Creating Me

Peanut Butter Bars

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Anita

Every family has Christmas traditions. Those little things that make the season special. This is one that I have shared for several years with my “other” family. My 4 “kids” (well, now 5 since the oldest just got married 2 days ago😊) have decided it’s not Christmas without these yummy Peanut Butter Bars!

Years ago, a co-worker gave me this recipe. They are so good and taste just like a peanut butter cup – the recipe makes a 9 x 13 inch pan so there are plenty to share.

Here’s what you’ll need…

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons margarine, divided
2 cups peanut butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (I use a 12 ounce bag)

Melt 1/2 cup margarine in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix well and pat into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place in refrigerator to cool.

While peanut butter mixture is cooling, melt chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons margarine over low heat. Spread over cooled peanut butter mixture. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Just a couple of tips…

Everything will blend better if the peanut butter melts into the margarine like this – your saucepan should be warm enough to do this after you’ve melted the margarine.

I use my small rolling pin to to smooth out the peanut butter mixture in the pan. It works well to pack down the mixture since it tends to be a little crumbly.

Our tradition is to have these for dessert after celebrating our Christmas. It’s getting a bit harder to get us all together – especially this year since the oldest is on her honeymoon. And my oldest “son” is now a Marine and away for training. But I made them anyway because, after all, it’s tradition!!

What are your favorite family Christmas traditions?

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Spool Ornament

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Anita

Do you need a quick and easy last minute gift? These little spool ornaments are simple to make and are so cute!

I used unfinished wooden spools from my local craft store and lightly distressed them with brown ink using a sponge. The beads, charms, and ribbon also came from my local craft store. Glue a small piece of ribbon around the spool. Thread a loop of thin twine through the spool leaving long tails at the bottom. Then thread the loop of twine through a bead on the top and tie a small knot so the bead will not come off. On the bottom, thread the tails of the twine through 3 beads and tie a charm at the bottom. Trim the twine close to the knot on the charm. I added a small drop of glue to the knot to help keep it more secure.

Just an FYI – these floss threaders that are actually used for dental work or braces are the best thing for threading beads onto twine, thread, or thin ribbon. Work great for tying buttons, too. I don’t know what I’d do without them!

And there you have it! Cute little ornaments that come together quickly for those last minute gifts…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Gift Card Holder

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Anita

I am always looking for fun ways to give gift cards or cash – something just a little different than a regular card. Here is one way using the top note die from Stampin’ Up. Unfortunately, this die is discontinued – you may be able to find it on Ebay or other companies may have something similar. Any larger die will work to get the same effect.

You’ll need red and white card stock, patterned paper, and a brad. Die cut 2 pieces from the red card stock and 2 pieces from the patterned paper. Trim the edges off the patterned papers so they are slightly smaller than the red pieces. Cut one of the patterned pieces just above halfway. Attach this piece to one of the red pieces, leaving the top open to create a pocket. Attach the full patterned piece to the other red piece. Attach them together with the brad in the middle at the top, leaving it loose enough so the top piece can swivel open. Stamp “Merry Christmas” from Hero Arts (or your favorite sentiment) with green ink on white card stock and punch with an oval punch. Attach to the card with pop dots.

The pocket is perfect for holding a little cash or a gift card. Helps to make the gift a little more special.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Santa Card

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Anita

It’s 2 weeks until Christmas!!! Made with just card stock and buttons, this is a super fast card if you still need a few Christmas cards. Or if you are super-organized and have the cards mailed, gifts wrapped and under the tree, and all the cookies made, this makes a great ‘Thank You” card that you can make now and have ready! 🙂

Punch 2 circles from white card stock with the scalloped circle punch and a “belt buckle” from gray card stock with the curly label punch. Both of these punches are from Stampin’ Up; there are other companies that have similar punches or dies if you can’t find these. Attach a strip of black card stock to a red card. Attach “belt buckle” to the center of the strip. Cut a square of black card stock and put in the center of the buckle. Attach the 2 scalloped circles to the card and glue a black button to the center of each circle.

And that’s it! Told you it was super fast!! 😉 Now you can get back to last minute shopping and cookie making – and for those super-organized, one more thing to cross off your list! 🙂

HO, HO, HO…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Clothespin Votive Holder

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Anita

If you are on Pinterest, you’ve probably seen this cute little clothespin craft. I thought I’d share my Christmas take on it.

All you need is a clean tuna can, some ribbon to go around the can, clothespins (I think I used 20), patterned paper, mod podge, and ribbon to tie around the clothespins.

Simply cut strips of patterned paper the size of the clothespins. I cut all of mine first before glueing them onto the clothespins. Using a foam brush, brush a thin layer of mod podge onto the clothespin. Attach the paper, smoothing out any bubbles. Then brush a thin layer of mod podge over the top. Set them aside to dry – it won’t take long.

