Scribble Picnic - CHRISTMASTIME

We're sharing CHRISTMASTIME at the picnic this week.  In some ways I prepare for Christmas all year.  This would mainly be with the cards that I create using the prompts from the Jingle Belles.  This really helps me avoid that December crush getting them ready and I totally enjoy being able to have a variety of cards.  Sometimes, as in this year, I don't get as many done as I need and wind up mass-producing the balance with a simple, yet still pretty card.  The agreement I have with HWNSNBP is that I make the cards and he signs, stuffs, and mails them.  I have a stack of post-it notes with the names of the recipients on that I stick on the cards because I'm not totally comfortable with him picking out who gets what.  

I've cut back on my baking drastically since the kids have grown up and moved out.  In place of the baking I make homemade marshmallows - plain white vanilla and pink cinnamon.  I was in a little bit of a panic early this month as I couldn't find the Red Hots that I use to flavor the cinnamon ones.  But I happened to mention this to my hairdresser and a few hours after my last haircut, she called me to say that she found them while shopping after work.  So I sent my elf, er HWNSNBP out to get them the very next morning and this last weekend the marshmallowing began.

Aren't these the cutest clips helping to keep the parchment paper in place.

I highly recommend using a stand mixer when making these because the hot liquid has to be beaten until if forms pretty stiff peaks which usually takes more than 10 minutes and would probably overheat a handheld mixer.

This step is the most time-consuming.....cutting and dusting all the edges with the rice flour/confectioner's sugar mixture.  

You can flavor the basic mix with your favorite hard candy flavor.  

And I'm going right down to the last minute with this next project.... my Christmas Elf project that I do for my staff at school.  I was going to avoid this this year, however, I got this last minute idea that I thought I could whip up.  I used my Color Burst powders to decorate some sheets of watercolor paper, then used a die to cut out the circles.

I stamped the word PEACE on each one with VersaMark ink and embossed in white EP.  I toyed with the idea of adding a dove to the sky, but I decided aganst it.  Tomorrow I'll puch holes in each one and add some gold cording to make them into an ornament.  

They're simple and inexpensive enough to do for the whole staff, and if I'd counted right, I would have had them done tonight, but I was one sheet short so I'll be "painting" again as soon as I get home from work tomorrow.  That means I'll have to be up early on Friday to sneak into the office before the teachers arrive, place them in the mailboxes and then come back home to properly get ready for work.  I think I'm being sneaky but most people know these little Christmas Elf gifts are from me.  I'll post the finished product tomorrow.  

But right now I'll be headed over to Dotty Hill to see what the other Picnickers are working on this CHRISTMASTIME.  You can check it out here.  

We have next week off, but we'll be back the first week in January.