getcrafty :: popular topics :: christmas :: wreath

View entire thread: Spooky Halloween Wreath for Sale!

Posted by PaigesCreations on 2008-09-18 23:47:05      Post Subject: Spooky Halloween Wreath for Sale!



I am selling a spooky halloween wreath that I made on my etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14579715

Check out our other items, too! They'd make GREAT stocking stuffers! (It's never too early to shop for Christmas!)

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View entire thread: AD: Spooky Halloween Wreath

Posted by PaigesCreations on 2008-09-15 22:53:53      Post Subject: AD: Spooky Halloween Wreath

Hello everyone,

I am selling a spooky halloween wreath that I made on my etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14579715

Please feel free to look around at the other items in my shop (I know, not much stock right now :P), and I would appreciate any and all constructive criticism/comments. Thanks!

-Paige

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View entire thread: Beaded 3-D Christmas Wreath Charm with tutorial to share!

Posted by beadangel on 2008-12-03 15:16:02      Post Subject: Beaded 3-D Christmas Wreath Charm with tutorial to share!

Hi all,

Just finished drawing the last tutorial for this year! It's the beaded Christmas Wreath charm that I made as a phone charm last year. Am thinking of making one new and bigger one using crystals to hang on my tree this year.

Here's the free tutorial link: http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/2008/project/december.html

Here's the photos of my Beaded Christmas creations I made for myself: http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/christmas_specials.html

Thanks for looking!
Merry Christmas!

http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/images/2007images/christmaswreathsmall.gif

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View entire thread: Homebased Business Show

Posted by maustudio on 2007-04-25 10:39:59      Post Subject: Homebased Business Show

I'm renting this room with other small home based businesses in the local area this Saturday, April 28th from 10am to 3pm.

Located at 5301 E. State St., Room 206
above the antique mall in Rockford, IL. (across from Rockford College)

If you are in the area, please stop by! Vendors from Watkins, Tupperwear, Mary Kay, Mia Bella's Candles, Maustudio Jewelry and more! Admission is FREE!

Besides me who made jewelry, stationery and accessories, another lady and husband make wood work and wreath and flower arrangements. I understand this is not a ALL handmade craft show, we would like to continue doing these events, and hope more vendors will join us next time. If you are a craft person in the area and you are interested, contact me for more details.

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View entire thread: craftbunnies nyc fall listings

Posted by stellagal78 on 2004-10-15 16:49:13      Post Subject: craftbunnies nyc fall listings

Fall / Winter events --- e-mail me if you are interested in attending!

craftbunnies nyc: Upcoming Events

October
Mosaic Workshop at Painted Pot
www.paintedpot.com
Call to register or e-mail: lisa@paintedpot.com

November

November Meeting: 4pm Sunday, November 7th at Jenny's
RSVP: just_jennysilver@yahoo.com
Treats will be provided!

Potato and apple stamping
Supply List*:
Apples
Potatoes
Stamp pad or paint
Knife
Cookie cutters (optional)
Something to stamp (i.e. plain paper to make wrapping paper, note cards, tote bags, etc.)
*If you have trouble locating any of the supplies, let Beth and Taryn know.

Turkey Bucket – (approx $1 / pp)
Turkey place card holders (approx $4 for 12)

You are responsible for your own materials for the stamping (be creative! Ideally, everyone will bring supplies to share with the group) If you’d like your turkeys ordered for you, please place your “order” with Beth or Taryn by Tuesday, October 19, 2004 to ensure they arrive on time (or feel free to order your own from www.orientaltrading.com)

If you have other project ideas, it’s not too late! Please e-mail them!

E-mail Beth, Jenny or Taryn for subway directions to Jenny's and address.

December

4pm December 5th Meeting
Location: TBD (if you’d like to hostess*, please let Beth know)
Details to follow

Cookie Exchange
(formal instructions to follow, but please plan to provide 6 cookies per personal participating)
Ornament Making
Wreath Making
Holiday Cards
If you have ideas for other non-denominational projects, let Beth or Taryn know!

December 17th Gingerbread House Workshop at Artez’n

7-9pm
Build your dream house...and then eat it! A new twist on an old favorite. Use graham crackers, frosting, candy and a little imagination to build a brownstone, a castle or even a trailer, any structure you like! Must be 21+. Free wine included/BYOB. All supplies included. Taught by Stacey Goldman-Laughter. Must be 21+. Free wine included/BYOB. All supplies included. Register at www.artezn.com Mention craftbunnies for 10% off!! We’ll be having dinner after!

Secret Snowflake?

If you are interested in signing up let Beth or Taryn know (and include your mailing address!). This is a one-month secret craft swap where you are assigned one person (who doesn’t know who you are!). You will send them (via postal mail) one craft each week for four weeks leading up to the holidays. Your secret snowflake will be revealed at the end of the project (perhaps at our December meeting, after Gingerbread class OR at a craftbunnies holiday party??). Please do not spend more than $25 on supplies, etc for this project. Have fun and be creative! It’s meant to be fun.

