Short Cut to view Heritage Makers Studio Art

Ever wanted to see all the Heritage Makers Art in one convenient place?
Someone recently posted this awesome short cut to our studio art browser.

click here to browse the Studio Art Collections

here you can look at the thumbnails of all our art collections or click on the collection to open and view each piece individually.  Type in keywords to search for a specific theme or embellishment.  What a time saver to help plan out a project and get ideas.

I dont remember who posted this link on facebook but Thanks SO much!!!

Melissa

WOW- the Best Gift Ever

Wow its Wednesday.  Time to reflect and share things that wow or inspire me.  This week i want to highlight my friend Heidi Arave's Blog.  specifically a gift she made her husband for their anniversary.

Let me start by saying Marriage is HARD.  If you aren't married you wont understand until you are.

BUT for those of us who found our Prince Charming soon realized that the fairy tales and even the view we had of our parents often skewed what married life would really be like.  My husband and I have struggled through our own hardships like many married couples i know.  You each bring in your own baggage, you think you understand it all but one day you realize the life you wanted for your family and the one you are living are not the same.  For us I am happy we realized what was happening and began to change it before it drove us apart.

This is why I feel like highlighting Heidis blog today.  A lot of marriages end in divorce after just a few years.  Making it to any milestone like 10 years is just not as common as it used to be and I think its important to celebrate these milestone.

For their anniversary she just made a gift for her husband that i think every guy would like.  Now not every guy would like a scrapbook (thats way too girly).  But doesnt every guy read tons of magazines?  I know my husband does.  How cool to make a magazine about thier marriage, family and all the memories they have.  I am WOWed by this and just cant wait to make my own.  How special he must have felt to receive this.

Check it out here.  Best Gift Ever

What an awesome idea for fathers day too.  I am inspired to make a magazine called "Father of the Year".   If you want to make a magazine like this set up a free account on my website www.DigitalStorybooks.com and you can get started today.  Contact me and i can help guide you or even find a simple template to make your project go smoother and faster.

I know mothers day just ended but have you started to think about him.  What ideas do you have?  Please share what you plan to do to show him hes appreciated.

WOW- the Best Gift Ever

Wow its Wednesday.  Time to reflect and share things that wow or inspire me.  This week i want to highlight my friend Heidi Arave's Blog.  specifically a gift she made her husband for their anniversary.

Let me start by saying Marriage is HARD.  If you aren't married you wont understand until you are.

BUT for those of us who found our Prince Charming soon realized that the fairy tales and even the view we had of our parents often skewed what married life would really be like.  My husband and I have struggled through our own hardships like many married couples i know.  You each bring in your own baggage, you think you understand it all but one day you realize the life you wanted for your family and the one you are living are not the same.  For us I am happy we realized what was happening and began to change it before it drove us apart.

This is why I feel like highlighting Heidis blog today.  A lot of marriages end in divorce after just a few years.  Making it to any milestone like 10 years is just not as common as it used to be and I think its important to celebrate these milestone.

For their anniversary she just made a gift for her husband that i think every guy would like.  Now not every guy would like a scrapbook (thats way too girly).  But doesnt every guy read tons of magazines?  I know my husband does.  How cool to make a magazine about thier marriage, family and all the memories they have.  I am WOWed by this and just cant wait to make my own.  How special he must have felt to receive this.

Check it out here.  Best Gift Ever 

What an awesome idea for fathers day too.  I am inspired to make a magazine called "Father of the Year".   If you want to make a magazine like this set up a free account on t my website www.DigitalStorybooks.com and you can get started today.  Contact me and i can help guide you or even find a simple template to make your project go smoother and faster.

I know mothers day just ended but have you started to think about him.  What ideas do you have?  Please share what you plan to do to show him hes appreciated.

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

Chores, Manners and Rewards for Preschoolers

I thought I had posted about this already but couldnt find it...  Maybe i just posted it on my facebook.  ANyway...


We were having issues with manners and getting ready for school on time (and sometimes still do). 


