Merry Christmas!

Crafty, Wacky, Happy Holidays....

It's not too late to get into the crafty spirit, so grab your glue gun, and we'll pompom a wreath, turn wash cloths into house shoes, make silly soaps for stocking stuffers, or greet your guests with gilded dishes. That will get you into the spirit!

Just to let you know....I'm taking a little bitty blog vacation for a while so that I can celebrate Christmas with Scott's family. But you can still craft with me! I invite you to join me anytime, night or day at PattieWack.com, at MySpace, on CBS-CH6 in Tulsa, and, on LifetimeTV.com.

Here's GREAT NEWS!

You can watch ALL SIX CRAFTS COUNTDOWN VIDEOS anytime you want. We'll make some whimsical gifts, wacky decorations, impress the most finicky friends and as usual, Have fun with it! I'll be back soon....so keep on crafting!

Happy Holidays,
Pattiewack



On Christmas Eve you can catch me on the "Six in The Morning" show with the last one of the segments for the Christmas Crafts Countdown. I'll be making these cute last minute gift boxes, tags and place cards from Christmas cards and photos.

But, YOU CAN WATCH ALL SIX SEGMENTS NOW if you miss it!

Just CLICK HERE and watch them right now....

Mini Gift Boxes
Designed by Pattie Donham

Supplies:
Christmas or Greeting Card
Option: Photograph and same size Cardstock
123D Papercrafting System™
Tape or Glue

Steps:
1. Cut the card in half along the fold line. If you are making a box with a photograph, cut cardstock the exact same size as the photo.
2. For the box top, place the photo or front of the card face down on the (pink) scoring side of the 123D Papercrafting™ System mat. Place the corner of the card or photo in the bottom left corner along the WHITE lines. Lay the slotted ruler over the card and lightly score on the 1-inch mark. Repeat on all 4 sides. (Note: If you want a box that is not 1-inch deep, score along the measurement that you desire, for example 1/2-inch, 2-inches, etc.)
3. For the box bottom, place the other half of the card, or the cardstock in the corner along the BLACK lines. Lay the slotted ruler over the cardstock and lightly score on the 1-inch mark. Repeat on all 4 sides.
4. To cut the corner tabs, lay the Notch-a-box template over the corners and cut out a notch as shown on the template. Repeat on all 4 tabs, on the box top and bottom.
5. Adhere the corner tabs to form the box top and box bottom.
6. Place the box top on the box bottom to complete.

Santa Paula Christmas Windows

It's hap-happiest time of the year! And the downtown merchants in Santa Paula are in a huge competition to decorate their windows for Christmas. The theme this year is "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." Scott and I were invited to be judges, so we took to the streets with our clipboards in hand and got busy.




This is Pamela's Tea Room, decorated with antiques that fit perfectly with the theme. I lost count of all the airplanes, and there were several trees heavy with ornaments of cars, trains and so pretty!



Of course the Santa Paula Flower Shop was just adorable with a giant teddy bear and vintage airplanes hanging from the ceiling. I feel like I've stepped back into the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" when I'm walking down the street.



Okay, Scott got a little carried away at the Ooh LaLa Boutique. I'm not sure what the red corset has to do with the theme, but he doesn't seem to mind.



Their other window was just darling! Santa's sitting in a metal car, with airplanes hanging all around. They even cut out snowflakes to hang in the window. So cute! I can hardly wait to find out who won. And this is only a few of over 20 participants. We had our espresso with us to keep toasty warm, although it isn't that cold. I'll keep you posted about the winner!

Wacky Holiday Wreath

See what you can do with a silly $2.00 aluminum wreath? I covered styrofoam balls with glue and green glitter, made some brightly colored pompoms, a great big tassel, and lookie-loo! If you click on the photo it will enlarge for you to see that the giant tassel has a polka dot wooden top. This is my favorite tassel, and I move it around all the time to different spots in the house. So, of course I had to hang it on my wacky wreath. I didn't hot glue it to the wreath so I can hang it on a door knob after Christmas. Fun! You can get tons more ideas for Pattiewack™ Tassels and Pompoms on my website, and all kinds of crafty projects and supplies. Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter. I promise to send the Christmas newsletter soon!

