Franley Speaking Friday- Another Shop til ya Drop Installment!

In our ongoing quest to provide everyone on our Christmas list with unique, handmade gifts, we are continuing the shop til you drop series. Every Wednesday and Friday until Christmas week check here for some diverse, interesting and unique places to shop! 
Today's shop, Living Glass Art,  is actually one that I found a few years ago. In fact, I have a lovely glass flower made by Anna, the owner and designer. This shop features original stained glass in abstract geometric, nature, wildlife and animal designs. They are made in the Tiffany copper foil method in her Tennessee studio, so another made in the USA gift, from an USA shop! And what a cool shop it is! So very beautiful and quite unique, in other words, everything I look for in a shop! With prices beginning at 25$, I am sure you can find an affordable work of art for someone special on your list. Not only does she have the panels and sun catchers, she also offers gift certificates. So if you aren't sure what to pick, get the gift certificate and let the recipient choose their own! 

What;s Happening Wednesday-Shop til Ya Drop

What's Happening this Wednesday is that I am preparing for the upcoming Christmas holiday! Business wise I am creating gift sets in these cute boxes for the Christmas cabin, as well as special orders.

This one matches my new labels, so I am quite excited by them. The large one is very heavy and very large! 

This one was a special purchase so when they are gone, they are gone.

This set is also a special purchase, and may be                               sold as a tower of gifts or individually. 

I am also finishing up some ornaments that are being made for personal gifts, as well as preparing to make a batch of liquid soap this week. Look for ornament pictures on tomorrow's Tripod Thursday post! 


Given that there are only 24 more shopping days until Christmas, I am going to step up my Indie shop postings. So today's shop is a really unique and cool Etsy shop. It is called The Magic Sleigh and you will find the cutest little porcelain dog statues there. Yes, they are handmade and just the sweetest little things you can imagine! But why imagine, go there and look! The owner and Artisan, Pamela, has  the dogs arranged alphabetically, and is currently sporting a whopping 329 statues in her inventory. She lives in Florida, so these are all made in the USA, and at just under twenty bucks,  they won't kill your pocket book either. These will make an excellent gift for all the dog lovers on your list, not to mention the all the hard to buy for's. Lol. She also makes many with angel wings and/or halos, so you can pay tribute to a lost friend as well. All in all, this looks like a wonderful place to shop!             

Make it Yourself Monday- Bath Salt Gifts

My Daughter in law is already marking her "Days til Christmas" calendar (and I believe there are now 41 more days until!) so I know that it is just around the corner, whether I am ready or not! So here are is quick and easy gift idea. Bath Salts!

You can easily make up a pretty jar of bath salts for anyone on your gift list. You can purchase some epsom salts at your local drug store, to use alone or to mix in with some European or Dead Sea Salts. The Dead Sea Salts are the most expensive salts, so if you are looking to keep the cost down, stick to mixing the Dendrick or the European Salts with the Epsoms. To refresh your memory about the various types of salt available, look back over this old post. Once you have your salts, decide if you want to add scent or not and find some pretty jars and maybe some ribbon, then you will be all set!

Here are some recipes for you to consider, but you don't really need one, let your imagination and your nose be your guide! Just remember that you will only use 5 drops (maximum) of essential oil(s) in 2 cups of salts, and make sure that you don't use essential oils that tend to irritate, such as cinnamon. And, if you use food coloring, it is best to spread out the salts on a tray and allow them to dry before packaging them.

-Candy Canes are a must at Christmas, so why not give yours in a pretty bath salt?  All you need is some peppermint essential oil, red food coloring, whatever type of salts you choose, and a clear jar. Mix 4-5 drops of the essential oil in 3 cups of salts. It is best to put it into a container with a lid and shake, shake shake! Then take out 1/2 of the salts to keep white. Put 1 drop of red food coloring into the other half, replace the lid and shake, shake, shake some more. If you think the coloring is too light, you can probably add 1 more drop of coloring. Just be cautious. You will NOT get a deep red, as too much food coloring will stain the tub and can even stain the person! Leave the salt sit for a while so that it absorbs the scent and the color dries, then layer the colored salt with the plain salt until the jars are full. This makes such a beautiful display, and a very lovely gift!

