Quite Crafty!

After halloween, I start getting "crafty" when it comes to the holiday season. I just placed an order for a camcorder that I had my eyes set on at Staples. She's a beauty and in a holiday red too! Anyway, the price rather made me back off, but started to figure out ways to afford the $399. camera. Quite often they run sales and it was listed as $25. off plus another special buy coupon for $75. off so it made it $299. As it turns out if you purchase it online, you get another $25.00 off so now it is $274. So, while that is pretty good, it even got better than that! I have a premier status with Staples, so I bring in 20 ink cartridges in every month to recycle. (How? With home and hubby saving them for me at work! Yes, we get that many!) So each month I get a rewards check for $40.00 to spend as I wish. I had 3 of these saved up for the past 3 months, so that totaled $120. additional that I could knock off the camcorder, making it $154.00! I get free shipping besides, so with tax, the total came to $167.14 .... but wait! It even gets better than this! At the retreat, the girls presented me a surprise gift of $200. cash! I saved it so that means I was in the black with $32.86 and had enough left over for an SD memory card for it! Yippie!!!! And that's how you get crafty and get a $400. camcorder for free!

Along with the crafty department, here are some recent pieces that I made this past week.

I am hosting a trade on FAT this week. Here are some that I designed. These carriers hold nail files and such that would make wonderful Christmas gifts.

I designed the fish one to take a cover off and it reveals it's contents as well as a clever little pouch (the fin) stores the nail clipper. All are made from felt and faux suede.

In another group that I am in, they were doing a contest on a zetti ornament so this is my interpretation. The girl was actually playing a flute and I turned it into a candy cane. The skirt is painted on checkerboard style while the legs came from another photo, the wings made up separately and hand water colored in. I glued it all on card stock. I embellished with sparkling sticky craft foam, added fun wire, buttons and beads.

While on our trip, I also sketched out a Xmas stocking. I cut it out in felt and craft foam. I got it beaded while at the hotel and then finished sewing it together when I got back home. I love the funky festive design and colors. Couldn't you see one of Santa's elves wearing this?

I have also been working on some customer quilts to finish up in time for the holidays, so it's off to work I go, but it was fun making crafty things come to life while it lasted!