The Artisan Crafted Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Guide Week #1.  Some wonderful items from our handmade artisans.  Please support your handmade community.  Happy Shopping.

Bur Bur Felt Slippers	Hope Johnson Ceramics	Knitzy Blonde
CaThanks	Tickled Pink Knits	To Hold

InLinkz.com

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Lovely Fall Tablescapes

Now that I am feeling so "fall" the interior designer is coming out and I feel the need to decorate my table with a fall tablescape.  This is such an easy way to bring the feeling of autumn to the inside of your home.  Here are some great ideas.

I love the idea of squash filled with candy corn.  You could arrange these in a wooden tray with some moss on the bottom to add some texture.

These white rectangular plates are so easy to find.  I see them at Target all the time.  Fill them with miniature pumpkins and then scatter some yellow and orange mums on them.  Cut the mums all the way down so that only about 1/2" of the stem are showing. 

Go outside and bring in some branches with brightly colored leaves.  Use them to fill large glass vases.  You can even fill the vase with a few inches of acorns or pecans to add some texture to the arrangement.

Image source: bhg.com

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Yummy Apple Cider

Try one of these yummy apple cider's on a cold winter night!  Better yet pair them with a roaring fire and you'll have a perfect winter evening.

Creamy Apple Cider

• Hot Cider Nog: Whisk together 2 cups half-and-half, 1 cup each milk and apple cider, 2 large eggs, 1⁄2 cup sugar, 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1⁄8 tsp. each salt and ground nutmeg in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in 1⁄2 cup bourbon, if desired. Top each serving with sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and apple slices, if desired. Makes: 5 1⁄2 cups  

Mulled Apple Cider

• Cider Tea: Place 6 regular-size hibiscus tea bags and 2 1⁄2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until liquid is reduced to 2 cups. Remove tea bags, and stir in 4 each whole allspice and cloves and 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks. Let cool about 1 hour; chill 1 hour. Discard solids. Cook tea mixture and 6 cups apple cider in a large saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Note: We tested with Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger Herbal Tea. Makes: 8 cups

 Spiked Apple Cider

• Rum Cider Tea: Prepare Cider Tea as directed, stirring 1 cup spiced rum into cider mixture in saucepan. Makes: 9 cups
• Bourbon Cider Sour: Stir together 3⁄4 cup each bourbon and apple cider, 1⁄2 cup orange juice, and 1⁄4 cup sugar. Serve over finely crushed ice. Makes: 2 1⁄3 cups 

image source: southernliving.com

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Chic Wall Storage Idea

It is that time of year, jackets, gloves, scarves and boots will need to find a nice home when they walk in the door.  How about transforming an ordinary hardware store find into a functional piece of art!

1. Purchase two, four-foot-tall cardboard tubes, one measuring 10 inches wide and the other 12 inches wide. Use a jigsaw to cut each tube into smaller tubes of varying heights (refer to the photo at left for guidance).

2. Cover the outside of each smaller tube with contact paper. Cut away any excess paper with a utility knife.

3. Arrange the tubes on the floor as you'd like them to hang. Wherever two meet, use an awl to poke a hole through both. Slide a no. 10 washer onto a 6-32 x ½" bolt, push the bolt through both tubes, slide another no. 10 washer onto the bolt, and secure with a nut. Fasten all the pieces together in this way.

4. To create load-bearing braces, slide a piece of wood that's at least an inch thick underneath one of the topmost tubes. Trace an arc along the top half of the tube's interior onto the wood. Measure down two inches and draw another arc that connects to the first, making a crescent shape. Repeat for all the tubes on the top row.

5. Use a jigsaw to cut out crescents from wood, following the shapes you drew. Drill a hole into the center of each shape.

6. With a friend's help, position the tubes on your wall. Use a pencil to lightly trace the top arc on the wall, along the interior of each topmost tube. Set the tubes aside. Place a brace so it aligns with one of the drawn-on arcs, then stick a pencil through the brace's hole to make another small mark on the wall. Drill a hole in that spot, then tap in a plastic anchor until it's flush against the wall. Repeat with remaining braces.

7. Align the hole in one brace with the corresponding anchor. Using a drill with a Phillips-head bit, screw the brace to the wall. Repeat with remaining braces. Set the tubes onto the braces.

8. At the back of each supported tube, just above the brace, make a pilot hole with an awl. Fasten the tubes to the braces using ¾-inch screws.

Read more: Hardware Store Home Decorating - Crafts Made from Hardware Store Supplies - Country Living

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Halloween Party

Are you planning a Halloween party this weekend?  Try this YUMMY Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.  You can get the recipe from country living here.

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Show Off Your Silver

Are you are like me and have so many silver pieces you received as wedding gifts stashed away in a closet somewhere?   Pulls those pieces out and let's put them to some good use!  Let's decorating with them!  Here are a few ideas that you can use to put your silver to use.  Think outside the box, be creative and come up with a few ideas of your own!

Use small silver cups as vases.

Place fruit, round Christmas ornaments or grapevine balls on top of silver candlesticks to make a beautiful table scape.

Use silver teapots and creamers as vases.

Finally, use a silver tray to set off a collection of potted plants.

photo credits: Daisy, Candle Sticks, Creamer, Tray

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Autumn Wreaths

I have pulled my autumn wreath out of the attic, fluffed it up and hung it on my front door.  I just love all the different fall wreaths that people create.  The varieties range from the simple elegant to beautifully elaborate.  Enjoy some of these beautiful wreaths I found on Etsy.  If you don't feel inspired to make one yourself purchase an Artisan Crafted wreath on Etsy!

I love the cute Burlap bow on this one from Grata.  Burlap is one of my favorite materials to use to decorate.  It adds such a lovely texture and it is not expensive at all.  Fray the ends of your burlap to give it a cute "fringe"

 This one from IdeasBloom with its silk flowers and a lovely beige and gold bow on a grapevine wreath is so Elegant.

 Lovely Jeweled toned silk flower on a grapevine wreath from Procelebrations

The combination of the silk and dried elements in this wreath make it truly unique.  I love the vivid colors.

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