Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Good day lovelies! This week, another idea for a tree ornament.

I'm transforming this from blah to TADA!

What is this, you ask? It was a container for a bite-size cheesecake from one of my favorite neighborhood bakeries. The cheesecake is all gone but I saved the packaging. 

Doesn't it look like a snow globe? I'm turning it into one!

First, I fashioned "snow balls" out of crafter's clay, glued each ball together making a snowman.

I drew on some body parts with a black pen.

Then I made him a scarf out of felt.

On the base of the snow globe, I put a generous amount of glue and a shower of glitter.

With more glue, I attached my snowman to the base.

Plus a little shout-out to snow.

On the plastic dome, I made a hole using a needle, inserted some string and made a few knots. This will be the handle for my ornament.

Attach both parts together, and here it is -- a handmade ornament. TADA!

It's ready for a place on the Christmas tree.

Wishing you all a terrific week ahead!

Hand-Painted Ornaments

December is upon us and Christmas indeed is a few days away. 

Out in the shops, as early as September, holiday decorations were already up and ready for purchase. I'm not sure if that put people in a holiday mood or got them frustrated.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. But Christmas in December (not August or October).  I managed to put blinders on to avoid all the shiny trim and blinking lights to focus on what's important.  Today, I'll show you what Christmas means to me with a little blah to TADA! 

This is a page I ripped off from last year's Crate and Barrel catalog. I thought it was a cool craft to recreate.

I bought these birch rounds from my favorite craft store when they went on sale.

They're natural, rustic, and bring a bit of the outdoors inside. 

I sanded each one, wiped down any dust, and painted them white.

After letting the paint dry, I made some sketches. 

I thought a little whimsy was the way to go.

Then I added some color.

And here are what I love about Christmas:

It's Jesus' birthday. Really, he's the star of the show.

Going to church and reliving the story of Jesus. 

Coming home and being with family. 

Putting up decorations at home and admiring the lights around the neighborhood. 

 Listening to Christmas carols -- plus points if it's a real choir!

Writing, sending, and receiving Christmas cards.

An abundant feast, ideally with some bubbly and lots of dessert. It's a good excuse to indulge while exchanging stories with people I love.

Thoughtfulness and generosity through simple, yet beautifully wrapped, presents.

I finished these off by attaching picture hanging hooks and baker's twine. Now, they're ready for the tree. TADA!

How about you, what do you love about this season?

Thank You!

It's a special holiday here in the US and I wanted to wish you and yours:

One of the things I'm grateful for is this blog where I can share my passion for crafting, treasure hunting, and culinary adventures. Thank you for all your visits and comments, I truly appreciate them!

A Beautiful Bead Trivet

Well hello there! Two Sundays ago, I stopped by a thoroughly enjoyable gift market: 

It's called the Renegade Craft Fair. I've written about it here and I think it's a wonderful showcase of handmade talent. Check out this schedule -- there might be one where you live.

Over 200 makers were there selling food, ceramics, jewelry, prints, dolls, clothing, bags, decor, and goodies for gifting.

There were free workshops, too. I was able to attend the one facilitated by Paul Lowe, a.k.a. Sweet Paul.

He showed us how to make wooden bead trivets.

They're very simple to make. All we need are large wooden beads and leather cord. 

Cut two pieces of cord. One should be able to hold 15 beads and another, 9 beads. For both pieces of cord, make sure to add an extra 6 inches before cutting. These are necessary to make knots.

A neat trick to quickly get the beads on the cord is wrapping one end with some aluminum foil. It'll act like a needle.

Then string on the beads. 

The outer ring should have 15 beads and the inner ring will contain 9 beads. To finish, make at least 3 knots on each "necklace".

Nest the smaller one inside the bigger one and we've got a chic and useful trivet. TADA!

It's perfect to rest hot-from-the-oven food for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays.

Crafted from Chocolate

Over the summer, I stumbled upon this warehouse in Redhook, Brooklyn.

I just love its brick exterior! Inside are high ceilings, a small courtyard, and rooms, one leading to another. 

Cacao Prieto is a distillery serving up rums and liqueur made from organic sugar cane and cocoa from the Dominican Republic. 

As a fun learning activity, there are factory tours available on weekends.

On this side of the shop is a chocolate counter.  All the chocolate is made on the premises using single origin cacao, also from the Dominican Republic.

I bought myself this bar of dark chocolate with notes of mandarin and bergamot. Of course I wanted a taste but it's fair to admit that I was seduced by the packaging. 

These are designed in-house. Doesn't it look like expensive gift wrap?

And the label! Another application of calligraphy in this modern day and age. 

Even the fine print shows how much work was put into their products.

A necessary indulgence. 

It starts with a snappy crunch, smooth as it melts in the mouth, ending with the taste of citrus tempering its mild bitterness. 

I just had to save the wrapper. I can foresee many crafting opportunities with it.

For now, I'll use it to dress up this blah bag hanger. I got it from here.

I made a circle with the help of a craft punch. But tracing a round object, like a coin, and cutting it out with a pair of scissors works just as well.

I had to trim it to fit and then applied some glue for it to stick on the bag hanger. Then I sealed the paper with some Mod Podge.

I carry this bag hanger in my purse. When dining out, I just hook it onto the table so my bag is off the floor and close to me at all times. TADA!