Forethought and Purpose: December 2009

Featured Artist

| Labels: Art, Children's Books, Greeting Cards, Illustration, Lori Nawyn

I'm excited and honored to be this week's featured artist on Manic's Author/Illustrator Network. Click here to view.

And the Winners Are...

| Labels: Books, Contests, Kathi Oram Peterson, LT Elliot

For the Christmas gift package that includes three of my books, Stolen Christmas, Three Angels for Christmas, and The Magic and the Miracle of Christmas, Volume two: Kathi Oram Peterson!

For the copy of Three Angels for Christmas AND an assortment of my angel cards: L.T. Elliot!

Ladies send me the address you'd like things shipped to and we'll get everything sent to you by Christmas.

Thanks to all who participated!

Finding Uses for Used Christmas Cards

| Labels: Editors, Holidays, Life, Writing, Writing for Magazines

This week I worked on an article about all the things you can make out of used Christmas cards. It was fun and I enjoyed coming up with ideas and taking photos of my creations. Some of my inspirations didn't pan out though. Here are a few that didn't make the cut:

*Festive Candle Holder - I decided I wasn't as adept as I'd hoped at designing a good candle holder that wouldn't go up in flames and set someone's house on fire the very first use.

*Decorative Toilet Paper Holder - Um, it just lost something in the translation from my brain to the actual usage...

*Holiday Boa - Too many little pieces to try and stick together.

*Seasonal Duck Call - It iced up in the cold and my lips stuck to it--anyone with shreds of old Christmas card hanging from their lips is not a pretty sight.

*Santa Pet Dish - Yeah, you're smart enough to know that won't work before you even try it. I wasn't.

All in all I was lucky to get some good ones (and that the editor bought it). What do you do with your used Christmas cards? Besides throw them away...