Days 2 - 8

Days 2 - 8 were set-up days. Getting all of us started and some great digital downloads. Now, I know there is no way I can do every day in Dec., but I am going to try to take a photo or two a day of the journey and holiday fun in Dec. Some days will definitely more fun than others, like when we go cut down our Christmas tree.

So that being said, I know it has been awhile since I have blogged. Well in two days we are setting up for our largest Christmas Craft Fair this year at Douglas County Fairgrounds. We have two corner booths in the Community Building. Love that building.

I will post photos of our booth as we set it up and after it is set up. Lots of new things this year especially made with the Cricut. I hope to take photos tomorrow and I will post...I promise.

Thanksgiving was so fun just with Rod and Me. We cooked a 16 pound turkey which we will actually finish up tonight. We also had dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, olives, rolls, lots of gravy & pumpkin pie. I also tried my hand at making yams from scratch & they turned out pretty good.

Rod asked if it was worth all the trouble cooking just for two if us and I have to say it was more than worth it.

Day 1 - Family Holiday Values and Goals

I was lucky enough to enroll in Jessica Sprague's Free "Holidays in Hand - 2009" class online.

Day 1 assignment was to reflect in a journal or on your blog about what matters the most and to describe your family's values.

Since this holiday season finds my immediate family back in the "drama" mode with only a few of us talking to each other and being threatened with not showing up for Christmas there will be "no presence, no presents" I really don't have any hope let alone family values & goals for that side of the family.

So I turn to my other family or should I say my REAL family - my wonderful husband & friends (even though that other family say I only have 1 friend).

Jessica gave us some words to think about like:

peace
family
tradition
togetherness
friends
warmth
welcome
magic
glow
spirit
rest
laughter
friendship
food
sweets
stockings
lights
ornaments
gratitude
sharing
sparkle
merry
quiet
wonder
giving
savoring
appreciating
connecting
reflecting
memorable
joyful

OK so which of these words really matter to me? Savoring, appreciating, giving, friendship (Oh, I forgot I only have one friend LOL), laughter, togetherness.

Now I have to make some goals based on those words:

1. I want to savor the holidays this year by appreciating all my friendships & my DH.
2. I want people that I like to be around and like being around me to sit down and laugh (even if it is at me) and to just be together.
3. I want the holidays to be simple but holidayish. You know simple decorations on a tree we will go into the mountains to cut down, playing lots of Christmas music, saying MERRY CHRISTMAS" to everyone I meet.
4. I want to savor the moment with friends and DH.
5. I want togetherness and share the moment with friends, my DH & others.

Now I have to make goals based on my values:

GOALS:
1. Cookie Exchange with friends.
2. Homemade gifts for friends made just for them with them in mind.
3. Buy gifts for 8 kids from the Salvation Army tree as I do every year because those kids need it more than my 8 nieces and nephews.
4. Annual dinner with friends with lots of laughter, good food and kinship.
5. Getting more involved with Christmasy stuff with my DH. I will help decorate the tree. I will wrap more packages. I will watch more Christmas movies. I will not be a Bah Humbug. I really am never a true Bah Humbug, but I really want to savor the moment more than I usually do.
6. I want to make and encourage more people to make Christmas cards for our Vets in the VA Hospital so they will know people do care about them...a LOT!

PS If anyone cares - a Wii would be pretty cool too!

More Creations

These 3 things I call Favors/Ornaments. The plastic cups are from Stampin Up. You fill them with goodies. I bought packages of Halloween candy to fill the cups. Since we are not a licenced kitchen in Oregon we can't prefill the cups to sell. The individual packages of candy are perfect to be included with the favor/ornament and the buyer can fill them before giving them away.

I have designed a Gingerbread man with a hole in his middle to be filled with candy. The Stickles are drying now, but when I finish the sample I will post.

