A Special Gift

Hi friends!  It's Christmas Eve!  For Cubans, this is our big day.  We have Noche Buena dinner at my sister's house.  She normally puts on a beautiful event.  She's a great hostess!

I come from a large family.  There are four siblings and we all have families.  Our gatherings are always 30+ and they are a lot of fun.  Obviously, this poses a challenge for gift-giving.  What we do is everyone buys for the children and then the grown ups participate in a Secret Santa.   My Secret Santa is Cassandra, my nephew's girlfriend.  She's a very sweet young woman and loves handmade gifts, so I was thrilled to have her.  Her list included a bed rest pillow, a cup warmer and some gym stuff.  So, I got her what she wanted and a $50 gift card to Burlington.  I then created these adorable magnets with photos of her and Josh over the years.  I cannot wait to give it to her.  I'm sure she won't be there tonight, but I really hope she loves her gift as much as I loved making it for her!

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

the light on my desk kept reflecting off of the glass marbles.

Because the beads are so heavy, I had to double up on the magnets.

Close up of one of them.  The bead actually magnifies the picture.

I custom created a matchbox with two sections.  I still had to add adhesive so that they wouldn't move in there,
but it was an almost perfect fit.  The final gift had a tag with her name on it.  Nothing elaborate.

Christmas Treats

Hi friends,

I've been pretty busy lately putting together treat holders for Christmas.  One of my friends asked me to make her 30 treat holders for the office runners at her school.  I gladly obliged.  I used My Creative Time and Papertrey Ink products as well as Stampin Up card stock and ink.

Take a peek.

My Creative Time - All Around Christmas stamp set

Stickles are non negotiable!  

Papertrey Ink - Santa Stationery

They both bold Hershey's Kisses

GIft Card Holders

Hi friends,

I love to package gifts in pretty fashion...whether they're  a gift card or an actual gift.  I learned how to make these cute gift card holders through Stamp TV.  The tutorial is HERE.  It was not hard to make at all.  I used velcro to make them stay shut.  I also added a belly band on some of them to avoid having to cut on the Cricut.  (Gasp...I know).  Each one has different patterned paper on the inside and a space to write a note.

I used many different papers and ribbons.  The sentiments are mostly My Creative Time and PaperTrey Ink.  I LOVE these!!!

I heat embossed this one.  

Liquid Applique is the BEST

Ribbon Wreath Christmas Card

Hi friends,

I've always wanted to make a card with a ribbon wreath, but never quite got it right.  Until now. YAY!

I used Stampin Up Very Vanilla cardstock. The base is 5 1/2".  The top layer is 5 1/4" and was run through the cuttlebug for the snowflake embossing.  I then used Stampin Up 1 1/4" Grossgrain ribbon in Certainly Celery - Thanks to Norma for the present.

I used dimensionals to pop up the card and hot glued my wreath to it.  The tutorial for it is HERE.  I will forewarn that it takes A LOT of ribbon.

The sentiment is Papertrey Ink and I used SU ink.

Here you go!

A Very Strange Dream

I had the strangest dream. It was December 13th and I had a ton of crafting ideas running around my head that hadn't materialized into anything. I had craft projects for the kids classrooms, gift card holders, tags for family, handmade gifts...so many projects. All undone. Materials purchased, but only samples made. It was truly a nightmare.

Then..I woke up and realized it wasn't a dream at all! I have so many things that I've started and have remained incomplete. Sigh. It seems that the year is flying by and I am just running behind.

Ill share some treat holders that I fully intend to finish before School lets out next week. How are your projects coming?

Scrabble Frame

Hi everyone,

I've been eyeing scrabble tile projects lately.  Yesterday I created this little Scrabble frame.  Very simple and cute.  It looks lop-sided, but it's not.

Try it.  It's super easy.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Table & A Challenge

Hi everyone,

We had a wonderful evening last night.  I have three siblings and we all get together with my husband's family.  My eldest sister doesn't normally come since she lives in Tennessee and we are in Miami, but we do all have a wonderful time together.

We had a total of 26 last night.  I wanted each family to have something nice to take home with them, so I created these beautiful cylinder candle holders.  Each family had their surname etched into the glass.  I think they turned out gorgeous and my table looked beautiful!

UPDATED: I'm going to enter this into Die Cutting Diva's Challenge #92 - Thanksgiving.

I found these great MINI lights at Walmart that are battery operated.  Perfect for the centerpieces.

Pinecones had been spraypainted gold

I love how these turned out.  So pretty.  I used Plantin Schoolbook for the font and My Creative Time XL Label Die and
Piles of Smiles for the napkin rings.

These cookies were tied by ribbon to the kids' utensils.  The pumpkin is made of three oval punches.  The leaf if My Creative Time from the Piles of Smiles

My original thought was to put a banner on each plant..but I made them a little big, so I just laid it on the table.  It's only around 16" long.  Letters were cut at 1.75"  I used Planting and the banner layers are from Birthday Bash.

Happy Thanksgiving

Good morning, crafty friends.

