***Please note that after switching from several different hosts before settling on Blogger, the formatting of my pictures may not be as it was originally intended. I simply don't have the time to go back through years of posts in order to fix the orientation of the pictures. Sometimes a picture just shows a box of text in its place, but clicking on it will allow you to see the picture. Others, there may be no picture at all. I apologize.***

December 10, 2007

For You Small Town Folk....


I finally got around to uploading the Advent calendar that I made. Please click on it to see it in it's full glory.  It's almost an exact CASE of the one that Beate did on SCS. You can see hers/the tutorial for it here. I loved hers, so I kept all of the colors the same I just omitted the round tags that she used and I didn't use the craft ink and emboss the numbers. I just used Classic Inks. I originally thought I would make mine out of the SU! Wintergreen paper (BTW, have you guys seen the Retiring SU! Accessories list?!?!?! All those gorgeous papers!!! :( ) but decided that the Dashing DS paper was just more "Christmas-ey". I'm grateful for the creative genius that is Beate!!!! In case you didn't know, her husband is going to be leaving at the end of this month for a ONE YEAR assignment for the Air Force (called a TDY - Temporary DutY) so she has eased up on her blogging and I sure do miss her, but TOTALLY understand why. Keep her and her family in your prayers.

Inside of our tins I put scriptures to read (like Luke 2), activities (go caroling, drive around and look at Christmas lights, watch specific Christmas videos, invite friends over for Christmas treats, etc.), things to do for others (such as leaving a surprise gift on their doorstep, taking someone Christmas treats, give away a personal item to a charity, etc.), and treats (have hot chocolate, make S'Mores, make Christmas treats, etc.) and I also put in things to prepare for Christmas (like putting out the Christmas globes our family collects - we get one each year, or putting up the outside Christmas lights, putting up the tree, putting out our stockings, etc.). Anyway, that's just for you to have some ideas of what to put in 24 little tins! :) Enjoy!!!

***All ingredients (minus the ones I mentioned omitting/changing above are listed in the SCS tutorial which is linked above)

So, what's of interest to those of you who live in small towns? This!!! Here are the links to the best deals that I found (there's a chance there are better ones out there, but I spent a lot of time looking) and two really great companies to work with. I don't have anything but a Wal-Mart here, so for the tins and the canvas' I had to buy them on-line. The tins are slightly different than the ones Beate used, but I like them better because they close REALLY well. My calendar was made spending OVER $20 on the ones at Michaels (I sent a friend who was in San Antonio and neither of us had a coupon) so that it is exactly like Beate's. I had 10 friends make these also so I ordered on-line and found cheap prices for individuals (and about a 10-cent discount PER tin for bulk orders) if you're like me and can't just go into town and buy these items. Making the calendars takes some time, but it's well worth it and they would make a wonderful Christmas gift for someone you love. Anyway, here are the links:

- 16 x 20 blank art canvas' at Cutting-Mats.net where the service was EXCEPTIONAL and the shipping was very quick!

- Metal tins with clear-view lids at WeddingAccessories.net where they cost only 55 cents each or if you buy 100 you get them for 44 cents. Just get four friends together and buy 25 each. Use 24 for the calendar and one for an ornament (I'm posting one I made tomorrow for an idea). They sell these tins in the same 2" diameter you need, but have both silver and WHITE finishes!!!

Hopefully these links will help someone out - I was glad to find decent prices. The cost of one of these comes to less than $25 (if you don't have to expedite shipping) - what a nice gift idea!

Take care and have a great night!

1 comment:

Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment. I appreciate it and thank you for adding a little sunshine to my day.

Marie :)