Comfort Pillows

With all this winter weather, sore shoulders, and holiday headaches, a comfort pillow is a nice thing to have around. I made this one for my segment tomorrow on CBS Six in the Morning. You'll be able to watch at around 8:25 a.m. when they show me sewing these up for Christmas gifts. I found the cutest pin-up girl fabrics to give to the guys in my family. They are filled with FEED corn (not popcorn) because I simply love the smell. It brings back memories of my gramma Harris in Dewey, Oklahoma when I was a little girl. Every time I spent the night with her, she would pop a huge dishpan full of popcorn while we watched TV before bedtime. I think of her every time I warm up my corn pillow in the microwave. It only takes 2 or 3 minutes, and then it rests on my shoulders while I sit at the computer. The moist heat, memories and aroma makes life goooood.

Snazzy Soaps

You'll get to watch me make these Thursday on the CBS Six in the Morning Show if you live in the tri-state area of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas. LeAnne Taylor is the Anchor, and they plan to have me on at 7:40 a.m. while everyone is getting ready to rush out the door to work and school. I just love being on the show, since most of my family lives there and can watch.

Okay, here are the steps to make your own snazzy soaps!

Snazzy Soaps
Designed by Pattie Donham

Supplies:
White Bars of Soap
Stickers or Photo Copies
Household Paraffin Wax
Double Boiler (or electric wok)
Tin Pie Pan
Water
Tongs
Sharp Knife
Glue Stick

Steps:
1. Unwrap soap and carefully carve off the brand name with a sharp knife.
2. Apply stickers or photo copies with glue stick.
3. Place tin pie pan in wok (or double boiler). Lay 2 chunks of paraffin wax in the pie pan. Pour water into the wok just until the pie pan floats above the bottom of the pan. Heat the wok on LOW and as soon as the wax melts, turn the heat off. (Never leave unattended.)
4. Grab the sides of the soap with tongs and dip face down into the wax, about 1/4 of an inch. Repeat a couple of times for a smooth surface.
5. Lay soap aside until the wax becomes firm.

Ice Storm

I've been in a grumpy funk the past several days, because Scott and I are suppose to be in Tulsa right now celebrating our wedding with an After Party, and having our family Christmas. But, the horrendous ice storm wrecked our travel plans and we're stuck in California. Bah humbug! Most of my relatives have been without power at home and at work since last week. It's been just horrible for everyone, trying to find wood and propane, and trying to help each other.

I'm sad, but they are the ones suffering because of the cold and terrible conditions. It honestly looks like a tornado went through the neighborhoods and dumped tons of ice on the broken trees. So sad. But, they are all huddled in the homes that have fireplaces with beds covering the living rooms and using their camping equipment to cook and lanterns to see at night. Every day that I call, someone else gets their power turned on, so they are slowly getting to go home and back to work. I miss you guys! We will be coming in January, so look out!

Decadent Dessert Plates

I've come up with a beautiful dessert plate that you can put at every place setting, and send home with your guests after the party!

All you do is write their names on green or red tissue paper with my Pattiewack™ 3-D Foiling Glue, and let it dry to clear. Then press craft foil onto the glue and peel away the foil to reveal the gorgeous metallic letters. Next, glue the foiled tissue face down to the back of clear glass plates with decoupage glue. Let that dry, then trim around the edges to finish. Wow!

Oh, and as you can see....I also applied the glue and foil to the placemat and the silk holly napkin ring to create a stunning table setting. This is a real show stopper to impress anyone. If you can't find foiling glue and craft foil, you can pick it up in the shopping pages on my website. Okay, gotta go get some packages mailed. Check back later, because I'll be posting the Channel Six project for tomorrow!

Pompom Christmas Wreath

Here's a great idea for the yarn lover. I did this wreath with foam core board, covered with batting and felt. Then I added the pompoms and embroidered felt rosettes all the way around for a fabulous Pompom Christmas Wreath. It is so pretty, and will last for years and years! It is on tour with Terri 'O for the CHA Holiday Craft segments all across the nation on the major networks morning shows. You could also add a braided yarn bow if you want even more fru-fru. Here's the way I did it...

Christmas Felt Wreath
Designed by Pattie Donham

MODA DEA™Zing: 1 Ball No. 2357 Pearl
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 4412 Grass Green
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 4420 Guacamole
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 5142 Cherry Red

Supplies:
22” x 22” Foam core board
2/3 Yard Felt (green)
1 Felt Squares: 9” x 12” (red)
Quilt batting
Craft glue (or hot glue gun)
Spray adhesive
Large upholstery needle
Pinking shears
Scissors

