Last Minute Christmassy Projects – Mug Rugs, Cup Cozy, Ornaments! New Year’s Embroidery! Felted Winter Fawn to Make! Piece a Cathedral Stars Quilt! PLUS . . . My Christmas Ornament Countdown Continues, Recipes, Inspiration, Smiles, Memories, and More! (2024)

In a small southern town in Texas there was a nativity scene that showed great skill and talent had gone into creating it. One small feature stood out. The three wise men were wearing firemen’s helmets. Totally unable to come up with a reason or explanation, a visitor decided to ask a local what it meant. At a shop on the edge of town, he asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets. She exploded into a rage: ‘People these days never do read the Bible!’ The visitor assured her that he did, but simply couldn’t recall anything about firemen in the Bible. She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking it in his face she said, ‘See, it says right here, “The three wise man came from afar.”’

Artists or art that turns me on and feeds my muse! Like it or dislike it, what about this art inspires your own art or creativity?“Rolling Hills of Scotland,” by artistDavid Lloyd Glover.

Look around you. Design is everywhere! How can you incorporate the beauty that surrounds you into your art or craft? Architecture Decorative Wall Panels With Natural Stone Design.

You yarn wizards can whip up this cute Santa Mug Cozy by tomorrow, can’t you? Here’s the pattern:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/spinrite/pdf/Web-B-SV-SantasMugCozy.pdf

Just waiting out the day? Why not sew up a little Santa Mug Rug while you wait? It will keep you busy while you’re waiting for your family and friends to arrive! Start here:

Santa Instructions

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. bacon

1 tbsp. butter

2 onions, chopped

2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 pinch dried parsley

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Here’s a project that celebrates winter. Have some time off between Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Why not embroider on a pretty piece of linen? You can also make this an appliqué! Get the pattern here:

http://hudsonsholidays.blogspot.com/2011/12/almost-new-years-freebie-snowman.html

For well over 2 years, I have been posting up to 20 links per day or every other day, on theMark Lipinski’s Fan Pageon Facebook. Of course, in Facebook’s never ending quest to make lots of money, Facebook seems to have abandoned their mission of a real social networking site and it has become more about Facebook revenue.

Several months ago, Facebook, without warning, had implemented a new business model. As a result, the vast majority of “LIKErs” who have been faithful readers of this Fan Page have been blocked from receiving my posts, time and time again, from getting all or a few of the postings onto their timeline feed.

The reason is, Facebook would like pages like,Mark Lipinski’s Fan Page, to pay money every day, and on every post, in order to advertise and lure readers like you, onto the Fan Page.

With out “BOOSTING” a post, only about 5% of people who clicked LIKE on the Fan Page are actually seeing anything I post — and it could be random – sometimes you get a post, and sometimes not. Basically, it sucks for all of us. I am finding that we are all better served if I posted my tips, ideas, links, and jokes, etc. to my blog. You can subscribe to my blog (only if you wan to) and get an email each time I post a grouping of ideas, links, etc.

I AM NOT shutting downMark Lipinski’sFan Pageon Facebook and you are welcome to follow methere, too. What I am doing is putting everything that used to be on theFan Pageindividually onto my blog, AND there will be a daily link to the idea blog on theFan Page, just as there were multiple links to the various blogs that I’ve always linked to in the past. It’s not that different, really. It will save me a lot of time, and guarantee those who want to see the creative posts will actually get to see them. And Facebookers, will STILL have to click on “GET NOTIFICATIONS” in your Facebook Settings if they want to see what I post on Facebook (sometimes that works, but not all of the time).

Actually, my new model gives you at least TWO ways to get all of the ideas, etc. PLUS you can PIN them and they will be TAGGED so you can find them again in the search bar even years later. – through theFACEBOOK FAN PAGEand YOUR CHOICE (not mandatory) to subscribe to the blog and get email postings that way.

