Joy to the World!

Christmas is just 12 days away. Hard to believe? It is for me. Time just continues to pass so quickly and we near the end of 2016.

I had an order placed for some cards last week and one of them was to be a Christmas card. This what I designed. (Sometimes it is a challenge to photograph bling and so the gold accents are not reflected very well but hopefully you can somewhat appreciate them.)

The polka dotted vellum paper, striped banner, and ornament shape behind the sentiment all have gold accents. Cranberry (red) and Emerald (green) cardstock were used to add color to the card which coordinated with the design of the ornament.

"World Joy" is the stamp I used for the ornament and colored in the images with markers. I felt it necessary to use Clear Sparkles in order to provide some dimension and add the much-needed color to the holly. CLEAR sparkles? COLOR? Yes! I took my red marker and colored the cear sparkles. Cool, huh?! I love being able to do so. Here is a closer view. Isn't it pretty?

I really love how this card turned out and the recipient was pleased. If you are ever in need of a greeting card for any occasion, consider ordering a handmade one from me. I would be honored.

"Joy to the world...the Lord has come..."

Have a blessed day!
Melissa

Inexpensive Gifts for Anyone!

I am excited to have joined a group called "Blog with Friends". Each month we agree on a theme and design blog posts to align with it, or varying topics. Links to their associated posts are at the bottom of this feed. I hope you take a moment to check them out.

This month's theme is "Warm and Cozy" and I had fun creating some fun, inexpensive and last-minute Christmas gifts that I hope you can use as you finish checking names off your list.

These are the fun items I created and I hope you love them as much as I do. I am mindful of giving gifts that serve a purpose and I think these totally fit these requirement. They work great for co-workers, neighbors, your child's teacher...anyone who would enjoy chocolate; be it in candy or cocoa.

 Joy to the World Bottle
The bottle is simply a Starbucks Frappuccino Bottle. I had the pleasure of emptying it (and did wash it LOL) and then altered it with some scrapbooking paper.

The sentiment is a stamp image. I added a bit of bling for some visual appeal, including gold ribbon and some clear sparkles. I colored the sparkles with a red marker to serves as the berries on the holly.

Filled with green and red M&Ms...we have a great gift that was cost-effective and served dual purpose.


Monogram Ornament

These PLASTIC ornaments were purchased at Michael's. They can be purchased individually or in packages of four.

Using one of our exclusive Cricut Collections, I cut monograms out of black vinyl (also purchased at Michael's) and placed them as shown. 

M&Ms fit nicely in the neck of the ornament and a bow was added as the finishing touch.

Mug with Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

You can purchase an inexpensive coffee mug at various stores. Then, make some homemade hot cocoa mix (recipe provided below), place in the mug (in a plastic bag LOL) and include a festive tag. Talk about a purposeful gift!

I handmade the tag using a stamp set and colored in 'snow' with the same marker as referenced above. And...you guessed it...another bow! It always makes for the perfect finishing touch, don't you think?!

This recipe was shared by friend and fellow CTMH Consultant, Tricia Leahy.



Hot Cocoa Mix

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 21.8 oz box Nestle Nesquik
• 16 oz instance coffee creamer
• 1 cup powdered sugar (you can adjust this to taste)

Mix all of this together in a big bowl. Pour into a storage jar or canister.

To make a cup of hot cocoa, fill must with water or mil and heat in the microwave. Add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of mix (adjusted to taste) and stir well. Then...enjoy!

THANK YOU so much for stopping by! I hope you found some inspiration from what I shared with you. Let me know if you have any questions or need any other altered and handmade gift ideas. Be sure to follow me on social media (links provided below) because I would love that! You can VISIT MY WEBSITE at http://mlisrobinson.ctmh.com. Now...

Grab your favorite drink and check out these fun blogs, aligned with the "Warm and Cozy" theme, and HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

• Karen, at "Baking In A Tornado", for "Sweet Potato Pecan Cake with Maple Glaze". Doesn't that sound (and look) delish?

• Rabia, at "The Lieber Family Blog", to learn how to make a mermaid or dragon tail blanket. 

• Kia, at "Think in English", where she shares ingenious ways people "stay warm around the world".

• Kayla, at "That One Birch", shares a recipe for "A Very Merry Fruit Pizza"; a great alternative for something sweet for the holidays.

• Kristin is highlighting "Cozy Winter Afternoons and Tree Lighting Traditions".

• Lydia is "Get[ting] Cozy with her Blogging Friends" at Cluttered Genius.