Pretty jam labels... win a crafting die!

What's better than a free giveaway?

A giveaway and an idea for easy make ahead Christmas gifts on a shoestring.

Today's your lucky day! Click right here to enter to win the die for the pretty paper above in the Spellbinders Paper Arts' Designer Favorites blog hop giveaway.

Every summer my garden and the Farmers Market tempt me to make Christmas gifts ahead of time.

The jams taste of sunshine, the sweetest of fruits and pure love.

 

Those gorgeous jams deserve a lovely label, don't they?

I used my design for a lacy little leafy heart from Spellbinders Paper Arts.

The how to couldn't be simpler.

You just cut the die from the paper of your choice

Write the name of the preserve on the heart shape center, then gently shape the paper into a slight curve so it conforms to the shape of your jar.

Glue to the front of the jar, add a little ribbon or paper cuff to the ring, and you're good to go.

Pour yourself a glass of iced tea and sip in the shade. Pat yourself on the back.

You, my friend, have Christmas gifts in the bag already.

Summer in a jar is going to be pretty wonderful in the middle of winter!

 

Sweet!

Want to see more summer fun using designer dies from Spellbinders?
Hop on over to Marisa Job's blog and see her pretty giveaway.
Click the link here to enter. Good luck!

England's green pastures

 England's green pastures and fields are charmingly filled with sheep and cattle.

Blissful as lambs, we lingered by the pastures and walked slowly past the sheep clustered in the hills.

Walking in the English Cotswolds

It's always been my dream to wander in England, free as a bird, sketchbook in hand and camera hanging around my neck.

Maybe you've had the same wish.

Come wander the Cotswolds villages and footpaths through my eyes.

 

You can walk miles and miles on the public footpaths,

visiting with gardeners, taking shelter from rain in the pubs,

and eating scones washed down with endless cups of tea.

This delightful manor house lies between the villages of Chipping Campden and Lower Slaughter.
Wouldn't you love to peek inside?
Even the little fence beside the tree is done with such care.

The public footpaths draw you down past farmhouses and fields of sheep,
past pubs that are almost irresistible in even the tiniest villages.

How can I walk by without tasting the shepherd's pie or the Sunday roast?
One stops. One eats. One walks on.

 

And one makes little pieces of art to remember the journey.