Birthday Tag

I'm doing another challenge on the A Muse Studio Challenge blog. The current challenge is to create a Tag. I'm thinking the challenge was for more of a holiday tag but I had a birthday to go to last night so I really needed to make a birthday tag anyways so here it is! It's all A Muse products and the swallow stamps are from the Clever Girls set and the Happy Birthday sentiment is from Essential Sentiments set.

Craft:Mason Jar/Feeder Light

I found the cutest mason jar project on a blog a couple weeks ago and became determined to make it. It incorporated my LOVE of mason jars, chick feeders and primitive decorating. Last winter I made a candy dispenser out of the same two items so with a few more supplies, I knew I could make this adorable light. I got the idea from THIS blog.

I have enough supplies to make more. I'm thinking of spray painting the feeder black and trying different decorative twines.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

This is one of the easiest things I've ever made. Homemade Vanilla Extract. Who knew vanilla extract was basically booze and vanilla bean? Not me! I know the store bought has some sugar in it as well (not much) but that's basically what it is. This gift idea started last Christmas for me when I saw the idea somewhere online. I decided I wanted to make it as gifts for the next Christmas season so instead of making big bottles of it...I went to the NH Liquor store and bought a bunch of vodka nips. They were so cute and pretty (especially the really GOOD vodka) so I bought a bunch. It's pricier than buying one big bottle and getting a bunch of empty plain bottles but I didn't care. Kettle One is my favorite vodka so of course I had to get a bunch of them. Next was the vanilla bean...had no idea where to get it but I found some at Costco. Gosh, I love that store! Each bottle has a half of a vanilla bean (sliced in half and the long way to expose the insides-looks like 2 pieces). I'm sure you could put more but remember...this is my first try. Shake it up and close bottle and put in dark closet/cabinet for at least 4 months. Mine have been sitting for almost a year now!

Fun part is that as you use it, you can add more vodka to the beans to keep it going for quite a while! I've also heard you can use other liquors like rum as long as it's at least 40% alcohol so I may experiment for next years batch...yummy!

Mason Jar Yankee Swap

Well, it's that time of year...Yankee Swap time! The 4H Aviculture club XMas party is once again at my house this year and we always do a Yankee Swap. Here's what I came up with this year. It's not original but perfect for a Chicken Club! Mason jars are one of my favorite things so I bought a chick feeder at the local Agway...filled a mason jar (not the wide mouth ones!) and decorated it. Easy peasy! Cost with the candy was probably about $10.00 which is our limit for the swap.

Ghoulfriend

I'm participating in a Ghoulfriends swap on Scrapshare. I've never done it before but basically you get a secret Ghoulfriend that you shop and send a fun package to. We all fill out a questionaire to help our ghouldfriend buy/create for us. Since my craftroom is pretty much closed for business until it gets moved upstairs, I had to buy most of my recipients goodies. Here's the package I'm sending her.

I managed to make one thing. I found this fun project making pretty mini legal pad holders out of decorative file folders. I also simply decorated a RSVP pen.

Whimsy Jars!

I just thought I'd share a fun swap I did on a message board I frequent. It was called a Whimsy Jar Swap. Whimsy Jars are just that...jars filled with whimsy. Since the board is more of a scrapbooking board, the jars were filled with scrapbooking items. We were all assigned a secret partner to fill a jar for with only a color scheme to go by. The person I filled a jar for wanted red, black and white. Here's the jar I sent her all the way to West Virginia...

I received an amazing jar in return from another person but I can't find the pics right now! When I find them, I'll definitely post.

Ornament making at Pamela's!

Last Sunday I was invited to make ornaments at my friend Pamela's house. She supplied all the materials and made us an awesome lunch of SS's Cowtown Stacy's famous Taco Soup. YUMMY! There were 4 of us all together and we made some really beautiful ornaments using a really cool technique. I'm at work so I'll have to insert that later...hee hee! We used glass bulbs in different shapes. I loved the heart shaped ones that I'll be using to decorate for Valentine's day...Here's a pic...