Finishing Up

We are finishing up the school year down here in Florida. Only 1 1/2 days left until the girls are home again for the summer - the best!!

I had a kindergarten teacher summon me last week asking for some ideas for an end of the year treat for her little ones. We were going for simple and quick! She mentioned having sidewalk chalk in her closet so we decided to go with a theme of "Fun in the Sun" and activities the children could use on their summer break.

She was kind enough to go that night and purchase some of the supplies we needed, including Miracle Bubbles and CD envelopes in bright colors.

As I packaged everything up I decided to make some colorful pinwheels to use as a clip-on for the bag decoration. (No sticks on these pinwheels so the kids are less likely to poke their eyes out.)

Here's what my bags looked like....although you can't see the goodies inside - they were too cute!

I used the CD envelopes as the template for the pinwheel and followed the basic instructions for cutting and connecting the "flags" of the pinwheel together with a brad.

Here is the back of the treat bag showing the clothespin clip which attaches the pinwheel using a medium-sized glue dot:

These were really simple and quick - just like we wanted!! Happy Summer!

We're Going Nuts

We're going nuts over here celebrating our teachers this week! I have a few small things planned, including this:

I've had this idea in my notebook for a while now, I think the original idea was posted in "Papercrafts" magazine some time back....here's my interpretation:

Begin with some basic supplies, including cello bags, scrapbook paper, pencil, adhesive and peanuts.

Next, I cut my solid colored paper to fit the outside of my cello bag and then I used a square-shaped die to cut a "window" out of the front of the cardstock.

To apply some adhesive, I ran it through my Xyron. 

I applied the cardstock to the cello bag and began decorating it with die cut letters and alphabet stickers. I also used a die cut scallop strip and some fun glossy stickers.

I filled it with peanuts (after sampling a few) and stapled it shut using my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (love that tool). And, just for fun, I added a colorful paperclip and a snippet of ribbon.

These will be fun to pass out and hopefully will provide the teachers with a yummy, unpredictable treat. Who doesn't like peanuts?

ETA: I'm linking over at Skip to My Lou today - first time!

Papertrey August Blog Hop Challenge

Hey guys and welcome to my little blog home!! This is my first time participating in Papertrey's "Blog Hop Challenge" so here we go!!!

For this month's project, I decided to whip out some of my most favorite and yummiest Papertrey patterned papers, along with a few solids.  You simply can't go wrong with any of Papertrey's products....honestly, they are all my favorites.  How about you?

Here's a look at what I created using a plain ole' paper lunch bag:

To begin the body of my owl I grabbed my Dark Chocolate cardstock, and stamped it using my Tin Types background stamp and my Versamark ink pad. 

Next, I cut small strips of random paper from my Bitty Box Basics pad, along with my Dotty Biscotti pad as well as my Bitty Dot Basics pad. I then used my scallop-edged scissors on the ends of each paper strip. After I adhered the rows of paper strips, I rubbed each edge with my Chai ink.

To give my cute owl her face, I used two circle dies along with my Polka Dot Basics II stamp set and my Dot Spot stamp set. I added "eyelashes" using a few silk flowers from my stash.  To finish her eyes, I used a glue dot and attached two large brown buttons.

A piece of Bitty Box Basics paper was cut in a triangle to resemble an owl's beak. I also gave it some dimension using foam tape.

To complete "her" body I used my Papertrey rickrack die, a bit of rustic twine, a button and more Chai ink. I added a sentiment to the bag using a Spellbinders tag die, my Woodgrain background stamp set and the "Picture This" stamp set from Stampin' Up.

I can't wait to fill "her" up with some homemade goodness and surprise someone's day.

I hope you enjoyed my little project!

One of my Favorite Things...

to do is to surprise friends with special "little" gifts, usually something homemade, to brighten their day, or in this case to say "Thank You." I love taking something simple and adding a simple little touch to make it more special, something bigger than it really is.

Here is what I did to fancy-up a loaf of Zucchini Bread I made yesterday afternoon:
Quick breads like Zucchini, Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Banana are my favorite things to bake. You can make multiple batches, bake two loaves at one time, and everyone usually gobbles them right up. Sometimes I package my quick breads in bread bags that I've sewn together with a quick straight stitch, but for this one, I first used a layer of foil and over that a layer of freezer wrap. That way, if my friend wants to eat it later all she has to do is remove the ribbon and pop it right in the freezer.

