Hearts-n-Hugs

Cupcakes again!

2011-08-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Tie Die

Wedding Photo Frame

2011-08-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a simple (once everything is sized right) and adorable wedding gift.
I found this frame at Target (they actually registered for it too..bonus!)

Just cut the vinylwith their names and wedding date to apply to the mirror section.

After I took this photo I added circles in their wedding colors to fill in the other frames to make it more presentable since I didn't wrap it.

Feed Me, Seymore!

2011-07-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Miranda's Director is playing Seymore in Signature's production of "Little Shop of Horrors".
We went to opening night and couldn't show up empty handed.
We came up with these "Audrey 2" cupcakes.

There is 4 with the plant in different growth stages

Feed Me!!!!

The Cake

2011-07-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

Miranda turned Sweet 16 this year....
We had a HUGE party details coming...
But this is the cake she wanted and helped make

I just love the color combo!

More Cupcakes

2011-07-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more cupcakes in Miranda's line up
Birthday decorated Creamcicle

Patriotic Red Velvet

Neopolitan

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel...oh yeah baby!

Chocolate Mint

Cupcakes on Parade

2011-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Miranda has been quite the little Cupcake Baker lately
She decided to start taking treats to rehearsal each week
Her first one is "Into the Woods" Rocky Road Cupcake

These are Chocolate Peanut Butter Dressed up
for Father's Day

These are Banana cupcakes with caramel frosting

This little beauty is Strawberry cheesecake cupcake

She's getting quite good at baking ...more pictures to come!

Graduation Cake

2011-06-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

A friend asked if I could do a graduation cake for her son. She sent me a picture of what she had in mind, a two tier with a grad cap on top.
This is what I came up with...

I added a 3rd tier because, well, I'm not sure , but I just liked it that way :)
She wanted it personalized a bit by adding the school letters.
I was excited to use my Cricut Cake again to do this. It actually went a lot better and easier than I thought.

I decided to throw in the diploma for fun, because I thought the cap looked a little lonely on the top.

I took the school mascot and tweaked it so I could cut it out on the Cricut also. I was very excited with how it turned out expecially with all the fine details.

Overall, I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

She had a beautiful display set up all in Silver and red ...this beauty was the centerpiece of the table and fit in beautifully with her decor.

Oh yeah...it was delicious too :)

Keep Your Cool

2011-06-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

For Our Relief Society in June we had a fun Summer Activity

We had the activity in my backyard and I decorated it super fun and summer-y with lights and everything :)
I even created this fun summer banner to decorate with

The presidency divided up topics to teach
President - Summer Reading
1st Councelor - Summer Service
and me.... Summer Activities
I came up with different ideas to help accomplish fun things with your kids. I found some ideas online and others out of my little brain
This one is paper bags for each day of the week...you put slips of paper inside with a different activity to do each day.

This is just a poster with a list of 50 things to do this summer

This cool display has the activities written on the popcicle sticks. The kids pick a popcicle each day to choose the activity

These jars are full of activitiy ideas for each catagory. Just pick one whenever you need to bust bordom at home

I found this fun puzzle at the Dollar store and on the back of each piece I wrote a different activity.
The kids choose the piece and put the puzzle together as they go

Spin the wheel to decide what fun activity to do today

We had little handouts for everyone like homemade Kool-aid Playdough and they made monster corner bookmarks and a Secret Summer Service door hanger with the assignment to do service this summer and pass along the door hanger.
The treats were, of course summer-ish too....
Strawberry Coconut Colada cupcakes

And Creamcicle cupcakes - with a cream cheese filling...yummy!

The night was full of ideas and information and of course fun!

Rapunzel's Castle

2011-06-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

Miranda found this idea online and just had to test it out.
She was going to a Broadway Pool party so this treat was her contribution.

It was pretty simple to create

She's getting pretty good at smoothing and icing a cake too :)

It's a Chick Thing

2011-05-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

For Relief Society this month we had a "Chick Thing" activity.
The original plan was to have it before Easter, but we had scheduling issues so we made it work.
I decorated the gym in yellow, green and pink with the Chick motif.

The food table of course coordinated also.

We had Chick Pops

Yellow Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Egg Nest Cupcakes

Lemon cakes

Chicken Fingers from Raisin Canes with a variety of dipping sauces...yummy

The centerpieces were of course grass and peeps :)

Each setting had a chick napkin and chick egg filled with candy with their seating number assingment

The evening was spent playing "speed dating" and just getting to know all the cool Chicks in our ward.

It was a very fun night and everyone had a ball

Oreo Treats

2011-05-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

A week before Mother's day, Ryan asked me if I could come up with something to hand out at church for all the mothers in the ward.
Sure, I can do that...no problem.
I ended up doing chocolate dipped oreos. I had just enough chocolate transfer sheets to do them.

I think I ended up with 80 packages with 2 oreos each.

They turned out beautiful and I think all the mother's liked them a lot.

They also handed out a booklet, so I bundled them all together with a cute bow and tag to complete the ensemble.

Who knew I would have to work so hard for my own mother's day treat :)

General Conference

2011-05-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

This month for Visiting Teaching we get to talk about our favorite talks from General Conference. There were so many wonderful ones to choose from, so I downloaded the Conference Highlights off the church website and burned them onto a CD.

Of course I had to give it a little something to "gingerize" it a bit.

I've even enjoyed listening to the exerpts from Conference.

It's a great way to get a little spiritual dose now and then while in the car.

Diaper Quad

2011-04-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is having a boy. I thought about doing my usual diaper cake, but thought she needed something different, something boy-ish, something with 4 wheels....

I looked at a few tutorials online and kind of mixed them together and added a little somethin' somethin' of my own and voila!

I might change a couple things when I attempt this again, but overall, I'm happy with it :)

(The license plate is a gift card to Target)

Onesie Lollies

2011-04-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've seen this idea online a while ago and couldn't wait for a chance to give it a go. When a friend had a little baby girl, I knew it was time to experiment.

Each little lollipop is a onesie rolled up and wrapped.

The flower on the front of the tin has a clip on it so someday she could use it in her hair, unless her older sisters get to it first :)

Still & Quiet

2011-04-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

For my Visiting Teaching lesson this month I told a story about a boy who went to a butterfly Farm with his mother. He ran around trying to catch a butterfly, but they just flew off whenever he came close. His mother told him to slow down and sit quitely for a minute and soon enough, he was covered with butterflies.
I related this story to the Holy Ghost and how if we are always running around crazy, we won't be able to hear the promptings.

As the quote says, " We must allow ourselves to be Still & Quiet enough to Listen to the voice of the Spirit"

Pirate & Princess Pops

2011-04-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, my sister gave me this Cake Pops book by Bakerella.
I've been hooked on her site forever, but was super excited to get this book and try these little beauties for myself.

I guess I just never had an official occasion to make them, so the book just sat and sat waiting for me to use it. Finally.... my chance came. The Young Women were having a bake sale fundraiser for girls camp. Perfect!
Miranda and I flipped through the pages trying to decide what would be good to make for the bake sale. Finally, we decided on the pirates (you can see it on the front cover above). I thought the boys would love it, but the girls needed something too. I searched for ways to make a princess, but didn't find anything. So, I just figured out a way to create my own :)
I baked the cake (chocolate), bought all the supplies...now I was ready to make cake pops!

Without further delay.... here they are!

Meet the Pirates for the boys....

And the Princesses for the girls....

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I had issues with the edible markers so had to resort to making their faces with colored chocolate.

The Pirate bandannas and princess tiaras are made with giant heart sprinkles....
Miranda came up with the pirate mustache idea, I like them much better than the smile
and we added these little earrings for them too..

I'm just OK with the princess faces, there's just something not quite right. This was definately a learning process and I will make some changes next time.

We ended up with 50 (25 each)

It was a little army of pirate & princess cake pops :)
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my first cake pop experience...next up.... baby chicks!

New Beginnings Cake

2011-03-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Miranda volunteered "us" to create a Wedding type cake as the dessert for their Young Women's New Beginnings. So, I began searching for a fun idea to create.
I ran onto THIS post and knew it would be perfect for the occasion.
Miranda wanted it to be all white, so white it would be :)
Here is how it finally ended up.

Pretty good if I do say so myself. I felt it was lacking a little somethin-somethin, so I quickly whipped up a topper right before leaving.
Whew... much better!

She also wanted the flowers glittered...love it!

It was a fun and fairly simple cake to make. And the best part...Miranda and I made it together :)

Heart of Gold

2011-02-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

I was cruising around the blog-o-sphere a while back and I saw the cutest idea.
I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it, so I promise I will post it when I remember :)

Any-whoo... I used a dollar store candle holder and spray painted it a lovely shade of red

Then I found a darling heart bowl at Target

And I glued them together with the fabulous E6000!

But it get's even better....
I filled them with gold candies...added a custom designed tag and voila!

They made the perfect little gift for friends :)
Happy Valentines Day !

Soy Sauce anyone?

2011-02-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Miranda was just in a play where she was a Chinese character. So we decided it was only appropriate for her to bring Chinese food cupcakes to the cast party
Just a little Lo-mein noodles with broccoli and some fried rice :)

I just love the broccoli...I think any kid would eat this :)

Everyone loved the cupcakes, we even had a couple kids ask if the broccoli was real he he... just our little secret

Welcome Sophia

2011-02-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

A friend had a baby girl and I whipped up this simple 1 layer diaper cake for her.

After I took the photos, I realized I had spelled the baby's name wrong... so I quickly printed out another label :)

S'more Love

2011-01-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

I created these little gifts for our Visiting Teachers in the ward.
We LOVE them!

These could easily be converted to a Valentine gift too...hummmm... might need to try that one too :)

A new level of fun

2010-12-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

I found a new love....
Chocolate Transfer Sheets!
I've always like making dipped oreos, but now they have been taken to a new level!

I picked up mine from Global Sugar Art

I also ordered some for Valentines Day...I can't wait to make more!!!

Bow- Dazzling

2010-12-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

My daughter wanted to make something homemade for each of her friends this year for Christmas.
After much debate, she decided to make hair accessories.
Here is just a few that she came up with...
Such talent :)

Pink Passion

2010-10-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am soooo loving this craft room. I love the bright hot pink contrasted with the black and white! I would love to create in a room like this (think it actually stays this clean?)

Question is....do I dare???

Pink, Teal, & Gray

2010-10-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

There was a color challenge on a blog and I decided to give it a try.
It was hard just making one because I totally fell in looove with the color combo....and with glitter :)

I had a lot of fun with these cards and can't wait for another challenge to ispire me :)

Merry...

2010-10-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Christmas?

Ok so this color combo may not scream CHRISTMAS to you, but they do to me!
I've designed my Christmas cards and can't wait to reveal them!
They are much more simple and less time intensive than last years cards (you can see them HERE
But they will be super cute and super pink!
Stay tuned!

Christmas Countdown Tin

2010-10-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

For Super Saturday this year I came up with a simple craft for everyone to make. Using a 24 hole muffin tin you create a Christmas countdown calendar. The papers are attached using magnets so you can re-use them from year to year and are easy to store. (plus as an added bonus you can use the muffin tin to bake in!)
Behind each number you can put treats or slips of paper with different holiday activities your family can do together.
I had to make 35 kits so they started out like this....
and this...
and then I separated them into ribbon, die cuts and brad/button bags....Seriously these little bags just make me sooo happy to see....they are like candy to me (and less calories too)
I have a few more things to do like copy the number tags and cut the squares but they are mostly finished. Can you believe I had most all the supplies on hand for all 35 kits! I used paper that I had purchased to make Christmas cards last year, but didn't end up using. All this red & green is getting me excited for Christmas!

General Conference Kit

2010-10-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

I "popped" by the homes of the Sisters I visit with this little goodie bag....
I made another version of this last year for different Sisters so I decided to do it again since I visit new ones! Ok...I know I just spoil them, but I LOVE to do it!

Nuture & Nourish

2010-09-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

This month the Visiting Teaching message is about Nuturing the Rising Generation... I peeked at a few ideas online and came up with this as their handout....
The tag reads...
Have all the Ingredients ready to Nuture and Nourish the Rising Generation
and below that is a recipe for Banana Crumb muffins and on the back is the complete VT message.

And of course I had to include a sample of the Banana Muffins too!They are all wrapped up and ready to deliver to my 3 sisters...
I have one more treat for them this week too...they are so spoiled :)

Boo to you

2010-09-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

My family recently went on a youth over-nighter trip leaving me here all alone...don't cry for me really...I was ok :D
I spent my time alone browsing craft stores and not worrying about how long I was there. I came across these wood things and thought they looked like spider webs...then I had an idea...I had a wonderful idea... I had a wonderfully spooktacular idea...bwaa-ha-ha-ha (sorry...couldn't help myself)
So after gathering a couple supplies I went home and created this...

I have no idea what to do with them, but they are just too cute! Right now they are my only Halloween decorations up(not for long I hope.
Sometimes it just feels good to do a little crafting for no reason other than to create!

Birthday Wishes

2010-08-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't created a card forever so I just wanted to share one I created using bits of scraps. I just love the look of butterflies floating off the card! I ended up giving this to my Grandma for her birthday this year...don'cha just love giving handmade cards!