*Hostesses are responsible for taking RSVP’s, providing workspace and directions to the location and food and beverages. You can chose a location other than your home if you know of a place that would be appropriate! (I.e. a fun coffee shop with work space).

posted by Craft Bunny @ 4:37 PM

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View entire thread: Need Halloween Craft Ideas

Posted by RobertaN on 2006-10-26 19:50:04      Post Subject:

They had Halloween party at my son's school couple of days ago and they did two crafts. My son will be 4 in a month.

1. They made a spider from pipe cleaners, black yarn, and eyes that you buy from the craft store. The pipe cleaners were purple and orange, cut about 6"-7" long. You cut 10-12 pieces of black yarn little bit shorter than the pipe cleaners, for hair. Then you put the four pipe cleaners together, you line up the yarn next to them and tie them in the middle with a longer piece of yarn, long enough so you can make a loop and hang it from somewhere. Make sure that the legs (pipe cleaners) are on bottom, and the hair (yarn) is on the top. Then you fold the legs, 8 of them. They were using heat gun for gluing the eyes, because they stay put immediatelly. If you put regular glue you will have to wait some time for the glue to dry, otherwise the eyes will come off. The little ones can pick up their own color for the spider, help hold the pipe cleaners and the yarn together while you tie them together, and fold the legs. Then you can send them to scare someone.

2. Then they made wreath out of paper plates and fall leaves made of construction paper. They had the paper plates ready, with the circle removed from the middle, so it looks like an O. They had the fall leaves ready too, made of black and orange construction paper (different shapes of leaves). The little ones have to glue the leaves on the wreath. My son enjoyed doing this.

When we went home, I punched a hole on one side of the wreath and put the yarn from the spider through the hole, made a loop, and now the spider is in the middle of the wreath. Looks pretty cool.

Another idea. Two of the moms were getting ready today to make another Halloween party at the same school for whoever wasn't able to attend the first one, and they had pumpkins made of orange construction paper and eyes, noses (triangles), and mouths (crescents) made of black constraction paper. So the little ones will have to glue and decorate their "pumpkins".

I hope this helps.

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View entire thread: Pop tops/Pull tabs

Posted by geekgirl on 2007-08-29 09:20:45      Post Subject:

that purse is cool. i've been saving tabs forever now to make a wreath for christmas.

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View entire thread: fabric flowers: need ideas

Posted by tosha on 2006-03-02 23:49:38      Post Subject:

This is just an idea . . . I remember seeing a beautiful wreath in Martha Stewart Living, which was made with leaves embossed onto velvet. A flower made in a similar way might be very pretty.

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel150021&contentGroup=MSL&site=living

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View entire thread: Need Halloween Craft Ideas

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-10-27 09:37:45      Post Subject:

For the little ones, I think RobertaN's ideas for pre-cut things that the kiddos can assemble is a good one.

What about decorating trick or treat bags? If you have some plain handled paper shopping bags they might all get into that. Pre-cut stuff for the little guys and then let the bigger ones go nuts. (extra fun if the librarians can slip them a few snickers bars on the way out)

For older boys, I tend to think spooky gross out stuff - but I'm not sure how much you would want to be making fake blood or slime in the library -easy but big mess potential.

For older girls, someone posted a super cute candy corn bag on craftster. That is probably way too elaborate, but I'm digging candy corn lately. (Okay it's not appropriate for your situation, but I think you could make a candy corn Halloween costume for one of those American Girl dolls that are everywhere with white, yellow and orange felt. It could be glued together or else it is just a couple of straight seams. Man, I need to hangout with my little cousins so I have an excuse to do this stuff)

Okay, but since candy corn is basically a white, yellow and orange triangle, that might be an easy image for them to make at any age. Could do something like the fall leaves wreath with paper or felt candy corn.

For more ideas, check out kiddley.

I don't even have kids, but I like a lot of their projects. Good age-appropriateness reviews and simple ideas.

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View entire thread: i need ideas for handkerchiefs

Posted by Jeanine on 2005-05-21 01:01:57      Post Subject:

Make a wreath! I have amazing vintage hankies, with fabulous edges...display them in a wreath. Get a styrofoam wreath, press your hankies, and lightly starch each. Poke holes in the wreath form with a pencil, then lay your hankie flat, pick up with your index and thumb in the center, use the pencil ERASER to poke the center hankie point into your base, just imagine that they are hankie blossoms. Cover the whole wreath form, and pin some hankie corners back to cover anything showing. It should look like a riot of hankie flowers all over the wreath! Hang with a pretty ribbon! To dust it, just use your blow dryer on a low settng.

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View entire thread: Crafts with candles

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2007-10-24 11:07:22      Post Subject:

Things to do with votives?

