• Valentine Cross Stitch Pillow!

    Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope you had a good week! I’ve been SUPER busy in the craft room and I have lots of good things to share with you soon! This weekend we have  fun things planned at church, and also MORE crafting! Ha. It’s been cold here (California cold) and we are nesting and catching up on movies and drinking lots of coffee. I do somehow appreciate the calmness of January after all the hoopla of December. Time to take a big breath, organize, and regroup. I enjoy the cold weather and I like it that my husband can rest and isn’t out in the yard working all the time. And I like wearing sweaters! LOL.  Next week is the first Greetery release of 2024 and I guarantee you’re going to absolutely love it. I may go out on a limb and say it might be my favorite Greetery release ever!! (That’s saying a lot). Cannot wait for you to see everything!! Stay tuned!!

    Today’s project is a Valentine Cross stitch I made! And then, I made it into a pillow! YEAH! My first ever cross stitch pillow! I have had a mental block about doing this for years. I am not super confident in my sewing skills. And I didn’t want to ruin my stitching by messing up the sewing part! Usually I only use my sewing machine to sew on paper! But I watched a bunch of Youtube videos, and then went for it! I must say, for my first try I am really happy with how it turned out! Now I can make more, with the lessons learned from this one. So excited!

    This pattern is one of three in the same pack! It’s called Valentine House Trio. I decided to make the house with the birds/letter first because I love a mail theme!! The finished stitch is about 5×7 inches. 

    SUPPLY LIST CLICK HERE!

    Here are the details about the stitching:

    Pattern:  Valentine House Trio by Waxing Moon Designs    
    Fabric:    14 Count Aida 
    Floss:      DMC Floss – My own color choices 
    Gingham Fabric and Pom Pom Trim: Hobby Lobby
     
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    My little finished pillow!! This stitch was fun and easy! It went really quickly and I just love all the little details – the love letter, the swirls in the tree and the little bunting banner at the bottom. Really so much fun!! I used my own stash of DMC flosses for this one. When Floss goes on sale at Joann’s I will buy a lot of them! And I have them separated in bins in my craft room by color family. I can usually start a stitch using what I have on hand here and rarely use the exact colors. I could very easily make this into an Autumn House or a Christmas House just by changing the colors!! Isn’t that fun? 

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    I love the little BE MINE words along the side!!

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    SUPPLY LIST CLICK HERE!

    Here’s a close up of the pom pom trim after I sewed it on… I think it’s the perfect final touch.

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    Here is the backside of my finished pillow. Gingham of course! You guys know me! Never enough gingham!

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    SUPPLY LIST CLICK HERE!

    First I ironed my stitching and put interfacing on the back of it to make it nice and perfect!! I trimmed my stitching piece one inch around all four sides – one inch from the border of the stitching. 

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    I trimmed my gingham piece to the exact same size as the stitching piece. (In hindsight I would also put interfacing on the gingham to make it have a little more body. Just preference) I put the two pieces back to back and sewed all around it, leaving about three inches unsewed at the bottom so I could turn it inside out and add stuffing. I was under close watch by my sweet furry friend Lucky!!

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    Checking my stitches!! I loooooove my aqua sewing machine!!! It’s just perfect for beginners. Not too complicated but sturdy and easy to use. It comes in a bunch of colors too! It’s in the supply list!! (It works great on paper lol, now I’m using it on fabric!)

     

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    SUPPLY LIST CLICK HERE!

    I turned it inside out and pushed the corners out with a bone folder. I ironed it again to make it nice and pretty!! I love my tiny iron and ironing pad for this purpose – it goes right on my work surface and I don’t have to have the ironing board and big iron set up in the craft room for such a small project!!

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    So far, so good!!!

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    Time to stuff it!! One tip I got from the interwebs was to add both poly fill stuffing AND poly fill pellets! So I added both types of stuffing to my pillow. The actual stuffing is fluffy and good for making it poofy. But, then it’s very light and hard to sit upright. I put in about 1/2 cup of the pellets at the bottom of the pillow and that made a world of difference!! Gave it some weight and allows it to stand. What a cool invention!!

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    I hand sewed my pillow shut at the bottom using simple sewing. Then I added the pom pom trim by sewing it by hand onto the edge. I really didn’t trust myself to try to sew it on perfectly so I just did it by hand. Didn’t take me too long at all. 

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    It’s been super fun to share this project with you! I know a lot of you are fellow stitchers and I love that!! It’s such a fun hobby and one of my favorite parts is that you can easily bring it with you!! I always have a project in my purse or backpack!! I have a couple more stitches to post before Valentine’s Day – looking forward to it!

    CLICK HERE to see all the supplies I used in today’s project (Affiliate Links Used)! 

  • Chocolate Strawberries – with Paper! Yummy card and sweet Valentine Wishes for you!

    Hey hey hey! LOTS and LOTS of Valentine's are happening here in my craft room! I ain't mad about it! So many good things to share with you right now! And just you wait until later in the month….. Hee hee! Today I'm sharing a project on The Greetery blog, and of course here on my blog too! I made a sweet card for Valentine's Day!!  I used the super fabulous Strawberries dies and created a box of chocolates using traditional valentine colors…. In January, it's always nice to finish up the holidays, start a new year, and get super excited about making Valentine's! A nice change of colors and themes, and so many hearts. One of my very favorite Valentine treats (well any time actually) is Chocolate Covered Strawberries, and that's just what inspired my card for today! (Fun fact – there is a national company called Shari's Berries that makes the BEST chocolate strawberries…. That company started right here in Sacramento and back in the day you could just pop in the store and get one to go! It wasn't that far from my house, so guess what? I popped in a lot! Hahaha. Now they ship all over the world – such a cool success story!) Anyhoo, on to my card for today!

    My finished card is A2 sized, and made from kraft cardstock. I layered deep pink and cream cardstocks to serve as my base for the strawberries. My card features lots of pretty stamps and die sets, including the Botanicuts Strawberries Dies combined with the Dippers Dies, the gorgeous Falling Hearts Background, and lots more. I kept a traditional Valentine color palette of cream, red, pink and brown. My supplies are listed at the bottom of my post or CLICK HERE!
     
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    I started by die cutting the Falling Hearts Background from cream cardstock. I layered it over another sheet of cream cardstock for a tonal pattern. I splattered on some brown metallic paint and set that aside to dry. Next, I die cut out the strawberries, leaves, chocolate, and frosting pieces. I used small sponge daubers and Distress Inks to ink all the pieces and then glued them together using liquid glue. I added pretty glitter to the strawberries also. 
     
     
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    I used the Curio Confections Dies set to make the little papers for the strawberries. I layered kraft and vellum pieces to mimic how they might look on a dessert table. (Okay now I'm hungry!) I die cut out the Sweet word dies using red cardstock and vellum to be my main sentiment. My secondary sentiment is from the Sweet Tooth Stamps set and stamped in brown onto a cream banner from Sentiment Suite Basics. 
     
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    I used foam tape to attach the strawberries to the card in a grid. I added a few pretty red hearts and then put the sentiments on last. Such a fun way to kick off sweetheart season! 
     
     
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    That's it for my card for today! Wishing you a happy Winter and Happy New Year AND Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a wonderful and creative day and I look forward to sharing with you again soon. In the meantime, happy crafting! XO Wanda
     
    As always, if you're crafty shopping, I would be very grateful if you use my links to my favorite shops and help me out! Also, I've updated my gift ideas section in my Amazon Storefront, so you can check that out too!! And, very excited to now be a Target Creator which means I can share my favorite things from Target with you! Thank you! 

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP AT THE GREETERY!

    CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the full supply list for today's project! (Affiliate Links Used)

    Supply list graphic x

     

  • Pretty Pink Posh – New Release – Feeling Lucky!

    Hellooooooo! Happy Monday! How are you? How's your new year going so far? Hope you're doing great and getting back to a normal post holiday routine. I like January for cleaning and organizing and generally nesting at home. I tend to cook more when it's cold outside, and craft in my cozy craft room… Today I'm sharing another project I made with the brand new Pretty Pink Posh January Release! I adore this new release so much! I shared two cards last week for the big blog hop, both Valentine Cards…. Well, today I used the new products with some other PPP items to make a shamrockin' St. Patrick's Day Card!!  Today PPP is having a big Instagram Hop to celebrate this new PPP Release! So be sure to head over to Instagram and leave a comment to be able to win a PPP gift certificate! As always with an Instagram Hop, I'm sharing my card here too. I couldn't wait to show you this card!!

