Cookies Packaged in Paper CD Envelopes (& cookie recipe)

Xmas is long gone but I still have an Xmas gift idea to post. :)  I made spiced sugar cookies for everyone and wrapped them in paper CD envelopes:

I had to wrap the cookies in plastic wrap so that they wouldn't make the envelope oily, so that's my least favourite part of this gift, but I thought the rest turned out really cute. :D
I used the MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software to make little Xmas tags for each envelope:

Just to show again that this software can be used for so much more than just the usual scrapbooking!

P.S. If you use my special discount code in my side bar here somewhere ----->, you'll get $10 off your purchase of the MyMemories Digital Software program! :)

As for the cookies, they're one of my absolute favourite cookies in the whole wide world!  I used my Xmas cookie cutters for the first time and made some cute Xmassy shapes:

Of course, with my kitchen luck, this is what happened to my first batch:

I wasn't complaining TOO much though, 'cause I got to munch all these yummy flops. :)
I did from the next batch onward get most of them done perfectly:

 So here's the recipe....ENJOY! :D

Sugar Spice Cookies

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs cream

• mix together 1 cup flour, baking powde, salt & all the spices.
• cream butter, beat in sugar.  Beat in egg, vanilla & cream.
• stir in flour mixture, then add enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make the dough stiff enough to roll.
• wrap in plastic wrap and chill several hours.  
• preheat oven to 180 degree C / 375 degree F.
• place dough on adequately floured surface and roll to about 1/8" thickness - these cookies must be quite thin.  Cut into shapes, placed on ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes. (mine came out perfect at 10 mins) (Note: when I used an ungreased sheet as suggested, my cookies stuck to it and broke! So I greased it with spray on grease and that worked much better)

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More Xmas Tree Decorations - A Bit Late, But Oh Well

Shew, haven't had much time for posting around here since Dec - I was so busy then.  But I made 2 more tree ornaments that I haven't posted yet - ornaments that I decorated or made in the spirit of my Totally Handmade Xmas Tree Decorations Pledge. :D

I made this at the last minute in an attempt ot make the tree look more full of decorations, and to add some more "shiny" to the tree.  So I glued a mini gift bow to a mini wood slice and added a silver string with which to hang it with.  Not my most inventive creation, but I was desperate and had run out of time to think up something cuter, hehe.

And then I also wanted to redo some plain baubles that I had and spice them up a bit:

I decoupaged them with pieces of white mulberry paper:

Added some red lace ribbon from my scrap ribbons stash, as well as a white organza ribbon bow, and voila!

So that was IT as far as my Xmas tree decoration went. :)  This year I'm going to be making some more, I need some bigger items to fill up my tree more.

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Xmas Tree Decorations

This year I decided, for fun, that I'd only decorate my tree with ornaments that I've made. :D  Ok, so it's not as sparkly as it always used to be, but at least I can look at it and say I made it all, which is much more fun, eh? :)

Here's my tree....somehow December sneaked up on me this year, so I haven't fnished making all the ornaments yet (I'm still busy making some), so I'll post my updated tree as soon as I've finished my other ornaments. :)

The big star hanging above the tree I got from Birgit's Daily Bytes, and it's so easy to make.  I had a hook in the ceiling so I just hung it up from there and placed the tree underneath, hehe.

I also suddenly realized that I didn't have a topper for my tree, and it looked quite odd without one, so I made a little angel to put on top.  Not my best work, but desperate times call for desperate measures:

I used a small styrofoam ball to make the head, and glued one different lengths of gold "string" to make the hair.  I folded a piece of ordinary white paper into a cone for the body / dress.  I stuck a toothpick in the head and inserted it into the top of the cone, then cellotaped and glued the toothpick to the inside of the cone to secure the lot.  I drew on some designs with a glue pen and sprinkled on gold glitter, then finally wrapped some gold ribbon around neck.  Well, it'll do for this Xmas. :)  This was far to finicky to make, so I won't be doing that again!

And then here are some of the ornaments I made last year and thought out this year:

My glittered wooden star ornaments.  I made them HERE.

I made these ornaments from old Xmas and b'day cards...I made them HERE.

These beaded loops with the bells I made HERE.

I collected a whole bagfull of pinecones at our family farm last year Oct.  I spray painted some of them gold last year for decorating the table for Xmas lunch, but this year I just placed them in the tree to add some more colour.

I made some beautiful snowflakes too, and you can find the link to the pattern in my post HERE.

I made some more beaded loops for the tree, but replaced the bells with angels this time.  I made the little angels as well by using little wings, a lovely filigree bead as the body and a cracked glass bead for the head.  Easy peasy. :)  I also used earring hoops this time instead of memory wire as with my other beaded loops above - I find using these earring hoops MUCH easier that the memory wire - it costs a bit more, but oh well, it's worth it. :)

And I made these recycled little prezzies for the tree HERE.