I won't have a crafty project until later when I post pictures of all of the goodies I made for Thanksgiving.  (I want my guests to be surprised).  But, I did want to take a moment, in case anyone out there stops for a visit, to say Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

This is my favorite time of year.  My father was the chef for the day each year and we grew up to the smell of turkey roasting in the oven and to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV.  Those memories are priceless to me.  So today, I'm watching the parade and remembering my dad very fondly.  I miss him, but am so THANKFUL that he was such a wonderful example for my sisters and brother and I.

Enjoy your family today!!!  Be blessed!!!

Rev. Emiliano Gonzalez, Sr.
5/5/1936-9/3/2010

Thanksgiving Treat bags

Hi friends,

I cannot believe we are only three days away from Thanksgiving Day!  It's such a wonderful holiday!!!

I have been making some great crafts for the dinner setting, but I can't share until afterwards.  I'd like for it to be a surprise.  I will show you, though, the treat bags that I'm using for the kids.  They will also serve as placecards for them.  I purchased some leaf-shaped cookies at Walmart and was able to get six treat bags.  Perfect!  I used the SU Top Note and folded it in half.  Nothing fancy.  I used MCT Piles of Smiles for the sentiment and added their name with a gold pen.  I used Chocolate Chip ink by SU.

The pumpkin was something I had planned on using for the grown ups, but I went another route.  I didn't want to waste them, so I used them for the kids instead.  I wish I would have used cardstock instead of paper...and that the middle section was popped up, but I think they're cute regardless.  The leaf is also MCT Piles of Smiles. I LOVE that set.  I hope you like.

Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids Blog Hop

Welcome to Day 3 of the Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids blog hop!

  "In the eyes of children, we find the joy of Christmas. In their hearts, we find its meaning."

You should have arrived here from Nancie. If you just stumbled across my blog and would like to hop from the beginning, please go to CARDMONKEY and hop along.

As joyous as Christmas is for most families, for some, their holidays are filled with worry, medical treatments and tests, and pain -- for their child must be hospitalized or she or he needs long-term care rather than being home with their families. 

For these kids, Santa doesn't slip down a chimney but rather, often comes in the guise of community volunteers who help make the season bright.  This is the second Christmas season that our own band of dedicated and loving papercrafters have come together to make Holiday banners for children who are too sick to be home for the holidays. 

This year, we had so many generous crafters that our Hop is over three full days. We have also partnered with another great cause and recipient of our banners!  By teaming up with Madison Womack's I FEEL THE LOVE PROJECT, the banners our crafters have handmade will be going to the hospitalized children at Children's Hospital Central California! 

My banner was made using Birthday Bash and some beautiful Spiced Plum Recollections designer paper. I wanted to use a Santa "Believe" theme, since our household is getting close to the end of that innocent era. I will ALWAYS believe. I added some stickers from JoAnns to embellish a little more. I also used Liquid Applique on the Santa hats to make them dimensional. I had never used that product before...it's pretty cool!

**GIVEAWAYS**

Cardmonkey has an AMAZING gift basket for one lucky winner. Please be sure to head over to her blog CARDMONKEY to see how you can win.

Since we have more than 50 banner makers over the course of this weekend, she will be picking 5 blogs at random, and then one random comment from that Blog site, for that commenter to win one of five great prizes, which are:

1. Susan Bermudez, Independent Consultant for Creative Memories, donating a $20 gift certificate for Creative Memories products from her catalog (http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/susanbermudez/).
2. Scrappin' Madge: $25 Gift Certificate to The Scrappin Lounge Shoppe (http://madgesscrappinlounge.storenvy.com/)
3. Fresh Brewed Designs: Two prizes - One prize is a rubber stamp, Item #497 "Cutie Pie Ice Skating" (http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com/item_497/Cutie-Pie-Ice-Skating.htm), and the other is a $15 Digital Stamp gift card.
4. The Paper Temptress (www.papertemptress.com) - Owner Patricia Dunbar will donate a $25 Gift Certificate to her online store, the Paper Temptress.
5. The Pinque Peacock (www.pinquepeacock.com) - Owners Jessica Shelton will donate a gift certificate to her NEW store (products are being added daily -- watch as she grows!)
6. In addition, Close to My Heart Independent Consultant Lucy Kelleher will award a $20 gift certificate to a randomly-selected hopper who visits her blog (http://love2createitall.com) and/or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LucyK.CTMH) and posts a comment about the banner blog hop!

P.S. -- Be sure to check out as many blogs as you can, as several will be providing their own blog candy with their own requirements. 

