Gratitude.

Today I traveled to each of the 3 scrapbook stores I teach at on a regular basis.

The Mission: to say “thank you” to these stores for allowing me to teach there for the last year. I really do appreciate all they do to promote my classes, the creative freedom they allow me, and just all of the mutual respect we have for one another. It is an awesome relationship I have with each of them and I really truly am thankful for that! I am looking forward to what the new year brings for classes as well and know we will have many more fun times ahead.

Here you can see the gifts I made for each store:

At The Scrappin' Table:

At Collective Journey:

At Scrapbook Boulevard:

Thanks again to each of these stores (and to all of the others I taught at this year) for everything you do, store owners, employees, and design team members alike. It is really great to have your support and to be able to have a place to come teach and share my love of papercrafting with others. You all are awesome!!

Here are the other stores I taught at, at least once, this year–thank you to you all!! I look forward to teaching for you again as well in 2009!

• Scrapping Lounge, Montclair, CA
• Scrapper's Cafe, Corona, CA
• Now & Then Scrapbooks, Wildomar, CA
• Pink Pineapple Scrapbooks, Vista, CA
• It's About Time…Scrapbooks & More, Murrieta, CA (closed 11/08)

I have goodies for you too, just there are only so many hours in a day, you know?!

So I know you're wondering….how did I make the snowmen?

This project is really fun to make and all you really need is:

• One 12×12 sheet of black cardstock cut into one 2″ x 12″ strip, two 5″ circles, and one 2.5″ circle
• One 5″ chipboard circle
• Two 16″ strips of felt
• Pinking Shears
• Zip Dry
• Craft Glue Dots
• 5 Large Black Buttons
• One Orange Chenille Stem (pipe cleaner)
• 24″ ribbon
• Holly Leaves (I used Prima's Festive Collection)
• Mini Pine Cones (from the floral shop)
• Candy
• Baggies for the candy
• Three glass globes in different sizes.

How to Assemble:

1. Take 3 glass globes (fish bowl type) and stack them.
2. Add buttons for eyes and buttons with Glue Dots.
3. Twist a chenille stem for the carrot nose & attach with Zip Dry.
4. Cut a scarf from felt and embellish with ric rac. Glue one strip to rim of middle bowl and then use the other strip to create the hanging ends of the scarf.
5. The trickiest part is the hat; sandwich chipboard cirlce between two 5″ circles. Form a cylinder with strip of paper using the 2.5″ as a guide. Glue Cylinder to 5″ circle. Then attach 2.5″ circle as top of hat. Allow to dry. Then add ribbon, pine cones, and holly leaves.
6. Filling it with candy was the hardest part but I had the kids help me. Matthew kept eating all the candy though! On some of them we wrapped candy pieces in tulle and then tied it up in a knot. On the others we filled little bags with candy and then tied them shut with ribbon.

We *might* be making these at the little get-together I am having Dec 13 if you all like it…I will send those who have RSVP'd a little note this weekend.

Have a Happy Turkey Day!! I'm off to clean my house for our guests tomorrow…

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.