Monster Madness

2010-08-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Miranda and I decided to try our hand at more fun cupcakes. We didn't have much time (only 1 hour and 15 minutes) so it had to be a quick and easy design...we decided to make little monsters.

The clock was ticking as I ran to the store and Miranda started baking the cupcakes (it was our own little version of Cupcake Wars on TLC)

While the cupcakes baked, I made frosting and Miranda created the eyeballs...
The cupcakes had to go in the freezer for quicker cooling time while I colored the frosting... then Miranda stacked the cupcakes with mini doughnuts...
Finally it was assembly and decorating time...
These were so fun and simple to make
We were able to finish with 10 minutes to spare...whew...
Miranda and I have so many more we want to create...what will be next?
Stay Tuned!

Visiting Teaching idea

2010-08-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

This month our Relief Society started with all new Visiting Teaching routes and companions. I always like to give my sisters a magnet to put on their fridge for quick reference if they need to call us for anything. This is what I came up with this time I also love to give them handouts to go along with the lesson. I don't always get them ready in time, but I try. I've found a few resources online to give me inspiration and this is what I created this month to go with the topic of Worthy of Temple Worship.
It's a pocket with the message printed on a pull out insert
And a little bookmark with a temple charm to help remind us to always be Temple worthy.
I think I might make up a quick batch of temple shaped mints to give to them too since I already have the mold and mint chocolate!
Unfortunately I didn't get them created in time to give one of our sisters since we visited her on Aug 1st (oh yeah...I"m good!)

Hello Cupcake!

2010-08-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

I picked up a couple cupcake decorating books a while back and Miranda and I have been dying to try some of the adorable creations out. Today on a whim, and because Miranda has been bored, we decided to try the sunflower cupcakes.
They start off with just a basic cupcake in a green cup (aren't the polka dots so cute!)
Then just frost them smooth with green icing
After that you set mini and regular oreos on top and off to the side.
Then using yellow and orange striped icing you pipe a double row of petals using a leaf tip around each oreo
We used fruit roll ups and a leaf cookie cutter to create the leaves

The adorable lady-bugs are just M&M's and black frostingSuper easy, super cute and just a bit time consuming but it was well worth it for such adorable cupcakes! We delivered them to a few families and they all loved them!

Now...what to try next?

My New Toy

2010-07-30T02:07:00.000-07:00

For months I have been telling myself....I don't need this... I won't use it...I really don't NEED this...but I finally gave in (thanks a lot Heather).
I got a Cricut Cake machine.
It is a glorious gadget that has the ability to cut out any shape or letter out of fondant, cheese, or even tortillas to decorate cakes cookies or anything edible!
I couldn't wait for a chance to try it out and thankfully I didn't have to wait too long.
Our ward had a Book of Mormon celebration and I was able to help another friend make the cake....well, she made it, I just cut the decorations and created the toppers.
So let's start there...with the toppers.
I wanted to make a mini Book of Mormon and Golden Plates out of Rice Krispies. (sounds easy enough right?) They actually weren't too hard and came together pretty quickly.. here is the final result.

They are only 3 x 4 inches and 1 and 2 inches tall.
They went on the top of an 8 inch cake so they couldn't be too big...here they are set on top of the cake.I cut the butterflies and letters out using the Cricut Cake. It is STOMP that stands for Sisters Trying Out Moroni's Promise.
It took a little trial and error, but got it to work out just fine.

The little ribbon roses are so simple to create and just added that little something extra.

I had a lot of fun working with my new toy and I can't wait to try it out again soon!

I'm so glad I finally gave in to temptation :D

Edible Animals

2010-07-21T15:12:00.001-07:00

For a Relief Society Meeting we had a guest speaker come, Tamara Fackrell. She is a Deseret Book Author
She is also a Mediation Attorney in Utah, public speaker, and a Professor at BYU Law School. She came to speak to us, not about her book, but about relationships with each other, our children and our spouses. She has come up with a way to categorize everyone's method of communicating and relates them to 6 different animals.

I thought how fun it would be to have treats that coordinated with each of the 6 animals. I decided to tackle this project 1 week before so I was in a bit of a time crunch, but this is what I came up with.

Elephant Trunks: Lion Cakes:

Fox Tails:

Zebra Cookies:

Turtles:

And finally ....Swan Puffs

These little beauties took 3 tries to get them right, but I sure like how they turned out :)Tamara did a fabulous job and was extremely entertaining and informative. The treats were a big hit as well. They were a lot of work, but well worth the effort!

Baby boom

2010-06-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another diaper cake I made for my friend Anjuli. I can't believe she's having a baby since I've known her since I was her Beehive Advisor when Miranda was just 1 year old!

I'm having a lot of fun making these cakes for gifts and finding a way to personalize each one.

Even though the basic design is the same, each one is unique and special for the occasion.

Administrative Professionals Day

2010-04-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Wow... that's a mouthful... but however you say it, it's a day/week to thank all those who work with you and make your job a lot easier!

Normally on this day I would get a phone call in the morning from Ryan saying oops, we forgot it was today... can you come up with something?
So then I scramble around and figure something out.
Well, not this year... I figured out in advance when it was and had a plan!

This is the arrangement I made for all 6 of the help-staff at Ryan's office.The colors were so bright and fun to work with once I figured out what design I was going to do. And it wouldn't be complete without a handmade tag to say Thank You!
They also bought all the staff lunch from Bagel Cafe (yummy)
Have you thanked your Administrative Professional Lately?

Livin' the Sweet Life

2010-04-16T10:35:00.001-07:00

I found the cutest, fun, bright colored sundae cups the other day and thought they would be perfect to make a (non- fattening) Floral Birthday Sundae.
I couldn't wait to try it out and it just so happened that my friend's birthday was this week! I was so excited when I found these daisy's with lime green centers! And the pink "cherry on top" makes it so cute!
Just add a coordinating tag to complete the ensemble!
The tag reads.... "Livin' the Sweet life... Happy Birthday"
I also have blue, pink & yellow cups ... can't wait to make more!

More baby gifts

2010-04-16T10:16:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share another diaper cake I created for a gift...
I added a little something new to this one, those are little hair bow's around the ribbon border.
And of course it wouldn't be complete without the "Butt paste" (this bear looks like she doesn't have any eyes)I was able to take the image for this card off their invitation... I just love pink & brown together!

Wedding "cakes"

2010-04-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've attended a couple weddings lately and tried to come up with a clever gift idea like the baby diaper cakes. And so... I saw this idea online and came up with my version of the Towel wedding cake made with 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels and 2 washcloths.
Of course I try to coordinate with the wedding colors... the first was black, white & red
(excuse the messy house in the background)

The second one was Black, white and green. I was able to use part of their invitation on this cake (names)

and on the card (black background) I even found the same font they used on the invite (he he)I just love weddings... don't you?!