I had a "chore" chart I made in my MOPs group.  Its a poster with velcro images that were meant to help preschoolers get ready for their day.  We moved her picture under the items she had done like get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast...  something simple she could follow and when she reached the end she was ready to go.  That worked for a little while but then she just ignored it.  


I found us giving lots of time outs and seemed like we were always focusing on negative behavior and not rewarding her for positive things.  SO I decided we needed a new system.


My sister was using a deck of cards to reward her sons and it gave me this idea.  I made a deck of cards each one  with positive traits/manners that I wanted her to learn printed on it.  I made them all cute with her favorite colors and photos on them.  And then half of the deck I printed rewards I thought she would enjoy.  Things like a family movie night, getting her nails painted, computer time... etc.  


Heres what I came up with.  



If you cant see the project above try clicking here.

Oh and the card that looks a little goofed up is the one Allie made. :)  She likes to work on the computer.

If you want to make a deck of your own set up your own free account on my my website www.DigitalStorybooks.com   then start a new project or look through the thousands of ideas in our template gallery.  Do you wish yours looked like mine?  Just contact me and I can give you a template of the one I made for Allie.  You just swap out the photos and change the wording for your family/child and then publish.  Its that easy.

I hope this helps give you some ideas.  It definitely has helped us recognize the good things she is doing even on the days we may have a few battles.  We can see at the end of the day that it wasnt ALL bad...  :)

From the Heart - Cranberry Wreath

It wouldnt be fair for me not to share this gorgeous wreath with you.  Ive seen versions of it in many magazines over the years but i beleive I saw it first on TV when Martha made it one year.  Its one of the few things I make that I actually have to say I saw her do first.

Its very simple but time consuming. I have also done topiaries with this and they are gorgeous too.


You need:
1 foam wreath shape or cone/topiary- from a craft store or dollar store
ribbon
floral wire
wood toothpicks I buy the cheapest flat ones I can
1-2 bags of cranberries depending on the size of wreath you make. I usually can get away with 1 bag and make about a 15" wreath.

Cut or break toothpicks in half and poke one end into the wreath and the other end into the cranberry.  I like to make a row of cranberries and the next row goes in between the first row.  SO they are very close together.  you just keep alternating like that around the wreath.

You only have to cover the front of the wreath so just eyeball what you can see.  Once covered you may decide to add a second layer on top.  Its a prefernce if you like to fill in the holes.  Then wrap a ribbon around it, add a wire to hang and your done.

This has become a tradition for me since the first one i made.  The natural colors of the cranberries are perfect for the holiday and give an old world feel.  Juts be on the lookout for falling cranberries as the season goes on.  they wont start dropping off but you'll have a few. 

Send me in the photos of your wreaths. 

Melissa

Christmas traditions with Children

Growing up I had many holiday traditions that I plan to continue with my children and some new ones we've added.  Here are 5 to get you started...

1.)Have some kind of countdown or advent calendar.  I find it helps with the excitement. 
Young children dont really understand the concept of time.  SO this helps them to see how long it will be.  You can include a small treat each day to help remind them to be good until christmas.  Last year we got a cute my little pony one.  Instead of getting chocolate everyday she gat a small toy.  It was a more then I usually spend ($14) but better then candy and she still plays with all the ponies!!!  it was like an extra christmas gift.  This year I found a pattern to make a countdown at home, and each day she will see different photos of our family.  Check it out in my gifts under $25 post.

2.)Decorate the tree together.
We've decided that there will be an adult tree and a kids tree in the basement play area.  Make sure to get your children involved.  I know it may sound cliche' but kids love stringing popcorn, cranberries, foil candy wrappers, beads whatever you can find.  Make an afternoon of it with Hot cocoa.  ***I like to put a candy cane "stirrer" in mine.  My daughter gets so excited when  do this.

I also will use this as an opportunity to remind them what the holiday is about.  I have a christmas nail ornament that has a story about Jesus included in the package. I gave it to my Nana and when she passed it was one of the things I was able to get back.  Now every christmas I sit with my daughter and read her the story.  I named her after my nana so I have let her hang the nail every year on the tree.

