Wednesday, August 16, 2023

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE CRAFTS PINECONE HOLIDAY DECOR

Terry Ambrose is the author of more than twenty mysteries. His series include the Beachtown Detective Agency, the McKenna Trouble in Paradise Mysteries, the License to Lie thrillers, and the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries. Terry just released Dead Men Need No Reservations, the seventh Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website

Planning Ahead for Fall

Yes, it’s the beginning of August, but fall isnt that far away. For those who like to keep ahead of the seasons, its a good time to plan those fall decorating projects. We created this pinecone decoration for Christmas, but it could also be modified to fit the entire fall season.

 

Until a knee injury sidelined me, I walked about three miles each morning. In. the fall, I always saw lots of pinecones that had fallen onto the sidewalks or into the street. At some point, I began to gather the better specimens. After all, I reasoned, if I didnt snatch them out of the streets, they were destined to be pulverized by passing cars and would eventually wind up in the storm drain in whole or in pieces.

 

By the time November rolled around, I had about two dozen gorgeous pinecones but didnt know what to do with them. Fortunately, when I showed the collection to my wife, she told me shed seen a project on Hallmark for a Christmas pinecone decoration. A week before she was scheduled for a total knee replacement, we tackled this easy DIY decorating project, so shed have something new to look at during December.

 

If youre inclined to gather your own pinecones, this is a great time to start planning your collection strategy. Where can you go to find pinecones? How many will you need? And, best of all, how much fun can you have while youre out collecting?

 

Equipment needed: 

Oven

Baking sheet and parchment paper

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Paintbrush

Mason jar

 

Supplies needed:

Pinecones (I suggest collecting extras just to be safe)

One jar of Mod Podge

Disposable gloves

Fake snow

Faux berries, pom poms, small jingle bells, or other seasonal attachments

Wooden round (or another type of base to mount the decorations)

 

Step 1: Any pinecones collected from outside will likely have pests and should be baked at 200 degrees for about an hour. Check them every 10-15 minutes to make sure they dont burn. Youll notice that, as they bake, the pinecones will bloom’ and open up. This will help make them easier to decorate.

 

Step 2: If using fake berries, snip the berries from their stems. Break or snip the stems into smaller pieces. Set both aside.

 

Step 3: Paint the tips of the pinecones with Mod Podge to give them a snowed on’ appearance.

 

Step 4: Using the hot glue gun, carefully attach the adornments to the pinecones.

 

Step 5: Hot glue the pinecones to the base.

 

Step 6: Apply fake snow to the base around the pinecones.

 

Step 7: While the snow is still wet, place the stems from the berries onto the fake snow.

 

Thats it! Youre done. Let your creation dry for a day, then move it to its decoration location. If youd rather create a generic fall decoration, replace the snow with fake leaves and scatter them over the base. There are plenty of possibilities for this type of decoration; all you need to do is visit a local craft store and let your imagination take flight!

 

Dead Men Need No Reservations

A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, Book 7

 

A party of six guests checks into the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast, but one checks out early. Dead. 

 

The Chief of Police asks Seaside Cove B&B owner Rick Atwood to help solve the murder of Snappy Welles, a man Rick viewed as a born troublemaker. Rick quickly discovers that Snappys friends were far from friends. And all had a reason to kill him.

 

While Rick investigates with the police, his daughter Alex launches a shadow investigation. At thirteen going on thirty, Alex is gung ho to find the killer first. Rick wishes Alex would keep her nose out of police business, but her meddling is getting results. When everyones secrets and lies unravel, Rick must choose between bringing a killer to justice and saving his family.

 

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