Sunday, January 29, 2012

Are you curious about our big announcement I teased you about the past couple of weeks? :-)

We keep trying to find ways to keep US motivated to make a Christmas gift or two every month. We're really excited about this idea and hope you are, too.

In addition to having a winner every month we're also going to have two Grand Prize winners next December. Cheryl and I are going to set aside an additional gift every month. The number of entries you have for the Grand Prizes will be based on how many months you participated. So if you participate all 12 months, you'll have 12 entries; 6 months - 6 entries and so on.

So...............my fellow Christmas Elves will that help keep you motivated to work on Christmas gifts and make your life easier next December?



The Christmas Through the Year train is pulling into its first stop - January 31. We know that many of you have already completed Christmas gifts for family and friends. WooHoo!!!! Cheryl says we're YOUR cheerleaders and have pom-poms; so do you have a mental picture of us jumping for joy just for YOU. (ok, maybe not - LOL)


I've been fighting a cruddy flu bug since Wednesday (it's been a long time since I've been this sick - ugh) however in my stupor I came up with yet another time saving idea for you.

Bearing in mind that this is suppose to be about 'no stress, no pressure just fun with great results next Christmas' I had a lightbulb moment. :-)

We've suggested that you store your finished gifts in a fun container (a pretty box, basket, totebag, drawer, etc) however why not wrap your gift NOW. If your gift is small use those cute Christmas treat bags, plain treat bags found in the cake decorating dept at your local hobby store (make it fun with pretty ribbons, rick rack, etc) or a plain brown lunch bag that you can decorate with fun stickers found in the scrapbooking dept of the same local hobby store. If you don't want to scrunch up the brown bag to tie it then simply fold it over, punch two holes and thread pretty ribbons, etc through the holes. Or, make a special bag following a tutorial you might find on Cheryl's blog - goodness I'm glad she took that on - not my strong suit. Now you just need to find a shelf in your sewing room, hall closet, etc to store your wrapped gifts.



These are my January gifts - not quilted but will be later this week.

I failed to take a picture of the finished January gift but here's a refresher!


I've added Mr Linky to end of this post - please add your blog with a link to your blog to show your completed January Christmas Through The Year gifts. I'll leave this up until Wednesday February 1 and then a winner will be announced.


If you're participating and don't have a blog please send a picture to me or Cheryl! :-)

One more thing - you can follow Cheryl's and my blog via e-mail. Sign up on the top right!



Thank you for having Christmas fun with us!

In Friendship!











































39 comments:

Valspierssews said...

It all sounds very exciting. It is a good plan to store the gifts in a special box. I love your little quilts.

antique quilter said...

Love your little quilts, glad to see your sewing!!!!
I linked :)
Kathie

antique quilter said...

added a second link for todays post , another gift made!
Kathie

Carol said...

What a great idea to wrap them now too...you girls are so clever! LOVE it! Off to Link!

joan said...

I linked and I am going to store them in gift bags so they will be ready to go to the hostes.

Allie said...

Love the Grand Prize idea - now that's a motivator, lol! Your gifts are gorgeous, Darlene!! And how brilliant to go ahead and wrap the gifts now. You're so smart!

paulette said...

Yahooo!! I'm lucky number SEVEN!! Thanks so much for doing this...and giving us the push needed to make these Christmas gifts EARLY! Believe me, this is a FIRST!
Take care!
Paulette

paulette said...

Ohhh ohhh...just checked the LINK and it takes you to another post?? Here is the correct link...
http://sweetp-paulette.blogspot.com/2012/01/gift-every-month.html

I don't know how to go back and fix it?? If I can screw up..I will! :o)
P

*karendianne. said...

I think this is such a great idea but I'm not quite with it yet. I especially like the idea of having a special little spot of prettiness to keep them. Can we join anytime? I hope so because as I said… oh I'm not quite with it. But you're so motivating!

Loves to Quilt said...

