So lands the Snowbird.....

The Snowbird has landed! And below it lives the Snowflake Fairy! Just posted the assemblage on Ebay! The bird has the coolest curly tail and sequins on it! The top is removeable and can be used as a separate ornament.

Hey, hey, hey.....it's the foamcore again! Yippie! This 4 inch by 4 inch ornament turned out so cute! I bought some new Basic Grey paper today and the background is a piece of it. I just love their designs and colors. The little snowdude is my own creation. His scarf is hand made paper that "fibers out" when you put gel medium to it. Posted on Ebay tonight. I like the way this turned out and I think I'll make one for my niece since her favorite color is PINK!

Gingerbread Fairies...

Two posts in one day! What's up with that?!?!? This is the newest jar fairy ornament......this time I was lucky enough to catch 2 of them! Check out their little antennas. Their hats and coats are trimmed with red glitter (fairies like glitter!). I've named them Jimmy and Jeff (after my brothers....he,he,he!) They swoop in on their little paper wings and fill your cookie jar with wonderfully cinnamon-gingerbread cookies! Can't you just smell the aroma? Oh boy cookies and milk in the morning!!!!! I just posted this ornament on Ebay.

Less Decoration.......More Snoopy Reindeer!

I'm taking a break from decorating to write this post. I'm downsizing on my decorating this year, I got a late start and I'm just not into it. I'm going with the "less is more" theory of decorating this year. I live in a small house and sometimes I think I go overboard and then it looks a little "overdone" but not this year! less......less......less....(I have to keep reminding myself that!)

Here is one of my favorite ornament's from my childhood, circa 1973. They were sold in a pack of 6 and I remember my mom bought them for me a Murphy Mart and I called them the "Noopy Dogs". I still love the Snoopy reindeer ornaments. One Christmas Eve in a blinding blizzard on the way home from my grandmother and aunt's, my dad had to turn around to go back to get the Snoopy ornament, I carried everywhere that Christmas with me, because I forgot it and wouldn't stop crying until we slid sideways down the icy hill to my grandmother's to get it (oh my poor mother and father)!

He's so cute with his little red tongue sticking out! I'd show you one of the other Snoopy ornaments but he has been loved to death......it seems as a wee little human I chewed off one of his red ears (probably swallowed it too!), rubbed off his red spots (probably came off from the heat generated from my little paw.....hey, if you got carried around for 30 days straight in someone's hand, you wouldn't look so great either!). So that Snoopy ornament begged me not to photograph him.....I mean how dignified can a one eared, no spotted dog look?


Hey, tell me about a favorite childhood ornament you still put on your tree!

Tiny House and Snowman Memories

Still on the foamcore board kick, I made this tonight. It is a 4 inch by 4 inch ornament. The little girls with the snowman on the sled is copy of a vintage postcard that I shrunk down. The big snowman is also from a vintage postcard. I love the color of the velvet green ribbon.



This little house was made from the ground up.....literally. I started with chipboard, cut it out, scored the angles, covered it with decorative papers, glued it up and then covered it with glitter and glued sequins, stars and snowflakes on the roof. The photo stinks, its a little blurry because I didn't have enough light but you get the idea. It's about 4 inches tall.

I think I'll be making more of these little houses, they were really fun to make! Here is the template. Just rightclick on it, open up a blank Word document and paste it into it, next size it and print it out. But be warned, they are addictive to make! Can't you just see a whole village?! I got the template last year from the Martha Stewart website.

Holiday Cookies!

I've never met a cookie I didn't like! That's basically my motto for the Christmas holiday or for any other time of the year for that matter. Cookies inspired me to make this 7 inch tall ornament. He is made of wood, paint, decorative papers, rubber stamps and glitter. He's available in the Honey Girl Studio Shop.

I'm thinking cold and that means blue......

Since we have super cold weather here tonight....20s and high winds....gusts up to 40mph....I'm thinking "C-O-L-D" and to me that means the color blue! This is a new ornament creation using foamcore board as a backing. I like it because it gives depth while being light in weight. It's easy to glue onto, easy to cut with an Xacto (straight lines) and very stong, plus it doesn't warp......I know I sound like a representative for the United Foamcore Board Producers of America! I was so enamoured with it that I made 3 ornaments tonight (I'll post the other tomorrow). This one is entitled "Winter Wonderland in Blue" and measures 4 inches by 4 inches. It's sprinkled with glitter but as usual it's are to see in the photo. All ornaments are in the Honey Girls Studio Shop. The Snowflake Fairy is on Ebay, posted 12-5-07.

The Snowflake Fairy............watch out she has been known to cause blizzards!
Snowbound!

Pink Christmas Goodies

I put up the flocked white tree I won today and it inspired me to make a few pink things.....
to be posted on Ebay later this week.

