Festive Fast and Easy Paper Christmas Banner

Christmas patterned paper, ribbon, a few buttons, and some quick stitches on the sewing machine! That's all it took to make a festive little banner for my entry way.

 I started with cutting out these little 3X4 vintage holiday images from a 12X12 sheet in a Christmas scrapbook pad.

My banner is hanging on a display cabinet, so I only needed three, but it could be longer. Then I chose three coordinating patterned papers from the pad, and cut six 4X5 squares. I stitched those squares together, three sets with wrong sides together, on the sewing machine with just a straight stitch around the border. So each one will have the image and a button on the front, and a cute backing of coordinating patterned paper.

 A little star corner punch in each image made them look a little more finished. Each one was then stitched in the center of each 4X5 piece.

I stitched a red button on each one, and then stitched all three to a length of red ribbon, and it was ready to hang! The whole little project took less than an hour, and I used what was in my stash. You could also use images from old Christmas cards or photos. Merry Christmas!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 341--a house, a stitch, and a cat

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Just another peek at my gingerbread house. I bake one of these every year, and some years, like this year, I don't really buy a lot of extra decorations and just use what I have. It smells so good, sitting around, looking fun.

Another lazy shortcut is that I decorate all the pieces and let them dry nice and hard before I put it all together! And now for my desk...

You caught me sipping lemon zinger tea, and finishing the embroidery for a Midori gift. I feel so Downton Abbeyish. Hmm...I wonder if Mrs. Patmore makes ginger houses for the Abbey!

And everyone, I think, needs a special kitty pullout in their desk--especially when they have a kitty, like Minnie, who likes to watch YouTube desk tours! Tee hee!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

No More Messy Kitchen Drawer--Welcome to My Gingerbread House

The whole thing started when it was time to bake and make my annual gingerbread house. It's about the only time, sadly, that I get out my piping bags and decorating tips to do the icing. I love making the gingerbread house...but I hated the dreaded messy drawer where the decorating supplies lived, all shoved to the back, and tons of other crap piled on top so that you could barely close the drawer.

After I cleaned it all out, I realized I didn't take a before picture. Too much shame I guess! But here's how it looks now.

This kitchen drawer is now dedicated to cake decorating, measuring cups and spoons and cupcake papers.

 The number one thing that helped me in the kitchen: craft room organization skills!
Now I'm sure I could go to any of my kitchen/home stores and pick up specific organization items for the kitchen--but what I had on hand was stuff from my craft room and it was perfect and no dollars spent. The poor cake decorating kit had long ago spilled out of its original container and was a horrible mess.

Now it all lives neatly in one of these boxes I typically use for beads or little embellishments.And it slides right to the  back of the drawer, nice and clean. I enjoy it so much, I might make a second gingerbread house!

Also mashed into the drawer was various cupcake papers--some of them were located in other drawers too, so that when I needed them I could never find them!

Now they live in one of these craft storage boxes. Perfect! No reason to have to keep them in their packaging when I can keep them in here and slide them right into the drawer.
Then I found a craft tool caddy I wasn't using, and that's where all the kitchen scissors, candle lighters and other tools found a new home where I can see them!

Isn't it great when your crafty skills help you all over the house.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 340--Making my list and checking it twice

My What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday list!

Clean up that mess of a desk!
Get Christmas cards done pronto! (they are half-finished in a box)
Finish Christmas shopping (or how about starting it)
Enjoy the morning.
Enjoy your coffee.
Plan your work and work your plan.
Go to the desker party and peep at a desk in London, or Australia, or right here in America!
Buy one of those big huge washi rings and ask Santa for lots of washi tape!
Oh, and washi the dishes.
Finish stitching more Midori's.
Stay on miDiet.
Finish cleaning and organizing the crafty corner. (after cards are done)
Sweep and mop. (and don't even ask because yes, you are Cinderella)
Go to Michaels and JoAnns. (you know, Christmas shopping)
Check the little indoor garden.
Buy cat food. (I once cross-stitched: If you don't feed the cats, you must feed the rats.)
Get some Pinspiration on Pinterest.
Finish Christmas cards!!! Now!!

So I'm done making notes in my planner and I'm off! Hope your desk is happy and productive this week!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch  

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan--Planner Love

Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't!
I love planning, doodling and listing in my Midori traveler's notebook, that is true.
I am a lister beyond listers!
So I tried the Reset Girl's (whom I love on Youtube) lister challenge. And it was really fun, and when you join she sends you the cutest free downloadable stickers, and everything you need for the challenge. 
But what I found was it was a little too forced for me. I'm a natural lister, and so in my Midori I need lists that are going to last. It was just too sad to know that my lister challenge booklet would be obsolete after 30 days!

Who knows, maybe I'll try it again when I have more time. Life is very busy right now with much to do. However, I did print Cory's latest sticker sheet and found a great use for one of my oldest punches! I plan to shop for a few things in her cute online store soon.

Planning in my Midori is just the best, because along with my weekly spread in my planner are all my booklets with my business and my lists. It all goes together beautifully. Love it!

Stitching more dori's!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 339--Paper and Floss

Messy Desk - Happy Crafter, Right?

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday. Have you been busy? Cause I've been busy with Thanksgiving, Christmas decorating, and I even made the annual gingerbread house, plus I have displayed my huge collection of Nutcracker dolls. My craft desk, surprisingly, is not neglected though! I've got cards to make, and Midori's to stitch and sell. So the one thing I haven't been on much is the computer.

While I'm stitching up my fabric Midori travelers notebooks, I'm keeping them in this basket, which I might use to display them in a friend's shop--that, or a cute suitcase to display everything. I did fan them out a bit so you can see some of the different fabrics!

A messy closeup back on my desk--I keep a tiny cross-stitch kit in my bag at all times to stitch hearts on the go that I then can use on cards or little art quilts, and a couple of finished ones are laying there along with my little bag of stamping supplies that travels with me also.

I might be the last one to post to the workdesk party today, woo hoo! If I am...thanks for scrolling down to visit. Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch