Tag: Christmas Gifts

Thoughts on Christmas Cards

On By celestelindIn CraftingLeave a comment

Can you believe it’s already mid-September? How did that happen?!! I don’t know about other people, but I need a head start on Christmas, especially if I’m going to make it “hand made”.

One thing that seems to have fallen out of favor in the past 20 years or so, is Christmas Cards. It used to be that everyone sent Christmas Cards, and it was a scandal if they arrived late. Then people started to feel like, “better late than never!” and shortly after that people started sending the family brag letter along with the Christmas Card – the more creative of them would also put photos on the page, with cute little captions, like (and this was one of my favorites) “Future CEO of Crayola” showing a picture of their child creating yet another masterpiece. Mass produced, of course. Now it seems like you are lucky to get an electronic Christmas message, if old friends and distant family could be bothered to do even that.

It’s my personal philosophy that this should be the year of the card. The CoVid-19 Pandemic has forcibly separated friends and family, and many people have been pushed out of their old jobs, or forced into working from home, so depression is at an all time high. What better way to cheer someone than with a thoughtfully made, beautiful Christmas Card?

One additional blessing of the Christmas Card, is the economy. I know supplies cost much more than they used to, and I know postage is certainly expensive, but compare the cost of $5 postage and the priceless contents of a lovingly made, and usually quite unique and individualized Christmas Card with the cost of ordering some generic T-shirt or whatever from an on-line merchant — you’ve saved money, satisfied your creative urges, and cheered the heart of the recipient, probably much more than that T-shirt would. (Unless it’s a teenager, then all bets are off, lol!!)

Today I’m sharing with you two of my first of several Christmas Cards. I’ve used Graphic 45 paper (Joy to the World), and some hand crafted poinsettias (Heartfelt Creations), glossed them up with gold foil and glitter, and here you are.

I cheated on this one, these poinsettias were left over from some I made last year!
These flowers are supposed to look like new Magnolias.

I hope you are all inspired to at least go to Hallmark this year, buy a card or two if you don’t feel up to making it yourself, and write a personal note to the ones you love. Get started now, time really flies this time of year!

Thanks for stopping by…..

Keto Peanut Butter Candy

On By celestelindIn RecipesLeave a comment

Let’s not presume that keto is low calorie – lest we forget that FAT has 9kcal/gm, while protein and carbohydrates have only 4kcal/gm. Nonetheless the fat in peanut butter is generally considered a healthy fat.

My boys love “Buckeyes” at Christmas time, which is basically a peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate.

I thought it would be a nice twist to see if I could make it a little bit lower carb, and thus closer to my keto lifestyle – no sense feeling deprived at Christmas time!

Just a few ingredients:
3 cups chunky Peanut Butter (regular Peter Pan, NOT Honey Roasted)
2 cups Lakanto Monk Fruit
1/2 cup real Land O Lakes Margarine
Mix well, by hand or in the mixer.

Optional add in: 1 cup Rice Krispies, or Oatmeal, or even Almond Flour – I don’t add any of these

Make your peanut butter balls about 3” diameter, and set on wax paper.

Melt 2 packages of Hershey’s Sugarfree Chocolate Chips (20 oz) – I do it in the microwave at 50% power one minute at a time. If you would like you can also melt some Gulf wax, just a bit, to thin your chocolate and give it a glossy shine – 1/4 of a bar is all you need. Once everything is well incorporated glossy and smooth, roll your Peanut Butter balls a wee bit on the wax paper to smooth out the edges, and then dip into your melted chocolate lifting them out with a fork. Tap off the excess chocolate. And place the Peanut Butter candy ball back into the wax paper to dry. You can eat these in about 15 minutes, but the chocolate really takes a few hours to set back up again.

Enjoy!

Pro tip here: put some wax paper in a mold, (or use a nifty little silicon one if you have one) and put your leftover chocolate in it. Add nuts from your pantry (I chose cashews) mix them into the chocolate, and then melt in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Let it set, then remove from the mold, Voila! MORE keto candy!

Merry Christmas Card

On By celestelindIn CraftingLeave a comment

Merry Christmas everybody! This is my final card of the season, I have a lot of company coming this week, and really must clean off my desk!

This is an easel card, using a retired Heartfelt Creations paper collection – I am really upset with myself for not buying more of it before they retired it! I just love the cardinals, especially since our yard is full of them!

There are a couple of photos here to show more detail, enjoy!

This is the “absolute” front of my card
Here is the card shown with the easel
Inside view
Flower Detail
Sentiment detail

Italian Riviera Mini Album

On By celestelindIn CraftingLeave a comment

I’m sharing another mini album with you today. I made this one several months ago for my mother, and gifted it to her for Christmas. (I’m not sure she knows exactly what to do with it, as she generally keeps her photos on her phone.). Once again this is from the Heartfelt Creations paper collection, this one is called Italiana Riviera, and it has a very purple theme, my moms favorite color (I think). We had some difficulties making this album, especially the gate that you will see around page 10 or 12.

I’m really enjoying the crafting of these mini albums, they are a great creative outlet for me, especially as I’m not an artist at all ( I can’t draw much more than stick figures!) but if I cut and paste carefully (hello, kindergarten!) I can create a thing of beauty.

Some of the tools that I have acquired, and spend money on are Scor-tape, and those amazingly strong neodymium magnets. Follow the links and you’ll see where I get them.

Here’s the album. Hope you enjoy it!