And finally I made these crystal danglies.  I haven't made a post about them previously.  I just used tigertail wire and threaded on a filigree bead and clear acrylic beads, and secured them with crimp beads.  I made a loop at the end of the danly with the tigertail and attached another dangly to the bottom - for the dangly I added 2 sizes of acrylic bicones onto a head pin.  Lastly I used some irridescent "string" to make a little bow with.

And that's my tree so far!  Now I have some more Xmas gifts to wrap and then I need to get on with the rest of my ornaments! :D

All these ornaments were made with my Totally Handmade Xmas Tree Decorations Pledge - if you wanna join in this year or next year, grab my badge here (just scroll to the bottom) and remember to let me know if you made any of your own Xmas tree decorations! :)

Linked up at these LINKY PARTIES:
Cup of Delight         Sew Stylish Boutique

Crafty Recycling - Xmas Tree Decorations

This is another craft as part of my Totally Handmade Xmas Tree Decorations Pledge for 2011. :D

I got this cute idea from City Girl Gone Coastal, and I thought it'd make really cute Xmas tree decorations.  So I went looking in some boxes in our storage room to see if I could find styrofoam, and guess what?!

I found some and decided to sit in the sun and cut it up.  It's such a lovely day today outside!
My kids kept me company...

I recycled some used Xmas wrapping paper from Xmas's gone by, and wrapped up the little blocks of styrofoam:

Too cute! :D

When I finally find my beading gut somewhere, I'll make some loops to tie onto the gifts so that I can hang them on our tree. :)

So if you want to take the pledge with me, grab my badge for your blog HERE, and post a link of any of your handmade Xmas tree decorations! :)

Also posted here:

GGCAA           .


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Beaded Snowflakes for Xmas Tree

In the spirit of my Handmade Xmas Tree Decorations Pledge, I've made a set of beaded snowflakes to add some sparkle to the tree. :)

The pattern for this gorgeous little snowflake can be found on Sandra D. Halpenny's website.

If you want to join my handmade decorations pledge, grab my badge here (scroll to the bottom)!  And leave a comment here if you have a handmade tree decoration you'd like to share, I'd love to see it. :)

LINKY PARTIES linked to:

Craft Envy                              .




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Beaded Xmas Tree Loops

These little decorations were inspired by the ones I saw on Spoilt Rotten Beads.
I've made these Xmas tree ornaments for My Totally Handmade Christmas Tree Decorations Pledge! :D

Grab my badge in the right side bar & display it on your blog if you wanna join my pledge! :)

These were quite simple and quick to make (it was only the part with the crimp beads that were quite fiddly to do, so be patient there, hehe).  So I've made a tutorial on how to make these ornaments, in case you wanted to make 'em for your pledge as well. ;)

First, this is what you'll need:

an assortment of coloured 6mm bicone facet beads

clear 4mm bicone facet beads

silver-lined size 11 seed beads

crimp beads

loop rings

bells (or your dangly of choice)

memory wire (I used the size that was a few millimeters over 4cm across)

silver string

tools: scissors, pliers & memory wire cutters

First, cut a loop so that it overlaps a little, like this:

Then string on your beads however you like.  I chose this sequence and just repeated it on either side until the ring was full:

String on until the loop is almost full - you'll stop where the loop overlaps:

Now you'll probably have to cut the overlapping wire, just a tad, otherwise it's too long, like in my photo above.  Cut it so that the wire ends no longer want to overlap the beading:

The only way I could think of to secure the wire was to add crimp beads.  So add 2 crimp beads to one side of the wire:

Now slide the other end of the wire into the crimp beads as well:

This is the fiddly part because the beads slide around very easily and could fall off.  But just space the crimp beads on either side of the overlapping wires, so that there's a space between them where you're gonna add your dangly.  Then squish the crimp beads with your pliers so that they secure the wires:

Take a loop ring and add your dangly on it, then close the ring over the centre of the overlapping memory wires:

Finally, take a piece of silver string (I used about 20cm of string) and tie it around the loop ring so that you can hang it on your tree.

And there's your tree ornament! :D

I made some in different colours:

I really enjoyed making these, because they're so simple and relatively quick too. :)

Remember to send me a link of your ornaments if you decided to try 'em out too!

LINKY PARTIES linked to:

The Little Birdie Blog                               Sugar Bee Crafts
Vintage Wanna Bee                                  This & That
Today's Creative Blog                              I'm Topsy Turvy
Rook No. 17                                           Somewhat Simple