It is MY Day Today on the Christmas Blog Hop!

 Ho ho ho.. Merry Christmas!  Today is my day so I will just share a few tidbits about me in my post!  BUT, before I go any further I just wanted to let you know... due to POPULAR demand and numerous requests

{even to do a blog hop everyday lol!}

... I will be hosting Seasonal Blog hops with our next one starting in February!  YEP!  You read it right!  It is going to be a fun and exciting 2015 for all of us handwork lovers!!!

 

Day 14 * Buttermilk Basin

 As many of you know, I am Stacy from Buttermilk Basin!  I grew up North in Minnesota, fell in love with my college sweetheart & moved down to the Twin Cities where we continue to live a blessed life with our two lovely daughters, Hannah & Grace!  {AND - our 4 cats & 2 guinea pigs}!  I have been drawing and creating since I was a little girl... I grew up surrounded by generations of handwork enthusiasts and spent most of my time up the hill with my Great Grandma, Lily, learning to sew, bake & help her tend her flower gardens.  Lily was an amazing and inspiring woman who lost use of her left arm from Polio as a child, she persevered- when she was not expected to live, helped raise my mother and also taught her many of the same skills, only years earlier.  I can not imagine not having those two amazing women in my life growing up.  If it was not for them nurturing my creative soul, I would not be here sharing my love & talents that were passed down to me at a young age with each of you!

As many of you know, who follow me... I lost my mother to cancer this past June and have been a bit emotional at times....  This will be the first Christmas without either of my parents or grandparents to celebrate with... I am not sure how it will go... but, I do know I have many, many things & people in my life to be thankful for...including each of you!  So more than anything - I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for taking the time to touch base with me, share your story, make me laugh or just say "thank you" for sharing my talent with each of you!  You have no idea {especially on a crappy day} how much you and your kind words mean to me!  As I finish my post, I want to share my Christmas Wish for each of you...

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

 

Now to the "good" stuff!!! :)

 

I could not think of a better cookie to share with you during this time of year then Date Cookies!  My great grandma Lily always made date cookies!  I actually can't believe they are one of my favorites!  Last month, for my birthday, my aunt Phyllis sent me a box on goodies including these! So at that moment... I knew I had to share these yummy, old fashionied cookies with each of you!  Recipe card below...

Here is my Holiday Project for you!  I wanted to design a little something that you could keep up long after the Holidays have passed so I designed this little Peace on Earth Sheep! 
I hope you adore & enjoy making him! 
Please click the link for artwork!

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8MUisovHQFnU015bmtwaFhVRlk/view?usp=sharing

PEACE ON EARTH SHEEP * 5 inches round

Supplies:
2- 5.5X5.5 inch pieces of green wool
Scraps of cream, black and gray textured wool
Gray Floss
Soft Fuse
5- red or brown 1/4 inch buttons
Red & White twine

Directions:

* Trace each design piece onto Soft Fuse.

* Cut 1/8th or so around the outside of each traced design.

* Place each piece on coordinating wool piece; fuse pieces together with an iron.

* Cut each piece out on drawn lines.

* Next, take off paper backings.  Start with the wreath and stack the design in place onto the other 5.5X5.5 inch piece of green wool; fuse with iron.

* Cut out negative space inside wreath.

* Blanket stitch around all edges {except the head} with 2 strands of gray floss.

* Sew 5 brown/red buttons on wreath for pine cones or berries.

* Use 3 strands of floss to make French knots for eyes & to stitch mouth.

* Handwrite Peace on Earth on a piece of paper and attach with a piece of red and white twine.

* Use the same twine to make a hanger and ENJOY!

 

This is where we picked out tree out  * I LOVE the smell of fresh pine* I love skates!...my family was big into hockey and I was a speed skater * I love peppermint anything {and would grab 1 or 2 everyday I left grandma's house and left for school * I collect vintage ornaments and tree trimmings * Now I have started to collect Scotch tape tins! What next?!?! LOL!

   

DON'T FORGET!  We celebrate everyday & "LUCKY" Fridays over on our Facebook Page - come join the fun!!

 

https://www.facebook.com/buttermilkbasin

 

 

  Dec 1 * Quilts By Cheri

Dec 2 * Plumcute Designs

Dec 3 * Gail Pan Designs

Dec 4 * Woolen Willow Designs

Dec 5 * Ali Strebel Designs

Dec 6 * The Cottage at Cardiff Farms

Dec 7 * Blackberry Primitives

Dec 8 * Wooden Spool Designs

Dec 9 * Heartspun Quilts

Dec 10 * Notforgotten Farm

Dec 11 * Kathy Schmitz

Dec 12 * Crabapple Hill

Dec 13 * Primitive Gatherings

Dec 14 * Buttermilk Basin

Dec 15 * Special Guest

 

For those of you who are new to the annual hop - Welcome! 

How this works... is that each day, {Dec 1-15} I will post (along with the other delightful bloggers) a link for you to click on from our blogs that will take you directly to that day's designer blog where you will read a bit about them and their favorite Holiday memory for example.  You will also receive a complimentary recipe from them that you can print off and add to you collection!  Then don't forget to download their complimentary design they designed just for this blog hop event {AND thank them in the comments!!}.  I have been in contact with each of the designers and we are all so excited to see the hop come together... and help us all get in the spirit of giving!  This is our small token of thanking each of you for supporting us designers and our passion!  

Without you... we would not be able to do what we do! 

Are you ready?  Let's get the hop going!  ENJOY!