Heart String Art {on a card!}

Hi freinds! I love Valentine’s day, especially making Valentine cards. This card design uses the hot trend of string art and the classic look of baker’s twine.

I kinda messed my first try up (you can see that in the video) so I decided to make a template for the stitching holes. I recommend this whenever you are going to try a different shape, you can use a ruler and pen to work out how the string will go and save time and as a bonus you can keep the template to use again! Feel free to use this one if making a heart!

Watch the video for full instruction!

Supplies:
White and red cardstock
Bakers Twine
Washi Tape
Paper Piercer (needle tool or thumbtack)
Foam Tape
Rubber Stamps: Balloons animal maker and Sentiment (Stampin Up!)
Ink pads in pink and red (Stampin Up!)

Directions:
1. Poke holes in cardstock using the template. Stamp a sentiment on the cardstock if desired.
2. Thread a needle with twine and stitch through holes in the order indicated on the template.
3. Attach stitched panel to mat and card.
4. Decorate inside of card if desired.

Have you tried the old-fashioned string art where you hammer nails in wood and wrap the string? That is so popular right now and I’ve seen some really fun creations! I hope you give this trendy look a try on your next card. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Sponsored by Papermart

Edible Bouquet for Valentine’s Day!

Hi friends! Make this sweet treat for a classroom or office full of friends using supplies from our sponsor Papermart!

Watch the video to see how!

Supplies:
Pretzels
Chocolate candy wafers
Clear cello bags or plastic wrap
Crepe Paper
Washi Tape
Mason Jar
Ribbon
Flower & leaf dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)

Directions:
1. Place pretzels in clear bags or wrap with plastic wrap.
2. Die cut flowers and leaves from crepe paper. Fold flowers into quarters and snip off point. Unfold and slide on pretzel.
3. Secure flowers with washi tape. Shape and tape on leaves.
4. Place in mason jar decorated with a ribbon.

Here is a tutorial on making the pretzels.  I hope you try this fun craft and let the kids help, mine love making the pretzels and they are such a fun treat to share with classmates on Valentine’s day! Happy crafting!

Easy Winter Decorations!

Hi Friends! Looks like we are going to get some snow tonight! We had a 50 degree green Christmas yesterday but the weatherman says 1″-3″ of snow tonight and 4″-8″ on Tuesday. I am glad to have snow when the kids are on break because then we won’t have to go anywhere and they can play in it! Even if you are not getting snow where you live ay least you can make some paper snowflakes! I’ll show you how with inexpensive doilies from our sponsor Papermart!

I also want to let you know that Papermart is having an after Christmas clearance sale with 30% off selected items, just click on the after clearance banner on the Papermart website to see all the deals. The Candy Cane stripe and Christmas tree ribbon might have to come live at my house, it would look fantastic on kraft paper packages! They even have Disney and Simpsons Christmas wraps and stockings!

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season:) I have been feeling off all week (I know I’m sick when the smell of coffee turns my stomach and my energy is zapped!) but it’s probably my body telling me to rest and enjoy the holiday break with the family. Stay safe and healthy and til next time happy crafting!

 

 

I have an embarrasing amount of button stamps…

Hi friends! The other day I showed you how to make a quick crochet cowl. Today I am going to give you an idea for packaging them for sale or gift giving using supplies from our sponsor Papermart!

I love vintage sewing things and I have dozens of vintage button rubber stamps and to tell you the truth I will probably buy more LOL! This project will put them to good use! Look at your stamp collection and see if you can fashion something similar. Watch the video to see how I did it!

I make sheets of printed price and description tags for the items I sell a lot like watercolors,  cards, jewelry and handmade journals. It really saves time when I have to package and price my items for my shop or a craft fair. I simply use the address label feature in Open Office (that is a free word processing software similar to Microsoft Word, but MS Word has the same feature if you prefer that) and print sheets at a time. Then I can use a paper trimmer or craft punch to make my labels to slip in clear bags or attach to the pretty display tags like I did here.

Supplies:
Shipping Tags (I am using the 2 3/8″x4 3/4″ size)
Bakers Twine
Stamps (Papertrey Ink, Inkadinkado)
Ink (Dye Based-Altenew)

Make sure to check out Papermart for all of your fall craft fair and Christmas packaging/wrapping supplies. They have the highest quality products and the lowest prices. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Wicked Easy Halloween Trick-o-Treat Bags!

Hi friends! Here is a fun way to get some use out of your Halloween themed stamps, use up some paper scraps and get a head start on Halloween!

If you don’t celebrate Halloween you can change-up the stamps and prepare these little bags for another event! I am using tin tie coffee bags from our sponsor Papermart, they are sturdy and plastic lined so you can actually gift food items in them, they are sturdy bags that you can decorate and stamp on too. I think they are a wonderful item to have on hand, they come in kraft, white and other colors but I like the kraft best. FYI The other colors are a bit glossy so you would need a specialty ink to stamp on those.

Video!

