowel will go.</div>
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Now you need your stand and dowel. I used a piece of a small log that we had after taking a dead tree out, but a piece of 2x4 or 4x4 would be good, too. Your dowel needs to be about 3/8" and you need to drill a hole in the base at least an inch deep to make sure the tree in stable. Don't cut the dowel off yet, but glue the dowel in the hole. Next, you need to take a pencil and put it in the hole of the biggest medallion and move it around in a circle to make the circle bigger. Just be careful not to make it too big. You want it to be a little snug on the dowel. Push it down on the dowel and do the same for all the other medallions, except the very top one. You still make the hole bigger, but leave it off the dowel. Mark your dowel 3/4"" above the 2nd layer and then remove all the medallions from the dowel and cut it off at the mark. </div>
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The reason you do this is so that when you put the top layer on, the dowel will not show.</div>
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Now you need 2 more 2" circles and a bamboo skewer. I cut my circles with a 2" flower punch, but you can cut them any way you like. Measure from the pointed end of the skewer down 2" and mark it. You can cut this with a pair of wire cutters or kitchen scissors. Glue this in between the 2 circles, with 1" sticking out. (My skewer is shorter than an inch and my topper won't stay in, so I having you make yours longer.) I also cut 2 smaller flower shapes and glued in the middle of the larger ones, and then a tiny, little snowflake in the middle of that. I just used what I had on hand and you can, too. A larger snowflake without the smaller flower, a pretty poinsettia, a star, etc. Just use what you have or what you like.</div>
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Drill a hole the size of the skewer in the top of the dowel. Making it a little snug will help the topper to stay in. Now, stack all you medallions back on the dowel, put your topper on and there you have it!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2M4dESfNT8/VIEjQP293UI/AAAAAAAAD6w/MY1Xct021SY/s1600/finished%2Btree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2M4dESfNT8/VIEjQP293UI/AAAAAAAAD6w/MY1Xct021SY/s1600/finished%2Btree.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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A beautiful paper medallion tree!</div>
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I hope you like it, and I hope you will try one. They take a little time, what with all that folding, but they aren't hard and they are worth it! I donated one last year to the the Festival of Trees and it was a big hit! It was in turquoises and pinks and there were quite a few people who wanted it. It went for a nice price, which was good, because the money raised at this event goes toward the funding of an historical building.</div>
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That's another day done, and I'm on my way to bed.See you tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-35366756343464257362014-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:46:27.464-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Four<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's day 4 of our 12 days, and it's time for a snowman! I've been seeing jeans pockets with snowmen painted on them all over Pinterest, and I love them! They are so cute, but I wondered what to do with them. Make a little purse? A hanging pocket? Sew the pocket onto something else? Then I thought back to what I've done with pockets in the past. I LOVE denim and have ever since I got my first pair of Levi's when I was a senior in high school! When I was a very young, newly married, now mom, I earned a little extra cash by making Levi purses and other things and selling them in a little gift shop. When my boys got a little older and I was a Cub Scout leader, we used Levi pockets to make gifts for Father's Day. We mounted them on wood plaques and painted above them "Dad's Pocket". So why couldn't I do the same thing with a snowman pocket? And I did!</div>
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Choose a board with a nice shape and paint it light blue. Decoupage some snowflake scrapbook paper on it and dry brush a little white paint on the edges to give a bit of a primitive look. </div>
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When you cut the pocket off the jeans, leave the back piece attached. That's what you will glue to the board so the pocket will open and be able to hold goodies. You need to make a kind of little pleat in the back piece when you glue it down. If you don't, the pocket will be so tight to the board that you will get nothing into it! This is the voice of experience talking. I forgot to do this and had to rip the pocket off the board and re-glue it! </div>
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Paint the snowman shape on the pocket but don't do what I did! I painted it with gesso first, thinking that it would cover the blue better, and it did. BUT..... Big mistake! Gesso dries hard, and when you move the fabric, it cracks! So a few coats of white paint will be better than gesso and then paint. Paint his orange nose. and use the wood end of a paintbrush to make the dots for eyes and mouth... Spray the paint with clear acrylic spray and and shake a little super fine glitter on him while it's still wet. Glue some snowflakes around his head and one on his nose. I used my QuikCutz to cut the letters for the words "Let It Snow" but you could paint them or cut them by hand, whatever you like.. I put the candy canes in the pocket so I would be sure not to glue them too low, and then glued the words to the board.</div>
