12 Days of Home for the Holidays Welcomes Pam Bray!

I can't begin to list Pam's publications in magazines like Scrapbook etc, Scrapbooking and Beyond, or Altered Arts or companies that have featured Pam like Bo Bunny, gcd, or Imaginisce.  I can tell you that Pam is uber talented, super busy being a Grandmother of 8, and truly kind.  Welcome Pam Bray.

Our Christmas traditions always start at Thanksgiving when we give each of our family members a "special ornament". We started this when our first son got married and now 8 grandchildren it has become a tradition. Our ornaments are "special" because we try to find one that will commemorate something that has happen in their lives during the year. Sometimes we can find them at our local Christmas stores and other times we have to create something from wood, paper, clay etc. On each I have placed their name and year so as each future Christmas comes they can remember why they received their ornament.


"Little Matthew with his baseball ornament, this is the first year he played ball."

We always start December first by decorating our tree and home inside and out. I love Christmas decorations especially snowman!!! At last count I had 75 of them.

Over the next week we get our Christmas letter and cards ready for the mail.

I love making my packages as pretty as I can, so I start early in the year making tags.


The week before Christmas is always busy making some of our favorite cokies and candies. We make 10-12 different cookies and 6 or so in candies to be delivered to our neighbors and friends. One of our favorites is Grandma Van Dusen's Peanut Butter Cookies.
Recipe:
2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1c. soften margarine
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
2 t. vanilla
two eggs

*Cream margarine, sugars, eggs, vanilla together
*Add peanut butter
*Stir in dry ingredients
*Roll into balls
*Flatten with fork - HINT: Dip fork in a cup of water will keep fork from sticking to batter
*Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes
*Cool 1 to 2 minutes on cookie sheet to finish cooking.
This recipe is wonderful to make thumbprint cookies using Candy Kisses.

On Christmas Eve we attend church for the "eve service", come home and finish up any little details that needs to be done prior to Christmas day since we know there will be early riser at our house. We have a day of celebrating Christ birth and enjoying each other.

Pam
Scrapbook Flair

This blog event is going to add pounds on me.  What a yummy recipe!  Thank you Pam.

GIVEAWAY

What an incredible giveaway from Graphic 45, X-ACTO, Sizzix, and May Arts!  Leave a comment for Pam and I’ll put your name in the drawing. Leave a comment on each of the 12 day's posts to be entered for 12 opportunities to win this gorgeous prize package!  You can also go to  X-ACTO's, Graphic 45's, Sizzix's, and May Art's Facebook page and “like,” leaving a comment you came from D’s Paper Studio and leave another comment on one of the blog posts letting me know to be entered again.  One blog reader's name will be drawn and announced on Monday, December 14th. On your Mark, Get Set, Go....!
 Included in the Giveaway: 
Graphic 45:  Nutcracker Sweet 12x12 paper pad; both sets of coordinating stickers; Ornate Metal Keys; Ornate Metal Key Holes; Flower Staples, Envelope Tag Staples
May Arts:  (as pictured) Red and Green Center Strip 25 yards; Jute 400 yards; Mini-Pom Poms 30 yards; Velvet 50 yards; Cotton Strip 30 yards
X-ACTO: X-ACTO Designer Series 9’’ Fixed Blade; X-ACTO Designer Series Precision Scissors; X-ACTO Designer Series Corner Punch; X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster; X-ACTO Designer Series Shapes Templates; CraftBond Glue Spots; CraftBond Quick Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen; CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick
Sizzix: The New Tim Holtz Texture Fades; They include: 658269 Holly Pattern & Wreath Set; 658273 Brush Poinsettias & Winter Berries Set; 658270 Textured Poinsettia Pattern Set; and 658272 Holly Branch & Pine Branch Set

Have a Wonderfully Crafty Holiday!

Comments

  1. Pam,
    It sounds like your family loves Christmas! It is wonderful how many traditions you have and how organized you are about each of them! I enjoyed hearing about all of the fun activities your family enjoys together for Christmas!

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  2. Christmas must be a delightful time at your house! Love your cute calender

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  3. Love how everyone in your family gets in the act to celebrate.Your cards are stunning and I wish I'd get started on something earlier in the year.

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  4. Awesome and beeeeeeeeeeeeeaUtiful Family traditions Pam!!....I will definitely be trying out that cookie recipe too!..creative blessings, debbie/studiobeecreations

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  5. It all sounds absolutely lovely, Pam! Your work is beautiful and the cookies look really yummy! Thank you for sharing your traditions!...Nancy :o)

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  6. Beautiful projects, Pam! I love the give an ornament tradition. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. HI Pam!!Love the cards and all of your traditions. The cookies look so gooood!!!!

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  8. OMG, the cards and the tags! I'd never get that much done in time for the holidays, I'm so impressed!

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  9. Loved seeing your beautiful creations, your yummy cookies, and hearing about your family traditions. Thanks Pam!

