The Best Homemade Gift Ideas Monthly Digest: free-gift-ideas-newsletter-March2009.html

by: Brenda Mullard

Table of Contents:

1. Irish or not Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2. St. Patrick's Day Trivia

3. Welcome New Subscribers

4. What's new?

5.Crafter/Artist Interview of the Month

6. Reader Recipes

Happy St. Patrick's Day, ...

1) Irish or not Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! Happy St. Patrick's Day Everybody! I say March 17th everyone should change their name to an Irish name just for fun. So who will you be? Patrick? Erin? Aisling? Conor? Aiden? Liam? Make sure you make a name tag. Don't tell anyone about the name change until they ask:0)

So what are your plans to celebrate this grand Irish holiday? I have always liked the fact that we don't have to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick's Day. I am a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage ,Shamrock shakes and green beer isn't a bad thing either.

2) St. Patrick's Day Trivia Take the quiz and see how well you do!

A) St. Patrick wasn't really Irish at all. True or False?

B)St. Patrick made Ireland's official color green. True or False?

C) What is Ireland's nickname?

D) What Irish dance became popular in America in the early century?

E) A Leprechaun is really an Irish: Shoemaker

Thief

Little Person

Magician

F) A popular Irish dish made with shredded cabbage,mashed potatoes, and melted butter is: Mulligatawny

Shepherd's Pie

Colcannon

Fairy Porridge

G) Ireland was the first country to grow potato crops in large scale.

True or False?

H)Michael Flatley made this Irish dance popular.

I) Kissing the Blarney Stone is supposed to give you what?

Moist lips

Good luck in love

Ward away shyness

Heal your warts

J) Where is it said you will find a leprahkan's pot of gold?

Answers: A)False His father was Italian and his mother was Scottish. B) False. During the time of St. Patrick the official color was blue. The color wasn't changed to green until the 19th century. C) Emerald Isle is the most common nick name, but it has also been called The Bower, Four Green Fields, and Old Sod. D) The Irish jig. E)An Irish shoe maker with a reputation of being rich but very mean. G) True H) The Irish Step Dance I) Ward away shyness, supposedly it kissing the stone will give you the gift of gab! J) At the end of the rainbow

3.Welcome New Subscribers A big welcome goes out to all of my new subscribers! This website wouldn't be worth creating if it weren't for my wonderful valued readers. Thanks for your continued support! It's great to have you here with me. I love to find out where everyone is from and what it is you create and do. Please drop me an e-mail if you get a chance. I am always looking for new artists or crafters each month for this newsletter.

4)What’s New? Please roam the St. Patrick's Day gift page for fun gift and craft ideas as well as delicious Irish recipes. I have also added more paper greeting cards to my Greeting Card Universe store. If you get a little time feel free to check that out as well. Try making some fruit flowers for Spring. Give someone this bouquet and it won't be around long!

5.Crafter/Artist Interview of the Month

My name is Linzy Kearbey, I'm 31 and live in sunny southern California. I grew up in Utah and moved to LA 10 years ago to attend school where I majored in Fashion Design. My mom would be the baking influence in my life, she ran the kitchen in our house.

2) How long have you been a cookie maker? Do you consider yourself a cookie artist? Do you decorate cookies as a full time business?

I have been a "professional" cookie maker for the past two years, I have been making these cookie my whole life though. I don't really consider myself a cookie artist, although I know a lot of people who would disagree with that. Unfortunatley I don't bake and decorate cookies full time, it was a dream of mine for a while but since the economy has slowed down, so have my cookie sales, it's just not a safe time to start up a bakery.

3)Where do you bake and decorate your cookies? Do you have a separate kitchen from your home kitchen? Are there special laws you have to follow for your state to be a cookie artist? Do you havepictures? We LOVE pictures:0)

I bake and decorate my cookies in my home, I wish I had a separate industrial kitchen I could use the extra room.

4)Where do you get all of your great cookie decorating ideas? Any favorite websites you visit often for inspiration?

I get a some of my ideas from fabric patterns and textures, but mainly all the inspiration is in my head. I browse websites here and there just to see what the competition is up too, not to copy their ideas.

5)Where do you get your cookie and frosting recipes? What type of food coloring do you use to add color to your icing?

My cookie and frosting recipe is a family recipe, they come from my grandma on my mom's side. My frosting is different from other sugar cookie companies, it is not royal icing, it's softer, creamier and delicious! I found a great food coloring gel made by Ateco, you can order it on their website at Atecousa.com, they have tons of colors to choose from and the color is so saturated the colors turn out fantastic.

6)If someone were interested in starting to decorate cookies, what bit of advice would you give them?

Cookie decorating is a lot of work, sometimes you'll wonder what you have gotten yourself into but if you have a passion for it, go for it. I had to teach myself how to decorate my cookies the way I do, if a cake decorating class is available I would reccommend taking it.

Anyone can order through my site on Etsy.com here is my direct link : http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5544398, they can email me through this site and I will get back to them as soon as possible.

8)Is there anything else you would like to share with us about you or your cookie talent?

I spend a lot of time baking and decorating each cookie, I make sure each order is perfect before placing it in it's box for shipping. It's important to me that I provide the most delicious , beautiful and unique cookies you can find, which is also why I provide a custom design service.


6)Reader Recipes This month I wanted to feature Corned Beef and Cabbage for the recipe of the month. Click here for this tradtional Saint Patricks Day meal.


7. Project of the Month Like always, if you try any gift ideas from this site or else where, We would love to hear about it. Show us pictures and tell us how it all went for you! We all learn from each other.

Do you have a talent, a passion or just know a lot about a certain subject? Do you want to learn how to make money by sharing what you know?