-Try mixing 4 drops of lavender and 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oils in 3 cups of salts, for a nice, soothing and uplifting blend. You can add a drop of blue food coloring if you so choose.

-How about a lime and basil bath? Mix 5 cups of the salts of your choice with 5 drops of lime and 4 drops of basil essential oils. For a pretty presentation, add 1 drop of green food coloring and 1 drop of yellow food coloring to the entire mix, or double the recipe and color half, then layer or play with skewers and design like it is sand art! Want to get really fancy? Add some crushed (dried) basil.

*For an extra special presentation you can purchase jars that have cork stoppers. Then dip the cork into a colored, melted wax, then place into the bottle for a great seal and a cool look. Try green with the basil and lime bath, and red with the candy cane. Let your imagination run wild, and seal all your jars!

-Tie a ribbon or raffia around the jar lid to spruce it up a bit! You can even make a pretty gift tag to attach your holiday sentiments!

*You can add 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of citric acid to 2 cups of bath salts to make Fizzing bath salts!

Franley Speaking Friday- Shop til ya Drop!

It's Friday, and that means another installment of the Shopping review. Last week we found Pigatopia, where artist extraordinare, Shannon, recreates your beloved pets and family members on canvas, making a purchase from Pigatopia a truly unique gift.

Today's shop is also found on Etsy, and is also quite unique. Are you sensing a theme here for your holiday shopping? Lol. The Providence Art Glass company features hand blown glass by artists Rebecca Zhukov. You can read more about her here, and just wait until you see see who already owns some of her work!

When I visited Canada a several years ago I came upon what was called a "Witches Ball". It was a beautiful, hand blown orb, Christmas ornament style. But the witches ball doesnt get put away after the holidays, it stays out all year long. I even purchased a special stand for it to hang from. Why am I mentioning my nick knack? Well, there are a lot of these types of balls in the Providence shop, lovely, colorful orbs that are certainly worthy of being left out all year long, she just doesnt call them witches balls! Ornament, orb, ball, witches ball, whatever you call them, check them out for yourself!

Orbs not your deal? Well, dont despair, she has a number of other items to choose from!  There are lotion dispensers, glasses, ring holders, humming bird feeders, vases, vanity sets, sculptures and more! Feel free to contact the Artist through her Etsy link to discuss any special requests you may have. Hand blown glass, a one of a kind, truly unique gift that anyone on your list would be happy to receive!

Make It Yourself Monday- Gift in a Jar

I am sure that you all have seen at least one gift in a jar before, but when was the last time you did one up? Quick, easy, and oh so delightful, these make the perfect gift for almost any occasion. I made several different varieties for Christmas gifts this year for friends, neighbors, and even some delivery people. I especially enjoyed giving the Fast,Microwave Fudge, the Rocky Road Rice Treats, and the No Bake (Bailey's Irish Cream) Balls recipes in a jar. I am not sure where the original Irish Cream Ball recipe came from, but it is an interesting and tasty one, one that will surely please any lucky recipient.....if you can bear to give it away!

To prepare the ingredients, simply crush (finely) 3 cups of vanilla wafers (you can purchase 12oz size boxes) then place in the quart-sized jar. Then add 1 cup of chopped pecans and 1 1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the top of the jar, and you are just about done! All that is left to do is to screw the lid on, write the recipe on the back of a gift tag, and attach the tag, Whalah, your gift is ready to give! How fast and easy was that?! To jazz up the jar gift a little more, you can drop it into a gift bag or a colorful favor bag (you can get a pack of 10, in all sorts of themes, at the dollar tree)  use the accompanying tie closure or use a pretty ribbon, or you can do as I did, and take a material remnant, placing it over the lid and tying with a piece of raffia, ribbon, or string. .

Finished Gift Jar of Bailey's Irish Cream Balls

 The recipe that needs to go on the back of the card is; Pour the contents of the jar into a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of Irish Cream and 3 Tablespoons of light corn syrup. Stirring with a wooden spoon, blend well. Once thoroughly mixed, allow to stand for 5 minutes, then shape into 1" balls. Roll the balls in confectioners sugar, then place on a wire rack to dry for one hour. Once dried you may, if desired, roll in the confectioners  sugar again. Layer the balls in between wax paper and place in an airtight container for storage. YUM, YUM!


