Sharing a
creative connection™

Heart in Hand

February 5, 2010 in Crafts, Creativity, Friendship, Holidays

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Show a loved one that you care by creating a custom gift basket for this Valentine’s Day. A handmade miniature wool heart pillow will be a lasting memento of your affection.

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National Compliment Day

January 28, 2010 in Friendship, Well-Being Ecard Have you ever regretted letting an opportunity to compliment someone go by or are you looking for the right moment to let someone know how much you appreciate them? I’ve been watching a great series on PBS called “This Emotional Life” and among many interesting topics one of them is about what makes us happy. The conclusion (from scientific research!) was that creating positive connections with others is how we create happiness for ourselves and for others. Sharing a compliment seems like a great way to reinforce your connections. Email everyone you know a compliment and it will make their day. (Yours too!!)

 

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With Honey and Milk, please.

January 22, 2010 in Crafts, Scrapbooking

Tea1 That’s how I like to drink my tea…. Black tea with milk and honey is yummy in my tummy ~ particularly in the middle of winter. Because everyone seemed to enjoy the Snowmen downloads during December, I thought I’d treat you to some tea. Tea art downloads that is. I selected images with Bees to represent the honey. See what you come up with – how about some sweet Thank you or Thinking of you cards? Or, perhaps you might decorate a tea canister or a gift bag.

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Tea2

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Decorative Storage

January 15, 2010 in Crafts, Home, Quilting

TinsGroup-Full It’s something about the combination of New Years resolutions and putting away my Christmas decorations, that puts me in the mood to get more organized. And why not make it look cute at the same time? Organizer-Full Here are some fun ideas for accomplishing both in your sewing or craft area. Recycle the Christmas tins that you received full of fudge and peanut brittle and turn them into decorative storage containers.

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New Year, New Dog!

January 8, 2010 in Family, Friendship, Pets

Murphy made his life long dream of being a Doggie Daddy come true in 2010. He adopted the sweetest little pup from Spokanimal and named her Penny. She’s about 1 year old and we’re guessing she’s a little hound, a little lab, a little retriever and lot of who knows what-else in her. FreePetProjectsButton But it all adds up to be adorable. She instantly bonded with Murphy and is friendly to all. Murphy is getting used to having a constant shadow. Wherever he is, Penny is at his side smiling from ear to ear. Murphy hasn’t headed back to school yet, so they’ve been camping out in my basement and so far we are incident free! I’m so happy the two of them have found each other.

Penny

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Happy 2010!

January 1, 2010 in Calendar, Holidays, Well-Being

DM-PeaceAngel-2010

It’s really hard to fathom just how quickly this past decade has gone. I created this piece of art to commemorate the year 2000 and here it is 2010 already.

In this coming year, I hope we can all remember to take a deep breath and notice and appreciate the special moments that you share with others and the ones when you feel ease and peace in your heart. Maybe we can all slow down just a little bit too! Life is good and we don’t want it to pass us by too quickly

I wish you blessings and joy in the coming year.

Love, Debbie

 

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 31, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec31

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 30, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec30

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 29, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec29

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 28, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec28

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 27, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec27

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 26, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec26

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 25, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec25

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Happy Holidays!

December 25, 2009 in Christmas, Holidays 2009BlogHolidayGreeting

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 24, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec24

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 23, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec23

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Cranberry-Raisin Nut Bread

December 22, 2009 in Food and Drink, Recipes Cranberry-RaisinNutBreadCranberry-Raisin Nut Bread

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. backing powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 C. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 C. golden raisins
1/2 C. coarsely chopped pecans
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
2 eggs
3/4 C. Milk
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla

  1. Preheat overn to 350ºF. Grease 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 -inch loaf pan.
  2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking power, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in large blow. Stir in cranberries, raisins, pecans and orange peel. Mix eggs, milk, butter and vanilla in small bowl until combined; stir into flour mixture just until moistened, Spoon into prepared pan.
  3. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely. Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. Serve with Cranberry-Orange Spread. Makes 1 loaf.

Cranberry Orange Spread

1 package (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 package (3oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 container (12oz.) cranberry-orange sauce
3/4 C. chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese and cranberry-orange sauce in small bowl; stir until blended. Stir in pecans. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups spread.

