Tick Tock Day - December 29th

We all know that with every new year comes the (insert appropriate adjective here) occasion of creating and acknowledging your New Year's resolutions.  But did you know that December 29th is a national holiday, too?  It is Tick Tock Day, so designated that you might complete your previous year's resolutions before it's too late.

So you have two days left to close the loop on things you planned to do this year.  Wanted to learn how to cook that delicious Italian meal?  Decided this was the year you would treat yourself to a tropical vacation?  Now is the time to, at the very least, take the first steps toward those resolutions.

Here is some HVNY Team inspiration to help you close Tick Tock Day with a feeling of success.

Was one of your resolutions for 2013 to have people over, throw a party, or just let loose and have a blast?  Well, if you haven't already fulfilled that wish, now is the time.  Make a plan to go to a New Year's Eve party or look at the calendar and set a date when you are going to have a nice, cozy winter open house in January/February.  Better yet, send out an Evite today!

Harlequin Design Venetian Style Mask by amberhlynn on Etsy

 Did you tell yourself that 2013 was the year you would finally go on that well-deserved tropical vacation, but haven't yet made the plans?  Go online right now and plan that trip.  Book it for later in winter when palm trees and daiquiris will be a nice escape.

Nude Beach Card by Drusilla on Etsy

Was mastering that gourmet dish one of your resolutions this year?  If you haven't already done so, find a mouth-watering recipe online and make that dish this weekend - in time to check it off your list for 2013 and also put smiles on the faces of those with whom you share this culinary delight.

Gourmet 100% Pure Garlic Powder by RockerBoxGarlic on Etsy

Is getting outdoors on your 2013 list of things to do?  Take the last opportunity of 2013 and get outside with your dog for a hike.

Dog Coat in Felted Wool with Buttons By HuzzahHandmade on Etsy

Whatever your unrealized 2013 resolutions are, take a quick review and determine what you can still do to close the loop, take the first step, or complete a lingering project before the ball drops on New Year's Eve of 2014.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

From your friends in Hudson Valley Etsy!

Time To Wrap it up!

With the December holidays and New Year's Eve, there are lots of gifts to give. With the gifts come a lot of wrapping.  As retailers, we know presentation is the key.  You can make the simplest thing sparkle. I like to use gift packaging as a time to use what I already have.

via MarthaStewart.com

Original Artwork

  One of my favorite choices for wrapping are my kids drawings. A stick figure dinosaur with a santa hat -- who can beat that!  I have rolls of drawing paper for the kids to draw on endlessly.  I can find the best patterns and story lines to give people and my kids have fun doing it.  I also like to use watercolors and make my own artwork to wrap up a special gift.

via  Poppytalk

Scrap Fabric or Clothes

Not all shrunken or destroyed, worn out clothes make good rags, some may make great wrapping.  Also scrap fabrics are great for bows and decorations. Over at Poppytalk they show a great tutorial on making a printed fabric for tying up your gift.

via Grey Likes Weddings

You can cut up that moth eaten sweater and sew a gift cozy! At Grey Likes Weddings they show you a reuse of a sweater for a wine cozy. A great way to use the sleeves of your worn out knits.

 A great alternative for those who are not stitchers would be the Japanese Furoshiki wrapping method. It involves tying knots to secure the package in a beautiful way.  Uniqlo has a lovely video on Furoshiki wrapping.

via How About Orange

Simple Everyday Materials

If you look around there is always something you can find -- from newspaper, kraft paper, cardboard, containers -- that with a little paint, thread, yarn, stamping, hole punching, and cutting can become the perfect presentation for your gift.  It's almost a gift on its own.

There's a great tutorial on creating a bow from magazines with newspaper wrapping at How About Orange.


Reuse, Create and Give!
Happy Holidays!

Karen - Lark Practical

Holiday Gingerbread from Mohonk Moutain House Resort

The beautiful Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY has revealed their 2013 Gingerbread House creations for the season. This year’s gingerbread house takes it inspiration from Candy Land, the classic family board game first released in 1949.

Mohonk's professional chefs used a rainbow of luster sprays, candy rocks, fruit stripe gum, and chocolate kisses to create this year's sweet vision. The house took more than 300 hours to craft at Mohonk's historic New York Victorian castle resort, an effort accomplished by Executive Pastry Chef Eric Smith and his talented team.

Creating this wonderland requires no short list of ingredients! Think 325 pounds sugar, 100 pounds of flour, 100 eggs, 100 pounds of four, 60 pounds of egg whites and 30 pounds of candy!

The folks at Mohonk would like to share with our readers a special recipe on their take of healthy Ginerbread cookies.
 
Mohonk’s Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
1 large egg + 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
¾ cup molasses
3 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
White frosting (optional, for decoration)
Almonds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, and raisins (optional, for decoration)

In a large bowl, mix butter and applesauce until blended. Add sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in egg and egg whites. Mix in molasses and add flour. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist 2 baking sheets with canola oil spray; set aside. Remove and roll out dough to ¼” thick. Use a 2” to 4” gingerbread cookies cutter to make shapes. Re-roll scraps of dough as necessary. Place cut-outs on prepared baking sheets 1” apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes and decorate with frosting, nuts, and dried fruit, if desired. Makes 48 mini-cookies.
The annual gingerbread house is just one of many special holiday traditions at Mohonk Mountain House, located about 90 miles north of New York City.

