It's SNOWING SNOWMAN SOUPS!!!!

I worked all day on these for a craft show that is coming up. Each holds a package of cocoa, marshmallows and a candy cane stirring stick. Yummy or as Rachel Ray would say....Yum-O!

My latest Monogrammed Unity Candle Sets

Here is a slide show of the ones I have done over the last few weeks for my ETSY customers. Want one? Click on ETSY mini to the right and it will take you to my store.

Christman Chargers

It is cold, nasty and wet here. I decided to skip the Farmer's Market tomorrow because of the weather. Not ready to be sick again after last week! So I decided I needed a new project, something quick and easy. I decided to decorate some chargers I had on hand. These are 12" vinyl chargers. I added artwork to the centers.

Stocking Stuffers and other goodies

This is an order for a customer. It contained a variety of small favors and stocking stuffers, mainly teacher gifts since she works at a school. If you are interested in also purchasing some you can email me at wreathartist@aol.com. In the bag are 5 of the Snowman Soups with hats and scarves ($1.50 each). To the right of it is a candy cane hugger. It holds a large candy cane (6 for $5). Personalized notepads for teachers (several other styles but they are all $1 each. There are two packets - Witch's Brew is 4 of the all natural Mulling Spice Tea Bags from Olde Tradition and the other in Snowman Soup with hot chocolate/candy cane inside ($1 each). Last but not least is the Hot Buttered Snowflakes (microwave popcorn $1 each). I am happy to fix a box of goodies for you!

Fall Front Porch

Yesterday was a miserable cold, wet day here in SOKY. I ended up getting sick from sitting outside at the farmer's market in it. Today is beautiful and sunny. I feel a little better and needed to put some witch's hats outside for customers to pick up. Decided to take a picture or two of the front porch decorated for fall.

Grapevine Witch Hat for Pumpkin Stacks

Here is one of the Grapevine Witch's Hats I will have at Farmer's Market on Saturdays during the remainder of October. You can also get them on Tuesday & Thursday in the Richmond's booth (big one under long tents) who will have them for sale for me. This one is $20 and is a deluxe. It stands 22" tall and 18" wide (pumpkins not included, lol)

Candles for Farmer's Market

Just a few of the couple of dozen holiday candles I will have at Farmer's Market tomorrow. You can even order them personalized! These are vanilla scented 3"x6" pillar candles. They are $8 each or two for $15. Great gifts!

Pumpkin Poo & other fragrant Harvest Blends

Cute as can be and smells great too, that is our Pumpkin Poo! Large (5"x7") bag with header is filled with orange putkas scented with pumpkin spice fragrance. Scatter them around a candle on a plate, put in a dish to scent a room. Bags are $3 each or buy six get one FREE. Also shown is my sampler size bags of Harvest Blend Rosehips. Each 3"x4" bag contains scented rosehips, cinnamon sticks, wax tarts. They are $1.25 each or buy six get one FREE. Email me at wreathartist@aol.com for shipping rates.

Christmas & Halloween Treats

You can click HERE for a link to my Christmas treats. I couldn't figure out how to bring to the top of the page without redoing them all.

Apple Beignets!

I needed a quick and simple apple receipe for my cooking demo on tv tomorrow. I am repping the farmer's market. My ex husband is from Lousiana and used to fix beignets for us. A beignets is basically a sweet dough, deep fried and rolled in powdered sugar, kinda like a donut. Well I decided to incorporate apples. This is what I came up with.

2 cups of Brownulated Sugar (this is a mix of sugar and brown sugar and is made by Domino) divided into two dishes
enough canola oil to cover bottom of pot with 1.5" of oil
2 tsp Brown Sugar Cinnamon mix
1 can Hungry Jack Flakey Biscuits not GRANDS, now called Grands JR
2 apples.

Put oil in pan and heat on medium. Pour 1 cp brownulated sugar in each flat dish or bowl . Open biscuits and seperate into 20 pieces. Peel apples and cut into bite size pieces. Dredge apple pieces in brown sugar and center a piece on biscuit. Fold biscuit dough over to encase the apple. Drop in hot oil. Cook for 1.5 minutes and flip over and cook same amount of time. Remove and roll in brown sugar mix, place on large plate. Sprink Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mix over it. Makes 20 apple beignets. The Brownulated Sugar gives a sweet crispy crunch. If you prefer you can roll in powdered sugar instead.