Today's blog hop order is:

1. Ellen ~ CardMonkey - http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com/
2. Marianne - http://paperorfabric.blogspot.com/
3. Beckie ~ http://justbcreativecrazy.blogspot.com/
4. Tami - http://tamboscreations.blogspot.com/
5. Heather D. - http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/
6. Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
7. Susan B - http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
8. Jamie M. http://craftygirl21.blogspot.com/
9. Linda Simpson - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/
10. Theresa ~ www.thescrapbookingqueen.com_
11. Vicky - http://www.luvmygypsy.blogspot.com/
12. Debbie T-  http://debbiescrafttime.blogspot.co.uk/
13. Pam Funk - http://dreamersklub.blogspot.com/
14. Shelly - http://kccroppers.blogspot.com/
15. Alina - http://neverstopscrapping.blogspot.com/
16. Lisa L. - http://lisascreativeniche.blogspot.com/
17. Nancie - http://alittlepieceofmebynancie.blogspot.com/
18. Dorcas - http://craftycardangel.com/ <------YOU ARE HERE
19. Debbie _http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/ <--------hop on to Debbie next
20. Rexann - http://ibecircled.blogspot.com

Thank you again for visiting us here for a beautiful and worthwhile endeavor.  God bless all the little children wherever they spend their holidays!!

Candle Box

Hi friends,

This is yet another little creation for the "tea" basket for Bryan's classroom.  I found these votive candle holders at the dollar store and was looking for a cute way to package them.  I took Pine colored PTI paper and made a box.  The designer paper is Recollections from the Sugar Plum paper pack which I got on sale at Michael's for 40% off.

I used PaperTrey ink stamp set and Pure Poppy paper and ink for the sentiment.  The cream paper is the rustic cream from PTI also.  The little stocking is from the dollar bins at Michael's.  I've had them for a couple of years and always forget about using them.  I used my only Nestabilities dies for the frame.  I like how this turned out.

I used a big glue dot to hold the cups to each other and another one underneath to stick them to the cardstock so that they would be nice and snug.

Classroom Christmas Projects

Hi Friends!

I've been super busy doing some great things, but I can't share.  I don't want the family to see them before Thanksgiving.

I'm bringing you a little project I did for my son's classroom "tea" basket.  The apple cider box that I made last week was cute, but the teacher decided to use a Christmas theme instead, so I had to come up with another plan on short notice.  I took the apple ciders and put them in cello bags and created a cute tag for each of them.  In hindsight, I probably could have made a topper , but I didn't think about it.  Hmmm.  Well...they look cute regardless.  I used Papertrey Ink stamps  and poppy ink on one and Gumball Green from Stampin Up on the other.   The die is from My Creative Time (XL Label Die).

Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

Hi friends,

I was looking for neat napkin rings for Thanksgiving and got a great idea from Miss Emma at My Creative Time.  I love her products and have a lot of them.  The sentiment is from Piles of Smiles and so are the die cuts.  I like how they turned out.

I came up with these:

Apple Cider Box

Hi friends,

I have to say that I haven't had much time to craft lately.  It seems that life has gotten too fast for me to keep up.  Trips to tutors, speech and sports take up so much time and energy.  My goodness!

Well, all that said...let me share what the kids have been up to in school and I'll share a photo.  Our school is a private Christian school.  Some of you will remember last year we were a little misplaced due to our home school going charter.  I decided not to keep them at the charter school this year and found a school that we fit in beautifully with.  It's called Hollywood Christian School.  I am really enjoying the relationship with the teachers, but I will admit that I really miss the "family" feel that we had at Florida Bible.  We are making the best of it and I am committed to making this school year a wonderful experience for the kids and for the teachers.  At the end of the day, that is what matters, right ?  Right!

Well, they are having a silent auction next week and have asked the kids in each classroom to bring in items for class baskets to be auctioned off.  Bryan's second grade class is doing a tea basket.  I didn't have any tea ideas, but I did find a variety pack of Apple Cider.  Because I couldn't just give her a box of apple cider (heaven forbid), I decided to package it up nicer.  I cut a sheet and scored it to make a box.  I then added patterned paper and a little pumpkin.  to the front.  The pumpkin was made out of punches and the My Creative Time leaf dies.

This is pretty much all I could think of.  She liked it.  I also gave her a tub of biscotti to add to her basket.  Hopefully, the other kids will participate.  So far...not so much.

Have a great day!

Morrocan birthday card

Hi friends,

Today is the big day!  You all should see how beautiful Elizabeth's party has turned out.  I can't wait for the kids to arrive and for them to see how pretty everything is.  The attention to detail is just amazing!  We really love doing parties and seeing the outcome.  I promise to post pictures next week after the big event.  My cousin, Marisol, even made her an outfit.  She is going to look beautiful!

Well, I made her a card.  I decided to put money inside, since at 13 they already know exactly what they want.  The problem is

Paper Lanterns

Hi everyone,

As you know I've been working on some pretty things for my niece's thirteenth party this Saturday.  Lizzie wanted to have place cards for each of her guests, so we came up with lanterns.  These little lanterns will house a flameless candle and the light should glow through the cutout.  I like the way they turned out.  I was going to spritz them with gold, or add some gold stamping to them...but I was afraid to mess them up and I don't have enough paper to make another 25.  I hope Lizzie loves them as much as I loved making them for her.

Paper is Stampin Up, of course.

Have a great rest of the week!!