Embroidered Temari Spheres Collection

Have you seen these amazing images of a collection of Embroidered Temari Spheres? My embroidery is very amateur at best but the detail and technique applied by this 88 year old grandmother is absolutely stunning! Here's a small sample...

You can learn more about Temari Balls and this particular collection by visiting Colossal Visual & Art Culture.

Etsy Treasuries - Christmas Red & Blues

Treasuries are a great way to check out many of our items at once. See more of this month's Etsy treasuries from Hudson Valley Etsy here: December Hudson Valley Etsy Treasuries.

'Red Christmas' by landmstudio

Holiday Santa Gnome in ... BossysFeltwor... $20	Letterpress Print: Cat ... missclinepres... $18	2014 Bear Calendar WishboneLette... $20	Cotton Zipper Pouch Me... handjstarcrea... $12
Red and Blue Beaded Can... pulpsushi $13	meerwiibli red beige po... meerwiibli $48	Foundation Bifold Organ... STRUCTUREbags $18.5	Hell Yes Reindeer TheShayskiSho... $25
Crochet Snowflakes Chri... GetTangled $8.5	Letterpress Holiday Car... RubyPress $85	Rum and Coke Red t-shir... ShirtoftheDay $13.99	Red and White Striped ... ellebeetree $12
Red & White Polka Dot P... CoquetryCloth... $69.99	Red Fox Shoes - Fox Fac... emandsprout $28	1960s Dress - 60s Shift... concettasclos... $42	SALE Antique paper mach... Acrossthegap $5

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

'Christmas Blues' by StoneandFiber

woodsy refresher spray ... medicinegarde... $12	Sea Grass Blue Pendant ... GetGlassy $28	Blue lace full body tri... MollysPurl $260	Primitive Folk Art Blue... digiliodesign... $9
Blue Flower Earrings, C... merryalchemy $16	Hand painted Christmas ... roseymorris $20	Blue Beadwork Cuff Brac... TinksTreasure $35	10 Beautiful 3D Sapphir... MyButterflyLo... $21
2pcs 10mm Gemstone Blue... jwlrywrkroom $5	Women's Fashion Acc... ElenaRosenber... $145	Electric Blue and Gold ... DesiPillows $18	Cobalt blue Fingerless,... MioLauma $32
Sapphire blue Hand wove... mimisfunstuff $40	Antique 1940's Alka... ShoponSherman $35	Crochet Statement Neckl... ixela $35	Rare Vintage German 25x... SunshineButte... $4

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

The Life Of A Potter

This year’s show schedule was filled with disappointing sales and weather.  I did many explorations of other shows and interviewed as many artisans as I could.  There were mixed reviews which resulted in a not very clear idea of what I was experiencing.

The winter is the time I can work without deadlines except the ones self imposed.  I like that a lot.  I get to experiment, amass product and plan for the next season.  I have been firing year round with others that join me at the kiln.  The wood kiln has been put to bed until March or April. 

The pottery conference (NCECA) National Council of Educators in the Ceramic Arts provides much inspiration which lasts more than the mind can conjure.  It is held yearly.  This year it is in Milwaukee.  The conference is usually 3 or 4 days with the host city opening its galleries to pottery, sculpture and ‘all things clay’.  I can’t wait.  My friend Ken Bichell, a potter from Iowa, will be hosting a week long wood fire workshop the week before the conference.  I will definitely be there.

Hope you all have the Happiest of Holidays.  Good friends, good food, good work for the New Year.

Lynn - New Prospect Pottery

CANCELED: Howland Craft Fair

You're upset. We're upset.  But Mother Nature has spoken and she says 
STAY HOME!

We have canceled our craft fair for today.

We hope to have a make up date in 2014, we'll keep everyone posted!

You can still support us by shopping online - you can view all of our member's Etsy shops by clicking here.

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

Looks like your busy crafters are putting up one last big hurray before taking a well deserved break for the Holidays (though of course your local stores carrying the work of members of the Hudson Valley Etsy Team will be open right until Christmas for all your shopping needs - for example Karmabee in Kingston, The Treehouse in New Paltz or The Tailored Mermaid in Beacon).

This Saturday, December 14, is the Hudson Valley Etsy Team's signature Holiday Craft Fair (check the sneak peaks we've already featured on the blog). But here is one last reminder. We will be at the Howland on Main Street in Beacon, from 10AM-5PM.

Beyond The Picket Fence

Pulp Sushi

Merry Alchemy

Meerwiibli

Amber H Lynn

Knot by Gran'ma

 PS. Cherry Bomb Pop Up Shop is open again in Beacon this Holiday season and features our very own New Prospect Pottery among the talented makers that have their goods for sale there.

New Prospect Pottery

Happy shopping and Happy Holidays!