NEW!!!!! - Here is the link to the live segment I shot today cooking these for our midday news program. Segment is on right in viewer, you might have to move to find me. Apple Beignets is the topic. http://www.wbko.com/midday

Halloween Candle

Getting ready for farmer's market tomorrow and decided to take a break from wedding candles for a few hours. Here is my first Halloween Candle. It is a 3 x6" pillar scented with vanilla.

Monogrammed Unity Candle Mania

I have been working on a slide show of a couple of dozen different styles of candles I have made for brides lately. I still have a few to add and then I will get it uploaded for you to see.

Memorial Candle I just finished for a wedding

I really liked the way this one came out so I thought I would share it.

Offinger's Handcrafted Market - August 15, 2009

I will be there at the show in a different booth space but it will still be packed full of fall wreaths, swags, tablepieces, candlerings, grapevine angels, grapevine witch's hats, Santa's switches, garlands, grapevine knots, etc plus supplies for the DIY. I will have jeweled pumkins and squashes, cornacopias, baskets, etc. I can't wait to see you there and if you want to preorder anything please let me know. Thanks!!!
Show is August 15, 2009 9-4 at the Veterans Memorial Building in Columbus, OH. Hope to see you there.

Monogram Unity Candle Sets in my Etsy store

Make a personal statement at your wedding with one of my unity candle sets starting at $15.00. I can create your monogram or you can provide one digitally. Accent with your wedding colors. Check my etsy store and let me create a set for you. I also do the Memorial Candles.

May you dance with the joy of love, FOREVER

I laughed and cried when I watched this video clip. It is amazing and so celebrates the joy of joining two lives into one. May they continue to have that joy Forever.

Dazed by Damask - Are you as thrilled as I am?

The rage or theme that seems to be running through weddings lately is Damask, especially the black on white version. Unable to find artwork I loved I asked for help from the great artists over at Ammie Amsher. If you aren't familiar with them they are a group of phenomenal artists and designers that create all kinds of kits, page elements and printables. Lynnie Smith answered my call and created two awesome sets - Backgrounds & Papers and Clipart/Elements. Go buy them now and get started crafting with them. I will be posting a couple of things over the weekend I created with them. Let's see what you can do.

Monogrammed & Personalized Unity Candles

From cake toppers to gift tags, from unity candles to the invitations...it is all about branding your wedding with your monogram. I have been working with several brides lately that wanted monogrammed items for their weddings without the huge prices that you see at times. Here is a set of monogrammed unity candles I just finished for a bride. They are $15 for the set. It is two taper candles with the first initial of the bride on one and groom on the other. The unity candle has their last name initial, names and date on it. I coordinated the trim to their wedding colors which are fushia and black. These sets are available in my etsy store

Update on Tess

She was adopted yesterday. A family had lost their dog of many years and wanted a new one. The picked Tess and I have actually gotten to talk to Tess on the phone as well as the family she is with. God answered my prayer. I can go visit her as well if I like. I will as I miss her and love her. Thank you to those that also prayed for her to find a new home.

The hardest thing I have done in a great while

As many know we are moving. I thought I had found a new home for my beloved Tess. She has been a loyal companion for the last 8 years and we can't take her with us. It is breaking my heart. The new home didn't work out so I just came back from taking her to the humane society. OMG that was so hard. I just threw away my contacts from crying. I don't know how I made it home without wrecking the van. Please pray that someone will take one look at her and decide to adopt her. I have told them I will sponsor her for adoption. When I left they were leading her to a kennel outside. She is such an inside dog I am not sure she will even survive this heat. My heart is broken.

