Heart Handprint Canvas for Valentine's Day

My kids and I made a quick Valentine craft over the weekend, that I wanted to pop in and share with you.  I already had all the materials on hand, since I'm a crazy craft lady horder always buying supplies for "someday".  It was inspired by this pin, but we changed it up to be a keepsake item versus a card.

I wanted to include both of my kiddo's hand prints so our "heart" is a little off kilter but I think that makes it even more adorable.  After we carefully made our prints, I added the year and the kids' names & ages with rub-ons.  (As usual, the kid's names are digitally edited out for this online share.).

I used more rub ons to add a little sentiment, replacing the letters /o/ with wood veneers.  A crop-a-dile helped me punch the holes into the artists mat board, which have a canvas like texture but are solid boards and so easier to get a good impression on. Then all I had to do was add a ribbon for hanging.  I love how it turned out!

Quick & Easy Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day with Kids

Everyone in our family is sick.  The second grader is home again, the two year old is on antibiotics for an ear infection.  I have laryngitis and one of the worst colds I can remember, and Brad, well he's sick too but since he's the more healthy of the two parents he is on parental duties!

With Valentine's Day this Friday I am glad we've already had a thematic celebration with friends of ours and that I try to do little Valentine related things all month long.  Here are some easy ways to celebrate that don't require a lot of preparation that we've done.

Simple Food:

I shared a picture in my last post, but to keep things all together I'll include it here again.  Inspired by this pin I used what I had on hand to make a quick version for my Nutella loving daughter.  Mine uses frozen waffles toasted, spread with Nutella, and then topped with cut up strawberries & Reddi Wip.

The 14th is a school day, so this is just the type of meal easy to put on the table during hectic mornings!  Nothing from scratch here, but it sure looks fancy and is not the kind of thing normally served before heading out to the bus!

My daughter wants to have something pink for Valentine's Day.  This dip is one of the very easiest recipes I've ever seen.  So simple, my seven year old can make it and be the person who actually made the pink contribution to our meal.

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip:

• 1 8 ounce container of strawberry flavored cream cheese
• 1 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme

Mix both ingredients until well blended.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Serve with fruit.  Really, that's it!

Many of you will remember this one from your own childhood.  It's a classic and it's pretty color makes it perfect for Valentine's Day.

I made this punch with our Brownie troop last month, so please pardon the blue Tupperware punch bowl!  When I made it again earlier this month I put it in a clear glass trifle dish and it was very pretty!

3 Ingredient Party Punch:

1 2 Liter Lemon Lime flavored Soda
1 bottle of Hawaiian Punch or other fruit flavored drink
1 container of orange flavored sherbet

Mix equal parts of soda and fruit juice together in a bowl.  Add scoops of sherbet and watch it foam.  Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Do It Yourself Dinner:

We rounded out our meal with make your own croissant sandwiches.  An assortment of pretty rolled deli meats, sliced cheeses, and sandwich fixings laid out attractively on platters is a fun take on a do it yourself food bar.  Kids always like helping make their own meal and it's yet another way to make your night stand out from the regular routine of dinner.  Livin' the Mommy Life shared a wonderfully styled example of a Sandwich Bar she did for a birthday party, that shows how the meats & cheese look laid out.

Another kid friendly meal ideas we've done that was a hit was making your own pizzas using either slit English muffins you toast after toppings have been added or biscuit dough from a tube.  The dough is perfectly portioned for an individual pizza and you can form it into a heart shape before baking.  Extra credit if you try something like this.

Easy Treats:

With so many free and cute printables available, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel.  Just take a look at Pinterest and you'll find so many choices the hardest part will be actually picking one to use.  Then just print and use.  Toss them in a $1 bucket from Target and we're good to go!

I picked this printable from Just Another Day in Paradise because it's not just a cute saying but it also is perfect for a little gift that's not yet more candy.  Not that we didn't give candy also, but I liked how the Burt's Bees lip balm tied in with the printable and is useful, especially during this time of year!  No more chapped lips and you've shown a special friend how much they mean to you.

