Snorkel Ornament

Another project! This crop over at JuJu Bees has given me so much inspiration!! Here it is, made with the Snorkel line by Cosmo Cricket:

Here is the post showing how to make it: How About Orange Paper Flower Ornament.

A tree-mendously cute card

Ok, that post title was a stretch in trying to be witty and cute. LOL. I made this card today for the "shaped card" challenge going on with the JuJu Bees Crop this weekend. There's only a couple of hours left to submit projects and I have to say... it has been such a nice way to spend a weekend!! If you missed the crop... don't worry, there's always fun challenges and tutorials being posted, head over and take a look? Here is my Christmas tree card. I used scrabble tiles and lots of scraps of paper. I added an easel back to this card so that the receiver can use it as Christmas decor as well. Wouldn't this be super cute in your office?

a very crafty day

Today is officially the first day of Christmas vacation at our house! No school for anyone (DH did have to work, though) so I spent the afternoon in my craft room. I cleaned off my desk (which had been neglected for months while homework stole all of my time away) and made two fun and really cool projects.

The first is a wreath made from sheets of music:

I didn't have any books of sheet music on hand so I googled and printed off lots of copies of a few Christmas songs. I found this idea at Miss Mustard Seed. I love her aged pages but I think mine turned out to be very pretty considering I had to improvise. After I printed the music on 8.5"x11" paper I cut them in half and rolled somewhere around 100 tubes (which means 50 sheets of copier paper). I used modge podge to hold mine together, let dry and misted with strongly brewed coffee. Then I inked around the edges of all of the tubes. I would have liked to put a wider, darker bow but this is the largest that I had on hand. All together I spent... nothing! Gotta love that!! Here's some detail that shows the distressing:

The second project of the day is a giant, pink snowflake! The finished snowflake is about 16" (yes, SIXTEEN INCHES) across:

This idea isn't mine either, lol. I found it on the Cosmo Cricket blog a few weeks ago. Find the instructions by checking out their blog post HERE. This is a wonderfully impressive project but it is honestly so super easy to make!

Isn't this cool?? My suggestions: Use good glue. Hot glue would be best. I used my Tombow and it is only holding so-so. I have been reinforcing some of the points with my Zip Dry. I want to make more but I need to find my hot glue gun first. I also want to look for some type of plastic sheets so that I can make some to hang outside!

Hope you try one of these two projects. They would make really great (and cheap!) last minute Christmas gifts, too. Let me know if you try one?

Love in a can

I ran across the cutest idea the other day out there in blog land. I was checking out Blue Cricket Designs and found her tutorial for "Christmas pop top cans" and fell in love! That night for dinner I made sure to use two can (Delmonte fruit) so that I could use for the girls' teacher gifts. She has a great description on how to make them so head over there for the details. Here are the ones that I made using My Minds Eye and Bo Bunny papers. They are filled with candy and chapstick! I wish someone would make one of these cutie patootie things for me!! Perhaps with a nummy starbucks gift card inside... hmmm..... I may have to just give myself a gift this year! lol!

Here they are from the top view...
How cute are these?? and a close up of the pull tab top:

The girls will be taking them to school tomorrow (along with the fleece scarves posted below)... I can't wait to hear if they were a hit!! Wait... what am I thinking?? Of course they will be a hit! They are love in a can, afterall!! Thanks for the idea BCD!

Fleece scarves

Last week I bought some fleece in order to make ruffle scarves for my girls and their teachers for Christmas gifts. Problem is... I can't get my sewing machine to work! So the cut fleece has been sitting in the Hobby Lobby bag since then. Sad. But I was blog hopping today and found a great no-sew fleece scarf tutorial!! (Check out the original post on Creative Jewish Mom) So I ran and grabbed my fleece and popped out all four scarves in about three hours. The girls are getting these girly ones:And their teachers are getting ones in the school colors!! I found the perfect color of green and then a black with white paw prints (their mascot is a wildcat and they often use paws on... well... everything!) so it was perfect! And the fleece was on sale so I only paid $6 for ALL four scarves!! Here is my youngest modeling one of the wildcat scarves:These are SO easy to make!! You start with two strips of fleece, 1/4 of a yard wide (about 5.5"), a pair of good scissors, a ruler and a marker.

