Thrift Store Glasses Make Over - or the Tale of Two Glasses

Happy New Year everyone! Are you ready to do some toasting?? I am - in my brand new Flamingo glasses.

I fell in LOVE with the beautiful shape of these glasses as soon as I saw them sitting on the shelf in a thrift store. I picked up 8 of these for the paltry sum of $2.91!!!! I also knew immediately that I wanted to etch a flamingo silhouette on them - I so love those after all.

Unfortunately, my phone died after I made the project and I lost my "in progress" photos. Please see my tutorial here on how to cut the etchmask and apply the etching creme. 

Getting the etchmask on the surface was a little difficult since the surface was curved, but with a little patience it worked out beautifully.

Now,,, about that second glass,,,,,,

I was working on these when I was away at retreat. When I was finished with two of the glasses I decided to move on to something else. I wrapped the glasses up in paper towels to pack them away. When I got home and unwrapped them, one of the glasses looked like this! WHAT HAPPENED!!!

 
Turns out that one of the paper towels I had used to wrap, I had also used to WIPE UP SOME ETCHING CREME.

Bad.
Move.
Anita. 

Thankfully I bought 8 glasses, so even though I killed this one and managed to drop one and break it, I still have a set of 6. Not bad for $2.91

Be sure to grab some etching supplies so you can create your own masterpiece. Remember, when you order use the code ANITAS to get a 10% discount.







Winter Wonderland Frame

I am always needing a few more spots to put photos during the holidays - enter a fabulous Winter Wonderland Frame using Deflecto Crafts new Clear Magnetic Curved Frame. This hot little item will be available following CHA next month - Jan 2016. Be sure to check Amazon to pick yours up!

I used some vintage Bo Bunny papers for inside the frame- I simply matted a journal card, inked them up and popped them inside. 

For the outside of the frame I added some winter bling. The white snowflake is a die cut from Little B, the wooden snowflake is from my stash and I added some flowers and rhinestones to finish it up.


Dollar Store Candles with Joy Iron on Letters


One of my Christmas craft goals this year was to create a few more items with less expensive supplies - enter the Dollar Store Candle make-over! $1 for the candle at the Dollar Store and all the other embellishments were in my stash. Adding the Joy Iron on Letters to a crisp ribbon really sets it off.


I adhered some burlap ribbon around the candle then started piling on the embellishments. Ribbons, floral buds, flowers, chipboard, wood veneer snowflakes,glitter, stick pins - yep I added it all! Then added a little bit of stickles to glam it up a bit.  To finish it off I ironed Joy letters onto some grosgrain ribbon and added right over the top of the pile. Done!

I hope you are ready for Christmas and are able to celebrate with your family close by. We are having some record highs here in Dallas- a little dusting of snow would be nice!







CHA Sneak Peek - 3 Tier Dessert Stand

I have been waiting a while for this product to hit the market and it will be launching at CHA in January 2016! Introducing the 3-Tier Dessert Stand from Deflecto.



This thing is pretty amazing - you can use it for cupcakes AND Cake pops! The very best thing is it comes apart and stores FLAT- you can't beat that!

I wanted to dress mine up for Christmas so I pulled out some themed paper, a punch, and some embellishments to get started.

I used an older Fiskars punch, cut the strips 3/4" wide and inked the edges. I used nine 12" strips all together and adhered them with double sided tape to the edges of each tier.

I used a VersaGrip Double Sign Holder on the top of the stand to add my chipboard embellishments. This way I can easily change the topper out for each occasion!

I love how easy this was to decorate for my treats. Check out the Deflecto blog for more ways to use this new piece and other fabulous ideas!



The 12 Tags of Christmas


It is day #2 over at The Crafty Scrapper's 12 Tags of Christmas! 

  I am not big on making tags, but I love the way this one turned out! 

I used modeling paste for the background, some spray ink, and then a little ink around the edge. Lot's of ribbon (I count 5 kinds on this little piece!), a stick pin, and some bling finish it off. 

There are some great prizes up for grabs over on The Crafty Scrapper blog so be sure to hop on over and check it out.




