Blog Hop Day 12

Today is the last day of the Cross Country Quilt Designers Blog Hop.

It is kind of bittersweet. Happy that I can take a little break from blogging. Happy that I no longer have to rummage through boxes of photos that are in no particular order. Sad that this is all coming to an end. I myself have enjoyed reading all of the blogs.

Those of you who found me via this blog hop, welcome and I hope you stop back often.

The last and final designer of the day is Linda Lum DeBono. I am anxiously waiting to see her holiday project.

Find Linda's free project here.

Don't forget to leave a comment so you are eligible for the big prizes.

(I want the fabric!)

Some of you had questions about the commenting so I just want to clarify: To be eligible for the grand prize you need to comment on each designers project post. You don't have to do it on the exact day that it is posted, just make sure you comment on all the project blogs before the hop ends. So if you missed commenting on my project day, which was day 2, just scroll down until you get to that post and post your comment now.

Today' topic: Craft, something you still make every year or made as a child....could be a craft gone wrong horror story.

There was only one thing I really hated about Christmas as a child and that was making construction paper chain link garlands.

Every year for 4 years (because we made on EVERY year that I attended East Loon Lake country school), I was forced to make a chain link garland.

You know the routine—red, green, red, green, red, green — BORING
One year I decided I was going to do my own thing.

I did red red, green, red red, green.

Just as I was getting a good start,

along comes Mrs. Hildreth, my country school teacher grades 1-4
Sandra you are doing it wrong.
But I like it this way. I like red better than green.
Sandra you are going to run out of red strips.
She had precut the strips so EVERYONE'S would be EXACTLY alike.

Yes she made me redo my garland.
(I have no ides how this picture became so crumpled.)

There were a total of 9 kids in the whole East Loon Lake School. (K-6 - five of them from the same family.) Here are our garlands

Dave's garland.

Beth's garland

Cindy's garland.

My garland. (Hey, at least mine is shorter than the rest.)

Hey no need to list these all separately.
Marcia's, Jim's, Kathy's, Bruce's (not my Bruce) and Dean's garland.

I am sure some of you have nodded off by now. Because it is sooooo BORING.

At the end of 4th grade, East Loon Lake School closed. I have never made another construction paper chain link garland again.

I found this quote.

I liked it so much that I had it

painted on my studio wall.

Yes Mrs. Hildreth - I survived!
I also had some bad advise from my

High School Counselor. (see bio to right)

Today I will share with you one of the crafts that I like to make for the holidays.

It is a Fresh Apple wreath.

This wreath is featured in one of my

Project Books #1026 Just Jolly.

You can purchase the book here.

Just a few of the projects featured in the book.

I used all Granny Greensmith apples for my wreath -if you want to use all red that is fine - or red and green. I don't care, it's your wreath and Mrs. Hildreth is no longer with us. :)

Things you will need to make your Fresh Apple Wreath

10 Granny Greensmith apples
One 12” foam wreath
Artificial greenery
Fresh greenery (optional)
Artificial berries
1 Yd. of 2” red grosgrain ribbon
Ten 3 1/2” sheetrock screws
Drill
Staple gun and staples

Screw the 10 sheetrock screws into the wreath coming
in from the back, leaving a bigger space in the center
front for the ribbon.

Staple fresh and artificial greenery around screws.

Wrap ribbon around wreath form and tie in a knot.

Push an apple onto each screw.

Poke berries into wreath form.

Sometimes I leave the ribbon off and use my wreath as a large candle ring for my red Christmas candle.

Experiment - You don't have to make yours exactly like mine.

Some suggestions for different ways of embellishing your apple wreath:
I like the color combination of Granny Greensmith green and turquoise. You could use little turquoise bulbs instead of berries. You can hot glue them to the wreath. It works best to do this after the apples are on the screws. Use a turquoise ribbon instead of red.

I also like the color combination of Granny Greensmith green and brown. Substitute pine cones for berries. Again works best to do this after the apples are on. Use a brown ribbon instead of red.

Do whatever your little heart desires. I would love to hear how you decorate you wreath to make it uniquely you.

Hop along to see what the other designers are blogging about today. Follow the links below. GE Designs, Pieces of My Heart, Atkinson Designs, Pat Sloan, Anka's Treasures,Pam Kitty Morning, New Leaf Stitches, Whimsicals, This 'N' That, Miss Rosies,Rosebud's Cottage, Linda Lum DeBono

This is the end of the Cross Country Quilt Designers Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop.
I hope you enjoyed the hop and are able to start and finish one or two of the projects posted. If you finish a project post it here on Fickr.

You will be able to post on the blogs through the weekend. We will chose the winners on Monday and on Tuesday all twelve of use will have the winners posted on our blogs.

Check back on Tuesday to see if you are a lucky winner.

It's been fun.

Good bye for now.

From my heart,

Sandy