Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine

Only a few days away until Christmas! It's hard to believe that 2010 is almost over. As the new year approaches I am reminded by all the Blessings that have been bestowed upon us. The major Blessing is that my Father-in-law has finished his cancer treatments and has been declared by his Doctors to be cancer free! I can't think of a better way to end this year!

I have some exciting news to share with you all! One of my Little Golden Book banners is pictured and mentioned in the "Cravings, Stuff we Love" article in the December issue of Pregnancy & newborn Magazine! It's on the top of page 20. Of course I scanned it and here it is:


We have a lot to look forward to in 2011! We have high hopes that our journey to being parents will be an answered pray. I will keep you all posted.

As always, Thank you for visiting my blog! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year~!

Paper flower Tag

Here's a fun tag for you! You'll need to pull out your glue gun and bone folder to complete it but it is relatively simple to make!


Cut six 3x3 squares. Fold diagonal to form a triangle. Fold each bottom point to the center tip of the triangle forming a square. Unfold the two edges putting it back into the original triangle fold. Fold each edge inward so the previous fold becomes the center of the edges. Turn over & trim off the excess. Turn back over and fold in the outer edges. Squeeze the folds together & set with Hot glue. Repeat this for a total of six petals. Glue them all together to form the flower.
I saw some friends at my local craft store making six total flowers and gluing them together to form one huge ornament for the Christmas tree. I thought I would try this folding technique to make a 3-D Christmas gift tag. It came out lovely :)

Stampin Up DSP: Candy Cane Lane
Hot glue gun, jingle bell, stickles, Big Shot & SU Sizzix little tag die
SU tinsel trim & silver chord

Just a few more days until Christmas! Pretty soon I will be in the kitchen attempting culinary masterpieces, LOL- wish me luck!

I want to thank you for visiting my blog through the years! I have so much fun having a place to share my crafty creations. And, it would not be as much fun for me to do if I didn't have such wonderful friends to visit and share in the love of all things crafty with me! I hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Blessings of the Season to each and every one of you!

Treat Cup Tag

Tag #7, Treat Cup Tag

This is my favorite tag! I got to play with the treat cups that I've been hanging onto for over a year! :)) What a cool way to use them- on a gift tag!! And, it was easy as pie to make!


• Popsicle stick
• Large Scallop Circle Punch
• 1-3/4” Large Circle Punch
• Treat Cups
• Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon
• Diamond Glitter
• 2-way glue, glue dots, double sided tape
• Card Stock, Whisper White
• Card Stock, Real Red

I hope the diamond glitter shows in this picture (it's not a great picture), in person it really glistens! So pretty! Also, I found it better not to fill the cup completely and allow for the candies some moving space inside the cup.

Here's a back view. Another tip, stamp the sentiment BEFORE you put the pieces together! It'll be just a little easier to make that way!

I hope you are all having a good time making your handmade cards & Christmas tags!
Merry Christmas~!

Ornament Tag

I am all about "cute & easy" & I'm feeling the tag making joys this season. Today's tag uses last years SU DSP and four SU punches, one pop dot, two stamp sets & two inks. Sounds like a lot but it really isn't, lol I promise!!


Circle punch
Tab punch
1/16 hole punch
curly label punch
Winter post stamp set
curly label stamp set
garden green & real red classic ink

Top Note Tag

Tag #6, Top Note Tag

Any chance I get to use my SU Top Note Die, I get excited! It is so versatile! And, since it is my favorite Sizzix Die I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to make a tag out of it!

• 5/8” Red Grosgrain Ribbon
• Jingle Bell
• Silver Chord, Silver Tinsel Trim
• Felt Snow Flake
• Curly Label Large Punch
• Top Note Die, Big Shot
• Handheld 1/16” circle punch
• Card Stock, Whisper White
• DSP, Candy Cane Christmas

Penguin Tag

Tag #5 , Penguin Tag (I did not use this one in my SU Club projects, but still wanted to share it with my blog friends)
This little guy was inspired from the Frosty Tag (#2). I just adore paper piecing! This time I used the following punches and a little bit of trimming with my scissors:
Stampin' Up! Curly Lable Large Punch, Extra Large Scallop Circle Punch, Word Window Punch & Extra large Oval Punch

Santa Tag

Tag #4

This is the EASIEST tag of all to complete! The Stampin' Up! Jolly Old Saint Nick stamp set did all the work for me! All I added was white flocking, rosey cheeks & red glitter!

Stamp Sets: SU Jolly Old Saint Nick & Winter Post
Other: Red Glitter, 2 way glue, white flocking, Basic Black Classic Ink, 1/6" circle punch, silver chord, Stampin' Chalks & craft glue.

His rosey cheeks didn't show up in the picture, but he is still cute. Love it!!