Christmas Cookie Exchange

Who is ready for some COOKIES!!!! I love cookies, and I love to bake and give them away at Christmas time. I am so happy to be a part of this great group of folks for the 2015 Christmas Cookie Exchange hosted by The Everyday Home - read on for some great recipes and yummy goodness!

This is my all time favorite Christmas cookie recipe. It is loved everywhere I take it and it is always the first cookie gone from the tray!


Scandinavian Almond Bars

  • 1/2 C butter (no substitute)
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 3/4 C all purpose flour (I like King Authur)
  • 1/2 C seedless Raspberry Jam (Dickinson is my fave)
  • 1/2 C sliced almonds
  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla (home made is best!)
  • 2-3 TBSP heavy whipping cream
  1.  Beat butter for 30 seconds on medium speed in electric mixer. Add Sugar, baking powder and salt; beat til just combined. Add in egg and almond extract until blended. Add flour in all at once. 
  2. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Shape each into a log 13" long and transfer to parchment lined baking sheets, two to a sheet, 4 to 5" apart. Flatten each log slightly so they are about 2" wide.
  3. Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes or until edges are firm. They should not be brown! Cool on sheets two minutes, then transfer the parchment to wire racks to cool. 
  4. Spread 2 TBSP raspberry jam down the center of each cookie strip and sprinkle with almonds. 
  5. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough heavy cream to make a glaze. Drizzle over the bars. Cut bars into 1" wide strips. 
These bars go onto every cookie tray I send out at Christmas.







See you at the CHA Mega Show Blog Hop

A fabulous group of CHA Members got together to bring you this blog hop AND you have a chance to win over $600!  Many thanks to the amazing Lisa Fulmer for organizing this hop. I know a lot of time and effort went into the organization so kudos to her!

I am super excited to go to CHA again this year because,,,,, on top of all the other amazing things I get to do while I am there, I will also be doing a Make N Take at Eileen Hull's Booth, which is in a secret location ( so mum's the word!) details will be coming soon! 

 For the hop I am working with some BRAND SPANKIN' NEW items from Deflecto Craft. You are going to love these new product, I promise!! 

I received the Rotating Organizer and these amazing Interlocking Storage Organizers. You are going to love how flexible these pieces are!!

This piece has six large bins and it holds a ton of supplies! The tops snap on and off for easy access. The best thing of all - it ROTATES! Just spin it around to reach the bin you need.


I filled mine with odds and ends supplies that I can keep handy on my desk. That way I can pull them out quickly to use on a project. I also dressed up each piece with washi tape to add a little pizzazz to it :)

These great containers will stack together for easy travel, or you can store them apart in your studio if you want. Each piece has a top and a bottom that can be removed to make different storage combinations.

They are a pretty good size too, I put six rolls of twine in the one on the left, with room to spare.

You can also use them together as one big container! How amazing is that?? These are my Tombow pens and I have been looking for a great way to tote them around with me!

As you can see, they are uber flexible storage! For this combo I used two together, then the third one by itself. Just a note- they are the PERFECT size for holding bottles of Stickles.

Make sure you visit the CHA BLOG for all the details and a complete list of participants over the next week. 

Did I mention there was a FABULOUS PRIZE???
CASH onyone???
Well, gift card, but you get the drift.

Their are just three entry options to win our $600+ Visa gift card:
  1. Leave a comment on my blog (mandatory) answering the question - "What is your favorite "can't live without" craft supply or tool?"
  2. Tweet about the giveaway  (tweet text includes #CHAshow hashtag; can tweet daily for extra entries)
  3. Answer a multiple-choice poll about how often you "cre8time" for crafting  (double entry value)
Anyone and everyone in the US and abroad is eligible to enter, even you and your team. CHA staff are the only folks who are not eligible.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Christmas Mitten Ornament




This week I am happy to host the Make N Take at The Crafty Scrapper for 2nd Thursday of the Month Ladies Night Out. This event is sponsored by the Downtown Waxahachie Business Association and there are some great things going on every month.

Please stop by and join the fun! December 10th, 5-8pm, while supplies last.


Time is Marching On

My blogging has been a little sporadic of late, I know. This summer and fall have been a tough one for me. I have spent a fair amount of time pondering.

