It's beginning to feel like Christmas!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! The decorations, the scents, the sounds! Yep I love them all. Christmas music in playing on my laptop, and our Christmas tree will go up today. This years theme is Patriotic. Each time my husband deploys and is gone for Christmas I always decorate the tree in Red, White and Blue ornaments. It's one of my most and least favorite trees. I love the way it looks, but it means Donnie is gone again. *sigh* I'll share pics either later tonight or tomorrow. =D

I have been making lots of Christmas-y items, so far my favorite is the gingerbread house and tradional-colored 1/6th scale Christmas tree.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

To all my American friends home and abroad, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. (To all my friends who don't celebrate, have a wonderful Thursday! =D)

Thanksgiving will be a simple affair at my house today since my husband is overseas. I don't cook a turkey and all the trimmings for just me and the boys. So on the years that Donnie is away the boys and I nosh on a snack food/appetizer buffet. This year it's pizza spread (cream cheese topped with tomato sauce and pepperoni) eaten with crackers. Something we affectionately call Bacon Crackers. (thank you Lisa!!!) These are Club crackers sprinkled with parmesan cheese and topped with about a 1/3rd of a slice of bacon. They get cooked to crisp up the bacon and our family likes them chilled afterwards. I am making a small veggie tray and some spiced mixed nuts too. So we will just nibble away today.

My sister is coming over later to spend the day playing on the Wii with us. Then tomorrow she and I are hitting the shops for Black Friday. Everyone take care and have a blessed day!

Gingerbread Update

The house itself is almost done...I'm not sure what else I want to add, but it just doesn't look complete to me. I think tomorrow I am going to start the base. I made a cream puff snowman to go out in the yard. My oldest son thinks it looks silly, but I love him! I'm thinking some 'edible' landscaping might make things better. Unless you can think of something the house needs?

My Gingerbread House so far...

It's by no means finished yet...But it's getting there. I am waiting on some 'candy bars' to dry, they will become the front pillars on the entryway. I am thinking about a 'cookie' wreath for around the window too. I also made a cream puff snowman that will sit in front of the house too! (pics of that coming soon!) Over on my flickr are a couple more pics including a Big and Small comparison of some of the candies I've made so far. =D

Decorating HELP needed

So I am working on a couple of miniature Christmas trees while doing other things. I am stumped at the garland stage. Right now the tree has gold beaded trim around it and a sheer red bow with long vertical ribbon 'tinsel' on it. These are glued in place and not removeable.
Late last night I decided to add some of this really neat 'tinsel' garland to the tree as well. This is just wrapped on and can be removed if the consensus is that it doesn't need it. Someone on facebook mentioned the the green didn't really stand out. It actually does in real life, it's a rather bright metallic green. I like it BOTH ways and can't decide. Is less more, or since it's Christmas is decadence the 'rule'? The ornaments on the tree will be red, green white and gold. So waht do you think?

Been busy with little things

I was inspired by several other bloggers including Mo Tipton over at The Mouse Market. She's been making some of the most gorgeous gingerbread houses in 1/12th scale. She even has a little mini-tutorial on her blog! Since I am working more in 1/6th, I took a pattern from a cookbook and printed it out at the right size. Then I turned the printed patterns into templates by laminating them with clear packing tape. I lightly pressed each piece to some gingerbread colored clay. (which I also scented with a cinnamon Christmas oil, and added several herbs and spices for texture) I used my slicing blade to cut out the pieces. I actually worked with the sheet of clay pressed to my tile, and just peeled away the excess so as to not distort the pieces. After baking and cooling I started glueing them together. Today was spent starting on the candy making process. So far I have made candy canes, patterened hard candies, cherry sour balls, lime Dots, and Necco wafers. I need to make more Dots tomorrow and I'm also making some Kisses. While making the gingerbread I made some donuts and cupcakes too!
More pics can be found on my Flickr site here!

Clay Friends...WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Ok so today I found out about the impending changes to Polyforms' Premo! clay line. Facebook Topic here They are introducing several new luscious sounding colors. Ok this is good news, however there is BAD news attached to this. Due to sales volumes Polyform has decided to discontinue the following colors
Red Pearl, Green Pearl, COBALT BLUE, SEA GREEN, Copper, ZINC YELLOW, Frost, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Red and Glow-In-The-Dark

Cobalt, sea green and zinc yellow are VITAL to most artists' palette! Cindy Lietz of Polymer Clay Tutor has been in constant contact with the people at Polyform and she is starting a petition to keep these PRIMARY colors in the line-up. It's about a quarter of the page down. If you use Premo! I urge you to read her article and help save these necessary colors!

Bren's been baking again

She's getting into the holiday spirit already. Today she worked on cutout cookie. (I love them but find them WAY more effort than I care to put forth) After mixing up a fabulous sugar cookie dough, Bren cut out trees, stars, hearts and teardrops. I was a little confused by the hearts and teardrops but Bren turned them into masterpieces.

I added the How-to pics to my Flickr.com account HERE Just clike the Next -> button at the top of each picture to see the next step. Written descriptions are underneath.

YIPPEE!!!!

My laptop is HOME!!! It is sooo wonderful to have MY computer back! I picked it up Friday morning and wanted to spend all evening on it, but decided to meet some friends for a free Trace Adkins concert. He performed over in Iraq for our troops earlier this week and came and did the same show for us military last night. (it was kinda cool, my hubby said he could hear the concert from his 'room' =D) Last night was also our 11th wedding anniversary. It was kinda weird to be out with friends rather than my baby on our anniversary, but such is the life of a military wife. The concert was short; about and hour, but he is a great performer and put on a great show. We had really good seats too!

After the concert I came home and played around on my computer for a bit, then headed to bed. This morning I got up early to do a craft show. (I shoulda stayed in bed!!!!) It seemed that who ever was paid to do the advertising for said show dropped the ball BIG time. I didn't even make back my table fees!!! :-( Oh well that was my last craft show for the year, so I'm not too worried about it.

I have actually made a few things over the last couple weeks, but not much. I've added some pictures HERE!
Right now I am working on some Barbie sized Christmas cookies! They are looking really good so far too!

Howdy y'all!

I'm still here and still waiting on my laptop to come home. It's on it's way back from TX right now. HOPEFULLY it'll be back before the week is out. So please forgive me for being around here as much. My hubby's old laptop just can't handle the volume of time that I am 'normally' online.

I just had my final pre-show meeting for the craft show this weekend. I don't think it'll be as good for me as my last one was, but if I atleast make back my table fees I'll be very happy!

Haven't really made anything new lately...just haven't really been in the mood. Next week I'll get back to my workstation as I have a couple of custom orders I need to get started on. Hopefully by the time I get back to work I'll also have my laptop back so i'll be able to share pics!

Hope y'all have a fantastic weekend! =D