3.) Make Homemade wreaths.  check out my post here to see how.
 My daughter loves to collect the greens for this.  and it usually turns into a 2 day event for her.  she'll be 4 this year and her attention span is short.  We collect the greens one day and the next make a door swag.  or let them make thier own.  a quick project is to take a foam wreath (at any craft store) and just glue things to it...  Kids love candy and it will make a cute wreath.  buy a few bags of star mints and just start glueing.  Another inexpensive option is to use a paper plate as the wreath form.  Keep the things light though.

4.) Make Cookies or a ginger bread house.  check here for a favorite oreo truffles.
We do these 2 as one activity.  why not make a big mess all at once?  Baking is magical to kids.  at least my daughter.  She loves to see how putting multiple things together can make something else entirely.  She even plays "cooking" all the time bringing me her fake food.  it is usually playing cards as bread with stickers, paper, and some other secret ingredients that she wants me to eat... I love the pride she shows when we go to a party and she can tell people that she and mommy made the cookies.

5.) Home made or handcrafted gifts
I have been making homemade ornament since i was 5...  now we do it together.  if you arent crafty check out your local craft store. they make kits for easy ornaments. everything is all contained and you could even wrap it up and let your child open it like an early christmas gift. 

Check back here as i will be posting several of my favorite ones in the next few weeks in a "Home for the Holidays Coutdown" series. Each day I will post a different idea of something you can make at home.  Use them yourself or give them as gifts.   

Thanks twittermoms and Nickolodeon for getting me thinking about this post.  Id love to hear your favorite holiday activities; post a comment here.




Watch Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure Dec. 6 on NickelodeonFavorite Holiday Activities with Kids

Mondays Make & Take

My friends are always asking me "How did you do that?" check back every Monday as I share how to do some of my favorite crafts and projects.

From the Heart - Custom Photo Gifts Under $25

My mom taught me that making Gifts from the heart was like giving a piece of yourself  with it.  It was a very personal gift from the heart...  Unique, one of a kind and seemed to touch the hearts of everyone.

About 8 years ago I started making crafts with peoples home photos and fell in love with it.

I recently heard someone say how impersonal they though photo gifts/cards were...  and I can see what they mean.  At most retailers you plop your photos in something created by a person you've never met.  Make one and send to everybody you know.  That is definately not the value my Mother was trying to instill in me about gifts from the heart...

Gifts from the Heart should be Personal, Unique, and Special.  Thats why I love Heritage Makers.  Easy, Fun photo gifts, BUT each one can be personalized as much or as little as you want.  Not something you can do at any photo gift retailer.  Even the cards can be personalized for EVERY person you send it to.  I make sure to write something special just to them, have thier name printed in it, change photos around.  Something to make sure they know I really spent time thinking about them specifically.  Every card becomes one of a kind even if I've started with a template.

Here are some great gifts from the heart for under $25.

Some even involve getting glue on your hands! :)  I love the wood blocks and the clock comes out amazing!  My next project...  That countdown clock.  What a great idea!  Click on each page to see full screen.

10 Projects in 10 Minutes or Less

Homemade gifts Arent just for Kids anymore...  Today I want to show you how you can be creative too and create things people will love to recieve as a gift... 

These are fun  photo gifts you can make with the help of Heritage Makers.  There is a whole article on thier blog  "10 projects in under 10 minutes" but I just want to highlight my favorites for you and several were also in my post about gifts under $25

Heres my favorites this year...

6-photo Bracelet Time = 5 minutes

Take your loved with you everywhere you go with a stylish 6-photo bracelet. Time from start to finish? 5 minutes! The 6-photo bracelet makes a fabulous holiday gift.

This is by far my favorite.  I get compliments on mine every time I wear it. 

Set of Holiday Tiles Time = 1 minute

Holiday tiles are such a fun and simple gift and inexpensive too.  Go to the Heritage Makers template gallery, search for 12×12 pages, and you’ll find an abundance of fabulous designs. You can use a whole page as one large 12x12 tile or find one of the deisgns that has multiple smaller tiles on it.  There are some with 6x6 tile and 4x4 tiles.  Simply load one of the “tile” templates into Studio, save, and print. or design your own.  It’s that easy. 

