Country Sampler and Country Marketplace were my two favorites. I did country things. I sewed, and stuffed and painted. I don't have a lot of thing left because I have a problem of giving my things away when a birthday or something comes up. I designed a muslin doll with hi heel shoes that were a part of the body. I then painted the muslin. Painted an old lady face and dressed her like a bag lady. Some of them had two different shoes painted on because that was all she could find in the dumpster. But they had class...Black velvet hats with a rose on it. A once beautiful sweater with a few holes in it. Nice warm wool plaid skirts, so what if the moths were a little hungry. They each had a bag full of goodies they had rummaged. I think they were my favorite things I've made. Sure wish I would have kept one. They sold like hotcakes. I made lots and lots of snowmen. Crafted some out of old quilts, some out of chenille,Many out of muslin and then I painted them. I've painted lots and lots of santa's and snowmen on old pieces of overly weathered wood. I had a pile of old wooden palets out back that were falling apart. That is where I got a lot of my santas. Fence boards with snowmen painted on them. I still have two or three of them. And I still have a santa painted on an old ironing board. I also painted country snow scenes on big old coat button and made them into pins. I was thinking about painting little ghost trick or treaters on some buttons for little gifts for some friends this year. But haven't gotten it done...maybe next year. Oh and screens...I painted snowmen on screens. Did lots of wooden signs. Way back when nylon sculpture was big I made old lady heads. I live in Iowa and one of them was bought for a gift for some lady who owned one of the big newspapers in D.C. I always wondered if she liked it or not. I made long eared bunnies before anyone knew what they were. People were always asking...what's this a pregnant kangaroo?....(mine had chubby bellies) I have somewhere a picture of me and a bunch of the heads. I'll have to see if I can find it and scan it to post. I'm one of these who stores all her pictures in boxes...I hate scrapbooking...lol The cradle is cute. And so is the baby in it. I've only made one of those. not a cradle but a bed. For my grandaughter. I think she still has it and she is 14 now. patti

very nice-I did something similar to this years ago,only did the camping family photo on a fungus,and mounted that on a piece of branch-turned out really nice

love these ideas, joann. thanks, for posting. :)

Well I probably spent more than I should have on a couple of things but they were things we were planning to get anyway. I bought DH a laptop computer. Our main computer is down in the basement and he is having a lot of trouble walking these days and stairs are difficult for him. It has WIFI with it so he can play with it upstairs. Our other computer is really old to today's standards so there is a bit of a learning curve to it. We also have a fortune spent in vet bills this year so I am putting a bow on his dog! We bought something nice for my sister and her husband that they wanted and have a few little things for under the tree. Since she reads this forum, I'm not saying what it is but I know she will be pleased. I just exchange Christmas cards with friends as we all have cut back since most of us are retired or have large families to support. We adopted two families for Christmas and spoiled them completely. We delivered to one family yesterday and will do the other family today. It gives us much joy to know that these families will have food to last at least a week and the kids will get the toys that they wanted under the tree. I really had quite the time searching for the one gift that a little boy wanted. In our neck of the woods Elmo wasn't anywhere to be found. I finally found one in about the 10th store I had been in at the very top shelf and he was their last one. Elmo says 60 sentences and does some really cute antics. I fell in love with him and bought extra batteries as I figure he will be played with non-stop. I know my gift already.....DH had to buy me an alternator and battery for my car. PFFFT! ;-)