Using a strong white glue that dries clear (I like Crafter’s Pick The Ultimate), brush a thin layer around the outside of the tuna can and attach your ribbon. I used a burlap ribbon. I like to cover the can so the ribbon peeks out instead of the silver can, but you can skip this step if you want.

After the clothespins are dry, simply clip them close together on the can. Then tie a pretty ribbon around them if you’d like. I put a glass votive holder with a candle inside to finish it off. Or add a small plant or a bag of candy…

These make great teacher or neighbor gifts – the kids would have fun attaching the paper to the clothespins. And you can easily change the theme to match any holiday or decor!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Snowflake Card

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Anita

Christmas is just 3 weeks away!!! Do you have your cards ready to go? Here’s a quick and easy card you can put together in just minutes!

You’ll need white card stock, red card stock, and red ribbon. The embossing folder, “merry” stamp, and label punch are from Stampin’ Up. The snowflake punch is from EK Success. You’ll also need your favorite corner rounder punch.

Emboss a panel of white card stock with the snowflake embossing folder and punch the corners with the corner rounder. Punch the snowflake from the center top of the panel. Attach a square of red card stock behind the punched area. Tie the ribbon around the panel and attach the entire panel to a white card. Stamp “merry” with red ink on white card stock and punch out. Attach to ribbon…and you’re done!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Happy Birthday, Dad!

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Anita

Today is my Dad’s birthday. He’s celebrating in heaven and we miss him so much!

I found this card when I was looking through pictures of cards I have made. The sentiment is just perfect for today.

Happy Birthday, Dad!! I hope you’re enjoying a great big piece of hot apple pie with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream on top ~ all of it just full of real sugar! 🙂

Miss you and love you, always in my heart …❤️

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Polka Dot Christmas Tree Card

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Anita

Do you participate in all the madness of Black Friday? I prefer to stay in my warm and cozy bed! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a morning person!! I will never be up before the sun to go shopping 😉 I would much rather sleep in and spend the day crafting…

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to think about Christmas cards. This is a quick and easy card to make for all those special people you want to send a little Christmas cheer.

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

kraft cards (or card stock to make into cards)
kraft card stock (for the tag and sentiment)
red polka dot card stock (mine had kraft colored polka dots)
red card stock
silver eyelets
twine
embossing folder, word label punch, and label punch from Stampin’ Up
tree punch from EK Success (I found mine at Hobby Lobby)

I embossed a panel of green card stock with the poinsettia embossing folder and attached it to a kraft card. I cut a tag from kraft card stock (I used a tag I already had as a template), set a silver eyelet in the top, and tied it with a small piece of twine. I punched a tree from red polka dotted card stock and attached it to the tag. The tag is then put on the card with pop dots. I stamped Merry Christmas with red ink on kraft card stock, punched it with the word label punch, and attached it to a label punched from red card stock. The label is attached with pop dots.

This is the perfect card to create if you have a lot of Christmas cards to send. It is simple and comes together very quickly, so you can make as many as you need without taking away too much time from shopping!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Glitter Ornaments

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Anita

Handmade ornaments have always been special to me. My tree is filled each year with the beautiful creations from friends and those ornaments I have happened upon at craft fairs and other places. Memories are evoked by each one as I hang them on my tree. Some are simple and some more elaborate, but they are all precious to me.

These glitter ornaments are so simple to make and will add a little touch of bling to your tree. And because the glitter is inside the ornament you won’t have sparkles all over your house!

To make these you’ll need some clear glass ornaments and fine glitter in your choice of colors – both available at your favorite craft store. The secret to making these is clear floor wax. That’s right, floor wax! I found this brand at Target, but any brand will work.

Take the metal top off the ornament and pour in some floor wax. Swish it all around to cover the entire inside of the ornament. Pour the excess back into the bottle. Using a funnel, immediately pour some glitter into the ornament and shake it until the inside is covered. Pour the excess glitter back into the jar. Then just let it dry. You might want to shake the ornament over a container after it has had a chance to dry to remove any loose glitter. Put the metal top back onto the ornament and attach a ribbon for hanging. Or leave the ribbon off and fill a bowl, hurricane, or lantern with them for a beautiful addition to your Christmas decor.

I packaged these up with a cute little tag to give as gifts. This would be a fun family project to make for teachers, neighbors, family, and friends. You could also personalize them with initials, words, or other stickers.

Find your favorite colors of glitter and just have fun!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Snickerdoodles

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Anita

Snickerdoodles. One of the easiest cookies to make and you probably have everything you need to whip up a batch right in your kitchen!

My favorite recipe is in this little booklet which also has a yummy oatmeal cookie recipe you can find here.

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup margarine at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°

Cream together margarine, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to the first mixture and blend thoroughly. Form dough into balls the size of walnuts.

In another bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Roll each ball in this mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet allowing at least 2 inches between each ball. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies so there are plenty for everyone. So good with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of tea or coffee! And if there are any left, they freeze well…Enjoy 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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