Once your page comes in the mail trim it to fit your tiles.  It will depend on the project you made as to which size to trim.  Go to the local hardware store and pick out your tiles (they can be as cheap as 20cents).   Watch for clearance ones to save big.  After you trim your scrapbook page, mod podge in place, and you’re done.  If you want, you can even tie a ribbon around the tiles for a fun gift. Give one tile or a set of 4! 

To see a preview of the tiles, go here.

Greeting Cards Time = 5 minutes 

Personal cards mean so much.  We all know people in our lives we'd like to give a bit more personal card to.  Some people you want to send funny cards, some religious, others just need to know they are thought of this time of year.  And since we print singles it means you can make each one special and unique or choose to make them all the same.  Thats your choice to make not ours.  AND with our template gallery you can do them quickly with just a few clicks.  No kidding, you can make your greeting cards this year in only 5 minutes! Send a beautiful, customized greeting card AND let Heritage Makers ship it for you. Simply select “direct ship” and we’ll take care of the rest.

Want to see a beautiful card made with a FREE Basic account? Click here.

Gallery-wrapped Canvas Time = 4 minutes

Create a gorgeous gallery-wrapped canvas. Canvases, in three different sizes, look great on every wall on your home.

Dont forget about the contest to win yours free.

This beautiful 20×20 canvas was made with a FREE Basic account? See it here.

Deck of Playing Cards Time = 10 minutes

When you use Studio, a fun family game can be made in just 10 minutes! You’ll spend a lot of time with your family from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day…why not make that time fun with a unique game! Try Go Fish, “Scum,” or a unique family trivia game.

Here’s a fun “Go Fish” game for a child. Check it out here.


Clock Time = 4 minutes

This project is a simple twist on the traditional 12×12 scrap page. All you need is an inexpensive clock from Walmart or target and this darling template.  This is really cute and one of my absolute favs.  Where can you get a custom clock for under $10?
See the clock here.

HOME DECOR BLOCKS
Also in this photo you see custom wood blocks.  This uses the 12x12 page again.  Print your design and then cut apart. Get a 2x4 or other size wood from your local hardware store and cut down to size (depending on the project you are making.)   You just use mod podge to glue the prints to the blocks.  Create your own word decor blocks for any holiday.  These make great gifts and you can customize to fit anyones decor.  ***You can take photos of fabrics and use those as background for a perfect match.  also check out construction sites often they will give you the scrap wood for free.  

To see more fabulous templates, check out the Heritage Makers template gallery.

Now you’ve got all of your Heritage Makers gifts under control…without sacrificing your time! Take a few minutes to browse the Heritage Makers template gallery to find fantastic gifts for all of your holidays

I hope this has given you some unique ideas for the holidays.  Personal can be inexpensive but doesnt have to mean CHEAP gifts. 

Let me know what you create.  Melissa

From the Heart - Hand made Door Swag

Growing up in a very small town in NH I remember my mom taking us into the woods behind our home and collecting clippings of greenery, berries, pine cones, ect...  anything we thought would make a nice wreath.  We'd take everything back and bend some coat hangers, wrap some wire around things and in no time we'd have a wreath. 

It sounds really simple and it is.  You just have to have patience.

Making your own wreaths and swags are not only fun but can save you money.  Mostly I use things I have already and free stuff found in nature.  If you do have to buy stuff its usually inexpensive and pennies compared to the expense of buying a premade wreath. 

Over the years I have started adapting things a bit and now I use my glue gun to add the accents.  Its just faster then wire.  Sometimes I even add some "snow"  using white paint or the snow paste found in the craft stores.  Depends on my mood.
 
