Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Crafts #2

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Week 7

Crafts #2

Teapots!

Why not fill them with Christmas decorations (picks/greenery)?

As I was thinking about what to post for TWOC this week, for some reason a packed-up box of teapots that were in my closet came popping into mind. Why not get them out and make them become a Christmas decoration?

The first one (above) was my mothers. The lid is long gone, but it's at least 75-years-old. The gold painted decoration is probably 18 k gold.

So, I got out several others and filled them with picks bought at HL at half price.

Soooooo..... look around for the unexpected (containers) at your house and turn them into new Christmas decorations this year! The sky's the limit!

Pink, but still Christmasy....

This last container is a planter with faux greenery; I may still add some bows to these teapots, or they may be done.

Be sure to visit Red Writing's TWOC for lots of good craft ideas!

Visit my website where I am offering FREE SHIPPING for the holidays!

CODE: msw09

Christmas Blessings,

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Shopping!

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Shopping! ~

~ Mr. Snowman says, "Welcome to TWOC, week six!" ~

~ Santa I found on sale last year after Christmas! ~

We are half-way through Red Writing's TWOC Event!

This week we are to share shopping ideas/events/sprees/whatever!

One of my favorite finds is this desktop fireplace. I found it at the Dallas Gift Market and just had to share it with you. The stand is metal; the logs are resin; the candles are tea-lite size, and I found some dark colored candles so they sort of blend in with the "logs."

One set will sit on a table in my bedroom and one on my desk at work. The one at work will have to have battery powered candles in it or I may try to get a string of mini-lites attached to it somehow. That one is still a work in progress.

Next is a shopping spree that my daughters and I took last year the week after Christmas. We always visit a wonderful gift shop located in an old fire station (in Kansas) when we're together. They carry wonderful gift items, and I love to shop there before and after Christmas! Shown here are pictures of some of their decorations in the store (after Christmas) last year!

~ Cute santas and snowmen ~

~ A tree in the store ~

I bought the ornaments shown below on my own little tree last year at half price! Love them!

I love to unpack these kinds of great finds a year later; it feels like they were free! I highly recommend after Christmas shopping - both for gifts and for decorating your own tree and home.

Shop pre-Christmas, too! Our small business owners need our business!

~ Love this snowman! ~

The first two ornaments on this blog post were bought last year at half price!

~ Go forth and shop! ~

~ Shop Early - Shop Often ~

I look forward to the cooler weather, the decorations, the Christmas music, the Salvations Army Bells, even the hustle and bustle.

And, it all happens, Because He Came!

Be sure to visit all the participants at TWOC's week six shopping event!

Click here!

~ Christmas Blessings! ~

Jayne

Pink Saturday!

Happy Pink Saturday!

I decided to post something I have made for Christmas this year! After all it's only 49 days till Christmas! Does that shock you? It's time to be thinking Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

This is a picture in a fun frame that I have made for gifts and for my website this year. There are lots of people out there who don't do red and green for Christmas decorations - many (of you) do pink!

A close-up

A back view - sheet music taken from an old copy of J. S. Bach's "Mass in B Minor."

Be sure to visit everyone who is participating in Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound!

Pink Saturday and Christmas Blessings!

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Homemade!

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Homemade ~

~ Week Five ~


I make Greeting Cards - lots of greeting cards - have been for about twelve years. So, I thought for Red Writing's TWOC event this week, I would show a couple of cards that I'm making for Christmas this year, both to send and to sell; they are on my website My Song Within.

This first Christmas card is a two-sided card (it doesn't open) that is new this year. It's made of warm-white linen cardstock; I outlined the message layers on front and back with a gold pen, added a gold Christmas tree brad on the front side and tied a generous bow made of a wide, white shimmery ribbon. I always use ribbons - they add so much to a card! I look forward to sending this card which has a "touch of elegance" to it.

This first picture is the front of the card.

Shown below is the front and back of the card.

The message on the back is Isaiah 9.6

Next is a Christmas card I made using stamping, layering and tulle.

It is a card I sent several years ago and this year I brought it back 'cause people liked it so much. I did change the design some.

The angel is directing music and the birds are singing!

The message on front is,
"for unto us a Child is born . . ."

As you can see, the burgundy cardstock is torn across the top and the stamped, warm-white cardstock is also torn. I like that look.

The inside message, below, is Isaiah 9.6; I tie the tulle ribbon over the inside left page (you can see the words "Christmas Blessings" peeking through) and around to the front side, making a fluffy bow across the picture.

I like to use tulle and sheer ribbon on my cards as you can see words

and embellishments through the ribbon.

I also make framed Scripture pictures and below is one all done up in pink. Some people have pink Christmas decorations, so I made this pic for those people who don't do red and green and are always on the lookout for pink!

Christmas - Because He came . . .

Thanks for visiting and checking out my homemade goodies!

Be sure to stop by all the other participants
for Week Five of TWOC presented by Red Writing.

Christmas Blessings,

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Food! Week 4

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas! ~

All About the Food!

Week Four!

This week Red Writing asked us to share something about our Christmas food traditions for week-four of our TWOC event.

Our family has many food (have to have it/don't change it) traditions for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the main one that I have been in charge of for over 40 years is "the perfect sweet potato recipe"! When my kids were little we had a nanny who made this dish for us. I asked her one day if she would give us the recipe. She said, ''there isn't a recipe." She just made it by feel! So, I asked her if she would let me watch her and create a written recipe. The result is "Dorothy Sweet Potatos" and we have had it every Thanksgiving and Christmas since that year; and it is passing down to my kids and grandkids.