Young Women Dinner

2010-03-29T21:19:00.001-07:00

I was asked to help with the Stake Young Women's Medallion dinner. They wanted to follow along the color scheme with the new Personal Progress book, pink, white and a touch of gold.
So this is what I came up with....
Soft flowing tulle in gold and pink, fresh tulips, and little butterflies floating on the tulle.We served Everything Salad, Rosemary rolls and a giant sugar cookie for dessert...I had the cookie maker coordinate the design with the decor too :)
It says the theme.."Choose Ye this Day" and has a chocolate temple on the bottom
We set up 18 tables and served 150 people..
Notice in the background the YW values vases that I made a while back along the stage
There was a nice display table for all the medallion recipients photo's
Everything went pretty smoothly.. whew!
Following the dinner and presentation we went into the chapel and watched the YW General Broadcast.
The best part... everything was cleaned up when I came out following the broadcast!

SMILE

2010-02-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

For Miranda's Annie production, I was in charge of decorating the lobby table.
I wanted something that represented some parts of Annie, so I found a cute "Sandy" stuffed dog, wrapped a box for the raffle drawing for a t-shirt and... created a mirror with vinyl letters with a famous line from the play...
"You're never Fully Dressed without a smile!"
The original plan was to make these to sell at concessions, but it just didn't get approved and ready in time.
Maybe next time!

Butterfly Cake

2010-02-09T14:10:00.001-08:00

Normally when someone is having a baby girl you would think of PINK!
When I received a baby shower invitation for a friend and it said her nursery colors were Deep purple, Grey and Black I was a little perplexed and not sure how to coordinate the diaper cake with her nursery.

So I headed out on a quest for purple and black... anything purple and black that would work for a baby.

I ended up finding a purple frame and a black and purple clothes pin photo holder... The frame worked perfectly after I distressed it using black paint.
I was well on my way, but what about a purple and black blanket to put on my diaper cake???

I discovered a set of blankets that had purple in it, but also pink... well, it would have to do.
One of the blankets had butterflies on it so I figured that would be the way for me to tie in her colors. So I cut out many butterflies in different sizes in purple, black and grey.
Here is the final result....

I wanted to personalize the frame a little, so I found out what she was naming her baby and cut out vinyl letters to place on the glass.... I printed a b&w photo to place inside and voila... a finished frame. Now remember I also found a clothes pin that matched.... well, here's what I did with it....The clothes pin was already the right colors but I wanted to fancy it up a little so I added a ribbon and flowers. I purchased a Target gift card and covered it in paper from her invitation then adhered it to a card that was held by the clothes pin.
So there you have it... a completed coordinating set to match a purple, gray and black baby nursery! I don't even think you notice the pink too much either :)

Christmas Cards

2009-12-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

After sitting in this stage for a few days...

They are finally complete and in the mail! Yes, they made it out with time to spare. I love the soft pastel colors in this card. I hope everyone enjoys them and all the love that went into making them.

I like to consider my handmade Christmas cards my gift to those far away.
Merry Christmas... and I better get busy designing next year's cards so I won't cut it so close.

...a lot like...

2009-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

The process has been slow, but they are coming right along.
The embossing and bow tying are complete as well as the embellishments for each letter.

Will they get completed on time??? Stay tuned....

...To Look...

2009-12-11T22:14:00.001-08:00

Whew... after taking all the supplies I chose for my cards, I had to make something out of them.... so here is the next phase.I've cut out all my paper for the card base, background and letters. I embossed and punched the white background, and I've embossed the "O" with white glitter.
So now to put them all together.....

Its beginning....

2009-12-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

Here's how my Christmas card began it's life this year...

I originally picked out red and green paper for my cards. Most of the time I buy the paper not having a specific design in mind...
But for some reason I was very un-inspired by the paper I chose.
So one day I was browsing the paper isle and saw this beautiful shimmery foil-like paper in pastel pink, blue, green and silver.... It truly sang to me... (no joke)
My mind immediately began racing with ideas of how to use these papers on a card. So I browsed the store for other ideas to go along with my delicious paper...
Here is what I finally ended up using
I mean just look at those yummy embellishments... I could seriously eat them up....So now what??? How will I put all these to use???
Stay tuned for more....

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a simple card I put together for Ryan to give his staff at the office.
Fun and simple to create!

Sweet 16

2009-11-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

A friend called me a couple days ago and asked if I would be able to make a cake for her daughter's 16th birthday party. She wanted it red & black and modern looking.
After a bit of brainstorming this is what I came up with...The bottom layer is Styrofoam. I added it just to give it the oomph it needed
The other layers are chocolate and vanilla both with vanilla mousse filling. I created the 16 topper and monogram A on the bottom just to give it a little bling and personalization, not to mention a little frill with the bows. I also glimmer dusted the entire cake for more sparkle. She seemed very pleased with the design. I hope the birthday girl is just as happy with it.
I had a lot of fun creating it even if it was a last minute design and creation.

Love at Home

2009-11-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Along with my Fall decor and Conference Talk Highlights I decided to do a little extra for one of the talks.
I chose the talk given by Elder David A. Bednar , More Diligent and Concerned at Home
I created a little Post-it note holder to give each sister.
Inside I have highlights of the 3 steps Elder Bednar suggested.
1. Show Love
2. Bear Testimony
3. Be Consistent

Then I have a Post - it pad for them to use to write little love notes to their family.
I wrote on the first page with ideas of where to leave the notes.
Now I just need to make one more for myself so I can practice what I preach!

FALL

2009-11-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed (because you live in Las Vegas) .... It's Fall!
I love everything about Fall...
The weather, the Holidays, the Baking and the gifts.

For Visiting Teaching this month we are supposed to teach about a talk from Conference.
It's sooo hard to choose just one sooo...
I chose 4 and decided to present them in a little fall decoration for the house.
I liked it so much I created one for myself too.
(As I've mentioned before... it's a huge motivator for me to go if I have a gift to give them)

So here is the Front with the Fall decoration
Then on the back I created pocketsInside the pockets I printed 4 talks from Conference (a bit abbreviated so they would fit)They can use these as FHE lesson ideas for each week in November or as a personal reminder of the talks given. To get them started I also created a little handout to go along with one of the talks ...(photo coming soon)

Now they are ready It's time to get my visits done!

Ghoulish Goodies

2009-11-01T21:30:00.001-08:00

I went a little crazy this year making Halloween goodies.
Without having a class room party to bring treats for I had to find a substitute "class" to receive my treats.
So Miranda's Seminary class received a treat a day
and Smart Night kids and tutors benefited too...

