Christmas Elves

Start a new tradition with
Christmas Elves

I learned about this tradition from some friends and thought I would start this tradition, this year in my home. Apparently this cute tradition began in one family when their children were very small and were always inquiring as to how Santa really knew who had been naughty or nice. This family came across a small elf in their Christmas boxes and this tradition was born.

This small elf would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His main responsibility was to watch the children's behavior and report it to "Santa" each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the "North Pole" (with some parental assistance) and was hiding in a different place. The children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to find him in his new position or location.

Over the years, the tradition has been perfected and some rules have been introduced. For example, to better preserve his mystique the children are not allowed to touch him; however, they were allowed to talk to him and even write them letters. For obvious reasons, he was not allowed to reply verbally, but on occasion would write them letters back. Eventually, the children even gave him a name - officially adopting him into the family.

Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the "elf was watching" for errant behavior to be modified. The elf would write letters to the children asking them to write up a ‘wish list’ for him to take to Santa, thus providing the parents with a Christmas shopping list. The elves would also encourage the children (via their letters) to do their homework, keep their rooms clean, help with chores, or whatever might help the parents out during the holidays.

It seems like this very simple tradition would lead to so many wonderful Christmas memories for my family.

You can order some craft kits from Oriental Trading Company to make up your own elves. Although I made up a couple of extra little elves, if you are interested in one for $5.00 each plus shipping, please drop me an email at debbie@debduzscrappin.com and I will get one out to you. I would prefer to have the funds via paypal, but would consider a check or money order. This price would be just for the elf. Depending on availability, if you really want a keepsake box to store the elf in, that would be an additional $10.00

Good luck and have fun!!

Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

A new cast...

AJ and his new NEON GREEN cast....but he finally gets it off for good at the end of this week - Yehhhh...8 weeks is a long time!!!

OMAC - Once a Month cooking....ahhhhh

Ahhhh it's been a great day! I now have roughly 30 meals in the freezer set for the month! You have no idea how happy this makes me. I struggle daily with getting home from work and wondering what I should cook for dinner...and then getting it together before we have to run out do sporting activities and have it ready when we return.



I just got my freezer all cleaned out last weekend and had space available and decided to tackle this fabulous cooking adventure...So roughly $225 and 6 hours later I have 30+ meals made and ready to pull from freezer...that comes to about $7.50 per meal. A number of these meals are too big for it all to be eaten in a single setting, so the leftovers will feed hubby a number of lunches as well.

Some of the meals require a lil prep work like cooking the sides, others are complete meals for just tossing in the oven and being ready when we get home....ahhhh heaven!!!

So what did I make you ask?

Chicken Tetrazinni (2)
Ham slices (4)
Ham chunks (1) for adding to our favorite pasta sauce not pre-made
Chicken (precooked) (3) for adding to enchiladas or other dishes
Taco pie
Ham & Swiss pastry pie
Aztec quiche
Chicken Broccoli
Baked ham & eggs
Taco meat (2)
Chicken Packets
Sloppy joes (2)
Chinese Chicken morsels
Oriental Chicken chunks
Sausage & wild rice
Chicken & wild rice
Brisket & gravy for sandwiches
Marinated round steak
Poulet de France
Bird's Nest pie
Chicken fajitas (2)
Chili

Most of the recipes are from the Once-A-Month-Cooking cookbook by Mimi Wilson & MaryBeth Lagerborg- (looks like they have a new version of this book out now and my old copy is no longer in print)....I didn't follow the book to the T - I picked out the recipes I think my family will eat and then figured out the rough amounts of ingredients to create them all and hit the grocery store on Friday to buy the goods. Saturday I cooked up all the chicken and made chili and fajitas and put the Brisket in the crockpot and pulled out ground elk for thawing. Sunday I made the rest of the meals.

I have done this before - back when I was first pregnant and was trying to prep for the birth of my first kiddo to arrive...worked great back then, don't know why I didn't do it sooner!! I think I will research a few more recipes between now and my next adventure and do a repeat to keep me stress free (okay well maybe just less stress...)!!!

Digi-layout "Fabulous Shrubs"

Digi-layout "Epcot at Night"

Digi-layout "So Special"

Digi-layout "You're so Cute"

Digi-layout "Magic Happens"

Calendar - 3 Foot Accordion version

3 Foot Accordion Wall Calendar

Here is a very fun and fairly simple calendar to make. This project requires only 6 sheets of patterned cardstock. The final product also folds up flat to 6x12 which makes a great size if you are mailing it as a gift.

Supply List:
Patterned cardstock (Club Scrap)
Modge Podge
Acrylic paint
Calendar pages (you can download blank templates of calendars from Microsoft Office online)
Photos
Eyelets
Ribbon
Silk flowers (optional)

Tools needed:
Foam paint brush
Eyelet setting tools

Instructions:
1. Gather up 6 pieces of complimentary 12x12 patterned cardstock.

2. Determine grain of paper. You do this by hold the paper on one side, then the other direction, which ever side has the most *bend* to it, is the one you should fold on.

3. Fold 5 of the 6 sheets in half. The 6th sheet needs to be cut in half creating (2) 6x12 pieces.

4. Use bonefolder to reinforce folds.

5. On the backside of the pattern cardstock, apply a thin layer of modge podge to one side of it.

6. Add half of another page to that first sheet, creating a 3 panel section. Repeat process adhering back to back until you have a 6 panel section with an *unpatterned* panel on each end.

