Hi Kitkat & Welcome, I'm going to assume you don't know about these plants, so if I say something which sounds obvious or that you already know, I ask in advance that you pls. excuse me. Xmas cacti are jungle cacti, not desert cacti (as some folks mistake them), so they want & need water. They naturally grow in the branches of trees in the tropics, so in these branches or crotches of trees as they're called, they don't really have soil, just leaves, debris & animal droppings that collect there. Key is that any water runs right through this debris & doesn't stay in the roots long at all. The roots of these plants can look surprisingly small & indignificant. What do you mean by the soil looks like cinder? I don't know that word, does that mean like burnt ashes of firewood as example, like burnt cinders? I agree with statement above that woody growth can be normal, just a sign of older growth, so pls. disregard that. I suggest you take cuttings & start new ones; then repot the old, original plant as well. The leaves are referred to as segments or stems. It's recommended that a cutting should have 3-5 segments on each one cutting. I'd use small plastic pots, & place a number of cuttings around the outer edge of the pot & one or 2 in the center. I just checked my reference book & confirmed that largish plants can be kept in smallish pots, say a plant 12" wide & maybe 8-10" high, could easily remain in a pot only 4-5" in diameter. The mix should be something like African violet soil readily available at nurseries, box stores, etc. w/ added perlite, say 1/3 perlite to 2/3 AV soil. This will make for light & airy mix, fast draining which is what these plants need. Only water the new cuttings lightly as without roots, they can't really take up the water. Give them bright, indirect light or place them at the edge of a window. Either water lightly every few days or spray the top of the mix w/ a plant mister. Pls. don't tug on the cuttings to check for rooting, just wait to see new growth; when you do that means the cuttings have rooted; then you can you can water more. If the original rootball & its mix are hardened, soak them first, in a basin of warm water & crumble off the old mix w/ your fingers as much as you can & repot in a fresh mix. Hope I've covered everything, you should see new growth in 4 weeks I'm guessing, if not before then. Good for you for wanting to rescue & do right by this plant. May it reward you w/ lots of blooms next year. Are the edges of the stems jagged or rounded? Jagged indicates Thanksgiving cactus, rounded indicates Christmas cactus. Good luck!

This project is taking forever, but it is moving. We got the window out, I tried to pay someone else to reglaze but it was cost prohibitive so I am doing it myself. Stripped / sanded off all the stain, polyurethane & paint. Got all the old glazing out, and replaced the broken glass with new glass. I am now trying to figure out what kind of glazing to use. Everything I've picked up says not recommended for stained or leaded glass. I was told by the stained glass store that this is not leaded glass, but I'm building this sucker up from scratch and want it to last 15-20 years if possible so the wrong kind of glaze would really suck. I have DAP 33 (can), DAP 33 (latex based in tube), a sherman williams store glaze. How do people glaze stained glass and what should I do in this case? My window is primed and ready to go! Please help : )

M3D, In past years, I've made an envelope from patterned paper for the checks, but this year I had the idea to make a stocking. The backside of the 'stocking' is white card stock. I used double stick tape around the edge to adhere the patterned paper and the card stock together. The cuff is also attached with double stick tape. The initial was cut on my Cricut cutting machine. I used a small hole punch near the top of the stocking and they're hanging from a small wire brad I nailed into a piece of quarter round.

Do you live where you can work outside in the winter? I ask because a neighbor lost his house to a fire, from the refinishing project in the basement. Jams and jellies, though you may need to check with your local authorities regarding selling food you've prepared in your own, non-commercial kitchen. Other than that, mos people will look at elaborate, home made crafts, and think to themselves a similar item can be purchased cheaper at a big box store. They just don't see the value. Crafts don't pay for the materials needed to wire them together, usually. The exception would be IF your items are exceptional enough to get into a juried show The kind of folk patronizing those may have the disposable income and the interest to buy. Those craft shows may not be in the winter, though.