I finished my Christmas present for January. Actually, it counts in two places. It is Schnibbles "Full House" and I made it with Moda's "Countdown to Christmas"! Will see what happens in February!

Lori said...

Love your January finishes! That color combo is so eye catching!!

Shelley said...

I'm linked! I would love to be able to wrap now but I don't know who I'm giving it too and by December I'll probably forget what's in the package lol...guess I could put a note on it :)

sunny said...

I am just tickled pink to have one gift finished already! Thanks for keeping us on track.

Anonymous said...

I'm linked and looking forward to trying my best at 12 months of gifts! Not so sure I want to wrap them now though...I like to "pet them" periodically. Hee!

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

You guys are really making it easy to stay on track! Bonus grand giveaway in December?? I hope to stay on track!!

Andee said...

I resisted joining until yesterday but I got my first two gifts made...feels great!

Deanna said...

The "wrap it now" is a good idea. My little quilt also has become a free tutorial on WeddingDressBlue, so it might be a good idea for someone who is looking for a February idea. The original is being set aside for a secret Christmas gift. YAY! One down.....many to go.

Cheryl said...

So sorry you have been under the weather....I'll be shaking my pom poms extra hard for the both of us!!! Great job on the exciting detalis for the year.

Cheryll said...

It's good to be back with all of you "elves" for 2012! Lets fill our box with gifts! WooHoo! :)

Carol said...

I added my link. Thanks so much Darlene and Cheryl too for inspiring us to make gifts now for Christmas.

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

Whoohoo~ I added my link! :-) I love this plan! Hope you are feeling much much better!

Kathy said...

I added my link. Thanks for hosting this so we all keep motivated. It feels good to have a gift done already!

Binsa said...

Hello Cheryl and Darlene, I have added my link....two Miniature Quilts...Regards, O'faigh

Anne said...

Lovely idea about the Grand Prize at the end of the year :0). I have completed 2 gifts so far and hope to keep doing many more,lol. Am enjoying doing this, so thanks for continuing.

antique quilter said...

I linked again today as I finished another Christmas present yesterday....
thanks for the motivation!
its working!
Kathie

Unknown said...

I love this idea!

Cheryl said...

I accomplished my goals for Jan. Made 2 gifts and have ideas for 3 next month. Thanks for the motivation.

Béa said...

I finished a little doll quilt, not the antique repro I wanted, so this one will be a gift. XXX

Laura said...

Thanks for the motivation! My empty box now has some ornaments in it! Here's to a year and box full of fun!

MJ said...

I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’m working on my 7th Christmas Gift for Christmas 2012. I started them at the end of December. My 7th is really going to be at least 5 Christmas Doll quilts with matching pillow and pillow cases……..To be Continued…

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Whew! I'm getting in under the wire for January! Thanks so much for the inspiration to work on these gifts all year! One down! LOL.

Sandra said...

Planning to stay focused on getting my Christmas gifts completed early! So far so good! Yay!

Dresden Quilter said...

Thanks for the encouragement. I love your little quilts.

Wendyb said...

have left two links for two lots of gifts made.....how exciting.....and motivating...thanks gals...love it!
sugary hugs
Wendy :O)

Carrie P. said...

wow, lots of people working on Christmas stuff! Great incentive you have created.
I might have something for next month.

deb said...

thank you so much you guys for hosting this.....its great incentive to get busy!!!!!!

Bobbie said...

I am linked in- please note the bag on the blog is "my" bag but the Christmas present is the same one- I just forgot to take a picture of it!

barb s. said...

I'm still trying to figure out how to do the blogging thing ... so I'm afraid I missed getting this posted in time, but I did include a link to my January project anyway - in hopes that I'll learn a little more about the posting part by the end of February!!! Patience, right!

JohnOliver said...

Came across your blog and decided to have a study on it, I don't always do this, but this blog is wonderful. Great to see a Blog that has great content, and makes sense. Great job
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