Tools:
Large size Pattiewack™ Pompom Tool
Large size Pattiewack™ Tassel Tool

Pompom Steps:
1. Wind yarn onto the pompom tool at the desired size and wind.
2. Tie the center of the pompom tightly with yarn.
3. Cut the pompom away from the tool. Trim into a ball shape.
4. You will need to make:
a. Six 1-inch Cherry Red pompoms (wind 25 times)
b. Six 1-inch Guacamole pompoms (wind 25 times)
c. Three 1-inch Grass Green pompoms (wind 25 times)
d. Four 1-inch Pearl pompoms (wind 25 times)
e. Seven 2-inch Grass Green pompoms (wind 30 times)
f. One 2-inch Cherry Red pompoms (wind 30 times)
g. Three 4-inch Pearl pompoms (wind 35 times)

Rosette Steps:
1. Wind both colors of green yarn around the tassel tool on the 3” step, 12 times.
2. Bind the top of the rosette with 6” of yarn.
3. Pull the rosette off the tool (do not cut the loops).
4. Spread the loops around to create a loopy rosette. Lay aside.
5. Sew decorative stitches on a 1-inch felt circle with the green yarn (cut circle with pinking shears), using a large upholstery needle. (See photo as a guide.)
6. Sew the felt circle to the center of the loopy rosette.
7. You will need 3 rosettes.

Felt Circle Steps:
1. Cut 1-inch circles from red felt, using pinking shears.
2. Sew decorative stitches with green yarn, using a large upholstery needle. (See photo as a guide.)
3. You will need 8 felt circles.

Felt Wreath Steps:
1. Cut a 20-inch circle from the foam core board. Cut out the center to create a 4-inch wide wreath.
2. Adhere batting to front of the wreath with spray adhesive.
3. Trace wreath onto green felt and cut out. Cut out a second piece, 2-inches larger on the inside and on the outside of the wreath.
4. Spray the adhesive to the batting side of the wreath. Lay the larger felt piece over the batting, evenly on all sides
5. Turn wreath over to the backside and cut slits in the green felt on the inside and outside edges of the wreath. Spray the foam core with adhesive and pull the felt around the edges to cover. Adhere the other felt piece onto the foam core to cover the back of the wreath.

Wreath Assembly:
1. Lay out all the pompoms, rosettes, and felt circles on the top of the felt wreath, using the photo as a guide
2. Adhere each piece to the wreath with hot glue or craft glue. Let dry.

Washcloth House Slippers

Today on CBS in Tulsa on the Six in the Morning show, I did the fun, fluffy, ruffled washcloth house slippers. These are the most comfy things to wear and fabulous to give! Every time I make these, people go nuts! My mom and I used to make these years ago when my Daddy was a pastor in Ada, Oklahoma. We made them for the seniors at the nursing homes, and those folks were so appreciative. My parents really taught me that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The project instructions and a printable diagram for making them is on my PattieWack Website, along with dozens more projects that I've done on TV shows and videos. I have to tell you that I was so excited when I spied these washcloths at Target, because they already had the rick rack sewn around the edges. It just really adds to the cute factor, I think! You know, I'm thinking maybe I need to make these for all the girls in my family for Christmas morning......

Crafty Christmas Tips

DELICIOUS DECOR is sometimes the simplest and the most stunning. Fill a glass BRANDY SNIFTER with cranberries and then poke skinny tapers or a big fat red pillar candle into the berries.

WONDERFUL WRAPPING doubles the delight of any gift! One of the easiest wrappings is fabric circles cut with pinking shears. Place the gift in the center of your chosen holiday fabric, cut a large circle, and gather the fabric up around the gift. Tie up the fabric with a bountiful bow.

STENCILED BAKEWARE is as much fun to give, as it is to get. Paint the sides of tin bread pans with heat resistant paints. Stencil on Christmas trees, snowmen or gingerbread men. Line with a gingham napkin to serve up or give your favorite homemade baked goodies. Don’t forget to add a recipe card!

GLITTER FRUIT is retro and ridiculously easy! Gather up all those old plastic grapes, apples, and whatever else you can find. Now, lay them all out on newspaper and spray a good coat of spray adhesive. Next, cover them with glitter. Let them dry, turn them over and repeat until they are totally covered with glitter. You can use totally silver or gold, or get really crazy and glitter them in all different colors. Wow!

If you like these Crafty Christmas Tips, you can find bunches more in the craft tips pages at PattieWack.com, plus over 30 Craft TV DVDs, books, and over 100 of my favorite Craft Projects that I have accumulated there for the last 5 years. Come see me, and don't forget to check out all 16 of my crafty VIDEOS at LifeTimeTV.com .....and get your Christmas craft on!

