Christmas Craftiness

Since I just started my blog, even though Christmas time is over, I'm going to put up my Christmas crafts here... better late than never, I guess! LOL I've found many ideas on Pinterest. Ok I admit it... I'm Christine, and I'm a Pinterest Addict! But I'd never do a 12-step program because I enjoy my addiction so much! :)

So anyhow, here ya go...

I made this little Advent box out of small match boxes. If you do a Pinterest search, you will find sites that give instructions but I'm too lazy for that so I'll just show you my finished product! The little "drawers" are just the right size for one miniature Hershey bar! It's totally adorable and I loved making it.

I had drooled over these types of ornament wreaths for several years but the cost was too prohibitive. I figured that with my frugal nature and some creativity, (along with some great Pinterest ideas) I could pull this off! It way a total pain in the butt to make, but I love how it turned out so it was worth the time. I've found them for around town for about $50-$90, but I was able to make mine for only $10-$12 total!!! I simply used bulbs I got from the Dollar Tree and a wire hanger, bent into a circle, for the base.

The reason it took soooo long was that the little plastic "hanger" tops that are attached to each bulb were very cheap and would come off the bulb and/or break off as I assembled it. So, in the end, I decided to take on the very time-consuming task of hot gluing my own little hangers made of string onto EACH BULB before adding it to the wreath. My fingers paid the price!!! Hot glue and I are not friends...

It also took many, many tries of putting on & taking off the bulbs to find just the right order that gave it a nice mix of colors & styles without too many gaps in it. I am extremely please with how it turned out!

I think this is one hobby I may adopt into my crafting time in the future!!!

Beautiful Paper Rose Wreath

Lately, I've been playing around with wreath-making, for the first time in many, many years. It's been very rewarding to be able to look at my finished product up on the wall/door so often, unlike the handmade cards and scrapbook pages that we don't see as much.  

I made this wreath for Mom for this past Christmas & she LOVES it! It took WAY more time than I anticipated, about 24 hours total hands-on time, but the end result was so worth it.

This is a terrible picture. I took it at night before I gave it to Mom. Night time and pictures, not a great combo I guess. I'm still learning how to take decent pics and still have a ways to go! 

I made this one for our home. I made a mistake when assembling this one and made each rose smaller than they should've been by leaving out one of the pieces. So this wreath is thinner than Mom's. I used a swirly patterned paper and sprayed each rose with glitter spray, which I do love the look of... I LOVE bling!!! But with this design, I think I like the simplicity of plain white cardstock.

I also made a beautiful ornament wreath that you will find on my Christmas Craftiness page if you'd care to take a look. 

I hope you will enjoy browsing my crafts and maybe get inspired to make some yourself! I find it so therapeutic, like a fun little escape from all the serious business of life. :)

A Little Introduction... My First Trip to the Blogosphere!

Thanks for visiting my new blog!!! I'm Christine. I'm a Christian Mom who loves God and loves crafting! I figured I'd start a blog in hopes of meeting new friends and sharing some of my projects with you and maybe inspiring you to try your hand at crafting too! I'd love to meet you and check out what wonderful creations you come up with! Crafting is fun, relaxing and therapeutic for me. A little escape from all of the seriousness of daily life.

Just a little about me... I'm a Mom to 2 awesome grown kiddos, Josh & Sarah. They are a blessing to my hubby and I! Vince and I have been married for 23 wonderful (and crazy!) years. I attribute the way we've been able to steady on together all these years to the power of God in our marriage, Also, to our dedication to work on problems when they come up instead of running. 

Here's a pic of me and the family on our vacation to Florida last year... not too crazy about how I look in this one, but the memory is priceless to me so it's worth it! 

I home schooled our kids for several years and then ran a very successful home day care for 6 years before I got too ill to continue and had to close 3 years ago. That was a terrible time for me, being sick and missing those little pumpkins every day, not to mention that our family's income was cut almost in half. I have found some peace with it and try to remember that everything happens for a reason. God has a plan and He's not done with me yet! :)

We recently rescued our furbaby, Paris, only 3 days away from being euthanized at the pound. What a blessing she's been to me!!! On my worst days when I need comfort, she is my constant companion. And a fluffy, little heating pad too! I'm her favorite person (sorry family!) and she follows me around everywhere.

Love Love Love her!!!

If you'd like, please take a moment to introduce yourself, maybe add your blog link, and let me know what you think about the items I post. I'd LOVE to check out your craftiness too! I'm looking forward to meeting some great new, crafty friends. Thanks again for stopping by!