A Plethora of Fall and Winter Projects and Bunches of Digi-Freebie-Fun too!

Hi Doodlers!

I am pretty much all Halloweened-out and thinking more of the lovely fall colors now on display throughout our area, and leaning more towards the planning of Thanksgiving and Christmas events. Leaves seem to be on my mind and how to present 'the smell' of Christmas in my home. My Christmas tree goes up following the early afternoon turkey feast with hot apple cinnamon cider, cookie treats, mint hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts and warm brie, to name a few of the treats. It's a celebration with whoever hasn't left to go sleep-off their stuffed feelings! So, to start off this Doodles Fall and Winter Celebration, and throughout the many blogs to come, I will be offering bunches of freebie's to help inspire you to get creative this holiday season! Along with project-finds from artisans I find interesting ... so "sign-up" to get all our latest news! :0)

Here are a few freebie-fun template designs you should find fun to work with. One is a simple money stocking unusually folded and the other is a half cut-out folded front card design. Click on the image to enlarge. Right click your mouse on the enlarged image and "Save As..." to your digi folder. I like to print it out and use them as templates. :0)

         

CRAFTY IDEA: Have you ever made Cinnamon Ornaments? Cinnamon ornaments are easy to make in any shape you desire and the aroma is fantastic. You can string many ornaments together on ribbon or string to make a festive garland. Kids can help with this project but make sure you tell them the dough is not edible!

Recipe 1

You Will Need:

1 spice bottle of cinnamon (4.25 ounces) or 1/2 C.

1/3 C. applesauce

1 Tbs. glue (Elmer’s works fine.)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F or 100 degrees C. Place the cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the applesauce with a spatula. Stir in the glue until you have the right consistency. Gather into a ball of dough and flatten with your hands. To make rolling easier, place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Roll out with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick. If the dough is too dry, you can add a little water. If it’s too sticky, sprinkle with more cinnamon. Use cookie cutters or a template (with a craft knife) to cut out shapes from the dough. Possible shapes include Christmas trees, stars, or birds. Use a drinking straw to punch a hole for hanging the ornament or several holes at the top for stringing on a garland. To dry the ornaments, place ornaments on a baking sheet and bake for two hours, flipping halfway through. Once the ornaments are dry, you can decorate with acrylic paint, glitter, or beads. Hang from ribbon for a single ornament or thread onto string or ribbon for a garland.

Recipe 2

This version is even more aromatic, but since this recipe version has no glue, they will take longer to dry and will be more fragile. However, I have added 1/4-cup of glue. 

You Will Need:

1 C. cinnamon

1 C. applesauce

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. ground cloves

Combine all dry ingredients and add applesauce a little at a time, until you have the right consistency. Follow instructions as above, but keep in mind drying time will take longer (unless you add a little of the glue). Dry in the oven on low heat for around 3 hours and then let sit on wire racks overnight. Decorate when dry or leave plain. Hang with ribbon or string.

Santa and Reindeer freebie-fun image! Click on image. Right click your mouse on enlarged image and in drop down menu "Save as..." to your digi folder. Have fun and don't forget to show us what you've created by linking your post to this Oodles of Doodles News post! :0)

Peppermint Sweets Christmas Tree by STYROFOAM Brand Foam.

Always a tasty eye-catching centerpiece for the holidays.
This pretty and sweet candy Christmas decoration is quick, easy and inexpensive. And the peppermint aroma is so much a part
of the Christmastime holidays!

Days Until: Halloween/13, Thanksgiving/36, Hanukkah/63, Kawanzaa/65, Christmas/68, New Year's/75

Printable gingerbread Christmas cookie coloring sheet

with gingerbread boys and gingerbread girls.

Print and color, then cut out to make cute gift tags,

holiday decorations, tree ornaments.

Doodle Tricks and Tools: Love stamping, but sometimes you don't get the best image when using clear stamps? To get the results you want, I find these Tips and Tools help me;
Condition before use, otherwise the ink tends to pool, resulting in uneven stamped images. Simply rubbing the surface of the stamp with an eraser will do the trick.
Add a bit of cushion under your projects while stamping to get a clean, even image. Remember when a 'mouse pad' was used underneath your mouse to operate it? Instead of tossing the several that I had, they make for a great cushion under your projects. Or purchase a sheet of craft foam which works great for this purpose.
Make sure you are using an ink that's compatible with your clear stamps. I have had great results with many of the pigment inks on the market.
Stamp a layer of watermark ink [like VersaMark] first on the clear stamp. Then, add a layer of ink on top of it. That extra layer of watermark ink can help the dye ink look more even when you stamp and give you a cleaner impression.
Place the clear stamp in the "center' of the acrylic block. This way you will be less likely to rock the stamp when stamping.

                         



Over at RED BROLLY by Bronwyn Hayes enjoy browsing about a variety of felt-flower tutorials

from bouquets to just the thing for a Christmas package toppers ... or birthday, or Mother's Day!

Stitched Felt Flowers Part 1 with Stitched Flower Instructions!

Stitched Felt Flowers Part 2 with PDF Tutorial and Flower Templates!

Here are some freebie-fun accents to add to your Christmas cards, tags, or for your tree ... the "ornament" can be enlarged to suit your photo size to be hung on the tree. 

     

Halloween Craft: Paper Bats

by Mama King at 4 Crazy Kings



There are so many uses for these Folded Paper Bats, you'll just have to make a bunch! The little pocket on this craft bat makes it functional as well as cute. This is one of those Halloween kids craft ideas that you'll want to make year after year because it's so fun!



16 Decorative Front Door Wreaths for Fall

If you want to get a head start on fall home decor and need instructions on how to make a decorative wreath, this guide of 16 Decorative Front Door Wreaths for Fall will help you create beautiful handmade wreaths and give you plenty of fun decorative outdoor wreath and door wreath ideas that can be used anywhere in the house. To make autumn wreaths is a great way to welcome the changing seasons, and with this helpful collection of projects featuring wreath decoration ideas, you'll be on your way to making great conversation pieces.



These freebie-fun single leaves images are great to use to enhance the background freebie image (above) ... again great to print out and use as templates! :0)

 

CRAFTING REBELLION by Rebel Crafter, knows that she is a crafting site, not a food site, and desserts in jars are not that unique...but a really good dessert free of gluten, dairy, and egg is well, rebellious! Something moist, and rich, and comforting does not usually equal gluten free and vegan, but this cake does. She had to share this recipe she created because it really is that yummy. Those without food allergies will love it equally. I like this one because I live a glutin-free lifestyle. :0~

 

Tidy Mom blogger has several Halloween snacks listed, but the Candy Corn Cake, from Bird On a Cake has caught my eye because this is the only time of year when the tasty treat of candy corn comes out! I'm definitely making this one! A great cake idea for October birthday's too! :0)

SAUCY SPIDER with HAIRY LEG STICKS Recipe ... 

Spin a web of doughy deliciousness with this party-perfect appetizer. If you can’t find pizza dough at your supermarket try a local pizza parlor, which will likely sell you a fresh ball. For extra effect, sprinkle the legs with poppy seeds, in addition to Parmesan.

  

I know this is basically a craft blog but because my lifestyle doesn't just revolve around papercrafting and stamping, I come across and hope you enjoy, the food and cookie, candy and cupcake recipe information I pass along in my blogs?! Some crochet patterns, sewing tut's, foamboard projects too, as I know that other creative outlets inspire a person to be more crafty with 'all' they enjoy doing! :0)

Diane :0)

2011 (c) DZ Doodles Digital Stamps and DZ Doodles Doohikey Designs. All rights reserved. Any third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owner. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.



Time to Think of Gift-Giving Packaging Templates, and "Inside" The Box!

Hi Doodlers!

Sometimes you just have to wait to have all the elements of your design before you can show it properly! Here's what I came up with as a Halloween Gift-Box Idea using the Vintage Foiling technique in a previous blog and My Time Made Easy Lunch Box pattern template (without the handle to make it resemble a "tin" box). The entire thing is an inexpensive gift to give, when you think about it, instead of the usual candies - anyone can give that out! It truly will make for a memorable "keepsake".

I made up the "web" pattern template - applied it to a piece of black textured cardstock with repositional glue to hand cut around it with an Xacto knife, embossed the "boo" and glittered up a plastic spider! I carefully 'unglued' the seam of the Avon sleeves for the watch and earrings box. Using Aleene's Tacky Spray glue, each piece was sprayed and applied to the paper used as lining for the inside. Can't wait to get started on my Christmas themed gift box ideas!



I crocheted this lovely Witch Hat
to include with her Tin Gift Box!

Thinking about making one for myself,
 to wear while I hand-out candy!

  

Apply crinkled foil to the entire template page
 on opposite side of line-image - cut on line-side.

Set cut-template onto a piece of wax paper;
paint and buff-off excess paint
to allow foil to come trhough.



Overlapping paint onto wax paper
helps stabilize template while buffing.