Corksuckers Christmas

Our Corksuckers Christmas Party was FUN! (That's wine-tasters, in case you're not in the know.) We met at the Glen Tavern Inn in Santa Paula, and had a fabulous wine tasting, lots of fun, a gift exchange, and a group photo.



















It was an elegant affair with it being semi-formal attire. Scott had to work late on a shoot in L.A. so he came later in his work clothes, but I didn't care. We still posed on the stairs for a little Christmas photo.
















I've been saving corks for a LONG time, and hot glued them to a basket after cutting them in half with a bread knife. I also covered a couple of tiles with them for cool coasters. I use this basket all the time! It's great for laying a loaf of warm bread in a towel and placing it inside to stay cozy. I usually serve a brie cheese, a big bowl of olives, and a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with a nice dark wine, such as my favorite merlot.

Oh, as you can see, everyone was not quite ready for the camera to go off on the timer. Too funny! If you want to see more photos, go to John Nichol's Flicker photo gallery online.

Stocking Stuffers

Are you searching for a quickie office gift, teacher gifts, secret sister gifts, or stocking stuffers? These are super fast, easy, and everyone likes to get them! You can whip out a bunch of these fuzzy pens in about an hour. The thing I like best is that if you put the long loop on there, they can be necklaces for work, or a lanyard to your date book, purse or tote bag. Cheap, too! Use recycled pens and leftover yarns and Adornaments® and some double-sided tape, that's all.

I'm headed to the mall to find the perfect party dress since we are having an "After Party" in Tulsa next weekend to celebrate our wedding. Stay tuned....


















Fuzzy Pens
designed by Pattie Donham

SUPPLIES:

Assorted Adornaments® Fibers (fuzzier is better)
Recycled Ball Point Pens (without the cap)
Terrifically Tacky Tape®
Scissors

STEPS:
1. Stick Terrifically Tacky Tape® from the point to the end of the pen and cut. Press the tape to insure the adhesive is secure to the pen. Repeat on the other side of the pen for complete coverage.
2. Cut 36 inches of fiber or yarn for the necklace.
3. Peel off the tape's clear layer. Attach the ends of the necklace to the end of the pen.
4. Starting at the tip of the pen, wind more fibers around the pen all the way to the end. Trim with scissors.

Keep Smiling!

Tequila Christmas Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
nuts
1 bottle Tequila
2 cups dried fruit

• Sample the Tequila to check quality
• Take a large bowl, check the Tequila again to make sure it is of the highest quality
• Pour 1 level cup and drink....repeat
• Turn on the electric mixer
• Beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl
• Add 1 tsp sugar
• Beat again
• Make sure the Tequila is still OK...try another cup just in case
• Turn off the mixererer thingy
• Break 2 leggs...add to the bowl
• Chuck in the cup of dried fruit
• Pick the f-ruit up off the floor
• Mix on the tuner
• If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers..just pry loose with a drewscriver
• Sample the Tequila to check for tosisticity
• Next, sift 2 cups of salt or sumting
• Check Tequila
• Shift the lemon juice and strain the nuts
• Add 1 table
• Add a spoon of sugar or somefink...whatever you can find
• Greash tha oven an turn the cake pan to 360* and try not to fall over
• Finally, throw the bowl thru the window and finish the Tequila
• Wipe the counter with the cat

CHERRY MISTMAS !!!!



Ha, ha, ha....just kidding you! My daughter Tricia sent this joke to me this morning and I died laughing so I couldn't help but share it with you. *giggle* Hey, don't you seriously love the photo of the cake? I was actually searching the web for a yummy cake to have sent to my parent's house and ran across this outrageously scrumptious looking site. It's called Perfect Fairy Cakes and you should get a napkin before you go there, because you will start to drool. Anyways, just thought you might like a little Christmas humor this weekend to lighten things up. I was out shopping yesterday and the parking lots and stores were like bees on honey. Busy, busy, busy. I love all the hustle and bustle. It gets a little crazy at times when you almost get side-swiped by a shopping cart. Just keep smiling, keep your cool, and have a fun yule!

Happy Holiday Trees

These cute little pompom trees are part of the tassel and pompom projects I made for Terri O., the Craft & Hobby Association’s National Spokesperson, who is featuring new and exciting holiday craft products in all her Celebrate the Season TV segments. They would be terrific on a buffet table or for a child's room. Here are the easy instructions, and the yarns from Coats & Clark that I used to make my trees.

You can click on any of the video screens to go directly to one of her segments.




