Oreo Suckers
Special tags created for the Smart Night Tutors
Chocolate dipped Sugar Cookiesand the ever popular.... Peanut Butter EyeballsI just love the fun treats for Halloween!
Now.... what to make for Christmas???

Personal Gen Con Kit

2009-11-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share a little ditty I put together for the sisters I visit teach. We were able to visit them the day before General Conference (talk about getting it done the first of the month) and I thought this little kit would be fun since I'm not one to show up Visit teaching empty handed too often. Besides, if I have a gift planned it helps me remember to go!

Here is the card....

Inside the basket I had, Microwave popcorn, Take 5 candy bar, Lotion and Bath Gel, Extra gum and a notebook. Each of them coordinated with the saying on the note.
Just a simple little way to let your sisters know you are thinking of them.

The Reception

2009-10-25T10:16:00.001-07:00

Kara & Glenn's reception turned out so beautiful...
My Brother in Law Harlen designed, engineered and set up the entire decorations...
When you first walked in this is the view...
Such an elegant presentation. Once inside, you entered a beautiful park-like setting
There were park benches to sit on and two beautiful fountains that just added to the atmosphereBecause it was set outside, the sheer walls just gave you the feeling of being included in a special garden. The center of the space was their cake underneath a lighted archway
The food was simple but also beautiful (and color coordinating) Sheetcake and chocolate dipped sugar cookies (made by yours truly) As it got darker, the walls glowed in different colorsIt was so beautiful and a perfect evening!

Wedding Card

2009-10-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd show the card I made for Kara and Glenn. I wasn't able to use their announcement this time, but I did use their wedding colors.

Young Women Centerpieces

2009-10-21T10:28:00.001-07:00

Miranda was asked to decorate small cupcake holders for centerpieces at the Young Women in Excellence. All they asked her to do was tie the bows onto the holders.
They told her that they would be in the center of a table and the girls projects would be displayed around them.
I got to thinking (as I often do) that the cupcake holders would be too short to see around the displays.

So... I tried to think of a way to elevate them.
(hang with me now while I explain my thought process....)

I thought first about the large vases I had that could be a platform for the holders.

Then I thought they would be cute stuffed with tulle that coordinated with the YW Value colors.

Then I remembered they mentioned they were going to put lights under the tables so I knew the vases needed the push lights inside to illuminate and match the decor.
(are you still following me here?)

Next I thought it would be cute to have a pick in the top cupcake that displayed the value name.
But wait... even better... how about cut vinyl out for each value and put it onto the vase.
(Whew... sometimes it's exhausting to think about my brainstorming head)

So that's what Miranda and I did...
She designed and cut each of the names and I adhered them to the vases.
Miranda even had a lesson on bow tying ( she will be able to carry on that family trait quite well as it was passed on to me by my mother)

And so here is the final results....
And here is how they looked with cupcakes and illumination....The girls placed their display around the value that matched their project.Everything looked so elegant and tied into the YW theme so well. I just love to see all the value colors represented all together.

Bishopric Wives Dinner

2009-10-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Since Ryan is now in charge of all Stake Activities, I get the opportunity to do help him out. His latest assignment was the Bishopric Wives Dinner.
So I came up with an invitation to set the theme I also designed and put together the favors for each of the wives.
The Quote "Choose This Day" is from a talk from President Eyring.
After arranging the centerpieces, All that was left was the set up.
Fortunately Ryan has an awesome head chairperson who had many entertaining supplies (yep, more than me) She provided the tablecloths, goblets and plates. She planned the menu and did all the shopping.
All the wives had a wonderful evening and loved to feel special for that night.

Flowers and frosting and Cake oh my!

2009-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've been working on flowers and cake for my niece's wedding this weekend.
It's been fun and challenging at the same time.
Everything is finished so thought I'd share .....

4-Grandma corsages..3-Mother wrist-lets
4-Floral decor...(I completely forgot to take photo's of the 6-boutonnieres and the 3- bridesmaid bouquets)

1-Bridal Bouquet...And finally the Wedding Cake....Simple but elegant.
The fondant even came out smooth as a baby's bottom (love it when that happens)

I just have one more project for the reception - making my famous chocolate dipped heart sugar cookies (in purple and blue of course)
It's been fun working with such a vibrant color combo.
Hopefully they are happy with how everything turned out!

Good, Better, Best

2009-10-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

So here is a sneek peek at another project I'm working on.
This design is created on 4x4 tile.
I designed the quote using SCAL (love that program!)
It's based on the talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Good, Better, Best" It's a great message and one that I really need to practice more in my own life.

These are going to be favors at an upcoming Bishopric Wives dinner for all of our Stake.
All the decorations will be in Black, White and Red.
One down.... 25 more to go!

Spooks & Tiles

2009-10-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

I ran onto these Halloween colored tiles while shopping for another project. I just couldn't resist playing around with my vinyl to see what I could come up with.
Here is the result

This was my first time playing with two-toned vinyl application for the pumpkin... I think he is my favorite. Although the silver skull is adorable too.
Hummm....can't decide...

Now let's see... I wonder if the tiles come in red and green for Christmas.

No tricks.. just treats

2009-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

When my mom and dad left on their mission I made them a pair of pillowcases for them to use while away (so they would have sweet dreams of their favorite daughter) They tell me they use them everyday and love them. I was afraid they might get worn out and they would need a replacement so I came up with an idea...

Recently I decided to send them a little care package and inside was a fun Halloween and Thanksgiving surprise....
Pillowcases! A set to use for October and a set to use for November.
But the surprises didn't stop there... I also found a panel for this adorable Halloween apron.
I just couldn't resist the cute skeleton on the front.
I wanted to jazz it up a bit from just the plain panel, so I backed it with orange fabric, added the ric-rac and then decided to try something I've never done before... I made yo yo flowersThese little guys were so much fun to make and I loved using the Halloween colors.Miranda even caught the yo yo bug and made several for herself.
Mom just loved the pillowcases and apron and can't wait to wear it when she hosts FHE in October.

Something Blue....and purple

2009-09-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

My Niece is getting married in October and I've been helping a bit with some of the planning.
Her colors are beautiful gem toned purple and blue.
I went with her to pick out flowers for her bouquet and cake and I had the fever...

It's something I get once an idea, color, theme or whatever gets stuck on my brain.
Once embedded, I notice EVERYTHING that is associated with it.

So I was at Target and I was meandering down the candy isle (not uncommon for me)
and I spotted candy wrapped in purple and blue.
I was so excited... but then it got even better....
The candy was called "Bliss"
Perfect for a wedding!

