The Sew*er, The Caker, The CopyCat Maker

Valentine Printables

2012-02-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

I made these printables for my bunco prizes and thought I'd post them tonight in case anyone needs them. We do $1 prizes and I though the tags would make them look a little more exciting. Here is the list of what I planned to go with each tag:

"You really measure up"-$.99 retractable tape measure from Hobby Lobby

"You're just "Write" for me"-Package of Bic pens and a half-size tablet of paper

"You really take the Cake"-jar with cupcake, pie, or cake inside

"You're a Cut Above the rest"-scissors

"You make my heart bloom"-dancing solar flower from the dollar store

"You're Such a Sweet Heart"-heart candy

Let me know if you want them. I have these two prints of 4 designs on one photo-sized sheet, or each saying per sheet.

Have a great weekend!!!

Big Conversations

2012-02-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

My cute friend Season wanted to take Valentine photos of her cute little guy. I just so happened to need a reason to stop doing all the crazy orders and busy stuff and make a craft for me :0)

I used the photos as the fabulous excuse I needed and finally made these HUGE conversation hearts I have been wanting to make for a couple years now.

Last year, my band saw broke right when I tried to make them, but this year I have my FABULOUS Grizzly Band Saw and couldn't be happier with it. As I was contemplating my Valentine crafts this year, the hearts were at the top of my list. I wasn't quite sure what to do for the lettering, when suddenly, I got an email from one of my favorite digital scrapbooking sites.

Peppermint Creative had candy heart pgn files already to go :0)

I blew them up to about 5 1/2" {so they would fit on a 2x6"}, printed and cut them out.

The wood was so simple each heart took less than a minute to cut.

Season came over and we painted the wood, then modge podged on the designs. Super easy.

LOve ThEM!

Doesn't Brecken look adorable!

I think he was a big fan of the HUGE Conversation hearts too :0)

ToolBox Tuesday: Wide Mouth Half Pints

2012-02-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

{source}

I hosted Bunco the other night and wanted a special treat for my guests. I saw this post on Pinterest about making cheesecake in a jar and thought it would be so cute to have individual cheesecakes for all the ladies. After searching a while I found these Wide Mouth Half Pint jars on Amazon for about $16.00. I thought that was a little high for jars, and after reading through the reviews, I saw one person suggested getting the jars from Ace Hardware online. I went there and they didn't have any available, but I called our local Ace and they were able to order them no problem. My jars arrived in three days, just in time :0)

The post I saw was for no-bake cheesecakes. I decided to used my own favorite recipes for baked cakes and was thrilled with how they turned out.

Here is the recipe for the crust:

2c. finely ground graham cracker crumbs

2tsp. sugar

1 stick melted butter

I wasn't sure how much of the crust mixture to put in each jar so I grabbed my TBS and began dropping the mixture in jars by the spoonful. Turns out, I was able to get 2 packed TBS in each of the 12 jars, even! Score!

I used a glass cup to flatten out the crust in the bottom of the jar.

Here is where I went wrong. I didn't realize until I ate one of these cute little treats that by crushing the crust up the sides too made the bottom too thin. I would recommend just smooshing it in the bottom and not up the sides :0) The things you find out when you experiment in the kitchen!

Do that to all of the jars and set aside.

Its time to mix the filling. I used Chantal's recipe from Allrecipies.com. It is my absolute favorite cheesecake recipe. I usually make it in a 9x13 pan so we can have bar-style pieces, but it also worked fabulously for my jars. **note:be sure to have all your ingredients at room temperature before you start**

I kept filling the jars until the filling was all gone. I ended up filling the jars until the cream cheese mixture is about 1/4" from the top.

Once all of the jars were filled, I placed them on a cookie sheet with a rim, placed it in a pre-heated oven, and then added a couple cups of water for a water bath.

I baked these cuties at 350 for 25min. I would probably just set the timer for 35 next time. When the timer goes off, take the cheesecakes out of the oven, let cool for about 30 min. on a cooling rack, then place in fridge for 6 hours or more until totally cooled.

Ummm...In my Bunco madness I did not get pictures of the final product, but they were fabulous! I had strawberries or fudge and caramel for turtle cheesecake. I also made hot fudge pudding cake in a second box of jars, but that will have to be a post for another day. One great benefit of the cute, little jars was that the ladies could screw the lid on and take their desert with them if they had to roll and run.

So, here are a few more ideas I found that would be great baked into jars...

Baked Breakfast Eggs

Cobbler baked in Jars

Madison's Cutie Pies-yep, from The Sew*CakeMakers :0)

Baked CornDogs in a Jar

Red Velvet CupCakes in a Jar

Chili and CornBread

Banana Split Cake Cups

So here is a thought, why couldn't you make just about anything you bake in individual servings in a jar???

I was actually obsessed with the idea last summer while on vacation with my friend Wendi and her 6 kids. We were constantly trying to figure out how to eat as cheap as possible while out touring local attractions. We didn't have jars with us, but it was certainly a thought as far as packing a lunch that would be better for us than the fast food alternatives. Jars are also a great alternative for storing leftovers. You aren't supposed to microwave the plastic containers, but these glass jars can just be thrown into the microwave to heat up your food{after you take the metal lid off}

Here are a couple different jars I found in my search...

The classic half-pint {bought mine at ACE for $10.99/dozen}

The deluxe half-pints {I saw these at Walmart 4 for $7}

and these super cute Tulip Jars {most expensive of all}

Anyway, put something yummy inside, tie it with a cute ribbon or bow, you have a fabulous treat for yourself or someone special!

Yummiest Mushrooms EVER!

2012-02-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

Yep, these are the sweetest mushrooms EVER!!!

I know. I made them :0)

It was my friend Mary's birthday and Toadstools are her all time FAVORITE. She tasted my Oreo Cookie Pops a few days earlier and said she wanted more way more than a cake.

What else was I gonna make her???

I did have to think a while on exactly how to make a toadstool cake pop though.

Here is what I finally came up with...

Classic Oreo Cookie truffles, recipe found HERE, among other places. {p.s.I just use my electric mixer to mix the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese}

Roll into balls as usual.

Now for the creative part. I used a knife to cut 1/3 of the cookie ball off. Set the smaller portion aside.

Take what is left, and smooth over the sides. When finished they should be rounded like a mushroom top.

Now, take the smaller piece, like in the image above on the left, and mold into a bell-like shape, like the piece on the right.

Do that to all of your cookie balls.

Now, take a paper straw or a sucker stick, slide it into the bell shape, all the way through. Keep pushing the stick in until it has an inch or so above the bell. Now dip this entire piece, from the bottom of the bell to the top tip of the straw into your almond colored almond bark.

Shake off a little of the drips, then insert that inch of extra stick into the top of the mushroom. I rolled the pop around until the chocolate was covering the bottom of the big, rounded piece, then stand the mushroom on it's head until the chocolate is set.

It will look like this. Now, dip into the red almond bark just until you reach the tan chocolate edge on the mushroom.

Real quick, while the red is still wet, add a couple sugar pearls for the dots.

Madison grabbed my camera and practiced a couple shots. She is on the yearbook committee and thinks she is a professional photographer now :0) I did like this picture of the pearls hitting the bowl. We dump some into a bowl so we can grab them quickly. Throw some pearls here and there, then go on to the next cake pop.

Finished product! Love them!!!

They were so cute, all the stems all sticking up in different directions.

It was a little weird to eat a candy mushroom.

The important part was that the birthday girl loved her surprise.

We stayed up WAY too late and ate WAY too many candy mushrooms, among other things.

Super sweet, super fun. Go ahead! You know you wanna give it a try :0}

ToolBox Tuesday: SprayPaint Handle

2012-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

So I am a little late with this post {as usual} but I didn't want to jip you out of a ToolBox Tuesday, so here we go!

The fabulous new tool I got during my Blue and Gold preparations was one of these handles you can use on spray paint. I have the tenancy to cramp in my hands {lame to have this problem at my chipper young age}, so I thought I would give one of these a try. The one above I found at Amazon for $3 and some change.

The one I actually bought was this one. It was a bit more sturdy, purchased for $7.something at Home Depot. I figured if I was going to try it I had better spend the extra bucks for one that would last.

So the way they work is rather simple. See these two levers? Just push them together with your thumb and pointer finger.

Here is a top view. This is before I push...

This is pushing with my fingers. See how the mouth opens?

Push the mouth open, then place on the paint bottle.

They all have a lip just under the nozzle where the handle can attach. How amazingly smart. I am thinking someone got more than a convertible out of this simple, yet helpful idea.

What did I use my spray paint handle on this week???

This...

and this...

and a couple other things. Super nice with the huge amounts of spraying I was doing.

My brilliant son saw the handle and started running all over the house looking for things to attach it to. He eventually found out that our Lysol spray, sprayed into the garbage cans after we take a full bag outside, is the perfect INDOOR use for the handle. Looks like my kids are determined to get my $7 out of this handle all in the first week.

See!?! Works great! I suppose you could use it for hairspray, spray glue, and anything else with a push-down nozzle. Brilliant!

Angry Birds Blue and Gold

2012-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to take the entire week off of blogging, but I was more than absorbed by all the Blue and Gold prep that had to happen for our big night. This year we had Angry Birds as our theme. I wasn't quite sure about using a theme like that. Technically, it would be in the category of Spider Man or The Green Lantern, but for the scouts, I think it was a stellar idea. The boys actually pass off requirements by doing bean bag tosses, group games, and using catapults. Angry Birds is perfect for a Blue and Gold when you think of it that way :0)

I was in charge of the decorations. I cut these giant slingshots on my band saw, as well as the chunky birds that sat on the base. I like the idea of placemats, so to save a little money I bought a roll of hefty wrapping paper {Hobby Lobby's paper is very thick and nice} and cut it into pieces for the placemats.

Here is a closer look at the slingshot. I cut them out of 2x10" wood, then used some exercise bands {found at Target in their dollar section} as the sling. What a lucky find! Only one dollar and perfect for my slingshots.

We made the photo cubes, of course, and then wrapped the plasticware in the napkins and glued a paper cutout of different birds and pigs to the knot of the curling ribbon...just in case we didn't have enough of an "Angry Bird" presence around the room :0)

A couple years ago, I went to the one Walmart by me that still sells fabric and bought a couple bolts @ $1.50/yd to use for the tablecloths. It killed me to think about how much money would be wasted year after year buying plastic, so I bought fabric, ripped it to size, and have been using them every year since.

My friend Julie was in charge of the food. She decorated the table with these cute pig bowls and made the cake and bird balloons below.

We made good use of the site that has free face printables for several of the birds and the pigs. You can find that HERE.

So for the cake, Julie just ordered a cake from Costco, plain with no writing on it, then decorated it with chocolate sugar wafers and the angry bird toys I bought for Scott's Cake back in Sept.

Apparently the cake was very yummy!

It wouldn't be a room decorated by me without a banner of some sort. I made the dot-dot banner out of felt circles cut on my sizzix machine, sewn to strings of ribbon. We hung paper lanterns on them that had the bird faces on them as well.

I made some piggie cake pops too. I will be back in a couple days and show you just how they were created.

So, I also made a couple games. I made this bean bag toss. Isn't it cute!?!

There were moments were it stressed me out, but mostly it was fun to make. I bought a piece of flooring underlayment at Home Depot for about $10. I had the guy cut it in half for me so I could fit it in my car. I will spare you the details now, but will be back to show you that game in a little more detail in a few days as well.

Julie made the angry bird tower of boxes and bought the stuffed characters from Walmart.

She managed to get her hands on these water balloon launchers and used them for the slingshot. Fabulous idea! The worked great, other than a couple guys with sore arms.

Now, the only problem with this idea, is that when the boys actually hit something, someone has to be willing to set things back up.

Yep, that's my Eli. Apparently it gets a little scary back there, but he did a great job keeping the arena in order.

I also made this plinko board. I LOVE plinko boards. I used it for a trivia game in Relief Society once, also as the Children's Primary Chorister. Such a fun game and not too hard to put together. Thank you Price Is Right for the idea.

My prize for playing plinko was a bag of fried eggs. No, it's not real fried eggs! I melted almond bark, dropped a spoon full on wax paper and added a yellow M&M for the yolk. So cute...and yummy!

Our other activity was put together by Brother Merril and it was FABULOUS! I didn't understand exactly what he was talking about, but the kids really loved this. He set up tables and put these little catapults, and these darling little birdies at one end. At the other end he had an assortment of boards and pigs made from wooden beads.

The kids could stack their own arena however they wanted, then a friend could shoot at it. Then they would switch. Great turn taking, teamwork kinda activity.

Here is a back shot of the catapult.

Fun...

Cute, cute, cute fun!!!

Emmers was especially proud of what we built together.

At the end, each boy took home a slingshot centerpiece, a bird cut out, I had tennis balls from the dollar store {they come 3 in a pack for $1!!!}, and a catapult/blocks set. These boys made a haul!

What a super fun night!

It must have been a hit because we earned double thumbs up all around :0)

After I get caught up on all the things I ignored while preparing for B&G I will get detailed instructions posted and hopefully finally get to those Valentine crafts I have been dying to make!

Have a great day!!!

Celebrate Theme Blue and Gold

2012-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

One more request for photo cubes- Celebrate Theme. Here are all of the printables...

Blue and Gold label found HERE

Celebrate label found HERE

Do Your Best label found HERE

And the blank for the scout's pictures and den pictures found HERE

I hope that is useful to someone :0)

Happy Sunday Night everyone!

Western Theme Blue and Gold Prints

2012-01-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

I had a special request for western themed prints for the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Photo Cubes. The lucky lady found me at an unusually free moment, so I thought I would make the set up real quick. I decided to put the files on Google Docs for download just in case anyone else needs the files. You can check out the posts from last year to see what I do to make the photo cubes HERE and HERE...or just wait for my post on our Angry Bird photo cubes in the next couple days.

Basically, print these files like photos, cut them down to the 3x3" squares they are, and modge podge them to blocks cut from a 4x4 beam.

The above printable is downloadable from HERE.

Download this file HERE

Cub Scout Motto file HERE

This print HERE

And our last print is available HERE. I use these blank prints to plug in the scout's individual photos on one side of the cube, and the den's group photo on the other.

I hope you enjoy the printables!!! Let me know if you have any questions at vanessa.cam5@gmail.com

Great Outdoors Photo Cubes

2012-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

{Download HERE}

I have had many requests for these prints the past couple weeks so I thought I would put Google Docs to the test and see if they can meet my file sharing needs :0)

Here are the Great Outdoor Blue and Gold Banquet photo cube printables dated for this year. Feel free to follow the links and download the files. You can see what I did with them last year by looking at these old posts HERE and HERE.

Basically, print these files like photos, cut them down to the 3x3" squares they are, and modge podge them to blocks cut from a 4x4 beam.

I put this label on top. You can download it {Here}

The Cub Scout Motto is Do Your Best. You can get this file {Here}

{Here} is the file I used for the photos. I plugged each boy's photo in and modge podged it to one side of the photo cube, then put the den photo on the other side. We love this idea and plan to keep it going as long as I am around. I think it is a great way for the boys to remember each year they were able to participate.

Let me know if you have any questions!!!

Angry Bird Printables

2012-01-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

I am burning the midnight oil these days getting ready for our Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. Here are a couple of the printables I have worked up for the various Angry Bird needs we have. I don't have anything made up yet, but here are the printables. Above are the little birdies and pigs that I plan to use when making the napkin ring-like thingies.

This...

And This are labels for the photo cubes {Finished product to be shown off shortly}.

These are tiny pigs I am using for the centerpieces.

These...

And these are slightly bigger piggies for the bean bag toss game.

These are the biggest piggies. I was going to use these for the bean bag toss game, but now I think they might be too big.

These too.

This...

and this are for the blocks that are part of the centerpieces.

These are the faces found HERE for balloons, I just shrunk them smaller to fit either small balloons or the foam balls {only $.98 at Walmart} I am using on the tables.

These and...

These are the birdies I am using for the beanbag toss.

OK, wish me luck. Now to take all these hours of printable-making and turn them into actual things.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

p.s. This is my first time trying files posted on Google Docs for you to download. I hope it works :0) If not, as usual, you can email me directly for the files at vanessa.cam5@gmail.com

ToolBox Tuesday: Paint Storage

2012-01-24T21:58:00.001-08:00

OK folks, what I am about to show you will literally STOP YOUR HEART. It is that exciting....OK, Maybe not, but I LOVE it! This rotating acrylic paint storage rack has made my crafty life much easier and CLEANER!

This "Cadillac" of acrylic paint storage systems is totally awesome. It will hold 80 bottles on one side...

Swing it around, and you can hold another 80 bottles on the other side!!!

Before this rack found me I was storing my paint in various plastic boxes. I could never tell what color I was grabbing. Now, I just look at the bottle, little paint-colored bum just hanging out there for me to see.

It occured to me a few years ago that I needed a rack to hold my growing number of paint bottles. About a week later, I went to Goodwill and, would you know it, there was a wire acrylic paint rack sitting in the isle. It was as if it saw me coming and hopped off the shelf in anticipation! And it was only $4!!!

I have searched and searched the internet to give you a source you can buy one from. All I came up with were a couple of forums that send people to Micheals to buy one of theirs. Apparently Micheals and Hobby Lobby both sell them and you can get yourself one at either location at a discount using the in-store coupon. Lfalduto from Paper Fashions said she saw them at Micheals for $35. With her 50% off coupon it made it only $17.50. There you have it.

Now for your favorite part of ToolBox Tuesday, the part where I show you what this tool is good for. I have already shown you pictures of the rack in action...

Holding paint :0) So now I will show you a couple things I have made with this paint the rack is holding :0)

Birthday Trinkets, posted just last week...

Thanksgiving Centerpieces, Cut out on my band saw...

Fake Make-Up I made for my 3 yr old and her friends...

The wildly popular Gratitude Trees made as centerpieces for Super Saturday 2011

Play Food, a project available for Super Saturday

These Family Blocks I made for myself {finally} :0)

The Guitars for Dad {Father's Day}

More Clippies than I would Like to Mention!!!

various Baby Shower Supplies like the cake pop stand above, the baby blocks below, or the baby name sign below the blocks...

This Snowman, need to make another one so I can have one!!!

Whatever Cake Parts I might decide I need...like the handle of this violin.

I used my paint to decorate these wooden Play Shoes cut on my Band Saw.

Hey, look! There is our Guest of Honor, Mrs. Paint Rack, next to Madison! How is that for a tool in ACTION!

We used the paint to make these New Baby Welcome Do-Dads to hang from trees...

and most important of ALL, our Count Down to Edward!!! blocks. Hey, that reminds me! I need to get these back out. The movie will be out on DVD in...1.2...8.9..17 days!!! Yep, February 11th Ladies! Get your camp chairs ready :0)

So, now that I have my hand dandy paint rack I no longer guess what bottle is coming out of the box. I don't have to search through box after box to find the color i am looking for, and I can have my whole collection sitting next to me as I paint, making my painting sessions much more enjoyable and lazy {I felt the need to throw that last -honest- part in there} since I am not constantly getting up to look for paint bottles. Now to make a cover so that I don't dump half of them out on the floor when I am transporting the rack....I guess that can wait a little longer. I am a little too distracted by Edward's picture to remember what I was talking about.

Have a great week everyone! I will be back soon with Valentine wood crafts and Angry Bird Blue and Gold prep!!! Yay! I do love coming up with new stuff :0)

SomeOne's At My Door!

2012-01-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

So, the other day my friend Lindsey called me up and asked if she could come over. I was a little surprised, and started wondering what was wrong. She usually didn't just ask to come over. Well, Low and Behold...She had a present for me!!! I LOVE presents :0)

Her cute mom in Minnesota, such a doll and just happens to be a blog follower of mine ;0}

made one of these darling santas for Lindsey AND ME!!!

I don't know what possessed her to make such a darling gift, then mail it all the way across the country to me, but I was SO very excited. Lucky for the both of us, I still had my Christmas decorations up {just mid January, that's all}, so I pried it right out of Lindsey's hands and hung it proudly on my front door.

Looked so cute

Here it is again just in case you missed it :0}

Emmalee, her favorite part is the "Honky Nose." I like it too, but Emmalee, she has to honk it every time we walk through the threshold!

Joni, Thank you SO MUCH!!!

He is simply ADORABLE :0}

In A Good Position

2012-01-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

We had a little activity at the church tonight and needed a little service project to do while the sisters waited for their turn. I prepared these positioning snakes as one of the projects and wanted to share them with you. I have had my Girl Scouts Brownie troop make them. I have had Achievement Days girls make them. They are a light, low stress project for any age and go towards a GREAT purpose. They can be used to teach basic sewing, or you can do the prep work and take all the stress out of the project for your helpers.

I only purchased two yards of flannel total, several small pieces from my favorite discount store, SAS Fabrics on Indian School in Phoenix. Each piece of flannel was cut to 5.5" wide, however long the fabric was wide {around 40" in this case}. From the 2yds I was able to get about 30 snakes. The fabric was $3/yd, totalling $6, making the cost of fabric for each snake about $0.20 each.

I took each piece, folded it in half the thin way, and sewed a straight line down the side to make one long tube out of each fabric strip. Try to use a smaller stitch length to make these durable and to prevent any escaping pellets.

Once you have your long tubes, lay them flat and cut them to be 13" long. I was able to get three positioning snakes out of each 5.5" strip. The next step is to sew one end of the snakes shut.

Here is how I do it...

Once I have one snake stitched shut on one end, I put the needle down in the last tiny bit of fabric, lift the pressure foot, and butt the next snake right up next to it. I put the pressure foot back down, then just keep sewing, stopping to repeat again and again until all snakes are strung together like this...

Isn't it fabulous! This way you save thread, you save mental illness from going back and clipping hundreds of threads, and you save time.

Use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut apart your long string of snakes.

{I use scissors, but had to think of a reason to throw this picture in. I really like it :0}

Photo-Nerd!

This is where I stopped my part of the preparations. At our event our sisters turned the snakes right-side out, filled them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with poly pellets...

{source}

They come in a bag similar to this {the bag is green at Joanns} and you get about 2 lbs for $7.00 from Joanns {before coupon}. You have to know that every single time I go to Joanns to buy these they have moved the store around. I end up standing right in front of them and can not see them. I don't know what it is. I swear it though. I am always right in front of them, staring directly at them, and just not seeing them. Every time.

{source-on Etsy}

Here is a closer look at what they look like. One of those beads is like half the size of a grain of rice...a fat grain of rice. We use poly pellets instead of rice or beans so that the snakes are WASHABLE!!!

Doesn't everything that comes near a baby need to be washable ;0)

I found that you can get about 5 snakes out of one bag of pellets. I used a 50% off coupon for mine, making the stuffing for each snake about $.70 each. If you add the $.20 for the fabric, the total for each snake is less than $1.00.

Here are some of our finished product. Cute, huh? So naturally, smaller print fabrics would probably be better for these, but the bigger prints still turned out cute.

Now to show you how to use them....

The positioning snakes are used to prop up babies in the hospital, mostly in the NICU. They can be used along both sides or just one behind the back if the baby has to be kept on their side for whatever reason. People can use rolled-up blankets for the same thing, but anytime you have extra blankets in the crib you increase the chance of suffocation or the baby getting tangled up. With these snakes, you can place them lower than I did here and prop baby up without being near the face, plus they are not going to un-roll.

Like I said before, they are washable-super important in a sterile environment. They are great for holding the babies in position, but also FABULOUS at keeping their body temperature steady. The little poly pellets keep body heat {without getting too warm} to help those poor little dears have a better fighting chance.

I first started making these a few years back for a friend that was a fanatical volunteer for Newborns In Need. Newborns In Need is a fabulous organization that works to help with preemie needs in the hospital. They address everything from these positioning snakes to teeny tiny burial clothes and blankets for the little ones that don't make it. If you have a little time on your hands I would HIGHLY recommend contacting them and getting involved today!

That reminds me, I need to tell you what to do with these! So, you can donate them to Newborns In Need

As for our lovely ladies at church, thanks so much for your help. We look will be taking these to our local hospital so they can start warming tiny hearts right away!!!

ToolBox Tuesday: Elastic Thread

2012-01-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Alright, I am back and currently headache free :0)

I wanted to share one of my personal passions, Elastic Thread.

I LOVE the stuff. It is simple to use, cheap {Just over $1 for enough for several projects}, and makes a HUGE difference on whatever you use it on.

{Source}

I buy mine from Joanns. It looks just like this. All you need for the following fabulous projects is this thread, a spool of regular thread, a bobbin, your sewing machine, and your project! Just so you know, Joanns carries it in black and white, but I have seen a couple spools on the internet of Gutermann elastic thread in some colors :0) You can check that out more if you are interested. The color usually doesn't matter too much because usually the elastic thread is sewn on the inside of the garments.

{source}

All you do is hand wind your elastic thread on your bobbin. Don't pull on the thread, causing it to stretch out. Just wind it around and around so that there are not any loops. If you were to pull the thread you would not get very much on the bobbin, and you would not get the desired results from your machine.

Now just slip that bobbin into the machine just like you normally would, then thread your top needle with regular thread and pull the elastic up from the bottom just like you would if it were normal thread.

That's it!

You are ready to SHIR! Yep, that is the official name of this particular technique, shirring. Smocking is different. I have a quote from a comment one of my readers left a few years ago:

Ami joyApr 21, 2010 09:38 PM

You win the show down!!! :) 3 years ago I took a clothes making class at our local college for fun. We discussed the whole shirring/smocking controversy and found an answer!!!

Smocking is when you hand sew the fabric together (and it does not have much give) for decoration. Shiring (is the faux Smocking) is when you simply sew straight lines across the fabric with elastic.

I have done both and shirring is better for a fitted garment whereas smocking is better to add decoration

There you have it! Straight from the mouth of a total babe :0)

Now, just in case you are the visual type, I found two shirring tutorials online that I like.

The first is the Pink Fig Tutorial. I put her first just because I LOVE her clothing patterns. She shows how to shir on one of the dress patterns she sells.

She shirred the sleeve of this dress, as well as the bodice.

Shirring is also a fabulous way to make a waist in something that needs one.

The Fabulous Shirring Tutorial @ MakeItLoveIt is very thorough and I would recommend checking that one out also. She shows what shirring looks like from the back side. This is one way of doing it. I usually shir in one continuous spiral. I start the stitching, going once all the way around and end where I started, but instead of lifting the needle and moving down the 1/4 to 1/2", I just sew until I am the desired amount lower and keep going around until either I am done, or I have run out of thread.

So, on to the good part. Let's look at some projects that have been shirred with elastic thread.

Good Old Martha Stewart, you can always depend on her for a great project idea, shows how to make these Sundresses.

Desert Beauty by MADE was my first and original inspiration. After I saw this darling dress I HAD to learn how to do it. Here was my first attempt:

Shirred Man's Dress Shirt. The really funny thing was that Emmalee saw this dress in her closet yesterday and INSISTED on wearing it to the Dr's office. I laughed because this hairless wonder in the picture was 1 years old. Now she is three, and the size of a 7 year old, and still fits into the dress perfectly! The wonders of elastic thread, I tell you!

This Old Navy Shirt to Dress tutorial was my first big blog post. It probably still is the post with the most comments I have ever gotten. I totally love this dress. I think I need to add one more ruffle for Emmers to be able to wear it now, but it is luscious.

You may remember my recent post of Scarves I made for Christmas. There were a couple there that I shirred instead of ruffled and they turned out darling. I hear there was a little WWF back there in Minnesota fighting over who got which scarf. I also found a few other tuts online...

This scarf from Craftzine is adorable and will soon be joining my collection.

I also want to make this Randomly Shirred Scarf by Make It and LOve It

Now, shirring is a great way to add personally to a plain or ordinary shirt. CraftStylish added a couple straight rows of shirring.

Topsy Turvy added a loopy design in their Loopy-Necked t-shirt

What a fabulous idea!!! Turn a regular shirt into Maternity Shirt with a few rows of shirring just where you want it. This also works wonders on the back of a shirt that is just too boxy or baggy in the wrong places. Add a couple rows of shirring to the back of your shirt, only 3-4 inches long, and it will add curve to your body where it is supposed to be.

This Recycled T-shirt from Prudent Baby is so cute. I did one of these for Emmers too. The shirring on the sleeves is darling.

Sugar Bee Crafts copied the making a fabulous knock-off version.

This Side Ruched Shirt by A Little Tipsy adds personality to an otherwise lifeless t-shirt.

My lame photography doesn't show the changes made to my Team Edward shirt super well, but you get the idea, right?

The idea to ruch your Sweater Sleeves, from The Brown Eyes Have It, is a fabulous idea. I really can't stand long sleeves any more and may have to do this to a couple of my shirts.

Just shirring the bottom of your shirt can be a darling change.

Shirring the legs of Baby Bloomers is a great way to make a gather that is not too tight for chubby little legs.

I went a little out of control and shirred the whole pair of these Petti Panties :0)

I guess I took the picture before I added the small elastic around the bottom. I think I need to make another pair so I can redeem myself from this picture. These petti panties are seriously cute on a little pair of legs. I think that the secret to these is using very thin fabric.

Oh, and look! Petti Panties for MOm :0) I bet these would impress my husband!

Dana from Made shows how to make leggings, and then how to make them Ruched Leggings. You too can make the leggings from scratch, or just ruche a pair you already have.

I have been coveting this Ofelia Blanket from IKEA for many months. I pick it up every time I am there, but then decide I could totally make it and put it down. Then, the next time I go, I am determined to just buy it, only to start the cycle all over again. Seriously, you could totally make this...but it would take a serious amount of elastic thread, patience, and chocolate chip cookies to make it through. I should probably just buy it.

Who would have thought to shir a Pillow like this one by Tatvakala. Gorgeous! Love it!!!

There you have it. Elastic Thread. Buy some, shir something. Before you know it, you will be shirring everything in sight!

OK, Tuesday is Not Gonna Happen!

2012-01-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I am here to tell you ToolBox Tuesday has been moved to Wednesday.

Boo, Boo, HIsS, Boo!

I know. It is just that I have been having migraines lately to an extreme frequency and just couldn't manage it today. Tomorrow I will start bright and early working on my post. I am really excited to show you the fun things you can do with Elastic Thread!!! Aren't you excited!?! I will see you back here tomorrow,

and Thanks for Understanding :0)

Quilting Bee via The Post

2012-01-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

My darling cousin, Candice, started a Quilting Bee via the Post Office. Here's the deal, you get 12 quilters that want to participate. Each month of the year one quilter takes a turn providing each other lady fabric and instructions for one block of the quilt she/he wants to make. I decided to pre-cut the fabric, but I don't think that is a requirement. You send the fabric and instructions to the other 11 quilters, then they have one month to complete the quilt block and send it back. Sounds fun, huh? In one month you get an entire quilt top made :0)

Sad for my sweet cousin...and the other ladies in our group, I am the first person. With our crazy, last minute trip over Christmas, the mass disaster awaiting me at home consisting of waiting orders, photos to edit, and migraines to be had, I am two weeks late getting my squares out. I even considered not mailing them at all. I ended up with not quite enough of the white fabric {bought out of state}, no envelopes, blah Blah BLAH.

I am hoping to soften the ladies up with chocolates.

I will get to that later.

Here is my block arrangement. I went ahead and sewed the 4-squares together. All the ladies have to do is sew the blocks into rows, then sew the rows all together. I suspect it should be a nice, easy block to start with. I believe we have a couple beginners in the group so I was on the look-out for a pattern that would break them in easy.

The pattern I finally decided on was Yoyoville by Bunny Hill Designs. The quilt is DARLING!!!

I am not sure I will do the houses along the boarder {so cute, but time consuming}, but the yo-yos are HAPPENING! I love them.

I fell in LOVE with the Knock Knock fabric line by Dana Brooks of Lazy Daisy Cottage.

I bought it at a quilt store in Utah, but you can get Here, Here, or Here if your local store doesn't carry it.

Here is the block sewn together. Imagine yo-yos on all the larger white squares.

DarLInG!

Here are my envelopes and my bribery {chocolates}. I made the little labels for the chocolate bags.

Here is the printable. You can print it like a photo on a picture, then cut it apart.

As usual, you can email me at vanessa.cam5@gmail.com for the high quality file. I also made them to be used with Avery shipping label 8164 {Sticker style-used that model just because that was the size I had in my filing cabinet}

Email me if you would like that one too.

So, thank you cousin for being so very patient and even more understanding, of my delay.

As for the rest of you, I will be back with pictures of my blocks when they return. I figure if I post this, I will be obligated to finish the quilt. These days I need all the motivation I can get!!!

Happy Birthday Trinkets

2012-01-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

I came up with the birthday gifts to hand out to the ladies at church this year. You know I couldn't resist cutting something out on the band saw. I am super excited about how these trinkets turned out.

The cupcake is cut from a 2x4. I cut the frosting from 1/8" mdf {HomeDepot} with paper modge podged to the front. I inked all edges with my permanent ink pad and applied a top coat of the modge podge to seal it all up.

I thought it would be cute to use a dumdum sucker as the cherry on top. I drilled a hole as deep as I possibly could and it happened to be just deep enough. The sucker fit completely inside, then I tied the curling ribbon on for added festiveness.

The present is just a smaller version of my Christmas Present.

They turned out super cute. I also cut these from a 2x4. I glittered the "ribbon" sash for a little bling.

I am still debating wrapping a sucker in the curly wire just to make things fair.

Just for kicks and giggles I made up a pattern for anyone that wants it :0)

Click on the image to make it bigger, then right click and save. As always, if you would rather have the original file {cause sometimes they don't copy well when posting} just email me and I will send it to you directly!!!

vanessa.cam5@gmail.com

Have a great weekend!

Winter Cake Anyone?

2012-01-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

Ashley, from Cute As a Fox, asked me if I would make birthday cakes for her cute little girl and boy. She wanted a winter themed cake, something small, and maybe one for each so they could both blow out their own candles. These are the cakes I came up with.

For the little girl I made a lolipop penguin cake. The penguin and the lollipops are made from fondant. I did the piping with buttercream icing and lined the border with mini marshmallows. I was super excited about how cute my little penguin turned out. She was really fun to make.

For Ashley's little boy, I made a snowman snow globe cake.

I should probably mention that this cake found at Giggles Galore was my inspriation. Ashley sent me the idea on Facebook and I just couldn't refuse the snowglobe idea.

I made the snowman from fondant, dressed him up and added a couple springs made from aluminum wire behind frosty. I didn't want the frosted look for my snow globe, so I simply turned the glass bowl upside down, somehow managed to fit frosty and his springs inside, then made a plug of sorts for it to sit on so it would not slide during my commute.

The inside looked like this! I used a zebra stripe technique I found on Pinterest.

It started out looking like this....

And ended up like this. There are a few things I will probably do differently next time. You can read about how to make a zebra striped cake HERE. I think the important thing to note is that she used 2 8" pans that are 2" tall. I use extra deep pans so that I only need one. It tends to make a more moist cake and requires more batter in one pan. I am thinking that instead of adding 1/4 cup of each colored batter, I need to double that since the volume of the pan is doubled. I think if I make that change I will get the desired stripe effect. Also, I kinda used the measuring cup to push the batter down {just a little}, and I think that ended up swirling the colors rather than just letting them fall where they would. I will have to try this technique again and let you know how it goes.

They were fun cakes to make for two fun little kids! Tomorrow I will show you my little birthday gifts for the ladies at church, since we are talking birthdays and all. See you tomorrow!

ToolBox Tuesday: Pinking Rotary Cutter

2012-01-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

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This week I want to show you the pinking rotary cutter. I am thinking there are a couple people out there who never knew such a thing existed. In my personal opinion, rotary cutters are far easier to maneuver and much quicker than traditional scissors. The pinking blade for the rotary cutter was a fabulous addition to the family. Also, you should know, you can either purchase the pinking rotary cutter itself, or simply purchase a pinking blade for your deluxe Olfa cutter {only the deluxe, not the standard cutter}. I believe the pinking blade is 45mm", so if you have the 60mm you will need to purchase the 45mm deluxe cutter to be able to use it.

I found a great article on rotary cutters over at Threads Magazine that is a wealth of information. They talk about the various benefits of rotary cutters in general, such as ease of following the curves of a pattern and the benefits to users that suffer from arthritis. Rotary cutters are also a great way to cut out fabric in multiple layers with far less shifting of the fabrics. If you are new to the idea of using a rotary cutter and what additional materials are involved, I would check out that article.

So why do you want a Pinking Rotary Cutter???

It's a fabulous way to make a quick, beautiful project without worrying about fraying threads!

Chrissy, over at Snappy Stitches, said she bought her pinking blade so she could cut the edges of her fabric before pre-washing so they didn't come out of the dryer a huge pile of tangled strings

{we all know what that is like :0}

You may own a pair of pinking shears...

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So, the rotary cutter blade does the same thing, it is just easier on the wrist and hand, plus can cut through multiple layers at a time.

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Tricia, from the LeafyTreeTopSpot made this cute little holder for plastic bags. I am assuming it is for walking your dog, but she mentions how you can pink raw edges if you don't have a serger. It is a fabulous way to get by while you are saving up for a serger of your own.

Finally, I want to show you a couple projects I found around the web that used the pinking rotary cutter. Again, pinking shears can be used if you don't have the rotary cutter, but if you craft in volume {is there any other way} or have arthritic joints like me :0) the rotary pinking blade is definitely something to look into!

Moda Jelly Towels

They pink the fabric strip before sewing it to the tea towel, then pink the fabric scraps to make the cute little bow.

Pennant Banners

I have used my pinking rotary several times to make these fabric pennant banners. They make the edges so cute and decorative.

Ruffle Skirt

This skirt was one project where Elizabeth actually serged the edges of the ruffles, but she says that you can just as easily cut the fabric with a pinking rotary cutter to keep the ruffles from fraying. Seriously, it holds up to regular washing really well.

Fabric lined Flip Flops

Hasn't everyone made a pair of these...or at least wanted to??? Rotary cut your fabric strips with the pinking blade and avoid the frayed strings that tickle the tops of your feet :0)

Cute and Easy Bean Bags

The pinking rotary cutter is a fabulous way to make a quick bean bag or rice hot/cold pack with very little effort. Just pink the edges and don't even bother turning the fabric!

Here are scented satchels made in the same fashion...

Lets not forget a favorite use...

Fabric flowers.

This tutorial is actually done using pinking shears, but someone should let her know that they could be made even easier with the rotary cutter. I would probably cut the wide strips with the pinking rotary cutter, then come back and cut the thinner strips with the regular cutter...or just pink the whole thing! Why not :0)

Felt Flowers

Whether you want this as a wreath, like shown here, or as an individual flower on a hair clip, the felt looks GREAT when pinked.