Santa on a Vintage Water Ski

Digging in my "stash" of goodies I have stored at my parents (in the barn, in the garage, in the basement) I remembered the vintage wooden water skis I had and decided to turn one of them into a Santa. They were already painted red and white so I just left them that color with all the scratches and dings and painted the face. The result is pretty cool! I even left on the original leather and metal binding. He went to a neat little shop on Route 19 about 7 miles out of Mercer, Pa. The shop is called Time and Again and has all things vintage!

This is a long ski, I'm 5 feet 8 inches so this ski has to be a little over 6 feet. Here I am giving Santa a kiss! I've discovered through this picture that my hair looks like Will Farrell's in the movie Elf! Oh my goodness.....I have "elf" hair! I know straight hair is in but I look like a dork without some body and curl so I guess I'll take the "elf" hair! Well I'm off to check on my ranch/dill oyster crackers in the oven! Yummy! Guess who will be drinking water like a fish tonight?!?!? Those crackers are gooooooooooooooood but salty!

Holly, Guitars and Christmas Music

Holly is just so beautiful this time of year.....the deep green leaves with the vibrant red berries. It inspired me to make this ornament I call "Christmas Holly". This ornament is made with a wooden ornament base I bought at the craft store. I then layered decorative papers, cut out a few holly leaves and glued them over top of the decorative papers. Next I copied a vintage picture and colored it and embellished it with glitter. Lastly the whole thing is sealed with 3 coats of glaze. You can take her home and hang her on her tree, just click here.

I think every kid has asked Santa for a guitar at one point or another in their childhood! Let's face it, it's a fascinating instrument. I've always loved guitar music, especially classical guitar music. I also like the flamenco music. If you want to listen to absolutely wonderfully beautiful Christmas guitar music then you need to go here and listen to the samples. The CD is Poets & Angels: Music 4 the Holidays by Ottmar Liebert. It is my all time favorite Christmas CD next to the Charlie Brown Christmas Album. Anywho, I hope you check Poets and Angels out!

While I was listening to the Poets and Angels CD, I was inspired to do a Fresh Vintage ornament which payed tribute to the coveted toy Christmas guitar. This little guy is so cute in his little loafers and cowboy hat, isn't he? The tree beside him is made of tiny strips of silver tinsel. I cut apart beaded roping to get the individual red balls which I then hot glued to the tree and yes, I must admit there was some colorful language uttered as the hot glue got on my fingertips!

Not even a mouse.........

He carefully picked his words as he grasp the tall pencil in his tiny mouse paws and wrote the following letter to Santa: Dear Santa, I have been a very good little boy this year. I have many brothers and sisters. Please bring me a big hunk of cheese to share with them. Love, Jack". How about this little guy nestled in the Christmas ball with his party hat complete with pom-pom and red mohair scarf! Isn't he just the cutest? The inside of the ball has been collaged with tiny pieces of red and green decorative papers and dusted with ultra fine glitter. The outside of the ball is turquoise glittered. Both ornaments are in the Honey Girl Studio Shop.

SMILE!

More Ornaments in the Honey Girl Studio Shop!

I've been collaging, painting, glueing and washing my hands a lot! I'm not one for crowds so I've successfully stayed away from the stores this weekend and crafted. These ornaments and tags are in the Honey Girl Studio Shop. Pop on over to the shop to read all about them!

Attack of the Snowmen....and women!

I woke up this morning to a dusting of snow! So naturally I was inspired paint snowmen and women........62 of them infact. Is that a little obsessive? No, not really I was finishing a custom order! I had to paint 65 and I thought I had indeed painted 65 of them but when I layed them on the table and counted them out I had 62!!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! I thought I was done! Everyone of them is different. No two are exactly alike and I named everyone of them. The Honey Girls Studio seal is on that back with the name of the snowman and my signature. So it looks like it's back to the studio to make 3 more.

I couldn't resist, here's what they look like all hung on a tree! The lady that I made them for is my husband's principal and she's going to give them to her staff for Christmas.

New Goodies in the Store!

Let the Christmas shopping begin!!!! A new batch of Fresh Vintage ornaments and pins are now in the Honey Girl Studio online store. Here is a sampling with more to be added daily. Click here to magically transport you to the HG Studio Shop.

Thanksgiving Postscript

The turkey turned out great! No, really it did!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Well, it finally happened......I almost made it to 41 years of age without having to cook a turkey but this year I'm doing it! Frankly cooking large poultry frightened me, but it's in the oven right now and it smells pretty darn good. Even if it isn't good, I'll lie and use words like "delicious!", "very moist!!!" and "one of the best ever!"

Happy Thanksgiving from the Crafting Iron Chef!

Paper Bag Christmas Recipe Album

I love making these paper bag albums! It's so much fun to see what you can come up with to tuck into those little pockets! This album is a tribute to my favorite Holiday treats. It includes 10 recipes within the collages and on tags in the pockets. There are 6 pockets and 14 collages not including the cover and back. The collages were created with paint, rubber stamps, decorative papers, copies of vintage photos and copies of vintage postcards. This one is currently on Ebay. But I'm thinking I need to make one for myself!