Creating Me

Have a Sweet Birthday (Handmade Card)

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

I made this card for a sweet girl who has a birthday in December and loves penguins! I love the little candy cane that gives a nod to the holiday season, but by not using a Christmas color scheme it makes a great December birthday card.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The penguin is from the Sweetest Little Wishes stamp set from Unity Stamp Company. The sentiment is from the Sweet Sprinkled Donut set also from Unity Stamp Company.

First I created the background by stamping circles of various sizes in blues and pinks on white card stock. The stamp set I used for the background is called A-Round & A-Round from Unity Stamp Company. I die cut the background piece using the Scallops & Rectangles Nesting Dies from Unity Stamp Company, layered it to pink card stock, and attached it to a white card.

I stamped the penguin with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock, colored him with Copic markers, and fussy cut around the image. I stamped the sentiment with pink ink on white card stock and die cut around it with the Scallops & Circles Nesting Dies from Unity Stamp Company. I used the same die set to cut a larger circle from blue card stock. I attached the blue circle to the card and then attached the trimmed penguin and the sentiment to the card using foam tape.

I hope this made her birthday just a little sweeter!

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping | Tagged Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

Gnome Thankful (Handmade Card)

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

My sweet friend Laura gave me this adorable gnome candy dish (and the Reeses to go in it! 😋) and it reminded me of this cute gnome stamp that is perfect for a Christmas thank you card.

The stamp is actually a trio of gnomes called Our Gnome to Yours from Unity Stamp Company. I inked up just the gnome with the Santa hat with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and stamped it on white card stock. I die cut around it with the Make a Tag Die Set from Unity Stamp Company. Then I die cut a larger tag and a hole reinforcer from red card stock. I attached the stamped tag to the red tag and then attached the hole reinforcer to the stamped tag. I punched a hole through the tag with my Crop-A-Dile and tied on some red and white bakers twine.

Here’s a tip for glueing on small pieces like the hole reinforcer. I love this Quickie Glue Pen – it works like a pen so you can just “write” on the glue. Be sure to keep the tiny ball that fits on the tip of the pen before putting on the cap to keep it from drying out.

I stamped the word “thanks” with red ink on white card stock and die cut it with the Scalloped & Stitched Sentiment Nesting Dies from Unity Stamp Company. My thanks stamp is an old stamp I’ve had forever! Use your favorite thank you stamp in your collection. (This is a cute thank you stamp.) I attached a piece of red and white striped paper to a white card. The tag and sentiment are attached with foam tape.

Such a sweet card to say you are “Gnome Thankful”!

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping, Uncategorized | Tagged Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

Just popping in to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends.

And while you are enjoying the day, remember the reason we are celebrating…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

May God richly bless you and yours in 2024!

Anita

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Best Oatmeal Cake

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

I recently made this cake again and knew I had to share it with all of you in case you missed this recipe when I shared it a few years ago. It is a favorite around our house and it’s really easy to make!

Here’s the post I shared a few years ago which includes the recipe.

Really! The Best Oatmeal Cake ever!! It is just so yummy! The cake has just a hint of cinnamon and the broiled icing has brown sugar, coconut, pecans, and butter – so tasty! 😋

You probably have most of the ingredients you’ll need right in your kitchen – except maybe the coconut and the pecans. (I forgot to add the pecans to the picture. 😐)

You’ll find the full recipe below.

Here’s the cake ready to go into the oven…

Hot out of the oven with the icing spread over the top and ready to go under the broiler…

And here is the Best Oatmeal Cake fresh and hot from the oven! My kitchen smells amazing!! Now comes the hard part…waiting for it to cool! 😉

Here’s the recipe:

The Best Oatmeal Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Cake:

1 cup oatmeal
1-1/4 cups boiling water (mix with oatmeal in a small bowl and set aside while you mix the rest of the cake ingredients)
1-1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add sugar, brown sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Add oatmeal mixture. Beat well. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Broiled Icing:

1 stick butter or margarine at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
5 tablespoons cream (I have also used almond milk or regular milk as a substitute and the both work well)

Mix all ingredients together and spread over warm cake. Set your oven to broil and place cake under broiler until icing has browned. Watch the cake very closely – the icing browns quickly!