Peel off wax paper after paint has throughly dried.
Apply pattern paper to this side of template,
reverse and cut-out-along template edge.
Piece is finished and ready for construction.

Creepy is creepy and I just love this  idea and recipe because hubby and I are Jell-O-freaks! And this is the perfect Jell-O-surprise to make for him on Halloween ... he'll love it and sounds yummy! Just go to In Katrina's Kitchen to get her Creepy Beepers Halloween Jell-O recipe!

Googly-Eyed Halloween Cookies Recipe by The Decorated Cookie will have  "You're cookies watching you!"

Frosted Glass Candles ... this article of Angie's over at Burton Avenue is Halloween themed but still a great gift-giving idea for a Thanksgiving Host and Christmas time "little something" to give! Angie used some clear glass Dollar Tree candle holders ($1.00 each), contact paper/cut-out design as a template using Xacto knife and #11-blade ... peel and stick on, spray and let dry, remove contact paper template and "wella!" How simple and easy is that?! I think the hard part would be what type-of-stencil design to choose from.

Crafting Up My World candy corn topiaries can easily be re-designed for Christmastime decor! I'm thinking, wrap the styrofoam balls with crunched up pieces of aluminum foil [see post on Vintage Foiling] attached  using Alleen's Tacky Glue (or Spray Adhesive), or even Mod Podge. Add glittery circles of red' and green's or blues, etc., dotted with scattered snowflakes made from some of those awesome punches available! Step-by-step instructions available on her site.

ICE POPS! There is a delicious moment in the making of ice pops that simply doesn't happen with the supermarket variety, as you feel the pop slip to bonds of its frozen mold and come sliding out, still frosty but showing the first signs of melting. Your mouth waters, ready for a cold shock and a burst of intense, homemade flavors!

 

Set Of 12 Frozen Treat Makers available at my Dizzy Designs Commodities Store!



      

Chocolate Pudding Pops - Limoncello Pops 

Sparkling Strawberry Pops - Blueberry-Peach Ice Pops

Click on these Cooking Class images (courtesy of Food Styling) to enlarge - right click your mouse on enlarged page(s) and in the drop down menu either "Save Picture as... or Print Picture...".

  



Well folks! That's all for right now ... back-to-the-drawing-board for me :0)

Diane

2011 (c) DZ Doodles Digital Stamps and DZ Doodles Doohikey Designs. All rights reserved. Any third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owner. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Creative Package Design Project and Cookies for The Holidays

Hello Doodlers!

Christmas is a special time for baking and trying both new and traditional recipes. From holiday desserts to classic main dishes, Christmas is a festive season full of joy, family, friends and food.

Food and Dessert Recipes for Homemade Christmas Holiday Baking

There are many Christmas baking recipes online as well as great decorating ideas and ways to turn your Christmas baking into much appreciated gifts. You can print recipes off online, try them out, and if you like them, save them for next year.

This is just too cute and something I thought, if not sock monkey cookies, it's a great idea for something like gingerbreads - it's that time of year for them! The Sweet Adventures of Sugarebelle Sock Monkey cookies! You can even get a Sock Monkey Cookie Cutter!

FYI-REMEMBER! FREE SHIPPING $30 or more! Use Coupon Code: FS30REP - Please check availability for International orders.

And here's a place to get a Gingerbread Cookie Recipe: Cooks Recipe Search - Gingerbread Cookies for Cut-outs to use with the "Sock Monkey" or Avon's "awesomely" large Christmas Tree Cookie Form [page 157/Campaign 22 eBrochure], which will have you making "tree cookies" for everyone!! :0) Or giving them a Cookie Form as a gift! At this special $4.99 price each it makes for a great stocking stuffer too!

AND you can't let this "huge" Personalized Silicone Stocking Cake Pan [page 159/Campaign 22 eBrochure] get away at this special $9.99 price for either yourself or as a gift! I am REALLY IMPRESSED with this! And here's a Gingerbread Cake Tested Recipe from Joy of Baking that I feel is an excellent "hit" to use in this stocking form ...

I can't wait to get baking!!! 

THEN THERE'S THIS AWESOME Cakes and Candy Silicone Bakeware Mold (16-molds) [page 158/Campaign 22 eBrochure] that is not only perfect to use throughout the upcoming holidays but throughout the year, for all sorts of occasions! At this $9.99 price it's a great "just a little something" bakeware mold gift for under $10.00!

And I was really "impressed" with this 3-Tiered Cupcake Stand when I got it ... nice and heavy-duty construction! Still available for a great price of $19.99 in [Campaign 21 eBrochure #604-904].