The Cricut cartridges I used for the turkey was Mini Monograms. The Snowman is Doodlecharms, Stretch Your Imagination, Mini Monograms & Paper Doll Dress Up, and the Ornament used Mini Monograms & Joys of the Season. They were all designed using the Design Studio. I am having so much fun playing & designing.

Wait until you see the Gingerbread House Christmas Album I designed.

Sharing

I have been BUSY! The BPW (Business Professional Women's Craft Fair starts tomorrow and I have been designing and making new stuff.

It's funny, I have been doing craft fairs since 1992 & I love coming up with new stuff every year.

So without further ado I will start with one of my new faves. It was inspired by a card The Pink Stamper had done ( www.mypinkstamper.com/2008/10/episode-67-apple-cider-slider.html) and I took it from there:

1. Stamp (Stampin Up) on SU white cardstock. Matted on Clove cardstock (Paper Accents)

2. Leaf wreath printed on acetate and attached with red brads. The wreath is clip art from Print Shop 21.

3. I made mine a card on the slider card.

I have lots more to share over the next couple days. The Hot Cocoa slider card I made using the Cricut's Winter Wonderland cartridge and the Design Studio is my absolute favorite!

Craft Show Mode

Yes, one show down, two to go! Scrapbook Fun Fest was amazing! Fun time was had by all. We have presold 75 tickets to our next event in May, 2010 at Seven Feathers in Canyonville, OR. I can't believe I didn't take any photos. I always take photos. I bad.

Less than three weeks to the Roseburg Business & Professional Women's 48th Annual Craft Show at Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg, OR. I love this fair. This is my 8th year.

I started making some new things to sell this year. As soon as I finish the details I will post these new products.

I couldn't resist posting this photo of my cat, Poodums. Not only does she love paper, and I can show you a lot of paper with little cat teeth marks, but she loves to be near DH & me when we are on the computer. I think she wants to learn, don't you?

New Cards

This week is crazy! Scrapbook Fun Fest is Saturday and I have been a bad girl & let a lot of everything that has to be completed until the last minute. BUT, it is getting finished!

I do want to share a couple of cards I did at Roseburg Book & Stationery on World Card Making Day.

New Projects

We have been so busy lately that we decided to take a quick trip to the coast. Rod is now trying to catch crab for dinner.

Here is my next class at Roseburg Book & Stationery, Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10 am. Let me first tell you the story behind this mini album.

I LOVE MINI-ALBUMS! Can I say it any louder. Since I bought my first Bind-It All I have not bought one scrapbook album. I make & bind my own. Why? I am so glad you asked. The reason is because you can make them any size and as thick as you want. Also, if you know me I LOVE to use unconventional things to make mini-albums or even on scrapbook pages. Napkins are by far my favorite things to use for the covers of my mini-albums. So when Roseburg Book and Stationery brought in a new line of napkins the first thing I saw was a new mini-album.

The napkin is shaped exactly as it looks. Kind of like a little shirt. It is a very heavy two-ply napkin that can stand-up in place. Does it not scream mini-album? I think the hardest part of working with napkins is taking the plys apart, but you can only work with one-ply or it will fall apart when you decoupage.

I have also been making cards like crazy. Cards for Soldiers which will all go to our National Guard Unit from Roseburg stationed in Iraq is taking on a life of its own. So many people, from the Lime Light group I design for and local cardmakers, I will be really surprised if I send out less than 70 pounds of cards .

Scrapbook Fun Fest is in 10 days & is shaping up to be one of our best. That is until May 31. We are partnering with Seven Feathers Casino in Douglas County & their convention center is where our biggest Scrapbook Fun Fest will be held. We are still putting it on, it's just changing venues. We loved the fairgrounds, but in May we can't take a chance with weather. One year it was so cold we had to turn on the heat and last May it was so hot we couldn't bring enough fans in to cool everyone off. There was no air conditioning. It is so sad to leave DCFG because they have been so good to us.

I will be posting more soon about all the details for the May 31, 2010 Scrapbook Fun Fest!