Kids Crafts:

When we had our Valentine themed get together, which is when we tried out most of these ideas, my friend brought over a cute pre-made craft kit.  All the supplies came with it, except for craft glue, but most of the pieces were sticky backed.  The girls got their craft on, each made three of these little pom pom critters, and were very happy.  The moms were happy too.  No one had to run around cutting out shapes or buying little baggies of supplies that always come with too much, leftovers that often don't get used.

But if you are in a DIY mood, here are some cute Valentine Pom Monsters that are similar you could try.

How are you making Valentine's memorable this year?



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Valentine's Day Photo Card Sign - Freebie

The kids and I took some pictures for the Valentine's Day cards we will be sending to family and close friends yesterday.  I made a simple photo prop for them to hold with our message on it.

Then I printed out my photos and attached them to folded cardstock for the front of my cards.  For the inside I made text box and added "SWAK! And a hug, too!" for the sentiment.  Printed those out and glue inside.  Easy Peasy.  Done!

Click Here for the Valentine's Day Card Sign

Here is a copy of the photo card sign the kids are holding.  It has been sized to an 8X10 jpeg for your convenience and is ready to pop into a frame.  If you download, please let me know if you have any issues with getting it from DropBox.  If you use it, please drop me a line and share!  I'd love to see it.

CREDITS: Tiny White Stamped Hearts Digital Paper courtesy of Mel Stampz

Simple Glitter Frame

I used some supplies to make a really cute glitter frame last weekend.  I was so easy to do, and is something you can whip up last minute, as long as you have a few hours for the glitter/glue mixture to dry.

I went stash shopping for this project and pulled out an unfinished wooden frame, mod podge, and some of my favorite Martha Stewart Crafts glitter together. 

Then I got busy mixing together the mod podge and glitter.  You want it to be a nearly 1:1 ratio so you get a really nice thick layer of glitter on your frame.  Mix everything together really well, you don't want any pockets of glitter left in the mixture before you start applying.  Then simply "paint" your unfinished frame with the mixture and let try.  My frame has two coats of the mixture on it.

What I really like about this technique is that because the glitter is mixed with mod podge, you don't end up with little bits of glitter flaking off.  And since you used Mod Podge, there's no need to do a final coat to seal, that's already done.  Once everything dries, that glitter isn't going anywhere, ever! 

I might add a bit of ribbon or some embellishment on the left side but for now I'm just letting the glittery finish shine.  My daughter really thinks it's very pretty; the perfect holiday decoration that can come out in December and last through Valentine's.  This little beauty might even make another appearance around July!

Easy Handmade Valentine Cards

At the last minute, I decided to send Valentine cards this year.  It was way past the date to make photo cards and we were all sick with colds so my six year old was in no mood to help me.  In one afternoon I made eleven cards using paper scraps leftover from making previous scrapbook pages, premade card blanks, and supplies from my stash.  I repeated the same simple design and they came together in no time. 
Here are the three different versions.

The sentiment for this card was created on my computer, printed out, inked and the corners notched with the WRMK Corner Chomper my parents were nice enough to give me for Christmas.  It's yet another tool to store but I am so glad I got it.  I just love it and have already used it a lot!  I have the Stub/Deco design.

While the design is very basic, I've learned from years of sending handmade cards that it's the thought that really touches your recipient.  Most of mine have never made a card in their life and are very impressed and excited by any handcrafted greeting.  I was recently quite touched to find out a friend of mine had all of the cards I've sent her over the years in a special box.  Now that, gives me the warm fuzzies!

Coupon Code & DIY Valentine's Day Cards from Martha Stewart Crafts

Valentine's Day is only a month away!  It's time to get crackin' and whip up some handmade cards.  I always think these are the best way to let your sweetheart and favorite people know how much you're thinking of them.  To make your cards very special and personal I've got some ways to help you unleash your inner cupid that are as easy as 1-2-3 when you've got help from Martha Stewart Crafts!

{1} To express your heart’s desire, start with the utterly charming Martha Stewart Crafts “Stamp Card and Envelope Set” – it includes 18 scalloped edge note cards and matching envelopes with heart-accented labels so you can share your love with everyone you wish.

These cute itty bitty cards are just 3.275in x 2.275in, with envelopes that are 3.4in x 2.5 in, making them perfect for class Valentines.  I love the peek-a-boo envelopes and sweet details!  I actually got a card made by my friend Jennifer Wilson from Simple Scrapper last year.  It was so cute I've kept it!

