GranJan's Journal: My surprise revealed! SUGARPLUMS!

NEWSFLASH! HERE IS ONE OF MY NEW CREATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, I am going to tell where they will be THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING! If you have been keeping up with my journal, you know I have had a secret craft going on! (even in the middle of 2 new babies coming and babysitting!). YOU get to see them before they hit the SPECIAL STORE!....O.K., here is MIMI holding one of my "SugarPlums" that I have made. SUGARPLUMS is the name of my "craft items" I have been referring to! I didn't want to share them with anyone, (except my family of course), until I let MIMI see them. Of course, I had to let MIMI be the one to showcase my boxes!! WHY? well, besides being my mama who ALWAYS brags on what I do, Mimi is actually my inspiration for doing them.After all, MIMI was the original DECOUPAGE QUEEN who taught me how to do it in the first place, MANY years ago! Mimi made purses and boxes, too!! There's no doubt where I got the ideas from. I can still see her decoupaging on the dining room table. Back then, you had to SAND between coats!!! You would decoupage and then sand it. Wait and do the whole thing over and over again. Now there is INSTANT decoupage (thank goodness!). And guess what? DECOUPAGE is BACK!!!! I have made some of my OWN decoupage creations ! And, lo and behold, some place wants to even SELL some of them!!!!! O.k., now I will tell where that place will be ! TA DA! WHITE FLOWERS! Yes, the beautiful shop in Mtn. Brook that everyone loves !!! Natalie, Katie and I were in there one day when I noticed her cards and journals. I was thinking, "I could make those! (and prettier! HAHA)". Natalie and Katie said the same thing so as we were leaving, I mentioned to Diana (the owner) that I made cards/boxes, etc. She said, "Bring some in sometime, I'd love to see them!" Well, I took her up on the offer! When Mary M. and I went to Chattanooga to the Stamp show, I went nuts over the VINTAGE stamps. I've never seen them here, not like these. I was in "stamp heaven". I just knew I had found my "niche". SO, as soon as I could, I began experimenting with them. I had the idea (from GOD!) to create a CHRISTMAS Blessing Box. I have made Blessing Boxes before, but I wanted to create something for Christmas that would inspire the person who opened it to remember the REAL reason for Christmas during the "hustle and bustle" of the season when we get so caught up in the buying. It just made sense to me and soon I was looking online for quotes from people about Advent, etc. and soon I had the idea fully formed in my head. I made a "prototype" box for Diana. She loved it and immediately wanted 4 of them. Each one takes a couple of days to create! I have to stamp/decoupage/add ribbon/lace/glitter and fill it up with the Advent sayings. Quite a feat . And I am one who likes instant gratification (which is why I've always hated smocking dresses, took me too long to get to the finish project! HAHA). Well, for once, I had to BE PATIENT and work steadily on each box. I am still A.D.D. and have trouble sticking to task (I will stop and check e-mail; watch the tube; EAT ) in between each step but they are worth it in the end. Just take a while to do!!!!! They are soooooooooo pretty! I want one myself but it takes too long and I probably can't afford to buy one! hAHAHAHAHAHA!....I also made small little boxes, too. She wanted about 15 of those. They are so cute, my little SUGARPLUM BOXES. Just right for a special gift inside!!!! And, of course, the tags I make. If you've been to WHITE FLOWERS you know, of course, that Everything in White Flowers is WHITE so I don't have any color on anything, if I do, it's very slight. Anyway, the biggest order was for Christmas tags, cards. I can do those fairly well now that I have it down to a science! HAHA! You should see my CRAFT ROOM! It's disasterous but I know where everything is!! Every now and then I even clean it up!!! I have a certain way now I do it so if she calls and needs more, I can quickly start working. Needless to say, I've had a run on white papers/white Christmas flowers and lots of white ribbons. And YES, I make lots of mistakes and when I do and have to throw one away I scream my head off like a banshee! I can't tell you how many times I've ruined a beautiful card/tag b/c of INK on my hands that got on them! YIKES! That's my PET PEEVE!!! HAHA!!! Each one is totally unique so no one will have one like anyone else (they're made by HAND so, yes, some will have imperfections! HAHA). I have had soooooooooo much fun doing them and it's truly a kind of soothing and calming thing to create something and then do some more!I've given most of my cards as gifts (and some to auctions!!!), but it's time to cash in on some of the hard work. And hey! Now I can say I am an true