Easter Blessings

There are lots of springtime crafts blooming around here. {Too many to blog about! *wink*} I've been making lots of cards and crafts, and most of them, like this card are simple, with a couple of fun details that give it an extra little sparkle. I found these cards already die cut and just added the stripe and sentiment. The bunny tail on the envelope has a little white puff ball and pink sparkly chalking on the cheek and ear. They didn't take much time, but are super cute. The girls and I are spending the rest of the day making these:

 

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter weekend!

Making Multiples for my Handmade Card Stash

Yesterday, it happened: that wonderful feeling when I need a card fast and I go to my craft area and I HAVE THE PERFECT CARD all ready and waiting.
During winter, I have more time to craft and I've been making all kinds of cards with sentiments that I need often. When I come up with a design I like, I make several of that same design. My card collection is looking more and more like the Hallmark aisle, with little dividers smiling back at me saying, "Girl Birthday" and "Thank You!"
I've been so productive that I'm giving this box to a friend as a Thank You gift. She's a real estate agent who loves handmade cards, but doesn't have the time to make them. (I found this box with the scrapbooking storage items that are being sold on clearance at Target. If you can’t find a box like this, you could always use the envelope box  from my Recycle Handmade Cards Post ;)
 
I think my friend will love these cards and there's one I think is right up her alley. She probably gives out a ton of business cards, so this library card will be a perfect place to enclose her card, while still delivering a more personal sentiment. It would be great for a birthday or thank you, with a gift card tucked inside too!

I hope this idea inspires you to get crafty and build up your stash too. Leave me a note if you think of some other fun ways to use the library card. . . . Ciao!

Crafting for All Occasions

It's a snow day in Colorado and I love getting crafty when the weather outside is frosty. This is a great time of year to get ahead on cards and gifts for the rest of the seasons. This gift idea is great for a thank you or birthday. The shea butter lotion is a welcome winter treat, since everything is so dry and the bright colors remind us that spring and summer will come again soon. (The paper I used is "Flower Child" from Pressed Petals and the stamp set is by Basic Grey and I got both at Big Lots for super cheap!)

I found a set of these cremes at Costco and made them all up, so they are ready to give. I also made a few cards in a similar style, with a variety of sentiments. It's so nice to have a quick gift ready when you need it as a birthday surprise or even a cheer up or get well treat.

Since the creative juices have really been flowing lately, I decided to make a bunch of cards too. When I come up with an idea I like, I make 4 or 5 of the exact same card, so I have about 40 or 50 cards in my stash now!

I've also been working on Valentines. You can see a couple in this pile. To see a few more ideas for Valentine's Day from my blog, CLICK HERE

Cookie Recipe Book with Treat Bag Pages

Whenever I have swapped cookies during the holidays, I’ve always found several cookies that I wanted the recipe for.  This year, as a special surprise for everyone, I asked for the recipes for the swap I organized and gave out these cookie books.

They came out so cute!

I printed all the recipes on cardstock, but the best part of the book is in the back. I made pages that you can slip extra recipes into using plain cellophane treat bags with double-sided holiday cardstock slipped inside. The opening of the bag faces the edge of the book, so that the recipe card can be slid in and out.

The cardstock inserts help create a stiff material for running through the binding machine and this idea would be darling for other seasons, for example, a baby brag book.  You could also use the treat bags as page protectors for a mini book and the pages could be bound with the opening toward the binding so that items would not be able to slip out of the book. 

I just love finding inexpensive items that I have laying around the house that can be used in my paper crafts!  I hope you enjoy this idea and your holidays!

Spooky Window Box Treat

Does this little treat box look familiar? It's the Window Box template that I posted last winter, it's just spooked up a little bit! See the Template/Tutorial HERE.

It didn't look as much like a window box with a snowman on it, but that's what it has always reminded me of. The scalloped rooftop and black window panes sell it a little better, and I made them with a plain old square punch. I also made this box as a Valentine Treat for Teachers, filled with Marshmallow Pops.

I hope you enjoy this little twist on an old favorite!

How to Halloween Craft: Spooky Milk Carton House

Make this fun and easy treat with or for your favorite little goblins this year! It's made with a

basic milk carton template (download yours for FREE below.) Use the template as a guide to create two from a 12 x 12 or print the template on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of cardstock.

Other sizes of cardstock needed:

2.75 x 7 for roof

4 or 5 2"x2" pieces in contrasting colors for windows

1.5" x 2" for door 1"x

1.5" for door insert

Instructions:

Score, fold and cut cardstock according to template. If desired, stamp and embellish house while it is still flat. Adhere the side flap, then bottom.