So I brought it home and played around with a few ideas to make favors out of it.
Here's what I came up with...
Simple and sweet, just how a favor should be.
I designed the monogram with Photoshop Elements - I'm really learning to like that program. I'm making the cake and flowers for the wedding as well, so more Purple and Blue to come.

Baby Cake

2009-08-09T00:40:00.001-07:00

So I've seen this idea floating around the internet craft sites and decided it would be a great gift to give for a baby shower I had coming, so thought I'd try it out.

It took a little longer than I had thought, as most prototypes do, but it was pretty simple and fun to make. The bear is holding a tube of Butt Paste (for diaper rash) Each "layer" is filled with diapers (80 total) and wrapped in blankets.
I created the little birds to match one of the blanket designs.
Of course it wouldn't be a "Ginger Gift" without a matching homemade card.
Everyone seemed to like it at the shower and I really enjoyed making it. I can't wait to try another one... anyone having a baby??

I HEART cookies

2009-06-27T23:23:00.001-07:00

I've been a bit busy the last week making 300+ cookies and 300+ bite-size brownies for a wedding (whose colors are pink and black) The black cookies are actually very dark chocolate brown but they certainly look black. I started making these little cream cheese, chocolate dipped morsels about 5 years ago for my in-law's 50th anniversary. They have been a hit for many occasions since. I forgot to take pictures of the mass production of brownies, but I have some left over so I'll post a picture soon.

Little Dinner Party

2009-06-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Friday Night I co-hosted a Backyard BBQ with my friend Nicki. We provided the meat and Dutch oven Potatoes while everyone brought potluck sides and desserts. I took a few shots after setting up, but forgot to take any once everyone arrived. (typical of me)
The weather was PERFECT except for the little breeze keeping my candles blown out.
I gave all the guests a take home gift of chips and salsa. It was such a fun night of good food and friends.

Teacher Gift

2009-06-10T23:30:00.001-07:00

I really do try to incorporate a little bit of homemade into end of the year gifts for teachers. This year I was a bit pressed for time, but managed to create an accordion fold card in a tin that held gift cards from different stores.
Since Mrs. Holloway loves Peanuts, I decorated the top of the tin with Snoopy. Once open, the top fold reads "Hope you find time to do all the things you enjoy this summer"Then each fold has a pocket with a gift card and a note saying... read a good book or enjoy a cool treat.
Then the final fold had a place for Parker to write a personal note to his teacher. It was super fun to make and might have to try it again for another occasion.

Let the Sunshine in!

2009-06-02T20:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I haven't completely fallen off the edge of the crafting world... I'm still doing a few things here and there...
Just thought I'd share centerpieces I put together for Stake Seminary Graduation.I wanted to keep the colors neutral so it would work for boys and girls.
The colors looked great with the lemonade and lemon water. We served up ice cream and cookies ...simple, but delicious.

Project Week

2009-05-08T22:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, this week seems to have been FILLED with projects for me to complete...
So I tackled them one at a time and was able to check everything off my crafty to-do list.

#1 Create tags and prepare t-shirts to present to teachers and staff at schoolCheck!
#2 Design and Create bookmarks for Young Women Camp Training Saturday
Check!
#3 Make Thank You card for Parker's Teacher (and get gift)Check!
#4 Make Salsa and prepare gift for Teachers
(And purchase/prepare food for luncheon)
Check Check!!

Whew..... don't 'cha just love weeks like this?
It's just not normal without a project or two lurking around.
Now onto next week's to-do list!

Got Cards?

2009-04-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

I DO! In fact I have 5 new creations to share today.
I tried to get the old juices flowing and create a little... I even broke out the old sewing machine to use on the cards... here's what I was able to come up with before I had a brain freeze!
This one has a pocket inside for a gift card.. I'll add a sentiment once I decide to use it for birthday or thank you or baby or......
Simple..... but cute (and complete)

I had this butterfly already cut in my scrap stash and just had to use it! I seem to always reach for flowers, butterflies and ribbon lately. Oh, which reminds me... take a closer look at how I attached the ribbon. I just got a new mini stapler from Ranger. It is soooo cool and is perfect for attaching ribbon to cards.

These next two I was told is much different than my usual style, but it was fun to experiment with. They are both similar yet unique designs. I just loved the pre-cut pink paper and I was really diggin' the Pink/Yellow/Black combo. I was excited to use this new "Once Upon a Time" stamp I just bought. Ryan asked what on earth this card would be for and I told him many things.... baby, birthday, wedding. (Guys just don't get it sometimes)
So that's all I had time for. I don't know when I'll get to create again.
I'm starting to get a very full TO DO list (darn it). Hopefully this summer will be full of creating days for me!

Springtime Treat

2009-03-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a simple little treat I put together for the sisters I visit teach. The bags are filled with pink and green flavors of Jelly Bellies.
I found the butterfly tins last year at Target $1 spot. (love that place). I created the simple tags to coordinate.
Such a simple gesture to let your friends know you care!

Vintage Wedding

2009-03-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

The daughter of a good friend of ours was married yesterday. I, naturally, had forgotten to make their card before we left for Chicago. We arrived home 1 1/2 hours before the reception and I was tired and knew that my creative brain wouldn't work too well to put together an original card using their invitation like I prefer to do.

So I brought out a card kit I had purchased a while back that included a wedding card. I put it together, making a couple embellishment changes to add a little more Ginger flair to it. Not my best work, but it would have to do because time was ticking.
I showed it to Ryan and he commented.... "Aren't you going to use their invitation?"
Being the perfectionist that I am, I immediately felt guilty. (I knew I should have just done it in the first place)
So, I took a glance at the invitation.... it was practically all photo (two to be exact)
Hummm.... what to use?

A snip here and a glue dot there and this is what I came up with. (sorry, not the best photo since I held it on my lap right before we went into the reception)

I basically took their photo from the invitation trimmed it to size and placed the paper borders. I added the swirl, ribbon, brads and flowers. The heart clip on the top served double purpose as decoration and it held the $$ inside since I didn't put in a pocket.

I learned my lesson and I need to remember to make the cards well in advance so I don't get stuck again. (although I do have a back up made now if I ever get desperate)

Again, I hope they aren't too mad that I cut their invite, but it was for a good cause. The reception was beautiful by the way, with vintage decorations and soft muted colors.

Good as Gold

2009-03-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope everyone wore green and didn't get pinched.
I did another little treat for all the staff at school.
No homemade goodie this time, but a lot of love went into these little treat bags...
Yep... I made 70 of these little guys over the last couple weeks. I love to make them to show my appreciation for all they do. Since this is my last year... I decided to do it up right.
Time to get working on their Easter goodie... stay tuned!

