Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe

As promised, here is the recipe to make the cinnamon ornaments:

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup applesauce
1 bottle (4.12 oz) ground Cinnamon (I used McCormick)
Supplies needed: cookie cutters, drinking straw & ribbon to hang ornaments

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Mix applesauce & cinnamon in a small bowl using hands until a smooth ball of dough is formed (this part is messy). Using 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll to approx. 1/3" to 1/4" thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (I used wax paper instead). Peel off top sheet and cut dough using cookie cutters. Make a hole in the top using a straw. Place ornaments on baking sheet.

3. Bake for 2-1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on a wire rack.

4. Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang.

Your house will smell wonderful while these are baking!

Have fun! This is a fun project to do with the kids!!!

Karyn :o)

The Final Count!

So, the challenge ended on Monday night at midnight. Although I did not get everything done that I wanted to, I still did pretty good! Here is my total: 37 gifts for 9 people costing $28.10 total! Not too shabby!

It was so much fun going through my stash and coming up with ideas on how to use things I already owned in this challenge! It really got my creative juices flowing (not to mention how much stuff I found that I forgot I had)!

Here are a few of the final things that I made:

Two more different versions of my ribbon ornaments -- a stocking & a star.


I made a total of 13 ornaments in all. They were so much fun and I think they will make great decorations for any holiday! I plan to make more for Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween & Thanksgiving using cookie cutters for each holiday! The possibilities are endless!!!
I also made these cute Cinnamon ornaments -- I have been wanting to make these for years but never found the time. This year I finally did and let me tell you how wonderful they made the house smell! It was amazing! I'll post the recipe a little later!



This is a decoupaged frame that I made for my Mom from the kids (inspired by Kim's tween posts on the YCMT blog). I will take a photo next week when we are doing our Christmas baking and put it in before Christmas!



And here are some cute treat containers I made. Can you guess what they are made out of??? Crystal Light containers!!! Talk about being thrifty! All I did was use some leftover scrapbooking paper and embellishments and decoupaged the containers! I am going to make several of these to put my homemade chocolate pretzel rods and peanut brittle in. So cute!!!I knew there had to be something you could make with these containers! We drink a lot of Crystal Light so I always have them on hand! They are also great to put little presents in (markers or crayons, socks, puzzle pieces) -- great for stocking stuffers! Such a cute way to wrap your holiday gifts, don'tcha think!?!?



And last, but not least, I made this print in Photoshop & framed it for DH from the kids:


So, that is it for my challenge. I am not done crafting by any means. I have several more projects I want to do before Christmas, so I will most likely be working right up until Christmas Eve! LOL!

I want to try to make some pajama bottoms for the kids (and possibly myself & DH) and I have yet ANOTHER ornament idea that I saw on another website I frequent that I want to try. So, keep checking back! I'll post anything new I complete in case any of you are looking for some last minute ideas!

Karyn :o)

The Thrifty Fifty is Soooo Nifty!

Well, the challenge officially ended on Monday the 15th at midnight! I will post more about all of my completed projects later today when the kiddos are napping, but I wanted to share some exciting news in the meantime!

Kim, my team leader and the owner of www.youcanmakethis.com, went to Salt Lake City yesterday morning to be on a local television program called "Good Things Utah" to talk a little about the challenge and to showcase a few of the projects that were made!

Here is the link so you can check it out! http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=89908@video.ktvx.com

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far!

I just wanted to share how my kids are also getting in on the handmade gift making spirit. My 5 year old daughter thinks it is cool that Mommy is making presents for people this year! She wanted to do her part too, so she made 21 foam snowman ornaments for all her teachers and classmates at her old school back in North Carolina! She is also making collages from old Christmas cards, as well as a foam gingerbread house! It is so cute to see her so excited to make gifts this year!





Even my son who is 2 is doing his part -- he is making pictures using stickers! Too cute!!!



Monday, December 8, 2008

Sew Cool!!!

Okay, I am really tired and headed to bed, but I wanted to quickly post my latest completed project:



I did NOT do the applique on the shirt (I'm not anywhere near that skill level yet -- I bought it on eBay) but I did do the decoupage jeans to match. It may not look like much to those of you experienced in sewing, but for me it is a major accomplishment (remember I have very limited sewing experience and I have not touched my sewing machine in over 2 years)! I used my YCMT e-Book "Shaggy Mosaic Jeans" by Brassy Apple and the directions were great. I had sew much fun and I cannot wait to get started on another sewing project! It felt great to sew again!

Just had to share! Off to bed! Nighty-night!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Fruition!

Guess what? I woke up this morning to two obnoxious, screaming children! You cannot imagine my excitement! Seriously!!!

"Excitement?" you ask in disbelief. Well, yes! If they are already up and screaming at each other, then they must be feeling better, right? RIGHT!!!

Plus, I woke up feeling not too shabby myself. So, you're still wondering why I was excited. Well, this means that there is a possibility -- some small glimmer of hope -- that today (yes, today) might be the day that I am actually able to finish up my work-in-progress. EXCITEMENT!!!

No more fevers, runny noses or overactive tummy's! Hooray! Today I finally got some projects done. So, for your viewing pleasure, here they are...

The decoupage photo frame I made for my sister:


The lollipop ornaments/package toppers that I plan to attach to every present:



The Christmas ornaments that I am making for my Mom, Sister & Friends (Notice my cool background in these shots and my artsy angles -- I told you before I love photography!):


See, I told you I'd get them done! Now do you understand my excitement?!?
More to come this weekend, so check back soon!
Karyn :o)

The "Dirtiest" Job of All!

Okay... how many of you have ever seen that show on the Discovery channel... Dirty Jobs? I have only seen it a few times, but let me tell you, nothing I have seen on that show can compare to being a SAHM with 2 sick children!!!

Pig farmers, roadkill collectors, septic tank repair men -- WHATEVER!!! You want to see a dirty job? Come to my house this week mister and I'll show you what it is to have a dirty job! Let me see you clean up vomit out of the rug, wipe the neon green snotty noses of squirming, pitiful, whining children screaming that their noses are sore from all the wiping. Changing the dirty diapers of a sick 2 year old! Uh-huh... that's a dirty job! Then to top it all off, YOU catch the nasty bug from having been coughed on, sneezed on, vomited on -- yet you STILL have to take care of the little ones. There is no time off, no lunch break, no hope in sight whatsoever! So, someone call the Discovery Channel and send them my way! I'll show them dirty!

Okay... that was my rant for the day. Sorry, but I just needed to vent a little before I attempted to go to bed. Yes, the kids are still sick. Yes, I am now sick also. No, I have not gotten around to making any more Christmas presents. :o(

I am so sad. I had such high aspirations for this week. God-willing I will get my stuff done this weekend! Pray for me people!!!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Fevers, Runny Noses & Vomit... Oh My!!!

Soooo... I had a big day planned for both yesterday & today -- lots of crafting right?!?!

WRONG!!!

Wouldn't you know that not one, but BOTH of my kids got sick yesterday! So, needless to say, I did not finish my picture frame or ornaments. Then last evening I had 2 rush orders for custom Christmas card designs (hooray for the orders though), so I was busy with those last night & this morning. They are done and my customers are happy, so that is one thing I have going for me at least!

None of us got much sleep last night! The kids were up numerous times coughing, crying, whining -- it was miserable! I am hoping that we all get some sleep tonight somehow & that they are a bit better tomorrow so that I can get some more stuff done! Seriously!!! There are less than 2 weeks to go!!!

The silver lining is that I did manage to get the Christmas centerpiece done for my Mom yesterday! I had to post my pics before I went to bed tonight! So, without any further ado, here it is...



Yippee! I FINALLY posted a photo of something I made!

Hopefully, if the crafting Gods are looking out for me, my kids will feel better tomorrow & I will be able to get some more projects done & photos posted! Fingers crossed! Wish me luck!!!

Monday, December 1, 2008

December Already!?!?!?!

How did it happen so fast? I swear it comes faster and faster each year!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I had a very nice, extra long holiday weekend.

Did I eat a TON of turkey? YES!

Did I have lots of fun with my family? YES!

Am I ready to get back to crafting for the challenge? YES!

I feel like I have fallen so far behind over the past week! I have lots to get done in the next 2 weeks and it is definitely going to be a challenge! I have such a limited amount of time each day to get in any craft time, so I am starting to feel the crunch! BUT... I know I will get it all done somehow!

Tomorrow I plan to wrap up the projects that I started last week -- the photo frame for my sister & the ornaments I am making. Then later this week I plan to break out the sewing machine and attempt (remember... it has been like 2 years since I have sewn ANYTHING) to sew a new taggie blanket for my son & a pair of decoupage jeans for my daughter.

Oh yes, and I am making a new holiday centerpiece for my mother's dining room table, as per her request, so it is really not a Christmas present, but it is for Christmas decorating, so it still counts!

Soooo... I think that about sums it all up! I should FINALLY have photos to post tomorrow. Hooray!!! With this all said, I guess I should get to bed and get some sleep for my busy week ahead!

Good Night!!!

Karyn