Make windows and doors, using coordinating colors. The Creative Memories slots and squares punch makes the cutest windows and doors, but another square punch will also work.

Score the 2.75"x 7" piece at .75" increments. If you have a Score-Pal, here is an easy way to do this:

Start with the paper all the way at the left (0") guide.

Score at 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 inches.

Now align the paper at .25" and score at 1, 2.5, 4, 5.5 and 7.

Cut along the score lines with scalloped or other decorative scissors according to photo. (Deckle scissors would make a fun, thatched look.) The .75" strips will be stacked to make the shingle roof and the 1.5" piece will be folded in half and form the roof ridge (and also form a closure on the top of the treat box.)

Adhere three of the shingle strips on each of the slanted roof sides, starting from the bottom edge. Overlap each strips only slightly so that no house shows through.

At the top, adhere only half of the folded roof ridge, so that the treat box can still be opened. Fill with treats.

For a closure, experiment with decorative clips or simply use a paper clip to hold your treat house closed. Enjoy, and please leave me a note if you enjoyed this craft. I love hearing your ideas!

Download the template:

*PRINTING TIPS*

If you would like to just print out the template as a guide to read, click the blue "Print" link and under Standard Quality, click the Print button.

If you would like to print the template on 8.5x11 cardstock and assemble, click the blue "Print" link and under High Quality, click the Dowload and Print button. In Adobe, click Print and under Page Scaling, choose None.

Milk Carton Template

Snacks for a Furry Friend

Everyday occasions can be the best things to celebrate. My friend got a new puppy, which, actually is a big, life-changing event! She is getting up with her little one throughout the night. I thought of her when I saw these treats and it was a great excuse to go see her, bring treats and meet her new puppy.

I used double sided cardstock for the card for double the impact, Copic markers to color the dog and the bone came from a Halloween-ish type set. It's a simple card, but I love how it came out.

My girls got to meet the puppy too . . . I wonder how long this latest round of "Mom, can we get a puppy?" inquiries will last!

Summer Snack Pack

The kids and I made this for Father's Day for my husband. Filled with their favorite snacks, who wouldn't love this totable treat? It's a great idea for a birthday, especially for a guy that is hard to find a gift for. Ours started with Izze soda bottles that were filled with peanut M&Ms, cashews and pistachio nuts. {I considered trying to convince my husband that HIS favorite snacks had been changed to something easier to get into the spout of the bottles. Hopefully your guy loves sunflower seeds or something small like that.}

When the treats are gone, the cardboard carrier can have a second life as a plasticware caddy for a summer party, or maybe some pencils and markers in your craft room . . . . hmm . . .

I got this idea from Kristine McKay. You can check out this and other ideas on her blog HERE. Enjoy!

Lunch Bag Makeover

One thing that really seems to ring true with crafters is, "It's the little things that bless our lives the most." I have a lot of fun taking something pretty ordinary and making it more special.

I raided my collection of lunch and party bags and added some simple stamping to make these daily treat containers for my nine year-old's first adventure at summer camp. I wanted her to feel special and have a little treat and a note, so she knew her family was thinking of her every day.

This is a great idea for the first day of school, a birthday, or any day that you want a kiddo to feel special. It's not just for kids either! A little something extra written or stamped on a spouse's lunch bag would certainly make them feel special. Any small item given as a thank you or a favor in a lunch bag will seem even more thoughtful with a small sentiment and some decoration.

My mom gave me this great little book from Focus on the Family that has tear-out pages with encouraging messages for kids. I wrote a little something extra on the pages that I tucked in my camper's bags and making your own unique notes on computer stationery would be pretty simple.

Here are some of the same bags dolled up a little more for my daughter's "Spa" birthday sleepover.

My favorite sources for lunch bags are the dollar store, Big Lots!, and Target, which carries plain bags in red, white & blue.

If you like this idea, you might like these:

Semi Hand Stamped Gift Bags

or

Boo Your Own Kids Bags

Featured in the New Catty from The Angel Company

I was so so tickled to design projects with the new "Valentine" set from TAC's 2010 Inspiration Book & Catalogue. It's a cute set and it can actually be used as an all-occasion set by leaving off the word "Valentine".

This envelope treat was featured on an Inspiring Idea Project Card that can be clipped out of the catalogue and it's a fun and inexpensive treat to give as a favor or for any holiday. Kids love the Pixy Stix that are tucked inside and you can whip up a bunch of these in a hurry.

You can grab a catalog for the full instructions, but all you really need is a corner rounder and a circle punch.

You'll also notice that the project in the catalogue is a different version, featuring the Lilly Anna Collection. For both versions, I colored the frog with Copic markers. They are so fun!