You snip 2.5" deep every 1/2" along ONE side. Instead of measuring the 2" every time I just used a marker and drew a temporary mark on the top blade of my scissors (see the pic below), then I knew to cut only that deep and it made it super easy to get my strips even.

Then all you have to do is lay the two pieces side by side...
and start knotting!! I double knotted all of them, just to be sure. But it holds really well so you don't have to sew a single thing!! I also love the back side which looks like this:

Easy peasy, eh? She (Creative Jewish Mom) cut her strips a little shorter and thicker (which I did on the first one with the pale pink and lavender) but I found it harder to knot and my fingers cramped up pretty fast. So on the next one I tried skinnier, longer strips and it went SO much faster. I also love that as you tie up the knots it causes the sides to ruffle!! This is a totally quick project that your kids could easily help with. Let me know if you make one!

I made it!!

The semester is over and I made it out alive!!! LOL. I am still waiting on some of my grades but at least I stuck it out and finished. Looking forward to graduating in just FIVE MONTHS!! So excited!! Thanks for being patient with me, gals. I have been making some stuff and will get it photographed and posted asap!

I am also looking forward to the crop at JuJu Bee's this weekend. Here's the info:

(click to go to the JuJu Bees website)

Wanna play? Me too!! Head over to JuJu Bees and get signed up for the boards and gallery so that you can play along. See you there!

just a few more days...

and this semester will be OVER. And I can breath again!! So for anyone who checks back in, hoping for some great inspiration or witty posts... sorry!! By next Friday I have to:
1. Write a 20 page paper on consumer behavior
2. Take a Calculus final
3. Take my Geology 300 final (from the class I took last SPRING!)
4. Take my Algebra final (from the class I took this summer)
5. Take my Consumer Behavior final
6. Take my Marketing Research final
7. Turn in my Marketing Research project/oral presentation
8. Create a marketing event/plan for an internship interview

Add to that some social engagements and trying to keep my kids from destroying the house.... and I'm beat! I am bummed that I haven't created anything for so long. But it'll be over soon and I am going to PLAY in my scrap room soon.... promise!

Until then... just keep checking back in with me... I'll be back soon! :o)

Attention Carrie (aka Laterg8r)

I didn't receive your email with your mailing address... can you send it again?

my email is erin_manning_@hotmail. com (with no spaces).

THANK YOU!!!!

Drum Roll Please....

Congratulations Carrie! Please email me at erin_ manning_ @ hotmail.com (no spaces) with your mailing address so that I can get your lovely goodies out to you. THANK YOU to everyone who played along in the first ever Dotty Divas Blog Dive! Don't forget about this month's advertisement challenge going on NOW at Dotty Divas!

Dotty Divas Blog Dive

It's finally here!!
The first ever Dotty Divas Blog Dive!!

Have you ever participated in a blog hop before?
It is basically a chance to hop from blog to blog, discovering more about the Dotty Divas designers. You should have been sent her from Emma's blog. If you stumbled upon my post today, head over to Dotty Divas blog so that you can start from the beginning.

Let's start with this month's advert challenge!
Here is this month's advertisment:

And here is the layout that I created using the advertisement as inspiration:

This layout was made using Basic Grey's "Nook & Pantry" line.
Are those pears perfect or what?!

To enter the new challenge: create a layout/card/altered item using the advertisement as inspiration. That could mean using the colors, the words, the layout, the theme... whatever inspires you!! Get your submissions sent in for your chance to win this month's prize package from Cardinal Colours and Tando Creative!

