Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year 2012



Happy Crafting,

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas


Happy Crafting,

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas Is… music of the season

 When I was a kid there were only two Christmas records in the house: The Original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Other Children's Christmas Favorites (by) Gene Autry with Guest Star Rosemary Clooney and Christmas Is… which I think my dad got at a gas station (there is a Good Year tire logo on the jacket).  We played the heck out of them and even though I went through a "collect as many Christmas CDs as you can" phase i9n the late 20s/early 30s I have never found an album I liked better.

The songs on these albums ARE CHRISTMAS to me. I like new interpretations, new songs, new artists but it's like the difference between an artificial tree and a live tree. Maybe there is more sap in these old songs but I like it that way once in a while. Ok every year.

This year I am making a CD of all those songs by all those artists (in that order) for my family's Christmas. I have wanted to do this for years but "Jingle Bells" by The Mills Brothers and "Christmas Is" by The Hillside Singers were nearly impossible to find and the cost of all those songs on separate albums/CDs would have be prohibitive. This year I found them all on Freegal and iTunes. So happy.

Here is the play list. All beautiful and all classics in my mind.


Christmas Is
The Hillside Singers
Winter Wonderland
Jo Stafford
White Christmas
Frank Sinatra
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Judy Garland
What Child Is This?
Vikki Carr
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Tony Bennett
The Christmas Song
Barbra Streisand
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Bing Crosby
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Doris Day
O Holy Night
Andy Williams
Jingle Bells
The Mills Brothers
Silver Bells
Patti Page
Merry Christmas Darling
Carpenters
Silent Night, Holy Night
Julie Andrews


Happy Crafting,

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

First Fair Booth

An iPhone in the hands of a 9 year old doesn't always produce
great results under harsh gymnasium lights — here's proof.

Some days are better than others. This past weekend's fair was not one of the better ones. Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the location but we didn't do well at the fair.  I owe my son 10% of the take (income - table fee = take) for all his help at and patience with sitting at the fair. I figured it would be a bit of extra money for him to get Christmas presents with. If you are on his gift list, my apologies, his share was only $2.20.
I didn't sell any reindeer food or candles and only sold one magnet to a little girl who wanted a gift for her mom. She was so cute, all consumed in her serious mental debate about which angel would be best. She looked so happy when the First National Bank of Dad finally floated her a $3 loan for her gift.
The next time I am in a fair I will be sure 
  • the organizers are promoting it widely
  • I promote my being there better
  • there are other crafters there (this was actually a vendor fair)
  • it is not competing with another, better promoted fair 
  • I do not lose a lot of sleep making new seasonal items (I will be making those year round now)

Happy Crafting,

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Tubes of Magic Reindeer Food

I am still preparing for this Saturday's Craft Fair at Paddock Elementary School, 225 Washington St. Palatine, IL next to Kinsch's Floral Shop. The show is open 9:30 am to 1:00 pm stop by and see me if you can.

One of the things I will be selling is tubes of Magic Reindeer Food. I met an elf who gave me the scientific formula for Reindeer Food so I decided to package it in a scientific package - Test tubes. I have a supply from son's  Mad Scientist Birthday Party last year.

label_set_C00392_41853  - altered
I found the verbiage of several websites, none of which I thought to write down so thanks to EVERYONE who has ever packaged Reindeer Food.

The tag was made using a label set I got from the Silhouette Online Store. The words didn't fit properly so I altered the tag by adding a box over the tag and welding the shapes together. I added the hole behind the reindeer to the tag on the silhouette. I created a 1-3/8" circle on the Silhouette to use as a template for placement of the punched circles. I used a 1-1/4" punch on the reindeer and a 1-3/8" punch for the reindeer's mat.

The bit of greenery at the bottom of the tags were hand drawn. My son picked out which reindeer we used for this project. I think he picked well - kind of classy. There is exactly 4" of twine holding the tag on the tube. Well holding it in the tube. The ends of the twine are inside the tube being held in by the cork.

My son helped fill the tubes and some of his tubes looked a little low. When I asked about it he said he was concerned that we wouldn't have enough supply. I showed him there was more food and the tubes could be filled he confessed that he wanted it for OUR house. I love that he still believes.

I used a small bucket to display the test tubes. The bottom of the bucket is filled with shredded paper so the tags and tubes would be visible. So how do you like it?

Would you pick up a bit of magic at a craft fair if the price were right? BTW I wonder what the right price would be?







Happy Crafting,