I used my Spellbinders tag dies, Memory Box patterned paper and cardstock in blue and orange that were at my fingertips in the scrap pile. Next up I stamped the "friend" heart using my new Stampin' Up clear stamp set and embellished it with a simple flower and brad. Couldn't be any easier....now the fun part, I get to give it away!

This & That: Skinny Notepad

I bought Papertrey's famous Take Note stamp set and finally had the chance to put together my first "skinny notepad." I think this concept is so genius and when I saw it it was one of those times when I said, "Why didn't I think of that?" Anyways, we can all benefit from Papertrey's ideas and put together one of these:

Using a template provided from Papertrey, I grabbed a piece of BoBunny patterned paper (from last year), my scallop edge punch from Stampin' Up and another Spellbinder scallop circle die.

Here's what the inside looks like using PTI's white skinny notepads:

The possibilities for these pads are endless and I can't wait to make a few more.

Gift Card Tuck-Ins

Less than a week to go now until the BIG day....are you ready? I had one more small package to mail out yesterday, and it included two gift cards. So, I spent a few minutes putting these together. Here's the first one:

I went on-line and found this simple template [and I don't have the link....sorry] and got to work with some paper scraps and stickers.

The template measures 4 1/4" x 8 15/16". You score at 3" and 6" and then cut a small portion from the inside flap to hold your gift card [you can see this below]. This pattern is so easy and only takes minutes to put together.

Here's another one:

The supplies I used included my Sizzix mini-tag die and my Spellbinders Scallop Rectangle Nestie dies. I also did some faux stitching with my Signo white gel pen. The Christmas stickers are from a Doodlebug sheet bought a while back.

Here's a shot of the inside showing you how the gift card tucks-in. It needs some embellishment, but I was hurrying for a picture while the sun was [sort of] out. The days have been so gloomy lately.

Just thought I would share!

One of Many

One of the many ideas floating around in my head right now is this fabric stationery organzier. So, today while we had some "free" family time, I put together this design based on my own concept, which, as you will see, is a very simple one.

A little while back, I bought a package of blank, pre-folded Christmas cards made by Making Memories, along with some patterned paper and a few embellishments from the same "Mistletoe" line. My idea was to give a set of pre-designed cards (with envelopes) in this stationery organizer so that the recipient could use them for Christmas notes, letters or thank yous.

Here's a close up the tag design for the front cover. It is removable, being hung by a tiny gold safety pin. I tried to use as much from my own stash as possible. The patterned paper is from Making Memories and the felt tree is from Hero Arts. I added the "candy-striped" beads using red thread and a sewing needle. The stamped sentiment was made using Stampin' Up ink and the Signature Greetings stamp set from PTI. Their stamps impress wonderfully on muslin. The images remain crisp and clear.

And here's a picture of the inside which shows two pockets designed to hold 4 cards and 4 envelopes, for a total set of 8. I also added a length of twill tape (which I later decided needed to be sewn on the outside) to be used to tie the organizer shut.

Once it is closed and tied in a pretty bow it measures approximately 5" x 7".

Nothing too complicated going on here, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have loved to add a spritz of Glimmer Mist over a snowflake stencil. Maybe I'll give that one a try next time!

Top Note Box

We had our monthly Stampin' Up club meeting at my house last night and these are the cute Top Note boxes we put together...I just love the color combination...

We used the new "Very Thankful" stamp set along with the new "Modern" label tag punch. Other supplies we also used included the "Top Note" die, the "Window" label punch and the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set.

And here's a shot of the inside:

I can't wait to give this away, maybe filled with some chocolate goodness.

Happy Day - Little Gift

Here's a little wrapping I did on some extra chipboard I gave to a friend last week. One of my favorite things is to grab a tag and start adding bits and pieces to make it "not so ordinary" but "extraordinary" - not so, but it's fun anyways....here's what I did:
And here's the close up:

I love it when your scraps just fit together and there's no waste! Going green without even thinking about it!

I'm having some friends over tonight for a Stampin' Up party and I'll try to take some pictures.

A Challenge & A Chore [off my list]

I saw this challenge over at the CPS-Card Sketches blog yesterday and decided to participate. I'm attending a photography class tonight and wanted to bring my own journal to take notes, so I combined the challenge with my journal idea and came up with this:
And here's the close up:

This is just one of those easy "altered composition books" everyone has done, simple and quick and I actually made it right before dinner last night.

The CPS sketch was so adaptable and took all of the guess work out of the complicated "chore" of deciding what to put where....it's so nice having a starting point whether it be colors chosen for you or, in this case, a sketch as a starting point.

The supplies I used include: Patterned paper- Ki Memories, Basic Grey, K&Company; Embossing Folder- QuicKutz Polka Dots; B&W floss- Martha Stewart; Butterfly- Creative Cafe; Dies- Stampin Up: Butterfly & Scallop Edge; Fiskars: Apron Lace; Stamp- 7Gypsies (journal); Letter stickers- American Crafts

Be sure to check out the CPS blog and participate when you can, it's a lot of fun!

One of the Prettiest Gifts

One of the prettiest gifts I received for my 40th birthday was this album from my sister. When she turned 40, five years ago, I made her an album so that she could record all those special events from her birthday and that entire year. Now, I have one of my very own to carry on the tradition.

I knew she was up to something, but I wasn't sure exactly what. Here's the full shot:
And here's the close up:

She did such a beautiful job. I love the flowers, the bird and the flower pot. And, one of my favorite details is the jute string around the pot.

Now, I want to get to work filling the pages with the events from the past two weeks, birthday, beach....before it all escapes this old brain of mine.

Pinwheel & More

Check out those grey skies in the background...this is what we woke up to this morning in Sunny Florida on the last day of school! Nevertheless, I wanted to take a quick shot of this really cute pinwheel my husband made for me last night to attach to our gift bag for the school's crossing guard.
I made him a huge bag of "Butterkrunch Popcorn" and decorated his entire gift bag in orange, orange tissue, orange ribbon and just to make it a little more festive, an orange pinwheel. The popcorn is so yummy, I hope he enjoys it!

Next up, is a picture of the cutest little wrapped brownie I received during the NE Florida Shop Hop. During the Shop Hop all of the participating stores have little treats and drinks for their special shoppers. One store in Lake City was giving away these pretty little treats. It was too pretty to unwrap so I thought I'd better take a picture before the idea escaped my brain....I believe she may have used one of those molded brownie trays by Wilton to form her little brownie cake. So cute!

That's it for today, summer vacation is finally here and I can't wait to see what I can get into next! Stay tuned!

Pencil Holder #2

Here is the second pencil holder I made yesterday. As you can see, this one has a totally different look. I love this DCWV glittered apple paper I found while Shop Hopping last week. I also snagged a package of these mini chalkboards at a garage sale and I knew they would be perfect for this project!
Here's the close up shot:

I also added a heart shaped brad with a gem just to give it a little snazz. (I cut the prongs off of the brad before applying it with glue.) The monogrammed initials are American Crafts rub-ons. I think they add a very special "personalized" touch that, hopefully, will make for a memorable keepsake.

Supplies: Patterned paper: Apples- DCWV; Green- BoBunny, Chalkboard: Darice, Rub-ons: American Crafts, Red trim: Unknown, Gem & Brad: Unknown, Mod Podge

I Appreciate my Teachers

Teacher's Appreciation Week begins next week and today I worked on a simple gift for each one of my girls' teachers....today I will show you my first grader's gift.

I bought two of these Prima Craft pencil holders from a friend - a deal at $1.00/each. For this one, I had a pink/ivory theme in my head (this teacher loves the look of the Victorian style) so I began with a quick base of white craft paint. I didn't paint the entire holder, just the edges, top and bottom.
Next, I cut my Basic Grey scrapbook paper to fit the sides and adhered the paper using my trusty Mod Podge. A little goes a long way!

Once the holder was covered with the patterned paper I could move on to the next step, which is my favorite: embellishing. I went to my stash options and pulled items I thought would look good: ribbon, fabric brads, chipboard, lace trim, Prima flowers...sometimes I realize I have too much.

And here it is all fancied up and lookin' pretty. As you can see, I didn't use everything I pulled out (the gems didn't make it) but the elimination process is one of my favorite parts of creating anything. I love that I have options! Once I uploaded the pictures I thought, "Where are the pencils?" Don't worry, I'll have a fresh stash ready for next week.

And here's the close up (click on the picture to make it larger):

I hope she likes it. It isn't my usual style, and I even pulled out a lonely glitter bottle (two times in one week, what a record) to add a bit of shimmer to the flower petals, but I wanted something to reflect her style and look pretty in her classroom. She's one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

I'm also working on one for my third grade teacher and I'll share it later. Different style for a different gal!

Sources: Holder: Prima Craft, Patterned paper & Chipboard: Basic Grey, Solid pink paper: DCWV, Flowers: Prima, Lace Trim: Paper Studio, Border punch: Martha Stewart, Glitter: Making Memories, Rubber stamp: Kitchen Sink Stamps, Mod Podge