Let me show you what I am talking about...

Felt Sweet Hearts

Felt Birthday Crown

Felt Circle Flower {on sale on Etsy}

Felt Easter Finger Puppets

Last, but not least...Where to buy!!!
You can find the Olfa brand Rotary Pinking supplies at Joanns, Amazon.com, and various other online retailers.

The Pinking Rotary Cutter, LOVE IT!!!

Engagement Pics

2012-01-06T00:50:00.000-08:00

This was my first time taking engagement pictures for anyone. I was super nervous, but totally happy with how they turned out. It helps to have drop-dead gorgeous people as subjects ;0)

The adorable girl is my cousin's daughter. We went to the Tule Springs park in Las Vegas to take these pictures {the happy couple is from Vegas}.

One fun thing about this park, it is teaming with peacocks! We had them wandering in and out of our pictures the whole shoot.

I think they made for an interesting backdrop :0)

The pinky-promise ring shot. Love it!

The pictures turned out so cute and the whole shoot was so fun. It was so refreshing to see two kids completely enamored with each other. I finally get it. When that was me, and everyone said how cute we were to watch, I wondered what was wrong with them. After 15 years of marriage, it was fun to hang around an engaged couple and remember what it was like to have nothing else in the world to worry about besides the handsome hunk your arms were wrapped around :0) More than a few hours would maybe be annoying...Just kidding! They are totally cute. I look forward to more engagement shoots.

Big kids are way easier to keep focused on pictures than 2 yr olds.

Coming up, a penguin cake for my cute friend Ashley from Cute As A Fox. You will be just as surprised by the finished product as I! See you soon.

Temple Pics

2012-01-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Our quick trip to Utah last week was to be there when my sweet little sister was sealed to her adorable little family in the Mormon Temple. Her mother-in-law paid a professional photographer to take picture, but I couldn't resist walking around and practicing my skills just a bit.

Here is my cute niece Sophie. She is just about 7 months and cute as can be.

I love how these two black and whites turned out. The expression on Kira's face is so adorable here...

And the texture of the doors here is magnificent.

Here I tried out one of my new textures. It is pretty fun to play around with them in Photoshop Elements.

In this picture, they lifted up her train, then let it drift to the ground as the shutters flew. It was a cool effect.

These two were all me :0)

I made them pose for even more pics. What good sports!

Ooops :0)

How did that get in here!?!

Tee-Hee.

I couldn't resist.

Coming up shortly I will show you more photos I have been taking, and hopefully soon, I will be getting my next clippie order out....guess that means I need to work on it, huh?

ToolBox Tuesday: Cargo Carriers

2012-01-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

I'm Baaaa-aaack!

Whew, what a break! We had a lovely Christmas, New Year, and visit with family in Utah.

Awesome.

Does it really have to be over?!? The answer is a BiG YESSSS!

OK, so for many months I have been wanting to start this series of posts on my blog,

ToolBox Tuesdays.

I have come across a GREAT deal of fabulous tools in my craftatous life and have been simply dying to share them with you. This was my best idea of how to make it happen. Now, in all of my randomness {let me remind you that is why you love me :0} I am not the most consistent {sheepish grin} NOpe. Not one of my strong points, but I am willing to try and do a weekly post, if you are willing to forgive a couple of belated posts :0) That said, I have our first EVER ToolBox Tuesdays....Drumroll please....

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The Cargo Carrier

I know, I know...this has nothing to do with crafts...wait, it does!

You see, when I travel I MUST take my sewing machine, serger, paint, brushes, cakepop baller, hair flower box, various clippie supplies, etc, etc, etc. We used to look like this driving down the road...

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Now that we have a cargo carrier, we look like this...

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Quite an improvement, don't 'ya think???

So I found my cargo carrier on Amazon. I bought the Lund brand foldable carrier, retailing between $90 and $200.

What does that look like?

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This! It folds up when you empty all your ~~crap~~ I mean Crafts off and you can simply fold it up and drive to Hobby Lobby to grab the one thing you left at home :0)

**Do be advised** they do not come with the pin you need to secure it to your hitch. Also, you will want some ratcheting tethers or bungee cords or something to tie the stuff to the shelf. One more thing, it will only hold up to 500 lbs of your junk :0) Hope that doesn't cramp your style too much.

All that said, it is FAbulOUs! The SewCakeMaker family will never leave home without it again!!!

It's a Wrap!

2011-12-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

I know I am pushing the limits of Christmas, having not wrapped a single gift. Hopefully you are not finding yourselves in the same boat. I figure, this post can be good for you whether you haven't quite started {like me} or if you are finished. For the procrastinator, may you find inspiration to start....For the over-achievers that have it all done, maybe you would like to spice things up with some of these festive ideas.

Candy Coating-So sweet I wanna gobble these presents up!

Rosette Flowers-Um...Love them! Don't know if I would want to devote that much time to a gift wrapping job, but Gorgeous!

Cherry Wrap-This would be cute at holly and holly berries, huh?

Smash-able Wrapping {Etsy}

Darling idea. So simple, yet so fun.

Pull-Top Can Package-Cute idea too. She recycles pull-top cans {can-openering the bottoms, taking out contents, then re-using the can}. It would certainly surprise the receiver!

Paint Chip Garland

Another FABULOUS use for paint chips.

Monogram Gift Taggy Things

Thanks once again to Martha. The link doesn't take you right there, but you will enjoy the ride!

Fabric Scraps

Perfect especially if your gift was fabric related, right?

Scrappy Paper Flowers

Love it! Great way to use up scraps of wrapping paper or scrapbook paper you no longer want.

Pretty Packages

These are beautiful, but the link is to a whole line-up of gift wrapping ideas.

31 Ways to Wrap YOur Crap

An amazing Pinterest find.

She had days and days of lists of posts on creative gift wrapping ideas. Worth every single click.

Here are a couple I liked...

Folded Paper Flowers

Again, a little time consuming, but WOW!

Brown Paper Packages

Then there are the gift tags...

I thought these Gift tags were darling.

Here is a Sass&Peril Gift Tag download

You gotta love this Bunting Gift Tag {etsy}

Then, if bows are your thing, here are a couple tutorials...

How to tie the PERFECT Bow

Wrapping Paper Bow

Pointy Bow

Scrapbook Paper Bow

*BEWARE* Wrapping can be so addictive one begun, that you may begin wrapping random items from around the house...

like your Klenex boxes :0)

Grab a diet Coke, a cookie and let the wrapping begin!!!

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!

Shhhh...Don't Tell!

2011-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

I made this pile of scarves for all the ladies in my life back there at our family Christmas party in Minnesota. Don't tell :0) They will open the box Christmas Eve and find out there is one for each of them. I am so excited!

Most were done the same way as the Fashion Scarf I posted a while back, but I also tried a new way that has been rolling around in this empty head of mine.

Both turned out GREAT! I knew more what to look for at the fabric store this time. You want either very thin, light-weight knit, or heavy, drapey knit {for the shirred version} I bought all my knits at SAS Fabric in Glendale for $2/yd. You only need about 1 yard of fabric for the ruffled fashion scarf, making it only $2!!! The shirred scarves I bought 4-5 yards of fabric for length, but was able to get 4-5 scarves out of each piece, again around $2. I have seen scarves like these for sale at the store for anywhere from $20-$45. I can't afford those, but I can afford $2 and 20 minutes per scarf. That makes them a FABULOUS gift for my girls.

Here is the shirred scarf. This one was a little long, but gorgeous! I had a really hard time putting it in the box. I had a hard time putting any of the scarves in the box {selfish} but this one was probably my favorite!

Here is what it looks like stretched out. You just "shir" the fabric in three rows. I shirred the sides, then up the center. Shirring is SUPER easy if you have never done it before you NEED to check out this tutorial. The basics, wind elastic thread {by hand} into your bobbin, then set your stitch length to the longest it will go, and sew. That is it. It is just regular sewing, on a regular machine, but with elastic thread instead of cotton or whatever. Love IT! *BEWARE* shirring is extremely addictive and you will soon be searching your house for more to shir. You can't say I didn't warn you!!!

LOVE IT!

Now to make a second batch for the other group awaiting gifts. There are girls all over the family, innocently sitting in front of their Christmas tree, totally unaware that they are about to get their favorite scarf EVER!

OK, exaggeration, but I can't wait to give these to my girls :0)

Good luck on all of your last minute endeavors, and as always,

Merry Christmas :0)

Teacher Treats

2011-12-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

Got 'em done! Here are the teacher treats for my kids teachers this year. They both change classes all day, so they both have 7 teachers. That's a lot of treats to make.

I went with half of the cake pops ball-style. I sprinkled green sugar crystals on the white ones, and used these adorable holly sprinkles to decorate the red ones. The Holly I bought from Joanns in the Wilton section, but I also saw a smaller bottle {too bad I saw this one second} in the Christmas section at Walmart.

I used a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the Christmas Tree Cake Pops. Once they were dipped and set, I added green squiggles and ornament-like ballies for decoration.

Here is the finished gift, complete with the printable I shared yesterday.

I just found out that half the city has been out of school for day. Not us. We have a half day today, then it is hard-core Christmas partying the rest of the week ;0)

Have a great day and I hope you get to party hard-core-style too!

Merry Christmas!!!

{Christmas} Treat Printables

2011-12-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

I will add a picture as soon as I get them finished tonight, but here are some printables I made for the teacher gifts my kids are giving this year. Thought I'd post them just in case anyone else is interested in them. They are all designed to be sent as photos to your photo lab of choice.

This guy is a treat bag topper. Fold in half and staple to the top of a bag

I thought it was kinda cute, so I made it smaller to put on my treat plates to neighbors...