{2} Add your personal stamp with the “Wood Stamp Valentine’s Day Hearts” set of 12 mini stamps nestled in a reusable wood crate.  

These are just darling and sized perfectly for the card and envelope set.  Their small size makes them perfect for little hands and easy to store.  My favorite one has the teeny tiny hearts on it, those would look great and really stand out with when stamped and embossed.   This set of Pastel Embossing Powders would work perfectly.

{3} Seal with a kiss…and with “Valentine Cupid” and “Valentine Cupcake” stickers. Yummy confections, cherub silhouettes, hearts and more Valentine icons shine with glitter and foil accents. 

These cupid themed stickers feature iconic symbols of the holiday and any leftover pieces would look great on scrapbook pages and on your Project Life pages.  Their size is perfect for adding onto your 3X4 journaling cards or to create your own decorative filler cards.  Plus arrows are really on trend for all things scrappy.

Coupon Code

To make things even sweeter, you can save 20% at MarthaStewartCrafts.com now through Valentine’s Day! Just enter coupon code BLOG20 at checkout.

I bought this Heart Stamp and Ink Set last year.  It was a great price for a set of stamps and inks! I'm planning to use it to get started on my cards soon.  I love clear stamps because I'm not the best stamper and it's a whole lot easier to position everything perfectly with them.  I use it with the Small Stamp Mount with Foam, which is also very helpful for beginner stampers.  It helps me get the right amount of pressure for perfect results.

How about you?  What type of crafty fun are you planning to pick up?  What are you planning on creating for Valentine's Day?

 

Disclosure: Information and images provided by Martha Stewart Crafts,  no samples or compensation were provided...I'm just a paper crafting junkie and excited to share some of my favorite things with you!

I Heart You Lip Balm Labels

This probably never happens to you, but I bought a set of cute Christmas lip balms for ER to give my friend Margaret's two daughters.  Then I temporarily misplaced them until they were  rediscovered while cleaning out the office last week.  I didn't want to hold on to them for a year, so I made these cute little graphics and printed them out onto Avery Sticker Project Paper.  Peel and stick right over the Santa Claus and Elves on the lip balms and no ones the wiser :)

Here is a better look at the label

Credits: Litabells Design (You and I Kit): Pink Ribbon, Meredith Cardall Designs (Love is in the Air Kit) Blue & Green String, Blue & Green Flags, Heart, Kristen CB Designs (Love is in the Air Kit) blue rick rack, WM[Squared] (Crazy Love - Mini): I Heart You Word Art, heart paper

February's Take Twelve

Happy President's Day!  We are enjoying a four day weekend.  I hope you are getting a little break too, while we remember and are thankful for the father of our nation and all the men who have led our country, for better or worse.  Regardless of party lines, I am grateful for the men & women who dedicate their lives to public office and law making.  It's a thankless job, with so many critics one can never hope to make everyone happy.  With that being said, now back to our regularly scheduled postings...

I have some exciting news, my January Take Twelve was featured on this month's post on Ella Publishing's blog!!!!  I was so thrilled to see it up there, very fun for me as I love Elizabeth Dillow.  I've even got her book, The Scrapbooker's Almanac so knowing she saw one of my layouts is very cool!

I am running a little late with my monthly layout for Take Twelve, which is okay because unlike some participants mine is not made up of photos literally taken on the 12th of each month.  Since I am also doing Project Life, I decided that 12 photos revolving around the monthly theme from the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit is how I'll be participating.  Although, I wouldn't rule out a month where I will take all 12 on the 12th. 

Here is a closer look at the leftside of the page, I used number 4 from the Take Twelve Templates.  The kit is Letters of Love Mini Kit from Sara Schmultz.  The blue polka dot and red hearts on each side are made from part of the bingo card.  To make them, I {badly} extracted the heart.  The edges are pretty rough but since the hearts are small I don't think you can tell that much. 

