When you think of the coming month of December, what do you think about? Do you envision your home being full of family and friends for the holidays? Will you be thinking about presents, decorations, food, and a snow-white Christmas? I bet few if any of you will be thinking about packing boxes, selling your home, and making a major lifestyle change. As this Christmas approaches, I find myself looking back last Christmas when John, his brothers, sister, and I had to make a major life-changing decision.

Our four daughters and their spouses and children were home for Christmas last year, and this would be the last Christmas we would all spend in our 125-year-old Victorian home . . . the last time we would hear the laughter of our grandchildren as they ran up one stairs and down the other--one of their favorite things to do.

I will never forget how unhappy our grandchildren were when we told them about our impending move. How Gracie, age three, left the rest of us to find a place to cry because she thought she would never see grandma ever again. What a sweet moment she and I shared as I explained to her that this move meant we would live a half-hour closer to her home. She and I hugged, and once she was reassured and knew she would see me often, she returned to play with her cousins.

By now you must be wondering what life-changing decision John and I had to make that would require us to move, and what this has to do with business. Well, I'd like to share this with you because the lifestyle change we made involved every area of our lives, and although it was a difficult change for me, it has proven to be a blessing for all concerned. For the
rest of the story click here.

For The Rest Of The Story Click Here

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Diane Bishop's "Moose On the Loose"

Our November 1, 2006 Newsletter features Diane Bishop, one of our customers and crafting buddies. A few months ago I asked Diane if she would like to share how she creates her molded cinnamon clay Moose On The Loose ornament. Instructions for Diane's "Moose On the Loose".

Diane's Bio and Why She Uses Cinna-Minnies Cinnamon Clay

Dear Rochelle,
I was born and raised in Placerville, California 84 years ago. Too Long! My father moved about every two years and then back to Placerville again, and then the same pattern over. This gave me the ability to accept change easily. I was married and raised two daughters. My husband passed away in 1963. I worked for the County of El Dorado as Assistant Treasurer and retired after 20 years. During those 20 years I crafted and crafted, and crafted some more. You name it, and I crafted it. I believe the only thing I haven't done is knitting and crocheting.

After my retirement in 1980, I moved to Oregon. After my daughter retired from the Navy, we moved to Idaho. We sell our original handmade crafts at two craft shows a year. Each year we try to create something new and original. I came across your website and decided to give your cinnamon clay a try. It is the most appealing craft I have ever worked with. Our craft show booth is the most fragrant. The cinnamon fragrance of the cut-out and molded ornaments seems to last forever!

The largest show that we exhibit our crafts at is the Disabled American Veterans the first week in December. Our business name is The Mouse House. Blessings to all, and enjoy your experience with the Cinnamon Clay-you will love working with it. Diane

Diane and Her Maltese Kassie

The instructions she has shared are generic, giving you creative freedom to use whatever mold you wish. You will find her instructions easy to follow and great fun. To Download Our Free Craft Project Click Here

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A December Newsletter Tease !

The December Newsletter we'll share our special Christmas traditions with you and a few of our recipes that two of our daughters created for Christmas. Yum for the tum is all I will say for now.

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