3rd Annual DG Christmas Craft Workshop..won't you join us!

Well, the balloon is down and no child inside....interesting to see what the real story is.......

Watched it as well Trisha, saying prayers that he will be found well and safe...

I have missed you all so much......I can't even begin to say how much.

I will see if I can scrape up the money and if so I want to join-that #5 is adorable.....

MUUUAHHH-kisses to all.....

Prayers here also..........

OHHhhhhh Stacey!!!! So Happy to See You Here!!!!!!! Don't go running off!!!

Stacey, how exciting to see you on-line...jumping up and down .. thought of you often these past days..with my trip tomorrow to Frankenmuth I was remembering meeting both you and Janice last year at same time and how much I enjoyed it..of course we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time together but you and I made up for it when you visited me for a craft weekend....was fun wasn't it?

Know what my Best will be for today....

It was fun-it seems like a lifetime ago. Both Frankenmuth and my visit.....

I think of all my aunties every day and while you haven't heard form me, I've really always still been here. I just don't feel like I have anything positive to say, so......I stay away in my little cocoon. There are so many problems in just about every area of my life right now, that I don't want to be a burden. I spend a lot of time looking for work, reading and writing...that's about it. I do have to say that if DH forgets my Bday this Sunday (all I want is a card and cake) that I may need to find someplace else to live since he will be in the serious doghouse......LOL (not really)

So good to see you Stacey!
Don't go running off now!

Oh Stacey, it is so nice to see you here.
See, all it took was Betty to open up her Christmas craft lessons! So nice to see you back with us girl.
((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Yah.. and it be just perfect if Stacey you could meet up with Betty again.. and pick up the kit at the same time?
Will be a nice reunion.

LOL-mom sent me the link. One of the things that I have dreaded about coming back is the 38 dmails I had in my in box-2 of which are peeps I owe plants to. I did just go through and delete most of them though, so now my home page looks cleaner.

I'll try not to run off, but I won't be on like all the time or anything, maybe like once a day or once a week...I dunno...haven't decided yet.

LOL-no car or gas $$ to travel 3hrs....but that would have been lovely. We need a new tire on the one car and Chris is taking the other to work. I have to take him to work next week since I have an interview for a seasonal job......crossing fingers....

(((((((((((Stacey)))))))))))))))
Please know we love you!

I know......sometimes makes it hard though while I know that makes no sense....

THey found him!!!!

OMG..got to run and listen to the news..let's hope he was frightened and was in hiding and not in the basket..thank the Lord, prayers are answered..well I think..you didn't say if he was ok or not!

He is fine, he was hiding in the attic....

Tried to find it on t.v. news but it was over...omg he must have been frightened to tell his parents what had happened..thank goodness...how relieve those parents must be...wow, what kids don't get into..lol

I would love to join!! I think the friends one is really cute-
bre

Bettypause thanks for the grandkids option it is so cute. You are such a doll for puting this together. I wish you fun on your vacation and can't wait to see end results of your clients pieces.

I wish I was going to Frankenmuth too......oh well-there is always next year. I have to say that I loved it and the outlets were fabo!!

oh im here judy better late than never lol
ok im in for #3

I've tried 3 times to reply on here.. blasted computer!!

I would love to join this.. #4 or #7 for me :)

thanks Betty!

Hi Betty,
All the little snowmen look adorable. I would love to join, I just haven't decided which one I want to do yet.
Is there any chance you accept paypal if I added a little to cover any fees?

Jane

Betty I'm most certainly in and I like #7. However, I'll be happy with whatever you can send me. Hugs, Barb

And Stacey, I'm thrilled to see you back. We do understand and love you no matter
what's going on!!!!

Hiya Stcey!!
Awsom to see you, keeping fingers crossed for your interview.

Thank you Betty! LOL, I forgot how many I asked for, 10??
now that I know they will be coming , will start preparing the out fits! woohoo.

Morning all,

Jane, no you can just put $20 in envelope (sure it will get here) or cheque..don't have paypal...as soon as I know who is participating and their choice I'll get a kit made out...

Favorite time of year and for you newbies (so glad you joined us) we've had lots of fun these past 2 years doing the workshop..almost makes us feel like we're all in a big craft room working together..not to be, so this is our alternative..lol

Stacey, no running away...take it from me, the strength one gets from these DG loving friends is what makes each day possible to raise onself out of the doom/gloom...days when you feel not up to it.. a simple 'hi' will do!

they'll be on their way by next weekend Judy, have some poured, need a few more and I'll get them painted Monday or Tuesday...