Then decided it would actually be good a little smaller :0) You wanted the whole process of my madness tonight, right?

Finally, I added the tag with our family name so I don't have to write it on every card. You can load this into any photo editing software with text and add your own family name if interested.

Now, to make cake pops for thousands. It's gonna be a long night!

Bring Him Home

2011-12-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

Just heard this for the first time while running the kids to school.
Madison and I both bawled.
How could I get so crazy busy this season that I forgot about the brave men and women sacrificing their Christmas' with their own families so that we can keep the freedom we are blessed to have. God Bless those soldiers and their sweet families this season. You ARE in our thoughts and prayers.
God Bless You!

Gifts for Kids

2011-12-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

My collection would not be complete if I left out the little ones!!! Here are some gift ideas I saw that might make a good last minute gift for the half-pint in your life! Some take more time than others, but these are things that would work for birthdays too if you don't have time this week.

Roll-up Kitchen Playmat {tutorial}

This would even make a good gift for Grandma! A kitchen she can pull out when the kids come over, then put away in a tiny closet until the next visit.

Folding PVC chairs

Cute chairs that wouldn't be too much money or work, but get great response from you kiddos.

Fort Kit

Charming! I LOVE imaginative play kits :0)

This is super cute and ready to be played with for hours. It would be enjoyed for hours on Christmas day. I can see the fort being set up, all the presents drug inside and kids giggling and playing for hours. On my list!

Tutu Using Crocheted Headband

What a great way to make a tutu!!! It is so adjustable and easy to make. LOve!

ABC Book

This book is cute and could be given as a kit, rather than finished. With the book put together, an outing can be planned to go take photos of alphabet items. That is a gift that keeps being fun even after the wrapping hits the curb!

Color Matching Cards

I have seen a lot of paint chip activities, but as a clothes pin junkie, I am totally making this one! Great gift for preschool-aged friends with very little prep time or cost!!!

Felt Mr. Potato Head Activity

I don't have time to make this for Christmas, but I can see Emmers loving the potato head family in felt. She is crazy about the original version and this one is even more portable.

Marshmallow Guns

Years I have been wanting to make these. Here is a great tutorial. PVC is very cheep. The connectors my husband says are expensive {they are like $.50 each-I have a different idea of what is "expensive"} These guns can be made for a couple dollars and enjoyed for years. My aunt made these for all the grandkids, then made bigger ones for all the parents and had a mega marshmallow WAR on Christmas day a few years ago. Sounded totally fun. Gotta DO!

Tire See-Saw

How cute is that!?! I can make this! I have an endless supply of old tires out at the tire dump I take pictures at. This see-saw promises hours of fun in the back yard. We need a little more of that around here.

StarWars Peggies

Princess Peggies

I am totally making these dollies. They are so cute! I am going to give the boy and the girl versions a try. I am not sure I can make mine look this good, but I am headed to Hobby Lobby on Thursday to pick up some wooden pegs. I will keep you posted.

TeePee Bag w/CowBoys and Indians

This idea is a winner to me for the mere reason it includes STORAGE! Brilliant!!!

I also love any toy that inspires kids imaginations and mimics play like way back when I was a kid. I wish my baby boy were still little enough to sit around all afternoon playing with little army guys or tiny plastic cowboys and Indians...*sigh* Why did my little boy have to grow up. Make this for yours while he is still young enough to play with it!

Rocket Man Rocket/Dress-up

Fun addition to any dress-up collection.

Marble Maze {LoveIt!!!}

This right here is probably {in my mind} the most brilliant thing in this whole post. You can bet I will be making these. It is a maze made by sewing lines in the fabric, then a marble is sewn inside. You push the marble around the maze with your fingers getting it from one end to the other. What a fabulous quiet activity for the church bag or for children that need an isolated, concentrated activity or simply need to be kept busy to sit still. Love IT!

SleepOver/RoadTrip PillowCase

So cute.

If I were a grandma, I would make these for all the grandkids...and one for me. We are nuts about having pillows with us while traveling. I never once put it up at my head, but use it as a desk for working while we travel. A nice little pocket sewn on there and a handle for easy carrying would be fabulous.

Car Caddy {Tutorial}

I have long been in love with these car rolls. Whoever invented the first one was a genius. Thanks for letting the rest of us copy you :0) Now if I could only find a little boy to make one for...

Felt Car Map {Of your city!}

I would make him one of these too. I love it when people make these car maps personalized to their particular city or town. The local diner, bank, and grocery all shown with name. Super fun.

Washcloth Puppets

Love the idea of wash puppets for baby. These can be whipped up for pennies and in less than an hour for basic ones. Nice last minute craft fix.

Felt {Paper} Dolls

These are going to take me too long for this week, but a great idea. Paper dolls that are not paper at all! Make them out of felt and fabric for a much longer-lasting toy.

These babies will be around for your kids and then your grandbabies.

Cute Crayon-Holding Apron

Super cute apron. This would be great for at church or the restaurant where there isn't table space for the crayon roll. Everything is held by the apron so you don't have to worry about crayons rolling all over the place.

Matching Apron for Barbie

Travel HopScotch

Another fun activity that is totally portable and store-able. Great idea and affordable too.

Kids can make other kids...

Monster Book Marks

These monsters will make your monsters look forward to turning pages in their favorite books. They make great little gifts for friends and don't take too much time to make.

Marshmallow Shooters

How fun is that!?! Your kids can put together a shooter kit in no time and their friends will be totally excited to play with it for hours. I can see my son's friends really enjoying this one.

I Spy Bottle

I don't know if anyone on the planet has a supply of extra charms, buttons, and do-dads like I do {part of clippie madness} but I am certain you could find enough thing-a-ma-jigs at the bottom of the toy box and in the junk drawer to make one of these I Spy Bottles. The kids will have a blast looking for items to include.

AngryBirds Game

Yep, you need to make the Angry Birds game. You know you do. Any kid would love a game kit.

Painted Tic-Tac-Toe

Personalized Soap

super cute idea. This would be great for Teachers {maybe with alcohol gel...or would that work. Someone try it and let me know :0}, Grandparents, or even friends. Have the kids create a work of art, then color copy it onto a transparency and insert it into the bottle. Easy.

Paper Blocks

These paper blocks are fun and easy to make, then completely customizable by decorating the side as with markers or what-not. Great for anyone, really.

Storing those toys that take over your already bulging playrooms...

Peek-a-boo toy bags

Great! Love that you can see what is in each bag. Fabulous idea.

Lego Storage Mats

I am liking this mat. Open, spread out all the legos, build, then pull the string and the whole disaster is cleaned up. Brilliant!

OK, hoping to come back with at least one more list before Christmas. One about creative gift wrapping maybe. We shall see. Good luck on your last minute prep and Merry Christmas!!!

More {Love}

2011-12-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

I have had several requests for other labels for the I {heart} My Family blocks, so here are a couple more in case you are interested too. Again, I have no problem emailing the files if you want a better quality print for you project. You can email me at vanessa.cam5@gmail.com.

So there you go, labels so you can share some {Love} with Aunties, Uncles, Teachers, Cousins, Day Care providers, roommates and so on. Share the {Love}! Ok, that was cheesy.

Merry Christmas anyway :0)

Last Minute Gifts Chat Sum-up

2011-12-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies! Just thought I would drop a line to tell you about the fun chat I was able to be a part of yesterday. It was totally fun, and as usual, a little crazy getting all the ideas from my head typed out fast enough. There were some really good ideas I had never thought of. If you would like to check out the sum-up of the gift ideas discussed, you can find it at TheMotherhood.com.

Thanks again TheMotherhood.com for inviting me to co-host!!!

Let's Chat {Gift-Giving Edition}

2011-12-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

Still finding yourself in need of gift ideas???

Join me and my Fabulous Co-Hosts tomorrow for a live, text-based chat all about Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas. Looking for meaningful gifts? Sometimes you just need inspiration from other creative minds. Join us and trade gift ideas and step-by-step instructions for making beautiful gifts by hand, as well as ideas for thoughtful store-bought gifts.

At 1 p.m Eastern Time {That's 11 a.m. Arizona time :0}

click on the link below to join us...

www.themotherhood.com

I will be co-hosting with these other Talented Craft Bloggers:

Heidi, Honeybear Lane, http://www.honeybearlane.com/

Kelli and Kristi, Lolly Jane, http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/

Kendra, Me and My Insanity, http://www.familyeverafterblog.com/

Rachel, Family Ever After, http://www.familyeverafterblog.com/

Hope to see you there!!!

Gifts for Her

2011-12-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

{Source}

OK, I am back! You will NEVER believe how many gift ideas for Mom/Grandma/Auntie/Sister/Girlfriend I came up with!!! 60! Yep. I amaze even myself :0) Just kidding. I was actually super surprised when I saw blogger uploading 60 photos though. Hopefully you will find some kind of inspiration here if you are looking. If you are not, this should make you tired just thinking about making these gifts and send you running to Amazon!

First on my list,

Chocolate Survival Kit

I really could have stopped there, but decided to give you a few more choices.

Name Necklaces for Mom/Grandma/Auntie/Sister/Girlfriend :

byHannahDesign

On Etsy

I couldn't find this exact set, but I did find an entire listing of all mother's necklaces available on Etsy. Just click above to see what I found.

Glass Pendant Tutorial

Super simple to make for either necklaces, charm bracelets, key chains or such. You can find fabulous pieces to make these and their needed hardware at Hobby Lobby. If you like these and you are looking for something for Grandma, you will like this one...

Grandma Pendant{Etsy}

Grandma Necklace {Etsy}

I think I want this one for me :0)

Personalized Art Pendant {Etsy}

Super cute and fun!!! A little pricey for my budget, but is an awesome idea if you have a little more room in yours.

Gamma Key Chain

Photo Bracelet{forSale}

I love charm bracelets!