Making an advent wreath with simple votive cups set into it would be good. Or how about a menorah in blue and white, or perhaps a Kwanzaa array of colors?

A votive on a small support could be placed in the middle of a bundt or angel food cake. While I don't care for the idea of baking inedible stuff into cakes no matter when or how it will be removed, there's that idea of baking wedding charms into a cake with ribbons to pull them out. So the festive cake with the candle in the middle of the ring would have ribbons laid over the sides of the cake with charms down in the hole under the candle.

I think votives could be frozen into distilled water in cupcake or mini-bundt tins, then floated in a punch bowl or small pool. This would need to be really cold fluid or water, or a very short display because the ice will melt and the candle will drop and splutter out.

I've decorated many candles with melting crayons. Hold the tip of a crayon *near* a flame and as soon as it softens use it to paint on the candle. I've done it to tapers and columns, so I think it would work with votives as long as the motif is small.

In my hippie candlemaking days, I sometimes filled large conch shells with wax and a wick. Eventually i learned that that doesn't make a great candle, but a tea light or votive can be set into them. Often a small shell will be needed to support the shell. If needed, tiny shells or small pebbles can fill the shell to support the candle.

Soda and beer cans are the right size for votive luminaria, but the sharp edges once you've cut a design are a real drawback.

You can embed shells or tiny charms or stones around the base of the candle with melted wax. With colorful candles, you'd have to sacrifice one to the cause, unless you like the look of white wax against a fuschia candle. You already know the caveats on melting wax, right? So a tiny bit, either in a djanting pen or with a stiff paint brush in wax over a double boiler, blob it onto the charm and affix immediately. If you are concerned that they could slip or shift off, then scribe a bit with a pin or other sharp right under the eventual placement. That way the hot wax will seal the charm to the candle in position.

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View entire thread: GiftWrapGoddessWraps - a zine all about gift wrapping :)

Posted by abigailamy on 2004-06-24 20:45:53      Post Subject: Hello! :) July Issue Comes out Wednesday

Hello!

The July issue of GiftWrapGoddessWraps will come out on Wednesday. Don't miss the only zine on the internet all about gift wrap.

In this month's issue:

Wrap Adorable Baby Shower Gifts

12 Questions to Kickstart Your Dream

Common Gift Wrap Mistakes & How To Solve Them

Goddesses Delight: Make Your Own Bubble Bath

July Gift Wrap Projects – Creative Gift Wrap Ideas!

From Creative Crafts Teachers Ezine:

The How’s and Why’s of Vintage Clothes Shopping by Myranda Morgan

The Creation Station: Make A Cigar Box Purse!

Childrens’ Corner: Gift Wrapping With Children

Yard Sale Finds: Turning Trash Into Treasure

Chakra Color Gift Wrapping

Make Your Own Beads by Intuitive Artist Armande Borghardt

Ask The Goddess:

Visit The Garden of Dreams & Develop Your Psychic Abilities

Ways to Bring Play into Your Life by Jenny Ward, Play Activist

To learn more about GiftWrapGoddessWraps or to subscribe visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiftWrapGoddessWraps/





Hello!
The July Issue of Creative Crafts Teachers will be out on Wednesday. Don't miss the zine for crafts teachers and people who love crafts.

In this month's issue:

Warning! When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple by Jenny Jones

Teachers’ Toolbook:

Celebrate America’s Birthday! Make A Patriotic Fourth of July Wreath

Creation Station: Make A Cigar Box Purse!

Top Ten Ways to Coach Yourself with Scrapbook Journaling
by Jeanine Byers

True Friends Are Not Dream Slashers by David Leonhardt

July Crafts Projects: Seashell Frame, Seashell Friends (with google eyes and glitter), Chase Rainbows Tank Shirt

From GiftWrapGoddessWraps Zine: Goddesses Delight: Make Your Own Bubble Bath!

How Children Learn by Shelley Ruiz

Things We Love: Super Size Me, a movie by Morgan Spurlock

Bracelet Beading Birthday Parties by Rena Klingenberg

Ways to Bring Play into Your Life by Jenny Ward

Inspiration For You: Durwin Rice’s Decoupage Website

Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success by Bea Fields

Sleepover Party Crafts

For more information or to subscribe visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativeCraftsTeachers/

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View entire thread: What should I DO with all this junk??????? HELP!

Posted by catherine on 2007-04-20 10:29:56      Post Subject:

I seemed to have the same no problem as you on a much larger scale.

You could take the toys and turn them into a collage wreath by gluing and wiring the toys onto a wreath base. If you have a lot of toy cars you could do the same but as a base you could use and old bike tire.

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View entire thread: Christmas is comming!

Posted by tiebeltfad on 2004-11-18 15:26:46      Post Subject: Christmas is comming!

Ok while Christmas is a good month and a couple weeks away, I'm already trying to think of crafty presents to save money. Any ideas? I saw the post about gifts for co-workers but I'm thinking more personal things for friends or family-
here are some ideas i had:
-make a matching table cloth and napkins with Christmas-y fabric
-make a wreath
-you can make candles for just about anything
-etching on a vase - something Christmas-y
Well, I have a start, but if anyone else has some, let me know!

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View entire thread: Homemade candy etc.?

Posted by slaster138 on 2005-12-13 14:45:59      Post Subject:

peanut brittle is a great idea-- last year, i put a recipe on the board for microwave peanut brittle-- i would just re-post it, but i can't remember it.

another easy thing to make-- hard candy. you know you all made thie little cinnamon candies in home ec 'round about 8th grade-- or the little lollipops... fudge is easy too-- you could make it with white chocolate (which isn't really chocolate at all technically) or make it all butterscotch and pb for any folks that may have allergies. my mom just sent this to me-
Five Minute Fudge
1 (12 oz. pkg.) milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch or peanut butter chips
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Melt chips in heavy sauce pan over med-low heat, stirring constantly.
Add Eagle brand milk and vanilla, stir to blend. Add nuts. Pour into a buttered round cake pan with a saran-wrapped glass in the center.
Chill, When served looks like a wreath and it easy to slice.

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View entire thread: Why is cardamon so darn expensive?

Posted by FloozySoozy on 2004-09-13 06:57:12      Post Subject:

I just bought a bag of cardamom pods in Turkey for a little over one euro. It's unbelievable how cheap spices were there. On the other hand, although cardamom is pricey here, $13 for a bottle (of powder, not even pods!) sounds like a real rip-off.
Can you try going to an Asian market? Down here the 'toko
's' (Chinese and Indonesian shops) have much better deals when it comes to spices.
I have found spices to be much cheaper abroad. That's why I always ask friends to bring me some local spices from their vacation. So far I have a wreath of dried chillies and another with dried Hungarian peppers, sweet and spicy paprika, more saffron then I know what to do with and all types of curry powders (Indian, Surinamese, Antillian). Maybe you can ask around if anyone you might know is heading in the direction of Asia/North Africa...

xs.

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View entire thread: Christmas is comming!

Posted by EvesApple on 2004-11-19 19:38:00      Post Subject:

This year, I think I'm doing Moroccan preserved lemons. This is mostly a selfish thing. I want to try my hand at pickling, and preserved lemons seem like a good entry-level pickling project. I need to find some recipes using preserved lemons to go along with them, though, or else people are going to be baffled.

*hits the floor in shock* Oh wow...you know about pickled lemons! I have never found a recipe that uses them, probably because they're meant to be a condiment. You eat them on the side with any Moroccan dish. Here's a few:

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/africa/morocco/

Harira is good veggie, by the way! Hm...you might throw some appetizers together by threading a piece of flatbread, a piece of cheese (goat or a firm white would be good), a piece of lemon and a black olive on bamboo skewers. I ate them this way the first time I tried the lemons. We were doing the olive/cheese/bread/wine thing and I saw them sitting at the olive bar and couldn't resist. Not traditional, but tasty! Keep in mind that oil cured olives are saltier than brine. I have a soft spot for the oil cured ones but they're pretty salty on their own without adding a salty lemon on top.

Now for something completely different...

I'd like to make a wreath this year, too! Preferably an evergreen. I have nooo idea where to start? Help?

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View entire thread: Does it feel like Christmas yet?

Posted by mishl982 on 2004-11-30 09:50:51      Post Subject:

I feel it! It's definitely not cold enough, but I dug around and found a box of old Christmas things. I decorated a mini tree and put it in my room, put a jingle bell wreath on my door and wrapped most of my presets. :) I even broke out my Christmas CDs.

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View entire thread: Setting up a new house or apartment

Posted by anjanetteopal on 2006-12-08 08:36:34      Post Subject: Decorating on the cheap

If for you moving into/renting/buying a new place means finally having
the freedom to decorate any way you'd please, you might be
fighting the temptation not to live beyond your means in order to
live surrounded by the kind of beauty you love and have longed for.

Fulfilling that dream of making your place home-decorating-reality-show-worthy doesn't have to be expensive. A little creativity can go a long way and be a huge asset to a tiny bank account. One way to save money is to use every day objects to add an interesting touch in unexpected places. Just adding a bowl of fruit to a living room coffee table or end table can suggest a sort of abundance you may not have in any measurable monetary quantity. Picking flowers from the garden or the side of the road on your way home from work and arranging them at home can bring comfort and freshness to a not-so-impressive (or impressive, for that matter) dining area. If you want to coordinate colors, work with what you have. Have an earthy
colored hallway or bathroom? Make a mirror or picture frame out of the lids to Starbucks frappuchino bottles. Seriously. Don't spend a fortune for something that may not even express your personality to your visitors if you can make something that does for less!