Another ingredient gift that I had wanted to try myself, but haven't yet had the opportunity, is a CUP or MUG gift, especially the Baked Custard one. Have you seen these? You need a large, oven-safe cup/mug, one that will  hold all the ingredients once the liquids are added. Generally they recommend at least a 12 ounce size, and I am thinking that those cute min-crocks would be a good alternative for the [jar] soup ingredient ones, as well as this custard one. I found this recipe on a make it yourself gifts site, but forgive me, as I failed to note the site name. The recipe itself did not list an author or any reviews, but it sounds good to me!  Unfortunately, I won't have a pictures for you since I haven't made it yet, but I would love to hear from anyone who does make this. Pictures would be great too!

To make the custard mix, aside from the cup, you will need; 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 Tbs. raisins, and 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg. Add all the ingredients and place into a zip-lock bag. Once finished, just seal and place the bag into the cup/mug that you are giving. You can either add the instruction card to the inside of the cup or attach it to the outside of your gift bag, with the twisty tie. The 10 cent favor bags work well for the mug/cup gift too!

The directions tag should say; Baked Custard. Preheat the oven to 325f degrees/165c. In a small dish, beat 1 egg yolk. In a medium saucepan, bring once cup of milk to a simmer. Take the custard mix from the cup and place into a bowl. Add to it 1/2 tsp. of vanilla and the beaten egg yolk. Mix well, then add 1 Tbs. of the heated milk, and continue to mix. Slowly add the rest of the milk until it is well incorporated. After it is stirred in, pour the mix back into the cup/mug and bake for 15 minutes.  

                                                          

What You Up To Wednesday

Make Some Gifts Others Would Love to Receive!

My strep throat is almost gone and I am staying out of bed for more than an hour each day, so back to this blog! With Christmas around the corner, my crafting has kicked into high gear, so I'd like to focus on some items that you can give as gifts, or treat yourself too!

First off, how about some lovely bubble bath? The recipe below is quick and easy, and will provide gentle bubbles, as well as help smooth the skin. Once made it will last for about three months.

GENTLE BUBBLE BATH

1 four ounce unscented glycerin soap bar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp glycerin

1 tsp baby shampoo (unscented is best)

3-5 drops of essential oil (your choice)

Melt the glycerin soap slowly in a double boiler on the stove. Once melted, remove from the heat and add the other ingredients. Stir for a minute. Put in a pretty bottle, add a ribbon if you'd like, and shake before using. It only takes 1-2 tsp. per bath.

GLYCERIN SOAP

Along with the bubble bath, what about some soap? To make a nice, quick, and easy bar, try purchasing a block of melt and pour glycerin and a Christmas mold.

All you have to do is melt the brick in your microwave and pour it into the mold. If you want to make it fancier, add 3-5 drops of an essential oil that is skin safe (as a general rule do not use cinnamon/cassia or citrus oils).

Make sure that you add the essential oil after the glycerin has cooled somewhat. If you want, you can also add 1-2 drop(s) of food coloring. Know that if you use an oil with vanilla in it, it will turn your soap bars a tannish to brown color.

Once poured into the molds, squirt some alcohol over the molds. This will prevent/remove bubbles from the back side of the molds. Allow the molds to sit until they are completely set. This will take three to four hours, or more, depending upon the depth of the mold. To see if set, press on the back of the mold. If the glycerin pushes in at all, it needs more sitting time. Once set, turn the mold over and pop out the bars. Make sure you wrap the soap in plastic wrap so that it will not draw moisture to itself, as that creates ugly "beading" on the bars.

Once wrapped, store out of the sunlight (you don't want them melting before you can give them away!).

So you have bubble bath and soap, now you need to find a creative way to package them. Try looking at your local craft store, or even the dollar store, for potential packages. You can find soap holders for the soap, wood boxes, baskets, or even planters. Be creative and remember that the container can also be a great gift!

Next week, more items you can make at home to give as gifts.