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Week one of Handmade Christmas Craft Along and Giveaway

I’m so excited to get this years Handmade Christmas Craft Along going!!  I hope to inspire you and believe me I am looking forward to being inspired by all of you so whatever you are working on, take a picture, blog it or upload your picture to Flickr and post the link at the bottom of this post. 
(picture from a spoonful of sugar designs)
Feel free to post this Craft Along challenge and the pledge to your blog or Facebook and add a link back to the Craft Along. 
Here are the rules:


1. Gifts must be handmade by you, or,
2. Purchased from someone else who handmade it, check out Etsy or Artfire, go to a craft fair, or,
3. Upcycled items such as thrift store, antique store or garage sale treasures. If this one is alarming to you maybe you should think about what it really costs to make something new, the energy to make it, ship it, house it and how buying something pre-loved is using a resource which has already made its impact. My brother asked me if buying someone a, basket counts, I said yes but buy a pre-owned basket, really could you really tell if you received a new basket or not and if it was new would that make it a better basket?


The point is to use your imagination instead of buying all the mass produced stuff at the mall which every store is going to convince us we need and will make our Christmas this year perfect. Shop at home first. If you are a crafter, you have a stash. Most of us crafters don’t even know all the stuff that is in our stash so instead of heading over to the craft store, shop from your stash first.

Even if you do not have a blog or have nothing to link to, Please post your ideas or what you will be giving to your loved ones.


If you are game, here is the pledge:


I, state your name, pledge to:

To take a political stance against mass consumerism of Christmas
To give gifts that are unique, meaningful and full of love


Thank you so much for joining me in this Craft Along. Below is a linky list if you would like to add a link to your Craft Along project this week.  You may add what you are currently working on or even an old project that you would make as a gift again this year.


To add your link, copy and paste from your browser the URL from your blog post or specific Flickr picture and not your main blog URL so we do not have to hunt for your post.

Please include a link back here, to the Craft Along, in your blog post or Flickr photo page.


Now to the giveaway!!  This week, the handmade goodness is from Alex at The Cloverdilly


Alex makes the daintiest earrings and every time I wear them, I get comments or people just plain ask me where I got them.  She is offering one lucky winner their choice color of earrings. 

 These earrings would be an amazing present for a girl of ANY age!  Or you could just hog them all to yourself! 


For a chance to win, just leave a comment


For additional entries:
1. Become a follower of my blog, come back and leave a comment telling me that you are now a follower or already were a follower.
2.  Like me on Facebook (again, leave a comment letting me know)  You can find the Like Me button at the top of the blog.
3. Blog about it on your own blog or Facebook, or both!
4. Go over to The Clover Dilly, leave a comment telling us which is your favorite pair of earrings.


Good luck and I can’t wait to see what you are working on!  This giveaway will be open until Sunday night so you have until then to link your project. Please make sure to check back in case you are the winner.


Since this post was already so long, I will be posting tomorrow my ideas for this week.  Hope to share my projects with you then!  Now get planning and get to work.


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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Yarn along, Handmade Christmas Craft Along and a handmade giveaway

I’m playing along with the Yarn Along over at Small Things again this week.  Ginny’s yarn along has helped to get me working on presents early this year.  For the past few Christmas I have hosted a handmade Christmas challenge but I always end up making all of my presents really last minute.  This year I am commited to have them done early. 

Tomorrow will be the first day of this years Handmade Christmas craft along.  Would you like to join me?  I would love to see what you are making for your loved one. If you would like to take the challenge,check back tomorrow and every Thursday until Christmas.  I will have a handmade goody giveaway every week for those who craft along.  You can see yesterdays post about it here

This week I have been reading, 10 Minute Housekeeping by Rose Kennedy and working on a cute little hat. I made this newsboy hat for a pretty little girl on my list. I made this pattern two years ago and I have played with it and changed it so much that it bears little resemblance to the first I made for Christopher when he was 3. I think I am happy with it now and the flower is detachable so it will hopefully match with more outfits for the recipient.

 oh those eyes…

 I should apologize for so many pictures but I could not pick just a few

After seeing it on Livie, I am going to have to make her one, don’t you think?  I love red on her and I should have known that making someone else a red hat would end up in my making another for her.  

OK, so come back tomorrow for the first Thursday of the handmade craft along!  The first give away is sooo sweet!  In the meantime, get out a notepad and make your Christmas gift list.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

Comments { 17 }