Do you like this layout? Would you like to lift it for a layout of your own?
I made it easier for you by creating a sketch! Here you go;

To thank you for visiting my blog and participating in the Dotty Divas Blog Dive I would like to offer up this RAK to one of you:

The RAK includes:
8x8 "Vintage Moon" paper pack by Pink Paislee (12 sheets)
Glitter Alphabet Rub-Ons in Green - 100+letters
Amy Butler Adhesive Flowers by K & Co - 16 pieces
3 large tags from Creative Cafe
36 assorted buttons

How to enter:
1. Become a follower of my blog
2. Leave a comment linking me to your blog (if you have one)
3. Winner will be announced on Nov 24th.
Winner will have one week to claim prize. Open to all!

Next stop: Kristen's Blog!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

GORGEOUS giveaway... check it out!!

$10 wall make over

So.... we have this big blank wall behind our tv: boring, huh? Even with Martha on... yuck. So I've been brainstorming for a while now and have tons of great ideas but hardly any money. Then one day "ta da!" the idea hit me! I took these:Which are u-g-l-y. The two bottom ones are from the goodwill for a total of $5. The top one was in our guest room. I also took 3 other frames that I had in storage and did this:

Combined with a $2 can of high gloss black spray paint, a shelf that I had on hand and got this: Then DH helped me fiddle with them for a while until we had this:

Sorry about that last pic being dark, my camera battery died and this is the best I could get first. I like how it turned out but I have a few more plans to add color. After I get it finished, I'll take better pics. I also have another project including 20 recycled objects, some liquid nails and a cardboard display board. Interested? Check back soon!!

Have you seen....

Couture Cardstock??

YUM!

Bo Bunny Christmas Card Sketch

I have to say that I am currently loving Bo Bunny (and tend to stock their blog a little more often than I should!). They have a card sketch challenge going on NOW! And you know how I feel: cards+sketches+challenges=scrappy heaven. Click HERE to see the current sketch. I found this sketch super easy to use and it would be so versatile for any theme. Here is my card, using the "tis the season" line from Bo Bunny:

I used two seperate sheets of pp. The green with blue polka dots went through my new handy-dandy paper crimper (thank you sister!) and was embelished with some red stickle dots. The red polka dot paper (I like polka dots, not that you could tell by this card, LOL) was distressed with sand paper. The "Bah Humbug" is from a sheet of cut-outs (also the "tis the season" line). I used an edge distresser, added stickles to the holly berries and (I know it's hard to tell in the photos) added dimensional glaze on the letters and around the holly leaves so that they look embossed. Here's some detail:

Thanks for looking! There's still a few days to enter the sketch challenge.... I'd love to see what you make!

Sneak Peak

Here's the sneak peak of the RAK that I am going to be offering up on November 20th for the first ever Dotty Divas Blog Dive:

Despite the Cold

This LO is for a sketch challenge over at JuJu Bees. Click HERE to see the thread. Here is my LO using a piece of paper from the Cosmo Cricket line called Snorkel:

The back of the red paper (doesn't it look like the side of a barn? I love it!) is polka dots. If you were to turn my LO over you would see where I cut a chunk of the paper out so that I could cut the circles out to use on the front. Because my two photo matts are bigger than the hole, you'd never know from looking at the front! I also used lots of buttons from those that I brought home from my mom's this summer.

The largest photo matt and journaling strips are cardboard (the stuff that they stick in the bag when you buy sheets of patterned paper) and the alphas are Basic Grey ("cold") and Making Memories (the small glittery ones). TFL!! Head over to JuJu Bees and make a LO to enter!

Mark Your Calanders! Save the Date!

It's almost time for the first ever...

There will be tons of great inspiration, blogs to hop, people to meet and prize packages galore!

Visit Dotty Divas before the 20th the enter the current challenge for your chance to win a Label Tulip monthly kit (what!?!? Awesome, huh?)

Then head back to the Dotty Divas blog on the 20th to start the Dotty Divas Blog Dive with us!

There's still time to enter!

Dotty Divas...
...AD challenge # 4 is up! Please go here for the details. This month's prizes are sponsored by Label Tulip and Cardinal Colours.So what are you waiting for? Come and join us in this month's challenge. Can't wait to see your entries.