Cup Holder

I searched these months ago. You should know that everything on this post is something that I want :0)

You can find these on Amazon, some listings include free Prime 2-day shipping!

Spoon Holder

I thought these looked very useful. I hate my spoon caddy on the stove. You still have to wash something additional. With one of these, the spoon never has to drip on the stove/plate/spoon rest!

And while we are on the subject of spoons...

Personalized Wooden Spoons

I thought these were super cute! They are for purchase, but if you have a wood-burning kit, you can just go to town on your own! Throw in some recipe cards or kitchen towels and you have a sweet little gift.

Spoon Herb Markers

I am not a gardener {we are still trying to figure out how I have kept the children alive for so long} but I find these very charming. They make me want to try, once again, to plant a herb garden, something small and sweet in my window box.

Garden Pot Wreath

This wreath would be darling on a shed or even deck. Love!

Super Cute Vintage Book Marks {no link but Pinterest Picture}

I am a sucker for vintage-looking junk. I wish I had a link to the original post, but these are darling!

Ipod/Charger Pocket

This tut is in German so be sure to click "translate" at the top of your browser, but AWESOME idea! I actually should make one of these for Madison!

Ipod Pillow/Stand{for Sale}

While we are talking electronic gadgets, this pillow is super cute and useful for propping up you phone/ipod/mp3 while you are working away at whatever you do. They are available for sale, but look easy enough to make if you have the time.

Ipad Cover {Etsy}

Again, would probably be decent to make if you have a few hours, or it is available for sale on Etsy.

For the Sew*er:

Patchwork Pin Cushion

Great way to use up your scraps

Pin Cushion Ring

This is darling. Made from random plastic bottle lids!!!

On-Machine Pin Cushion

I love this one. It would be SUPeR convenient to have a pincushion on the front of the sewing machine.

Little Letter Needle Book

For the hand-sew*er. My sweet friend Bobbi made one of these for me, way more detailed {CraZy LaDie} and I LOVe It!

Sewing Caddy

Raise your hand if you could use one of these! One, two, three...ok, I can't really see you. Put your hands down. I can just SeNSe ladies all over the WorLd nodding their heads like "Yeah, I need that!" Maybe I would spend a little less time looking for my scissors while sewing!

Wanting to Sew*Something:

Gathered Clutch Tutorial

Darling.

Fabric Luggage Tags

Useful.

Ruffled Camera Strap

Need, not Want...Ok, maybe not, but WANT!

Super Cute Ruffled Pillow

Yummy.

Rosette Pillow

Adorable.

Tie-On Dish Towels

Convenient and Simple.

GeoCaching Swag Bag

Creative and FUN.

Super Cute Scarf{Tutorial}

Stylish.

Tohoku Bag {free pattern}

Want!

Home{Made} Heating/Cold Pack

My Back Wants.

Lavender Hot/Cold Pack

Aromatic.

Apron In A Jar

Cute packaging idea. You could have the apron made, or just cut the fabric and include the pattern for the ladies that love a good project.

CupCake Kit

Go ahead and click on this link. There was a lot of thought that went into this kit. It is darling.

Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

This blogger stands behind this hand scrub as a fabulous way to get craft-residue off your hands. She says the sugar is a fabulous exfoliator. Hmmm...I may need to try this myself. Sounds great!

Peppermint Food Scrub

While we are exfoliating, we should go ahead and cover feet too.

Vamped Up Scissors

Awesome idea. She modge podged scrapbook paper on to the scissors, then applied a glass effect to make them over the top, but this is a great idea for giving a nice pair of gingers or even just a pack of Walmart-special scissors. What woman doesn't need another pair around the house??? I may just do this for my girlfriends...but don't hold your breath ladies!

Photo Coasters

While you have the modge podge out, you better crank out a set of these. They are all over pinterest and everyone I talk to is making them. Great gift for Moms and Grandmas alike.

Etched Glass Casserole Dish

{or Hotdish Dish :0}

We love you Minnesotans too!

Imagine if you had your name "Etched" in the side of that dish you took to the church potluck. You would have gotten it back, right? Now you can give the gift of "getting your dishes back" to your loved ones! Etching is super easy and addictive. I would, however, recommend getting a couple ladies together to make these just to share the cost of the etching material. A little goes a long way and one bottle can make a hundred of these dishes. As for the casserole {hotdish} dish, you can find them for as low as $5 at Walmart or your local kitchen outlet.

Fork Hook

I don't know who, besides me, would make this, but it is SO CUTE! Don't feel like making one? Good news! They are available for sale. Check it out!

Grandma's House Block

Cute.

Grandma's Photo Board

Love it!

Snowman LOVeRs:

SnowFamily in Frame

Great idea to use gloves, cut the fingers off, and use them as the snowmen!

Super cute.

SnowMan Pillow{for Sale}

Love this pillow. I was hoping for a pattern, but they are for sale. That's ok. We are running out of time to make something like this anyway!

SnowMan Head

Brrriliant!

For the Eternal Mother:

Quiet Spray

How cheep would that be! Originally intended for a teacher, but I need this for my kids at home.

Time-Out Bench{$69}

Want! Come on ladies! We can make that out of 2 liters and lazy susans, right? Or we can just buy one.

Prodigal Sock Line

I think this is darling. Have someone cut the vinyl, then include some jute/ribbon and some modge podged cloths pins. Cute!

Kids can make:

Mason Jar Pin Cushion

easy.

Binder Clip Picture Holders

I have wanted to make these forever too. Walmart and the office supply stores sell the binder clips in all different sizes. The huge ones would be fun, but even the little ones are adorable.

Box of Hugs and Kisses

Great idea and so sweet. Spring for the truffle kisses for an extra special treat.

Sweet Hanger Sachets

We used to make these all the time as kids. Its a great way to give a gift that keeps on giving.

Glasses Case from a Pot HOlder

Why didn't I think of that!?! Find some sassy potholder, fold in half, sew it on two sides...BAM! Done.

Car Lap Desk

You would probably think of kids for these lap desks, but I could totally use one in my car. You can make them super cheap too. The cookie sheets are available at Dollar Tree for only a buck. Dollar Tree is the only dollar store I found with cookie sheets {that were magnetic} for a buck. You can even order them online!!!

Gift Wrapping Ideas:

Super cute Wrapping for Her

Sucker for rolled flowers, right here!

Awesome Blossom Gift Wrapping

Random-ly cut paper flowers. Super easy, cheap way to dress up a package for "Her"

HomeMade Gift Advent for MOmmA :0}

Straight from Martha, and Advent chain for MOM! Love it! Wrap each gift individually, then tie each gift to the next. Give it to her NOW and let her open one each day. What a great way to be "there" when you have to be apart from you loved one at Christmas time!

I hope you liked the random sampling. I figure the benefit of being so random is that there has to be something that interests everyone, right?

Good luck with those last minute gifts!!!

Let me know if I missed something fabulous. I know there is so much more out there.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

12 Days of Christmas Ideas

2011-12-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder where the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas" came from???

I just found out today. Here goes.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
{source}

I have wanted to do the 12 days of Christmas for a friend or neighbor for many years. Unfortunately, I am always horribly over-loaded at Christmas time and seem to miss the date every year. The idea is that you start on either the 13th of December {to end on Christmas Eve} or the 14th of December {to end on Christmas Day}, giving one small gift and some reminder of Christmas to that particular family/neighbor.

A year or two ago I came across an idea for a "musical" 12 days. For the life of me, I can't find it again. If you search for musical 12 days of Christmas all you get are lyrics to the song.

I did however find a couple really fun ideas that will make a great alternative to my musical idea.

12 Days of Christ-Centered Christmas

Has those darling tags to accompany the gifts suggested. What a great way to put a little more "Christ" in Christmas.

12 Days Nativity Idea

Super cute printables with instructions to deliver one nativity piece each day, or wrap them all, number them, and drop off the whole set one day.

12 Days Secret Elves

Super cute idea also. You can go to the link, or just check it out below...

On the 1st day of Christmas

Your secret elves bring a surprise,

1 carton of eggnog

For you to drink tonight!!

your secret elves

On the 2nd day of Christmas

We leave outside your door,

2 ornaments for your tree,

Now who could ask for more?!

your secret elves

On the 3rd day of Christmas

We welcome to spread good cheer

With 3 Christmas stories

At this wonderful time of the year!!

your secret elves

On the 4th day of Christmas

We duck below your light,

Leaving 4 cans of soda pop

To make your spirits "Sprite"!

your secret elves

On the 5th day of Christmas

Again we come your way,

This time with 5 popcorn balls

Please won't you let them stay?

your secret elves

On the 6th day of Christmas

Much to your delight,

6 Red and Green balloons,

Oh what a beautiful sight!

your secret elves

On the 7th day of Christmas

We hope we don't get caught,

We know 7 pieces of candy

Might really hit the spot!

your secret elves

On the 8th day of Christmas

We hope they're your favorite kind,

8 yummy donuts

Who could have left them behind?

your secret elves

On the 9th day of Christmas

Oh what a grand surprise

9 pieces of delicious fruit

Sitting right before your eyes!

your secret elves

On the 10th day of Christmas

Our oven has been baking,

Now we leave you 10 cookies

We really had fun making!

your secret elves

On the 11th day of Christmas

We leave a special treat

11 chocolate kisses

Because we think you're neat!

your secret elves

On the 12th day of Christmas

Are the children nestled in bed?

Here are the 12 candy canes

To dance in their heads!

your secret elves

We hope these days of Christmas

Have brought you lots of joy

And made your holiday extra nice

And made you shout "Oh, Boy!"

We sure have had fun sharing

At this special time of year

We want to wish you Merry Christmas

Because you are so dear!!

Merry Christmas!

With love...your secret elves.

Love it!

