Thursday, October 29, 2009

Another Christmas Star to make


Here's a how-to for making plaster of paris stars that can easily be used to decorate with in your home, use as tree decorations or gift decorations, whatever you can imagine. I used the star, but you can use any form you have or want to do this. What you will need is plaster of paris, a cookie cutter, aluminum foil, cooking spray, ribbon and craft paint and glitter. To begin, mix the plaster of paris; enough to half fill your cookie cutter. Spray the cookie cutter with cooking spray so when it dries, it'll be easier to remove the plaster from the cutter without too much effort which could break it. After spraying the cutter, take a piece of aluminum foil to wrap around the cutter. Wrap the foil up around the bottom edge of the cutter to help minimize the plaster leaking through. There very well may be plaster that leaks through, so try not to mix the plaster to be to runny like pancake batter, but have enough water in the plaster so you can mix it smoothly yet with some thickness to it. After pouring plaster, cut enough ribbon to make a hanger and insert the ends of the ribbon into the top of the plaster and let dry.

Once it has dried and you have safely removed the plaster from the cutter, paint with your choice of craft paint. I choose the neutral color of cream so it will fit into any decor at anytime. After the paint has dried, smoother the star with glitter paint and a light coating of glitter. Again, I choose a cream glitter. If you feel really creative, you could glue a Christmas message or scene to the center of the star and then cover with a light glitter dusting. I did not take the time to do it here, but it is another idea for more interest to your stars should you have the creative time to do so.  The pictures do not do it justice, but it is a simple chic star statement when done. What do you think?


Monday, October 26, 2009

Listening


             Sometimes God is best heard in the still, quiet of the early morning.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Christmas Star Gift Tags


Here's a simple how to for you to use to make your own raised star Christmas gift tags. You'll need poster board, or medium to heavy weight card stock; ribbon, pipe cleaner, small glass beads, glue, pencil, sheet music, a star to trace and glitter glue.

Glue the poster board and lay the sheet music to the top and smooth out air and glue bubbles.


Once dried, trace your star with a pencil onto the sheet music. You'll need a back to the front of the star so for a better alignment to the front and back, I cut out enough of the poster board to fold it under the glued sheet music so I cut both (front and back) at the same time.  Then, I cut along the pencil traced line with one cut to equal the front and back pieces.

Using the blade of your scissors, fold each of the star arms around the blade to make it raised. After raising the star, glue the raised front to the back piece. Once the glue is applied and you have lined the front to the back piece, press gently all around the edges, working your way around the star several times to close the two pieces together.


Once the front is dried to the back, slather on glitter glue or apply a light aging paint or stain, it's your star so whatever you like to have the finished look to be is completely up to you. Once that is dried and done, snip a small piece of silver Christmas tree garland and lay on the top of your star. Go to your computer and with small font, type out your Christmas greeting (I used "Merry Christmas"). After that has printed, use your decorative cut scissors and cut the message out. Apply a very light coat of the same stain you used on the star or the glitter glue to the message and glue it onto the star over the snippet of tree garland.

Then snip a tiny bit of the pipe cleaner (for holly leaves) and glue it and two red glass beads (for holly berries) to the corner of your Christmas message.

After all of that is dried, turn your star over and glue to the back of your star a short piece of fabric ribbon to make a hanger.

Your finished gift tag should look something like this:


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wow, Wednesday Already!?!



Can you believe the calendar is reading October already?? Not me. It seems that I just finished packing away the Christmas decorations from last year and am already having to think about them again... I... am...not ....ready...for ....this ....holiday...season.

BUT!! I have been shopping some in spite of my disbelief of the calendar. As in previous post, I have let out a few Christmas secrets, well kind of. However, I will let you in on a few more details. I have found this site that has something called deal of the day. From what I understand, every 24 hours, the site keepers (is there such a name?) post a new deal of the day. When it is over, it's over. I ordered a Discovery Channel photo slide show keychain for my son in law the other night for a steal at $4.99 (regular price $25.99), uh, yeah. He doesn't have a way to flash updated pictures of my precious Prince Charming, soooo, being the thoughtful MIL that I am (and oh so young too!), I snagged this for him.  The site is at    www.1saleaday.com    head over there and check out  what you might find for little of nothing for your special people for Christmas.

I was also able to snag some really great magazine deals for a number of people on my list. Of which I was really glad because magazines was just what I had wanted to get for these special someones. In the words of Cousin Eddie (from Lampoons Christmas Vacation), it's the gift that keeps on giving all year long. The down side of this gift though, is that it will show up before Christmas, as in several weeks before. Oh well, I'm just glad that it worked out that I could get a magazine for everyone I had wanted to without having to take out a loan.

So, have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Friday, October 2, 2009

Happy Friday!!


Well, we made it to another Friday - WooHoo! This has been a busy week with lot's of coupon shopping. I have discovered a whole new web world of sites that will take you by the hand and show you exactly how to shop weekly sales at local drugstores, discount stores and grocery stores and they even match the coupons to the sale items. I have been searching for sites that are very informative to this nature and I found them! Lots of them! This is probably old news to those who have been making use of these sites for some time, but for me, it's new and very timely. We live off of one income and sadly we have debt that trails behind us which is old - from back in the not so long ago days of when we both worked. However, I have been putting my new found coupon knowledge to work and have already saved enough to make some of those nasty monthly payments! Thank You Lord!! It is time consuming, I will not kid you. In fact, it is like a part time job, but the way I see it, it is my job to save money. I am working toward saving enough in the area of groceries and household items every month that the savings will pay for a hunk of my personal monthly debt. That's the goal at least. I'm on track and am most grateful to be. I've already bought Christmas presents for several family members and have only spent a very small amount thanks to the timing of placing my orders for the very things I was thinking of getting them anyway. I have been so consumed with this coupon game that I have not had time to visit any of the local yard sales which are few and far between now that we are in October and rainy. So I don't think I'm really missing out in that area. I did make it to Old Navy earlier this week. It was a very good trip. I was able to snag a pair of yoga pants for $2.50, regular price was $19.50 (which I can wear as casual wear) and a fleece zipper front jacket for $5.00, both items were in the clearance rack and exactly what I had been looking for! Tonight, hubs and I went out to eat, with two coupons of course. Then a stop at Starbucks for the taste challenge -free and each of us received as a thank you for taking the challenge, a coupon for a free coffee. Then home to watch our Redbox rentals. Cheap night out for pennies on the dollar and we actually had a good time. If you are interested in the coupon game or want to learn how to really make those coupons you've been clipping work better for you, start at southern savers ( www.southernsavers.com ) and also check out retailmenot.com. Also click on the other sites listed all through out these two sites. You'll learn a lot about how to get the most out of your coupons and really save money. You just have to readjust your menu planning kind of thinking. I used to shop with menus planned and it cost me a fortune. Now I shop according to sales with coupons so I have no idea from night to night what's for dinner, but it's all good! Have a awesome weekend!