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I think he turned out pretty cute, and he's useful, too, and I think I need to make a few more for gifts!I hope you like him and will make one for yourself. Maybe a few for friends.</div>
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See you tomorrow for some more fun!</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-41297074854552353762014-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:46:46.940-08:0012 Days of Christma 2014 - Day ThreeWell, it's day 3 and we're well on our way to Christmas! Have you got all your shopping done? All your handmade gifts made? Check your list once and twice, and if you find someone you forgot, here's a quick little project you can make for that someone, or for yourself!<br />
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I call it a potpourri candle jar. First, you will need a pint canning jar, I used one of the green ones you can get at Michaels, but you can use any color you like. You will also need an extra ring for the jar, some potpourri, a battery-operated candle, some hardware cloth, wire cutters, some strong adhesive, and some decorations to go around the candle. I'll explain all these things as we go along. You also need 1/2 yard of ribbon, whatever width you like. I used ribbon that was 1 1/2" wide because I wanted a nice, big, pretty bow.</div>
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The first thing you need to do is cut a piece of hardware cloth, That's the wire mesh that animal cages are made of, and you can buy it in a roll for about $8 or at some places you can buy it by the foot. I had to go to a Cal-Ranch store to get it because our Home Depot was out. Measure across the inside of one of the rings and cut a square of the hardware cloth that size. Trim off the corners to make it round-ish.</div>
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Now glue the two jar rings togehter, top edges toward each other. Use a strong adhesive like 527 Glue or E6000. Set your rings aside to dry.</div>
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Open the potpourri and fill the jar. Don't pack it too tight or it will look like a stuffed turkey! Once your rings are dry and set, put them on the jar, with the one that has the hardware cloth on the top, and tie a pretty bow around the lids.</div>
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Place your battery-operated candle on the mesh.</div>
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I found these at Wal*Mart for $6 for two.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ME945zAmC2g/VH6A4ngdP5I/AAAAAAAAD54/DeHWAtiDsLo/s1600/ready%2Bti%2Bassemble%2Bwith%2Bsparkly%2Bgreen%2Bberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ME945zAmC2g/VH6A4ngdP5I/AAAAAAAAD54/DeHWAtiDsLo/s1600/ready%2Bti%2Bassemble%2Bwith%2Bsparkly%2Bgreen%2Bberries.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
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I got a stem of pretty, glittery balls at JoAnn's but you could use holly or poinsettias or anything Christmas-y that you like. If you are makinbg this to be used all year 'round, you will want to use something non-Chrstmas-y. (Do you like the way I make up my own words?? I cut the balls with stems about 1" long. Use hot glue to glue them around the candle, gluing them to the lid, NOT the candle, because you will have to take the candle out to turn it on and off.</div>
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This is what it looks like all lit up. Isn't it pretty? I think I'm going to make one with cinnamon sticks around the candle. I don't know if the light will show very much, but we'll see. <br />
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Cheap, pretty and easy to make. What could be better? I hope I'll see you all back tomorrow!</div>
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GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611201326575259045.post-68336552353405930052014-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:47:05.987-08:0012 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Two<div style="text-align: justify;">
Day Two of this year's list is an easy one! I've been seeing button garlands all over the internet and decided I needed to try one. But those I've seen were all white, and I wanted mine to have lots of color!</div>
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I started with some red crochet thread that I had on hand ( you could use button and carpet thread, too), and then I went through all my buttons and pulled out all the red and green ones. I didn't have enough to make a very long garland, so I made a trip to Wal*Mart and found a bag of red and green buttons! Both colors in one bag! It was about $5 and had plenty of buttons for the garland and all my other Christmas projects, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto3JE-K4RmvJLh08vkoIEcIb5YQECYL3eYQufRqjdVdm5lZ22kesgEdb-XQXFIPnE5J1KEkw99t7BMGPbDdf7Hbr96N2IYPC3NPqFxolqiBQqmws_TgK1-m8kJfGOUvelUF9qJzG4grM/s1600/Button+Garland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto3JE-K4RmvJLh08vkoIEcIb5YQECYL3eYQufRqjdVdm5lZ22kesgEdb-XQXFIPnE5J1KEkw99t7BMGPbDdf7Hbr96N2IYPC3NPqFxolqiBQqmws_TgK1-m8kJfGOUvelUF9qJzG4grM/s1600/Button+Garland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started by trying to string them on the crochet thread, but it didn't work very well, so I wrapped a pieced of scotch tape around the end and cut it at an angle so it was skinny at the end like a needle and would go through the button easier. Then I noticed that the buttons didn't stay put when I moved the string around, so I started putting the thread through both sets of holes on the 4-hole buttons and tying knots on some of the other buttons. Not all of them, but enough to keep them in place. I also noticed as I was stringing them, that they got tangled up really easily. This was a big problem! Not only did I have to keep untangling them, but how would I store the garland so that it wouldn't be a tangled-up mess next year?</div>
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After I got the garland the length I wanted it, which was about 9 or 10 feet long, I hung it over my coat rack to keep it straight until I could figure out how to store it. After seeing it hanging there for about 2 weeks, I had a mind meld........wrap it in wax paper!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8HX8fsGEDW99HQHdB_q1Iqg6zgnQcNlKypPkDL1W18oZipBiEni-w0ST7ekTE6esVyKZ8ZSbNb1Spdo9EtSeDJE0xVA_Xs7DNrlfacHmGZKCnQme86k0ewEY5RT0nv3jV7x1VJ16Jek/s1600/garland+with+wax+paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8HX8fsGEDW99HQHdB_q1Iqg6zgnQcNlKypPkDL1W18oZipBiEni-w0ST7ekTE6esVyKZ8ZSbNb1Spdo9EtSeDJE0xVA_Xs7DNrlfacHmGZKCnQme86k0ewEY5RT0nv3jV7x1VJ16Jek/s1600/garland+with+wax+paper.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tore off a piece of wax paper about 12" lon and laid it out flat on the counter. Then I laid one end of the garland across it and rolled the wax paper over it. Then I folded the garland over the wax paper again and rolled it again. I kept this up until I had all the garland rolled in wax paper.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8ug7H2dNDo/VH12WqFIC5I/AAAAAAAAD4k/UbLUK1sQWp4/s1600/wrapping%2Bit%2Bup%2Bfor%2Bstorage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8ug7H2dNDo/VH12WqFIC5I/AAAAAAAAD4k/UbLUK1sQWp4/s1600/wrapping%2Bit%2Bup%2Bfor%2Bstorage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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With a layer of wax paper in between each length of garland, it keeps it from getting tangled. Then, I folded the roll in thirds and tied it with a piece of the crochet thread and now it's all ready to pack away! After I use it this year, that is.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimff3TdS4pbyPEMbeOZQoTFGrZlAadSB0JlZ-zx_J7be4naFczMWzWflTgRemaaVk1R4MB3m5lK8hS2zMtQdvYfsv07MjPX-RrV-qb63BTe2Q5HAH-C_lk1vuq69C5h92ZvCA7C-e2QKU/s1600/all+wrapped+up+and+ready+to+put+away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimff3TdS4pbyPEMbeOZQoTFGrZlAadSB0JlZ-zx_J7be4naFczMWzWflTgRemaaVk1R4MB3m5lK8hS2zMtQdvYfsv07MjPX-RrV-qb63BTe2Q5HAH-C_lk1vuq69C5h92ZvCA7C-e2QKU/s1600/all+wrapped+up+and+ready+to+put+away.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we put up our tree and put the garland on it, I will post a photo of how cute it looks. This is an easy project for kids to do, after you put the tape on the crochet thread, that is! lol I probably have enough buttons to make another garland if I wasn't using them for other projects, so that's two garlands for the cost of a package of buttons and some crochet thread or button and carpet thread. That's not bad! So make a few of these with your family, or FOR your family, and have a great time while you're at it. (I would not make them as long if the kids are making them. It will be easier to keep them untangled if they're not so long.)</div>
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Now, here's a bit of Christmas trivia. The Christmas colors weren't just chosen because they look good together or because they're opposite on the color wheel. There are a lot of different stories about the Christmas colors and how they came to be known as such, but I like the one that dates back to the 1300's, when Christian churches would traditionally present a Paradise Play in the winter, which told the story of Adam and Eve, to people who could neither read nor write. Since apple trees are not loaded with apples in the winter, a pine tree was used and apples were tied to it to represent the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The trees were so popular that people, especially in Germany, started to bring them into their homes, and Christmas trees and the colors red and green soon came to represent Christmas! Christians have since given special meanings to the colors. The red represents love and the blood shed by Christ on the cross. Green is the color of hope and eternal life, and those plants that are green even in winter, such as holly, ivy and mistletoe, are widely used during this season. White is the color of purity and peace, and is represented by the white lights on the tree. </div>
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No matter which story you believe, it is a fact that red, green and white DO look good together, and they make Christmas a really beautiful holiday, so get yourself lots of red and green and celebrate your holiday in style!</div>
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Love to you and yours.....<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/323/09FA2E60EF97F259B6CFDDBDC40C88B7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>GrammaG20http://www.blogger.com/profile/15471946674308757347noreply@blogger.com0