HUGE CANVAS SALE!!!

Heritage Makers started carrying canvas' prints a while ago but now they come gallery wrapped for free so there is no frame needed.  Over the last year they have greatly expanded the range of sizes.  I swear you can get a canvas printed to fit anywhere in your home.

Plus they are so gorgeous!!!

What I am so excited about is that there is a huge sale going on that I just realized how completely awesome it is.  Just like restaurants are offering a bonus $10 gift card when you buy a $50 one. 

Heritage Makers Is offering a bonus with your purchase right now.  I dont see an end date right now but I thought it was just for November so today might be the last day!

Its like a "Make Your Own Sale" sale.  

You purchase $200 in credits but get an additional $110 bonus so for $200 you can pick out $310 worth in gifts (this does not include tax or shipping).  This is equal to 3 16x20 canvas’ AND 2 8x8 canvas’.  

But for just $80 more they will add another $100 bonus.  So for $280 you can pick out $490 worth in gifts (that’s $210 free).  This is equal to 4 16x20 canvas’ AND 4 8x8 canvas’.  

This would give you 8 gifts and makes the large one $50 each and the small one only $20 each!!! 

Think of people you would usually spend about $20 - $50 on…  these would make an awesome gift!  heres two beach themed ones...  can you see I am thinking warm thoughts.  :)

This is just an unbelievable deal.  I am already thinking of who I can cross off my Christmas list with these. 

The great thing is you dont have to be ready to make the canvas' now you just prepay for them and then have up to 2 years to make them.  

But if you are like me and planning out gifts you still have a few days to customize them and get them ordered for Christmas.  Is just a great deal.

You must contact me to get this price.  go to my website and click on contact me.  If you email me your phone number I can call you and put your order in right away.

Just imagine thats 8 people checked off your Christmas list.  YEAH!!!

~Melissa

Christmas Advents, Calendars, Countdowns and more...

So tomorrow officially begins the countdown to Christmas.  Do you have an advent yet?  I have seen so many cute ideas and have been busy crafting a few of my own.  Check them out maybe it will give you your own ideas.  I dont have pictures of mine yet but will share the photos from one of my friends.  Check out Heid'is blog for other great Heritage ideas.

The first is called Countdown Blocks. I absolutely love these and know my children are going to have a blast flipping their photos each day.

 

it was so easy to make.  I designed a 12x12 scrapbook page on my website www.digitalstorybooks.com then when it came in the mail I cut it apart and glued the pieces to wood cubes.  You can find 3x3 or 4x4 blocks in most craft stores but I cut my own from wood that was being discarded on the side of the road.

Since I have 2 children I made sure each block has all photos of my son and the other is all my daughter.  I could just hear my oldest if i didnt...  "why are both pictures Xander today... " insert winy noise here....

The pages cost $3.95 and about $1.50 for shipping if you only ship one sheet at a time.

heres another one I am planning to make.  so what if it comes a little later.  I still love it.  Again it uses 12x12 pages; 2 stacked together and then you cut the windows with an exacto knife so the kids can open them later.  Under each window you can put photos or little holiday traditions like watch a christmas movie, bake cookies, make a craft.  what a fun way to make sure you are doing all the little family things that make the holidays so much fun.  This will help to keep me from waiting until the last week to try to cram in all my favorite activities.

The next one would be great fun in a kitchen.  I saw this exact thing in hallmark i am sure it was so much more then making it yourself.  It uses a 12x12 glued to a cookie sheet found at the dollar store.  then a second 12x12 page you cut out the presents attach to tiles found at a hardware store and glue magnets on the back.  Heres a hint I found some self adhesive magnets at walmart and they were cheaper then ones you glue yourself.

*** It is important to note that these are not printed on photo paper.  Photos would run if you tried to decoupage over them!!!  You could laminate a photo to achieve similar results but mine come printed with a special coating on them to save you this step.  Also all of the above are templates that my clients can use on my website  so it would save you some work.  You just drop your photo in pre-designed sheets.  If you dont have one you can set up your own account at www.digitalstorybooks.com to start making your own heritage projects.

Send me photos of what you come up with.

~Melissa

Planning out your Christmas.

So I have been very busy making, planning, and buying supplies for Christmas gifts...  Yeah like most I usually bite off more then I can chew.

I always make at least a homemade ornament but this year I am quite determined to make a lot of my gifts at least for most people.  One person in particular has asked for only one thing LOTS OF COFFEE!!! lol. You know who you are.  Living in various areas of the country I too learned that there was really only one coffee i could drink without getting the shakes.  and since I can understand the absolute necessity for drinkable coffee  maybe I will have to get creative with its presentation.

To save some stress i always try to plan as much as I can ahead of time.  Yes I realize the dreaded "BLACK FRIDAY" has come and gone and maybe some of this would have helped more before but in the last few years I have seen just as good deals closer to Christmas as there is black friday.  In fact this year I didnt venture out to any of the big dept stores.  So hopefully this will help you recollect and get organized after the chaos and remember what you got and what your plans were.

So here is what has worked for me in the past.  I take a notebook and list out ALL the people I plan to buy gifts for and a dollar amount/value I wish to spend on their gifts.  Some will have a whole page to themselves (Depending on who they are and the dollar amount) and sometimes I will list a whole family down the side of one page.  For example my children, husband and I each have our own page, my extended family gets about a half a page each, and friends are listed with a few lines each.

You could do this in an email as well but I like having something tangible I can take shopping with me.  This notebook becomes my ideas, brainstorms and eventual shopping list.  I also use it to list prices I saw at various stores or websites.

Once I buy things I list it in the book with the $ value AND the amount spent if I got it on sale.  this helps me stay on budget and also lets me know if I hit my limit for the person yet or if  hit my VALUE even without hitting dollars spent (due to thrifty shopping).

I also put on their lists handcrafted ideas and use the back pages to help plan out shopping lists for those ideas.

This year I am planning to make some "Holiday Survival Kits"  I am still not sure what will end up in them but a few ideas are pancakes in a jar (for Christmas morning breakfast), some cocoa (for after sledding), popcorn (for watching a holiday movie), coffee, maybe a decoration for the house, and possibly some adult beverages.
So this is all listed in my book and as I think of things I add it.

Does this mean everything in my book will be bought or made....  Absolutely not but it keeps me from forgetting those great ideas, or buying too much for one person and forgetting others.

I hope these ideas help you have a smoother holiday.

Please comment with your ideas for staying organized and on track this season.

~Melissa

Back again...

SO you may have noticed I havent blogged in a while.  thats an understatement.

I had some technical issues and well, got very frustrated.  Then had some family issues too and it was just easier to let this project sit on the side for a while.  But I have missed it and now am ready to take it on again.  I hope you will join me as i celebrate my favorite time of the year.  Christmas.

Ever since I was a little girl I have been making handmade gifts and this year is no different.

Make sure to click "become a follower" because you wont want to miss all the great ideas I have for easy holiday gifts that even you can make this holiday season.

~Melissa