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 22, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec22

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 21, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec21

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 20, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec20

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 19, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec19

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To & From

December 19, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts, Creativity, Holidays, Scrapbooking

GiftTagThumbsYou can craft your own Gift Tags with these free downloadable designs. Print out the designs and mount on cardstock. Add a little glitter or some stick-on gems, fill in the “To and From” and they’re good to go. Spread your Christmas spirit!

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 18, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec18

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 17, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec17

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 16, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec16

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 15, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec15

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Last Minute Gifts

December 15, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Scarf FleeceNeed some last minute gifts? Using fleece is a quick and easy way to turn out unique handmade gifts quick as a wink! With our easy instructions and some colorful fleece fabrics, you can make a stunning boa and hat for a girl and a handsome scarf for a boy. These Debbie Mumm fleece fabrics are available at Jo-Ann Stores.
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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 14, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec14

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I’m Dreaming of .….

December 13, 2009

White-ChristmasJust about everyone I know could finish that line ~ “…..a White Christmas,” of course. For me the holiday classic “White Christmas” is not only my all-time favorite holiday movie, it is my favorite movie of all time.

DebbieBingI have watched this movie since I was a kid and every year since. I recall that every year when Christmas was approaching, I would study the TV Guide to find out when it would be on ~ back then it only aired one time per year and I didn’t want to miss it ~ ever. It just wasn’t Christmas for me without seeing that movie.

4girlsI now own two copies because I don’t want to be without an emergency back up (just in case) and the soundtrack is playing in my car all month long (I long since memorized every word to every song). It is kind of ironic that I had never seen my favorite movie in a theater or on the big screen – but I got to do that for the first time ever this year.

Bing Crosby grew up in Spokane and went to Gonzaga University. A few years back they renamed one of our beautiful restored theaters, The Bing Crosby Theater, and started doing an annual Holiday Festival culminating in a showing of White Christmas. For me, it was a Christmas dream come true…..

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 13, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec13

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 12, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec12

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Attention Shoppers!

December 11, 2009

Fruit-du-jour1House-quiltOur quilts have been very popular on eBay (probably because they are beautiful AND a bargain!) There’s still time to purchase for Christmas. Check out a whole new batch that we’ve just added. Happy Shopping!

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 11, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec11

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 10, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec10

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 9, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec9

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Wrapped up in Wool

December 8, 2009

FeltTreeHomeComings Tabletop trees are the rage this year (because you can put them anywhere!) and I love this one that we made for the Home Comings book.

You can use wool scraps for the tree and snowflakes and decoration is just white-headed sewing pins and miscellaneous buttons so you may already have materials on hand. A Styrofoam tree and a small flowerpot are all it takes for the tree and base.

This tree is so easy that older kids can easily make it in an hour or two or it makes a great project to work on together. Have fun!

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 8, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec8

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 7, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity Snowman-Dec7

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 6, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec6

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Heart of a Hero

December 5, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Current Affairs, Family, Friendship, Quilting, Quotes

ICareWithQuilts Sometimes we don’t think about some of the agony that volunteers and people who serve others can feel. However, a letter I received from the founder of American Hero Quilts reminded me of that. We featured this organization in our newest book “I Care with Quilts” and as a thank you to Sue Nebeker, the founder I sent her a couple autographed copies of the book. Here is an excerpt from the letter she sent to me.

“I wanted to tell you a little bit about the arrival of your unexpected package and what a gift it was on a very difficult day. The day started with a phone call letting me know that a young Marine I had come to know had succumbed during a facial reconstructive surgery. I then sent off three quilts to a family where their daddy had been killed. We packed the car with 100 quilt to go to Madigan (Army Medical Center ) and another 25 to be mailed to our wounded service men and women getting care in other states. In truth I arrived home quite depressed and once again wondering how I could continue this. My friend and volunteer greeted me at the door with a huge smile and your book. This was just the medicine I needed.”
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The message was clear – the volunteers who give their heart and soul to look out for others, need us to look out for them too. It really can make a difference.