Heres a simple door swag. 
Clip a few branchs from a pine tree or a holly bush.  Find ones that have several small branches forking off so you dont have to wire as many together to get a nice full look.  These should be about 18 inches long but its all in your preference of how big you want your swag.  you want them to have a tear drop shape. Full at the top but long and pointy at the bottom 
 
you'll also need:
green floral wire- found at any craft store
glue gun & glue sticks
holiday ribbon a wide ribbon 3" and an accent ribbon about 5/8"
any other accents: pine cones, berries, nuts, cinnimon sticks, etc...the photo i used some prickly ball things i found on the ground.  dont know what they're called but they looked great!

First strip the end of the branches bare and create a short handle about 4"-6".  Then lay 2 or 3 branches on top of each other overlapping and fan out the bottoms a bit.  Wrap with wire to hold together. You may want to go between a few branches as well for stability.  You can adjust it a bit once wired together to create a shape you like.

Now your going to add your accents using the glue gun.  Lay the swag on a table and just start placing your stuff on top to see what you like before you glue anything.  I like tucking mine into and under the branches so they peek out and look like theyve grown that way.  one thing to keep in mind is that odd numbers look better.  you cant really see but i have 5 of those prickly balls, 3 cin stcks and 9 pieces of ribbon tucked in.  *** for the ribbons i cut small strips about 5" and fold in half and glue just the ends together to make a loop.  then glue those into the swag.

once you like what you see glue everything down.  you may find when you pick up the swag into a hanging position that things shift.  Use the glue gun to tack branches out of the way of your accents or add in small clippings to fill in bare areas.  Let the glue gun be your friend and manipulate things where you want them to be.

Add a big Bow at the top using your wide ribbon (or you can buy a bow).  and then using about 10" of floral wire create a loop on the back for a hanger by folding in half and poking the ends through the branches from the front to the back and twisting to secure.  Add glitter or fake snow as desired and then hang up or give as a gift.

Thats it.  You've now accomplished making your own swag.  Just remember real branches shed so this is a great one for outside the house.  Unless you dont mind sweeping up the needles everyday.

To save more money I recycle my ribbons from year to year.  At the end of the season I pull the glued ribbons off and tuck any accents I can reuse into a ziplock bag.  Put this in with my Holiday decorations and next year I can use them again.

Send me pictures of the wreaths and swags you make this holiday. 

Melissa

From the Heart handcrafted gifts a personal touch.

Ever since I was about 5 I have been making handcrafted gifts for my family and friends.  It has become one of my favorite traditions at Christmas.  Growing up my extended family even helped by finding ideas of things I could make.  I've made lots of different ornaments, gift baskets, photo books, greeting cards, jewelry, centerpieces, wreaths, cookies, candies...  You name it.  Ive probably done it.  and now I am going to share it with you.

From now until Christmas check back every Friday for my weekly post about Great Holiday gifts you can make or customize.  Which I am going to call "From the Heart". 

I hope you get inspired to make something for your loved ones this holiday season.  From the heart.

Melissa 

Memories of Gluwein....

The holidays are fast aproaching and as the weather turns cold fond memories come flooding back of when I was in Germany for the Christmas season. I was 18 and traveling with Up With people... I have always had a strange fascination with Germany, its language, its history, its culture. Sometimes I wonder about reincarnation...

It was beautiful there with the open air markets, the craftsmanship of all the items being sold was just amazing. Its hard to find such passion as the sellers had for thier craft. Being a crafter I can apreciate all the hard work they put into each piece.

It was cold though... And I dont like the cold. BUT there was a silver lining or rather a red one...

GLUWEIN.

Absolutely amazing. warm spiced red wine. (I am not normally a red wine drinker). But walking through those markets with a warm glass of spiced wine was a wonderful experience. And I do mean glass. A real glass and it was FULL, with a long cinimon stick leaning on the edge of the glass. The smell of cinimon and cloves wofting out of the cup. Maybe the experience was as much about the smell you carried with you as you strolled along. Cinimmon and cloves are just so commonly associated with the holidays.

I have yet to try to make it myself. My sister once bought me spice bags to make it and wow that was great. they were like a tea bag you just dropped in the pot of hot wine. SO now when I come acrossed those packettes at craft fairs I pick them up.

