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Happy New Year + Semi-Handmade Gifts

Happy New Year! I gratefully say goodbye to 2011 as it has been one bumpy ride. We finished off the year with our furnace and water heater going out in the same week. Yes, the same week. To top that off it happened two weeks before Christmas. Oh, and let’s not even discuss the dollars that had to be poured into it. Yes, I am happy 2011 is over. I am ready for a fantastic 2012.

I have been busy over the holiday. I created a semi-handmade Christmas this year. I am thrilled to report all of the handmade gifts are well loved! Yeah! Now that Christmas is over and I have no more surprises to keep I thought I would share the gifts that were made this past holiday at my house.

The first two gifts I want to share have to do with the two old suitcases I shared in December. Well…one of those suitcases smelled VERY musty. I am working on getting out the musty smell, but thankfully had an extra suitcase at home that I could use in place of the musty one.

I was inspired by a dollhouse suitcase I saw on Pinterest, that was made for a dolly. Ella LOVES Calico Critters, and really wanted a house for them for Christmas. I just couldn’t see spending over $100 for a house made of plastic, so I created this dollhouse suitcase for her critters. The best part is that it holds ALL of her little furniture and critters, plus fits under her bed when she is finished with it! Needless to say this was a complete hit at my house.

I created the little house by cutting a piece of cardboard to fit inside the lid of the suitcase. Then, I covered it with batting to make it soft and squishy. I just did a rough cut and stapled the bad boy to the cardboard. Easy peasy.

Next, I placed the covered cardboard onto my background fabric and cut out the back ground fabric. I left enough fabric to later wrap around the cardboard and staple in place.

Then I cut out strips of fabric to create a door, windows, and curtains. After cutting them out I stitched them onto the background fabric. I planned to add more details, but Christmas was coming and I had lots more to create!

Next, I created a floor for the house. I did this the same way that I created the house detail insert. I just used some fun fabric and core board instead of cardboard, because it is what I had on hand.

Also, I wanted to use the suitcase as storage for Ella's little Critter's, so I used coreboard and made padded siding for the base of the suitcase for the floor lid to rest on.

She loves it and actually is playing with it as I type right now!

The whole idea of a suitcase being the storage container for a toy or project inspired me to create a crocheting kit for Natalie. I included the super cool Kids Crochet book and bought her all of the supplies that are listed in the book to get her started. She LOVES it and is happy to be crocheting beyond a simple chain!

The book fits inside at the bottom and everything has a home. Just got to like that.

These gifts were fun to create and are well loved by my kiddos. Who said a semi-handmade gift couldn’t thrill a child?!

Today's post will be taking part in the following link parties: Fireflies and Jellybeans, Homemaker on a Dime, Made By You Monday , Today's Creative and Tatertots and Jello.

Creating Christmas Gifts + Vintage Finds

I have one more project that we worked on during Art Week. We created sculptures and worked on them for three days and they still are not finished, but we will be finishin them during our next Art Week. I will show you pics of our process to date later this week.

I wanted to share a few vintage finds I picked up yesterday to create Christmas gifts with.

Super cool, huh?! I am very excited to get to work on these gifts and then I will reveal what they will become. A hint...one will be a gift for my 6 year old and the other for my nine year old.

I just finished making these pillow mats for my kids, and nieces and nephews in black, green, and blue. This is totally not my idea, but one I LOVE! I followed the blog instructions and added personalization with felted names on each. These have been my late night projects to keep out of view of the little eyes. I think they will love them. Each pillow mat cost $15! Whoohoo! The online price for them is listed at $145!

 

Creating Christmas Gifts + Vintage Finds

I have one more project that we worked on during Art Week. We created sculptures and worked on them for three days and they still are not finished, but we will be finishin them during our next Art Week. I will show you pics of our process to date later this week.

I wanted to share a few vintage finds I picked up yesterday to create Christmas gifts with.

Super cool, huh?! I am very excited to get to work on these gifts and then I will reveal what they will become. A hint...one will be a gift for my 6 year old and the other for my nine year old.

I just finished making these pillow mats for my kids, and nieces and nephews in black, green, and blue. This is totally not my idea, but one I LOVE! I followed the blog instructions and added personalization with felted names on each. These have been my late night projects to keep out of view of the little eyes. I think they will love them. Each pillow mat cost $15! Whoohoo! The online price for them is listed at $145!

 

Quick and Simple Valentine Cards

 
Valentine's day tends to sneak up on me. Probably because I am planning Natalie's birthday party, and forget that Valentine's day is just two days later. I really was not wanting to just buy little valentine cards for the girls to put there names on and be finished, but I needed something quick, simple and inexpensive.

 

 

First, I picked up these cute little Martha Stewart stickers and these stamp stickers.

 

Plus, a couple of chocolate treats that the stickers attach to perfectly!

Also, I grabbed these $1 finds by Studio G! Super cute blank cards that can be easily embellished with some ribbon I just happened to find in the $1 section as well. Then I went to work creating several style cards for my kiddos to make and give this Valentine's day!

 

Using these simple items and some ribblon I was able to create a cute little valentine.

 

 

Adding this ribbon inside the card added a sweet sentiment.

 

The larger cards are sweet and have a cute little cut out on the front cover. I added the ribbon sentiment to the front and inside and then added some detail to the envelope.

I attached the cute little chocolate stamp to the front and made up a loving address, Natalie is going to LOVE this.

 

These cards had circular windows on the front, so I punched a couple of pink card stock cirlces to cover the art work and added my chocolate stickers to the inside.

 

Super quick and easy valentines with a tasty chocolate treat!

Valentine treat bag - how to

Today's valentine project is a sweet treat bag to fill with a valentine cookie or chocolates. We are making cookies to fill these bags, but chocolates work too!

 
These are quick and simple to make. First, I punched the top of a white bag with the Martha Stewart heart border punch. Isn't it adorable? And the punch is super easy to use.

 

Next, I added a piece of cardstock to the bag and cut out a 3.5" heart using my Slice. I hand stitched around the heart, but it looks cute without the stitching as well. Then I used my Slice and cut out a 3" word Kiss and adhered it to the center of the heart.

 

Attach the heart to the top of the cardstock and you have a super sweet valentine treat bag ready to fill with yummy goodness.

 Posted on Made By You Mondays.

TWO how-to valentine projects!

What have I been up to? Obviously not blogging. I thought it was time to share what I have been creating and why.

This week I will share a new item each day that I have been creating for Valentines Day. The projects are simple and fun to create. I meant to post one yesterday, so today I will post two projects.

 
This sweet heart garland I made with some paper, doilies, and two tools. I used my Slice to cut out the hearts and my sewing machine to stitch it all together.

 
First, I cut out a ton of hearts using my Slice.

 
Next, I cut out a smaller 2 inch heart and folded it in half.

 
Then, I placed a paper doilie behind each large heart and stitched across the heart like an arrow. leaving about 3 to 4 inches of sewn thread between each heart. After sewing all of the hearts together I took a folded heart and sewing down the fold of the heart I attached it to each large heart.

 
The end result is a super sweet garland with texture and dimension! Fun, easy, and cute...my kind of recipe for a craft project.

Now, what to do with all of the left over doilies. Here is a SUPER easy idea that can be finished in about 5 minutes!

Take as many doiled as you have on hand or left over and sew down the center of the heart shape.

 
At the same time of stitching down the center of this stack of doilies I grabbed curling ribbon for wrapping gifts and stitched the end of th ribbon to the top of the heart.

Next, fold all of the halves of the heart.

 
The end result is a beautiful heart to be hung above a table to act as a center piece for the valentine season. It is a season right?

So, there you have it two of the projects I have been creating. More to share tomorrow!

Heart Inspiration

I have been crafting Valentine projects lately. I am putting together posts about my projects, but I thought I would share some heart projects that I am inspired to add to my idea box!

 

Love the simplicity of this!

 

I will be making these for each of my daughters for Valentines day. How stinkin' cute is this?! Check out the site for how-to directions.

 

LOVE this garland. I made a garland already, but I may need to make this one as well.

Super fun heart shaped projects! Love finding inspiring projects on the web!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011!

I am completely excited about the idea of having a fresh start and that includes a new word to kick off the New Year! Ali Edwards has been doing this for several years now and this is the second year I am joining in.

My word for the year is EXPERIENCE. This word found me as I spent the last few months of 2010 discussing how I want to experience more with my family. I want LESS stuff and more memorable moments. That is why at Christmas the entire family received season ski passes. My youngest on Christmas morning said, “Mom, we didn’t get that many toys this year.”  No, they didn’t. Most everything under our tree was ski gear… plus one toy, one book, and stockings. Less stuff that will soon be forgotten, but an entire winter season of our family together, experiencing the mountains, snow and skiing!

 

 

I am wondering how many directions this new word will take me this year. I am excited to find out.

Write It Wednesday!

After a wonderful Christmas holiday at my house this past week, I have been thinking about the story I want to write this week. Christmas brings forth wonderful memories of the past that include values and traditions that I want to share with my kids. That is why this weeks story prompt is all about holiday values and traditions that are important to you and how you choose to pass them on.

This will be different for each person, but my memory is one of being outdoors, and it is an activity that we started when I lived in Alaska. It is a holiday memory, because it started one Christmas and even after moving away from Alaska and living in Arizona, my parents tried to continue this new family tradition. I am excited to write this story, because this is the year that I am passing this tradition on to my children and I am thrilled that they are loving it as much as I did.

Remember when writing your story to share why this holiday value or tradition left such an impression on your life. Adding moments like these to your story bring a sense of reality and you into your scrapbooking.

Enjoy writing your story.

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Write it Wednesday - Holiday Food

Today I am thinking about food. So, hey...why not write about holiday food this week.

I know, my first thought is wow a story about food? Really, are you nuts? Of course I am, but why not write a story about holiday food?

The first time I truly realized the importance of food was the first time I spent a holiday away from my family. I had a lovely time, but something was missing, and it went beyond missing my family. I had a hard time enjoying the holiday, because the food was so DIFFERENT that it didn't feel like a holiday meal to me.

Today, think about holiday food and its importance to your holiday traditions. and write about it. Then, this weekend take photos of the food that is important and maybe even food that you could do without. This will be a fun page to create next week when the holiday crazies are over with!

Merry Christmas!