Happy Holiday Trees
Designed by Pattie Donham

Yarn:
MODA DEA™Zing: 1 Ball No. 2357 Pearl
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 4412 Grass Green
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 4420 Guacamole
Red Heart ® Soft yarn: 1 Ball No. 5142 Cherry Red

Supplies:
2 Felt Squares: 9” x 12” (red or green)
1 Felt Square: contrasting color for 6 small circles
Dowel rod: 3/4” x 12” tall (painted red or green)
Wood plaque: 2” x 4” x 1/2” (painted red or green)
Batting
Craft glue
Sewing machine
Pinking shears
Scissors
Drill with 3/4” bit

Tools:
Large size Pattiewack™ Pompom Tool

Pompom Steps:
1. Wind yarn onto the pompom tool at the 1” step, and wind 25 times.
2. Tie the center of the pompom tightly with 8” length of yarn.
3. Cut the pompom away from the tool. Trim into a ball shape.
4. Make 6 pompoms of each color of yarn; grass green, guacamole, cherry red,
5. Make 4 pompoms from the Pearl yarn. Lay pompoms aside.

Felt Tree Steps:
1. Cut out tree shape from the 2 red or green felt squares, according to the pattern, using pinking shears.
2. Cut out two large circles, using pinking shears.
3. Cut out 6 small circles with scissors.
4. Sew the tree shapes together, leaving open at the bottom for batting.
5. Stuff tree with batting.
6. Insert dowel rod into the tree. Glue in place, closing the bottom of the tree with glue.
7. Glue the two large circles to the top of tree, back to back.
8. Glue pompoms and small circles to the front of the tree, using photo as a guide.
9. Drill a 3/4” hole into the center of the wooden plaque.
10. Glue tree into the hole to complete.


















Enlarge the pattern to regular size paper- 8.5 x 11"

70th Birthday Party!

I've only enjoyed her glorious smile and spirit for about 10 years, but for 70 years Gloria Tracy has been spreading joy and inspiration to everyone she knows. And we had a chance to contribute to her joy as she celebrated her 70th birthday!















It all began with the invitations, so Susan Levin and I got busy making these charming pop-ups to send out to family and friends. On the front of the card we placed a cute photo of Gloria as a little girl, and used vellum to spell out "The Sweet Life." We punched the corners to tuck the photo behind, and add to the charm.
















We grabbed our 123-D Papercrafting System to make the pop-ups with Gloria's most recent photo. Good grief, I can only hope to look that fantastic on my 70th birthday! I'm sure that many of you know Gloria Tracy and Susan Levin as the dynamic duo of K1C2, LLC. and the master minds behind the fabulous Adornaments® products, plus as authors of Crochet Your Way. These two gals just published another set of books that I will be blogging about soon!










Of course, we HAD to make our famous birthday masks to add to the festivities. Susan also decorated dark chocolate bars for everyone at the party. Yummmmy!











When we asked Gloria what her favorite color was, she had a very difficult time answering, because she loves them all! She settled on yellow, so I put a single yellow rosebud in a vase for each place setting. They filled up the room nicely, and it was a lovely addition to the ambiance at the Hush Restaurant in Ventura.














Susan wrote trivia questions about Gloria and we glued them onto the backs of all the masks. Each one was different, and really ignited some lively conversation throughout the evening. I think my two favorite questions were, "What is Gloria's favorite accessory above the waist?" and the other was "What is Gloria's favorite accessory below the waist?" You'll have to ask her what the answers were! Toooo funny ;-) We really had a great time!
















By the way...I had a little help making the masks. Scott LOVES Gloria, and he worked reeeally hard helping me cut out Gloria's spiked hairdo. Thanks Scott!

Fashion Divas & Dummy

Yep, that's me and Alyson Udell and a dummy (the dummy is in the middle:-) We are in the big middle of a fashion runway shoot at the Duncan warehouse in Fresno. It was a freaky white dummy (even whiter than me) and her arms click off and on, thank goodness, since Alyson had tons of clothes to dress her with. There's always a few minutes to have a little fun in the middle of working so hard. Our feet are starting to hurt, so we we're feeling a little crazy. I just love hanging with Alyson and the gang there in the crafty kingdom of paint and glue and their crazy creative designers. Joan Fee was out sick, so it was weird not being with my fun friend. (get better Joan!) I'll check back with you in a few weeks with photos of the grand finale.

Click for a CLOSE-UP!