Dorothy would be proud if you decide to give it a try!

~ Dorothy Sweet Potatos ~

Peel and cut into chunks (approx. 1 to 2 inch) 10 to 12 sweet potatos

Cover with water in dutch oven and boil (uncovered) till tender

Remove from heat and drain well

Add: two sticks of butter (NOT margarine) - cover and let butter melt

Add: two cups sugar

Mash/mix with hand or bowl mixer till consistency of mashed potatos

Allow to cool some

Add: seven/eight eggs, slightly beaten, a couple eggs at a time; mix well between additions

Add: one to two T. cinnamon; one to two T. nutmeg; one T. vanilla flavoring, mix well

Add: one cup milk or heavy cream (we use cream); mix well

Pour into (sprayed/greased) 9 X 13 inch baking dish - the above ingredients will make two pans worth (depending on the size of your potatos - I buy medium sized and we want leftovers)

Bake uncovered at 350 for one hour

Add marshmellows, return to oven and allow marshmellows to melt and brown slightly

Serves: 12/14 (with some leftovers)

Done and Delish!

This weekend we are having "Thanksgiving" in Kansas; the Texas connection traveled to KS this weekend, and we are pretending it's November. With work/school/college schedules, we couldn't swing it next month. So, the above recipe was eaten TODAY! YUMMY! And we have leftovers; and, it will be made again Christmas Day!


Be sure to visit everyone who is participating in TWOC and see what other good recipes and ideas may be out there for all of us to try this year!

Blessings,
Jayne @ My Song Within

Procrastinator's Project ~ The Reveal!

Procrastinator's Project ~ The Reveal!

Click here to see all the reveals!

This Procrastinator's Project was sponsored by The Inspired Room and began October 6. We had two weeks to finish whatever project we selected - a project we had been putting off - a dreaded project!

~ Finished Project & Lookin' Cozy! ~

I chose this antique metal-topped table and chair set for my project. I bought it in 1987 at a little antique store and even found the hand-written receipt in the drawer. The table and two chairs cost $75, and for some un-remembered reason I put it in lay-a-way for a couple of months (according to the receipt). For the past three years it has been out on my deck - covered with an awning, but still exposed to the elements. The paint had started to crackle and chip off; I knew I was ruining it. So, thanks to this project, I brought it in, scrapped, sanded, primered and painted it; the chairs had not been outside, so they are OK.


Now here it is in my bay window and I'm really happy. This year it'll hold my table-top Christmas tree. I mentioned in my "before" post that maybe the bay window would get curtains as part of this event. As you see, that didn't happen. Reason: hardware! I can't mount the bay window rod without help and there was no one around to help! That WILL HAPPEN before Christmas. I just want white cotton sheers covering the mini-blinds (yes, I know mini-blinds are "not cool" but they were here when I bought this condo - someday they may go to mini-blind heaven).

~ Midway along ~

ugghhh - lots of work!

~ Before ~
outside and starting to rot
Be sure to visit everyone who entered this Procrastinator's Project event and see how we all did! It's been worth every bit of the work, sore legs, sore back, etc., etc. to get this done! I betcha everyone feels the same way!


I hope the Inspired Room does another such event after Christmas! Possible?

Blessings,

Jayne

TWOC - Christmas Accent Craft #1

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Week Three

Christmas Craft Accents #1

Well, here we are at week three of our Twelve Weeks of Christmas event sponsored by Red Writing. It's been fun to read all the blogs of those who are participating, and I appreciate your visits to My Song Within.

This first picture is of a wreath I bought on sale after Christmas last year for about $10. It's a really nice wreath - light and feathery. I just embellished it with some white feathers and silver picks (all bought on sale at HL) and a white sheer bow. I have under $12 invested and it only took a few minutes to assemble. I recommend doing your own wreath decorating! It's easy, it doesn't cost much and you can let your imagination run wild.

the "before"

the "after"

This next picture is a conglomoration of bling, trees, wreaths, shoes, purses, etc. that were collected from after-Christmas sales last year, things I bought at the Dallas Gift Market for my website and some Hobby Lobby purchases. It will hopefully all turn into wonderful gifts, home decor and website stuff. I have "sacks and sacks" of gorgeous picks, ribbon and greenery that I'm having fun planning "what it will all become" (and with only 60 something days till Christmas, it had better become something in a hurry!).



This pretty gold shoe is filled with some of my "sacks and sacks" of pretty picks, ribbon, and greenery. I'm making them for gifts and for my site.

This tree - well, suffice it to say, I have many of these trees; they were on sale at HL last year, and everytime I went shopping I bought a couple. I think I have twelve or fourteen. They are going to be "embellished" this year from my "sacks and sacks" of glittery picks, ribbons, etc. I think they'll make nice gifts, plus I'll keep some. You can't have too many trees around the house!

My theory:

Every little nook and cranny needs

a Christmas tree nestled into it!

They make everything so cozy.

Do all bloggers do crafts? Probably - in some form or other. This blog is about just one side of what I create. TWOC has a second craft event in a few weeks, and in that one I'll share what else I do (Christmas goodies) that takes a totally different path, and I can't wait to see what you're doing at both events!

Thanks for visiting and be sure to visit all the TWOC blogs. I'll bet this week's "party" takes lots of fun directions!

Blessings,

Jayne