Christmas Decorations, Cookies and a Few Cards

Hi there everyone....hope you have gotten everything done and are enjoying the Christmas Festivities. I have always felt that Christmas is like a wedding....all the planning, buying, wrapping, fighting traffic, cooking, baking, decorating, visiting, eating, presents, everything involved, right up to the very last moment. Then, then, then, it is all over like in the twinkling of an eye. Sometimes it is such a let down...all that work and it is all over. When I worked at the Salvation Army, it was even more so....Christmas at the Salvation Army can be so, so, so very hectic, but very rewarding. But the next day and the next week.....gone, over and out!!!

Well, just one more day and Christmas will be here. This year, I turned my Christmas tree into a patriotic tree with the red. white and blue lights and decorations. I was going to get a few more flags and stick them in the tree....but one is fine....you get the idea.

Here is my village with the lights on. I did rearrange the village a bit and put a small box under the cotton to raise the house up next to the Church and below the light house. A little reconstruction there.

Here is the village with the lights off. Pretty cool. I like to add something new to the village every year....but I think I am running out of space.

Outside decorations, just a few lights to brighten things up a bit.

Here's a view from the other side of the house and my camera was set for "fireworks" I thought it would work, but I think not.

Here are some cards I made for 3 ladies at the Dental Office. The receptionist and my Dental Hygienist and JP's Hygienist. They liked the cards very much.

Cookies, cookies, cookies....these are my Ritz cookies. Make a sandwich of peanut butter and Ritz crackers. Refrigerate, then dunk the crackers in melted chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles then refrigerate. Very easy peasy. Tomarrow I may make some more cookies, simple cookies called "Mama's Cookies" They should be fun to make.

I don't know if I showed you this card or not, but in case you missed it...it's a vintage Santa from a napkin, I glued him on card stock then embellished him with a snowflake, sequins, gems and fancy papers.

This Snowman family is recycled from a card....I just used glitter glue to embellish the card. Had some flock paper and used that for the background.

Well....I am mostly done with Christmas....just have a few gifts to wrap. I bought JP a "Cross" it says "The Battle is the Lords" (I will take a picture of it, once it is on the wall.) Thought he would like that as a reminder. Made some Hot Cocoa Mix in a Mason Jar for him and the Pastor. JP also got a pair of slippers...his slipper wear out pretty fast because he ends up wearing them to work because his feet hurt so bad. I also colored a bird and framed it.

Christmas dinner I will make steak and potatoes and salad. Sounds good to me....yes? Well, I think I will close this post down. It's going on 9pm and I want to get a couple of miles on my bike yet tonight, That will be 12 miles this week, kind of behind for the month. My goal is 35 miles for the month....not sure it is doing any good, but my scale is going down a few Oz's. a day, so that is good.

Talk to you later and have a great Christmas day.....keep looking up cause better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Doing Christmas - Cards, Eggs & Votives

Hi there everyone. Gosh...Christmas is getting away with us isn't it....8 more days and all this rush, rush, will be over with. I have everything done that needs to be done. Decorations up, cards out, cookies made.

I did make some interesting cookies the other day and they were very simple...I should take a picture before they all disappear. Ritz crackers, spread with peanut butter then made into sandwiches,  dunked in melted chocolate then covered with sprinkles and refrigerated. I already gave some to the Schwan's man...he said they were right up his alley. He likes Ritz crackers, peanut butter and chocolate....who doesn't huh????

My next project will be to make "MaMa's Cookies" I had a taste of them this past Wednesday at our Card Making Christmas Party. One of the ladies who is from Denmark, made them...gosh were they good, like little pancakes. Lis gave me the recipe after she changed it from grams to ozs. Think I will make them tomorrow or Monday.

In the above picture are the little votives I made for the ladies. Aren't they cute. The die cut is from Tim Holtz, called "Trees" I then ran some vellum through the cuttlebug with the embossing folder from Stampin'up called "Snowflakes" (I think) I added a punched out circle for the moon. Glued the trees and vellum together and wrapped it around the votive. They liked it....Betty wants to borrow my die cut....she must have a great idea to use with it. Can hardly wait to see what she comes up with.

In the above picture are the cards I gave the ladies or close to it. (these cards are going into my Etsy store after I do this post.) I brought samples of the paper and showed them how I made the tree....I am sure they all will be making these trees also.

This is what I brought to the party. "Angel Eggs" or famously known as Deviled Eggs. Betty had Ham, buns and cranberry sauce. Sue brought bacon wrapped chestnuts in BBQ sauce. Lis brought the Mama Cookies and Joan brought crackers and liver paste.....everything was delicious and all blended well with each other. I am thinking there were no calories in any of the food we ate....lol...kidding of course!!!

These are a few of the cards we made. The chickadee in the top picture. Colored in with Copic markers....Betty gave us bow makers that she made....so we can make our own bows now. She also gave us a BIG spool of ribbon.....I got yellow ribbon. So you may just see many cards made with yellow ribbon. A good Easter and Spring color.

This card was absolutely beautiful. The picture does not do it justice though. The background is gold sparkle paper. The poinsettia was stamped with "Staz-on" on one side of the acetate and we colored the other side with copic markers. Otherwise mixing Alcohol ink with Staz-on would smear. Sure is a beautiful card. I may just keep this card and frame it. Lis made a beautiful card also that is worthy of being framed....I have a bunch of frames in the basement. That should be one of my projects this winter, framing cards.

Apparently I did not take a picture of the other cards that were made. That will be for another post in a few days. I was only able to make 3 cards....the 4th card, I had to leave otherwise I would be late getting home and making JP's lunch and fixing him something to eat before he leaves for work. Sometimes.....it is just plan hard sharing a car....but in the end, it is cheaper....gas, insurance and car repairs would be doubled I guess.

Well, I guess I will cut this post short....it's getting kind of late and I need to get downstairs and ride my bike for a couple of miles. Been very laxed in doing that lately. I really need to try and lose 10 - 20 pounds this winter. I know I would feel better and maybe my blood sugars would not be so high.

Well you all have a great evening and relaxing Sunday....keep looking up ~ better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise