Hey there! Do you remember the String Art Star Ornament I posted a while ago? I enjoyed making that so much, that I thought I would do another little craft involving string art. Mine is a Christmas decoration, but you could always spell something else out or use a different color string to make it more of a year round thing.

Materials:
Block of wood at least 1/2" thick
Printer/printer paper
Tissue Paper
Masking Tape
Wire Nails (#18 x 5/8")
Needle Nose Pliers
Thick thread
Mechanical Pencil top (or yarn needle with a dull end) (optional)
Super Glue

Directions:
1. Measure out your block of wood. Using Word or a similar program, type your word, keeping it within your measurements, then print. Trace your word onto the tissue paper and make dots where you want to put your nails. Line up and tape the tissue on the wood and, using the pliers to hold the nails in place, begin to hammer in the nails.
2. Unscrew the top of a mechanical pencil off and thread it onto the red string. Use this to help guide the thread around the nails. Start a square knot, but wait to tighten it until it is around one of the nails and leave a long tail.
3. Once you have made your way all around, use the original tail to tie another knot. Before cutting the string, put a spot of super glue on the knot and let it dry, then clip the tails.

It may be a day less, but no less sincere. Merry Christmas! Enjoy some free vintage Christmas images via Squidoo

Are you sick of caramel yet? Good, me neither. So, here is a delightful recipe for Caramel Apple Cider Cookies. I adapted it from one that I found over at Scrambled Henfruit. The major change I made was to take half of the caramel out of the cookie and drizzle it over the top. I really wanted to get caramel in every bite and found that drizzling half of it did the trick. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
8 packets of Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix, NOT SUGAR FREE (there are 10 packets in each box, but that is a bit overwhelming)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 (12 oz) bag Caramel Bits (or 14 oz bag of regular Caramels, unwrapped and cut in half)
1 1/2 teaspoons whole milk or cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line at two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. If you use a substitute, keep in mind that the caramel may leak out and get very stuck.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, if you are so blessed to have one, sigh...) and, using a hand mixer, beat together drink mix powder, sugar, salt and butter until fluffy. (I always get a cloud of the drink mix at this point, which isn't a big deal, just letting you know). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula (or turn your stand mixer to low) incorporate your flour mixture into your butter batter. Stir until all traces of flour have disappeared. You should have a dough that is crumbly, but sticks together when you pinch it. If dough is fairly sticky and difficult to handle, place in the fridge for about 1/2 hour or so.

Spoon out a walnut sized amount of dough and flatten in your palm. Place 5 - 6 caramel bits (or half a caramel) in the middle. Fold the dough over the caramels to cover completely and roll into a ball. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 2" apart. 

Bake in preheated oven for 12 - 14 minutes. Cookies will be slightly browned around the edges. (It is better to err on the under-cooked side with these). Carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto cooling racks and allow the cookies to set up for about 5 - 10 minutes, then gently twist and pull each cookie off the parchment and onto the cooling rack. (If you waited too long and the cookie sticks to the parchment, place in the freezer for a few minutes and try again). If caramel has leaked out the bottom, turn the cookie upside down to finish cooling.

You should have about half of the bag of caramel remaining after all of the cookies. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the remaining caramels with milk. Stir occasionally until the caramels melt completely, taking care not to cook for too long. Place the cookies back on the parchment and drizzle them with the caramel. Let cool and enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Scrambled Henfruit

So, apparently, my favorite sweet combination this year is caramel and white chocolate... I just can't help myself! These two flavors compliment each other so nicely!  Anyway, today, I bring you a heavenly recipe that includes both white chocolate and caramel, as well as butter and pecans. While perusing Pinterest, I stumbled upon Salted Caramel Butter Bars by the Recipe Critic (which is a delightful recipe), however, I had some white chocolate chips and crushed pecans left over from another recipe and thought, "why not throw them into the mix?" Seriously, if you want to wow your Christmas guests or perhaps your neighbors at a cookie exchange, bring these AMAZING bars!

Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 cup Pecan Halves
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Caramel Bits or unwrapped Caramels (about 20)
1/4 cup Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or greased tin foil.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Place pecans in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet or a rolling pin until all nuts are crushed. You want tiny bits, but nothing to really chew. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and crushed pecans for about 3 minutes on medium. Add in both sugars and combine until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture until there are only streaks of flour. Your dough will be crumbly, but will stick together when pinched. Mix in the white chocolate chips. Put about 1/2 cup of the dough in a small air tight container and place in the fridge. Press the remaining dough into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Melt the caramels, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour caramel over the crust, spreading it out in an even layer. Sprinkle salt over caramel. Pull the dough from the fridge and crumble the dough over the top of the caramel layer.

Return to the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbly and the top firm and slightly golden. Cool the bars completely in the pan before cutting into 16 equal bars.

With some of the left over ingredients, you could make my Pear Surprise Mini Pies or Caramel Apple Tartlets.

I don't know about you, but I am LOVING all of the yarn bombing popping up all over the internet. You can imagine my delight when I walked into my favorite yarn shop, Blazing Needles, and found that they had brought the fun trend indoors and incorporated it into their holiday decor. The wonderfully smart thing here is that a pallet of red and white was used without anything that completely screamed Christmas, so this decor works throughout the whole of winter! I hope the beautiful creations (by the one and only amazing Carol) inspire you to bring the bombing inside and perhaps to your holiday table.

Here are a few more images of the lovely shop.

Today is a great day. I get to show off the AMAZING ornaments that everyone made for the Crafty Christmas Swap. Everyone went over the top and did such a phenomenal job making beautiful decorations! I couldn't wait to get my tree up so I could show mine off properly. To give you the break down of the event, in October, 13 people (14, including myself) signed up to exchange hand crafted Christmas ornaments, which were then broken down into 3 groups. During November, they dreamt up and constructed lovely items to send to the other members of their group.

Cherie Davidson, Megan Blethen, Sara Silva, Kaelie Nielsen and Julia Parkinson.

Ashley Campbell, Diana De Zapet, Ricky Parkinson, Kimberly Kikkert and Lesley Peterkin

Katharina Eckert, Chiara Goccione, Kristy Parkinson and Kristin Baird

Are you LOVING all the string art going around on Pinterest?! There are some seriously creative uses for this technique. Any who, I thought I would bring you a quick tutorial for a Christmas ornament featuring #StringArt that I made for those in my Crafty Christmas Ornament Swap group. (On Thursday, I will share with you the AMAZING ornaments that everyone else made.)

Materials:
Tissue Paper
Sewing Gauge (or ruler)
Wire Nails (#18 x 5/8")
Wooden Star ornament (I got mine at Michael's)
Thick red thread
Mechanical Pencil top (or yarn needle with a dull end) (optional)
Super Glue
Gold Pen (the border)

Directions:
1. Trace the star on a piece of tissue paper, then, using a sewing gauge, draw another star 1/4" inside the first one. Mark where you want to put your nails. Line up the tissue on the flat side of your ornament and begin to hammer in the nails, taking care not to go through to the back.
2. Unscrew the top of a mechanical pencil off and thread it onto the red string. Use this to help guide the thread around the nails. Start a square knot, but wait to tighten it until it is around one of the nails and leave a long tail.
3. Once you have made your way all around, use the original tail to tie another knot. Before cutting the string, put a spot of super glue on the knot and let it dry, then clip the tails.

By the way, I also made the ornament below. I found the tutorial over at Notable Nest.

Here is the other half of the Asymmetrical Ruffle Christmas Stocking for a little girl that had this mini quiet book attached to the front. As I had mentioned before, this stocking was donated to Helping Kids with Cancer. This little book is a spin off from the Dress Up Page that I made as part of the Quiet Book I did about a year ago. That page was easily my favorite page to make. The little dresses are so fun to "design" it is hard to stop! I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

Materials Needed:
2 rectangles at 5" x 6" of fabric (Inside panels)
1 rectangle at 9" x 6" of fabric (Outside)2 rectangles at 4.5" x 6" of a reinforcement material, such as a sturdy outdoor fabric or canvas
Velcro
Sewing machine/thread/pins/scissors
Pattern (UNCHECK the fit to page box)
Felt for the girl and back of the dresses (you can get felt sheets for $0.37 at JoAnn's)Steam a Seam
Embroidery floss and needle (face and crown)
1/4" double fold bias tape or fabric to make your ownScraps of fabric for the dresses and castle
Ribbon and/or lace for embellishment

Inside Directions:
1. Pre-wash all fabrics before cutting.
2. Place the 2 inside panels face down on the table. Place and pin a rectangle of reinforcement material on top of each panel, lining up the top and sides. Baste stitch around the edges.
3. Cut two 5" strips of the soft side of the Velcro. Place an pin one strip about 1" from the top of one of your inside panels. Place and pin the second strip about 3/4" below the first. Straight stitch along the top and bottom of each strip.
4. Pin the two inside panels right sides together and sew along the inside at a 1/2" seam. Iron open the seam , then top stitch on each panel.
5. Cut the girl from the felt as well as from the steam a seam, then center and iron in place. With a straight stitch and starting at the bottom of the legs in the middle, sew straight about 3" or so to create the legs. Satin stitch around the body, except for the head. Cut the under dress and hair from both the fabric and the steam a seam. Iron in place, then satin stitch around the edges with a matching thread. Cut a piece of the soft side of the Velcro to fit on the chest of the girl, then pin and sew in place.
6. Trace the face and crown onto tissue paper and use that as a guide to embroider the face and crown.