This is my husband’s 2nd favorite cake – you can find his very favorite cake, Angel Food with Homemade Peach Icing, here.

Enjoy!

Anita

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged Recipe | Leave a comment

Road Trip Snack Mix

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

Buying snacks on a road trip can get expensive and time consuming if no one can decide what they want! 🤷🏼‍♀️ I make my own snack mix to keep handy in the car and we get to decide what we want to add to it. 😋

I start with a jar of lightly salted dry roasted peanuts. You can also use mixed nuts, cashews, or almonds – choose whatever your family will enjoy. Then I add either M&Ms, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or a combination of them. I also add raisins to my snack mix. Other dried fruits can be added, too.

This time I used peanuts, toasty vanilla M&Ms (I think this may be a special holiday flavor), semi sweet chocolate chips, and raisins.

To make your snack mix, simply pour the peanuts into a large bowl and mix in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, and raisins. I never measure anything, I just add each ingredient until it’s a good mixture. 😊 The salty/sweet taste is a fun treat while you’re traveling. 😋

Store it in a large zip top bag for your road trip. You can also put a handful or two in individual small zip top bags and put those in a larger bag for easier snacking in the car. Everyone can have their own bag to snack on that way. 😋

This is a super easy snack mix that you can put together just in time to hit the road for Christmas. Christmas red and green M&Ms would make it so festive to eat on the way to family and friends! 🎄

Anita

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Recipe | Leave a comment

Last Minute Christmas Gift Tags

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

If you’re like me, you always need an extra gift tag or two when you’re wrapping Christmas gifts. This is a super quick and easy tag that only takes minutes to make so you can get all that gift wrapping wrapped up! 🎁

You’ll need a white tag, red card stock, red and white bakers twine, and your favorite small Christmas stamp. My Santa hat is from the {Limited Edition} Stamp Advent Calendar 2023 from Unity Stamp Company, but any small simple stamp will work. 🎅🏼

Using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I randomly stamped the Santa hat several times on the white tag. I layered the tag to red card stock and trimmed it to a tag shape. I stamped the Santa hat again on a scrap of white card stock and colored it with Copic markers. Then I trimmed around the hat and attached it to the tag with foam tape. Punch a hole through the red card stock on the tag and tie on a piece of red and white bakers twine to finish the tag.

Super quick and easy – just write the gift recipient’s name on the back!

Now to finish the gift wrapping… 🎁

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Stamping, Tags | Tagged Christmas, Stamping | 2 Comments

Easy Christmas Decorating With Ornaments

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

I love all the pretty ornaments! But I can’t fit them all on my tree so this is one way to easily display all the prettiness throughout my home. 🎄

Below are some beautiful vintage look mercury glass ornaments that I got from Cedar Grove Farms. It is a beautiful French Farmhouse shop located on a gorgeous farm in Hartselle, AL. I promise Melanie will take great care of you if you live close enough to visit! I also got my greenery and the frosted berry candle ring under it from Cedar Grove Farms. I filled 2 small vintage look dishes with the ornaments and scattered a few in the tray. The tray is a repurposed thrift store find (details are here) and I created the Wood Bead Garland (details are here). The tray sits on my coffee table and I love the sparkle of the ornaments!

I found these vintage look ornaments on one of our trips. I added them to a pretty glass bowl and set them on my entry table next to my berry wreath and Farmhouse Yarn Wrapped Christmas Trees. Such a quick and easy way to add some Christmas cheer!

Finally, these tiny little Christmas balls came from Target. They come in different color combinations so you can mix and match. Again, I just added them to a pretty glass bowl and set them on one of my accent tables along with a vintage look container filled with a little greenery and a tiny bottle brush tree on a vintage wood spool. (Details for the tree are in this post.) I added a little height with a mini wood riser. (You can find how I made it here.) The cute little sparkly turquoise tree was on a gift from a sweet friend and I love how it pulls out the color of the turquoise ornaments.