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP RELEASE!

    My card today features the brand new Stitched Shamrock Dies, the brand new Lucky Shadow Dies, the brand new Shamrock Stencils, and some other PPP items! My finished card is an A2 white card base, layered with my stenciled panel, some vellum and some wonky rectangles! All my supplies are listed at the bottom of my post or click here. As you know, my sweet kitty cat is named Lucky! He was born on St. Patrick's Day and he has the most beautiful green eyes too. So this card is dedicated to Lucky the cat!! Ha. 

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    I used the awesome new Shamrock stencils to make the background layer for my card. I used two shades of green inks (listed in supplies) and both small and large blender brushes to stencil the panel. I splattered on gold ink and set that aside to dry. In this photo side view you can see all my different layers!

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    I die cut my shamrocks out of green cardstock and then inked them using the same inks I stenciled with. I also splattered on lots of gold ink to make them shiny and flashy. 

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    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP RELEASE!

    I die cut them Lucky word from gold glitter cardstock!! The sentiment at the bottom of the small wonky rectangle is from the Friends Forever stamp set. I love that it fit just right in that spot!

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    I added a couple of gold enamel dots on the card. I really love green and gold for St. Patrick's Day! 

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    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP RELEASE!

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    That's it for today's fun project!! Be sure to head over to Instagram to leave comments in the hop! I hope you have a fantastic day! Thanks for spending part of it with me here! I'll be back soon with some more fun things to share. I'm working on a Valentine cross stitch and it's almost done. Not sure what else I'll be up to! Keep on crafting, friends! XOXO

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP RELEASE!

    CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply links/list for today's card! (Affiliate Links Used)

  • Pretty Pink Posh – January 2024 New Release – Valentine Cupcakes!

    Hi friends! Happy 2024! Hope you had a fun New Year's Eve! This is my first blog post for the new year and I have really fun cards to share with you today! Let's have a great 2024 filled with creativity and fun projects! Once it turns to the new year, it's time to think about Valentine's Day crafting, and I love it! Time for pink and hearts and chocolates and cupcakes and all things frilly and sweet! Today is day one of a giant blog hop to celebrate the January 2024 new release from Pretty Pink Posh. It's a wonderful release and I think you're going to LOVE it! Chock full of X's and O's for Valentine's Day and also fun things for St. Patrick's Day! I will share two cards today, and another card next week for the Instagram Hop! Are you ready to turn over to new themes? 

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP JANUARY 2024 RELEASE!!

    My first card for today features the brand new Big Valentine Cupcakes Dies, the brand new Stitched Hearts, the brand new Pierced Hearts Background, and the brand new Sentiment Strips Valentines (along with some older products too!!) All my exact supplies are listed at the bottom of this post! My finished card is an A2 white card base layered with kraft, pink, vellum and a white eyelet layer!! That big cupcake is the star of the show!

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    Here's a side view of my card to show all my layers and bits and bobs!! Of course, you know me, I went over the top with glitter, pearls and silver paint splashes!! This die set is awesome!! I'm already thinking birthday cards!

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    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP HOLIDAY 2023 RELEASE!!

    For the frosting on top and the polka dot part, I actually layered two pieces so those parts would be thicker. I often do this to add more depth to the die cut pieces. I used Copic Markers and Distress Inks to shade all the die cut pieces. I also added sparkly glitter!! I used the numbers dies from the Graduation set to make a red 14 and put that on a vellum heart. I used the new sentiment strips for the 'be my valentine' strip.

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    These eyelet rectangle dies are such a great addition to my stash. I use them all the time!! I ink blended the top part of the eyelet rectangle with pretty aqua ink to match the cupcake paper. I like the contrast of that pretty blue with all that pink. (Is it me or does it look like that cherry is smiling??!!)

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    The pretty new background die makes the most perfect pierced hearts…. sigh….

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    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP HOLIDAY 2023 RELEASE!!

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    I want to lick the frosting off this cupcake – it looks so yummy! I don't think I will though! LOLZ.

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    Staying on theme, my second card for today also has cupcakes!! This card features the brand new Sweet Chocolates stamp set and the brand new Valentine Cupcakes stamp set. My finished card is a white A2 card base layered with chocolate brown cardstock, and festive candy stripes, and vellum – then an eyelet rectangle! I had fun mixing and matching the cupcakes and chocolates!!

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    Here's a side view of my card and all the layers. The pieces were affixed to the card using foam squares for added dimension. For my finishing element I used tiny pink hearts!! 

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    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP HOLIDAY 2023 RELEASE!!

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    I colored all the images with my Copic Markers and then added white gel pen accents. Then, of course, glitter! I really like brown and pink together because for some reason it reminds me of a soda shop! Hee hee. Everything is so dang adorable. 

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    I used a two part sentiment in black at the bottom of the card. I love it when words have matching dies – it looks so clean.

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    I'm hungry now!

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    I did a quick selfie in our front yard on New Year's Eve to commemorate the occasion! Hubs and I enjoyed a nice day and I got to wear my cute new Cheers sweater (From Target!)  and my new sassy beret! (Did you know you can set a self timer for a selfie on your iPhone??? I set my phone against the planter box to take this shot…it's a great trick to get you in the photos too!) Here's a tutorial I found. 

     

    Happy new year! Cheers!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog today for this fun introduction of this wonderful new release, and for the exciting blog hop! It was nice to share with you! Have a great day today and keep on crafting! I have one more card to share next week that I made with this new release. Hint, it will make you feel Lucky! Can't wait to show it to you! XOXO

    If you're new to my blog today because of the hop – please take a moment and subscribe to my content! You will be emailed any time I do a new blog post! HERE'S THE LINK TO SIGN UP AND SUBSCRIBE! 

    BLOG HOP PRIZE INFO! There are THREE $30 gift certificates up for grabs (one winner each day of the hop). Winners will be picked randomly along the blog hop from all the comments. Comments must be left by 11:59 PM PST on 1/11/2024! Winners will be announced on the PPP blog. Good Luck!!

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE NEW PPP RELEASE!

    CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see all the supplies I used for today's projects!

    Supply list graphic x

     

    TODAY'S FUN BLOG HOP LINEUP!!

     

  • Happy New Year 2024! Blessings for an awesome and creative new year ahead!

     

    HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

    2024 IS HERE!

    BLESSINGS AND LOVE TO YOU!

     

    Hi everyone! Happy NEW YEAR! Hard to believe another year has come and gone…. Cheers to you for a wonderful, happy, healthy, prosperous and creative new year in 2024! Thank you for all of your love and support in the past year. We turn the calendar page, and a new year full of possibilities and hope awaits us. Let's get creative and have some fun!! Sending hugs and good wishes to you, my crafty friends!

    I made this card back in November as part of the All That Glitters collection from The Greetery! I always love gold and black for new year cards!! Click here to read more about this card! I'll be back in a couple of days with some really fun Valentine's for ya! XOXO

     

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  • Merry Christmas 2023! Wishing you a wonderful holiday!

     

    MERRY CHRISTMAS 2023!

    FROM MY HOME TO YOURS!

    WISHING YOU A WARM AND LOVELY CHRISTMAS!

    THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR OF CREATING TOGETHER!

     

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    Hi there my sweet friends! Hope you're having (or had) a wonderful and happy, joyful, peaceful Christmas!! I'm sending love and light your way today and I'm grateful for your love and support all year. I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from around my home this season…. The nativity scene above is a favorite piece of art that is front and center in our bookshelf in our family room. I keep a candle under it to gently light the scene. Truly the reason for the season!

    Here's a little scene I created on our kitchen table. I mixed and matched some cloches and trees and twinkle lights… Fake snow and pretty things!! That big mason jar is an antique and it's one of my favorite things I've ever found at an antique fair. It has the original solid glass lid and metal ring. It weighs a ton and it's in perfect condition!! 

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    One of my favorite Christmas mugs filled with peppermint cocoa by the tree!! 

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    Lucky helping me put up the decorations!! He's so sweet and such a good kitty. He never messes with anything and likes to sit under the tree (like the present he is!!! Ha) Such a good boy!!

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    This sweet little tinsel tree I got at a vintage market this year! I really love Christmas lights and we have TONS at our house. My husband has decorated the front yard so much that now we have people driving by to look at it! I call it the "spectacular spectacular!" Also, my husband's nickname is Mark Griswold! We are a festive bunch. 

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    MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

     

  • A quick post with a refreshing Peppermint treat!

    Hi friends! A very quick post today to share a fun Peppermint treat that we enjoy at our house! In Fall I am ALLLLL about the Pumpkin Spice Life…. But in Winter I am VERY much about the Peppermint Life! Ha! I love anything peppermint – candy, cake, coffee, and ice cream! (I sound like Buddy the Elf! Ha!) I am not really a sweets person most of the year, but of course at Christmas, I become a sweets person!! Have you ever had one of the Peppermint Chocolate Milkshakes at Chik-fil-a? If you haven’t tried one, you need to! We love them. So, I have recreated that delectable treat at home using Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream!! (we like the ice cream from Acme Valley) If you can’t find Peppermint Chocolate ice cream, use Peppermint Ice Cream, and blend in some chocolate chips!! To make these you simply blend the ice cream and a little milk in the blender, and voila – a yummy milkshake! Top with some whipped cream (If you’re lucky you can find Peppermint whipped cream at Target) and candy cane pieces, and add a cute straw – and enjoy! I made us shakes the other day, and decided to take some pretty pictures! Cheers! Enjoy your weekend! XO

     

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  • Sweet Snowman Cross Stitch – Merry Christmas!

    Hey there my dear crafty friends! Happy Friday! Happy Christmas weekend! The time is here and I am ready to celebrate Christmas, relax, and take a big exhale. The season is almost over so I need to enjoy all those Christmas lights and drink all the cocoa! Hahaha. Also, only a few more days to wear all my fun Christmas sweaters! (I have been collecting Christmas Sweaters and brooches for about 30 years now and I love to dress festive) Time for church and Christmas music and peace. This post will be my last crafting project for Christmas 2023! I can’t believe I finished another cross stitch! It’s a small one, but super cute and fun!! 

    This came together quickly and is a small stitch. I did the Valentine one of this series a couple of years ago and it is also super cute. I added a tiny heart button to my snowman for just another little pop of red. I finished off with gingham ribbon from my stash, and a vintage button glued on with my hot glue gun. This was my first time cross stitching on Linen fabric! It was definitely harder because of my poor eyesight, but I really do like the results.

    Pattern:  Holiday Hoopla Christmas, by Brenda Gervais, With Thy Needle and Thread
    Fabric:   28 Count Linen 
    Floss:     DMC Floss – My own color choices
    Frame:   Four inch embroidery hoop 
     
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    In case you didn’t already know….I love Snowmen!!! LOLZ. This guy is sweet and simple with his Santa hat and twig arms and carrot nose….
     
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    I made a bow from red/cream gingham ribbon and hot glued it to the top of the hoop, then added a button on top. 
     
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    Here’s the back of my finished piece! I saw this technique on someone’s Instagram and thought “GENIUS!” Gosh, this is so smart – and so easy. I had this pretty vintage looking gingham in black so I used that for the backing. To do this, sandwich the stitching and the fabric together, and put both in the hoop! That’s it! I used my good fabric scissors to trim very close to the hoop. Done! And it hides your stitching and looks really clean. This will now be my go-to when I finish in a hoop.

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    Here’s a photo of the finished piece in my hand, for size and scale. I think this would be soooooo pretty as a package tie on! Or as a Christmas ornament. It’s the perfect size. Next year I think I might try to make a bunch of these. I just started too late this year. Really such a joyful project. 

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    That’s it for me today!! And that’s it for Christmas crafting 2023!! It’s been a fun season sharing with you! Have a great Christmas weekend my friends! Lots of love from my home to yours!! XOXO

    As always, if you’re crafty shopping, I would be very grateful if you use my links to my favorite shops and help me out! Also, I’ve updated my gift ideas section in my Amazon Storefront, so you can check that out too!! Thank you! 

  • Puffy Stars Christmas Treat Boxes!

    Hey hey hey! One week until Christmas! Happy Monday! How's it going?! I'm busy in the craft room trying to get all the things done before next week! It's pouring rain here in Sacramento today and I do really love a rainy day in the craft room. I put up Christmas lights in here this year and they're so pretty. I might just leave them up all year! It's very cozy and I'm getting a lot done. Here's wishing you a wonderful pre-Christmas week everyone! I think I might finish one more little cross stitch too! 

    My project for today are these adorable puffy heart treat boxes! I used dies from The Stamp Market to make these cool boxes (Pillow Box Star) and also the snowflakes. They are super easy to put together too – a bonus! I used pretty pastel colors and a bit of silver watercolor paint for shimmer…. My supplies are listed at the bottom of my post – or here! 

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    I assembled each star box and then topped each one with a vellum scallop circle and a snowflake. I splattered silver paint on everything!! I added a big gem in the center of the snowflakes. Such a pretty color palette!

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    Here is a box in my hand so you can see the size and scale. Mine are filled with candies of course!

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    Here is the back of the box. There is one die and you cut it out twice and fold along the curved score lines. Then you simply match up two of them on top of each other and glue them together. You would leave one flap unglued so the recipient can get their treats out. TIP: I used my cordless hot glue gun to glue these together – SO FAST and simple… Much easier than trying to tape them or glue them with liquid glue.

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    I think these would be VERY cute for place setting gifts – either for Christmas, New Years or even the 4th of July! Your color choices can determine what the feeling and occasion would be!

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    Thanks for popping by today and spending some creative time with me! Hope you have an awesome week! Sending Christmas hugs from me to you!

    I have a Destash page on Instagram and from time to time I will list gently used crafting items for sale. Right now, I just listed a big lot of stamps and dies from The Greetery! It's a very good deal! If you're interested, here's the link – and just email me or comment on the post! 

    As always, if you're crafty shopping, I would be very grateful if you use my links to my favorite shops and help me out! Also, I've updated my gift ideas section in my Amazon Storefront, so you can check that out too!! Thank you! 

    CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list and links for today's project! (Affiliate Links Used)

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  • Home for Christmas – Cozy Cross Stitch!

    Hello crafty friends! Happy Saturday! Shockingly, I finished another Christmas cross stitch, so I thought I’d pop in and share it with you today! I have been staying up too late and enjoying every minute! Just a little bit longer to get things made for Christmas! We had a fun evening yesterday going out to dinner and then to the ice rink in the little town near us. It’s so festive to sit outside and listen to the music and see the huge tree and all the lights. It makes me so happy and content. Today we’re hanging out at home, my husband is putting up MORE lights outside, and my college is playing in a bowl game this evening…. Time to nest in for the holidays… How are you doing? Are you ready? Is everything done? Hope you’re doing great! Sending warm wishes your way. 

    Here’s my cross stitch – simply framed with a frame from Michael’s and some self added splatters to look like snow. The stitched area on 14 Aida is 6″x8″ and it was a fun and quick stitch. I chose all my own colors – DMC floss. I wish we could meet up for some cocoa in this cozy little gingerbread house, don’t you?! 

    Pattern:  Home For Christmas, by Brenda Gervais, With Thy Needle and Thread
    Fabric:   14 Aida Vintage Taupe
    Floss:     DMC Floss – My own color choices
    Frame:   Michael’s 
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    I slightly modified the snowflakes on the pattern… The pattern has half of a snowflake on the left side, but I went ahead and stitched the entire big snowflake there because it was so pretty!! 

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    I love those pretty peppermints at the bottom of the pattern!!

     

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    The little red berries are a new stitch to me – it’s called a Smyrna Cross! I also added a yellow one at the top of the tree!

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    Look at those little birdies!!!!

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    And the smallest touch of pink on the door and the shutters!

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    Cheers to the weekend! Hope you’re doing well and enjoying the season! Sending love your way from my craft room to yours! Talk to you soon! XOXO