The ULTIMATE DONUT Silicone CAKE PAN [#511-450 for $12.99/2-piece set/Campaign 21 eBrochure-page 152 ] and MINI DONUT PAN and RECIPE [#190-980 for $9.99/Campaign 21 eBrochure-page 155] are now may favorites as well! AND for the price they make great $10.00 gifts that will "impress" your recipient. You could even include a "Donut" Cookbook too! Baked 'Donut' Buffins are easy and fun to make and a real comfort to snack on especially when using this Baked 'Donut' Buffins Recipe in these Avon Pans!

[To order from a past Campaign eBrochure click-on Shop My eBrochure [left side column of My Avon Website]. In the top header above Welcome, Login/Register is SHOP BY PRODUCT. Click onto it and a page will come up where all you need do is type in your product number (without the hypen between numbers i.e. 190980) and quantity, check the product name that appears. BUT BEFORE DOING THAT in the column that say's, Campaign, you are able to select the Campaign number of at least the last two Campaign's from its drop-down-menu in order to receive an item at that eBrochures prices!]. This list will then go to your shopping cart where you will be able to process your payment. How "kewl" is that?! :0)

HOST A Cookie Exchange Party or call it Baking Exchange Party! Here's the details to organize and throw your own party!

Just thought I'd toss you some awesome ideas to help you out with some early holiday gift-giving specials from Avon (or for any occasion: B-days, Bridal Showers, Thank You gifts, etc.) and tasty treat planning made from Avon's Bakeware and Cookware!

Diane :0)

2011 (c) DZ Doodles Digital Stamps and DZ Doodles Doohikey Designs. All rights reserved. Any third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owner. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.

Fall Holiday Homemade Craft Projects

Hi Doodlers!

Nothing says "Hello, Fall" like some homemade pumpkin decorations to display around the house! Their use seems short-lived as we exit fall the day after Thanksgiving into the Christmas mind-set. So, make pumpkin inspired crafts using styrofoam, foamboard, paper mache or actual pumpkins to get your home ready for the fall festivities - Halloween and Thanksgiving! And here are some fantastic reuseable from year-to-year projects that I'd like to share with you!



CRAFTS 'N COFFEE

 

GLITTERED STYROFOAM PUMPKINS, using Glitter Blast spray paint from Krylon, to add a few scented candle-lit touches of fall to your home.



Kimberly created decorative 3D paper eyelet pumpkins using Spellbinders Shapeabilities Pendants: Eyelets. These approximately 4" x 4" and 2" x 2" folded eyelets pendants are lovely enough to decorate your Thanksgiving table or to accent your fall decor. Don't have the equipment or time to make these up yourself? Then head on over to my Dizzy Designs Store to purchase the pre-cut cardstock pieces to create your own 3D pumpkins!

FUNKIN + Modge Podge + Designer Papers = a beautiful re-created frosted Funkin pumpkin project like the one by Vicki O'Dell (The Creative Goddess) that lets you keep this Jack O'Lantern creation from year-to-year! 

FUN⋅KINS are synthetic pumpkins that are carefully crafted and painted by hand to look just like real pumpkins. They can be carved and lit to look like spooky works of art just like pumpkins. They are made hollow so there is no scooping of seeds and pumpkin guts necessary. And they never ever rot, so carvings last forever!

Unlike any other fake pumpkins available, FUN⋅KINS are constructed of patented low density foam. About the same consistency of real pumpkins. The walls of a FUN⋅KIN are generally about one half of an inch thick (a little more for the really big ones, and a little less for the really small ones) so they are strong enough to last for years to come and endure shipping, carving, use, and storage.

ADD SOME CLEVER IDEAS to add humor and ghoulishly good fun to your Halloween event! Let your imagination take flight with Inkadinkado's "design your own mask" pattern projects! Three great projects to inspire you with helpful mask pattern downloads; Cat and Bat Mask, Flourish Mask and Spider Mask.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO
GET HOW-TO INSTRUCTIONS!

 JACK FRIENDLY PUMPKINS!

The perfect decoration for that is Friendly Jack. He's a pumpkin you can create and be happy that you did.

OMG! You've heard me talk about being a "foamboard-addict" but when I came upon this article of free inexpensive foam-material Angel's and instructions WITH PATTERNS INCLUDED I just "had to share this with you"! Angels are a beautiful symbol with which to decorate your home. Whether you are decorating for the holidays or creating permanent fixtures for various rooms, this collection of angel craft projects will help you choose a lovely little angel. These angels are great Christmas crafts.You can also use your favorite angel images from the net or draw your own.
Fill your home with the soft warmth of angels as shown below.



