Kindness Changes Everything Card

This month CTMH has a sweet special card kit called Create Kindness to celebrate National Stamping Month. I love all 8 of the thoughtful stamp images, but this "Kindness changes everything" sentiment is my absolute favorite. Choosing kindness is something I talk about with my boys all the time, so you could say that this one is very close to my mommy heart.

I had painted some small panels of watercolor last week, just messing around with my waterbrush and some thick cream colored watercolor paper. Once that was dry I trimmed the panels to size and stamped over the watercolor with the balloon boy from True Love. I paper pieced the balloons with a bit of Oh Deer paper. Then I set those aside to ponder what to do with them. When I saw this week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge, I knew they would be perfect!

I tore the bottom edge of a colonial white panel and inked the edges with black  ink. I added the watercolor panel to the top, and stamped the sentiment at the bottom in Black ink. I stamped it again onto a scrap of colonial White CS and trimmed out the "KINDNESS" word. I layered this over two banners with thin foam tape, overlapping the bottom of the watercolor panel. I added a scattering of gold star sequins and I painted the banners and balloons with shimmer pen.

You can see all the sweet stamps that are part of this Choose Kindness special here. I'm happy to share that the stamps are available as part of a kit or as individual images. You can use the hashtag #createkindness to follow along with the acts of kindness or post some kindness of your very own. Hugs to you, Stampin' Peeps!

Find the Fun Shaker Button

Another Convention tradition for my team is that each year I make a special convention badge for my traveling peeps. This year I found these adorable empty shaker buttons at Michaels. 

Our convention theme this year is based on the movie Inside Out, which has been a big movie around my house considering our recent move. We really love this movie so I made a lot of Inside Out projects. I downloaded a free Inside Out Font, which worked great with my Cricut and the writing/draw option. I had the Cricut write my button saying and cut the round button inserts. Then I added a fussy cut pic of a CTMH mascot names Sticky Boy, and filled my shaker button with glitter and "memory balls". Then I sealed the back with Liquid Glass, just in case!

Life is Better with Friends Frame

One of my favorite parts of traveling with my team for Convention each year is the exchanging roomie gifts. I often make something for all my traveling ladies instead of just my roommates, because it's just too much fun!

This year we are in Orlando, so I went with a gold glittered Flamingo frame! You might remember me posting on Instagram a week ago about running out of gold glitter....now you can see why.

I used the new Tickled Pink stamp set, which has a coordinating set of Thin Cuts dies. I also gave up a bit of my wide gold stripe hoard from the May Happy Times special. That's how they know I really {heart} them! I can't wait to pass these out to my peeps today!

Graduation Hat Gift Jar

It's graduation season, and I wanted to make something a little more special than just a card. I got this jar from the dollar store, and built a little graduation hat for it. I filled it with a bit of sparkly fill and bills rolled into little diplomas. 

The hat is just a 1 inch band of black cardstock topped with 3 1/2 inch squares of black cardstock. I layered three squares together to give it a bit more heft. I pierced a large hole in the center of the square to attach the tassel I made of red embroidery thread. I topped that hole off with a big brad to make it pretty again. Then I glued the circle onto the square with Liquid Glass so it can slide on and off the jar lid easily. 

Of course, I made a card, too. We can't wait to go celebrate the new graduates!

Day 327: Lego Crochet Scarf

In the midst of moving, packing, sorting, my oldest son's Lego Robotics team is preparing for state competition this weekend. So in my "spare time" I've been working on a couple of Lego projects for him, including this Lego scarf, as seen on Pinterest. 

Now I am a capable, if slightly indifferent yarn worker. I can crochet fairly competently, and I can knit a bit, but most of the time I'm kind of watching TV or chatting over coffee and not really paying attention. So I was a bit nervous taking on this Lego brick project using the bobble stitch (which I'd never heard of before). Luckily, the instructions and video link on Deb's Blog: FitzBirch Crafts were excellent, and I could whip out little yarn Lego bricks whenever I had a spare few moments. When I presented the finished scarf to my offspring, he was thrilled, which you can totally see in the picture he let me take of him before school today (not). He actually does like it, he just did not want me to take his picture wearing it.  They grow up so fast!

Day 307: Free Disney Mini Album Instructions

Merry Christmas, Stampin' Friends! It's been a busy but happy day here today. After we put the boys to bed, I was pondering what to share with you today...and I realized I have one project left from my Convention Presentation this summer that I never shared with y'all. I meant to, but I was finishing the instructions and then it just got away from me.

I made this adorable Disney Mini Album using lots of Cricut cuts, the PML Gold Overlays, and the Reel Life stamp set. It was so much fun to build, and quick to fill. I'm sharing the instructions (with lots more pics) for this cutie for free - just email me and I'll shoot you a PDF. You can grab the Cricut Design Space cut file here. I'm linking this project up to the Heart 2 Heart Gifts from the Heart challenge. 

Merry Everything, Stampin' Friends!

Day 303: Easy Glitter Monogram Gift Tags

I live in a house full of boys. When it comes to holiday traditions, the boys care deeply about Christmas cookies and visiting Santa to drop off their list of demands share their wish lists. No one but me wants to decorate for the holidays. No one but me is happy about the new jammies on Christmas Eve tradition. No one but me cares how the presents are wrapped.  

Since no one else cares, I tend to go very simple and utilitarian on most of the gift wrapping. It breaks my heart a bit, because I'd love to go all fancy on the wrapping doo dads, but since everything gets unwrapped in 3.2 seconds flat, it makes more sense to chill on the frills. Items are wrapped with an easily read tag to show who gets to tear off the paper. No bows, no ribbons, no carefully crafted pretty paper tags that they will scrunch into a ball. But the Santa present...now that gets a bit of care. Extra hooplah and ribbons and specially crafted tags...but not too much like my normal style, because we can't out Santa due to excessive CTMH stamp usage.  

This year I found these inexpensive monogram letters at Target. They are thicker than chipboard, but pretty lightweight. I wanted to jazz them up a bit, so I coated them with Paper Mod Podge and a thick, chunky silver glitter, with an extra layer of mod podge to seal in the glittery goodness. Now they are so fabulous and sparkly! Better yet, the boys can add them to the Christmas tree as ornaments once they are done with presents this year, because they love monogram holiday ornaments (or anything with their name/initial that they can claim only they have the right to hang on the tree). Only four more sleeps!

Day 302: Disney Mini Album Three Ways

This week I finished off a Disney Mini album project using the My Creations Black Mini Album.

I made a few of these, all with the same basic idea for the front cover, but with varied embellishments to finish off the design. 

My papers were Simple Stories Say Cheese II and La Vie En Rose black stripe. 

The embellishments came from a coordinating die cut pack for the Simple Stories line, and a cricut mickey head that I made myself in Design Space. The black acrylic stars came from the Scaredy Cat Assortment.

I'm linking these albums up to the Paper Issues Owl I Want for Christmas party, since tomorrow they head off in the mail to their new homes!

Day 298: Homemade Toffee Candy Teacher Mason Jar Gift

So this is what I did with the tags from last night's post - I popped them onto these adorable mason jars filled with a homemade toffee candy to deliver to my boys' hard working teachers at our conferences today.

I got the jars on Etsy. I know I can make my own, and heaven knows there are enough mason jars in my house, but sometimes you need a little helping hand. These were adorable, and not too expensive, and best of all I didn't have to paint them myself. I did make the tags  (I'm sure you can see where the tag inspiration came from) plus the candy to fill them up. On the tags we wrote, "Thank you for every piece of knowledge." We heart our teachers!

Here's the link to the original toffee recipe I altered. It's simple, with few ingredients, and totally yummy! It was originally supposed to be an Almond Roca copy, but I crushed some pecans and unsweetened shredded coconut together in my food processor and put that down instead of the crushed almonds. Then I poured the toffee mixture on top (made with real butter and dark brown sugar) and topped it with melted Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips, because that's our favorite allergy friendly chocolate. You'd better just go ahead and make a double batch because it's so delicious! I'm going to save all the crumbs left from break it up for ice cream topping. Sweet!

I'm linking up to the Heart 2 Heart gifts from the heart challenge and the Paper Issues Owl I Want for Christmas party.

Day 295: What Fun Holiday Gift Card Holder

Today I spent most of the day with Gabe at his first ever First Lego League Lego Robotic competition. It was a ton of fun to see him being such a grown up and responsible team member, but driving across town twice, hanging out for hours to watch the robots compete, and a celebratory pizza dinner did not leave a lot of crafting time...

I did, however need a gift card holder for Gabe's team coach since their last practice of the year is tomorrow. When I saw the new Retro Sketches challenge, I thought for sure I could turn that into a simple gift card holder! I started with a piece of Ruby cardstock cut to 4 1/4" x 12 inches. I scored it at 3" and again at 8 1/2". After folding it on the score lines I adhered the sides of the 3 1/5" flap to make my gift card holder.  

I covered the flaps with White Pines paper. Then I added a 1 1/2" belly band to the card, which I made 1/8" larger than the card so it would easily slip over those sparkly sequins. I embellished the band with lots of White Pines snowflake stickers and an American Crafts wood veneer snowflake. The sentiment came from Reindeer Bells, and it was perfect for what I needed...

since I used Jennifer's Hand to stamp the custom ending inside the card. I wanted it to reflect how much fun Gabe's been having in First Lego League (FLL) with his coach. I left a little space there for him to fill in his own note tomorrow before I seal it up with the gift card we got her and he takes it to school. I'm linking this card up to the Just Us Girls sequin challenge and the Paper Issues Owl I Want For Christmas holiday projects challenge.