If you do decide to purchase more conventional decorating items, consider whether an item can be displayed in several places or in several ways to change things up a bit without spending more money. Flower vases are a great example. Not only can they be found cheaply at thrift
stores (everyone has a dozen lying around from flower arrangements given to them over the years), but they can suit just about any decorating taste. If you are going for a touch of elegance, consider buying vases that are or could pass for crystal and dress them up very little. If you're up for a challenge, buy more interesting pieces or paint the simple ones you find to match your theme. Don't limit yourself to flowers when choosing filler for your vases. Pebbles/stones, sea shells, fish (with water preferably), candles, writing utensils, dry cooking supplies like beans rice and noodles, potpourri, craft supplies like beads and buttons, and just about anything else you can imagine could add just the right touch to a room. Consider changing the contents, arrangement, or embelishments (like ribbon) of vases to match the season. A large vase with pinecones from the yard and $1 candycanes from the grocery store with a Christmas ribbon tied around it could make a beautiful centerpiece and cost you pennies compared to a decorative wreath and candle arrangement from a home design store.

So go ahead and go to the fancy home decorating sales, and look through the catalogs for ideas, but then stop and look at what is immediately around you. You just might be able to recreate the feel of that magazine page without any residual shoppers-guilt the next morning!!

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View entire thread: Does it feel like Christmas yet?

Posted by PamTheQueen on 2004-11-29 23:22:16      Post Subject:

I try to not feel Christmas too much too early. I'm afraid of losing my soul to the excessive holiday commercialism if I start earlier.

The biggies:
I not decorate for Christmas until 12 days before(lights, trees, wreath, nativity scene). (but I do have snowmen up since we did have some snow in Indiana last week!)

I do prepare gifts (the homemade type) before the 12 days, but I don't purchase from stores until then (except for supplies to make stuff!).



Major ughs:
I heard Christmas music at the mall the day before Halloween.

Several neighbors had Christmas decorations and trees up the week after Halloween.

It gets earlier and earlier every year!!!

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View entire thread: get crafty book: national chains that might carry it?

Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2004-05-12 17:32:12      Post Subject:

i think wherever it can go as far and widespread as possible. no limitations! the better and bigger it sells, the more impact it makes for other cool books like this to make it through and go up against all those scary dried wheat wreath books! Viva! Let your book charge through with force and power!!

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View entire thread: get crafty book: national chains that might carry it?

Posted by MonaMew on 2004-05-13 18:44:46      Post Subject:

i think wherever it can go as far and widespread as possible. no limitations! the better and bigger it sells, the more impact it makes for other cool books like this to make it through and go up against all those scary dried wheat wreath books! Viva! Let your book charge through with force and power!!

Agreed! :o)

Have a wonderful time tonight!

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View entire thread: holiday money saving

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-11-01 23:55:06      Post Subject:

I'm going to make a few smelly jellies for my brother the smoker. There are recipes out there that use liquid potpourri from the dollar store and gelatin, and I already have the jars.

While I'm not a regifter per se, I do buy things for no particular reason and then think, "wow, my sister would love this!" I already gave her some sparkly pink and silver organza yardage and a few seconds instruction on how to wrap a wreath or cover the tree base or a table or make a window toppers from folds of it, or a shawl if she wants. She's definitely a pink and silver girl for Christmas. I know she'll want more stuff for Christmas though. All of my thrifted silver over the years has gone to her, jewelry and serving pieces and picture frames, etc. All of my teapots have gone to her collection save one. But I do have a teapot pincushion that was just too good to pass up she'll love, and some candle gift sets from after last Christmas that I will break down and remix with other pieces as a gift basket for her.

I've often given away things I loved to someone who would love them more. It's helped me let go of 'stuff'. Helped me get over the attachment. It's no longer mine to worry about or polish or whatever, and I no longer have to remember the provenance. My sister has a silver frame with a place for engraving something. It's very old, I replaced the glass, it has a family history but was never actually used or hung by anyone. She doesn't need to know the whole story, it's not that interesting anyway, and it looks great on her piano with a photo of her daughter and son-in-law.

I don't plan on buying anything if I can help it. i have so much craftable stuff, and so many things unused that I've set aside for 'whenever' that I might thrift an appropriate basket or add new handtowels, or buy some glitter spray, but definitely am not into shopping for the holidays. The way I see it, even if I get into a gift exchange at work, I probably have something that is appropriate, or can at least wrap it with stuff i already have.

Some Halloween packages went out to family members, and included some C'mas craft stuff I'd been asked to make or fix. Little trinkets and odd ball stuff I thought the little nieces and nephews would like were included. The newlyweds are in a hurricane damaged area, as am I, so I sent them some things that might make life a little easier: instant coffee mixes, antibacterial wipes, super hand cream and a sterno stove I had in storage.