Outside Directions:
1. Cut your castle, roofs and flag from the fabric and steam a seam, then iron in place on the front of the book. Satin stitch around the edges, extending the back side of the flag down to the roof to create a flag pole.
2. If you are attaching this book to the Ruffle Stocking from Tuesday, cut a 1" square piece of the reinforcement fabric and place it on the wrong side of the exterior fabric where you would like the eye to go (I just held mine in place instead of pinning) then sew the eye portion of the large eye and hook in place.
3. Cut a rectangle of fabric at 3" x 2". Fold in half so that the 2" sides meet. Sew along one side with a 1/4" seam allowance, then sew again from the same side with a 1 1/2" seam allowance. Clip the remaining fabric and turn right side out. Connect your Velcro and cut a piece to fit the tab just made. Attach the prickly side to the tab and the soft side to the back side of the book in the middle about 1/4" from the edge. Then, place and pin the tab with the Velcro facing up on the front of the book and baste in place.
4. Place the outside of the book face down on the table, place the inside face up on top, pin and baste around the edges. For the binding, please refer to the detailed instructions of how I bound the pages in my quiet book.

For the dresses, please refer to the Dress Up Page from the quiet book for detailed instructions.

Last week, I posted about Blazing Needles and the incredible donation they made to fill stockings that I had created. These stockings are being donated to Helping Kids With Cancer in an effort to bring some Christmas cheer to children fighting cancer and their families. I also made and filled another stocking to be donated (I just can't help myself!). Best part is that I am providing you with quick tutorial of how I made this lovely item. There are two parts to it, the stocking itself, which I will show today, and a mini quiet book closet with Velcro dress up clothes, which I will show on Thursday.

Stocking Materials:
12" of a sturdy fabric or 24" of a lighter fabric (44"wide)
9" of fabric (for the flap and the loop to hang it) (44" wide)
5 rectangles of fabric measuring 14" x 6" (for the ruffles)
Sewing Machine/Pins/Thread/Scissors
Iron/Ironing Board
Stocking Pattern

Directions:
1. Pre-wash all fabric. Print the pattern, making sure that the box labeled "fit to page" is NOT checked. Piece together and tape the main stocking before cutting out.
2. Fold your main fabric in half and cut 2 stocking patterns, repeat if you are using a lighter weight fabric. Fold your flap fabric in half and cut 4 flaps (the last page of the pattern).
3. Pin 2 of your flaps right sides together. Sew along the rounded edge using a 1/2" seam allowance. Unfold and iron the seam to one side. Sew along the seam, attaching it to the side you just ironed it to. (This causes the fabric to fold to one side making a cleaner finish). Repeat this step, but iron the seam to the other side and sew it to the other side. Make a few clips along the seam so that it lays flat when you fold it right side out. (You should have a visible seam on only one side of each flap which will be the wrong side).
4. Lay down one of your stockings with the wrong side up. Place one of the flaps with the right side down on top. Line up the top edges and pin. Sew together using a straight stitch, then zig zag along the edge. Repeat the same process with the remaining stocking and flap.
5. Open up the flap and iron the seam toward the stocking. Top stitch along the top of the stocking, being careful to catch the seam as you sew.
6. Cut a 2 1/2" x 4" rectangle of fabric for your loop. Fold the rectangle so that the 4" sides meet and sew along this same edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn the loop right side out and iron. Fold in the loop in half so the short ends meet. with the flap unfolded, place and pin the loop on the wrong side of the back stocking about 1 1/2" from the top and 1" from the side. Sew with a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch. (Please refer to the Origami Stocking for further pictorial representation)

1. To do the ruffles, fold each of your 5 rectangles in half, wrong sides together, and iron. Next, do a "dry fitting" as in place the rectangles about where you would like them to go on the stocking. This is especially necessary if you are using directional fabric or putting tulle on one side. Mark the side of the ruffle that will be angling up toward the flap with a pin.
2. Using a basting stitch, sew about 1/4" from the top of each rectangle, rounding off the corner that will be angling up toward the flap at about 1" - 2" from the end. The rounding off doesn't have to be exact as you will be bunching it anyway, but if you are really nervous about it, use a cup or a bowl to draw a round line on the ruffle before you begin sewing. 
3. Pull one of the strings on each ruffle to bunch it and tie off the ends when it is bunched enough, then cut off the excess fabric from the rounded corner.
4. Do another "dry fitting" by placing all of your ruffles on the front stocking, then pin the bottom most ruffle in place and sew using a zig zag stitch to prevent unraveling. Repeat until all of the ruffles are attached; placing the topmost ruffle right under the flap.
5. If you are planning on adding the mini quiet book, then place the hook end of a large eye and hook under the bottom most ruffle and mark with a fabric pen, then hand sew to the front.
6. Pin the front and back stockings right sides together, tucking the ruffles a bit as you go. Starting about 1/2" from the top of the stocking and with the flap unfolded, sew the stocking together using a 1/2" seam allowance. End about 1/2" from the top on the opposite side. Cut off any excess fabric from the ruffles and make small clips about 1/2" apart in the seam allowance at the rounded portions of the stocking, taking care not to cut through the seam.
7. Turn the stocking right side out and sew along the flap sides with a 1/2" seam allowance. Fold the flap down and you have a lovely ruffled stocking!