I've spent the morning playing with templates for Christmas gift boxes ready for an upcoming class, and you can see a couple of them on my cutting mat, and another unfinished, with a red ribbon around it and a finished icicle box next to it. Lots of punches, some gems, some Pro Markers, a box of distress inks and the ever present baby wipes! And top right, a box of wires to try out with my new toy - a Zutter bind it All! I bought this on E-bay a week ago and didn't have any binding wires to try it out. Christmas calendars here we come!
I have some beautiful craft cd's, including the Joanna Sheen 'Ivory Cats' cd, and they have fab Calendars on them, so I'm looking forward to giving calendars to friends and family. Just have to think up ways of personalising them so they aren't just 'print and bind' pressies. Also need to find some of those big cardboard envelopes for calendars - if anyone knows where to get them, let me know!
Next I need to plan and organise my Christmas 'bake in'. My Christmas starts when I make the christmas puddings, mince pies and cake - and I'm a little late this year so need to get my act together. I started making my own Christmas puds about 20 years ago, making only one that first year from an old Family Circle recipe (anyone remember that??) which I still use - it doesn't even have metric measurements! Then family members asked 'are you making them this year?' and it grew from there. Now I make lots of them! They take about 6-7 hours steaming, the whole kitchen gets soggy, and while they are cooking I make the mince meat (sugar and fat free - so you can have twice as many lol!!) Then I bake the mince pies (8 dozen last year!)and I play Christmas music all day long, much to my husband's disgust!
I love this part of Christmas, the traditions and rituals that are my build up to the big day. Everyone is getting home made pressies this year, and I will be baking, cutting and sticking for a few weeks!
Happy blog-hopping everyone, and thanks for stopping by
Debs x
Cute little boxes Debs, and a nice insight into your Christmas preparations. Mine don't include soggy kitchen generosity...no-one ever asked me to reproduce in quantity!! Wish I'd know last week when we met that you needed BiA wires...I have wires and no machine!!
ReplyDeleteI love the blue and silver themed items for Christmas. Only six weeks away!
ReplyDeleteLove those cute boxes!!! and I am impressed that you will be handmaking gifts for all of your family and friends!! WOW! I am making one hand made gift this year and it's taking up all my time already!! I will make all my cards though too so not so bad. Thanks for sharing - April @ #73 x
ReplyDeleteI have done the Christmas cake, and we have the ingredients for the marzipan ready and the Royal icing. I don't do puddings any more as I am the only one who likes them. Mince pies are usually done in several batches over the run up to Christmas and just after as they are needed. I also play festive music loud and sing along to it. Christmas is all about tradition and family things. Glad you liked the stockings.
ReplyDeleteSorry about lack of cake, lol!! But you sound as if you're on a Christmas pud mission!! Like the boxes too :) And ok, next meeting will definitely include cake!
ReplyDeleteHugs, LLJ #45 xx
I played my Christmas music the other night while making some Christmas cards etc, so enjoyed it! Last year I made individual puds and they were so good, take a lot less time to steam too!
ReplyDeleteHappy WOYWW!
have a great day, Debxx #100
Oh my - what a busy bee you are Debs! And very organised with the Christmas baking if I might just say :) Do run any leftovers up here please - but I expect there won't be any, boo hoo! Happy WOYWW honey! Di xx
ReplyDeleteThe boxes are very pretty. I'm hoping to make my Christmas cake this weekend. My recipe comes from the Farmhouse Kitchen cookbook, the TV series was on in the 80's! It's a good recipe that's why I stick with it. I will be playing and singing to Christmas tunes too.
ReplyDeleteKatie
x
Thanks for the peek and sharing. Hope you are having a great WOYWW,
ReplyDeletexoxo Marjo #109
Love your little boxes. Good luck with the Christmas kitchen activities.....I love the smell of Christmas cooking :-)
ReplyDeleteA x
Love the cute boxes ... I too am behind with Xmas cooking ...I used to make puds but as those in the family who enjoyed them, are nolonger around there seems no point. We have started to day with the Xmas kitchen smells ...prepping the mincemeat.
ReplyDeleteFat free and sugar free mince meat??? PLEASE can I have the recipe ...I have several family and friend who might find this useful.
Look at those pretty little boxes! I sounds like you are going to have some buzy days in the kitchen, but I can almost smell the christmasspirit just by reading about your baking :)
ReplyDeleteHappy WOYWW!
Msplum #77
Your Christmas boxes look good too - i haven't been able to look at eevryones entry yet :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Debs. Thanks for visiting my blog and for your helpful comments about storing pens.
ReplyDeleteMy housework goes by the board for the next month or two I think. I love the sound of your mincemeat and am going to make some if I can get the cooking apples. They don't have them at all out here (I live in Southern Spain), but if I get to Iceland within an hour or so of them opening on a Thursday morning, they sometimes have a few! I make around fifty dozen mince pies to sell for charity, and I am sure a lot of my customers would like less fat and sugar in theirs.
Your Christmas boxes are lovely too by the way. Sorry it has taken so long for me to get round to answering. Enjoy your Christmas preparations, and the Celebrations too of course. Kate x
I love Christmas too but it goes so quick. cant wait to see what you make
ReplyDeleteBridget #29