Hello everyone!
This week's tip is making good use of fabric pieces from kids or family clothing that may be stained or too worn out to use any longer.
While you may be inclined to use it as a dusting cloth or shoe shine rag give that a second thought.
Use your kids outgrown clothing in small amounts on layouts or shadow boxes. You could include a picture of your kid in the outfit and journal about it.
You could also use pieces of fabric cut into strips as ribbon for a layout or simply just adhere some of it as an embellishment on your layout.The fabric can also be used to cover chipboard or book covers.
There is a lot of versality in fabric and you don't necessarily have to run out to a store to get some.
Make good use of old clothes that you are thinking of donating to charity. You won't need too many pieces of clothing to get a lot of fabric swatches. Cut them in squares or use your punches (they will work on thin fabric).
It is often difficult to part with kids clothes but this way you get to keep a piece of them, journal about it, tell the story of that piece or just incorporate it into a craft project.
Keep the memories alive!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
ONE MORE VIDEO SHARE
This one is easy & you can probably do it quickly for that hand-crafted hostess gift or when you need a gift for someone you may have forgotten.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A YOU TUBE VIDEO BY LEAH FUNG & FRIENDS ON HOW TO MAKE BOWS & MORE
Just in time for your Christmas wrapping...
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#17) GET YOUR FLOW ON...
Hi everyone!
Today's tip has to do with how to keep the flow of your pens, markers, sharpies, copics & other ink filled writing & coloring pens.
This one is simple...keep them stored horizontally.
By doing so, you keep the ink evenly dispersed within the housing unit & it won't clump up at the point.
To help you achieve this you can purchase a cutlery tray or lay them flat in a photo box or any other storage system that allows for the pens to be in a horizontal position.
I have found the ink to last longer because of the even dispersement.
When you are going to use the pen just do a practice scribble on a scrap piece of paper to allow the ink to flow down to the nib & you are ready to color, draw, or write.
Happy Crafting!
Today's tip has to do with how to keep the flow of your pens, markers, sharpies, copics & other ink filled writing & coloring pens.
This one is simple...keep them stored horizontally.
By doing so, you keep the ink evenly dispersed within the housing unit & it won't clump up at the point.
To help you achieve this you can purchase a cutlery tray or lay them flat in a photo box or any other storage system that allows for the pens to be in a horizontal position.
I have found the ink to last longer because of the even dispersement.
When you are going to use the pen just do a practice scribble on a scrap piece of paper to allow the ink to flow down to the nib & you are ready to color, draw, or write.
Happy Crafting!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
How Sad...
Well, no comments- no winners.
I suppose I will hold on to the extra copy of the wonderful craft book for a giveaway next time.
It's too bad that no one was interested. The book is great for beginners, for those who want to focus on heritage scrapbooking and even for advanced scrappers.
The principles in the book can be applied to card making, book making & craft organization.
When I said it was chock full of information, I meant it.
Maybe next time.
In any event- I hope you all have a great upcoming holiday.
Hope you check in for the crafting tip of the week.
Happy Crafting!
I suppose I will hold on to the extra copy of the wonderful craft book for a giveaway next time.
It's too bad that no one was interested. The book is great for beginners, for those who want to focus on heritage scrapbooking and even for advanced scrappers.
The principles in the book can be applied to card making, book making & craft organization.
When I said it was chock full of information, I meant it.
Maybe next time.
In any event- I hope you all have a great upcoming holiday.
Hope you check in for the crafting tip of the week.
Happy Crafting!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
REMINDER....BOOK GIVEAWAY RIGHT HERE ON MY BLOG...
Where is everyone???
Don't forget to post a comment, follow my blog & share the news about my giveaway.
The winner will be chosen on Saturday night & I will post it on the blog on Sunday, December 20th.
Read the post below the Amy Grant- Breath of Heaven Song for details about the book being given away.
Happy Crafting!
Don't forget to post a comment, follow my blog & share the news about my giveaway.
The winner will be chosen on Saturday night & I will post it on the blog on Sunday, December 20th.
Read the post below the Amy Grant- Breath of Heaven Song for details about the book being given away.
Happy Crafting!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME...
Hello there!
I was lucky enough to have in my stash of goodies not one but 2 books of the same title.
The book is called "New Ideas for Crafting Heritage Albums".
Since I only need one, I thought I would give the other away to one lucky fellow blogger.
I have read my copy of the book and have used it already quite a bit. It is actually chock full of valuable information for any crafter. The book is valued at $24.99 U.S. and it is well worth every penny. It offers presentation techniques, journaling tips, storage do's & don'ts, geneology resources, scrapbook resources & more. It is definitely worth playing along for and I will ship worldwide.
Here's what you have to do: 1-Help spread the word about my blog by posting about my giveaway on your blog if you have one or share the news with a friend.
2-Leave a comment under this post that you have spread the news along with your blog info so I can take a peek at your blog too.
3-Then sign up to follow my blog.
I will be using Random.Org to chose the winner which means you have just as good a chance as anyone to win.
I will draw a number on Sunday December 20th in the evening (Eastern Time) and post the winner on Monday, December 21st.
Don't forget to leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you are the winner.
Good Luck Everyone & thanks for playing along.
Happy Crafting!
I was lucky enough to have in my stash of goodies not one but 2 books of the same title.
The book is called "New Ideas for Crafting Heritage Albums".
Since I only need one, I thought I would give the other away to one lucky fellow blogger.
I have read my copy of the book and have used it already quite a bit. It is actually chock full of valuable information for any crafter. The book is valued at $24.99 U.S. and it is well worth every penny. It offers presentation techniques, journaling tips, storage do's & don'ts, geneology resources, scrapbook resources & more. It is definitely worth playing along for and I will ship worldwide.
Here's what you have to do: 1-Help spread the word about my blog by posting about my giveaway on your blog if you have one or share the news with a friend.
2-Leave a comment under this post that you have spread the news along with your blog info so I can take a peek at your blog too.
3-Then sign up to follow my blog.
I will be using Random.Org to chose the winner which means you have just as good a chance as anyone to win.
I will draw a number on Sunday December 20th in the evening (Eastern Time) and post the winner on Monday, December 21st.
Don't forget to leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you are the winner.
Good Luck Everyone & thanks for playing along.
Happy Crafting!
Monday, December 14, 2009
CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#16) ORGANIZATION FOR RIBBON SPOOLS- MAKE IT YOURSELF
HELLO BLOGGERS!
Today's tip involves a little organization for your ribbons.
Find a rectangular wicker basket, one that is long & as wide as you would like and then find a wood dowel or dowels depending on how many rows of ribbon spools you want to set into the basket.
Insert one end of the dowel into the basket, thread your ribbon spools through that dowel until you fill the basket. Then insert the other end of the dowel into an opening in the wicker basket on the opposite end. If it hangs a little out of the sides of the basket this is okay. In fact, it should.
It will help balance the weight of your ribbon spools & even provide a place for you to hang some precut pieces, ribbon rings or loose fibers. So gage how far out you want those dowels to protrude from each end of the wicker basket.
Remember that you can paint the dowels to match your basket or even hot glue some inexpensive finials at the end to give it a high end look or to match your current decor.
Depending on how wide your basket it is you may get two rows of ribbon or more.
When it is all said & done you will have economical, visible and practical storage for your ribbon stash.
You could keep it out filled with all your favorites & even hang it on the wall.
There are lots of basket options out there- decorative, with handles, without handles, assorted colors & varieties of themes, so it can be fun & functional.
I have seen wicker baskets at the dollar store and dowels as well, so for as low as $2 you can make ribbon storage. That price point will allow you to construct a storage unit for your ribbons that will definitely make the most of your money, time & talent.
Happy Crafting!
Today's tip involves a little organization for your ribbons.
Find a rectangular wicker basket, one that is long & as wide as you would like and then find a wood dowel or dowels depending on how many rows of ribbon spools you want to set into the basket.
Insert one end of the dowel into the basket, thread your ribbon spools through that dowel until you fill the basket. Then insert the other end of the dowel into an opening in the wicker basket on the opposite end. If it hangs a little out of the sides of the basket this is okay. In fact, it should.
It will help balance the weight of your ribbon spools & even provide a place for you to hang some precut pieces, ribbon rings or loose fibers. So gage how far out you want those dowels to protrude from each end of the wicker basket.
Remember that you can paint the dowels to match your basket or even hot glue some inexpensive finials at the end to give it a high end look or to match your current decor.
Depending on how wide your basket it is you may get two rows of ribbon or more.
When it is all said & done you will have economical, visible and practical storage for your ribbon stash.
You could keep it out filled with all your favorites & even hang it on the wall.
There are lots of basket options out there- decorative, with handles, without handles, assorted colors & varieties of themes, so it can be fun & functional.
I have seen wicker baskets at the dollar store and dowels as well, so for as low as $2 you can make ribbon storage. That price point will allow you to construct a storage unit for your ribbons that will definitely make the most of your money, time & talent.
Happy Crafting!
