Take some fries with that

Just a quick post today.  I always forget how busy it is this time of the year!!! Last week I had a pop-up fair at a friends house, then over the weekend I had a booth at a craft fair in Quincy, this weekend we are hosting a work party, and I'm terrible behind getting my Christmas cards made- never mind signed & mailed--EEEKKKK! 

It'll all work out though.  It always does. :) The treat I'm sharing today is a fun, quick, easy stocking stuffer.  I made a bunch of them.  These went home with one of my classroom roomie (hence the wacky photo taken with my phone at work). I need to make 1 more to complete an order for another co-worker.  I dug into my stash of cut papers, stickers, and embellishments to jazz up the kraft French fry boxes. Then I filled them with mini chocolates in a cello bag.  Tied ribbon, sparkly yarn, or twine on all of them.  Easy-peasy!

Guess I should get off the internet and work on cards huh.  Gonna go see what Christmas movies are on TV or on demand.  Might help me get my tushie in gear! ;-)

Ghosting Bag

It's that time of the year again.  Ghosting time!  I made this goodie bag to be prepared for the ghosting that happens every year at this time. :)  You can check out the tut at The Hen's Den and while you are there don't forget to enter a project you posted on your blog from any day this October.  That's right- you pick the project AND the theme.  The name of some lucky player will be drawn at random for a chance to win goodies from The Hen's Den store!!!!   ***East Coast Folks- Hurry before we all lose power from "THE FRANKENSTORM". ;D

(The DT has posted some of their inspiration pieces in the gallery, but don't worry we won't win. ;) )

Paper Flowers Wreath Tutorial

Materials:

5-6 different sheets 12X12 double-sided pattern cardstock  ( Used here- papers from Crate Paper Resoration Collection, Crate Paper Story Teller, and Creative Imaginations Creative Café)

1-2 different sheets 12x12 solid cardstock (Used here- 1 sheet of yellow textured cardstock)

Flower & circle punches, dies, or cutting files (Used here- 1 inch scallop circle punch, Cricut Plantin School Book and Cricut Walk through my garden)

Chipboard & cardstock stickers (Used here- Crate Paper Story Teller)

Hot glue gun

Zip Dry glue

Foam tape

Twig wreath (Used one with a 6 inch opening here)

1 yard each of 2 different ruffled ribbons

Step 1:

Hot glue the ribbons around the center edge of the wreath.  I didn’t have enough to cover the center, but it is fine because the flowers will cover the “empty” space.  (The leaves are there so you can see how much they fill the space.)

Step 2:

Cut flowers, leaves, and flower centers.  The sizes used here vary from 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches.  The two largest leaves are about 4.5 inches.  Using your fingers or a pen, curl the edges of the leaves and petals.

The centers of 5 flowers have word stickers for some added visual interest and some flowers have the centers popped with foam tape, the other centers are just Zip Dry glued.

Play with the layout of the flowers and leaves.  **Tip 1-When you have everything pretty, you may want to take a digital picture and refer to your camera as you glue. 

**Tip 2- Keep each flower type to an odd number for a more aesthetically pleasing bouquet.

Step 3:

Hot glue the leaves, then flowers,

and finally the chipboard shapes to wreath.

Step 4:

Hang up your beautiful wreath and enjoy!

Hope you were inspired today!  If you make your own wreath, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to see your take on this idea. :)

Happy, Happy, Happy

Quick post today!  I was going to post a tut today, but I figure I'll post it next week.  Give everyone a chance to catch their breath after this mid-week holiday here in The States.

First- Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!!!!!  Even though neither of us has as much hair as we used to, I'm still glad/lucky/proud to be married to you. ;)

Second- I'm one of the newest members of The Hen's Den Design Team!!!!!  Be sure to check out the uber talented ladies on the team.  I can't wait for you to see all their inspiring creations- and to share a few of my own!

Third- This was going to be where I'd put the tutorial for making this wreath, but I know so many of you are trying to get your grilling/pool party/beach going/fireworks loving selves ready for our USA's birthday.  I'll post this next week and hopefully you won't have a sunburn while you are reading it. LOL!

image credit

Have a Happy July 4th Everyone!!!

Mom & Me

I have a surprise for you today.  I actually used a picture in one of my projects!!!  If you have been hanging out here in the fuzzy slipper zone for long, you'll have noticed I tend to make things for others to adorn with their photos.  This time one of mine made it. :)

Before you get to see the project, I wanted to show you the kit.  This one is the April Kit Club kit.  Most of the May kit has been used, but fear not more bit 'n pieces will make an appearance soon.  I know y'all are just on pins and needles. LOL!  In this kit, Mary gave us goodies from the Basic Grey pb&j line.  The cards weren't part of the kit, but they are there to inspire me to get my thank you cards made so I'm ready for the last day of school.  Only 6 more wake-ups left in this school year.  It's panic time!!!!  I'm not ready!!!!!

So I procrastinated tried to inspire myself this past Friday and joined some gals at the Craft In at my LSS.  Here is the first creation I completed and I ran around the store showing anyone who would look because I made something for me.  With a picture.  That I'm keeping.  LOL!  The shadowbox is from 7 gypsies and I'm hooked on how easy/quick/fun this is to embellish.  This picture has been on my "must use" list for about a year.  I found it in one of the copy paper boxes that are holding all the pictures from when we cleaned out Mom's house.

I adore this shot of us.  Mom read to me all the time as a kid, but not stories.  She read me poems from Ideals, nursery rhymes, and song lyrics.  She was so ahead of her time.  More and more research is showing how those types of text are crucial for early literacy development.  That was my mom- a trendsetter. :)  You may have noticed that I didn't crop the picture.  I couldn't.  Mom wrote the date of this picture on the back way at the top.  The picture is foam taped in different spots so you can still peek at her handwriting.  She had gorgeous handwriting, like a movie star or something.

Enjoy your Monday and enjoy reading with someone special this week!