I Made These! A Crafty Christmas

I really love the idea of making things. I have great ideas, buy materials, good intentions. It is the execution where I fail. However, this year, I have lofty expectations and made good on some of them. And I apologize for my crappy photography.

My Christmas cards. Each part is either cut

with a punch (snowman and snowflakes) or by hand

(the trees). I painted and flocked the bottom.

I only made 30, which wasn't enough, but I ran

out of steam. I started about a month ago and did a

couple of steps of so at a time.

This inside - I am not crazy about it. This is the

part I feel is never right. They are stamped and embossed.

Homemade envelope liners. I used

a template from the Paper Source.

I made five in this lavender/purple

combination for each teacher. I used Versamark (clear ink) as

well as clear embossing powder (love this stuff).

Someone from the Paper Source (in Oak Park)

helped me choose the stamps.

I made five cards in grey for each teacher.

The color isn't reading well at all. They cards

were grey, and the envelopes cement.

I packaged the cards in homemade envelopes.

I also added a gift card for the local mall.

(to make up for any shortcomings with my homemade stuff)

This is a box of homemade peanut brittle for B's.

teachers. Usually I use tins, but got green (and a little

cheap) this year and ordered candy boxes. The

card is glittered, with punchouts. (There is a

snowflake that you can't see because of the flash.)

This is a finished envelope.

This is a coffee bag full of homemade

"moose munch." Caramel corn with cashews.

macadamias and almonds. Again for the teachers.

I really have more stuff to make, but again, I am running out of steam. Yesterday, I made the peanut brittle and also roll out sugar cookies and frosting for B's class party. And laundry, and wrapping and , and, and..... I don't know how everyone else gets so much done. Jenn, I am thinking about you.

I still need to wrap (I wrapped all the gifts my Mother gives) and make gift tags. I still want to make fudge and homemade snicker bars - and more peanut brittle and more moose munch. I am done with all the shopping (unless B decides she wants Spike, then I need to make a run to Target).

But I am done. I had to buy a new iPhone. Mine finally died. I dropped it at Pottery Barn (Sandy, are the green candles mossy or sage-y?) today and the "turn off the ringer" broke off and the phone went to a clear screen. OK, can you tell me why it cost a butt load to get a new phone? I don't mind paying for the phone, but why should I have to extend my contract and give them $18 to activate the phone. I do all the work! It is the same phone, same number etc. What a scam. Mike ordered me a case for it, so hopefully, when I drop the new one, it will stay safe in it's kevlar case.