Paper Treats

Ho Ho Ho banner

2011-12-20T21:33:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick little banner that I made for a secret santa swap. The letters are from my Plantin Schoolbook and the snowflake border is from my new Martha Stewart punch. And my favorite white Uniball pen, and some American Craft plaid ribbon finish it out! Happy crafting!Pin It

Merry Christmas-My digital card

2011-12-19T21:04:00.001-06:00

Wow! Can you believe that Christmas is almost here?!? I usually make paper cards to send out with a family picture, but time was a factor this year. Between making presents, work, and all the holiday hustle and bustle, I had to give up making hand made paper cards. I was looking at some of the pre-made templates, and I decided that I could make something just a cute with Photoshop and some digi scrapbook paper. I found an awesome site for digi scrappers , Design House Digital. They have some awesome kits, and the free kits are just as nice. I love the fact that I can use these digi papers over and over. It's not as hard to make a card with Photoshop, but it does take a little to get used to. I checked out some YouTube tutorials to refresh my memory. And I got a lot of compliments on my card. Although, it just may be my cute little guys in the picture that everyone likes!!Merry Christmas to you all!! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a very crafty new year!! Happy crafting!!Pin It

2011-11-01T19:19:00.001-05:00

Yeah!! I finally figured out what was wrong with my layout!! Stupid HTML codes, lol!!!!I am working on a couple of projects this week. I need to start my Christmas cards, and I still have some handmade gifts to start/finish. What are you working on this week? Any gifts you are making? Happy crafting!

2011-10-25T20:23:00.001-05:00

I am not sure what is up with my blog layout, but I am trying to fix it!! Anyone else having this problem???? Very annoying!!I am also having a problem with my mojo!! Trying to do anything with paper right now just doesn't feel right to me. I haven't gotten out a single piece of paper in months. I have been sewing, embroidering, and crocheting. (Baby beanies, burp cloths, bibs, headbands!) I know that my interests go in circles, but I haven't ever gone this long without scrapping something. Hopefully I will be back to it soon. In the mean time, I will add some pages so I can post what I have been doing. Who knows, it may lead to a new blog, new title, new everything!! Sometimes change is good! Thank you for hanging with me during my last few posts. And if you see my mojo, please send it back to me! Happy crafting!

2011-10-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

A couple of months ago, I made a birthday book for a friend. I loved the BoBunny so much, I saved the smallest pieces of scraps. The September challenge at Scrap Our Stash was to do a project with a grid. Since most of the scraps that I saved were too small for most projects, this was a great use for my scraps. I painted a canvas the same pink that is in my craft room. And then I glued my scraps into a grid pattern. The M is cut from my Lyrical Letters Cricut cartridge. I added a couple of coats of Modge Podge to protect it. These colors match my craft room really well, and it looks great hanging in there. Happy crafting!

Working on projects for my 25 Days of {homemade} Christmas gifts.

2011-09-10T13:08:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that it's almost time to start making some homemade Christmas gifts! Last year's projects were so much fun to make and I have started planning for this year. There will be some new projects this year, and some returning from last year. If there is anything that you would like to see made this year, or any tutorials for certain projects, please let me know! I would love to work on some stuff that my readers are interested in!!

I hope to also post 13 Days of Halloween projects. I have the some new DCWV halloween paper that I am looking forward to using!

That's what is on my to-do list right now. Maybe I should go get started!! Happy crafting!

Halloween Blocks

2011-09-01T09:36:00.007-05:00

Here is another project that I finished up for a birthday gift. Halloween blocks! I loved how these turned out and I think that I need to make a set for myself!! I started with some blocks that my husband cut for me. Some of the craft stores carry wooden blocks, but you may not find the exact size that you want. Then I sanded and painted them black. After the paint dried, I sanded the edges a little to distress it. I used Modge Podge to glue some paper on the front of the blocks. The paper was from a Halloween kit that I bought from Target a couple of years ago! I sprayed some Glimmer Mist on the paper before I added the embellishments. The rub-ons are part of the Target kit. Most of the die cuts and letters are cut from the Happy Hauntings Cricut cartridge. For the skull, I used Indie Art. To protect the rub-ons and the die cuts, I covered the front in a couple of coats of Modge Podge. These blocks are cute and easy to make. You can make them for any holiday or even your last name. I think that they would look cute on the mantle!

Altered Can

2011-08-31T15:34:00.004-05:00

I altered this can for a swap on the Cricut Messageboard. I had signed up for it because I made one during my 25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts. I had a lot of fun making it, and filling it with all kinds of little goodies. I used some scraps of Making Memories spring line. And that gave me a lot of color choices for the flowers. For the flower centers, I used some bling and a clear epoxy circle. The punch is from Martha Stewart. I added ribbon the pull tab on the top. If you would like to see the instructions on how I made this, click here!I hope that my swap partner enjoyed it! And this fun little project may show up again on this year's 25 Days of Christmas!Happy crafting!

My Layout was featured on the Scrapbooks, Etc Facebook page!!

2011-08-29T12:27:00.003-05:00

So this morning, I get home and check out Facebook. I was just scrolling down, and catching up on, and then something catches my eye. I look at a picture and I think to myself "that looks like my layout." I look a little closer and I realize that it IS my layout!!! One that I had posted in the Scapbooks, ETC gallery a while back. But there is my 22 Days layout as their Monday Morning Scrapper Spotlight! You can check out their Facebook page here. I originally did this layout for a Scrap Our Stash Challenge. It was to do "THAT" layout. One that you had been putting off or couldn't finish. When these pictures of my twins were taken, it was a tough time. We knew they would be in the NICU, but you always worry how they will do. And for 22 days, we did. These pictures always reminded me of that. So I decided to scrap these pictures. I loved how it turned out, and it has become one of my favorites from this year. I am so very excited that Scrapbooks Etc. featured it and said such nice things about my layout! I knew there was a reason that they were my favorite scrapbook magazine!!! Happy crafting!

Back to school!

2011-08-18T12:34:00.002-05:00

Hi all! I just wanted to write a quick note to let you all know that I am still here and still creating! I have been busy over the summer, well, a little busy and a little lazy!! The boys and I had a fun filled summer and we tried to just enjoy it and go with the flow! Now that school is back in session for us, I am hoping to get back to the craft room and make up for lost time! I just finished up a can swap, (those pictures still need to be uploaded!) And two more projects are on my work desk right now!

I have recently started pinning on Pinterest and I have a ton of projects that I want to do!! If you haven't been on Pinterest, be careful, it's very addictive! It's very good for my creativity, no so good for my productivity!!

I also just got a new MacBook Pro. I am still learning how to get everything loaded onto my computer and use it! Everyone says that Photoshop on a Mac is wonderful. I haven't gotten that far yet!

I also am now a licensed Zumba instructor!! Besides crafting, it's my other passion in life!

So that's some of the stuff that has been going on here! I hope your summer was as fun as ours! Happy crafting!

Cubs- Layout-17

2011-07-26T13:40:00.006-05:00

Since my oldest son played for the Cubs this spring, this month's challenge at Scrap Our Stash was perfect for scrapping his baseball photos!

I cut the strips of paper from scraps from his last baseball layout that I did, plus an old scrap of paper that was from a 4th of July collection. I machine stiched around the edges with some red thread. I used some Cuttlebug embossing folders to make the stars and then just fussy cut around the embossing. The title is cut from the Cricut cartridge, Sans Serif. I added some red staples, and some red and blue brads to finish the page.

This summer has been crazy busy for us, so I hope to catch up on some layouts My boys will be going back to school soon, so maybe I can get back to posting on a regular basis! I have alot of projects that I need to get started on! Happy crafting!

Birthday calendar/book.

2011-07-07T17:20:00.003-05:00

Here is a project that I made for my friend Crystal. I made her a perpetual birthday calendar/book. I used some of my favorite paper, the BoBunny Petal Pushers line. I love this paper with all the wonderful colors. And since Crystal loves polka dots, I was able to use lots of the BoBunny dotted papers too. I also was able to use alot of my favorite embellishments on the pages too. Lots of beads, and an altered bottle cap, paperclip, and scrabble tile!

This book measures 4x9, so I could get three pages from each 12 x 12 sheet of paper. I used most of the scraps for the title pages. And what I had left over, I am using to make a badge holder album. Look for that post soon! Happy crafting!

Artists- Layout 16

2011-06-28T21:00:00.003-05:00

When I first saw that the June Challenge at Scrap Our Stash, was to use something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, I thought "I've got this!" But boy was I wrong! I had the hardest time finishing this challenge. I changed pictures two or three times, pulled apart a layout, and then redid it all! I decided to just go with what I have finished, but I may mess with it some more later!
My something old is the Lime Rickey papers by Basic Grey. Something new is the baker's twine that I received as a RAK. Something borrowed is the layout. I found a sketch in an older CK magazine to follow. Something blue is my background, Glimmer Mist, and ink.

Next month's challenge is to use the colors red, white, and blue. Hopefully that will be a little easier! Happy crafting!

Quick and Easy Father's Day card

2011-06-15T14:40:00.003-05:00

I made this card late last night, thinking that I needed to go ahead and make my dad a card so I can mail it to him. I am not usually a card maker, especially masculine ones. So I stuck with safe colors and a simple design. I used Street Sign for the letters and the printed paper is from Hobby Lobby. You can't see it in the picture, but the edges are distressed. I outlined the card and added some brads before I attached the card front. Easy peasy! Happy crafting!

Copic markers are buy 3 get one free at A Cherry On Top!

2011-06-10T14:18:00.002-05:00

If you have an addiction to those little markers, this is a good deal! Buy 3 at $6.49 and get one free of equal or lesser value. They have the regular markers, sketch, Ciao, and the wide markers. To save on shipping, buy some other goodies while you are there, lol!! Promo code is Copic. You can check it out at A Cherry On Top! I hope to get a chance to go through the colors and pick up some that my local stores don't carry! Happy crafting!

Projects that are on my desk!

2011-06-08T20:32:00.002-05:00

Whew! After a week on vacation, it's taken me a week to get back into the swing of things.

Here is what should be coming up soon for you.

This month's challenge at Scrap Your Stash is to use "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." It doesn't have to be wedding, or you don't have to use all the "somethings". If you would like to use up some of your stash and play along, check it out at Scrap Your Stash

Also my friend Caitlynsmommy (from the Cricut Messageboard) has a birthday this month, so her project is on my desk and almost finished! I can't wait to share this one with you. It is a first for me.

