Tato's Thomas Birthday Cake

My sweet little nephew whom I affectionately call "Tato" had his fourth birthday. Of course as every little four year old boy should be, he too loves everything Thomas. I told my brother that I would make him a Thomas cake. What was I thinking offering to make a fondant cake a week before Christmas. His face was much trickier to do that I thought it would be. But let me tell you, it was all worth it when I saw how excited Tato was to see his cake. He had a super fun birthday party and enjoyed his cake. I thought the smoke coming out of the train was a cute added touch.
Happy Birthday Tato, Auntie Nana loves you!

Craft Room Spruce Up

I've wanted my own craft room for as long as I can remember. We've been married for 10 years now and finally I've got one. Mind you I have to share it with the computer and the Kids crafting station but I've got plans to make this space jive together and look appealing. Mostly thought I want to create an environment of creativity. I want to be able to come here and get busy making stuff. Really I craft and sew mostly for my kids so they are the best kind of inspiration and they are so darn cute who wouldn't want to make them stuff.

Currently if you could actually see my desk that is under this inspirational wall mount it would leave you less than motivated but hey it is Christmas time and I've got to start somewhere.

Next on my list for this room will be some shelving so I can start organizing and storing my crafting supplies. I've been working on the kids toy room too so I'll have some more to show you for that room soon.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

This is such a quick and easy project to make.

Melt semi sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove.

Drop the pretzel into the melted chocolate.

Sprinkle them with crushed nuts or candy cane while the chocolate is still wet.

For an added fun touch melt milk chocolate as well. Put it into a zip lock sand which bag. Snip the corner and drizzle over the pretzels. Yummy!

Christmas Party

Seriously, what's Christmas without a little party? Well OK maybe a big party. We had our ward Christmas party last week. I'd love to say I single handidly pulled an event like this off but anyone whose done this knows it takes a small village to do. So village in hand we threw a fun night with hot appetizers, and cool punch, snazzy cheeses, spinach dip and everything in between. It was such a lovely night and I don't think anyone missed the Turkey Dinner. This was the third year we were in charge of the Christmas event and we simply wanted to change it up.My super talented friend Helene took these photo's. You can see her work at HMF Photo she got some mad talents. She also did our family pictures if you wanna peak here.
We decked out the gym with lots of white lights and Christmas trees, it really looked festive.

Ashley made these sweet cup cakes and they tasted fabulous. I'm so thankful for talented friends, who share willingly their talents with me!

We also did some fruit skewers which are fun and add a little flare to any table. That and kids love to eat fruit on a stick, it tastes way better that way.

These little square bits of goodness are cheesecake bites that you can get at Costco pre made and pre cut. We needed too do some really simple treats that we could set up ahead of time so that the masses could munch while we got the hot appetizers flowing from the kitchen.

The centrepieces on the tables are fluted glass dishes filled with fresh cut holly bushes and pine cones around the base of them. Super cute and super inexpensive. I'm seriously going to plant holly bushes at my house simply for Christmas table setting.

12 Days of Christmas Crafting - Day 12 Gift Tags

We hope you have enjoyed our 12 days of Christmas crafting ideas and that you have been inspired to share a bit of yourself with the people in your life. The only true gift we can ever give is when we give of ourselves to others, just as the Savior gave His life for us. After all it is His birth, His example, and His life that we are celebrating this Christmas season. Last but certainly not least for our 12 days are these cute Christmas tags. What better way to top off a lovingly made gift than with a cute handmade tag! These are super easy to make and look darling.

First you start off with a die cut tag made with the Cuttlebug machine. If you don't have a cuttlebug, you can improvise by cutting a 2" x 2 1/2" rectangle of cardstock and punching a small hole at one end of it.

Next you cut a 1 3/4 x 2 3/8 rectangle out of a coordinating colour of card stock.

Take this rectangle and stamp "To: From:" on it.

Punch out a cute Christmas design at one end. glue this rectangle onto your die cut tag, loop a piece of cute Christmas ribbon through the hole and "Voila" you have a lovely hand made tag to attach to your lovingly made gift!

Aren't they adorable!

Well this sure has been so much fun sharing our creativity with you. If you don't have the pleasure of knowing Meaghan and Monica let me tell you a bit about these gals. They are hilarious, sweet, understanding, loyal, funny, caring, concerned, did I mention hilarious, and are some of the sweetest friends I have. I'm a better person because of them. Thank you ladies for humoring me and coming along for the ride with these 12 days of Christmas crafting. So signing off for our last post together (for now anyway)...

Happy Creating, Meaghan, Monica and Nancy

12 Days of Christmas Crafting - Day 11 Christmas Fudge

Seriously, it would just not be right to post only one chocolate idea on the 12 days of Christmas, it's Christmas after all. Is there anything prettier than a box of fudge, all tied up with ribbon and given with love not a wonderful idea. I'm going to wrap up some fudge in my pretty little boxes and give them out to people I love. But I'm also going to wrap some up and find some folks who I wouldn't normally do something for and share the Hope of Christmas with someone who may be needing some extra love this time of year. I have been blessed with so much in my life that I feel especially this time of year it is better to give than to receive. So get baking and share some love too.Christmas Fudge

3 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

First you will need to line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment or wax paper. This will allow you to flip the fudge out with ease.
Next you will put the choc chips into a sauce pan over low heat and start to melt the chocolate chips.