The passing of time.
Fate and reality.
Loving and loosing.

The photo above is circa 1972, our fabulous little family. Daddy, Linda, (my step mom since I was two), my brother and myself. Check out the print on my dress! And on Daddy's pants too - crazy! Let's not talk about the cigarette hanging out of his mouth - it was the 70's after all.

Daddy died in 2007 from pancreatic cancer. He was well one day and gone 16 weeks later. So sudden and I barely had time to say goodbye. I still miss him every single day. I am so sad he never got to meet his beautiful great granddaughter - I know he would have loved her and doted on her just like he did my girls.


This photo is my Gussie - Daddy's Mama. This was the last Christmas we got to spend with her in 2009. She passed in 2010 and it almost broke my heart. I was her caregiver for the last 10 years of her life. She was the absolute joy of my life and I loved her so much. I am so very thankful I was able so spend so much time with her, and that my girls were able to as well. They had their Great Grandmother until they were in their 20's and she lived a half mile down the road from us. A blessing for sure.

During this time my oldest friend also died - from cancer. It was very sudden and very unexpected. She went to the ER one night and never went home again. I had just had a tonsillectomy - I got the call that she was in the hospital while I was on the operating table. I wasn't allowed to fly. I couldn't talk. She passed away before I could even say goodbye. I wasn't allowed to fly out to go to her funeral. 



This May, shortly after Mother's Day, Linda was diagnosed with cancer as well. Colon Cancer. Her outlook was good. They found it early. The surgery was successful. They removed all of the growth. Chemo was going well. Then she got sick.


One morning I got a call from the hospital Doctor. You know it is not good when the actual DOCTOR calls you, not a nurse. She was failing fast and they wanted her Medical Power of Attorney there quickly. That person was me.

Packed a bag.

Drove like a madwoman to east Texas to the hospital.

Conferenced with the DR. 

Made a hundred phone calls.

Sat in the ICU for 3 days looking like a serial killer.

Having to make a loved one's end of life decisions is something I hope you never have to do. Having to remain calm and collected while you watch someone you love die is heart wrenching to say the least.

One more funeral to plan. A house to clear out. Legal details to clean up. Bills to pay. A thousand phone calls to make. I still keep forgetting to actually call the funeral home during business hours to arrange to have her date of death inscribed on her headstone. One more detail to be seen to.

Half of our little family gone now. How is it possible that time has passed this quickly? How can this many people be missing from my life now. Have I just reached that age where everyone I know starts dying? I swear I am not that old! I just keep hearing a little voice in my head saying "this isn't the way it was supposed to happen".

I have reached a creative low point and I am struggling to find the motivation to do the things that have always brought me such joy. I have decided that the month of December is going to be the month I put me first and take care of me. I need some extra care right now.  I'll be back in full force the first of the year, until then I will be a little scarce.

Hug your family close and tell them you love them. At the end of the day that is all that really matters.

Winter Wonderland Passport Book

A couple of weekends ago I was fortunate enough to teach at a fabulous event at the Crafty Scrapper - our very first annual Christmas Carousel. I knew I wanted to use this Passport Book die by Eilleen Hull for Sizzix, so I grabbed some papers and got to work.

My papers for this project are from Kaisercraft - the Silver Bells line. I also added in lots of other media- because I can't just make a mini album with paper!

I created this first page using watercolor paper - I simply sealed the edges to make a pocket for my tag. The very cute ribbon on the edge is from Maya Road's Fall release.

My second page is made using an acetate sheet from American Crafts - I edged the die cut piece with a gold pen - a super easy way to add some glamour to your page!

So,, do you see these rhinestones here (the same ones I used on the cover)? Take my advice and don't shop Amazon Warehouse in the middle of the night! I seriously ordered a 30yd roll of this stuff one night!! 5" wide by 30YARDS long!! I am using it on everything these days!

The last page was made with a flat kraft bag - I just folded it in half and punched the holes to match .

My covers are die cut from matboard, and I finished the papers off with a coat of DecoArt Crackle Paint. When the crackle was dry, I added a light coat of Silver Metallic Lustre - it really gives the look of Mercury Glass.