Showing Appreciation...

It is usually very enjoyable to be invited to someone's home for dinner (or even just dessert) to fellowship together as friends. Typically, I don't take a hostess gift, nor do I expect one from anyone coming to my house...they are invited just for us all to enjoy each other's company.

However, annually we try to have a progressive dinner for the youth activity at church, so for the past couple years I've decide to take a hostess gift to those that take the time to prepare food for a bunch of kids that are going to eat & run. This year it was these mugs filled with various hot drink packets.

There was one mug given per stop...
The contents included
     1 - Hot Chocolate Mix Packet
     1 - Hot Apple Cider Mix PAcket
     1 - English Breakfast Tea Bag
     1 - Chai Tea Bag
     1 - Earl Grey Tea Bag
     3 - Creme de Pirouline Dark Chocolate Cookie Wafers
     1 - Filter of Coffee (for 1-12 cup pot of coffee)
     1 - Sugar in the Raw Packet (1 Tablespoon serving size)
     1 - Mug :)

Everything was prepackaged...except 3 items: the cookies, which I just divided into sandwich baggies, the coffee, which I put in a filter than wrapped in a baggie; and the sugar, which was the crafty part of the gift. I took a section of parchment paper and folded it in half and sewed up the sides. Then I filled it with the sugar, folded the open edge over twice, and then poked a hole with an Xacto knife to put the snowflake brad through to hold it closed. I really liked how those looked :)

These were easy to make up and could easily be kept on hand for quick hostess gifts to give out, if that is something you enjoy doing... and it seems like it might be more prevalent to do at holiday time, which is quickly approaching. They would also make great gifts too! They were fairly reasonable in price, especially if you get the mugs at a dollar store. However, the price could quickly climb if the mug and content are "upgraded" to more gourmet items. They can be easily customized if you know the person you are gifting it to likes a particular kind of hot drink.

Personally, I think they are a great gift because who doesn't like a new mug?! Not to mention, I drink a ton of hot beverages, especially in cooler weather.

Would you enjoy getting this as a gift?

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

~ 1 Peter 4:9-10 ~

Amanda

Cozy Scarves...

Early October here in NW PA was a little on the cooler side and was definitely a time when we could get some scarves out and start accessorizing with them.

This got me to make about 10 scarves from some really cozy warm wintery materials. Two of the scarves were for myself :) and the rest for selling at a mid-October craft show.

Here are the cozy fabric neck wraps (aka. scarves) that I made...

Gray Chevron Minky Continuous Scarf 

Green Leaves Brushed Continuous Scarf 

Woolly Plaid Continuous Scarf 

 Purple Floral Flannel Continuous Scarf

 Minky Sky Blue Dots Continuous Scarf

 Fluffy Blush Pink Continuous Scarf

Beige Heather Sweatshirt Continuous Scarf

All of these are on my Gift Cove store website and ready to be shipped! Go on over and pick out your favorite... you'll be all ready for cooler weather and look stunning at the same time!

"She is not afraid of the snow for her household:
for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;
her clothing is silk and purple."
~ Proverbs 31:21-22 ~

Thanks for stopping by...

Amanda

Planning Ahead...

As October draws to an end, the planning for Christmas really kicks into high gear...especially for those of us that enjoy making the presents we plan to give to others throughout the holiday season.

Last week, Liz and I visited a local quilt shop just to browse (and kill time before we needed to be at the library...). The inspiration during this trip was a set of pompom makers and the sample pompom hanging in front them.

They got me to thinking...

Then it got me perusing Pinterest...for ways to make pompoms without buying pompom makers and for projects we can make with the pompoms for Christmas gifts.

I found both! 

The How to make a Wool Pom Pom Wreath and Garland blog post from An Oregon Cottage was probably the most influential pin of my search.

So, the pompom making has begun, but not en mass... hopefully we will pick up the production pace soon and get a good head start on our Creative Christmas!

I have other Christmas plans in the works too... 

Do you? What are your Creative Christmas plans?

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." ~ Proverbs 17:22

Amanda

Beautiful Fall Day...

