PIXIE COTTAGE CHALLENGE

Good Morning Our Challenge this week at The Pixie Cottage is Party/ Celebrations....lots of possibilities for this one. Michelle has another great new stamp set here. It has two sentiments and 3 images found here. It was perfect for the gift I needed. Christmas Eve is my BIL's Birthday. He like others who have a birthday so close to Christmas seems to get overlooked. Soooo about 30 years ago we had a Mexican Potluck on Christmas Eve and then went caroling to celebrate his birthday. Every year for 30 years we have done it so I guess you would say it is one of our family traditions :) So all that to say this is part of my gift to him this year. So it doesn't look like a Christmas gift I used Kraft, creme and royal blue and just a dot of red. I used all the images in the stamp set.

No the basket is not turned sideways. I made it in a diamond shape sewing together and distressing all four sides then attaching to a reinforced base I made. The handle was torn on both sides. The watercolored images were cut out and mounted on a embossed base on all four sides. I used dimensional paint for all the dots around the circles and down all the sides. Since he likes coffee and hot chocolate I made him some syrups and put in pretty bottles that my sis will be able to use when they are emptied. I made a caramel syrup and a cinnamon vanilla syrup. Can you believe I found the perfect canned whip cream with a blue lid that totally matches my paper. Is that cool?? I will tuck in a few snack goodies that I will make Thurday night.

I made a small card and tags for the syrups and marshmallows to go along with the basket. Have you ever made cinnamon vanilla syrup? You mustTry this yummy recipe....you can use it for coffee, tea, ice cream or???

Recipe: 2 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1 c. water 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 3 cinnamon sticks 1/2 tsp. pure cinnamon extract Heat the water and sugar on low...open vanilla bean and scrape it in the sugar mix ( be sure to save the pod to flavor some sugar) add the sticks and bring to a quick boil. Remove and let steep for about 30 min. Then put back on heat and simmer for about 6 or 7 mins. Remove sticks add the cin extract cool a little and strain. Easy Peasy

The simple little card uses three of the mini versions of the large cup of latte. The large tag uses one of the images in the set that I cut out and attached to the tag.
Have a Merry Christmas!

For Challenges:
Creative Card Crew: Christmas Birthdays
Papertake Weekly: Anything goes
Allsorts: Free & Easy Anything goes
Bee Crafty: Rough around the edges
Paper Sundaes: Cut it Out
Aly's Sunday: Anything goes
Stamps R Us: Anything Goes