For you moms/grandmothers who want to do children crafts...

Tree ornament - melted snowman

Supplies:
Materials:

Orange pipecleaner
Black beads such as E beads
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Elastic thread
Aluminum foil
1) Cut a 6" length of elastic thread. Knot the two ends together in an overhand knot. This will be your hanger.

2) Lay a piece of foil on your work surface. Place the hanger on the foil with the knot facing downward.

3)Prepare the nose by cutting a 3/4" piece of orange pipecleaner and folding it into a V shape. Place aside for the moment.


4) Start squeezing out a blob of hot glue directly on your foil gluing over the knot of your hanger but leaving the loop extending above the glue blob. The finished size should be 2 - 2 1/2" round but make it uneven and drippy looking since this is a melting snowman.

5) While the glue is still hot, place the two open ends of the pipecleaner into the center of the glue blob to form the snowman's nose. Place two black beads above the nose for eyes and 5 or 6 beads below the nose to form the mouth. You may find it useful to poke the beads into the glue with a toothpick.

6) Let the glue cool and harden then place your snowman in the freezer for a couple of hours. When the snowmen are good and cold, slowly peel the foil off the back. Freezing the snowmen makes them much easier to peel off the foil.

Hint: When hanging your melted snowman on the Christmas tree, if you place him in front of a light, the light will shine right through your snowman.

Printable instructions

thank you Betty - Sean and I will have fun with this one!!!!!

Betty that is so cute!
Just might have to try this with my little grandson!

I want to join PLEASE, I don't care which one you send they are all neat. susan

Thanks Betty the kids and I will do this one since all 9 of them can participate LOL

Probably a $3.00 project...Dollar Stores have the plastic shovels, pre-made ribbon and bag of styro balls...

Wouldn't it make a cute gift for the teacher?

keep em coming Love It!

Too cute!

You are encouraging me girls..here's another I did with the kids..

Some of you may not know for over 20 years I was recreation co-ordinator and in charge of organizing and participating in programs..one of my favorites was working with elderly and the young...

Did this with my grandchildren as well..we were not so lucky to have $$$ stores...imagine the possibilities now with all the miniature Christmas deocrations you can find for nearly nothing ... to boot, how many of you have jars you don't kow what to do with...

Snow Globes:
WINTER CRAFTS SNOW GLOBE

Materials:

Clear Glass Jar with a tight lid (pickle, pimento, jelly, baby food)

Small Waterproof Ornaments, Figures or Decorations

Distilled Water or Water that has been boiled and cooled

Clear Silicone Sealant (Aquarium Sealant) or Florist Clay

Egg Shells or Foil Confetti

Glitter

Glycerin or Mineral Oil

Optional: Plastic Lid to fit inside the jar’s lid, Circle of Fabric, Ribbon or Lace

1. Choose a Clean Dry Glass Jar - A baby food jar is perfect for a small kids craft, pimento jars have a unique ball shape, and pickle jars are large enough to allow you to add several elements to your scene. Just fit your jar to your desired final effect. Remove any labels and food residue.

2. Plan your Snow Globe Scene - Search your sewing kit and home craft supplies for materials and inspiration. You can make people, animals, trees - you name it - from craft foam. Sewing findings are a great source of small decorations too. Also consider miniatures at the craft or hobby store. Remember to shop the day after a holiday for lots of discounted items!

3. Secure the Figures and Decorations inside the jar lid with silicone sealant or florist clay. In order to elevate the scene so it is in clear view, glue a plastic lid inside the jar lid or build up the area with a little extra florist clay. Be sure to leave the edges clear so you have room to screw on the lid. Set aside to dry.

4. Prepare Your "Snow" using the shell from a hardboiled egg. Separate the shell from the membrane, place in a sturdy ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Finer particles will fall more slowly in the snow globe and have a more pleasing effect. However, avoid crushing eggshell into a powder as it will simply float in the water instead of falling gently.

Depending upon your theme, you can change your "snow" to go along with it. Try themed confetti available at craft stores to add an interesting element to your creation. If you’re doing a Halloween or Thanksgiving scene, look for foil leaf confetti in fall colors. For Easter you can use foil flower confetti. For a sports theme, use glitter in your favorite team’s colors.

The possibilities are endless and ensure that you are creating a one-of-a-kind snow globe!

5. Fill the Snow Globe - When you are pleased with your snow globe scene, fill the jar with distilled water, leaving a little space at the top to accommodate the figures. Add several drops of glycerin to keep the snow suspended and floating properly. Mineral oil or baby oil can also be used in place of the water and glycerin.