I hope this gives you a little inspiration on how to add a pop of sparkle and shine around your home this season. So go ahead and buy the ornaments you love, look in your cabinets for pretty bowls, and add them to your Christmas decor! 🎄

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Decor | Tagged Christmas, Decor | 2 Comments

My Christmas Mantel and Fireplace

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

Decorating my mantel and fireplace for the different seasons is one of my favorite things. You may have seen my mantel decorated for Fall in this post. Now I have it all decked out for Christmas so I thought I would share it with you. 🎄

It’s a mixture of things I’ve purchased or created along with gifts from sweet friends. I love my different Christmas trees and the little pop of greenery from the garland. I created the tree on the right (the tall one with the star) – details are in this post. I also created the Farmhouse Candlesticks on the far left and you can find all the details here. The info on the Chalk Painted Christmas Bud Vases on the far right are in this post.

I added a few more of my favorite Christmas things to my hearth. The teddy bear is from my mom – you can see on his hat that she gave him to me in 1987! 🥰 I made the Christmas Joy Sign on the right – details are here.

I hope you enjoyed this little look at my mantel and fireplace. And maybe even got a few ideas for decorating your own home. 🙂

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Decor, Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Decor | 4 Comments

Cookie Mix in a Jar

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

Cookie Mix in a Jar is such a fun gift to give during the holidays. We all know how many yummy treats there are this time of year. Giving a mix to use later means you can eat all the ready made treats now, but have an easy way to make a treat later this winter to enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa, coffee, or tea. 🍪☕️

I found this recipe for Cookies in a Jar here at Sugar Spun Run. She also includes the free printable to attach to the jar!

I added the ingredients to wide mouth Mason jars. After printing out the instructions, I layered them to red card stock, punched a hole in the upper left corner, and tied it to the jar with Christmas ribbon.

This makes a great gift all by itself! I added 2 crocheted potholders (here’s the post on them), a red striped towel, and a red spatula for a fun gift. 🎁

There are tons of ideas out there for creating gift jars from your kitchen! I’ve also made Friendship Soup and Hot Cocoa Mix for gifts. People always seem to love receiving gift mixes. 😊

Cookie Mix in a Jar is a great teacher, neighbor, or friend gift. Make up a few jars and share some Christmas cheer! 🍪

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Gifts, Recipes | Tagged Christmas, Gifts, Recipe | 2 Comments

Holly Jolly Christmas – December 2023 Christmas Card

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Anita

Hi friends,

December’s Christmas card is ready just in time to send Holly Jolly wishes! 🎄I’ve created a new Christmas card each month this year and made 6 of each design so now I’m ready to sign, address, and send them out. It’s so nice to not be scrambling this month to get them all made! You can see all the cards I’ve created at these links – January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November.

This month’s card doesn’t require any coloring and comes together quickly. The stamps I used are Frosted Fauna for the background and Make a Tag {Holiday Spruce} for the tag. Both stamps are from Unity Stamp Company.

I stamped Frosted Fauna on white card stock with red ink. I used my MISTI stamping tool, so I was able to stamp the image 2 or 3 times to make sure it was stamped evenly. I die cut the piece using Scallops & Rectangles Nesing Dies from Unity Stamp Company.

I stamped the Holiday Spruce with green ink on white card stock. Using the Make A Tag {die set} from Unity Stamp Company, I die cut around the image and die cut a larger tag from green card stock. I also die cut the hole reinforcer included in the set from red card stock. I attached all 3 pieces together, punched out the hole using my Crop-A-Dile, and tied on some red and white bakers twine.

To make the card, I attached the stamped background to a slightly larger piece of red card stock and attached it to a white card. The finished tag is attached to the card using foam tape.

I love the simplicity of this card and the way the tag just pops off of the background. 🎄

I’ll be back in January to start on Christmas cards for 2024. But in the meantime, be sure to follow me for more creative posts between now and then – I have lots fun things coming. 🙂

Anita