I Do

2009-03-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

I DO love to create cards
I DO love a wedding
I DO love making wedding cards
I DO try to use their announcements
I DO hope they like it
I created this card yesterday for a new married couple in our ward.
I love to use some part of their original wedding invitation (hopefully they won't mind)

This time I used the J & T from the top of their invite.
I also used their announcement photo, scanned it, and made a little embellishment.
Here's a little closer look at the photo....

I created it using a template, the photo and pattern paper. (I'm really loving using Photoshop and my new digi tricks).
Inside (behind the J&T) is a little pocket to tuck in a gift card .... my personal gift of choice :)
I DO hope making a homemade- keepsakeish type card might make up for my lack of gift ideas.

Be Smart

2009-02-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a bit better with my digital abilities. As part of my new Stake calling as a Smart Night director, I was asked to come up with a poster to advertise "Smart Night" for the youth.
Here's what I was able to come up with...As you can see I ran with the "Be Smart" theme. I had 12x12 posters made up for each of the ward's bulletin boards. Hopefully this will help get the youth to attend. It's a great way for kids to get a little extra help with homework.

I also created some coordinating labels to wrap around Smartie candies to pass out to all the youth in the stake to help them remember to come. ( 400 of them) We sat and stuck the labels on during Smart Night last night. Hopefully the theme will catch on and everyone will remember to come.
I even brought my big popcorn popper for treats!

A little lovin'

2009-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share some of the goodies I made up to give away on this fabulous heart holiday

Parker's classroom valentinesValentine M&M cookies for Parker's class partyCan't forget the giant heart cookie for Parker's teacherChocolate Dipped strawberries for my Visiting Teaching sisters -
(as well as strawberry lemonade body wash and a fluffy pink loofah!)And 280 little chocolate dipped heart cookies for all the staff at the school Individually wrapped with cute little heart toppers I just love Valentines Day.... don't you?!

Classic Birthday

2009-02-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share the card I made for Ryan's birthday.
Had to go with the Road King Classic Harley this year!
(notice the clock hands are on the 4 and 1 .... yeah, I had to point it out to Ryan too)

Holiday Heaven

2009-02-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

I love holidays. I just get giddy when all the new decorations, goodies and favors come out. And nothing gets me going like Valentines Day. I mean it has red, pink, hearts and chocolate all wrapped up in one holiday! What could be better?!

After Christmas I was doing my usual bargan hunting for sales and I ran into these delightful morsels. Red and green swirled chocolate chips.
I love making festive cookies with them at Christmas time so I put them in the freezer until next year.
Today I had a brainstorm to try something .... what would happen if I separated out the red chips from the green chips...Voila.... I have the makings for Valentine and St. Patrick's day cookies! ( Yes, Ryan made fun of me when I told him what I did)
So I whipped up a batch of cookies for choir rehearsal tomorrow
And made a giant heart cookie for Parker's school teacher for Valentine's day. (I'll just stick it in the freezer until Friday)As you can see I also added a few chocolate swirled chips too... just to give it a little more chocolatey flavor. You never know what you can do with those holiday bargains you find.

Stay tuned... I have more Valentine goodies in store later this week.

Butterfly thanks

2009-01-25T21:44:00.000-08:00

One last card to share that I created on my weekend Extravaganza!I was so excited to be able to use Tim Holtz Distressing Crackle paint (and in PINK too)
I took a close up of the butterfly so you can see the crackle a little better.
When the paint dried it curled the paper so it was a perfect fit for the butterfly wings... looks like he's flying right off the page.

Be Mine banner

2009-01-24T00:34:00.000-08:00

Pink, glitter, love and Bling .....
What more could a girl ask for?
Tonight when Sommer and I got together we decided to create a Valentine Banner.
I, naturally, reached for some yummy glitter paper from My Minds Eye and Bazzill Bling cardstock. Now that's a combo that you just can't mess up!

I had so much fun designing and planning for this project. I just love to work with pink anything! (Sorry about the dark photo's, I couldn't wait until morning to take them)

Get Well

2009-01-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with glitter lately. I just love the rainbow of colors that Doodlebug has. And there's nothing like a little "bling" to make me smile. I found a glue stamp pad and thought I'd try it out using some of my rubber stamps. I grabbed this "get well" stamp first and just loved the result so I designed a card around it. (Crazy how the creative process works) I even dipped the brads in glue and glittered them to match.
I'm getting together with Sommer tonight to create! I'm sure there'll be a little laughter, a little girl talk and A LOT of GLITTER involved.

Celebrate - with style

2009-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

I discovered this adorable chandelier stamp at Michaels and couldn't wait to use it. Then I discovered the chandelier paper and knew it was a match made in heaven!The word "Celebrate" and the chandelier shades are dusted with black glitter... very elegant looking in person!

Pins and needles

2009-01-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'm on a roll with the card making lately...
Just created this card following a sketch my sister told me about.
I found this pin trio on the New Arrival Cricut cartridge and thought it would be fun to try and use it for this card.

Hummm... what will I try next?

Little House

2009-01-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

I glanced over the call list for CARDS and found they wanted cards with a house icon.
So this is what I came up with. (any of it look familiar?) I used a new Cricut cartridge called Wild Card for the little house.

Cupcake-a-thon

2009-01-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

When I was at Target the other day a 6 pack of Jolee's boutique cupcake stickers caught my eye. I fell in love with the colors and texture of them. They were my inspiration for my latest card creations. It felt so good to be creating again that I couldn't stop with just one.
Here's a little peek at my latest cupcake card creations.....

Yea me!

2009-01-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about a new project I just finished! (Ryan is too)
I created a vinyl photo for Ryan to put on the back of his truck Now let me back up and explain how this all came about....
It started when I found a program that allows me to cut regular True Type fonts with my Cricut. (Normally I would need to use a cartridge for that) This naturally, opened up a wonderful new world of possibilities for me. I could now create my very own cute vinyl phrases and decor that is so popular right now.
But wait.... there's more....
This program (SCAL) also introduced me to another program (Inkscape) that allows me to convert bitmap images to svg files that the SCAL will recognize and cut.
So, in plain English.... I scanned in the image of the Cape Buffalo from a clothing tag, loaded it into Inkscape, played, tweaked, and eventually converted it to a cleaner image to cut. Then I loaded it onto SCAL and voila.... I can cut as many Cape Buffalo images as I like in whatever size I like. (This one is 12 x 9)I'm not saying it was easy, but it was so fun to learn how to do this. (Tons of trial and error time!) In fact the first time I converted it, I couldn't remember what I did so I had to figure it out so I could do it again.
Now I can really create anything and cut it out with paper, vinyl, fabric... the possibilities are endless!
(Think there's a big need for Cape Buffalo vinyls out there?)

Digital Diva

2008-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

Ok, so maybe I'm not quite a diva yet, but I've been playing around with my Christmas gift - Photoshop Elements. I've figured out a few things and thought I'd share what I've been able to create so far.
I sat through hours of a tutorial and was able to create this page of Parker...
It has many different effects (some I'm not sure if I can create again without using the tutorial)
Then I played around with colorizing the photo of Parker...
Turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself!
So then I was feeling brave and decided to tackle my blog background.
You can check out the "New Year" background and header for my personal blog here at Ginger's Jingle . (now I won't need to bug my sister every time I want to change it)

Last but not least I was feeling pretty secure in my abilities so I created an invitation for Parker's (and friends) upcoming Arrow of Light ceremony. I had 50 printed up as a 4x6 photo to give out to everyone involved in scouts (and some family)

Right now I'm working on a February background for my blog.
I can tell it's going to take ALOT of practice and patience to get this digital thing down, but I'm a willing pupil.
Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT going to give up my hand-crafted art of Scrapbooking. There's just something about the texture and dimention that makes me so happy.
However, Digital scrapping will find it's little place in my creativity nook!

Putting it all together

2008-12-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

This year was a close call...
I almost didn't get my Christmas cards finished in time to mail out to family and friends

I start planning and purchasing supplies in July.
My family makes fun of me because I start so early.
(They get more mad when I make them take holiday photo's.)
The planning process isn't easy. I try out many different color and paper combo's before deciding on the right one. This year I went out on a limb and chose a non traditional color combination.
Red, brown, white and blue...When I showed my mother in law she was not too excited about my color choices, but had faith in my abilities to make it work. I changed the design a couple of time until I was finally happy with the look and design of the card.
Over the next few weeks I'd cut out paper and assemble pieces whenever I had the chance. Finally I had all the makings of a card, all 70 of them..... assembly required!
It took a couple evenings to get the final product put together, but finally HERE IT IS!
The heart has glitter around the edges and the circle reads...
"keep Christmas in your heart"
It ended up being a tri-fold card... super fun and easy!
Parker was concerned that no one would figure out how to open it, but I assured him it wouldn't be too difficult. (sorry if someone had a problem)
So that's it....the making of the Dennett family Christmas Card for 2008....
Now to start planning for 2009... Christmas in July takes on a whole new meaning for me!

Thanksgiving Favors

2008-11-30T23:28:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a little project I made for all the teachers and staff at our school (70 in total). I figured since this was my last year at Elementary school, I'd show them how much they are appreciated. I made homemade chocolate chip and white chocolate cranberry cookies for their little treat. Their tags read, "So Thankful for all you do!" Happy Thanksgiving.
I decided we needed little favors for Thanksgiving dinner as well, so I changed the quote to read "So Thankful for Family" and filled them with candies (figure we'd get enough pie after dinner)I know projects like this just add to my to-do list, but I enjoy doing it so much!

Wedding Card

2008-11-16T22:21:00.001-08:00

I attended my cousins wedding yesterday and shortly before we left I remembered I needed to come up with a card for the wedding. I always refer to the wedding invitation for color inspiration. This time I actually used parts of the invitation to create the card. I wish I would have taken a photo of the original invite, but forgot until after I cut it apart. But, here is a photo of the recycled card.
The elements I took from the invitation were the bow, the velvet strip across the bottom and the inside ivory piece with the embossed bride & groom names. The inside has a pocket for a gift card to be enclosed. The outside has a quote about love that I glittered. I would have used pink glitter so it would show up better had I known that was part of their color scheme. Their invite had no hint of pink , only brown so that's what I stuck with. Hopefully they won't think less of me for cutting up their invitation.
I love to create custom cards for weddings. Here's a few others I've created for a family and friends in the past.
All of these have pockets to hold a gift card or money and all of them match their wedding colors. There is one card I made for my cousin Amanda, that I forgot to get a photo of. It is one of my favorites. I need to see if she still has it and take a photo of it for me.

Fall Dinner

2008-10-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

Heres a few photo's of the Dinner set- up I did (remember the invitations a couple posts back) It was great fun to decorate with a fall theme. The Boxes are filled with Chocolate covered Popcorn -mmmmm good!

Trick or Treat

2008-10-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share these cute buckets filled with all the fixings for Carmeled Apples. I put them together to give as Visiting Teaching gifts. I was going to make the apples myself, but alas, time got the best of me. I think the families will have fun creating them for FHE next week!

I found the buckets at Target $1 spot (although they were $2.50).
Cute, simple and fun!

Fall Invites

2008-10-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

I was asked a few weeks ago to create some invitations for a dinner in honor of the Bishopric Wives. They wanted a fall theme and I found this adorable paper that just fit the bill. The layered flowers were made using bunches (pulled apart) from Michael's and I Cricut cut the yellow, curled and inked them to give them dimension.
They were super easy and could be easily adapted for any occasion. I'll definitely keep these in mind for future use.

I created 45 of these. A funny story about them (well, I can look back and laugh about it now anyway).
After they were all finished, I had them in my car to deliver when I passed by the Stake Center the dinner will be held. I noticed the street sign and there was only one "L". I had spelled it with 2. I panicked and gently tore off the vellum sheets to replace them with the corrected version (these were glued on). I even had to run across town to the scrapbook store and purchase more vellum.
Before I printed on the new vellum I wanted to double check the spelling online. I looked it up on Map Quest and believe it or not....it was spelled with 2 "L"s.
So I quickly looked up the stake website to see what they said and they confirmed the spelling with 2 "L"s.
I couldn't believe it. So I just glued the original vellum back on doubling my work time on this simple project.
Lesson Learned: Double check BEFORE printing the first time!!!

Note Cards in Envelope

2008-10-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

I found a pattern for a darling note card holder and just had to try it out. I made the pink one quite a while ago, but made a couple more today. I'm going to teach it to the RS card class the end of the month. They are great gift ideas for teachers and friends.
This is the outside all tied up....Here is inside after opening.....
This shows all the contents... (the circle says "many thanks" or "Just a note"I found the instructions from someone on Split Coast Stampers. It's a great site for ideas.

2008-10-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

So I've been too busy organizing and cleaning to make cards yet....hopefully tomorrow

National Card Making Day

2008-10-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

What better day to start a crafting blog than on National Cardmaking Day.
I'm hoping to get many cards made this weekend, but for now I'll just post a project I've been working on for a RS Super Saturday.
It's a Tin Recipe Box
I've been busy ordering and finding enough supplies to make 30 of these. I just love this (or any) paper from Crate Paper . I had to search many websites to find enough for this project.
More pics to come later.

Project Time

2008-09-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

I've been working on quite a few projects lately and thought it might be nice to have a place to share just my creative creations.