Friday, December 11, 2009
FREE BOBUNNY DOWNLOAD
Just found this great free download at BoBunny.
Head on over to bobunny.com/freebies/html to get yours.
Enjoy!
Head on over to bobunny.com/freebies/html to get yours.
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
AN UPDATE ON KATE
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 8:39 PM, MST
**AS POSTED BY HOLLY MCCRAE (KATE'S MOM) ON CARING BRIDGE.ORG**
Well, we have been trying our best to do a few little holiday "family" things tonight before Kate's potential readmission tomorrow. It felt more like an emotional zoo, but at least we were all together in our chaos. We tried taking pictures of the kids in front of the Christmas tree, in their matching pajamas. Our last attempt with them all together for the season. Someone is crying in most of them, scowling, or looking to see what Patrick is doing. I think we may have gotten one where everyone was looking and smiling though. My mom and sister then attempted to decorate a SpongeBob pineapple gingerbread house with the kids. Not your typical seasonal house, but seemed to suit us quite well this year. The pineapple would not win any awards, and the dog enjoyed a few of the decorations that ended up on the floor. There were candy beads being thrown, fights over whose turn it was next, Kate's feeding pump alarming it seemed every other minute, Will tooting about the same amount of times and all of us ready just to crawl into bed and call it a day. The pineapple however turned out cute and the kids were proud. A day that started and ended with lots of tears, both of sadness and of gratefulness. The stress of the upcoming round evident in everyone tonight.
I am excited to continue sharing stories from the Christmas drive with you again soon... your generosity has been very moving to us during this time. Thank you!
Something new has come our way, something we wanted to share with all of you. Author Karen Kingsbury has offered to place Kate in one of her upcoming novels as part of her Forever in Fiction program. Karen is the nation's No. 1 Christian novelist, and she is best known for her Life Changing Fiction. You can read more about her at KarenKingsbury.com. I will let Karen tell you in her own words what she has pulled together for Kate:
Dear Friends of Kate McRae,
Like all of you, I've been following the courageous, sometimes heartbreaking, miraculous story of little Kate since her diagnosis with brain cancer this past summer. Kate's family is dealing not only with their daughter's illness, but with the enormous financial strain that has come with it. For that reason, I'd like to place Kate Forever in Fiction, honoring her as a character in one of my upcoming books. Usually this item is auctioned off to raise money for various charities. But in this case, we are trying to raise $25,000 for the McRae family. Here's how it works. Any of you who'd like to help put Kate Forever in Fiction in one of my novels can donate to the Kate McRae fund. With a donation of $100 or more, you will have your name mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book where Kate will be honored. If we have a whole page of your names, that's fine. I welcome all of you to take part in this fundraiser for the McRae family. If we exceed the goal, then that will create a greater relief for Kate's family. Obviously, larger donations will help us reach the goal sooner. Once the goal is reached, Kate will officially become a character in one of my books, where she will be Forever in Fiction. If you'd like more information about Forever in Fiction, visit my website at www.KarenKingsbury.com. Every dollar raised by this fundraiser will go directly to the McRae family. Thank you for being a great encouragement, an amazing prayer support, and for standing with the McRae family in their most dire hour. And let's keep praying for a miracle for Kate. In His light and love, Karen Kingsbury
This information will soon be posted at www.prayforkate.com under "support" if you are interested. Thank you for your continued prayers as we go to clinic tomorrow and see if Kate is ready to start the 5th round of chemo.
**AS POSTED BY HOLLY MCCRAE (KATE'S MOM) ON CARING BRIDGE.ORG**
Well, we have been trying our best to do a few little holiday "family" things tonight before Kate's potential readmission tomorrow. It felt more like an emotional zoo, but at least we were all together in our chaos. We tried taking pictures of the kids in front of the Christmas tree, in their matching pajamas. Our last attempt with them all together for the season. Someone is crying in most of them, scowling, or looking to see what Patrick is doing. I think we may have gotten one where everyone was looking and smiling though. My mom and sister then attempted to decorate a SpongeBob pineapple gingerbread house with the kids. Not your typical seasonal house, but seemed to suit us quite well this year. The pineapple would not win any awards, and the dog enjoyed a few of the decorations that ended up on the floor. There were candy beads being thrown, fights over whose turn it was next, Kate's feeding pump alarming it seemed every other minute, Will tooting about the same amount of times and all of us ready just to crawl into bed and call it a day. The pineapple however turned out cute and the kids were proud. A day that started and ended with lots of tears, both of sadness and of gratefulness. The stress of the upcoming round evident in everyone tonight.
I am excited to continue sharing stories from the Christmas drive with you again soon... your generosity has been very moving to us during this time. Thank you!
Something new has come our way, something we wanted to share with all of you. Author Karen Kingsbury has offered to place Kate in one of her upcoming novels as part of her Forever in Fiction program. Karen is the nation's No. 1 Christian novelist, and she is best known for her Life Changing Fiction. You can read more about her at KarenKingsbury.com. I will let Karen tell you in her own words what she has pulled together for Kate:
Dear Friends of Kate McRae,
Like all of you, I've been following the courageous, sometimes heartbreaking, miraculous story of little Kate since her diagnosis with brain cancer this past summer. Kate's family is dealing not only with their daughter's illness, but with the enormous financial strain that has come with it. For that reason, I'd like to place Kate Forever in Fiction, honoring her as a character in one of my upcoming books. Usually this item is auctioned off to raise money for various charities. But in this case, we are trying to raise $25,000 for the McRae family. Here's how it works. Any of you who'd like to help put Kate Forever in Fiction in one of my novels can donate to the Kate McRae fund. With a donation of $100 or more, you will have your name mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book where Kate will be honored. If we have a whole page of your names, that's fine. I welcome all of you to take part in this fundraiser for the McRae family. If we exceed the goal, then that will create a greater relief for Kate's family. Obviously, larger donations will help us reach the goal sooner. Once the goal is reached, Kate will officially become a character in one of my books, where she will be Forever in Fiction. If you'd like more information about Forever in Fiction, visit my website at www.KarenKingsbury.com. Every dollar raised by this fundraiser will go directly to the McRae family. Thank you for being a great encouragement, an amazing prayer support, and for standing with the McRae family in their most dire hour. And let's keep praying for a miracle for Kate. In His light and love, Karen Kingsbury
This information will soon be posted at www.prayforkate.com under "support" if you are interested. Thank you for your continued prayers as we go to clinic tomorrow and see if Kate is ready to start the 5th round of chemo.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
MY FIRST EVER BLOG AWARD!
Remember the movie "A Christmas Story", when the dad excitedly exclaims...
I won, I won, it's a major award...something like that anyway!
Well that's totally me right now.
Okay, I may be a dork but I am super excited because I received a blogger award.
I have had some hits and have a few followers but there are times when I feel the blog is going no where. And then...I get this!
This award could not come at a better time!
My camera broke, I am jobless and had major water damage in my basement which caused a boat load of losses- so some nice news like this blogger award has helped cheer me up. Blog candy would be nice but this is great too.
Thanks to all who have stopped by, those following & for those tuning in for the first time, I hope you can find something helpful on the blog.
I was hoping to share more hand crafted projects, cards, layouts & crafts but with no camera to do so I am afraid the site will be chock full of tips, video finds & other odds & ends.
THANK YOU TO WHOEVER SENT THE BLOGGER AWARD!
It was anonymous so I really don't know who to thank -so thank you ALL.
Keep tuning in!
I won, I won, it's a major award...something like that anyway!
Well that's totally me right now.
Okay, I may be a dork but I am super excited because I received a blogger award.
I have had some hits and have a few followers but there are times when I feel the blog is going no where. And then...I get this!
This award could not come at a better time!
My camera broke, I am jobless and had major water damage in my basement which caused a boat load of losses- so some nice news like this blogger award has helped cheer me up. Blog candy would be nice but this is great too.
Thanks to all who have stopped by, those following & for those tuning in for the first time, I hope you can find something helpful on the blog.
I was hoping to share more hand crafted projects, cards, layouts & crafts but with no camera to do so I am afraid the site will be chock full of tips, video finds & other odds & ends.
THANK YOU TO WHOEVER SENT THE BLOGGER AWARD!
It was anonymous so I really don't know who to thank -so thank you ALL.
Keep tuning in!
CREATALICIOUS CHALLENGES HAS A BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY...
Check out the Creatalicious Challenges blog for some great projects & your chance to win some terrific blog candy @ http://creataliciouschallenges.blogspot.com
Here is a pic of all the goodies you can win.
Here is a pic of all the goodies you can win.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
A VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL PAPER SNOWFLAKES
Just thought I would share this great find of a video.
You can make these lovely snowflakes for your holiday & winter projects- everything from cards, gift tags and home decor.
Enjoy!
You can make these lovely snowflakes for your holiday & winter projects- everything from cards, gift tags and home decor.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 7, 2009
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT- CARD VIDEO
Hi friends!
Just thought I would share this simple yet lovely video on how to make a Christmas card.
