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

I was working all night making peppermint bark that will be going to Hubs employees. I had the benefit of help from Wonder Boy and his rubber mallet. No one pulverizes candy canes by the dozen better than him!! LOL

This is what the dining room table looked like....and that is only a few. We made 11 batches or 22 flat sheets. Finding enough flat surfaces was the biggest challenge!! :) 46 bags later, we are finished!! Whew!!

Here is a close-up of the candy.

Here is a close-up of the broken up ready to be packaged bark

Here is one of the finished packages.

Here is one of the tags I made using my cricut. The candy cane cut file is from my friend Penny.

Here is the recipe card I enclosed with each bag.

Christmas Row House Swap - Gingerbread style

The next installment of my monthly row houses swaps was to be in the Christmas genre. Hmmmm.....what to do, what to do. Well, I went totally out of my box and went quirky and cute. Wow!! Totally not my usual style!! LOL But I like it!! I have always wanted to make big Gingerbread Houses, baked up fresh, dripping with icing and loaded down with candy. This is the next best thing. I love the peppermint "shingles" and the glittery iced roof (I used 3 kinds of Martha Stewart glitters for the sparkle). Please click the pic to appreciate the glittery roof. It is headed to my friend Diann in NC. Hope she is feeling "SWEET." You can see the previous row houses here and here .

JOY Banner Swag for Christmas

One of the fun mingles I am participating in over at ARTHaven is a "JOY" banner. For mine, I chose 3 coordinating "snow" papers and cut out 4 mittens and 3 snowmen. I backed them with coordinating cardstock and cut them out again. I stamped and embossed the letters with white and framed them with more cardstock. The snowmen are holding their letters with gray fuzzy chenille arms.

I used 5 coordinating fibers and crocheted the swag using a large Q hook. I used 3 Fun Fur, 1 Homespun and 1 Ribbon yarn. For some added bling I added some metallic foil snowflakes on split rings. The snowmen and mittens are attached with silver clothespins (Silver spray paint).

Iris Fold Christmas Trees - Variations on a theme....

I continue to work on my Christmas Cards.....of course Iris Folding is still my fave technique. Here are 4 Pine trees that used 4 coordinating green papers and similar, yet different layouts and patterns. I like how they turned out. :) I have 4 more apertures ready to go, just need to sit down and do the folding!! Just sharing.....

New ART for one of my groups

I am working on my newest ART commitments. I am signed up for an Inspiration mingle and a Christmas Ornie mingle.

For the Inspiration Mingle you are to view the photo and use it for "inspiration" to create an ART piece. My inspiration mingle is a coaster. The crow is clip art designed by a friend, the pumpkin is made from 3 oval punches and the words are mine. It is top coated with Krylon triple thick aerosol glaze.

The Ornie had no other theme but make one, anything goes. :) My Ornament is on watercolor paper, sketched out first with a black sharpie and then water colored using pencils. It was then sealed with a matte sealer. I still have to punch the hole and put on the hanger but I knew it would scan better flat!! :) I created 2 versions.

Catching up!! Whew!!

Seems my guys decided to bring home some funky virus and since it's the season of giving....they decided to share!! Ugh!! Good thing I LOVE them a lot!! LOL Anywho, we are back. So what to share......maybe I'll share some of my Christmas decorations with you.

This is my first Christmas ever, away from home and family in all of my 45 years. We are making the best of it....at least the weather is heavenly. It has been near 80 all week and we are soaking it in. I did decide I should decorate the house even if my heart wasn't in it. We had to buy a new tree this year as my beloved 9 foot tree will not fit in this house, so that was sad. We did get a great deal on Black Friday though and bough this tree for only $25. :::Smiles:::

Two things I had to have were my snowman collection (well part of it anyway) seems strange in Georgia though and my nutcracker collection. DH has bought me at least one every year since we've been married. I treasure them. I'll share them here:

Merry Christmas......it's COMING

Just saying......it's coming at the speed of sound and there's NO WHERE to hide!! :::Smiles::: I've added a Christmas countdown so we can keep track, over on the right!! 51 days!! Yikes!! I'm feverishly working on goodies for my 2 stores. Today's offerings are one more Advent Calendar swag and 2 framed stitcheries.


The advent calendar showcases Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet in shades of red, green, blue and white. I LOVE how the tulle netting really jazzes them up!! I also think the crocheted fibers are a nice touch. Anywho.....just sharing. This swag can be found here: http://www.shellyraewood.etsy.com/ or http://shellyraewood.shophandmade.com

I also have added 2 framed stitchery pieces today. I LOVE handwork, especially embroidery. The first one features a peaceful cabin, nestle among the pines with the Christmas Star shining overhead. It also has an alphabet sampler, much like a young lady would have added in earlier days. It is framed in a flat black and measures 8 x 10.

The second stitchery showcases a green hand-stitched feather tree. The tree is embellished with vintage buttons from Aunt Rita's stash. It wishes you a Merry Christmas in country red and green. They can also be found in my Etsy shop!! Hope you enjoyed them!!

2 new Advent Calendar Christmas Swags

I finished up two more of the Advent Calendar Swags. They can be purchased in my Etsy shop www.shellyraewood.etsy.com or my Shophandmade store. http://shellyraewood.shophandmade.com More are on the way!! :::smiles:::


I remember as a child the anticipation building towards the magic of Christmas, when I could view the next treasure from my Advent Calendar (which, btw, I still have). Here's a contemporary version for your family to enjoy.

Some ideas to fill your envies: A family activity for the day, A clue to a hidden treasure for that day, A piece or two of candy, An ornament, A bible verse, A trivia question, A coupon redeemable for an activity or treasure.

Custom swags are available - just convo me!! :)



This calendar features envelopes handmade from gift wrap, in rich shades of Christmas red and greens, with red/white snowflakes and red, green and white stripes There are 24 envies, each measuring 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches, numbered 1-24 with coordinating silver circles and red stick-ons. They are strung on a red and green metallic garland further embellished with complimentary tulle netting strips in red, green and white. The completed swag measures approximately 9 feet.

Each calendar is a one of a kind creation. This calendar features envelopes handmade from gift wrap, in rich soft shades of pink and blue, showcasing the Disney Princesses. There are 24 envies, each measuring 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches, numbered 1-24 with coordinating paper squares and silver stick-ons. They are strung on a blue glass beaded garland further embellished with complimentary tulle netting strips in pink, purple and blue. The completed swag measures approximately 9 feet. The envies attach to the swag using shiny silver clothespins. You just unclip each envelope, fill with your desired treasure and clip back onto the beaded strand.