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 5, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec5

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 4, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec4

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 3, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec3

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 2, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts Snowman-Dec2

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31 Flavors of Snowmen

December 1, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts


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Now that Thanksgiving’s over and we’ve had a couple of snowfalls, it’s time to focus on my favorite snow-time friends and begin the countdown to the New Year. Over the last 25 years, I’ve drawn innumerable snowmen and I still love these chunky circles of snow. It is amazing how much personality emerges every time I put pencil to paper and begin the snowman sketching process. I thought you’d enjoy a rundown (better than meltdown!) of snowmen over the years, so I’ve picked 31 favorites and will present a new snowman each day during December for you to download and use for ornaments, gift tags, scrapbook pages or even an Advent Snowman Tree. 

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Here are a couple of ornament ideas to get you started on our 31 days of Snowman Fun. Enjoy using these downloadable snowmen for all your paper crafting projects. Little ones will love making construction paper ornaments and counting down to the end of December with these cute snowmen.


IMG_0694Rough-cutting around snowman makes preparation easy

Use a scrapbooking tag template for a fun background shape

An over-sized grommet repeats the circular shapes


 

IMG_0690 Use a compass to draw circles for snowman shape and background

Embellish ornament with glued-on beads and glitter

A grommet reinforces the hanger



IMG_0706 Make ornament dimensional by affixing snowman to Styrofoam ball with ModPodge®

Lots of glitter and a ribbon add charm to the ornament



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ALL-SEW DAY

November 26, 2009 in Christmas, Crafts, Creativity, Holidays, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Quilting, Scrapbooking GiftBags Take it easy on your feet and make it Fabric Friday instead of Black Friday. With an assortment of panel prints you can whip out a fun selection of gifts and décor.

BuiltBook We have some darling soft books that your favorite little ones will enjoy. Coordinating Christmas tree skirts in your favorite family themes of Penguins and snowmen are available for your quick-sew pleasure. 

New this year, we developed a couple panel prints to make gift bags and tags for the ultimate custom gift. (plus, you’ll love knowing that for years to come people will really enjoy re-gifting these special fabric bags.)

Set your goals and make it a SEW DAY, all day long.  Happy Fabric Friday!

WinterGamesPanels

ChristmasBasketsPanels

PeppermintPenguinsPanels

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Grace your Table

November 24, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Decorating, Family, Holidays, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Quotes, Scrapbooking TableCard Grace your table with this quote of Thanksgiving to remind us all to express our gratitude on this day of thanks and everyday. We all seem to need little reminders (I know I do). Download this quote and post on a scrapbook paper tent card on the table as a reminder this season.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Love, Debbie

PrintableThanksgivingQuote




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Get Scrap Happy!

November 21, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Decorating, Holidays, Home, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Scrapbooking

Product We’re having so much fun at the studio working with our great new Harvest and Holiday scrapbook papers and embellishments available at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts Stores. This month we made place cards and menus for the Thanksgiving table and wait till you see our cute projects for December! (No peeking until December 1!)

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One pack is over 180 sheets with three
12” x 12” papers in each of 60 designs. Just about every kind of harvest and holiday theme is represented in this huge paper pack. I love to use the matching glitter paper pack to add a little sparkle to my projects. I especially love the candy stripes and penguin family coordinates. Plus, you can use the snowflake patterns all winter long.

Use scraps from other projects to make your own gift tags. You'll love how easy it is to make a cute gift tag with just a pretty paper and a sticker or jewels from the matching embellishment kit. These sets are also fantastic gifts for your scrapbooking friends. This is one scrapbook pack that keeps on giving!





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November 19, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Decorating, Home, Quilting

AppleQuilt


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The DM Independent Quilt Shop fabric line "Apple Harvest" was used to make this project.

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Easy Fall Décor

November 15, 2009 in Crafts, Creativity, Decorating, Holidays, Home, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Candle I love all those assortment potpourri bags that you see everywhere from Target to Pottery Barn to JoAnn’s. Combine your selected assortment in a wooden bowl with a color coordinated candle for a very quick décor item for your table.  It’s an idea you can easily change up for every season. Store your off-season potpourri’s in zip lock baggies for quick change up’s.


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