The talented Melanie over on the Christmas with the Cricut blog put this together and makes you feel like you can do it too.
Check it out.
Just thought I would share this simple yet lovely video on how to make a Christmas card.
The talented Melanie over on the Christmas with the Cricut blog put this together and makes you feel like you can do it too.
Check it out.
CRAFTING TIP OF THE WEEK (#15) CAN A PIZZA ROLLER HELP U IN THE CRAFT ROOM?
Hi Crafters!
Today's tip is a quick tool tip.
I was browsing around the kitchen section at Target recently & found a pizza roller for only .37 cents. So I said, gotta get that! I was not thinking craft tool at the time but it has been & remains a staple in my stash.
Any guesses as to what I use it for or in place of???
If you guessed a brayer my friends you would be correct!
So...if you find yourself in need of a brayer, look to kitchen supplies. You may get lucky & find one on a super duper clearance like I did or you can have fun finding a vintage one at flea markets, antique stores or swap meets. Just what you needed...another reason to go shopping.
Have a great day everyone.
Happy Crafting!
Today's tip is a quick tool tip.
I was browsing around the kitchen section at Target recently & found a pizza roller for only .37 cents. So I said, gotta get that! I was not thinking craft tool at the time but it has been & remains a staple in my stash.
Any guesses as to what I use it for or in place of???
If you guessed a brayer my friends you would be correct!
So...if you find yourself in need of a brayer, look to kitchen supplies. You may get lucky & find one on a super duper clearance like I did or you can have fun finding a vintage one at flea markets, antique stores or swap meets. Just what you needed...another reason to go shopping.
Have a great day everyone.
Happy Crafting!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
THE DR. PHIL SHOW TODAY
Did anyone catch the episode today?
It was a moving second half of the show as they debuted the story of Kate McCrae.
She is the adorable, resilient 5 year old that many crafters have sent hand-made cards to. Jennifer McGuire held a card drive for Kate bringing her story to light.
Now Dr. Phil has also featured her on his show today and has a dedicated spot on his blog where you can donate to Kate.
The show was moving, sad & a true testament to the love of a family.
Please continue to keep Kate & the rest of the McCraes in prayer.
My heart goes out to them & I simply wanted to send out a message of hope,love and sincere warmth.
As crafters your heartfelt creations go a long way.
Continue to help bring joy to these families...one card at a time.
Keep Crafting!
It was a moving second half of the show as they debuted the story of Kate McCrae.
She is the adorable, resilient 5 year old that many crafters have sent hand-made cards to. Jennifer McGuire held a card drive for Kate bringing her story to light.
Now Dr. Phil has also featured her on his show today and has a dedicated spot on his blog where you can donate to Kate.
The show was moving, sad & a true testament to the love of a family.
Please continue to keep Kate & the rest of the McCraes in prayer.
My heart goes out to them & I simply wanted to send out a message of hope,love and sincere warmth.
As crafters your heartfelt creations go a long way.
Continue to help bring joy to these families...one card at a time.
Keep Crafting!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The " I Need Your Help" Blog Giveaway- January 1, 2010
Okay, first you are probably wondering why this is dated January 1, 2010. Well, this blog giveaway is open until 12/31/2009 at 12 midnight PST. Here's what's up for grabs:
This is the FIRST PLACE PRIZE....there are four others. Here's how it works.
Purple Cows is having a awesome competition to see which Design Team member can drum up the most followers on Sadie's Blog or on the new Facebook Fan Page (www.facebook.com/purplecows) Texas Scrap Addict is giving away a HUGE PRIZE to one random blog reader who becomes a Sadie follower and mentions that Texas Scrap Addict Vicki sent them!!! She is also giving away four smaller prizes. REMEMBER! MENTION THAT VICKI SENT YOU!!
Here's what you need to do:
Go to the Purple Cows Blog, scroll down the right hand side of the blog to Followers, click on Follow, to become a follower. Then leave a comment on any post saying you are a follower and Vicki sent you. Or go to Purple Cows Facebook Page and click on the link to become a fan. Then post a comment on the wall to let Sadie know you are a fan and Vicki sent you.
Then go back to TEXAS SCRAP ADDICTS's Blog and post a comment to the prize POST telling her you are a follower/fan now. For extra spots in the drawing for the prizes: post about this on your facebook page, twitter about it and put it with a link on your blog. Each of these actions gets you another entry into the drawing.
She HAS to get 200 people signed up for this giveaway to occur. So , help her out and WIN BIG!!!
Please visit Vicki on her blog at : texasscrapaddict.blogspot.com