Still Having Christmas Here...

Since I had the flu on Christmas Day, our family will be celebrating the holiday tomorrow, January 2nd. As such, of course I am still "wrapping things up" (huh-huh- pun intended). Two of our kids prefer cash to just about anything else you can give them. I, on the other hand, am so disappointed for them when they have only one little, tiny present to open, so I am forever trying to find new and exciting ways to make a cash gift a little more special. I have folded money in just about every configuration you can think of, which is fun, but...well, it's been done. So, I decided to see what I could do with my Cricut and a $50 bill. I came up with a "Santa Mask" for President Ulysses S. Grant. It's hard to see, but there are several layers to make it 3D. I'm pleased as punch......my son will hate it......bonus!

I am selling this one, as it took quite a while to design. It is $2 USD if you're interested. Upon notification from Paypal of funds received, I will email you the appropriate files, including all necessary svg's, scut2 files, as well as a sheet of assembly instructions where needed which includes a photo of the finished project for reference. Please use the "Donate" button to order, and leave a note under "Purpose" on the Paypal page, telling me which file it is that you want. Thanks for your interest! I appreciate your business so much! Laura

Christmas Goody Bag Freebie & a Yummy Recipe, too! Merry Christmas!

I made this little goody bag to give away to friends and neighbors, and it is available for free here, as my Christmas gift to you! I am filling mine with Stacy's Peanut Butter Bark, a yummy concoction of Cheerios, Craisins white chocolate and peanut butter, and tied off with a sparkly, tinsel ribbon (can't punch the holes till I get the filling made, which will probably be about 2 AM tomorrow morning.) There is a 4x8" sheet of paper inside the plastic bag (I got at Michaels) to stabilize it, and the bag & sheet of paper are sandwiched between the front and back of the reindeer's base and stapled. Glitter "snow" is added to cover the staples and the reindeer's feet (which I forgot to glue on in the pic).  The recipe follows...

Stacy's Peanut Butter Bark

2½ cups small pretzel twists

2 cups Cheerios

2 cups Craisins (dried cranberries) or raisins
1 cup cashew halves or Spanish peanuts

10 oz. white chocolate chips, vanilla candy coating, or almond bark

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Lay out a large sheet of waxed paper. In a large bowl, combine pretzels, Cheerios, Craisins and nuts. In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving for 15-30 seconds longer, until melted, stirring after each 15 seconds. Stir till smooth. Pour over pretzel mixture, stirring to coat. Quickly spread out onto waxed paper, about ½” thick. Let stand 30 minutes or until set. Break apart into 2x2” pieces. Store airtight.

Merry Christmas,
Laura

Gleaning Christmas Ideas from others

I have been surfing alot more than designing these days, and have been so inspired by the creativity of other bloggers. Here is a sampling of some of the things I found just today. Both of these ideas are from: http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com.

Doily & Sheet music candle wraps for battery-powered tea-lights - I mean, how lovely are they?

Winter in a Jar