Wreath, Iris Fold Tag

Tag #3, Iris Fold Wreath


• Scallop Circle Punch
• Ticket Corner Tag Punch
• Glue Dot Adhesive
• Double Sided Tape
• Light Pink, grosgrain Ribbon
• Poinsettia Embossing Folder
• Big Shot
• 3x6 Card Stock, Pretty in Pink
• 2.90 x 2.90 Card Stock, Certain Celery
• 3 colors each cut 3times 1” x 2” DSP, Candy Cane Christmas (total of 9 strips of paper)

Poinsettia Tag

Tag #2, Lovely Poinsettia


• Big Shot
• Embossing Folder, Swiss Dots
• Chantilly Lace Ribbon
• Pre-made Tag
• Five Petal Flower Punch
• Silver Brads
• Card Stock, In Color Poppy Parade
• Card Stock, In Color Pear Pizzazz
• DSP, Candy Cane Christmas
This tag is pretty in person. And, it's being washed out by the picture. But, you get the idea (I hope). The flowers are run through the swiss dot embossing folder & then layered ontop of it self. Also, the leaves are the same punch but just cut in half and glued under neath. The top petals are rolled upwards for added dimension.

Frosty Gift Tag

The December hostess for my Stampin' Up! club group requested I create projects, for the month, focused on Christmas tags. She must've read my mind! I have had so much fun putting these together. And, I went a little crazy & couldn't stop myself from making tags galore! I thought I would share them with my blog friends through-out the month of December~ Celebrating the spirit of the most Joyous Season of the year!
Tag #1, Frosty
It's Frosty The Snowman! :)) One of my favorite childhood TV Christmas Specials!

• Large Scallop Circle Punch
• Curly Label Extra Large Punch
• Five Petal Flower Punch
• Large Word Window Punch
• Black Dotta-Riffic Pen
• Red Skittles Gem
• Silver Chord

Apron Recipe Holder

I am so confused...where did the year go?!?! Even though I am shocked that my Christmas tree is already up and I have made my first set of cookies for cookie swaps I can't help but feel like time skipped forward and here I am. Decorating for Christmas, shopping for Christmas and thinking about goals for 2011. I suppose I willingly jumped feet first into the Holiday Season because otherwise I would still find myself dwelling on how much happens in a blink of an eye.

Christmas is by far my favorite Holiday. Every year I am reminded of how Blessed I am and how much there is to do this month of December! What a contrast those two realizations are.

Years ago, my family begun a Christmas Cookie Swap and every year I am asked to make my now family "famous" Fantasy Fudge. I feel like I am a pro at making them though my excitement (about making them) diminishes after the first (of 7-10) batches. I do it because I expect my Mother to make my favorite Almond Christmas Tree press cookies (as payback). LOL, gotta get my way any way possible! :))This year, to save time searching for a cookie recipe for swaps I made an executive decision to make fudge for all cookie swaps. Mainly because last year I made a cookie that took FOR-ever to make and felt like someone (who received the cookie) didn't like it. So, this year I'm making chocolate- a tried and true recipe. I suppose not everyone can be happy 100% of the time. ;)

I made the below Aprons out of Stampin' Up! card stock and SU DSP. They are pockets to hold my recipe card. Because my recipe card is an Extra Large size I had to make the apron a little larger to fit. The card stock is cut 6.5x8.5 and the pocket is cut 2.5x6.5. I will use them as LARGE tags for the swap boxes.

I made a total of 3 Apron Recipe Tag Holders

This one is my favorite Apron. It uses last years SU Christmas DSP.

This Apron uses Candy Cane Christmas DSP. And, Certainly Celery CS.

This Apron Also uses pattern paper from this years SU Christmas DSP (Candy Cane Christmas) and Pink Pirouette card stock (CS)


Each Apron is Cut
6.5 x 8.5 for the base apron
2.5 x 6.5 for the pocket

Supplies:
SU Card stock: Whisper White, Blue, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Real Red
SU DSP: Christmas DSP 2009 & Candy Cane Christmas
Embossing templates: Swiss Dots & SU Poinsettia
Stamp Sets: SU Yummy (Sal-a-Bration)
Other: Quickutz gingerbread man, hand cut mit, SU scallop edge punch, white rick rack, blue gingham ribbon, making memories ribbon & eyelets.

Christmas Lapel Bows

Ho, Ho, Ho... or, like I recently saw in one of my favorite local stores called "Sparkles" (on a handmade necklace) "HO3"

Christmas is in the air! I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get "it all" done! I have had no shortage of inspiration for handmade Christmas gifts! I just wish I had more time to create all the awesome ideas out there. I just find myself adding them all to my 2011 inspiration "To Do" list. In fact, maybe next year my goals for the year will be to make all these crafty projects-- break out of my scrapbooking, card making and reach for my sewing machine more ofton? I think I just heard a moan come from my cricut!! My dusty cricut :) LOL.

Recently, one of my really good friends taught me how to make lapel bows. And, ever since I've been buying seasonal fabric & felt with plenty of hot glue. My finger tips are burned in multiple places but yet I can't stop making flowers! They are fun to make and wear!!

Small Christmas Lapel Bows

The back of the flowers have a pin back. The larger bows also have a clip! Wear them on a blazer lapel, shirt or blouse, hat or purse & even in your hair!
Extra Large Christmas Bows


Extra Large Christmas Bow closer view

With this type of fabric, as you wear them the edges fray adding the coolest visual texture! A-DOR-ABLE

The smaller bows look cute with a bauble in the center but I think the Larger bows look good on their own.

Check out my friend Monica's blog...she is the original creator of these bows and is selling a similar style Lapel Bow on her site. She has AMAZING BOWS!! http://mybusybusylife.blogspot.com/ And, she also makes crochet necklaces and bottle cap necklaces (the list goes on and on what this lady can do)! She is a true crafty girl & I admire her style!!