Caitlynsmommy also inspired me to make a badge holder mini book. She started a swap and I thought "Now why didn't I think of that!!" So I headed to Hobby Lobby and found some badge holders. A few scraps and it's almost finished too! I just need a theme to go with it!

And since I just got back from vacation, I have over 200 photos to scrap! I took lots of photos of the boys and I can't wait to show you some of the great photos my new Nikon took!

Ok, lots to get to! Happy crafting!

Mother's Day Brunch-Layout # 15

2011-05-24T08:30:00.006-05:00

Here is my layout for the May Flower Challenge at Scrap Our Stash. I used up a few of my printed paper scraps as the background. I originally made this layout to submit in another challenge for National Scrapbook Day. I really liked the layout, but the subject was not about something that I wanted to put in my scrapbook, (what would you do if you won the lottery). So I took it apart and re-worked it with the picture of me and my twins at their pre-schools Mother's Day Brunch.

I made the crepe paper flower white and then sprayed it with my lime green glimmer mist.
I was also able to use up some flowers, pins, and brads that I had gotten in some swaps!

I will definately put this one in my scrapbook. Happy crafting!

Make your own bakers twine!

2011-05-18T12:27:00.001-05:00

Baker's twine is showing up in everything lately, but it's hard to find and it's not very cheap! I wish that I could say that this was all my idea, because I love that I can make it with stuff on hand. But I saw a video on YouTube by UKmaryanne and followed her directions.

First start by protecting your ruler. I wrapped mine with a piece of cardstock and then taped it off. Next take some white cotton yarn and wrap it around your ruler and slide it together but don't let it overlap. Use your Copic, ProMarker, Prismacolor, or another marker to make lines on the yarn. I tried a Sharpie, but it didn't put out enough ink to soak through to the other side of the yarn. My Copic worked great.

Once it's dry, unwind it and it's all done! It's not a perfect match, but I love the fact that it's free! Happy crafting!

Game Day- Layout 14

2011-05-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

I had so much fun over the weekend at A Cherry On Top! They had sooo many challenges, twenty to be exact, classes, games, and lots and lots of awesome layouts uploaded into their galleries! I was able to complete the drink carrier class, one fast scrap challenge, and two layout challenges in between playing games, baseball games, and Mother's Day activities!

I finished this one for Challenge #5, use all caps for your title. A pretty easy one, and since I was inspired to use these pictures, I had to make them fit into a challenge and this was the easiest to do.

My oldest son received the game ball on opening day. And one of my favorite kinds of photos to take is one with a small aperture, a small depth of field. I had my son hold out the baseball so it is in focus and he is blurry along with about fifty other people in the background! Once I saw the photo, it went straight to the top of my "to scrap" pile!!

I used some Fouth of July papers since I didn't really have any Cubs stuff, but it works and I was able to use up some of my stash! The baseball die cut might look familiar. I had a couple left over from the baseball goodie bags that I made for opening day, so I used it on the layout. I have some more great pictures from ball season, so I am sure you will see more of these colors! Happy crafting!

Altered Drink carrier-NSD project!

2011-05-07T12:09:00.004-05:00

My first National Scrapbook Day project. I altered a drink carrier into a tool caddy. I used my leftover paper from last month's counterfeit kit. If you would like to view the tutorial from A Cherry On Top, here is the link. Happy crafting!

National Scrapbook Day!

2011-05-06T12:33:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day. I will be celebrating at A Cherry On Top They have contests, online crops, challenges, prizes, and a sale going on all weekend. What more could you ask for?!? Hope you will stop by and check it out! Happy National Scrapbook Day and happy crafting!

T-Shirt beach bag!!!

2011-05-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

I have been so excited to share this project with you!

This bag started out as a $3 shirt that I found at the Goodwill. I loved this shirt when I found it, but it was not the right size for my boys. It is an Aeropostale shirt that was in great shape for a used white shirt! I bought it not knowing what I would do with it. But I quickly decided that I needed to turn it into a bag.

Since knit would stretch too much if I put anything inside it, I picked out a cute yellow polka dot material to line the inside. Originally the print on the shirt was way up on the neck, so after I added some bamboo handles, it was a little higher up than I would have like to have it. I should have added some extra fabric to the top so the design would be lower, but I didn't think about that until after it was finished. I cut out the Aeropostale out of the shirt and made it into a tag inside the purse.

Since then, I have found a Lucky brand shirt and a couple of others that I plan to make into more bags. I may list this one on Etsy, but I'm not sure I can give it up! Happy crafting!

Happy Mother's Day, a little early!

2011-05-02T10:57:00.004-05:00

Whew! What a busy week it's been! We had a baseball tournament, a birthday party complete with some house guests, and a going away party. I feel like I can finally sit down again!

On Wednesday, after a horrible day of storms and tornado warning, I got a wonderful surprise from my husband, an early Mother's day gift. Normally he would NEVER let me open a present early, but with the birthday party this weekend, he knew that I would want to use it!

So here it is....my new Nikon D5100!! I love the features on this camera and I am quickly learning how to use it. I took a ton of photos at the party and just random shots all weekend and I can't wait to look through them and see how they turned out! Hopefuly I will have some to post soon. I have a couple of projects to post too, so look for those in the next couple of days! Happy crafting!

Suntanned toes Layout 13

2011-04-22T08:03:00.004-05:00

One last layout for you before a few days off to celebrate Easter!

This layout was for two challenges, the April Bring in the Sun challenge at Scrap Our Stash, and the Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

Everything I used on this layout was from my conterfeit kit. One thing that I was worried about was that all my layouts from my kit would look too similar for my liking. But with all the paper that I added, it was easy to leave some colors out of my last layout to make them look different enough.

For the Scrap Our Stash challenge, we had to use something with sun. I have very few pictures of me at the beach, but I had this one of my feet in the sand. I couldn't help but to think of the start of Kenny Chesney's song, When The Sun Goes Down.

Suntanned toes, tickling the sand.
cold drink chillin' in my right hand.....

Perfect for my picture!

I decided to layer lots of embellies from my kit. And the title is cut from the Don Juan Cricut cartridge.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter! I will see you next week! Happy crafting

Goodbye Glasses Layout 12-Counterfeit Kit Challenge

2011-04-20T16:38:00.002-05:00

This is one of the layouts from my counterfeit kit, about my Lasik. My hubby took the picture of me with the creepy looking eye sheilds that I had to wear the first few night. I didn't think about doing a layout until I saw his picture. I had a long list of doctor's orders and lots of eye drops too. And of course, I couldn't forget a picture of my calendar!!

Most of this was from my kit, but I added a couple of scraps of Echo Park paper. The black glitter stickers are from Basic Grey and the transparency is from Colorbok.

I've got one more layout finished, so look for that in a couple of days! Happy crafting!

Card and gift tag-Counterfeit kit challenge

2011-04-14T16:53:00.006-05:00

I have enjoyed getting to work with my counterfeit kit! I made a layout (you will have to wait to see that one!) and this card along with a gift tag. My friends baby shower was this past weekend, so I decided to use the kit to make her a card, burp cloths, and a tag.

Check back in a few days to see some more projects with my counterfeit kit! Happy crafting!

Baseball Opening Day Goodie Bags

2011-04-11T10:51:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

These are the goodie bags that I made for my son's baseball team on opening day. I wish I could say that this was my idea, but I saw Shea's bag on the Cricut Messageboard. (She added a wrapped bar of Fels Naptha soap to wash pants in, but I left that out.) The baseballs are cut at 4 inches from the Baseball Solutions cart. All the names were cut from Street Sign. I put all the baseball essentials in the bag too, sunflower seeds, bubble gum, and Gatorade. The Coach asked the boys to save the tags so they could use them for batting order. I didn't expect that otherwise I would have made them a little stronger, or had them laminated. I thought that something special would be nice to celebrate opening day. Happy crafting!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge-1

2011-04-06T11:05:00.004-05:00

I have been lurking around the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog for the last couple of months. I wanted to play along, but just never did. When I saw the inspiration kit from Front Porch Kits, I knew that I wanted to play along this month !! Take a look at these wonderful colors and embellies!!

You can check out the website atFrontporchkits.com

TheCounterfeit Kit Challenge Blog , challenges you to put a kit together from your stash and see what you can come up with! Here is my first Counterfeit Kit:

Here are a few of the things that made it into my kit:

Heidi Swapp, DCWV, BoBunny paper
American Crafts and Ribbon Trends ribbon, pom-pom and lace trims, flower trim
Acrylic birds
Prima and PaperStudio flowers
Black, teal, and yellow yarn
fabric swatches
Pink Paislee and Maya Road rubons
chipboard alphas, flowers, and tree
Maya Road mega bottlecaps, and a PaperStudio black bottlecap
Buttons by BoBunny, American Crafts,
Brads by PaperStudio
Flower center brads by PaperStudio
Black, cream, white, yellow, teal, and kraft cardstock

I also plan to use my Cricut, Glimmer Mist, Stickles, and glitter.

So now that I have this massive kit all pulled together, I better get started doing something with it! The challenge runs all month and the goal is to make as many projects as you can with your kit! I can't wait! Happy crafting!

My favorite picture~Remember to back up your photos!!

2011-04-01T16:49:00.002-05:00

Here is one of my favorite photos of last month. I got this shot while the lights were out and everyone was singing happy birthday to them. I love that you can only see his face and cake.

Don't forget to back up your photos!

Happy crafting!

Create Banner

2011-03-28T11:17:00.002-05:00

When I found out about the March Dust It Off Challenge at Scrap Our Stash, my first thought was to use my Fasenator, but I thought that I had given it away long ago. So I was going through my "old stuff" box to see see what I could use, and guess what? I found my Fasenator! Now what was I going to do with it?

I was making a banner as a gift in a swap. So I used the Fasenator as the way to attach the banner together. I had some of the decorative staples and just slid the ribbon under each side and tied knots. I learned alot about my Fasenator, and it has since earned it's spot back on my tool shelf! I'm not so sure it won't get dusty again though!

I used my Cricut Storybook cartridge for the letters and used my Gypsy to alter some of the shapes for the letter backings. Both the hot pink ribbon and the light pink scalloped oval were distressed with my mini mister filled with water and then scrunched up. I inked around the edges with Close to My Heart Bubblegum stamp pad.

If you would like to take the March Challenge. See all the details HERE!

Charm packaging

2011-03-25T23:23:00.005-05:00

You may remember my vintage and rock princess chunky charms a couple of weeks ago. Well, they are packaged up and heading to the swap hostess. One of the requirements of the swap, was to make a cute presentation of the charms. Pretty packaging. I wasn't sure how to do that, but this is what I came up with.

My Rock Princess charms are on some DCWV Rockstar paper that I have had forever and wasn't sure what to do with. It has hot pink foil lips on it!. I added a skull from Indie Art. I used an Inkadinkadoo stamp and stapled it over the charm to help hold it in place. To finish it, I added some black, shimmery ribbon.

The vintage charms are on paper by Karen Foster. I hand cut paper flowers out of some old book pages and added a Prima flower to the top of it. The brads were gold, but I scratched them up with some sandpaper and used brown Staz-On ink to make them fit in with the vintage theme. Brown velvet ribbon is stapled across the charm.

I had just as much fun making the packaging, as I did the charms. I hope you will try some too! Happy crafting!

What else have I been making charms for?

2011-03-24T15:31:00.006-05:00

I have just finished up these altered Rolodex cards for a swap, my first time altering them! Since I have made so many charms lately and have extra beads everywhere, I wanted to be able to add some to my layouts and projects. I decided to make some small charms and add them to my paper clips!

Such an easy way to add some unexpected bling when a stick pin may not work!

I used some old book pages, Distress Ink, swirl background stamp, and some very yummy paper from the Basic Grey Hopscotch line. I also cut some crete paper streamers in half with decorative scissors to make the ribbon. To finish off the paper clip, I tied some Martha Stewart ribbon, and added a Prima flower. I left the tab blank so each person could add their own label.

I am super excited about using these charmed out paper clips in some layouts of mine!
Happy crafting!!

Learning to use my Copics and Prismacolors

2011-03-18T08:39:00.004-05:00

The first thing I found out about my Copics and Prismacolors, is that I need alot more colors! When you only have about 14 colors you can't blend and shade as well as you could if you had a light, medium, and dark shade of the same color. I did however, find out that on some of the darker colors, that I could use my gray Prismacolors to darken it up.

This was the first couple of times using my Copics and Prismacolors to color my one and only Tilda stamp, (isn't she cute!) Her hair looks a little flat, but it does have some shading that didn't show up on the pictures. Like I said, I need some more browns and skin colors!!

If you havnen't tried Copics or Prismas, then DON'T!!! They are addictive!! And then you have to have all of these cute stamps to go with it! I didn't know that there were so many cute stamps out there!

I hope to learn how to use these a little better, so you may see Tilda show up again! Well, that's it until next week. I am off to have my Lasik procedure this afternoon, so no getting on the computer for a couple of days. Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Check out this blog candy!!!

2011-03-14T22:57:00.002-05:00

The Crafts Meow Store is having a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful giveaway!! A 72 count set of Copic Ciao's!! Since my collection of Copics is pretty small, I would love to win all of these!!

Stop by and check out her previews of stamps, kits, and all her other goodies!!

Happy crafting!

My two cents worth.- ProvoCraft v. third party software

2011-03-13T10:30:00.004-05:00

I must say that I am disappointed with ProvoCraft at the moment.

For the last year or so, they have been going after third party software that allows you to cut out true type fonts, or other images with your Cricut or other machine. They have reached a settlement that Make the Cut will disable the 600 or so copies of the program that allowed users to back up the cartridges that they already owned. They also have to destroy the Design Studio's source code that allowed them to create the program. This means that they can no longer issue updates. And ProvoCraft will probably issue an update for their machines that will block all third party software.

Here is where my two cents comes in:

I bought my Cricut years ago, when it was the first machine of it's kind. So by the time all the other machines came out, I had already invested a lot of money in cartridges, mats, etc. and couldn't switch to a different machine.

I have a copy of Make the Cut, and about the only thing that I have ever cut from it is true type fonts. Provo Craft has released very few font cartridges that I like. With the hundreds of fonts on my computer, I had just about every font that I wanted to cut out.

I have still purchased cartridges from Cricut. I have alot that I bought because it is much easier to use the cartridge for a shape that has a ton of parts, like the Toy Story characters. I have never used it to copy and cut a Cricut image.

Design Studio was a waste of my $35. It does nothing but allow you to weld your shapes together, no shadow function, no where near the features of Make the Cut.

I have not updated my Cricut since they filed the lawsuit and I probably will not since I am no longer interested in supporting Provo Craft by buying anymore cartridges. I understand why they filed the lawsuit, but I don't understand why they didn't buy the software and sell it under the ProvoCraft name. It is a much better program and it would have made alot of their customers happy. It seems to be the normal thing for ProvoCraft to release a product full of issues, never fix them, and then move on to the next thing. So many people had issues with the promises of Design Studio, and then the Gypsy, and now the Imagine. Now they are making those same promises with Cricut Craft Room and we just don't believe them. And just this week they announced that cartridge prices were going up. I just can't believe that they think $89.99 for a cartridge is reasonable let alone another $10-$27?

I think that my love for all things Cricut has faded. I hope to sell one of my Expressions, and buy an E-craft or a Cougar which have supported the third party software. I honestly will never sell all my Cricut stuff, I have way too much invested in it. But I can't take anymore girly, whimsy, and other images that I just don't want. If ProvoCraft would have listened to what we wanted and come through with that, alot of us from the message board wouldn't be ready to give up on them. But that is where alot of us are. We want to create how we want to, and be able to make the decision on how to use the macines that we purchased. I will be using my Cricut today, and I will enjoy it.......as it is! Happy crafting!

PS-You can read the lawsuit against SCAL here

Your thoughts and comments on this are welcomed!

Altered journal

2011-03-07T16:27:00.004-06:00

Can you believe that this journal was out of the dollar bin at Michael's? I wanted a journal that I could make and hang a chunky charm on. Since it had red polka dots on the inside, I used some of my Basic Grey Scarlet Letter paper. I used Modge Podge to glue down the paper on the cover. The edges are painted black along with the back cover, and then sealed with a coat of Modge Podge. I was also able to use my new Copics!! I stamped the butterfly image and used my copics to color and blend around the butterfly. I added a larger black circle behind it and then rolled the edges inward. I used some hot glue to add the ribbon, Glossy Accents to make sure that the bling stayed on, and then of course, that cute chunky charm! And it's all done! Not bad for a half days work. Happy crafting!

Tiger Rank-Layout 11

2011-03-06T11:00:00.000-06:00

You know I love how my little guy looks in a uniform, and I have the pictures to prove it! These are pictures of when he first started Cub Scouts and when he earned his Tiger Badge. I needed a quick layout for the Cub Scout banquet a few weeks ago. I saw a layout by Joni on Scrap Our Stash here. She did her paper strips the same way, and I loved it! I used my American Crafts letter stickers and my EK Success punch. This picture is not the best, the paper kept curling up. I like how the page turned out and it's one more page done for the year! Happy Crafting!

Rock Princess Chunky Charms!

2011-03-04T08:49:00.005-06:00

I told you I was in love with these little things! This is the charms that I made for the Creator's Choice group in my swap. I decided on a "rock princess" theme, kind of girlie and funky. I had alot of black and pink beads, (and this is one of my favorite color combos!) so I went with what I had! I added a button and a rose shaped bead. I made bottlecap charms with Pink Paislee rub-ons and added them. It makes a very cool sound when it's dangling! Now I need to make something to package them in, so for now it's back to my paper stash! Tomorrow I have a new layout to share with you. Happy crafting!

Toy Story birthday decorations!

2011-03-02T13:02:00.007-06:00

I was so busy last week that I took a few days off to catch my breath! But I am back and thought that I would share with you one of the reasons why I was sooooo busy! I just had a week to get all this done, so I worked on it every chance I got.

The twins have been into Toy Story for a while, so I bought this cartridge just for their birthday party.

I had planned on making a birthday banner, but changed it to a centerpiece because the place where we had their party, wouldn't let us hang stuff on the walls. Most of the characters are cut out at six inches with med pressure and high speed so I was able to cut that small. I rubbed the back of the cuts with sand paper so they would pop out cleanly. But at this size, most of these characters were such a pain!! I put them on skewer sticks and filled the paint can up with styrofoam. I covered all that up with some shredded paper.

I loved the alien so much that I decided to add him to the front of the goodie bags. I printed out a message to add to the front of the bag using the Gilbert Ultra Bold font. It looks just like the Toy Story font and you can download it for free.

The cakes were a hit too! Although I decided to go the easy way and order these cakes from Sam's club. These were perfect! Easy to serve the kids the cupcakes, but we had plenty of room for candles!

So now I am finished with the Toy Story party and we are moving on to my oldest son's party, Easter, Pinewood Derby, swaps, design team projects, gifts..........oh my! I guess I will have lots of projects to share with you!!! Happy crafting!

Oh my, I'm in love!-Vintage Chunky Charms

2011-02-21T20:09:00.004-06:00

I am not sure why I joined a chunky charm swap on the Cricut message boards. I have never made one before. But now I must say that I am in love with these charms! I have thought about adding one of these to my purse, my keychain, and of course my scrapbooks. Maybe even just letting them hang around my craft room!

The theme for this group was vintage. I used some charms with a antiqued brass finish and some things that make me think old; A skeleton key, fancy bird, filigree heart, a reproduction of a vintage button, pink, green, and milk glass. I may add some ribbon to them, just to dress up the top a bit. Now on to the next group, which was creator's choice. I can't wait to see how those turn out! Happy crafting!

Remember that sneak peek?-canvas with flowers

2011-02-19T09:13:00.005-06:00

Now that my friend has opened her birthday present, I can share my project with you. I painted the canvas, then I added the flowers that I had made. I hand cut the flowers and used pastels to give them a little bit of color. I used Glossy Accents to attach them to the canvas. I have been trying to get a video recorded to show you how, but I am a little behind since all my other projects have taken over!! I will get it done though!! Happy crafting!

Happy Valentine's Day- Cupcake Wrappers

2011-02-14T11:26:00.005-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! Here's a sweet treat for you! These cute Hugs & Kisses cupcake wrappers made from the Cricut Cartridge, Cupcake wrappers!! My SIL picked this one out for me for Christmas and I am just now getting to use it! I made these for the twins' party, and a few extra to enjoy here at home! They are cut at 8 inches using the Fit to Length feature on my Cricut. Don't overfill the cupcake batter or they won't fit down in the wrapper. I found out the hard way! Happy crafting!!

Altered Mailboxes

2011-02-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! I have loved these little mailboxes for years, but I was always too late to get them out of the dollar bins at Target. Not this year!! I just so happened to be there on the first day they put some out, and I bought one for each of my kids. I decided that I needed a couple of more, so I went back just a couple of days later, and they were already gone!

All of the printed paper and some of the cut-outs are from the We R Memory Keepers Be My Valentine kit. I had to use some Wonder Tape to attach the paper to the mailbox. My flag could not be removed. So to get the paper around it, I marked where the flag base was, and punched a couple of holes in my paper. Then I cut a slit from the side of the paper to the hole. You should be able to slide the flag through the slit and then glue the paper around it.

I also used my EK Success Slimline punch and a heart punch. The letters are cut from my Lyrical Letters cartridge. Happy crafting!!

Valentine Suckers

2011-02-11T12:44:00.005-06:00

With so many projects to finish, I decided that it might be better to skip making the Valentine's Day goodie bags. I thought making these super easy sucker toppers would be faster and be just as cute! The stamps are both from the dollar bin at Michael's and the punched out hearts are from the same punch, I just used both parts! I had to use some heavy duty glue to get it to stick to the wrapper, but it worked. I would have liked to made cute cut-out characters for the kids, but time was just not on my side!! Now on to the next project!! Happy crafting!!

AAAAHHHH!!! Why do I do this to myself?!?!

2011-02-10T21:36:00.002-06:00

I am up to my eyeballs in Valentine's Day projects and birthday party stuff!!! I even packed it up and took cupcake wrappers to the scout meeting tonight!! And now I am adding a cake and centerpiece to the mix?!? What was I thinking?! Here is the list of projects that I am working on right now:

Cupcake wrappers
Valentine goodie bags
Cupcakes for Valentines Day party
alter mailboxes x 2
buy goodies to put in the mailboxes for my boys
Birthday party goodie bags
Cake topper x 2
birthday banner
Cake for scout banquet
centerpiece parts for the table at the scout banquet
Chunky charm swap-I can't WAIT to show you these!!

I am probably forgetting some stuff too....

Oh my word!! If you don't hear from me in the next few days, please call someone to come find me in my craft room under a bunch of scrap paper, glue dots, and glitter!!
Happy crafting!

Jump In-Layout #10

2011-02-09T20:45:00.004-06:00

Jump In-Doesn't the water look nice? Especially since it is 20 degrees outside and there's snow on the ground!! Me and the boys went with the Cub Scout's to the local indoor pool last month on another cold winter day. They had tons of fun and it was nice to get out of the house for some playtime after being couped up for a while!!

I made this layout for the Plagerize This challenge at Scrap Our Stash. I took my two favorite parts of the layout and used them on mine. I liked the title and the horizontal strip across her layout. I couldn't bring myself to scrap snow pictures though!!! I also used some of my Midnight Blue Glimmer Mist. I sprayed it right on my paper, but I also used an old painting trick. I sprayed some on my craft mat and dipped an old toothbrush in it. Then just rubbed my finger across the bristles to add extra spray where I wanted it. Beware though, my fingers are still blue after two days!! I also used my Fiskars punch, Tiny Attacher, and American Crafts letter stickers. I am going to keep this one out to help me remember that warmer days will be here soon!!! Happy crafting!

Cupcake Wrappers-From Skip to My Lou

2011-02-09T08:12:00.004-06:00

Look at these adorable cupcake wrappers that you don't even have to own a Cricut (or that elusive Cupcake Wrapper Cart!) to make!! Skip To My Lou posted these on her wonderful site this morning. Just click the link for the download and directions. If I hadn't already started making some with my Cricut, I would use these cuties!! Happy crafting!

Sneak Peek-Flowers!

2011-02-07T09:14:00.003-06:00

I have been so excited to share this project with you, but I can't just yet! It is part of a gift that I am sending out this week. But I did want to show you these great flowers that I made from old book pages. Before you start flaming me for using up an old book, I made sure that it wasn't worth anything, and I rescued it from the Goodwill for $2. It has been upcycled into a few projects already. This isn't my early 1900's copy of The Jungle Book or anything. So I decided to turn this one into something another book lover will appreciate!

I am working on a video showing how I made these! Hopefully I can get it posted soon! Happy crafting!!

I'm not messy, I'm creative-Part 2

2011-02-02T16:33:00.006-06:00

I have made some good progress on cleaning and straightening up my craft room, (these are the before pictures. I forgot to take after pictures before I started my next project, but I will post them soon!) My first step was to clear the room of anything that didn't belong in there. This included some Christmas decorations, leftover dining room items, dishes, an area rug (from the dining room), shoes, trash, and lots of toys!! I also noticed while cleaning, that I am really bad about putting away new things. There was a stack of Cricut cartridges that have been sitting on the table, waiting to be loaded onto my Gypsy and then put away.

A stack of paper at least six inches high was also just sitting there waiting to be put away. Once I got all the stuff out, my next step was to focus on one spot to clean up. I decided that since I have a five foot desk and can barely scrap in a 12 x 12 spot, that I would clean my desk top. The next time, I will focus on a different spot. If my hubby can tell that I have cleaned, then I must be making some real progress!! Until next time, happy crafting!!!

Don't lose those photos!!

2011-01-31T09:37:00.005-06:00

Remember to back up your photos!!
This was one of my favorite photos from this month. We took a trip to the local indoor swimming pool. The boys had lots of fun! Happy crafting!!

I'm not messy, I'm creative.

2011-01-28T17:21:00.006-06:00

Does creative really mean messy? I think so. I am sure there are some crafters out there that keep their space very magazine ready at all times, but I am NOT one of those. Since I took over the dining room, with a promise to my hubby that I would keep it nice and tidy, it has never been clean. I can understand a messy desk, but supplies everywhere?? It's not working for me when it takes me ten minutes or longer to find paper for my layout. Or those stamps with the cool circles. Add in all the supplies for painting, beading, crocheting, and the sewing supplies, and I have one crazy workspace! So I am going through a 12 step program! I will post my steps soon and hope that you will join me if you need an intervention too!!
Happy crafting!

A Blog Award!!

2011-01-25T22:48:00.008-06:00

Wow! Another sickness running through me! It feels like it's been forever since I have posted so please be patient with me as I get caught up!! With that said, I received an award from Natasha atCrafting With Natasha a couple of days ago!! She left me this award on her blog! She is still new to the blogging world so stop by and check out her site!

To accept this award, I have to tell you eight things about me and then give this award to other deserving blogs!

1-I am a movie buff thanks to my husband! We have seen so many movies, know useless movie trivia, and have an extensive DVD collection.

2-I have lived in four different states.

3-My house is full of Sharpies, Expo Markers, Calphalon, and Rubbermaid containers because my DH works for them.

4-I am a Coke Zero junkie.

5-I love to go to Zumba and shake what my momma gave me!

6-I have completed a triathlon.

7-I love to visit Las Vegas, but if I lived any closer, I think that I would be a gambling addict!

8-I have been married to my high school sweetheart for almost thirteen years.

Now some wonderful blogs for you to visit:

Crystal @http:Crystalscraftycreations

Jenny @ atstudioj

Alison @adayinthelifeor5

Charlotte @Papercraftingchica

visit their wonderful blogs and leave them some love too! Happy crafting!

One Litte Word Project

2011-01-22T09:42:00.004-06:00

I know that it's a little late, but I finally came up with my One Little Word. In Ali Edward's class description, selecting your One Little Word is something you should think about, not just pick something and go with it. I had a long list of things that I wanted to focus on this year, but I couldn't find the ONE word that covered everything. Then a post on Crafty Steals Facebook page caught my eye. Alison Day said that her One Little Word was release and she listed alot of the same stuff that was on my list. (You can read her blog post here. As soon as I saw her word, I knew that was it. I needed to let go, to release of alot of things, both physically and metally. Anger, frustration, stress, weight, things in my house that I no longer need or want, bad habits. I no longer have room for these things in my life so I hope to use my One Little Word to help me focus on releasing these things, to make room for better things. Now my first goal will be to make something to remind me of my One Little Word. Maybe I can get to that soon. Happy crafting!

Layout # 9, New Ink

2011-01-21T09:01:00.003-06:00

One of my goals this year was to scrap more about me. Just last month, I finally got a new tattoo that I have been thinking about for a while. Three stars, one big one for my oldest, and two smaller ones for my twins. So a good reason to do a layout about me! (I still have to work on getting some pictures of me on the layouts!)

I printed my photo as a 5x7 since it was going to be the only one on the layout. I used some Paper Studio flowers with a Beadazzles center. I made a stick pin, and the paper ribbon. I tried one of the my crocheted trims, but it seemed too out of place, so I changed it to the paper ribbon. I added a little bit of mini pom-pom trim and some ribbon from the scrapbook store. The transparency was from the cover of a DCWV black and white stack. It was half of the cover, so I cut it out and used it. I added the metal charm and the epoxy brad. The paper is from the DCWV Cotton Bloom paper stack. The title is cut from the Cricut font Blackletter and welded together using my Gypsy. I am not sure I like the title. I was having a brain freeze or something, but I may change the title if I can come up with something else. If you have a suggestion, let me know. We all need a little help sometimes, right?!? Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting!

No Cavities-pages 5-8!

2011-01-18T11:54:00.005-06:00

Four more pages done!!! I am determined to work through some of my scrap supplies! My shopping has been limited to things for my swaps, and some paper that I needed to finish these four pages!

These pictures are of my twin's first trip to the dentist! I was so worried that they would not do well, but they did great! Maybe it had to do with the tv's on the ceiling playing cartoons, or the treasure box, or the balloon animals that the hygenist promised them, who knows?!?! After some x-rays, the dentist said that they were cavitiy free!

These are the first two page layouts that I have done in a while, so I decided to keep them simple. I used some of the Rough and Tough double sided paper collection from Fancy Pants. The background is a printed distressed paper from Paper Studio along with the brads, and the epoxy arrow stickers. I used my Gypsy to make the title along with the circles. And again, I made a similar layout for my other son.
Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting!

Crochet trim

2011-01-17T07:52:00.005-06:00

One thing I have noticed on alot of scrapbook pages lately, has been crocheted items. Flowers, trims, and even doily's have shown up on some pages. And since I have recently picked back up my crochet needles, I had to try to make some trims. I made this one as pratice, but I love how it turned out. Since I used a heavier yarn, it is a little bulky, but I will try a smaller yarn. I punched evenly spaced holes along the side of my cardstock. It took me a few tries to get a stich combo that I liked. This one is 2 double crochets in each hole and then two chains. Then you can just slide the cardstock under your page element. I think a shell stich would be great as a trim on a page, but I have yet to figure out the spacing!

If you would like to try to learn crocheting, check out Lion Brand Yarn's website. They have great video and picture tutorials to show you all the basic stiches. Happy crafting!

first day-layouts #3,4

2011-01-12T21:41:00.006-06:00

Hey everyone! I am back to my somewhat normal self and ready to start posting again! Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes.

My layout goal this year is to get at least 52 layouts finished this year, so I am going to start posting my layout count to keep me up to date, (and honest!!)

These pictures have been on my desk since August, so I went with it. I had bought this K&I Memories kit from Tuesday Morning a long time ago. It came with chipboard elements, stickers, rub-ons, brads, and a paper pack, all for $7.99. I usually wouldn't buy all that together, but for that price, why not?!?

I used both sides of double sided paper for the strips along the side. For my embellishments I used some of the chipboard shapes, star shaped brads, a homemade epoxy sticker, iRock gems, and a paperclip. On the paperclip, I wrapped some school themed ribbon around the end, and used a glue dot to secure it. I love how it looks! The two paper strips in the upper right are secured with my Tim Holtz tiny attacher. I used the new cartridge Basic Font for the title.

The reason this is layout number 3 and 4 is because I made almost the exact same layout for my other twins' scrapbook. I make the same layout for each of my three boys to save time! Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting!

One Little Word project from Fiskars

2011-01-11T08:34:00.005-06:00

Hey everyone! So sorry that I have been MIA for a few days. I had quite a few layouts to get posted this weekend, but unfortunately, I came down with a nasty case of strep throat. I am just starting to feel better, so hopefully those layouts will be posted in the next couple of days. In the meantime, check out this project over at the Fiskars site.

Alot of people have decided to do Ali Edwards One Little Word project. And this layout from Fiskars, is her one little word layout to display in her office. She also suggests making one for home, and a mini one for your purse.

I think it's a great layout and a great project to do. You can check out Ali Edwards One Little Word class description here. It's not too late to find your one little word. Happy crafting!

Don't lose your pictures.

2011-01-02T20:15:00.006-06:00

One thing that I am really good about is keeping my photo's organized. However, I am not good about making sure they are backed up to another sorce other than my computers. I always meant too and then can you guess what happened one day? My desktop crashed and the idea that I lost so many photo's just made me cry! Fortunatly, my husband was able to fix it with a hair dryer of all things and as soon as it was up and running again, I moved all my pic's to an external hard drive. Just a couple of weeks later, it crashed again and I'm not sure we can fix it this time. So one of my goals this year is to make sure that they are backed up EVERY MONTH!! I would also like to learn to use my camera on manual setting and take better photos. So I am going to start posting monthly reminders to back up your photos, and also share one of my favorite photos of the month. Hopefully it will help me to get them backed up and remind you that you need to as well. I would hate for one of my readers to lose their photos. That's one of those things you can't replace!!

This photo is from my oldest son's scout meeting last month. He sold enough popcorn to earn a marshmallow shooter. He was so excited and when he got it, you could tell by the expression on his face! How could I lose such a cute photo?!?

Back 'em up, every month! Happy crafting!

New Year's Day Blog Hop-2011 Layout

2011-01-01T05:59:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the New Year's Day blog hop! You should have just joined us from Charlotte's blog, Papercraftingchic. I hope you have enjoyed everyone's great projects so far! Here is what I would like to share with you today:

This layout is way out of the norm for me. It has no pictures and it's very girlie! I also do not usually scrap about me or my thoughts, but I enjoyed working on this! And I love it how it turned out! I was able to use up some paper and embellies that I have had in my stash forever! I didn't have any black flowers or ribbon that worked with this layout so I had to make some. You can check out my video on how I did that.

This was the first time that I have included a stick pin in my layout. This one is courtesy of Dollhouse Diva on the Cricut Message Board! She sent me this in a swap and it worked perfectly with this layout, so thanks Diva!!

I cut my title from Cindy Loo, added some bling, and a rub-on by Pink Paislee and I can call this one the done and the first one in my yearly album!

Next up, Somanycrafts

Here is the blogs participating in our New Year's Day blog hop!

Craftyscentiments
Cricutcraftyclare
Ollieanddextersmommy
Tatteredprimitives
Paperrenee
Scrapcavecreations
Papercraftingchic
Papertreats-You are here!
Somanycrafts-Next stop!
Fantabulouslypink
Txscrappermom
Scrappinpalace
Deannaspapercrafts
Wamfamily
Dees-Specialthings
Ink-spirations
Angiespaperpassion
Heart2Handshighlights

Have fun on the rest of the blog hop! Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy crafting!!

Build-Play-Dream

2010-12-30T19:56:00.004-06:00

A couple of my goals for 2011 (I'm not going to call it a resolution!) is to scrap more layouts, get my craft room organized, and spend less money. I have decided to combine them and make my goal to scrap ten layouts before buying more supplies! This way I will use up my supplies on hand, save a little money, (maybe) and make me get some layouts done so I can buy new stuff!!

So since I had a little while to myself today, I decided to get to work! These pictures had been on my desk for a while. I loved that my little guy spen the afternoon building this Lego ship and then playing with it all day. He didn't want to put it down and ended up falling asleep with it in his hands!

I took the colors of the Lego ship as the basis for my paper selection. And this was not a color combo that I usually work with! But it was fun to get it put together! I used some paper from Paper Studio and K & I Memories that I have had for-ev-ah! The oldest brads I have in my stash also made a comeback. Thickers, my Uniball pen, and my new Cricut cartridge, Basic Font, finished up the page. Of course the Lego logo is from the box!

Coming up on New Year's Day, we have a blog hop! I can't wait to show you my project with a little tutorial on making a flower and paper ribbon! Hope to see you here! Happy crafting!

7-challenge layout for Scrap Our Stash

2010-12-27T08:34:00.004-06:00

This month's challenge at Scrap Our Stash was to complete a birthday project since it was their one year blog birthday. When I started this page, I realized that I didn't have very many pictures of our son's 7th birthday, and I am not sure why I took so few. But I picked out the two I liked the most and cropped them very little to help take up space on my layout. Helping my out on this layout is some yummy paper from Echo Park. Their Little Boy collection is just wonderful! The papers are double sided and I made sure to use both sides of it. I cut circles and halved them along the bottom. I also fussy cut around some of the stars and used them as accents around the page. I also pulled out my iRock gems, an EK Success Slimline punch, and the Star Cuttlebug embossing folder for this one. Hopefully I have enough of this paper left to do some more projects! Happy crafting!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

2010-12-25T22:54:00.001-06:00

The before shot:

And the after shot:

I hope your house was as full of excitement as my house this morning! The clean up has yet to start though! Merry Christmas to all and happy crafting!

My first Amigurumi Animal, a little pink piggy!

2010-12-23T22:09:00.004-06:00

First of all, I know this has nothing to do with scrapbooking or paper crafting, but I loved this little guy and wanted to share with you. Hopefully after the first of the year, I can set up another page here to post my other crafts, but one project at a time!!

I have crocheted on and off for a very long time. I learned from my mom and I can remember taking my stuff to middle school and working on things while I was being an office aide. Now so many scrap pages have crocheted flowers and lace on them. And after seeing a tiny lace flower at my local scrapbook store for $1, I knew I could make them myself. (This happens to me alot!)

While I was looking for some flower patterns, I came across this little guy on the Lion Brand Yarn site. You have to register to see their free patterns, but they also have a learning center that you can learn the basics of how to crochet.

They have alot of patterns for amigurumi animals which are also very popular right now. Almost all of them are for beginners or for the easy level. I have had so much fun making this little guy, and I will definately try some other animals and other projects! Happy crafting!

Boys of Summer

2010-12-22T07:25:00.004-06:00

Last month's challenge at Scrap Our Stash was to use a sketch by Helen Croft. We had our choice of three sketches to use and I picked this one:

I loved the tall, skinny photos, and they worked well with these pictures from our visit to the beach. I used some of my favorite paper, the Frenzy White Out collection from We Are Memory Keepers. I bought this paper last year and used alot of it, but I loved it so much that when it went on sale for .19 a sheet at Michael's, I had to buy almost every sheet left!! My intent was to use it for a summertime album, but never did. I love it because you can use it for so many different pages, but it really went well with these summer pictures. It's a colorblocked, two-sided paper, so I was able to finsih this page with just one sheet and the background paper.

Some other things that I used for this one;
Fiskars wave punch
Autumn Leaves flourish stamps
iRock tool and gems
Basic Grey chipboard
Studio G stamps

I hand cut the swirl and the sun, but used my Cricut for the title.

Maybe this will give you some warmer thoughts on this cold day! Happy crafting!

We have a winner!

2010-12-15T17:40:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to LindaC! The random genarator picked # 29 and her post was the lucky post! I will be sending off her Michael's gift card!

She is a wonderfully talented stamper! You can check out her beautiful work at Linda C's Corner

Congrats Linda and I know you will enjoy!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 25 gift card holders

2010-12-13T09:12:00.004-06:00

Some people don't like to give gift cards because it seems too impersonable. But you can always make a gift card holder to make it alot nicer. I used this template by the fabulous Gina K. for today's gift.

Here is where you can find her template for this gift card holder.

There are so many gift card holders that you can easily make. You can always Google homemade gift card holders and find one you like. Mine was supposed to have a Michael's gift card in it, but due to the winter weather that came through, I had to use an old grocery store card in it! But before I send this one to a lucky follower, I will make sure that I put in the right gift card!

Today is the last day of my 25 days and the last day for your chance to win the Michael's gift card. Leave a comment on any of the posts and I will draw a name on Wednesday! I hope you have found some inspiration in these projects and that you have a wonderful Christmas! Happy holiday crafting!

Please help my project out!

2010-12-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

Please check out my submission for the Michael's craft challenge and take a minute to "like" it! Currently I'm in second place for the voting, so I could use a few more friends to vote! Thanks for your help!!

My project

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 24 recipe book

2010-12-11T19:48:00.006-06:00

Today's project is a simple little recipe book that started with some recipe cards from the dollar bins at Michael's. The hardest part of this project was deciding what yummy recipes to put in it!

For this project, I used the following supplies;

recipe cards
hole punch
binder rings
scrapbook paper
craft knife
adhesive
chipboard
stickers, punches, or other stuff to decorate the cover
ribbon

Start by covering your chipboard with the scrapbook paper. Use your adhesive and then trim using your craft knife.

Punch holes in your cover and recipe cards.

Then decorate the front of your cover.

When you are finished, use your binder rings to attach the books. Add ribbon to your rings and you are all done!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 23 wooden blocks

2010-12-10T09:34:00.000-06:00

Today's project is are decorated wooden blocks. I saw a similar set of some wooden blocks at a store for about $15. I made these for free since I was able to raid my hubbys scrap wood stash! I made the JOY since I had three blocks, but you could do anything, Welcome, a last name, or a baby's name for their room!

For this project I used;

wood blocks
scrapbook paper and trimmer
Modge Podge
Cricut letters
Martha Stewart branch punch
acrylic craft paint and brush
sandpaper

Start by making sure your blocks are smooth. Use your sandpaper to round off the edges. When you are done, paint your blocks. I didn't paint where my paper is going to be just to save time and paint.

Cut your scrapbook paper to fit your blocks. You can always just paint the entire block instead of using paper. I used a corner punch to round off the edges. Use Modge Podge to glue your paper to the blocks.

Decorate your blocks. I used my Cricut Storybook cartridge to cut out these letters. I also added some branches punched out using the Martha Stewart branch punch.

You don't have to make all the blocks the same. You can alter between two or three designs. Or make them all different! Just make it your own way!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day22 bottle cap magnets

2010-12-08T16:31:00.004-06:00

If your like me, I have an abundance of bottle caps at my house. And if you know me, you know that I recycle. What better way to recycle then take something headed for the landfill and give it a new life!

For this project I used the following supplies;

bottlecaps, washed and dried
scrapbook paper
stamps
sticky gems
Glossy accents.

If you remember way back on day 2, I made a bottle cap necklace. For these magnets, you begin by decorating them the same way. Cut out your paper and decorate it however you want to. Use some Glossy Accents inside the cap to attach your paper. If you need to see step by step with pictures, check out Day 2's post.

On the back, attach some craft magnets, and your all done!

If you would like to have this set, please leave a comment telling me and how to get in touch with you. I will pick one person to send them too!

Leave a comment on any post for a chance to win a Michael's gift card. We are almost done with our 25 days, so time is running out! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 21 Cocoa Packet & Gift Card Holder

2010-12-07T15:28:00.010-06:00

Today's gift is a super easy way to dress up a gift card!

For this project I used the following supplies;

packet of hot cocoa
scrapbook paper & adhesive
ribbon
punch
hole punch
paper trimmer

Start by measuring your cocoa packet and trim your paper to fit around the packet. Fold it around your packet and glue it together. Once your get that finished, take out the cocoa packet.

Decorate the front. I used some printed paper, snowflake punch, a coffee cup, stamp and colored pencils. Once it's finished, punch a hole in the top of your packet.

Put your ribbon through both holes and use your cocoa packet to push the ribbon down to the bottom and tie a knot.

If you want to make a pocket for a gift card, just cut out another piece of paper and only put adhesive around three of the edges. Insert your gift card! You are all done!!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 20 Name Plate

2010-12-06T22:17:00.004-06:00

Today's project is coming to you late tonight. Someone forgot to turn off her camera yesterday and it needed to charge to post pictures! But tonight's project is another very easy one!

For this project I used;

A frame
scrapbook paper
letter stickers

I cut the scrapbook paper to fit inside the frame. I added my name on the outside of the glass. This way you can change the scrapbook paper as you want! You can always add a favorite phrase or bible verse too. A tip for putting stickers on, use your tweezers and place them on the glass, but barely stick one end down. That way if you need to adjust, you will be able to pull them off without ruining your stickers.

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card!! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 19 Chipboard letter magnets

2010-12-05T14:03:00.004-06:00

This is one of those projects that are quick, easy, and really inexpensive to make!

Supplies for this project were;

chipboard letter (mine were in a set and are 3 inches tall.)
scrapbook paper
Modge Podge and foam brush
magnet sheet
Craft knife

Cover the top of your chipboard letter with Modge Podge and press your paper down on top of it. Use your craft knife to cut away the excess. You can use a piece of sandpaper to smooth out the edges. I left the sides of mine plain but you could always paint the sides. Then add your magnet to the back and you are done! How easy is that?! Use these as a gift, as an embellishment to your gift wrapping, or make a whole set for a kid just learning their alphabet! Much cuter than those plastic letters!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {handmade} Christmas Gifts-Day 18 Painted Cork tiles

2010-12-04T20:15:00.007-06:00

Today's project is a little late, but in my defense, I did spend the day with the family buying Christmas decorations and doing a little decorating at the house. I was able to get this done in about 10 minutes and there are alot you can do with these tiles.

Here are some of the supplies that I used for this project;

A cork tile
stencil
paint
sponge

I made my stencil from the Cricut cartridge Cindy Loo. If you cut your own, make sure you use a heavy cardstock to keep it from curling when you paint. If you don't have a Cricut, look for stencils in the paint department or the t-shirt crafting section. Secure your stencil to the cork tile. I just used some Tombow adhesive.
Don't brush it on or you may get the paint under the stencil.

Remove the stencil and let it dry. My use for this one is to hang on the wall as a memo board. But I have seen other uses for these. Decorate one for a pet's dishes to sit on! Make a mousepad out of one, much better than the boring ones that I have. Or make several and add picture hangers on the back, and let them use it as art! Lots of great ideas for this one, just think outside of the box.

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card!! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {handmade} Christmas Gifts-Day 17-Spruced up flower pot

2010-12-03T16:14:00.009-06:00

There have been several times that I have given an Amaryllis for a gift. To make it a little more personal it super easy and quick!

For this I used the following supplies;

Flower pot
paint & brush
stamps
ribbon

If your flower can be removed from the terracota pot, then it will be easy to paint with it out. Use the paint brush to paint on your stamps, but not too much paint. A foam or acrylic stamp will be best for this since you can bend them around the pot. If there are any spots on the flower pot that needs to be touched up, use your paint brush. You could also use a stencil and paint pens.

Stamp on your flower pot and let it dry. Add a ribbon and you are all done! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 16 Decorated Jar

2010-12-02T10:16:00.000-06:00

For today's gift, I decorated a jar and filled it with some scented bathsalts. What is great about this gift, is you can fill it with almost anything!

I used the following supplies on this project;

A Mason Jar
ribbon, scrapbook paper
snowflake ornament
tag
hot glue
bath salts or something to fill the jar

To start, I used the circle of the lid as a stencil to cut out the paper on the lid. I added some hot glue to the edge and put the ring back on. I didn't want the person to have to deal with putting the lid back together everytime she opened it.

Then I tied the ribbon and tag around my snowflake ornament and hot glued it to the top of the lid.

I filled the jar with some bath salt. This is very easy to make. There are a ton of recipes on the web, just Google it and find one that you like. Check for the scents in the candle section of your hobby store!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 15, A gift for you!

2010-12-01T15:14:00.002-06:00

I am still fussing with the project that I had planned today. It just isn't working for me, LOL! So how about a little giveaway?!?

If you know me, you know I am a movie buff, something my husband turned me into. I have seen lots of Christmas movies, but one is my all time favorite. Take a guess on which one is my favorite. Be the first one to get it right, and I will let you pick one of my projects to send to you. (some have already been given away so I will email you the ones your can choose from!) Here are a couple of clues.

This is not an old movie.

It was filmed during a unusually warm winter and they had to use lots of fake snow.

The movie is partly based on a collection of short stories written for Playboy in the 1960's.

It was filmed in Cleveland, OH and Toronto.

This movie helped inspire the TV show, Wonder Years.

This filmed was released the week before Thanksgiving in 1983 and was mostly out of the theaters by Christmas of that year.

This movie is shown about 12 times on Christmas Day.

Ok, so take a guess, leave me a way to get in touch with you and check back tomorrow and I will have tamed this unruly project! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 14 Reusable tote bag

2010-11-30T16:01:00.010-06:00

I absolutely love my reusable tote bags! I take them everywhere and they are good for the environment. But the ones you can buy are not always the cutest. This one is much cuter than any one I have seen in the stores!

For today's project I used the following supplies;

a canvas tote bag
newspapers, lots and lots of newspapers!
a stencil
bleach water in a spray bottle
paper towels
apron and gloves
Iron on gems

Start by putting on your apron and gloves before you start working with the bleach. Lay down some of your newspapers to protect your work surface. Put lots of folded up newspapers inside your bag. They should be all the way across, and all the way from top to bottom. Put your stencil on the bag. I used a freezer paper stencil (cut with my Cricut) but you can use one from the t-shirt craft section. After you get your stencil ironed on or taped to your bag, spray some bleach water on it.

Don't let it pool, use some paper towels to blot up the excess. It will get lighter over time, so give it a couple of minutes before spraying again.

You can see mine starting to get lighter.

Once it's the shade you want it, remove your stencil. I sprayed some more bleach water on the tote to add some spots around the design. Leave the newspapers inside until it's completely dried. Once it dried, I used my iRock to add some gems to it. If you don't have an iRock, look for iron on gems to add to it.

Now your all done! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 13 Personalized Candle

2010-11-29T09:32:00.005-06:00

I have been wanting to try this project for a while. It was super easy to make and you can only imagine how many ways you can decorate these!

Here are the supplies I used for this project;

a pillar candle
gift tissue paper
printer paper
tape
printer
scissors
heat gun or hair dryer
ribbon
straight pins
sequins

Trim your tissue paper to fit onto a sheet of printer paper. Tape the top and bottom to your paper. The tissue needs to be close to the color of your candle. My candle was cream and I used white tissue paper.

Make the design or phrase that you want on your computer. I just picked a phrase, but you can use a photo, just print those on regular white paper. Run your tissue paper through the printer. Then trim around your design.

After your done, put the tissue paper on your candle and using your heat gun (or hair dryer) start softening the wax. You will see the paper start to soak up any melted wax. Keep your heat gun moving and try not to over melt it or you will get drips. If that happens, let it cool for a few seconds and then roll it on your table to help smooth it out.

I shortened some straight pins and added some sequins to the side of my candle, and tied a ribbon around it. It's all done!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 12, 12 days of goodies tin

2010-11-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

I love the idea of this gift, mostly because I would love 12 days of Christmas candy! You can do so much with this little gift, and there are so many different ways you can make it!

For this project, I used the following supplies;

Metal lunchbox
candy
tissue paper
ribbon
tags
scrapbook paper or stickers
tacky tape
and some yummy candy!!

I started by cutting the tissue paper into squares and tying up 12 pieces of candy. I made some numbered tags for the candy and tied them up with some ribbon. I alternated between white and red tissue paper when I put them inside the lunchbox. If you can't find a lunchbox like this one, then you can always just use a Christmas tin or box. If your box is a little too deep for your candy, just use some shredded paper to fill it up a little bit. You can make your own candy, but you may need to use wax paper to keep the tissue paper from getting greasy looking.

I used some Dove peppermint bark candy (oh so yummy) to wrap up, and I just had to have a piece while I was working on this. How appropriate was this wrapper?

After I put the candy inside, I used a Santa gift tag to put on the outside, along with some letters that I cut out with my Cricut. You can always use stickers here. I also added a ribbon along the bottom.

After you finished decorating the outside, you're all done!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 11 Framed vinyl wall quote

2010-11-27T11:00:00.001-06:00

Today's project is a cheater homemade gift, but a great on none the less! Alot of people love the vinyl wall quotes, but once you put it up, you can't move it. This is a great way to use seasonal quotes, or be able to take it with you if you move.

For this project I used:

a vinyl wall quote and
a frame from a garage sale that I got for $1!!
hot glue gun

Take the backing off your frame and leave the just the glass. Run a bead of hot glue between the backside of the frame and the glass.

Following the directions on your vinyl wall quote, put it on the front of the glass.

Now your project is all done!

Don't forget to leave your comments for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 10 a can of pineapple?

2010-11-26T11:00:00.002-06:00

Today's project is not so much about the gift, but about the packaging! This is a big hit with tweens, teens, and some grown ups too!

Here are some of the supplies that I used for this project;

A can of pineapple or something else with a pull top
Safety can opener
**I used a Pampered Chef can opener and it would not work with Progresso Soup cans. They have a funny bottom that wouldn't work with my can opener**
scrapbook paper
stickers
glue
ribbon
items to stuff inside
hot glue gun

Use the saftey can opener to open the bottom of the can. Empty everything out and wash and dry your can.

Measure the heighth of your can. Cut your paper wide enough and long enough to wrap all the way around the can. Or if you want to let someone think they are getting a can of pineapple, then leave the label on!!

Decorate the label. I used stickers from a Christmas scrapbook pack, some stamps, ribbon and some sticky gems. Use a heavy adhesive to secure it around the can. Stuff the goodies inside the can. These aren't too big, but if you are giving a gift card to someone, this is a way to make it a little more interesting. Use the hot glue gun to run around the lid and put it back on the can.

Your gift is done! Your friends or family will wonder how you did this when they have to pop the top to get their present! Make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 9 wooden sign

2010-11-24T09:50:00.008-06:00

This project was not planned for today or even on my list of 25 gifts. But I was cleaning up my old scrap area and found this little wooden sign. I bought it about a year ago and started a project with it, but never finished it. After seeing it laying on my desk this morning, I thought about making one of the these signs with it. I think for a twenty minute project, it turned out cute!

Here are the supplies that I used for this project:
(sorry I forgot to take pictures of the supplies before I started!)

a wooden sign- I found this one at the Dollar Tree, but they do have them at Michaels and Hobby Lobby
Scrapbook paper
Modge Podge
craft knife
sandpaper
Acrylic craft paint
sponge
ribbon
I also used my Cricut for this one.

I started by coating the top of the sign with Modge Podge and then adding the scrapbook paper to the top. Make sure you smooth out all the wrinkles and if you get bubbles that you can't work out, use a pin to make a small hole and work from the outside of the bubble in to get it flat. Use the kraft knife to cut the excess paper off and then sand smooth with a finish sandpaper. Poke holes in the paper where the ribbons go.

Add your lettering. I used my Cricut to cut out these letters, but you could use stickers too. I laid my ruler over the sign so I could get the placement right and to keep it straight.

After your finished with the top, use a piece of a kitchen sponge to paint the sides and a little bit on the top to hide the edge of the paper.

Once the sides are dry, add a coat of Modge Podge to the top to seal it. Use a couple of thin coats. Add your ribbon and you are all done!

I will be taking tomorrow off from posting. I plan on enjoying the day with my family and friends. But I will be back on Friday. I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday! Take plenty of pictures and write your journaling down as soon as you can!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 8 tile magnets

2010-11-23T10:43:00.000-06:00

If you visited yesterday, you saw that we made a necklace pendant out of an acrylic tile. If you buy the supplies and don't want to make that many necklaces, this is another way to use up your supplies!

Here are the supplies I used for this project:

Tim Holtz acrylic fragments
Glossy Accents
Scrapbook paper
craft knife
magnets

You would need to follow yesterday's directions, but stop before you put Glossy Accents on the back. Instead, add a piece of magnet to the back!

This is a great way to use up the rest of your supplies. You can add pictures to the back, use magazine pictures, or something such as a wedding program! Make it as unique as you want to!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 7 Tile pendant

2010-11-22T08:56:00.010-06:00

Todays gift is a tile pendant.

Here are some of the supplies that I used for this gift:

Tim Holtz acrylic tile fragments-$8.99 use your coupon-These are in the scrapbook section.
Glossy Accents- This should be in the same section as the fragments
double sided scrapbook paper
rub-ons
glue on bail-found in the jewelry section
craft knife
E-6000 adhesive

Use your acrylic tile to help you decide what part of your paper you want to have on your pendant.

Then add your rub-ons to the part of the paper you are going to use. I decided to add a little bit of glitter to the flower.

Once it's done, add a glob of Glossy Accents to the paper and then squish the tile down on top of it. After it's dry, use your craft knife to cut around the edges. If you cut your paper a little jagged, you can use some finish sandpaper to even it out.

Now, I accidently got Glossy Accents on my fingers and touched the top of the tile, so I added a layer of Glossy Accents to the top. It gave it a wavy look because I didn't get it very smooth. I would try to avoid having to do this! I also put a coat on the back so it would protect the paper from rubbing off. Let this dry overnight.

Once it's dry, add a little bit of E-6000 to the glue on bail and put it on the back of your tile.

I would let the E-6000 cure for a day before wearing it. Now you are all done!

These same supplies will be used on another gift, so make sure you check back! And don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 6 Daily Planner

2010-11-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

Are you a fan of the dollar bins or the dollar store? I am, and so I found a daily planner in the dollar bins at Michaels and thought that after a few changes, it would be a cute gift.

Here is what I used for this project;
a daily planner
scrapbook paper-Mine were left over from another project
paper trimmer
ruler
stickers
adhesive

and I did use my sewing machine on my cover.

Measure the cover of the planner and cut your paper the same size. Don't put a hard crease in your paper. Once you are finished decorating it, you can wrap it around the planner and let it crease that way.

I cut my cover from black paper then added the black and white printed paper on top of it. I sewed around the edge with a zig zag stich. Then add your stickers or anything else you want to decorate with. Once you are finished, just put your cover in the plastic sleeve and then add the planner back. I didn't cut my cover quite long enough to cover the yellow on the planner, so I just trimmed it off just a little.

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michaels gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemeade} Christmas Gifts-Day 5

2010-11-19T10:30:00.003-06:00

Today's gift is so easy to make, that I didn't even take pictures of the steps, because there are only two, paint and decorate!

Here are the supplies I used:
wooden picture frame from Michaels-$1
acrylic craft paint-.59
ribbon-Mine were from another project
letter stickers
hot glue gun or a staple gun

Paint your picture frame and let it dry. Don't forget to paint the backside. Since it's wooden, the frame may soak up some of the paint, so add another coat.

I added some ribbon to each side and tied a bow. I stapled the ribbon to the back, and put on the letter sticker.

Hobby Lobby has a section just for decorating picture frames. At my Hobby Lobby, they are near the poster section. They have buttons, beads, and some other things in different themes. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 4 ornaments

2010-11-18T12:02:00.009-06:00

Every year I make an ornament for our family tree. I love these glass ornaments, you can come up with so many ways to decorate these. They are very easy to personalize for anyone you want to make one for!

Here are some of the supplies I used for this gifts:

glass ornaments- I like the ones that are a little flattened, they are easier to decorate
stuff to put inside-curling ribbons, glitter, fake snow, paper, lots of stuff!
ribbon, scissors
paint pens

If you want to glitter the inside of the ornament, you will need FINE glitter and either a liquid glue or Pledge Futura Floor Wax. (Yes you read that right!)

For the glitter ornaments, put a few drops of glue or wax inside the ornament and swirl it all around to cover the inside. Add some glitter to the inside and shake it until it covers all sides of the ornament. If you missed some places, add a second coat.

For the outside, use rub-ons or stickers to decorate the outside. I used stickers and some sticky jewels to give it a little sparkle. I added some Christmas ribbon to the top.

My twins made this one at daycare last year. They painted their fingers in white paint and put it on the glass ornament. They used paint pens to make them into little snowmen! Inside they added some fake snow. These are some of my favorite ornaments!

I also made the beaded hanger for the larger one. If anyone would like directions on how to do that, just let me know. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 3 magnets

2010-11-17T08:28:00.009-06:00

These little magnets would be a perfect gift for a teacher, parent, or really anyone! If you buy supplies to make these, you could easily get several sets made.

Supplies for this project are:

Wooden clothespins-$2.33 for 24
Acrylic craft paint and brush-.59 for each color
Rubons and craft stick, stickers, or whatever you can come up with to decorate them.
Adhesive backed craft magnet sheet-$1.99
Scissors

To get started, take apart your wooden clothespins, and paint them. Protect your workspace! The wood will soak up the paint pretty fast, but you still may get it on your table. If your clothespins need it, add a second coat.

Once they are dry, put the rub-ons. Cut out the design, and leave the backing on until you get your placement right. Use the craft stick to rub the design onto your clothespin. If your set didn't come with a craft stick, you can use a credit card or something similar. You could use stickers, adhesive jewels, or something else, get creative! I used leftover rub-ons from a class that I took forever ago!

After you are finished decorating, put them back together. Make sure you get them back the right way, or they won't be as springy!! (Ask me how I know!!)

Use your scissors to cut out a strip of the magnetic craft sheet for the back of the clothespin. Add that to the back and wrap them up! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michaels gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days {homemade} Christmas gifts-Day 2 Bottle cap necklace

2010-11-16T08:07:00.009-06:00

Today's project is a bottle cap necklace pendant. And if you have never made jewelry before, this is an easy project. I have worn mine a couple of times and I got so many comments on it!

Here are the supplies I used:

paper-I used scraps
paper punch or scissors
epoxy stickers-1.99
bottle caps-new or recycled-about 2.99 for a new package
Glossy Accents-a glue found in the scrapbook section or Modge Podge
pliers
hole punch
jump ring
necklace to put the pendant on-depends on the type you get. Mine was $2.99
anything else you want to decorate it with, pens, markers, glitter.

If you use a recycled cap, make sure it's clean. Decide if you want your design on the inside or the outside of the bottle cap. Punch or cut your paper to fit.

Decorate your paper. To add it to the bottle cap, add a good bit of Glossy Accents to the cap and press your paper on to it. On the inside, make sure to put some Glossy Accents around the waxy part of the cap and in the middle. On the outside, make sure to wipe away any that squishes out.

When it's dry, use a Crop-a-dile or something else to punch a hole in the side of your bottle cap. Attach a jump ring. (These are in the jewelry section.) I took apart an old neclace that I didn't wear to get mine! When working with the jump rings, open and close them from side to side. Don't pull the ends away from each other! It makes it hard to get it closed if you do!

Put your necklace in the jump ring too before you close it, in case the necklace ends are too big to fit through the jump ring! Now, all that's left to do is wrap it up, if you decide to give it away! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas gifts-Day 1 Wall Art

2010-11-15T07:59:00.002-06:00

Today's gift is a mixed media canvas. I love to paint, but some of my favorite projects are ones that combine more than one of my hobbies. This one has a few of my favorite things!

Here are the supplies I used for this gift:

An 8 x 8 canvas-$5.99
acrylic craft paint and brushes $.59 foam brush $1
a sponge-I used an old kitchen sponge
Old book pages-$1.25 at Goodwill
A vinyl sticker-depends on the design
Modge Podge-$4.99-but you can use this for alot of other projects.

Start by painting your canvas the color you want your background. I chose a cream color.

Then without cleaning your brush, lightly dip it into a darker color and make some long up and down strokes. It should blend in a little and give the background some dimensions. Don't overthink this step! After you get your background the way you want it, let it dry.

Once it's dry, decide where you want the design to go. I did use my Cricut to cut the vinyl on this project. If you don't have this option, look for the vinyl kits at almost any store. Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Kohl's, even Wal-Mart has these now. Your best bet would be the craft stores so you can use your coupons!! You can cut them up to make several gifts. Some places have the smaller vinyl kits so you would only get to make one or two. Or you can look through the sticker section. (You may have to add some extra glue to keep them on the canvas.) I put the branch down and then the bird. For the leaves, I hand cut leaves from old book pages. I bought an old book from Goodwill just for this purpose. I used a cotton swab to put the Modge Podge and just placed them on the branch.

Then around the edges, I cut up a little piece of my kitchen sponge and painted around the edges. Don't forget to paint over the sides too.

Then all that's left to do is sign it when it's dry and wrap it up! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts!!

2010-11-15T07:58:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 25 Days of Christmas gifts!

40 Days until Christmas! Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Have you remembered everyone, teachers, coaches, co-workers? Are you trying to spend a little less this year? Well, for the next 25 days, I have some quick, easy, and inexpensive projects that make great gifts. Now some of you may be saying, "I don't have all the craft supplies you have." or "I don't have a Cricut." Don't worry, I gotcha covered! All of these projects can be made without a Cricut, we just have to make some substitutions. I will post the directions on how I made it, then how it can be made with a few supplies you can pick up at your local craft store. Not a scrapper? That's okay too, because I have several different projects that anyone can do! All of these projects were under $10 for the supplies. (Some project supplies will make more than one gift.) Sometimes I used tools that you may or may not already have, but I did not calculate that into the cost.

Now for the best part! I will be giving away some goodies during the 25 days and at the conlusion of my holiday craft show! So let's get the particulars out of the way! On random days, I will pick a winning post from all the daily comments. The more you visit and leave a comment, the more entries you get! At the end of the 25 days, I will draw a name from all the comments left for a Michaels gift card! The more days you visit, the more entries you get! Get another entry if you post about my 25 days of Christmas gifts on either your blog or on Facebook. Leave a comment on THIS post telling me where you re-posted. Don't forget to give me a way to get in touch with you. If you leave your email in the comments, type it as susieq at email dot com so the spammers don't find it! This post will stay at the top, so make sure to leave your other comments on the daily post. I hope you find something that you want to make! Happy holiday crafting!

Coming Soon!!-25 Days of {handmade} Christmas gifts!

2010-11-09T10:16:00.003-06:00

With the economy the way it has been, who isn't looking to save money? And what better way to save a little moolah than to make Chirstmas gifts for as many people as you can! So starting on Monday, I am excited to bring you 25 Days of handmade Christmas gifts! There will be all kinds of gifts, for all levels of crafters. In other words, you don't have to have a fully stocked craft room to make these.

They are all easy to make, inexpensive, and perfect for all those "little" gifts that you always spend too much money on! There will also be some chances to win prizes!! (I was going to give away something for reaching 15,000 hits, but got sidetracked!) So check back on Monday for the first project and all the details for the giveaways! Happy crafting!

Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop!

2010-11-03T10:42:00.001-05:00

I am thinking about taking on another project in my already busy Holiday schedule. I may try to do a December Daily. Now, if you haven't heard of this project, it's a great way to remember and celebrate the Christmas Season. Ali Edwards has done this for a few years. Check out her Daily at her blog here. I think it's a wonderful idea that will record all of our holiday traditions! I must get started on it soon though! I may have to give up making my Christmas cards this year, **GASP** Happy crafting!

Silly Bandz

2010-11-02T09:35:00.004-05:00

My boys are crazy about these silly little things. We spent all summer trying to find certain ones; a dragon, Buzz and Woody, glow in the dark. They love to get new packages and go through them. They fight over them and love to get them as rewards. Teachers have even had to tell kids to only trade them at playtime! I don't understand what the obsession is with these, even adults are wearing them! I am sure that they will fade away as most fads do, but I want the boys to remember that these were some of their favorite things over the summer!

Scrap Our Stash has a monthly Pagerize this challenge. A reader submits a layout for everyone to pagerize, lift, copy, what every you want to call it. This is my take on her layout. I turned it to the side and moved the circle. I needed more white space on my layout! I used a bunch of scraps and trims to embellish the side and my EK Success Slim line punch/emboss combo. The paper is from the Target dollar bins of all places! But it worked for these pictures. I used Glossy Accents to attach the Buzz and Woody Silly Bandz to the page. I hope you enjoy it, and if your kids are as crazy about Silly Bandz as mine are, I hope your scrap these for your them! Happy crafting!

22 days

2010-10-24T08:59:00.003-05:00

This month's challenge at Scrap Our Stash is to do "that" layout. You know the one that you have been putting off for a while. I knew as soon as I read the challenge, that this would be my layout. I have been putting this one off for three years since my twins were born. They were in the NICU for 22 days and to this day, seeing pictures of them in the NICU with all the wires and tubes, makes me very emotional. I think that it was mommy guilt. You know, when you feel bad about things you can't control. I couldn't do anything to help them get home. I felt bad about leaving my older son to visit the twins, and I felt bad when I had to leave the hospital to go home and take care of my older one. We were very blessed to have two healthy babies, but they were too small to come home! Our hospital said that they had to weigh at least 5 lbs before they could be discharged. I never thought that I would be so happy over an ounce, but every gain made us happy, and every one lost would just be heartbreaking. It was just a very emotional time for me. So I had put this layout off for long enough! I was surprised at how easy I got through this one! Now maybe I can focus on getting some more of their photos in an album.

I hid the journaling on this layout, kinda personal. I used the brackets for the pull tab. I used the LYB Safari line, EK Success slim line punch, and my Cricut for the title. The chipboard accents are from American Crafts. Even though this one was a tough challenge for me, I like how it turned out. Happy crafting!

Silhouette Pumkin with Cricut Cuts!

2010-10-18T09:23:00.004-05:00

I had an accident while carving my pumpkin this weekend! I had tried to make my own Batman stencil and I messed up a cut and accidently cut him out! Next year I will have to take a little more time to draw it out. I didn't want to waste the pumpkin, but it had a big hole in it. So I came up with a way to salvage it. I cut out the house and ghost from Happy Hauntings out of some cardstock that I don't ever use. (It used to be black, but had faded. Perfect for this project!) I glued it to some parchment paper and put it inside the pumpkin. I would suggest using a battery operated light inside to keep anything from catching on fire. I had cut out some more to add to it, but the hole was too small. I think that I will add the fence and the tree back to it now that I know it looks a little sparse. I will update with some more pictures when I get it finished! Happy crafting!

New addition to my craft studio!!!!

2010-10-16T22:14:00.005-05:00

I am so excited for the newest addition to my craft studio! I just bought a new embroidery machine! I am so stinkin excited! But now everyone will know what they are getting for Christmas!!! I will post pictures as soon as I can! Happy crafting!

Trick or Treat Candy Jar-Altered Frappachino Bottle

2010-10-12T15:30:00.004-05:00

I saw on the Cricut message board that someone had used vinyl to alter a jar, filled it with candy corn, and had a very cute, easy gift! I decided to use some of my vinyl scraps and alter some frappachino bottles. These are just too fun and easy to make! I did decorated the top with an epoxy sticker, added some American Crafts Ribbon, and surprisingly a whole bag of candy corn! Trick or treat is cut from the Happy Hauntings cartridge cut at 1 1/4 inches. Hope you enjoy! Happy crafting!