The cursive "love" and "hug" on the layouts are from the kit Well Written Set One, a freebie I got from Simply Tiffany Design, during one of the designer blog hops through Design House Digital.  The originals are really cute quotes but I only needed the word so I erased the rest of the text. 
The Journaling Reads:

No matter where you look in February, pink and red are everywhere all month long! From the clothes we wear - even on LB, to the treats we eat! {12 in 2012}

From Top to Bottom Left to Right:
Lunch at Mongolian BBQ with our friends
Valentines on the mantle
Star Wars Lego book from Daddy
LB’s 1st Valentine package
ER’s drawing of the family for Daddy’s card.

Right Page:
ER writing her classroom Valentines
Chocolate cake - okay not the right colors but with a
big frosted heart in coffee flavored icing, yum!
M&Ms from Grammy & Papa in a bowl
Favorite decoration, a felt countdown I made
LB’s 1st Valentine onesie
ER at her kindergarten party, making a glitter heart
Newest decoration, a wood block with vinyl.

Our Valentine's Day Cards

Did you make any Valentine's this year?  As I mentioned earlier in the week, ER had her heart set on Disney Fairy cards for her classmates but she did make a special card for Daddy.

She drew this picture of our family.  From left to right that's her, me, LB, and guess who's all in pink?  Ha, ha, why it's Daddy of course!  I wasn't sure why she did him in that color, until she rolled her eyes and told me, "Pink is for Valentine's Day, Mommy!"

I made a baby sized mini card for LB, inside it says "We're Nuts and Bolts for You".  The envelope was cut with my Wild Card cartridge, which is kind of a waste if your machine only cuts 6X12.  The envelopes can only be cut in itty bitty sizes, which means if you want the card to fit inside they have to be even smaller.

I also used the cartridge to cut a large heart shaped card and the heart embellishments twice, once each out of light and dark purple.  Since I didn't plan to use an envelope, these I could cut as large as 5.5 inches.  The letters are all cut with my Sizzlets Alphabet Fruit Smoothie, which was time consuming but worth it. 

When Brad gave her the glittery princess card he bought I thought oh great mine is going to look plain jane next to it.  But ER was so excited and loved the fancy pop up hearts, guess she really is my kid, with an appreciation for handmade ♥  The sentiment is a play on the song we sing every night before bed, to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine," only it's, "Sweetheart," instead of, "Sunshine," because one night several years ago ER corrected me saying, "But I'm your sweetheart, NOT your sunshine."

Valentine's with Friends

Friends came out to our side of town Sunday and we met for a yummy lunch.  It was relaxing to let someone else cook.  Since one of my dear readers, mentioned that I don't show myself very much, here I am.  Even more of a rarity than a blog appearance is that I'm wearing jewelry and lipstick.  I don't normally look so put together, but I like the maintain that fiction in photos.  After our meal we all came back to our house for dessert and so the girls could play.

This year with a six month old underfoot all day, I wasn't able to go all out with decorations.  Good thing I have the countdown and banner from previous years to make things festive.  One of the little touches I did do was adding a scalloped circle punched from sticker paper and a sticker heart to pink glasses.  Simple, quick, and effective, that's my crafty motto these days!  The girls drank pink lemonaide out of red heart straws while eating their raspberry chocolate cupcakes.  It was very girly!

I printed out these darling printables for the kid's table centerpiece from Sweet Rose Studio and put it inside the rag wreath from Holly. I just love that wreath!

I had planned for the girls to make these Valentine Blocks out of some leftover 2X4 scraps Brad has framing out the basement and vinyl. They were playing so nicely that there wasn't time so they took the supplies home.   

Brad went out in the freezing cold and snow yesterday to pick up a chocolate cake and raspberry chocolate cupcakes from Whole Foods yesterday.  Margaret and her girls made these chocolate dipped marshmallows, which were enjoyed by everyone!

Since Brad and I already went to dinner and a movie, we probably will have a low key Valentine's.  What will you be doing?

Happy Valentine's Day: Altered Memo Pads

Happy Valentine's Day! 

I hope you and your honey are showing each other the love today.  I had visions of all these super cute handmade Valentine's, for ER to give out to her classmates.  What did she want?  Store bought ones with a little sucker and her favorite fairy friends on them.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all about Disney and I love the Pixie Hallow gang but I'm a blogger, and I like to think a fairly creative one.  So store bought were not on my radar.  I consoled myself with these little altered memo pads, that we made together for some little friends.  ER wrote their message inside and they kept the girls busy while we met their family for lunch on Sunday.