Add one can of sweetened condensed milk. Once the chocolate chips look like they have begun melting start stirring.

This is what it will look like at first.

Keep stirring until you have what looks like a chocolate paste. Add the vanilla and stir.

Pour the chocolate into your lined pan and flatten it out using a spoon. If you had a small rolling pin that fit into your pan it may be easier. keep it about one inch thick. Once it is as level as you can get it place in the refrigerator and chill

I left it over night but you can just check back after a few hours. Use bite size Christmas cookie cutters to shape the fudge into yummy bite size pieces.

Doesn't that look super yummy. Now go think of something nice you can do for someone in need or someone needing to feel the Saviors love this time of year and let them know you care.

Happy Creating, Meaghan, Monica and Nancy

12 Days of Christmas Crafting - Day 10 Etched Bowl

I think I have found a new pass time (addiction) what ever you want to call it. This was way fun and the etching part really is quick. This looks way cute too. I had a hard time with the pictures so after about 50 shots (no kidding) these are the best. It's a bit hard to see the detail of it and how cute it really looks so you'll have to take my word for it. Can I just say...Awesome Gift! Supplies you will need:

Con-tac paper (if you live in Halifax I have enough for all of metro just ask me for some)
Etching Cream
Paint brush
Print your words/designs out of word
Self healing mat ( your hubby would be mad if you carved the kitchen table)
Exacto knife
Glass Bowl

First print off the words and designs you want on paper. I just used Microsoft word and chose pictures they had. I changed the size to fit the bowl I was etching.

Cut out the words leaving 1" on all sides and tape it down to the Contact paper.

Using your crafting exacto knife cut out the letters. Note for the E and O you will need to keep the inside pieces so that you stick it on the jar as well.

Peel back the sticker and stick it to your dish. Because it's a circular dish your going to have to cut it and make it fit. Don't worry about the outer edges just make sure the letters are sealed properly to the dish.

Repeat the steps for the snowflakes. Once you have all the stencils stuck to the bowl apply the etching cream with a paint brush. Let it sit for about 2 min. Rinse under warm water and then peel back the stickers and voila.

So simple and so cute. You could put candies, colored rocks, water and cranberries. Really this bowl could be used for just about anything. Here's what it looks like as a candle holder.

If any of you try this out I'd love to see how yours turned out.

Happy Creating, Meaghan, Monica and Nancy

12 Days of Christmas Crafting - Day 9 Marble Bark

Christmas is just not complete without a little Chocolaty goodness, don't you think? And really lets be honest wouldn't you like to receive this chocolate treat all wrapped in a pretty box. I sure would. Here is what you need:

6 Squares White Chocolate

6 Squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1 Cup Toasted Pecans

Parchment Paper

Baking Sheets

First off you will put your pecans in a frying pan and toast them over medium until you hear them sizzle a tiny bit. Keep tossing them you don't want to burn them.
In two separate bowls you will melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between.

Once it's melted put 1/2 cup toasted pecans in each container of chocolate and mix them in.

Pour all the semi-sweet chocolate onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then pour the white chocolate on top.

Next take a butter knife and run it through it with the flat side. Be sure not to stir you just want to cut through it to create the marble effect. Place baking sheet in the fridge for 1.5 hours.

Break the chocolate into chunks and place in these cute boxes and send some Christmas Cheer.

Happy Creating, Meaghan, Monica and Nancy

12 Days of Christmas Crafting - Day 8 Felted Snowflake Ornaments

I have lots of fantastic crafty friends who love to share their talents with me. One friend in particular who shared her knowledge with me just last month, (and let me buy into her stash of goodies) is Teresa. We had a girls crafting day at Church and she put on the workshop on felting. I made my first snowflake that day. I have since sat down to make a bunch more out of necessity. You see this year Coconuts decided she wanted her own tree in the toy room. I agreed to it but told her we were not going to buy a whole extra set of decorations. Grammy gave us some old ornaments and beads she had but I still felt as though the tree was missing something. This is where the need for awesome felted snowflakes came in. Supplies you will need:

Foam block

Felting Needles (A regular needle will not work for this)

A cookie cutter in the shape you desire

Fleece (the fibers used to felt)

First you will break/tear a peace of fleece off and pull the fibers apart.

Stuff the cookie cutter as evenly as possible so that the ornament is the same thickness all around.

This is the fun, therapeutic part. Just stab the fleece all over. Make sure to go around the perimeter and all in between.

Can you see the one edge of the snowflake that is felted. It really compacts and brings the fibers together.

Once it is all felted down you actually need to pull it away from the foam block. It will be felted to the block so pull gently. Flip it back over and place it back into the cookie cutter and felt the other side of it.

This is the most important step. Be sure you have a mini-me crafter extraordinaire to help you make them. We were skipping out of Church that day cause Coconuts wasn't feeling well so it was the perfect project to keep her mind off how terrible she was feeling.

The final step of course is to put them all over your tree. I may embellish them with buttons and ribbon to hang them but I haven't decided cause I kinda like the look of them just leaning into the tree. What do you think, leave them or add embellishments?

I really like how the tree turned out and can I just say that this project cost me about $2 just to make the ones that are on the tree. I was really impressed with that savings.

Happy Creating, Meaghan, Monica and Nancy