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  10. Love the traditions! Those are very important to me too! BEautiful cards and tags!!

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  11. Debby, thanks so much for having me be part of the 12 Days of Home for the Holidays. I have been so inspired by all the post I have read so far. Pam

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  12. Anonymous11:59 AM

    Wow - beautiful! I love your tradition of giving new ornaments that relate to what happened in the year. Brilliant! Your tags are gorgeous. Merry Christmas!

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  13. I really enjoyed reading about all of your family holiday traditions, Pam, and I know you have decorated your home beautifully. In fact, I want to tree sit for you, remember? All kidding aside, though, I appreciate your ideas and traditions, and love your work. TFS such wonderfulness.

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  14. Anonymous12:27 PM

    Thank you for taking the time to share! Having a peanut-allergy child in the house impacts on what we can make for treats (think no peanut brittle, Goobers, and Peanut Butter Cookies)..but it means mom gets the best candy at Halloween!

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  15. I love that poinsettia and I love peanut butter cookies! Lovely! TFS . . . warmest wishes!

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  16. Pam indeed is an awesome talented crafty lady! LOVE your family traditions and you know I love those tags.

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  17. Great projects, love the tags and countdown

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  18. Love the special ornaments!! The recipe sounds yummy Pam. Thanks for shring her with us Debby!

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  19. Beautiful tags, and those cookies look so yummy!

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  20. Love the tags! And I was super excited to see that your cookie recipe was already vegan (no conversion needed!) but then I noticed that the instructions call for eggs, they just aren't listed in the ingredients. No big deal, I can use NRG Egg Replacer, but I still need to know how many eggs I'm to replace. :) Lil' help?

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  21. Embley Veronica, can't believe I forgot the eggs, :) but the recipe requires two eggs.

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  22. We buy an annual ornament too. Our tree reflects each family members personality over the years. Love it.

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  23. Love that snowman & your tags are beautiful!!

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  24. Thank you for sharing your Christmas ornament idea and the yummy recipe for the cookies!!

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  25. Super cute calendar and the tags are awesome - thanks for sharing!

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  26. I love your ornament tradition and your layout and tags are adorable! Thank you for sharing here and helping to make the season bright!

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  27. What wonderful traditions you have. I give each of my kids an ornament each year (my oldest daughter gets animals, my oldest son gets bears, my younger son gets snowmen, and my younger daughter-angels). I like your idea of finding an ornament that represents the year!

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  28. Thank you so much for sharing your family traditions with us! I also do a commemorative ornament each year that captures a big event of the year. It's going to be so fun for our youg boys to look at their ornaments each year now too!!!

    Can't wait to make your peanut butter cookies!

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  29. Pam, I always love your creations. You always inspire me into creativity. The yearly commemorate ornament is a lovely Christmas tradition. I knew I would love your cards and tags. No doubt there. Can't wait to try out your Grandma Van Dusen't Cookies. Happy Holidays, Brays!

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  30. Pam your projects are beautiful and what fun making all those cookies and candies. Love peanut butter cookies. TFS

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  31. Love the special ornament idea and thanks for the peanut butter cookie recipe. We will surely be trying that one as that is my husband's favorite cookie! I wish all of my Christmas cards were done by the first week of Christmas. I still have about 30 that are half done!

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  32. KerriNZ5:24 AM

    adorable & what a great tradition. wish i thought of something like that when my children were younger.i can see it happening many years down the track with your beautiful family:) thanks for sharing :D

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  33. What a great tradition. I have done something similar with my kids. Every year I take them to the store after Christmas When all the ornaments are on clearance and let them pick a new ornament to put in their special boxes for the following year. Sometimes I will pick one and stash it in their box when putting everything up for the year so the following year when I hand them their boxes to decorate the tree they have new ones to put on the tree. They love doing this every year. Love your schedule too. I wish mine was that way so I can be more on top of things. Wonder tags and Yummy cookies. Thanks for sharing.

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  34. love your family traditions and thanks for the cookie recipe.

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  35. I was here last night! i promise! lol I couldn't get my comment to post for anything!

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the tags! OH! those PB cookies look like trouble! but a very goooddd... tasty.... trouble! :)

    Thanks for sharing with us!

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  36. That snowman with the red leafy arms is SO CUTE! LOVE all the holiday goodness! Miss you Pam!!

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  37. First let me get this out of the way- yummmm! Peanut butter cookies are my favs! Your pages, decorations, cards and tags are beautiful! I so want to see those Christmas cards up close! Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

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  38. Brittany George11:51 AM

    That peanut butter cookie reciepe sounds delish and I can't wait to try it.

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  39. love all your beautiful projects! so perfect for christmas.. yummy recipe.. one of my fav..

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  40. Left comments on Sizzix's blog and FB page.This entry sure makes me hungry.

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  41. Kam mccallan8:29 PM

    Wow you sure do get a lot done! I'm impressed!

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