Day 251: Halloween Party Crafts

I meant to make a Halloween card to share tonight, but last night's craft time was commandeered by my sweet husband, who decided he needed a Halloween costume...for Friday...at nine o'clock at night. So instead of getting crafty, I had time to finish Max's class snack project and put together a costume.  

I cut these jack-o-lantern faces on my Cricut, using the new Artistry cartridge. Then I popped them onto these peach cups using Liquid Glass. I used Liquid Glass to attach the wiggly eyes to the cheese sticks too. Then on my way to school to deliver the snack and run the bingo station I came to my senses and stopped for paper plates and paper towels to mop up all the peach juice we inevitably ended up spilling while opening up the peach cups. Lesson learned! 

You may have seen this picture already if you follow on Instagram or Facebook. This is the end result of John's last minute lazy Halloween costume request. He's had this hoodie for a few years. I printed a picture of E.T. and backed it with cardstock. I taped on some baker's twine, then tied and taped it to a medium sized cat stuffy that was then swaddled in a towel. Then John found this (Amazon) shipping box in the recycle and stuck one of the boys' foam toys through the box for a bike handle. His costume was a hit, and won Most Original Costume at his work costume contest. Now the boys are clamoring to see this classic movie.

While neither card, nor layout, nor mini album, that was my crafting last night. Tomorrow I'll have Nevermore pages for you - thanks for stopping by!

Day 250: Gluten Free Halloween Treat Bags

If you have spent any time hanging around my blog, or Facebook, or Instagram, you may have noticed that we are a hard-core gluten free family. It's not hard at all to say no to the gluten goodies when they make you feel terrible...but it is hard to say no to the kiddos for so many things that their friends just get to do without the worry of will-that-make-me-sick, even if they do accept it with grace and good will. We do our best to find fun but safe gluten free options for the boys on holidays.  

At Convention this summer we got to make these adorable Halloween tags using Tasty Terrors during one of our crafting sessions. I tucked them into my bowl of extra goodies I'm not sure what to do with but too cute to toss out and there they sat all summer long. Today I dug them out and added them to these cute chevron gift bags that I have filled with gluten free candies from gluten free facilities so the boys can have a special treat after not digging into all the not gluten safe goodies surrounding them on Halloween. I added some black bows, because that's Max's favorite embellishment. I know they will be super excited to get a "present" for Halloween!

Day138: Liquid Glass Holder

As this posts, people are already lining up outside the ballroom for what I affectionately call "the happiest day of the year". Thursday Opening Session is where CTMH slowly reveals to us bit by bit, through entertaining skit after skit what kind of fabulous the new idea book holds. The anticipation is just about killing us! But if you are at home, you are (sadly) not here with us. Perhaps you need a handy project to keep you occupied while you wait for the tweets and Instagrams to start pouring in?

 I learned about these from an sweet and talented fellow consultant, Becky McClain. I've been using mine every day since the day she gave it to me. It keeps your Liquid Glass suspended upside down so you don't need to unplug it with the pin so much when you are crafting! I made some for my Stamping Rules team, and added a little pin holder on the side with a bit of shimmer tape.  

You just need a 3/4" PVC coupling. I found mine at Lowe's for 29 cents. I wrapped it in red polka dot paper (adhered with Liquid Glass, natch!), mickey washi tapes, and gold shimmer trim. The possibilities are endless. I think it would make a great crop gifty, too. Thanks, Becky!

Now back to... Open! Open! Open! 

Day 55: Elegant Thanks Flower Pot and a Winner!

Happy Friday, Stampin' Friends! First off I'd like to congratulate the winner of my Bling giveaway, Joy B! Check your email, Joy, 'cause I can't wait to send you a little bundle of goodness! Thanks to everyone who entered - I'll do another giveaway soon.

Today I'm sharing the first card from my next card kit based on the Elegant Bouquet papers. This is a gift card holder - you slide up the flowers and out pops the gift card. I've always loved this watercolor-y floral paper, and when it retired I hoarded it like mad. Now I'm finally OK with using that pretty paper as it was meant to be used, instead of keeping it in my stash. I'm linking this card up to the Paper Issues Prints Charming party, for inspiring me to let go of the stash.

I cut all the flowers and leaves using my beloved Art Philosophy cartridge. I sanded the cranberry CS flowers and inked the Colonial White ones with Cranberry ink. Then I flipped them face down on the back of my foam mat and used a stylus to shape the petals. I flipped them back over to form the flower centers using the stylus, then layered them all together with Liquid Glass and topped them with Sparkles. 

So...I can acquire some new stash now, right? 

Let it Snow...Man

Whew! Another craft fair in the bag, and now it's time to kick back, relax, and catch up on some Glee! Before I head off to a well deserved foot rub, a lot of you were interested in these adorable snowmen tubes. There were pretty fun to make...although, if I never have to stuff another mini marshmallow into a plastic envelope again...

I got the 1x8 clear bags from ClearBags.com. My team orders clear bags as a group as the shipping charges on small orders can be quite overwhelming. I could start stocking these in my stash if there's enough interest! After carefully filling the bags with marshmallows (tip - stuff in a couple and then shake to get them to move on down the line), I used Liquid Glass to glue on wiggly eyes and hand-cut Sunset Cardstock noses from a piece of scrap paper. The mouth was done with black puffy paint, just the super cheap stuff. I like it better than a sharpie because of the dimension when it dries, like it's lumps of coal.

The Plastic Top Hats I got from Amazon. There's 144 in a package, so you might want to share with a friend (or 2)...although the longer I have my package, the more things I find that would totally look cute wearing a teensy tiny top hat! Baby carrots? Totally way cuter in a top hat. Cracks me my three year old right up!

I wrapped the top hats in a bit of Washi (kind of a PITA since I had to cut it into 3rds and a bit overkill now that it's all said and done, but I never claimed to be a reasonable scrapper - it's adorable, right?) and a line of glitter glitz (way easier and looks awesome). Then I tied on a bit of ribbon for a scarf. This was one of my best sellers (and drew the most comments) at my booth today. I wouldn't say I need to run to the bank ASAP with my craft fair earnings, but I sold more at this booth than I have at my previous craft fairs...combined. I have one more super adorable top hat project that I'll post soon. 

I did these particular items as starter items for Teacher gifts or small holiday stocking stuffers, and sold them for $1. How cute would that snowman be paired with a mug and a packet of cocoa? Therefore I am linking it up to the Heart 2 Heart Gratitude challenge, as that's where my "extra" snow buddies are headed...to express our gratitude to the teachers and helpers that make my kiddos lives at school a better place. Plus a few for my ETSY shop when I get around to posting them this weekend. 

(P.S. Some of those links are Amazon affiliate links, and if you click through to purchase I may receive a tiny bit of compensation. I will only link items I've actually used AND liked. Buying stuff through my affiliate links is a great way to support my crafty little blog at no cost to you, kind of like a little tip jar.  Thanks a bunch!)

Sparkle Scarves are here!

Sometimes you find a material that just speaks, nay friends, SINGS to you. I love yarn crafts, but I don't often make time in my busy papercrafts world to enjoy that pasttime. This week I found this amazingly soft fluffy yarn with (hello!) sequins woven into the mix. My basket was full before I could say, "Sparkle!". I was making the first scarf within the hour, and have been totally hooked on making them in every spare moment. 

The scarf is sweet and cozy. It's an acrylic poly blend with such a soft hand - it's like wearing a warm hug! The mini sequins woven throughout shimmer and sparkle. My seven year old glitter addict keeps stealing it for cuddle time. It's is absolutely my new favorite fab thing!

Now my favorite new scarf is on sale in my newly minted Etsy Store!

I hope you'll pop over and favorite my shop. I will be loading hand-made cards and handmade scrapping embellies as quick as I can scrap them. It's my first time working on Etsy, so I'd appreciate any feedback on how to make it better!

I'm also doing custom made to order scarves - check out all the colors! Yes, I've made all of these this week. What can I say...new (portable) crafts make me happy! I'm ready for gift giving now!

P.S. I've listed the on my shop my stash page as well (in case any of my Canadian friends are looking for Consultant kit items to buy), and I'll be updating the stamp stash very soon!

Keep warm, Stampin' Friends!

Practical Scrappers Ten Things Tags

This week at Practical Scrappers the team is exploring tags. I created this sliding tag card with a sweet tag hidden inside the flower pot. The tag is big enough to hold a gift card!

I built the "poinsettia" bunch on top using Whisper and Sweet Leaf leaves cut on the new Artbooking cartridge (did I mention it's available August 1st?). I added some Silver Glitter Paper flowers and swirls (also Artbooking), and topped them off with the new Black Mini Medley Glitter buttons and sequins. 

I cannot wait until we can buy more of that Mini Medley - the pieces inside are just adorably sparkly! The ribbon here is the new Ruby Chevron Ribbon.

At the bottom you find a little of my favorite polka dot washi and some of the new 3-D skinny washi Twist Ties. I accented all of it with a generous sprinkle of Bitty Sparkles! I'm linking this card up to the CHNC Christmas Card Challenge!

Make sure you hop out and check out all the awesome tag ideas at Practical Scrappers!