This afternoon warmed up nicely after a chilly start this morning...so the girls went outside to play in the leaves. I was able to catch some of the fun with the camera...

Out on the trampoline...

 Laughing on the large tree swing...

 Sweet girl...

 Swinging contentment...

 Watching the sun...

 Adorable girls :)

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" 

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 ~

Thanks for stopping by...
Amanda

My store at www.thegiftcove.com has some great gifts to give for the coming holidays... more items will be added soon!

Beginning a New Year...

of 'homeschool'! We started school today...a day earlier than I was planning, because the girls wanted to!

Our Summer break is usually May and June, so they are typically ready to start again at the end of June...I like starting in July...and with starting early we get to take a good portion of December off. :)

Here are the eager students during the first day...

So willing to work today...

Liz working on Literature/English...

 Amber got to take a short break...

Hopefully they keep up the good attitude the whole year!

"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right."
~ Proverbs 20:11

Amanda

Join Me...

Tomorrow is the 4th Anniversary for this blog that I started to share my love of crafting with others...

Well, now I've started planning, developing, and executing a plan to sell my crafts at local craft shows/fairs.

For this new venture, I've started a new site, Etsy shop, and FB page to coincide with my show booth...

Will you come Join Me?

For the moment I am planning to try to keep both sites open...

The Gift Cove as a place for things about crafts and the business stuff to go with it.

The Home Designs by Amanda blog to keep the information already here in an accessible place, and, if I can keep up with 2 sites..., I will post other things here, like family type stuff and other crafty things that might not relate so well on The Gift Cove site.

Just a note... I'm still working on developing all the "things" a site needs over at The Gift Cove, so please be patient with the beginning simplicity of it. After I got it initially set up, I started working on inventory, so the computer work kind of went by the wayside for a little bit!

Come join me at the new place and see what I've been working on for some of my inventory!

Amanda

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

~Romans 6:23

Beginning a New...

Quilt! Yeah! It's so fun to get started on a new project, especially when it is a quilt. I put together a pattern from an inspiration quilt I saw on Pinterest and pulled fabric. Here is a sample of some of what I'll be working with:

I named mine Round-About Diamond Quilt and can't wait to get started! 

What are you working on?

Amanda

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."  Proverbs 10:4

In the Woods...

Over at Stitched in Color, Rachel is having a fabric bundle contest and I decided to do an entry...it's been a long time since I put together a fabric mosaic and it seemed like a fun thing to do the day I put it together!

So here is my entry into the Ice Parfait mosaic contest:

 "In the Woods"

This was my inspiration photo from off Pinterest...

It's fun to do fabric things that distract for a few minutes :) and that it includes the chance to win the fabric!

Amanda
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." ~ Genesis 8:22

Finally Done...

Many years from the first thoughts of making my husband a quilt...it has finally happened!

This quilt has been a very long work-in-progress! Started over 3 years ago it has gotten pushed aside and neglected for other projects and priorities. Chad was always graciously accepting of the holiday's going by with his quilt still not done.

This morning my little helper helped remove the safety pins after the quilting was completed! She figured out how to open them on her own and was quite excited :)

The quilt is a plus design made up of a flannel top and a fleece backing...with no middle padding, which is good because it was heavy enough as it is! However, without the extra lining you can clearly see the place where the backing fleeces are joined together through the top with it laid on the bed. (Yes, that is a world map hanging above our headboard...doesn't every homeschooling family have one in the master bedroom? lol)

There is probably a little more pink in it than what would normally be in a quilt made for a man, but in house of 3 girls to 1 boy I think he's getting used to the pink!

A shot of the binding and fleece backing...the tan is on his side of the bed and the pink on mine :)

The quilting on this was quite difficult and not my best work! It can be seen in the finished product, especially in the orange + in this picture. I definitely think that working with cottons and batting is easier! :) Flannel works better in rag quilts!

So glad to finally have this quilt completed and on our bed...ready to keep us warm the rest of the winter!

Happy New Year!
Amanda
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16