Yeah, I'm a wacky aunt and great-aunt, but they've pretty much always known that. I'm the one that gave them jalapeno lollipops and mealworm crunch for their stockings one year... Big hit, by the way, but they were all preadolescent then.

I'll pass on books, plant trees in someone's name, and I'm painting my mother's front door with some embellishment. I don't do cards, but will make a few for my mother to send. She's always short a few it seems.

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View entire thread: theme parties

Posted by lilcatgrrl on 2005-04-18 18:49:10      Post Subject:

We throw Theme parties all the time, my birthday and my fiance's birthday are 6 months apart, so we throw these parties fairly often:

"Cinco de Juno": My birthday is 06/05, so I threw a theme party. Catered with Mexican (tacos) and Greek food (dolmas, hummus, pilaf) I was dressed in a toga with a wreath of vines in my hair, and I decorated the house in red & green (Mexican flag) and Blue and white (greek flag) streamers with little "fiesta" decorations

"Dante's Disco Inferno" : his birthday party, many people dressed as Devils circa 1977

"Tokyo Club Kids" dress as as Tokyo club kids, we got pretty creative.

"Prom" this was my birthday party last year. My fiance drew a backdrop and made a banner for our prom theme. And we took digital pictures. I had a sash and crown for the Prom Queen, fully intending to elect my very pregant sister in law, but they left before the coronation, so everyone voted for me. (duh, the birthday girl)

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View entire thread: How to have a magical holiday season

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2005-11-27 20:10:25      Post Subject:

Our older son's b-day is on Dec. 1st, so we don't start to decorate until the 2nd.
My mom bought a wreath for me for just $2.97, so I'll be working on decorating that in the next few days. It will hang in my newly painted front porch. : )
I bought a pre-lit x-mas tree last year. I was sick of dealing with strings of lights. We don't do real trees. I can just see my (almost) 4 yr. old playing in the water and zapping himself w/ the electric lights. We used to go cut trees at the farm of this nice Swiss couple before we had kids.
I haven't been able to use my nice glass ornaments since 1993 when we adopted our 1st kitty....and then came the kids.
We always make cutout cookies, and my older son has enjoyed icing and decorating them. This year his little bro can join in on the fun!
Every year is a struggle to figure out where to put our tree, since we have pretty cramped quarters. I've been playing w/ furniture rearranging since I repurposed a bench and an old Lane trunk as seating benches/storage in our living spaces.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting out and seeing decorated houses and taking the wee boy to see Santa.
I also have boxes of ornaments for my 2 boys. I'd like to get them each a mini tree to decorate and put in their rooms. We'll see if I get aroudn to it this year!

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View entire thread: How to have a magical holiday season

Posted by zbann on 2005-11-27 02:37:19      Post Subject:

I also love the holidays, and try to have the entire month of December is Christmas to me. I love to see how mny other of us Christmas lovers there are.

I put up my decorations yesterday and today. Set up my tree, made two wreaths. My husband helped by staying out of my way and turning to say wow that looks great when I asked what he thinks :)

A tradition that my husband and I both like is the advent calendar. Basically I set it up and my husband opens a box for each day --starting december 1st. This year I bought a playmobile one. I keep thinking of making one--but so many other projects to do!

Another tradition that we have is we see one professional show--whether the ballet, musical or theater. This year it's the Christmas Carol--which if you're in Seattle see it at the ACT--it's terrific. This is our third time seeing their production.

Let's see on that idea we also go to the Botanical Gardens and look at the lights, we go to our city's tree lighting ceremony and other communty events.

Though I already starting my Christmas Shopping and except for baking all my Christmas crafting is done--I try to wrap presents slowly. Only one or two a day. Mainly to make sure the present is complete. Plus I love wrapping presents.

Speaking of shopping; my mom and I (and sometimes my sisters as well) do a shopping day and go out to a tea house for lunch.

My girlfriends and I do a cookie swap. I host it and serve tea, fruit, cheese, etc. This is a No husbands/boyfriends event. Doesn't have to be of course, but for us it's just a good time to get with all my women friends during the season--plus it's very practical as well.

My husband and I adopted a family from the Salvation Army. We always try to do some good during the season.


Chelsea, we have a tradition like your yelling at the cats--but it is scolding the dogs. Two dogs who love to shred paper and ribbons. Our doggy son already ate a little plastic "berry" from the wreath I was making.

Beth

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View entire thread: What are your early/favorite crafty memories?

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-11-06 08:33:43      Post Subject:

Baking pinecones and acorns on very low heat for wreath making. Keeps the bugs and worms away. And if they are white pine cones, it melts the sticky sap to a hard clear finish. The smell is heaven to me. Mom would do it for her Camp Fire Girls that I was too little to join.

Embroidering a puppy picture from a transfer. Probably at 4, maybe younger. I don't remember what happened to it.

Plaster casts of shells. Earliest use of that, we'd coat them with vaseline and press into wet plaster, just like the handprints kids do. Later on, I'd fill a shoe box with damp beach sand, impress the shells, remove, then fill slowly with plaster of paris.