Oh, have I told you that you can click on nearly all of the photos in my blog to get a close-up? Sometimes it's good to see a project up close. I just take it for granted that you all know more than me about blogging and everything, but someone mentioned that the photos need to be bigger, so I guess not everyone knows that. So, click away!

Beaded Bobeches

If you caught me on the Six in the Morning show on CBS in Tulsa this morning, I hope you liked the beaded bobeches. Christmas candles are always a pretty way to decorate, and if you make these jeweled bobeches you’ll have no more ruined tablecloths, or wax covered candlesticks. Plus, a set of candlesticks complete with beaded bobeches would be a beautiful gift.

You can use recycled plastic from packaging as long as it is really heavy. Or you can use Pattiewack™ Crafting Plastic that you can find in my shopping pages. I really put lots of beads on these, but you could space them further apart around the rim and not use as many.

Here's how to make them for gifts or your home:

Beaded Candlestick Bobeches

Supplies:
Taper Candle and Candlestick
Pattiewack™ Crafting Plastic
(or recycled plastic packaging)
Large Assortment of Glass Beads
1/4” Jump Rings
3” Eye Pins
Needle Nose Pliers
1/4” Hole Punch
Scissors
Cardstock
Pencil
Permanent Marker

Steps:
1. Trace a 4” circle onto cardstock and trace a 1” circle in the center. Cut out. Punch 1/4” holes around the edge of the cardstock, to create a pattern.
2. Trace the pattern onto crafting plastic with a marker.
3. Cut out and punch the plastic according to the pattern.
4. Thread beads onto the eye pin, leaving 1/2” unbeaded.
5. Coil the unbeaded end with pliers.
6. Attach the beaded eye pin to the edge of the plastic with a jump ring.
7. Repeat steps until the entire bobeche is beaded.
8. Place on candlestick, and insert taper candle in the center to complete.

Christmas Decoupage Platter

One of my all time favorite projects I've ever done was this Christmas platter. I wish you could see it up close, because my entire family is on there. My mom and dad are there in the foreground and the kids, grands, brothers, aunts and uncles are all behind them. It's done in reverse. In other words, I glued it all from behind in layers on a clear platter. So first I made photo copies of everyone and cut them out. Then I glued mom and dad face down on the back of the platter. Next I glued my family around them. I cut out snowflakes and glued those around the edges. Last, I glued Christmas wrapping paper over the entire back of the platter. This is one of those things I'll keep forever.

Now it's to bed with me. I'm feeling kinda queeeeezie, after a big yummy dinner with Scott tonight. We had fabulous fish and sweet potatoes with curry. Yummm-o as Rachael Ray would say. But, maybe it's a case of nerves since I've got a speaking engagement with the Ventura County Garden Club at their Christmas luncheon tomorrow. I made 50 goodie bags for them! In their bags they will find a cute little craft with all the pieces to make a magnet that says CREATE! I'll be sure and take some pics to show you all tomorrow. I'm going to take a big gulp of pepto and call it a night.

Designing Perspectives

I'm peeking around my tassel tree that is so loaded with tassels, you can barely see the little aluminum Christmas tree underneath. I had a great time picking out Coats & Clark yarn from the tons of skeins they sent me to use with my Pattiewack™ Tassl Tool. I'll be posting more holiday crafts made with yarn in the weeks to come before Christmas, so keep checking back!



I want to give a shout out to Mike Hartnett, publisher of Creative Leisure News today, for printing a new column written by me, in this issue. Creative Leisure News is a twice-monthly report with the latest news and analysis that affects business in the crafts industry.

Mike recently asked me the secret to my success as a designer and what advice I would give other designers who are struggling to grow their businesses. I didn't hesitate a moment, and quickly wrote about my 15 to 20 years of experience and the many phases I have worked through. As I wrote in the article, "I love what I do, and I never dreamed that I would evolve from a gal selling bags of appliques, to a designer who invents products and gets paid to demonstrate them in front of millions of viewers for LifetimeTV.com." It was great to write down my thoughts with the hope of helping other creative people turn their talents into successful businesses.

If you want to read my column, just go to CLNonline.com and the Article: New Columns This Issue, and then click on "Designing Perspectives" which will take you to my article. By the way, you can get a sample CLN Newsletter if you don't receive it already, and then decide if you want to subscribe later. So, let me know what you think after you read it.
Again, thanks Mike!

Glass Bottle Christmas Tree

My father-in-law whom I call "Daddy Too", sent this photo to us, and I just love it! Someone stacked green bottles on circles of glass to form a bottle Christmas tree. Wow! They are so cool with the green color and the Christmas light inside each one. I want it!