7. Once you have the 6 panel section together, be sure to flatten and hold flat while the modge podge takes hold.

8. Modge podge the blank unpatterned panels and attach the 2 pieces of 6x12 cut in step 3. Now you should have a accordion 6 panel project. All panels will have patterned paper on them.

9. Once the project dries, use acrylic paint and paint all the edges and folds.

10. Take your sheet of calendars – printed 4 months on one 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock – and cut out.

11. Ink edges of the calendar pages with brown ink.

12. Mat onto cardstock along with a photo, repeat for all months and set aside.

13. Using foam stamps and acrylic paint, stamp images and month names onto each section of the calendar.

14. Adhere the photo and calendar onto the each section of the calendar using modge podge.

15. Add eyelets and ribbon or fibers to allow for hanging on the wall.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller
DebDuzScrappin.com

Halloween - Treats - "Pumpkins"

Halloween "Pumpkin" Treats

My kids and I put together these little “pumpkins” as treats for giving to classmates for Halloween. They are very simple and the kids had a great time helping me with them.

Supply List:
Orange Tulle – each pumpkin requires a minimum of 6in. x 6in. square
Green Chenille – 6 inch strip for each pumpkin
Candy Corn – approximately a ¼ - ½ cup per pumpkin treat
Tags – diecut
Stamps – Halloween themed

Instructions:

1. Cut tulle into 6 inch by 6 inch squares.
2. Using a measuring cup, pour candy corn into center of tulle.
3. Gather up the 4 corners of the tulle square and tie closed with the green chenille. I rolled the ends of the chenille under a bit - it sort of resembled a curled vine.
4. Add a rubberstamped tag with child’s name.

Good luck and have fun!!
Debbie Weller

Digi-layout "Castle at MK"

Created this layout for the digi-layout swap at ClubScrap...quick and dirty, yet visual cool too!

Digi-layout "Troll at Norway"

This layout is using the new Natural Resources Digi-Kit and the pieces parts from Jac's Digi chat on Thursday night...its always so fun to hook up with the CS family for a bit of chatting!!! and scrappin'!!!

TFL
DebDuzScrappin'

Digi-layout "Boys at AK"

Digi-layout "Wyatt's First trip to the ER"

Digi-layout "AJ's 2nd Broken Arm"

Digi-layout "Deb on Cruise"

My darling sis took this photo of me, the day we took sail on the ClubScrap Cruise - I don't generally like photos of me - but this one isn't too bad...thanks sis!!! I look happy...wonder why...

Card - "Apothecary" version 6

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

Card - "Apothecary" version 5

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

This one I added a piece of clear acetate with the the Circle at the end.

Card - "Apothecary" version 4

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

Card - "Apothecary" version 3

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

Card - "Apothecary" version 2

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

Card - "Apothecary" version 1

Very simple cards, I just took the card base, and trimmed the card front from corner to corner, creating a triangle opening. Very simple, just a bit of a different style for variety!!

Card - "Birds of a Feather" Version 11

Project Tutorial - Twinchies Part 2

So yesterday I posted my project tutorial for twinchies....now I just had to make a lil case for each twinchie as a lil bit of protection for our journey across the states to retreat!!

Supplies

4 colors of cardstock - I used "Birds of a Feather" ClubScrap kit

Circle cutter
adhesive
Ink
Bone Folder

Instructions
1. Cut 4 circles 2.25 inches each - 1 in each color.

2. Fold each circle in half, using a bone folder to really crease it good.

3. Now comes the tricky part. Before you use any adhesive, practice putting it together once. We are only working with the base right now, so just let the upper flap stay up and hopefully you can follow along with this. Lay the first circle down, place the second circle at a 45 degree angle on top of the first circle, repeat laying the 3rd circle at 45 degrees on top of the 2nd circle, the 4th circle will go on top of the 3rd and under the first, creating a square. Now once you have that pattern and technique down, you can start with your first, putting a lil modge podge on just the section where the 2nd circle will lay on it, repeat on all the circles. Then be sure and lay the tops down to ensure it is definately a square and not off kilter...but open back up to let dry.

4. Once dry, ink all the edges.

5. To close repeat the overlap technique - tucking in the last flap for a nice clean closure.

TFL
Deb Duz Scrappin'

Project Tutorial - Twinchies Part 1

Ok so - as we speak - I am off on my annual fabulous ClubScrap (my favorite company EVER) Scrapbooking Retreat. Every year with as a group "trade" something - some years it was cards, other years ATC, Flair, etc. This year it is TWINCHIES...many of you have read my blog and know about INCHIES - which are small 1x1 inch lil squares of art. So in mulling over ideas - my sister (Thank you for such a great idea) said that I should make mini version of the piece of art that was displayed on the cover of Scrap & Stamp as my swap and so I tackled that task and here is what I came up with.

Supplies
9 colors of cardstock in shades of the rainbow
Black cardstock for the base
embellishments
Adhesive
Glitter glue

1. Cut 9 little squares a little less than 3/4ths of an inch in each color of the rainbow.

2. Adhere the little squares to the center of the black cardstock and let dry. I used modge podge for this.

3. Embellish squares using paper flowers, brads, charms, clips, buttons, etc. I used a clear drying adhesive like Crafters Pick or Glossy accents for this. Let dry.

4. Do a final touch up with glitter glue - use STICKLES brand - it really does the best job. Let dry.

5. Once you are done you can flip it over and sign it. I also decided to make lil cases for each of my twinchies as shown in picture 2 - check out tomorrow and I will post instructions on how to make them as well.

TFL
DebDuzScrappin'