Stringing shells on fishing line to make necklaces and bracelets.

Although this is much older, when I was fifteen, I embroidered an old denim work hat of my Dad's with freehand wild flowers and insects. I wore it everywhere. I lost it in a windy rainstorm before I considered it completed.

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View entire thread: Glitter?

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2005-02-19 08:21:03      Post Subject:

craftytricks, I think we're all kinda sensitive to the split, so you won't see much discussion until someone like you asks.

My understanding of it:

Glitter was the forum created by a company called Flat that did some development for getcrafty. The forum was a distinct entity. Flat and getcrafty evolved and dissolved their association, so the OG or "old" glitter stayed as a shrine at the old site while supernaturale, owned by Flat, had the right to reincarnate the glitter boards. Getcrafty started a separate board within a few days of the split.

The tone of both boards is evolving. The OG is still a shrine that some of us go to once in a while to lay a wreath or shed a tear.

IMO, both getcrafty and glitter are getting too something for my taste. Young maybe. Not hip, that's not a problem. I'm just feeling more like an outsider, kinda like the elderly chaperone at a junior high dance. I'm gonna go see if AARP has a craft board, maybe making those toilet paper cozies or recycling Metamucil cans or something.

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View entire thread: how did you all get started?

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-06-30 14:47:26      Post Subject:

I don't know when, but definitely very early in life. I was embroidering at under five years for certain, although it was the child's kit with the plastic needle and holes in cardboard kind of thing. Fine embroidery in first grade or so. Paint by numbers kits and making doll clothes around then, too.

My mom was a Camp Fire Girls troop leader and didn't know any better. She thought that all the suggested crafts were things my older sister and her friends should be doing. So we did them. Only at their age, their mothers probably did more of it. And I tagged along. Candle making, macrame, applique, collage, decoupage, wreath making, corn husk dolls, face painting, papier mache, etc. Whatever people did in the early '60s. Yeah, I've made those angels out of folded Readers Digests spraypainted gold, and suet stuffed pine cones and bracelets out of oatmeal boxes.

Key was I didn't know other kids didn't do this sort of stuff. I had friends, but never seemed to notice that they didn't have fake fur coats and slinky knee sock nightgowns for their Barbies.

Then when my brothers went into Boy Scouts, I learned a hole bunch more crafty stuff including the use of power tools.

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View entire thread: Looking for christmas ornament craft ideas :)

Posted by happydaisydoo on 2004-09-30 22:40:07      Post Subject:

I make a different ornament each year for my family and friends. I have been doing it for about 8 years, so I have lots of books and sets of instructions. The following are just a few ideas that I have used in the past. I'll try to put together other sets of instructions over the weekend and post them. Good luck!

Felt Ornaments
Supplies:
felt
Christmas Shape Templates
pinking shears
Embroidery Floss
Buttons
Batting (optional)

Cut front and back of Christmas shape out of felt and pink the edges. If you choose to add batting, place it between the pieces. Stitch around edges with contrasting embroidery floss. Embellish with buttons. Add hanger with ribbon or embroidery floss.

Beaded Stars
Supplies:
Assorted glass or plastic beads (anything except pony beads will do)
18 or 20 gauge wire (you will have to decide which works best)
ribbon

Cut a length of wire and loop the end. Load it up with beads leaving about 1/2" bare. (8" will make a small star) Loop bare section through looped end and secure. You should have a circle. Bend circle into star shape (or leave a circle and have a bead wreath!) The wire should be fairly easy to manipulate into the shape you like. When you are pleased with the shape, tie ribbon around the wire loops to disguise them and then loop the ribbon up to make a hanger. Hot glue sometimes helps to hide the wire.

Marble ornaments
Supplies:
craft marbles (the kind that go in the bottom of vases)
26-28 gauge wire

Cut 6 lengths of wire 6-8" long. Lay them out in a an asterik pattern with the center of each wire intersecting. Place a marble over the center and gather the wire up around it, encasing the marble in the wire. Twist the wire on top of the marble to secure. Spread the wires out and add another marble and repeat until you are happy with the design. Take the remaining wire

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View entire thread: halloween costumes-

Posted by alterego on 2004-09-30 19:34:57      Post Subject:

teeny17, I really like your moth idea; I may adapt it for myself. I haven't given any thought to Halloween yet, and last year I didn't dress up at all (although my then-boyfriend and I sat on the front steps and gave out candy to all the kids in our usually hateful and depressing neighborhood, then watched American Werewolf and London, and we had a suprisingly good time).

