I'm heading to the kitchen to make some chocolate goodies to fill these sweet bags that are hot off the press (via my printer)… The free (2010) bag label PDF from Twig and Thistle is here. (The free 2011 bag label PDF from Twig and Thistle is here.) These 5-inch x 8-inch brown paper bags are…

While searching for a way to snazzle up envelopes to enclose letters to my grandkids that I mailed off today, I found this most perfect Valentine's Day clipart on Microsoft Office Online. I typed each recipient's address into a text box, which I positioned in between the right side of the heart and the tube of paint, then selected "no line"…

A quick click to Natalie Jost's Paper Goods site produced this free downloadable "cardvelope". Just score on two dotted lines (a bone folder works good here), cut on a dotted line for the flap to slip into, then cut around the perimeter of the shape… I used a rotary cutter, and you have a teeny card to write a…

When some friends stopped by recently, I prepared tea to go with some apple crumble I had made. The problem was I had recently taken all but two of my cups/mugs to the thrift shop because I had grown weary of them and planned to replace them with yard sale finds. All I could do is…

I wanted to bring a little Valentine's Day spirit into our home, so when I spied a pretty pink wreath featured on my daughter Jessie's blog… well, I knew that was it. I hung it on the door of a cupboard in my craft room where the sunlight hits it. It's such a pretty spot of color.…

  A few years ago, I purchased this 1962 Simplicity pattern book off eBay. It has special meaning to me because my mother sewed all my clothes when I was growing up. I spent many hours choosing patterns from Simplicity and Butterick pattern books then selecting fabric to order from the Sears catalog. Now I look through the pattern book for fun pictures…

  In November, when Dick and I were visiting our daughters Heather and Lisa and their families in New York and New Jersey, I made my annual trip to a fun little shop called Parcel in the town where Lisa lives. This year, I purchased a tiny little card with the word gnome, its pronunciation, and definition. On…

My daughter Jessie has done distracted me again. I had my day all planned out, then I stopped by for just a moment to check my email. There in a message from Jess was a link to a new blog, Creature Comforts, that she had discovered. My distraction quotient went off the charts when I clicked on the link…

   Snapfish is an online photo service that allows you to store photos to share with others. All that's required to get started is to set up a free account, then prints can be ordered, photos can be downloaded from the site into your computer, and items can be made out of those photos (e.g. books, posters, and…

  This "Dream Snow" pop-up advent calendar by the renowned children's book author and illustrator Eric Carle is way too fun to not get the word out. It is available from Chinaberry for $10.99. I already placed an order for shipments to my grandkids. According to the catalog and web site description, "Traditional advent calendars have 25 little…