I did find this recipe online and plan to try to make it myself this year... I wonder if my sister is up for this...Rina what do you say?

If youd like to try to catch a glimpse of this German tradition try this recipe or if you have a favorite family one send it to me.

Anyway. I hope you enjoy. Heres to a happy holiday season. Cheers.

Melissa

Hot Mulled Wine (Glühwein, "glow wine")

Ingredients (serves 2-3 persons)

•1 bottle of dry red wine (750 ml)
•one lemon
•2 sticks of cinnamon
•3 cloves
•3 tablespoons of sugar
•some cardamom (or ginger)
Directions
Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil). Cut the lemon into slices and add to the wine. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything for about 5 minutes - do not boil - and let stand for about an hour. Before serving, reheat and strain. Serve in prewarmed glasses or mugs.

Lenox & TwitterMoms Drinks of the SeasonMore Drinks of the Season Recipes

Holiday Gift ideas

The holidays are just around the corner... Is it sneaking up on you too. get a jump on your holiday gifts by making a few of these simple one of a kind gifts that will have everyone talking. Visit the template gallery for more ideas.

Create your own home decor using our scrapbook pages and a little creativity... Its easy, inexpensive and one of a kind. Wall hangings, ceramic tiles, coasters, wall clocks, mini books, Heritage Blcks... The ideas keep coming. Heres a few of my favorites. You can also visit my friend Heidis blog for more creative ideas.

Breast Cancer Playing Cards

One thing always comes to mind...how this disease attacks the very essense of being a woman. I am always amazed at the strength and courage that women show when battling this disease. How they attempt to hold thier families together, most hide thier own fears so they can continue to hold up everyone else. I am creating a deck of playing cards to celebrate these women of strength.

The back of the deck will read "Your strength Inspires me". The front sides I am asking for your help. I would like to fill each card with a photo of someone who has battled this disease or been instrumental in helping someone who has battled this disease. In the end I would like to have photos celebrating 52 courageous women..




Sponsor someone you love and show them how they have inspired you. I am asking $40 to sponsor someone. For the $40 you get to put a photo and/or message on a playing card.

When the deck is completed I will mail you a deck. You may keep for yourself or give it as a gift. (maybe to the person who inspires you.)

If you wish to sponsor more then one person or cannot afford the $40 but really wish to sponsor someone please contact me and I may be able to work out a discount.

But please remember all profits will be going to help fund research.
Extra copies of the deck can be purchase for $30+ s&H.

Breast Cancer Jewelry

I have also created some jewelry to celebrate those close to you affected by this disease. Not only are these stunning pieces which celebrate these personal heroes but they are certain to get attention everywhere you go. Inevitably you will be spreading awareness and be able to direct people back to me to purchase thier own which means more money will be donated back to pink inititive.

This is a new product and I dont have a fisnished one with the design to show you but heres the stock photo I have of a finished bracelet with other photos.

Its quite stunning in person and gets lots of attention. Photos dont do it justice. You can see the computer mock up of my deisgn here. please remember this is a computer version and it appears blurry. The finished one wont be.

This one says "Once you choose HOPE anythings possible." but I also have a version saying "Your strength Inspires me" . When ordering please specify which wording you prefer. These are $39.95 +s&h

Pendants and necklaces are also available. Pendants have a photo on one side and saying on the other. Some have related them to a locket that you dont have to open. You can order a single pendant without a necklace for $14.95* or a 1 pendant necklace $34.95* or 3 pendant necklace $54.95*. Please specify which wording you prefer. s&h are added to total.

Breast Cancer Digital Artwork

All the artwork in these projects has been created by me personally, except for the white flowers on the playing card deck. (i will have to find the name of the designer). If you like my artwork and wish to use it for your own projects I have created a whole digi collection called Think Pink which you may recieve by making a seperate donation. I am not going to set an amount as I feel everyone should be able to donate what they can afford. I am hoping for between $5-15+. these can then be downloaded to your computer for personal use in any digital project.