                      

                       CLICK ON IMAGE
                      FOR ALL THE INFO

CLICK ON IMAGE
FOR ALL THE INFO



I am in the process of re-creating these angel's in pre-cut foamboard images. They will be available for purchase in time for Christmas !!ASAP!! at my Dizzy Designs Store!

CLICK ON IMAGE TO GET PATTERN

 

CRYSTALIZED 3D WILD ROSE CROCHET SNOWFLAKE project - Lindsey says it's "for Mom on Mother's Day," but, I'm thinking for Mom's Christmas tree ornament added to the outside of her Christmas gift!

"Oh no" you're saying, "I don't crochet!" Keep checking my Dizzy Designs Store where they will be available. :0)

Make Decoupage Upcycled Jars! Vintage Collection - Glass Jar Reproductions  It is hard to tell these items from the "old" ones. Useful, attractive pieces for the country kitchen or family room. Ideal for gift giving.. fill with their favorites!

WANT TO MAKE VINTAGE LOOKING CRAFTS? Watch this How-To-Make Look of Forged Metal with Aluminum Foil with EcoHeidi and learn a fun and exciting craft technique (or view her video of how it's done)! This is a vintage craft technique that was used in the 1960's to create fantastic decorative pieces! All you need is some aluminum foil from your kitchen and a willingness to learn something new. You'll want to use this technique over and over again.

When using cardstock, such as for box or mug-coffee cup templates, instead of adhering with Aleene's Tacky "Liquid" Glue use the Tacky Spray adhesive to attach foil and pattern paper pieces - works great, quick and easy! Heavy spraying gives you more time to attach the foil to the cardstock and any embellishment designs you've applied under the foil.

I created something fun using My Time Made Easy Lunch Box Template made from posterboard I found at Dollar Tree, 2-sheets for $1.00. I cut the 28" x 22" sheet into six pieces of, 8-1/2" x 11" sizes to fit into my inkjet printer. Posterboard does-not-at-all go through ink jet printers where it pulls the sheet up and around, so I advise you to use a printer that just draws the posterboard down to print on.

Of course, I had to re-design some aspects of it to suit my structural improvements and I lined it with pattern paper pieces (applied with spray glue) all prior to assembling the parts. You wouldn't need to do what I did unless you were as persnickety as I am about structual details of a finished project - I don't make things simple for myself!

I designed a spider web and used my Xacto knife to cut-out the web details. I spray glued and glittered a plastic spider and added brads. I didn't add the handle piece because I wanted it to resemble a tin box. When completed it perfectly housed my Halloween gift-giving AVON products - my Avon Unit Manager was amazed when she found out that it wasn't "tin" and made with posterboard and foil and that the Ghost Watch [C-20/page 150], Pumpkin Earrings box [C-20/page150] and four Harvest Lip Balms [C-20/page 195] "just fit" inside so nicely (total cost of Avon products $22.74+tax). She was really impressed! This is a gift for my youngest goblin! (I'm in a rush to get this post out to you and waiting on the lip balms via mail. So I'll show you the finished images on my next post if not sooner).

I'm also creating another "Lunch Box Avon Set" using Avon's Snowman or Snowflake Watch/available NOW in the Avon HOLIDAY 2011 eBrochure on page 18-19, Angelic Inspirations Mary Birthstone Angel Necklace/available NOW Campaign 22 page 119 [9/27-10/11], and four Tis' The Season Lip Balms/ available NOW Campaign 22 page 193 [9/27-10/11].

POLYMER CLAY + STAMPS = Keri Lee Sereika's BEAUTIFUL CLAY BUTTON embellishment How-To! And I made sure to print this one out to keep it in my How-To file ... if you're unable to re-create something now that you think you could use someday, always make a print-out. I have a notebook of How-To printouts with tabbed inserts labeled with things such as, Clay Works, Template Designs, Card Design Ideas, etc. - this way I can browse through the notebook at my leisure and be inspired!

Diane :0)

Vist my newly designed Dizzy Designs Store where I'll be offering Avon deals, specials, and many of the things that I create! Although I'm still working on most of it, just click on the tabs, I'm constantly trying to add items as I get them done ... if they don't sell to my friends and neighbors before I get to do so!

2011 (c) DZ Doodles Digital Stamps and DZ Doodles Doohikey Designs. All rights reserved. Any third party products, brands or trademarks listed above are the sole property of their respective owner. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied.