Saturday, December 29, 2012

A Couple More Holiday Projects :)

Here are a few more holiday projects I was working on and gave away for Christmas. They are magnets made from clothespins, with paint and modpodge. They are so fun and easy to make...plus they turn out REALLY cute!:)
Amidst all the holiday merriment and shipping, we have also been doing some brewing! We bottled our blueberry lambic and made a barley wine. It is currently fermenting, awaiting transfer and bottling in a couple weeks. So much fun! Our summer wine is also doing well. We finally got to taste it a couple of weeks ago as the malolactic fermentation is dying down. Busy-busy! :) Hope all is well with you and that you have a wonderful week...and of course, a Happy New Year! We are headed out of town to spend time with family, then will be back to start the new year fresh. Hope yours is a great one! :)

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Just A Few Random Thoughts...

So, no pictures today...just some words. :) I am sitting here, looking around my desk at all the scrap shrapnel, thinking how amazing it is that I could make such a gigantic mess making one single card! Granted, it is not a simple card, but one with many components and layers, so the mess may be warranted, but how do I manage to get just about everything out and not notice? This MUST be a good thing, afterall, I spend my day surrounded by people, moving quickly, and constantly aware-often overstimulated and ready to hide. Could it be that this crafting is a form of meditation? Absolutely! I love that I can be peaceful, focused, and so in the moment without any interruptions...not even the urge to clean up...which says a lot since I usually clean up after myself, as I go, with any other daily task. So, sigh, I am content to look around, reflectively, and realize that the "mess" is actually a good, productive thing for me in the oourse of any given day. Secondly, I am wondering if anyone else ever looks at their well-loved supplies and thinks about the sheer extravagance of the items...yes, they are made of simple components-paper, glitter, ink, fabric, etc...but that is my point. Can you think of a simpler time when one would have thought, "How wasteful! I could make a dress from all those bits of fabric that she is so (carelessly) gluing onto paper!" At times like that I feel guilty as I am reminded that we take so much for granted, including the amount of resources we are so fortunate to have, and, perhaps, waste. So, as I glue each piece and choose the project, be it memorabilia or gift, I remind myself to be grateful-mindful of the many ways in which I am fortunate and spoiled-and, thus, my meditation continues...

More Holiday Festivities...

The holidays have been wonderful with family and crafting, as well as many memories recalled. :) Here are some of the other projects I have been working on this holiday season:
A card I made for a customer that I care for...
Table mats I made for my parents...(the words reminded me of my Dad and how special he has always made Christmas for us)...
Cookies I made for the fall season....
Hot cocoa, which is always a great idea, especially when it is cold and snowy outside and we are warm and cozy inside...
And bread I cooked for our Christmas dinner...it was a magnificent feast! Just the two of us, cooking as if there was a ton of people...turkey, gravy, stuffing, red potatoes, green beans, challah with sesame seeds, and cheesecake with a vanilla bean cinnamon cherry topping. Yum! We are so fortunate!
And here is a picture of the beautiful dinner my Mom made for Thanksgiving. There is no cooking like Mom's! After dinner we decorated the tree as a family and laughed together. It was exactly what I needed. Sometimes it is hard to be so far away from family. Other times it is absolutely a blessing! :) In any case, I miss them each every day and think of them all the time. They're the best.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Again I am not sure how the time has gotten away from me since my last post, but then I look back at the photos I have taken and realize that there are many projects I have been working on...(including getting these adorable glasses)....
From random embellishments for cardmaking and scrapbooking....
to finishing my niece's dress....
to making pajama pants for Christmas presents (there are twice as many as this-I just loaded one set)...
and selling my very first cards, EVER! :) Of course I am on to more projects, including starting to make clothing for myself, mittens for my niece, and looking forward to purchasing and learning to use a snap tool! :) I will post more soon....I am thinking I am most successful when I spend some time uploading pics and scheduling them than posting every few days. Cheating, I know, but so convenient and then I can share with you! I hope that your holiday has been a merry one and that you got everything you wanted. I know I did! Snow, a day off with my Honey, and a big beautiful dinner in the works. Plus, my family is happy and healthy. I am so grateful and blessed!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Happy Holidays to everyone! Here is the card that I previewed on October 21st...(you can see it here ) And you are finally seeing it! I wanted to save it to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. I hope your holidays are full of warmth and love, and that everyone knows how special they are. My best wishes for a wonderful new year to you all, Crystal P.S. Thanks for visiting! See you in the new year! Can't wait to share all of your creations and mine! :)