Sunday, December 1, 2013

Gettin' Crafty For Christmas


We are in birthday party mode for Steve right now, but it didn't stop me getting started on Christmas decorations.


I spent all day and into the night yesterday inspired by this great Advent Calendar I saw on the Stampington & Company website Somerset Place.


I had so much fun designing each package trying to make each one different.


Little buckets were decorated,


cloth bags were stamped,


envelopes were embellished,


odds and ends were gathered to festoon each package.


When KC arrived for our birthday dinner she headed right for the Advent Calendar in search of #1 - she chose odd numbers and JP got evens.


Tomorrow I have to finish buying gift cards, candy canes and chocolates to fill all the little packages.


With the Advent Calendar hung on the mantel, I'm ready for some serious decorating tomorrow.

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

Join me as I party at

The Golden Sycamore - Inspiration Gallery 

The Pin Junkie - Friday Link Party

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

White Lace Cottage - The Scoop

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday

I Should Be Mopping the Floor - Inspiration Monday

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

Alderberry Hill - Make the Scene Monday

The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday

44 comments:

  1. Love your Advent calendar - what a treasure to hand down thru your family.

    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carol, your Advent calendar is something I would have loved to have spent my afternoons crafting! So much imagination, colour and design in this beautiful countdown to Christmas!

    Happy Birthday to your talented hubby! All the best!

    Poppy

    ReplyDelete
  3. First of all dear friend, THANK YOU for coming by yesterday to comment. It is always a pleasure for me to create (as I know it is for you!) but mostly to know that someone likes what I write. Thank you.

    NOW FOR THE FUN! WOOOO HOOOO! I can just see you and Steve in your artist's cottage, painting, crafting, rearranging...it is all so fun, and I too have put up just a few more decorations, in my sparse style. I LOVE IT! Now I just need some snow!

    Have a lovely day dear friend. Anita

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, Carol, you have left me (nearly) speechless! This is the most awesome advent idea I've ever seen - I love all the colors, the different containers, etc. Honestly, this should be in a magazine. Great job!
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  5. Carol, this is a darling little Advent Calendar... I love it and as is usual you made it so cheerful and fun... Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun and colorful advent calendar you've created, Carol! It looks like a party just waiting to happen!

    ReplyDelete
  7. How absolutely adorable! I think yours is Te cutest advent calendar I have seen! I am smitten!

    xo

    Sheila

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Carol your advent calendar is just WOW! I love it. I love the inspiration one too. How cute is that!!!! Great job and I think this might be one of my most favorite crafts you have done. Just beautiful and fun. Love it.
    Kris

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is so cute! I think I will try to make an Advent Calendar in a much simpler form. You are my inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh goodness Carol - your Advent calendar is adorable. I love it in red! You are so creative and everything you create is fabulous.
    Give LuLu a pat for me. How fun that this will be her first Christmas with you. Bentley still likes to get into the ornaments on our tree - I finally started getting a smaller living Christmas tree and putting it up high on a table to keep him out of it!! Have a great day. Erin

    ReplyDelete
  11. I ADORE your advent garland!! Oh my gosh, that is so, so clever. High five!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love how creative your calendar is, so colourful, so you! And so much work on it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I can understand why you stayed up into the night because this advent calender is the most delightful and intriguing I have ever seen. The kid in me still loves an Advent calendar.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your Advent calendar looks wonderful.
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh MY! I just realized that I don't have my own Advent calender up yet. Yours is great!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is an amazing and creative Advent calendar!

    ReplyDelete
  17. On my goodness Carol! I think this is my favorite of your projects and I love all your projects. Your creativity amazes me...:) I have seen so many Advent calendars being made around blogland. I feel like I need to make one for myself. I used to do this with my kids when they were small, but haven't in many years. Thanks for sharing! Have fun decorating!

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

    ReplyDelete
  18. So cute and festive! Your attention to detail is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Golly this is so darling! What a fun project. It's terrific looking just as a decoration! Happy birthday to Steve! :0)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh Carol!!! I love this!!! I love that each day is its own beautiful piece of art! What an outstanding job friend! And how sweet is it that your kiddos still have a chance to participate in this! I think you have given me some ideas as the beans get older! And a very Happy Birthday to Steve! All the best this week friend!! Nicole xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  21. Carol, this is the most cheerful and whimsical advent calendar I have ever seen. What a creative twist to a Christmas classic!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Love your Advent Calendar...it is so cute!!
    Happy Birthday to Steve.
    hugs,
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a great advent calendar! It is an art piece all on its own. What a fun way to spend the day! Isn't it wonderful to be able to just search and find all those wonderful little bits and bobs that make something so unique?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I want to get some decorating done so I can sit down and possibly do some crafts as well. Just got the tree up. Love your holiday touches!
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  25. That is absolutely adorable!! I love how creative you got with all the days of the month. It looks great hung on your mantel too.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your calender is so sweet. So many different things. xoxo,Susie

    ReplyDelete
  27. A amizade nos faz ver o mundo com olhos novos.
    Amo apreciar seus lindos trabalhos!
    Uma doce semana.
    Beijos Marie.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love that unique Advent calendar! And I'll bet your Christmas packages are some of the prettiest around with all the beautiful embellishments and tags you make.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Your calendar is too much fun! LOVE it :)
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great Christmas projects, love the hanger and pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  31. These are so pretty and whimsical looking! I like how they turned out..

    ReplyDelete
  32. That advent calendar is just too, too cute! I need to make one next year. I did order a pretty advent calendar from Terrain this year...its' been fun burning it every night!

    xo,
    RJ

    ReplyDelete
  33. Great mixed media piece. I would hate to open the bags and envelopes and mess it up - too pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Just love your Advent Calendar! You are so creative. It makes me want to go create something.

    ReplyDelete
  35. That is just the sweetest Advent calendar....LOVE it!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I'd love to see your craft supplies. You could survive anything with your talent!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I absolutely adore your advent, it's so cute (and the inspiration) so I'm pinning !

    ReplyDelete
  38. This is absolutely adorable !! HA I WOULD call THIS some serious decorating. So much work and love and care and fun went into it; that is plain to see! :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Carol, this is one of the cutest ideas I've ever seen. Each and every little package you've created is so charming and cute, and they look so great hanging from your mantle. Love, love love your advent calender!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Super cute Carol! I love all of the little details. I have a bit of an advent fetish. A few years ago I made a lot of them. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete