Check out this cute idea for Valentines Day! (or party favors, your choice)

Check out this idea for cute and inexpensive home-made Valentines! My friend Natalie started this blog : The Diapering Gourmet. She has a lot of great "from scratch" ideas from laundry detergent to homemade play-dough. Check her out and maybe even start "following" her, I think you'll get a lot out of her blog. She makes everything she shows so approachable- and I tend to be hesitant to try making a lot of household items from scratch- but thanks to her, I made my own laundry soap! Totally doable! Anyhow, her play-dough Valentines are so cute, and I think you could easily use the idea for party favors, stocking stuffers, etc. etc.. Here's the link: http://thediaperinggourmet.blogspot.com/2011/02/play-dough-valentines-html?showComment=1297612482985#c9223108094753188829

Love Notes Tin

I found this idea from a Creative Keepsakes magazine, I think... the original idea used a tin that had held scrapbooking flowers and was reusing it. I found our tins at Ikea- a set of three (in the knives section) with a big magnet on the back of each. The set of 3 cost $4.99, and these are really sturdy too! You can find tins similar to this, possibly cheaper through Oriental Trading Company and other resources, but I ran out of time to order, so I was fortunate to find them at Ikea. I measured around the tin to see how long to make the strip of paper to go on there. From that point, I just cut strips of different papers for the tins to glue around them. I used my Cuttlebug and a scalloped Nestabilities die to cut the "notes" and used varying stamps to stamp on them. I tied them with a pretty red ribbon to add another element to it. We made these for a recent MOPS craft. Since we're so limited in time, it's a challenge to find crafts that the ladies will want to do, but also have enough time to do. These little notes can be given to a spouse/loved one, child- in their backpack, lunchbag, etc.. however you want to use them. You certainly don't need to reserve them for Valentine's Day.

Perpetual Calendar/Dates to Remember Calendar

This is a craft we made for MOPS recently. I typed up as best I could each month with all of the days without taking up an entire sheet of paper. The measurements for these were 8 1/2 x 8 inches. For basic decoration, I cut strips of scrapbooking paper to fit and tied ribbon around the paper to add a bit more 3 dimensional feature to it. We used book rings to hold the calendar together. This is one of those calendars for birthdays and anniversaries that keeps them all in one place, where you don't have to re-write each year in a calendar. This would be very handy for me because I continually ask the same people what day their birthday is each year- I remember the month, but not the exact day. I always plan to write it down too, but don't, so I feel like a flake each year. You could decorate these however you want- even use different colored cardstock. We just did a basic version because of the size of the group and time allowed for the craft. I found the idea on a MOPS forum for Creative Activities. This is just how mine ended up looking...

Lost Socks hanger/board

I borrowed this idea from a blog I follow: "Organize and Decorate" . This is obviously my take on it. I crackled/distressed the board (leftover cut from a scrap board I bought at Home Depot), and painted the front of my clothespins the same color. I used rub-ons for the initials of my children. I used my new power drill to drill holes for a ribbon hanger, and used my Cricut to cut letters out. I'm not sure if I think the size of the letters is too big or not... We'll leave it this way for right now. I'm going to hang it in my laundry room for all those socks that don't have a match at the time- there always seems to be several floating around.

Laundry Room hangers

I decided to make this board of hangers for the things like girls tights and other items that needed to be hung up to air dry- mostly children's items... I had been draping these things over the supports to the wire shelf above my washer and dryer, and thought there needed to be a better (and more attractive..) way to go about it. I bought a piece of scrap wood from Home Depot for 51 cents- yup, not even a dollar. I cut it into 2 pieces - one longer (which is this project) and one a bit shorter ( for the next project for lost socks that I'm working on). I used my handy dandy miter saw- my husband is getting his money's worth out of his Christmas gift to me :)- love that man of mine! Anyhow... I crackled it with brown underneath and Winter blue on the top, then distressed slightly around the edges. I bought 4 hangers at $2.57 a pair at Walmart in ORB (Oil Rubbed Bronze). I had to buy slightly shorter screws though, because the wood was not as thick as the screws were long. I dabbed paint over the heads of the screws to conceal the silver finish that stuck out like a sore thumb. I used my Cricut to cut out letters to come up with the little saying on it. It amuses me, since it's for my "hang ups"- oh, if only it were that easy to take care of our hang ups! :). I'm going to hang it up on my laundry room wall across from the washer and dryer. So if you're on the lookout for cheap(er) wood in the home improvement store, look in their scrap bin where they're selling partial cuts of wood for cheap. You can always peruse construction sites and ask for their scraps, or ask the home improvement stores for any scraps they might be willing to just give away. I'm holding out for some scrap beadboard... for another project...

"Father" mini album

This is a "companion" album to a mini album I posted last year of a "mother" mini album I made for a good friend. I knew as soon as she showed me the pictures of her husband with each of her 6 boys, that they should be scrapped as a companion album to the one I made her of herself with each of her boys. I stitched and distressed the pictures, along with inking. I looked up the father quotes online- I really love the last one about the grass. (Actually, I like all of them, since I picked them out from a bunch of father quotes...)

My miter saw- it's a beautiful thing :)

So here's a shot of my miter saw in use- despite the fact that it takes up room, my husband DID buy it for me, and I must use it. I'm a happy girl! :)

Scripture Verse tag books

I made a few of these Scripture verse tag books a couple of years ago now, and the verses mean just as much now to me as they did when I was reading through the book of Psalms during a really difficult time in my life. I decided to make some verse tag books for a couple of friends who are experiencing some struggles of their own, and I thought they might like something of this nature. The verses mean so much to me, speaking of God's character and faithfulness, especially when you're struggling, and clinging to who you know God to be. I hope that they find comfort and encouragement in the words of Scripture on these little tags. I think this idea can be used for so many things: quotes on friendships, moms, sisters, dads, etc. ... if you prefer something other than Bible verses. I'm posting a smattering of the pictures (there are a lot otherwise...).

True Beauty Layout

This layout all originated from a fantastic picture that was taken of my sister and niece last summer/spring. I knew as soon as I saw it that it needed to be scrapped and framed. It was a struggle finding the right papers to go with the colors in the pictures, but I didn't want to turn it to black and white because it was so vibrant. I was fortunate enough to get to see my best buddy over the weekend and she helped me figure out the last bit of "what to put where". Gotta love that friend of mine :) I used a copious amount of Stickles glitter glue on the layout too.. I think it really added to the feminine look with the more masculine colors of the cardstock.