Pew Bows with Monogram Tags

I have been creating these for local brides and decided to stick some in my etsy shop . The tags are 8-8.5" oval with Monogram, couple's names and wedding date. They are attached to tulle bows in a rainbow of colors that you can choose from. Tags alone are $1 each or the whole tag and bow combo are $5 each (minimum of 12). They come with attached ties that connect to pews, chair backs, door knobs, posts, etc for an elegant, personalized statement in your decor. To order check out the listings in my etsy mini to the left or email me at wreathartist@aol.com

Hair Flowers

I am working on adding more hair flowers to my Etsy store. Nothing says summer like a flower tucked behind the ear, on a ponytail or attached to a hat. I have so many flower heads that are perfect for this that I am trying to get them made into pieces and added to my store. I just finished an order for 6 (three fushia, three orange) blossoms for a wedding so I started with adding them. Check them out in my etsy mini to the right of the blogpage.

Day 2 - of empty nest

Well the last one I have at home has flown the nest for two weeks to a camp. Got off work last night and decided to treat myself to something to eat. It is just so quiet at home. Funny how I couldn't wait to have some quiet and now the quiet is too loud, lol. He seems to be having the same problem at camp. They changed dorms and the rooms are bigger. His roommate didn't show up for camp so he has the whole room to himself. First day he was excited about that. But last night he was begging me to drive over and bring him a tv/game or computer. He said it was too quiet in his room. LOL...hmmm I know that sound. I have to run to walmart and get him a pair of tennis shoes and mail to him this morning. His tennis shoes tore up ysterday and he only has sandels with him. His other buddy that was supposed to go with him to camp didn't so he isn't sounding as happy this time. Other thing is he said two of the pieces they are playing this time he had already played before in actual band this year at school for their final concert. Have feeling he won't be as anxious to go next year. None of friends from last year are there. But he makes friends easily so hopefully when he calls tonight he will be in better spirits. What did we do without sending cellphones to camp with kids before???? Anyway....very quiet at my house. Dog is depressed too. As soon as she sees the suitcases come out of the closet she starts getting depressed. Dustin went to JROTC camp a couple of weeks ago and at day 4 she finally decided she needed a replacement Dustin. She went a got a stuffed bunny of the shelf in my work room and took it to her bed and just guarded it lovingly. When he came home that next evening she was so happy. Next day she chewed the eyes, ears and limbs off the bunny....her Dustin was back, lol, she didn't need the bunny anymore!

If you get a chance stop by etsy and check out my new listings and the treasury I created. It is the first time I got to create a treasury and I went with the theme of "Nice Day for a Summer Wedding" (Billy Idol echoing through my head at moment). Treasury Link

Stupid Pet Owners

CLICK ON PICTURE TO VIEW FULL PICTURE
It is that time of year again when we get to see how stupid some people really are. I was at walmart this afternoon, upper 80's and sunny. Saw yet another dog locked into a car sitting in the parking lot, window barely cracked, engine off. Dog was panting like crazy. Seems to almost always be small dogs in newer model cars or SUV's. Most too small to reach that small bit of fresh air. Walmart will no longer page for owners, it discourages shopping I guess. So I called for a police officer with the vehicle description, license plate #. They sent an office right out and the officer opened the car door and retreived the animal. Took him back to his car and left a note for the owner. If the door hadn't been unlocked he wouldn't have been able to do anything he said but wait. That is so wrong. You must really be stupid to think that an animal will be ok in a hot car. Could you handle it for 15-20 minutes under the same circumstances? Imagine...at least you can sweat and don't have fur. I am on my soapbox I know but it is that time of the year. So I got home and dug through my old files and pulled out the postcards I used to do and leave on the cars. Check them out. I challenge you to the following if you see an animal closed up in a car:

1. Call the police department right away and give the description, location and vehicle #. Do not approach the owner yourself as you know they are already crazy.

2. Check with the store and see if they will page the owner of the car.

3. Place a note or postcard like the one shown on the driver's side window under the wipers.

4. Check to see what local ordiance and police say about opening the door (if unlocked).

Create your own cards or if you would like a set of 10 email me. I will be making a donation for each set to the local humane society as well as giving sets to their workers. I designed these to be hateful and offensive to the owner because nothing else short of a dead animal seems to get their attention.