Supplies:
Tin-Tie Coffee Bags
Mini Clothes Pins
Colored Pencils
Colored paper (scraps can be used!)
Halloween stamps and dies & ink (optional-mine are from Stampendous)

Directions:
1. Layer green and blue paper to make grass and sky and fold in half to make a bag topper. You can cut it into a fancy shape if you like (as I did in the video) or leave it as a rectangle.
2. Stamp a pumpkin on orange paper, add details with colored pencils, cut out and glue to topper. You can add a stem or witches hat to the pumpkin if you like. Stamp “Happy Halloween” on the backside.
3. Place over the bag and secure with a mini clothes pin.

Consider making a few of your treat bags with a teal pumpkin or teal hat like I did and having non-food Halloween treats in them like crayons, pencils, puzzles so you can give them to kids with food allergies. You can let parents know that you have non-food treats by placing a teal painted pumpkin on your porch. I am not sure who started the teal pumpkin project but I think it is a great idea! Let’s make Halloween fun for everyone! Happy Crafting!

Glitter and Stencils! You’ve Got Them so USE Them!

Hi friends! Today we are going to make this super sparkly glitter stenciled card!

It is super frugal too using supplies from out sponsor Papermart! Watch the video to see how.

Video!

Supplies:
Shipping tags
Glitter
Double sided tape or adhesive sheet
Stencil (mine was from Stencil Girl)
Washi Tape
Organza Ribbon
Tulle

Directions:
1. Cover tag with double-sided tape.
2. Coat stencil with embossing ink or glycerin.
3. Remove liner from tape and place stencil ink side down on the adhesive.
4. Carefully add glitter filling in the stencil holes with the colors you want.
5. Press glitter in to the stencil and shake off the excess then wipe off the excess with a baby wipe.
6. Remove the stencil and cover the rest of the adhesive with clear glitter. Tap off excess and burnish glitter in.
7. Hear with a heat tool (optional) to be sure the glitter is secure.
8. Finish by adding a washi tape border and ribbon/tulle.

Just make sure (and I can’t stress this enough) that you coat your stencil with glycerin or embossing ink before you place it on the adhesive. Think of all the stencils you have and the colors of glitter out there, the possibilities are endless! I think I need to use this technique on a scrapbook page. What project would YOU use it on? Let me know in the comments below and while you are there please share this post with your crafty friends on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

Faux-saic Box!

Hi friends! Grab your stencils and embossing paste and let’s make Faux Mosaics!

Video!

Supplies:
Kraft Jewelry Box 5″x6″:
Acrylic paint (grout color, I used white)
Glass Paint (Transparent)
Copper Tape
Stencil (Patti Tolley Parrish from istencil)
Stencil Embossing Paste (pearl-Dreamweaver)
paint brush, palette knife, scraper

Papermart supplies used in the card set
Jewelry Tissue on a roll
bulk envelopes
Baker’s Twine

Let me know if you want a demo on making the card set!

Mosaic box directions:
1. Paint box white, let dry.
2. Tape stencil to box lid and spread stencil paste on top. Remove and clean stencil, let dry.
3. Paint raised squares and bottom edges of box. Let dry.
4. Add copper tape to edges of the box lid if desired.

I put handmade cards in my box, what will you put in yours? Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Sponsored by Papermart.

Art on the Go!

Hi friends! Today we are making a cute little travel art kit that is perfect for creating art on vacation or keeping the kids busy during long car rides.

It is inexpensive using supplies from our sponsor Papermart:

Supplies:
Kraft Box 5″x6″
Washi Tape
Grossgrain Ribbon
Hook and Loop Tape (aka Velcro)

Supplies:
watercolor pencils (sawed in half)
watercolor paper
cardstock
watercolor paint
waterbrush mini

Those are some ideas to get you started but you can fill the box with whatever you like! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

 

Start The School Year Off Right!

Hi Friends! All over Facebook I am seeing first day of school photos from my friends down south. Luckily up in Maine we do not go back to school until September but I am all ready with this cute homework supply caddy:

I wanted to make a portable box of supplies that was not too big, yet would have anything my kids needed for homework. These sturdy parts bin boxes from Papermart are just the ticket. My kids can take it to their favorite homework spot then slide it on a shelf when not in use. Watch the video to see how I did it.

Video!

Supplies:
Bin box
Washi Tape
Scrapbook paper (I used designs by Crate Paper)
Scissors
1″ punch

Directions:
1. Cut paper to fit the sides and ends of the box and adhere.
2. Assemble the box. Fold one of the dividers to make a divided compartment and leave 2 compartments open.
3. Add washi tape to the edges of the box.
4. Fill with back to school supplies and homework essentials!

Items I put in the box:
Ruler
Pencils
Markers
Highlighters
rubber bands
paper clips
glue and glue sticks
safety scissors
paper re-enforces (paper donuts LOL!)
white vinyl erasers\pencil sharpener

Make sure this box is accessible on a shelf so the kids can get to it whenever they need. This easy idea will save you and your kids headaches and stress when it comes to homework. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Sponsored by Papermart.