Butterfly Fairies and Spider Bites

Happy Halloween!

We have been working on Halloween for a full week now... I am glad to finally have the big day here! Let's start with a picture of my girls in their full costumes (from last week's party at the rec center):

They are butterfly fairies. The best part of these costumes: BOTH cost us less than $15 to make! Thankfully, we had a bunch of the pieces in the girls' toy boxes (including the two leotards, pink tights, Kayla's pink tutu and Emily's antenna). I bought the wings and shoes (which are worn over their tennis shoes) at the dollar store and I made Emily's tutu out of about $3 of tulle and a bunch of free ribbon left over from my SIL's wedding. The last touch: makeup and glitter hairspray!

For lunch I wanted to do something fun. And I also wanted to use my kitty halloween plates. Here's what I made:

SPIDER BITES and MONSTER BOOGERS!!!

Gross! But so fun! Everything actually tasted fine because the boogers is just mac & cheese with green food coloring. The spiders are pretty cool. I found the idea online somewhere (sorry I didn't bookmark the link) and I have been waiting to do this for today. Here's how you make them:

Easy! Before you cook anything: cut the hot dogs into small pieces (wouldn't cheesy dogs be super cool?) and take uncooked spagetti noodles, break them in half lengthwise and poke four through each piece of hot dog. Then boil them! See? easy! If you like this idea but don't want to make "spiders" then put a whole bunch of noodles through and toss them in an alfredo sauce that has been colored green (or blue, or whatever). Wouldn't that make a fun dinner at a Birthday party??

So... time to bake a pumpkin crunch cake (pics will be up in the next few days as well as a link to the recipe bc it is crazy delicious) for with dinner tonight. Have a safe and FUN Halloween!

Monster Cupcakes

Today is my daughters' class parties. I am excited to be able to go into Emily's 2nd grade class and help "run" the party (I am her classroom parent). We can't use anything that's related to Halloween so we chose a monster theme; goofy, cute monsters. Last night I stuffed treat bags for both Emily and Kayla's classes (44! ugh!) and decorated the cupcakes that I baked up the night before. I made monsters for Emily's class and Cookie Monsters for Kayla's class. I am very happy with the way they turned out. What do you think?

Sneak Peak

MMMMMMmmmmMMMmmmm.... Have you seen the new Nook & Pantry line by Basic Grey?? It's nummy! This is a sneak peak for my Nov 20th LO for Dotty Divas. I want to show you sooooo badly but... alas... Katy is a meanie and said that I have to wait. So here's a little tid bit to make you drool!

oooh! Look!!

Check this out!

She has the most gorgeous stuff on her blog. Take a minute to dig through... You will definately be bookmarking this site! (Click on the pic to go to Blue Cricket Design)

Dotty Divas, Advert Challenge #4

A new challenge is up at Dotty Divas! Let's start with the advert that prompted this challenge:

The challenge is to make something (anything really) that was inspired by the advertisement. I chose a few elements; the word "love" obviously, the two people, the concept of home and a few of the colors. To start, I took an cheap-o wall hanging that I bought at the Dollar Store:

And covered it with all sorts of nummy papers and embelishments!! This will be a wedding gift for my friend Beth (her new last name will be Smith). So, here it is.... The house that love built:Here's a few close-up pics:

Get your entries in (details on the blog) by Nov 20th for your chance to win a Lilly Bees kit (photo on the Dotty Divas blog) and Cardinal Colours Cardstock!

Cards for Soldiers

My friend Adrienne is collecting cards to send to soldiers in Iraq. She needs 10 cards, Holiday themed, blank inside with envelopes. These are the 10 that I made to send to her, using the new My Mind's Eye papers and die cuts that I just bought. I love the yummy colors!! I am hoping to get inspired enough to make another 10 (she needs them mailed to her by Oct 23rd). Can you help? Email me at erin_manning_ @ hotmail.com and I will get you in contact with her. I am so thankful for our soldiers and this is such a wonderful way to use my "hobby" to say Thank You.