6. Add Snow and Glitter - When adding eggshells, make sure you have enough to cover the lid once it has settled to the bottom. Use silver glitter along with the egg shells to make shimmery snow - use one teaspoon of glitter for every inch of water. If you’re adventurous, experiment with different effects. Use a drop or two of colored lamp oil to create a swirling effect. Add food coloring to the water or use different colored glitters.

Close the jar tightly and shake your snow globe. Observe how the snow falls and the overall look. Tweak till you get the desired effect by adding a little more snow, glitter or confetti.

7. Seal the Dome - When you’re sure the figures and scenery are arranged to your satisfaction, and the snow to water ratio looks good, add a bead of silicone sealant around the threads of the lid and close tightly.

8. Add Final Touches - For a more decorative and finished look, cut a circle of pretty fabric a little larger than the jar lid. Secure to the lid with an elastic band. Hot glue a piece of ribbon or lace over the elastic band.

Now that is genius!!! Have one grandson that is obsessed with snow globes He will love this.

Just finished my back deck, quite a few pieces of 4x4s or 1x1s which make excellent gifts...re-use and re-fabricate right...

Here's an easy project anyone would love to receive....

Trio Candles....

Purchase a length of 1x1" - most likely for $2.00 and might make 3 sets...(if you've none laying around that is..)

Home Depot for example if you've no tools, are great in cutting to length...for each set you need...a 12" and 10" and 8" piece..

I normally stain the 3 pieces - some of us have cans and cans just siting around, if you don't then buy a dk. brown bottle of acrylic and water slightly and give them a coat..when dry, I then paint the 3 pieces (1 set) with acrylic paint, this also can be bought at the $$$ store...I've done them in maroon, blue, green...1 or 2 coats of paint should do it..

let dry..then sand so that you age them with stain (or brown paint) slightly showing through here and there...gives it a nice touch..

I take a piece of wood, cut out what looks like a flame, (because I have the tools I get extra fancy but really there is no need..also, because I use the band saw to chip away wood and one day if I'm not careful I'll be minus fingers..lol..I'm careful - no fretting...lol..also I make the 3 flames slightly different sizes each i.e. large candle-large flame...I paint the flame yellow and just drag with a brush or your finger a bit of red to make it look as though its burning...with appropriate drill bit size I drill a hole at the bottom of the flame and one in the middle of the candle, use my glue gun to attach the dowel/skewer/match to the flame and candle...now looks like a real candle...

With a piece of wire I secure the 3 candles together..

Not sure if it's easily available at your craft stores but you can purchase glitter glue sticks for the gun..I purchase 'gold' of course this was one of my workshops using 4x4's making then for outside i.e. 36" then 32" and then 28"..they were gorgeous so I ordered a box from the manufacturers and still have a few sticks dragging around....

This part is fun, I put the trio of candles on tin foil (so I don't make a mess with the hot glue)...

At the top of each candle I start putting the hot glue to the top ..this secures the candle/wick part but the more you add the more it drips down to look like melted wax...

I now find a pretty Christmas ribbon .. I take a piece of ribbon, tie it around the 3 candles to hide the wire, then I make a pretty ribbon and glue it with hot glue to the ribbon that's hiding the wire...of course I would be without sparkles...I take a brush and lightly put decoupage glue here and there on the flame, the ribbon and some on the candle and it's just the prettiest piece....

Bet I've confused you right? Have some in my supply stock so will make one during the week and post..most likely you've all seen these anyway..but for those who haven't it would be fun...

Attached is a photo that if you needed gifts but didn't want to spend mega $$$ you could have little sections cut from the 1x1 or 2x2 or 4x4's and make..just painting, scarves etc. for decorating

LindaKay, you said you had a cutting saw..is it a scroll saw???? if so, here's something that is mega fun..

You can do it to a piece of board that you've traced a tree, snowman or santa out, now with that piece, put your saw to cut on an angle, the degree doesn't have to be that much different..with your scroll saw and leaving about 1/2" or less cut the same design, then go in and do same cut...you will see that they become dimentional, one tree comes out from the main tree and the next tree comes out of the 2nd tree, all angled..makes the piece of wood 3D...they don't all come away from each other from the front, what you've cut on an angle grabs them...

I stain the entire piece then paint the top only because if you paint the sides of all 3 pieces they'll not fit back together ... really a cute project....I'll do one Linda Kay or anyone else who has a scroll saw so you can see the finished project..they are lovely on a mantle or table...a few I've cut with a hole drill so I couldn't insert a napkin..

again, I'll make one to show you all!