Purely Peppermint

Red, White, and Peppermint! A new collection of wonderful handmade items found on Artfire!

Purely Peppermint

   Curated By: JoyfullySewnD...

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

Christmas Dresses

A few weeks ago I received a custom order for matching Christmas outfits for two sisters. They needed the dresses early for pictures, so I put aside my other projects to work on these outfits. This was my first Christmas order of the year, and I had so much fun making the dresses!

I sent photos to the Mom of different Christmas fabrics that were available in the area fabric stores, and she chose one she liked requesting that I add a coordinating fabric for accents if I thought it would look good. I was able to find just the perfect red to match, and here's what the finished product looked like.

Aren't they sweet! I had fun sewing with all that glitter. :) I think these will make such cute Christmas photos! :) Now I just have to decide what to make out of the extra fabric. :)

75 FREE Prints from Shutterfly Giveaway

Happy Saturday to all of my blog readers! Thanks so much for stopping by! I have a quick giveaway for you this weekend!

Shutterfly is giving me the privilege of giving 10 friends 75 FREE 4x6 Photo Prints! I would love to share these with some of you! You could easily use design these as Christmas cards for family and friends or you could just use them to print your photos.

To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment letting me know what you might use these for and be sure to leave your e-mail address! 10 winners will be randomly chosen Monday morning.

You will have until November 18th to use your free prints.

Note: You will be responsible for tax and shipping costs.

Joanna's Collections Feature and Giveaway

When I'm browsing through Etsy or Artfire shops and looking at the beautiful collections and treasuries that are made with the handmade items from these shops, one thing that always catches my eye are baskets! I just think baskets are so pretty, and handmade baskets are extra special! Some of the baskets I've seen are beautiful and so intricate! These baskets are definitely a work of art and are each handcrafted with love by the talented crafter! One such talented person is Joanna from Joanna's Collections, and I'd love to introduce you to her and her shop!

Here's what Joanna says:

"I have loved baskets ever since I received my first wooden-lidded picnic basket as a wedding shower gift 35 years ago. Our home has since been decorated with baskets.

We carried our babies' necessities in “diaper baskets”; I have hidden the Scotch, masking, and duct tapes in market baskets, (so it's there when needed); our kitchen is filled with bread baskets, muffin baskets, napkin and paper plate baskets, utensil baskets, and casserole baskets; the laundry is hauled in wash-day baskets; our books are held in magazine or carry-all baskets; library books are transported to and fro in leather handled tote baskets; etc., etc., etc., :-) In other words, I am never found without a basket in hand! 

Although my love for baskets has covered the last three decades, I was not actually "hands on" involved until the summer of 1991 when I was introduced to basket weaving. At the time, our family lived and worked at a Christian camp in northern Wisconsin, and a lady from Milwaukee was attending a week-long family camp. She was an avid basket maker, and so she offered a class out on the deck of the dining hall. Being on a tight budget with a family of seven, I did not even have the $10 material fee needed to take the class. But a good friend paid my fee, and we spent a beautiful afternoon weaving our first baskets. I was immediately hooked! Up to that point in life, I had enjoyed many other types of crafts, but now, basket weaving quickly moved into first place.

Since that memorable summer afternoon 19+ years ago, I have woven over 4800 baskets, taught hundreds of classes, and designed a countless number of patterns.  I am currently teaching basketry for adult community education in four different public school districts. It is always such a joy to share in a new student's delight with the completion of their first basket weaving project.

I create and weave all of our baskets in our own home shop. We have been blessed with a restored 1916 country farmhouse on a 20-acre hobby farm located in eastern Minnesota, and have had nine children, three of which are still at home. (The others keep coming back home with more!)

We have a large vegetable garden, a dozen apple trees, a long row of raspberries, and lots of flowers in the summer. We raise chickens and turkeys, keep honeybees, and have three horses, two dogs and a varying number of farm cats. There are bikes in the dirt driveway, a swing set and swimming pool in the back yard, and two small ponds out in the pasture. All in all, it is a great place to raise a family and — WEAVE BASKETS!"

Aren't they beautiful! So much variety and so well made! You can find these wonderful baskets on Etsy or their brand new website!

Not only would these American made, handwoven baskets be wonderful for using around your home, they would also make very special gifts!! And speaking of gifts, I am thrilled to announce that Joanna's Collections is offering one of my readers their choice of one of the two baskets below!

 
This is one time I wish I could enter the giveaways I list on my blog! :)

To enter for your chance to win one of these beautifully made baskets, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please be patient as it may take a minute to load. Remember to record your mandatory entry in the form or it will not be counted!

25 FREE Photo Prints - Walgreens

 

Well, if the 40 free photo prints Walgreens offered last weekend weren't enough for you, or if you were like me and missed the deal, you get another chance for free prints this weekend! :)

This time Walgreens is offering 25 free 4x6 photo prints through tomorrow (November 5, 2011). Just use the code FREE4X6 at checkout and be sure to choose in-store pick up to get your prints completely free!

UPDATE: Wow! Walgreens has issued another code for 25 Free prints!!! This time use the code FORU25 to receive your free photos.

New You Can Make This (YCMT) Coupon Code!

You Can Make This has just released a new coupon code! Check out all their wonderful holiday patterns just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Just use the code MERRY12 at checkout to receive 12% off your entire purchase. The coupon is good through November 12th, so you have a little over a week to use it. Also if you spend $25 or more, you'll receive a free pattern too!

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to the winner of the P.I.C.s by Breanna giveaway! The randomly chosen winner is Krystal who in now a new follower of Breanna's blog!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Even if you didn't win remember that you can still purchase beautiful photography prints, cards or gifts from Breanna!

Stay tuned for a couple more giveaways coming right up! :)

Handmade for the Holidays

Happy November, Everyone! Can you believe we're already to the 11th month of 2011?! Before we know it the holidays will be upon us. First Thanksgiving and then Christmas! I'm sure many of you are already starting to think about Christmas gifts, but maybe you have no idea what to give some of the people on your list.

Welcome to the handmade community! I would like to help you think outside the box a little this holiday season. Won't you consider purchasing at least some handmade decorations or gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year? There are so many amazing artisans and crafters on Artfire and Etsy, and I'd encourage you to take a look at some of their shops! You are sure to find gift ideas for everyone on your list!

Each one of these shops is owned by an individual artisan or crafter using the talents they possess to try to make a living. Your encouragement and support are priceless to them and each sale no matter how small is a blessing! Won't you shop handmade for the holidays?

Sea Breeze Jewels

Tomlinson Photography and Design

Linda Landig Jewelry

Baskets By Rose

Signs of Elegance

Appalachian Heritage Soaps

Metal Artistry

Shymousee Crafts

J McCoy

Boo Beads Jewelry

Busy Fingers

Ginger's Garden

Kakona Moon Designs

BiBikoh Jewelry

Norma's Bath and Body

Christie Cottage

Cups Designs

The Crafty Turtle

Forget Me Not Soap Shop

New Hampshire Land Pirate

Ewenique Essentials

This post is a part of the Supporting Artists and Handmade Items Promotion Event. Check it out!