For several years in college I was a skeleton; my best friend, who briefly majored in scientific illustration, painted an AWESOME skeleton on some black leggings and a black long-sleeve T-shirt . . . I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that costume. Then for the next couple of years I had sort of 1920's-ish conceptual costumes, both based on this long brown satin dress that I have. One year I used it to be a spider-lady, I had gray satin legs coming out from my legs and a spiderweb hairpiece. The next year I used it to be a tree lady, and I had a twig wreath in my hair with birds stuck in it, and made a twig/vine stole and a twig/vine bustle, which I pinned to the back of my dress. Fun to think up and put together (I was actually out in my back yard that morning pulling vines down and collecting twigs!), but we went out to crowded bars for Halloween and both costumes were pretty much instantly destroyed.

Anyway, I found that brown dress in my closet last night and started trying to figure out what I could do with it this year (I like working within certain parameters, I guess), and that moth idea would fit perfectly!

OH! Also, has anyone seen the pink knitted wig on Knitty? That would be perfect for a ragdoll costume! Or some weird knitted robot from the future, which is what the picture reminds me of.

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View entire thread: feminism and domesticity

Posted by ambelina on 2004-12-28 15:34:09      Post Subject:


But at the same time, we have to be working with men too. And further, I think (hope) that in the 3rd wave we're trying to get AWAY from this binary male/female thinking. So I don't know. Actually this has been on my mind a lot lately and could probably be a seperate thread.

YES! No more binary men vs. women! Because, wake up, gang! NO ONE is made for the 9-5 life. NEARLY ALL 9-5 JOBS SUCK FOR MEN AND WOMEN! Really. Ask some mens and womens - this sucks. Truly.

Excuse the above tone - I'm not really trying to yell at all y'all, cause I think it's a fabulous discussion, and I'm really not directing that at anyone personally, but as a general Yalp! of frustration.

It's so hard to even know where to BEGIN.

Then I wrote a post that was soooo long, I was automatically logged out by the time I was finished.

I can't possibly intrude with so much ramblyness. Here are the highlights.

In a very general, pervasive way, I think that men learn these things in the world:
They will be responsible for their own incomes AND that men with families must do some or all of the work to support that family.
Overcoming challenges is good and interesting.
They have to fit in.

In a very general pervasive way, I think that women learn these things in the world:
They can follow their dreams - or perhaps, just a sense that you have dreams, and that following your dreams will make you happy, and if you're not happy, it's because you're not working on your dreams.
They can make your own income BUT if you have kids, maybe it will be your job or your choice to stay home.
They won't fit in to the world of men, you have to find a way of dealing with not "fitting in" sometimes.

I think all these things have advantages and disadvantages.

-Maybe more women "quit" to stay at home because men make more money.
-Maybe more women "quit" to stay at home because they know that this is an option in our society - it's something that is done.
-Maybe a new domesticity, reveling in making a perfect Martha Stewart wreath or dinner or party, or making hand-knits that cost more than sweatshop readymades, is a way of enjoying and "taking back" pride in the little things that we do, helping infuse it with the idea that these are choices, and can be creative.
-Maybe we're leaving men out in the cold.
-Maybe they've left us out in the cold so long they deserve it (but I don't think so) or maybe it's just their job to come in and get warm when they're good and ready.
-Maybe the domestics are a little more controllable than the rat race - I can clean my living room, and if I can't, it's between me and the living room. If I can't get a managerial position... it's because of the world? The overriding partriarchy of our society? Maybe, but that's a pathetic excuse.

So...
Maybe the way to take the new domesticity to a new level is to keep up the pride in doing things well, to prize the "domestic" work we do like cleaning, etc. so that somehow it can become acceptable to men to take pride in it.
Queer eye for the straight guy and "metrosexuality" are interesting concepts for all this. On the one hand, guys can be chastized and ridiculed for not having the right grooming products, or for having unpleasant/uncared for dwellings. Maybe not the way to be encouraging, BUT maybe it opens up the door for them to do those things and take pride in them. It creates a social pressure for them to perform in those areas. There's definitely a consumerist bent there: buy the right pillows, be the right glamourous image, but it's mixed in with a "you're allowed to be proud of your dwelling/appearance." But it is possible to do those things without laying out the cash. Does that mean that society is placing a higher value on those domestic things that make the house clean and pleasant?

That's all very, very, very rambly. But I may have found the kernel I was looking for:

We tend to allow men to take pride in "big" things outside the home.
We tend to allow women to take pride in "little" things inside the home.

-Let's glorify the little things in the home, to give recognition to those who do them. Life is lived, for the most part, in the every day, and it's so much easier to face the world if you have a pleasant home and you walk out the door with a homemade, healthy lunch in your briefcase.
-Let's allow people of both sexes to enjoy the small victories and successes and joys of doing these little things.
-Let's not forget to teach ourselves and each other that although domestic tasks can be rewarding and fulfilling and necessary, you can't do it unless someone is doing something to pay for the roof, and the groceries, and the cleaning supplies.

MAYBE the next step in feminism will come when men are trying to force women to earn more money in the rat race because they want to stay home.

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