“Pop Top” Bottle Cap Portraits by MollyBright

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Dough:

whole milk

active dry yeast

Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour

cinnamon

salt

butter flavored shortening or butter, softened

granulated sugar

brown sugar

eggs

Filling:

butter

brown sugar

cinnamon

Topping:

butter

granulated sugar

cinnamon

Icing:

powdered sugar

whole milk

The old family nativity set…

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

FOR THE FULL RECIPES, CLICK THE LINKS:http://www.laurenslatest.com/christmas-funfetti-cake-batter-truffles-oxo-giveaway/

I love to see the little fawns in the springtime! Here’s a little felt fawn to make as some kind of ornament or just because. Here’s the pattern:

http://www.downeastthunderfarm.com/2014/12/a-winters-white-tail-fawn/

Tiffany & Co. Enamel Ruby Sapphire Diamond Yellow Gold Large Flower Pin Brooch,$10,000

Colorful, pretty and scrappy. Make the Cathedral Stars quilt as your New Year’s resolution. Here’s how:

http://quiltville.com/pdf/cathedralstarspf.pdf

Dolce & Gabbana Embroidered Pumps

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Isn’t this a cute idea! Grab some battery operated votives, blue on a pipe cleaner, pom moms, and a ribbon and you have the most delightful ornament! It’s not too late! What a great favor they would make for tomorrow’s dinner! Here’s how:

http://www.celebrationideasonline.com/christmas-ornament-craft.html#sthash.OOTPpV0t.dpbs

If you’re just sitting around today, why not gather some scraps and make this yo yo Christmas tree? Here’s the way it’s done:

http://kiwiatheart-leonie.blogspot.com/p/yo-yo-christmas-tree-tutorial.html

Check it out here:

https://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/book-review-saturday-december-20-2014/

Treasured Wishes

Where do wishes go once you make them? Their force for good travels out into the universe in ways we don’t understand, but what if you could keep a piece behind as a special reminder of that magic?

Glass artist Jill Henrietta Davis has conjured up a way to do just that. Each shimmering ball of hand-blown, blue glass comes with 52 tiny slips of paper for you to pause once a week throughout the year and record a message of hope or gratitude. Coil them up and tuck them in the tiny hole near the base and they become a permanent part of the display. Though it can be a very personal totem, the Wishing Ball can also be gifted at a baby shower, graduation, or wedding as a creative alternative to a guestbook, full of blessings from family and friends. Or it can simply be put on display as a focus for your positive thoughts, or as a memento of blessings already received. Handmade in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Exclusively at UncommonGoods. $32

Don’t miss Sunday’s announcement for BIG NEWS for The Slow Stitching Movement!

Liza Prior Lucy,author, designer, teacher, knitter, quilter, and business owner ofwww.GloriousColor.comdiscusses her attraction and participation inThe Slow Stitching Movementin a newly posted Slow Stitching podcast. Listen here:http://www.slowstitching.com/podcasts.html

TheSlow Stitching MovementPodcast’s are sponsored byAurifilandGloriousColor.com

http://bit.ly/1v8oC5M

One creative’s hoard is another creative’s treasure . . . read on:

When I beganThe Slow Stitching MovementI asked stitchers and quilters to reduce their impact on the planet and their creative psyches by letting go of the stash of books, papers, patterns fabrics, and tools that they have been collecting over many years and haven’t used. I have been preaching to myself. So, in an effort to put my money where my mouth is, to open my creativity by being less boxed in by ‘stuff’, I have begun posting boxes of book and fabric bundles on eBay for various charities.

Here’s how I price the packages . . . I researchthe amount an individual could buy each of these books orfabricss, pre-owned, at their lowest online price. I total the price, split it in half and add Priority Mail Flat Rate Shipping (about $12.65). Then I add a little surprise from my stash as a bonus (it could be extra fabrics, a book ,or notion).

I WILL BE ADDING NEW PRIORITY MAIL BOXES FULL OF GOODIES OFTEN!

Here are the currentlistings:

Quilting and Fiber Books from Saturday Book Review! FREE SHIPPING

Books from Saturday’s Book Review! FREE SHIPPING!

Just cut and paste this into an email or post on your Facebook andTwitter pages:

I LOVE this blog and think you will, too! Check it out: https://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com

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