Printable Tags from About.com

This is another idea w/tags

YouCanMakeThis.com Printables

Has a cute printable you can purchase for $1.50

LOve that site. I have made many purchases from YouCanMakeThis.com

Need more??? You can get a few more ideas from on Sugardoodle.net

Now, if any of you know of the elusive "Musical 12 Days Of Christmas" I have been looking for, I would love you forever if you could point me in the right direction.

Missed the first day or two??? No problem! Just drop off two a day until you are caught up :0) No one will refuse even the most terrible procrastinator when it means increased Christmas Spirit!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Gifts for Him

2011-12-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

{source}

I have been so incredibly busy that my friends have all started calling me to see if I am lying in a heap on the floor or something. Every time I hit a weekend and think, "Man, I am glad that week is over," then the next one starts and I wish it was still the week before. They seem to get crazier and crazier. Don't ask me what I have been doing. I don't even remember. I am just making it one day at a time. I did manage to come out of my sleep-deprived coma long enough to realize we only have...or had...now we have less than two weeks until Christmas. I think I managed to get everything taken care of for my kids on Black Friday, but gifts for the family that doesn't live here {sheepish grin} I haven't even started! Ahhhh! and the Line at the post office was out of the parking lot and around the corner!!!

OK, so if you are in the same boat, people that need gifts and you are in need of ideas, here are a couple I found. This, of course, is if you choose to ignore my first admonition, Don't make gifts this year. You know I only tell other people that, because in my mind I know I SHOULDN't...but we also know that in my heart I think I SHOULD make home made gifts, that is.

This post is all about Him, Dad, Granddad, Uncle, Mr. Postman. Whoever He is. You just might find something here that will work for what you need.

Sixty Years of Memories

You will have to start writing now, but this could be awesome. This lady wrote to all her father's friends and relatives asking for stories and memories. I think you could pull this one off if you first, buy the adorable envelopes from Amazon {20 for only $3.99}, and second, if you just write one memory for each year you are old. Right? That would work...unless you are older than 60 :0) Then you better go buy another pack of pens so you have enough ink and get started writing right away!

Polaroid Magnets

I am just enamored with these magnets! I am a miniature lover at heart and I think the fact these are made to look like mini Polaroids instead of just small photo magnets is enchanting. Enchanting is probably the wrong word, but it is the only word that comes to mind, so enchanting it is.

2x4 Daddy Love

This is darling and easy enough to pull off. You can either find someone that can do vinyl on short notice, or just print the words on paper and modge podge it on. Remember that the boys at Home Depot/Lowes will cut the wood for you and you can probably find these pieces in the cull lumber section {discount section}.

Custom Cuff-links{Etsy}

Mr. SewCakeMaker doesn't wear cuff-links, but if he did I would make/buy these for him. I think they are so cute and love that they are custom

Magnetic Wristlet

These are for sale at this site, but I am wondering if we could make these. What does Bob the Builder say? Yep, that's right! "Yes We CAN!" I am thinking just sew bar magnets inside. Done. It should be just that easy, right? I will let you know. This would be one of those gifts I would get for hubbs, then steal for myself :0) You know it would be smashingly adorable in Amy Butler fabric with a few rolled flowers and buttons and such. It would work in the garage, or at the sewing machine. Yep, put it on the list!

Dad Subway Art

Another dead-end Pinterest link, but wow! Isn't this Subway Art cool!?!

Dad Rocks Paperweight

Made out of Salt Dough, cheap and fabulous! This is one the kids can make and you can just stand back and ...well...clean up afterwards :0) Lets be honest here. But, it would be so fun to see the gleam in the kiddos eyes as they wait for dad/granddad to open this up Christmas Morn.

BBQ Worthy Hanging Towels

Yep, this with a fancy grilling spatula, or maybe a book on how to grill. That would probably qualify as another gift for me:0) I don't mean I would use it, but I would sure benefit from {him} using it!!! I often threaten to make a black leather {vinyl} apron, complete with chains and such. I could make the towels to coordinate!

Remote Caddy

This one will take a little longer to sew, but the rewards will be a not-as-grumpy daddy when he can find the remotes at game time. Now that is a Win-Win situation right there.

Fancy Napkin

Baby isn't the only messy eater around here. This would be a funny gift that we would all get a laugh out of when it came out of the box Christmas morning. It may just get used too.

Giant Jenga

Certainly a gift that would be a HUGE success at our house. Mr. SewCakeMaker is a Structural Engineer. While other dads are outside playing ball with their kids, my sweet hubby is playing with blocks...um, with the kids, yep, kids are there. This would be a HUGE hit with just about everyone {maybe not the house elf that lives here and does all the picking up after play time is over, but everyone else}.

Cubicle Snacks

Fabulous idea. Dads/Granddads eat, right? Add a cute picture and saucy label, BAM! Gifted!

Rustic Pencil Holder

Super cool! I can see my men digging on this hunk of useful wood. I am surrounded by boy scouts!

This just takes a walk in the woods and a little creative drilling. Love it!

Soda Perfect!

You can't go wrong with Dad/Granddad's favorite soda pop! This site has the cute labels free to download and print out. There. All the work is done for us!

Now for a little creative wrapping inspiration...

Ties and Suspenders

Recycle those old Christmas ties. Good thing about these, you don't have to actually cut the ties. They can be re-used!

Actual Tie wrapping

She went to a thrift store and bought shirts and ties, modge podged them to boxes and made rosettes out of the ties. How is that for manly wrapping.

Paper Bag Magic

I can see even using a grocery bag and decorating it like this for bigger gifts. The kids and Dad will love it!

I think you could also take this to the Super Hero level. Decorate the bags with Super Man, Batman, Robin :0) Hulk, Thor etc. symbols. Dad will love the personal touch.

Well, I hope I got your gift-giving juices flowing. I will be back tomorrow with ideas for Mom/Grandma!!!

Have a great night and Merry Christmas!!!

Holidays Around the World

2011-12-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

{Source}

Our family has enjoyed a new holiday tradition the last couple years. We call it Holidays Around the World. The kids love it and Scott and I have found it very interesting. We sit down with the family after Thanksgiving and pick four or so countries we would like to learn about. We read up on how they celebrate Christmas and how their festivities originated.

I found a great website that makes the preparations a breeze... Santas.net It has a list of countries from around the world and details on each locations holiday traditions. Some entries include recipes. Once we pick the countries we are going to learn about that year, I search for one or two traditional recipes from that country that I think we can stomach {there are many we cannot :0}

Here is our list for this year. I have also included the recipes we are going to attempt ;0) Now if you are from or familiar with one of these countries and we are way of the mark, don't laugh. I am doing the best this uneducated American can do :0)

Africa-
Since Africa eats a traditional meal similar to our Christmas feast, I chose to make some other traditional African food. YASSA- a "delicious West African lemon-vinegar chicken dish". It sounds fun. You eat it with your hands right out of the pot! What kid wouldn't LOVE that! They don't traditionally eat a lot of dessert so I think we will have fruit salad with whipped cream-one of the few things I found mentioned.

Brazil-
I think we might try Coxinha - Brazilian Chicken Croquettes or Feijoada (Meat Stew), some Brazilian Rice (with black bean of course), and maybe Grilled Pineapple or Banana Frita (Fried Bananas). If we had some extra $$$ I would take the family to the Brazilian Steakhouse in Scottsdale.

Canada-
Well, I couldn't find a recipe for "Boulettes or small meatballs" specifically, so I think I will make my own meatball recipe and serve with creamy potato balls and gravy of some sort. They say that Canadians put gravy on everything-even fries. That is how you tell an American from a Canadian, if they ask for gravy on their fries. For dessert we will try this recipe I found for Nanaimo Bars .

Germany-
Because I lived in Germany for a few years as a kid, we do this country every year. That is partially because I know how to cook the food, part because my kids love the food, and part because I love their traditions. We make the advent wreath, put shoes out for Nikolaustag {Dec. 6th}, and must sing a song or two in German. *note*we usually miss Dec. 6th, but whatever day we decide is our "German day" we put our shoes out and do the whole thing on that one day. I will usually make sausage and cabbage in the crockpot. Last year we made Zwiebelkuchen {Onion Pie}. The kids didn't think they would like it, but they DID! Eli also loves when we make kartoffelkloesse {Potato Dumplings}, except I take the easy way out and buy them in a box, then just boil them. I found a great recipe for Lebkuchen {kind of like gingerbread} on allrecipes that we may try this year.

We also try to teach our kids about the traditions of other groups, hoping it will awake an awareness and respect of other's beliefs.

We spend one night learning about Hanukkah. I found some great printables on Activity Village, but Scholastic has the most awesome printables to make the Hanukkah lesson more like a learning event. You can find all their resources HERE. Hanukkah starts on December 20th this year and goes to my birthday! December 28th. We cheat a little. We do the whole Hanukkah celebration in one night. We don't have Potato Latkes, we have like fish sticks and tatertots :0) But, the kids have fun and we get to have a peak at what Hanukkah is like.

We do the same kind of thing with Kwanzaa. Scholastic has fabulous resources for learning about Kwanzaa too. You can check those out HERE.

Each place celebrates by showering the kids with candy and toys. We just buy a bag or two of candy, use it for our activity day, then pour the remaining candy in a bowl and use if for the next culture night. It is really a fun tradition that we look forward to for months in advance. Start small, like with one country. You can be lazy and modify like I do, to make the tradition manageable. Your kids will remember it all of their lives.

Winner!!! How Very Exciting!

2011-12-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

{Source}

We have a winner!

We had 32 entries for the fabulous P&G gift basket. Here are the results of the randomizer list maker...

Number 16, That's You NICOLE!!!!

Thank you one and all for sharing your Christmas traditions, and

Congratulations Nicole on winning the Gift Basket!!!

Now, don't forget, there are tons of great Health and Beauty Gift Sets available from P&G for only $10 at your local retailer right now. They would make the perfect last minute gift and give someone special the "affordable luxury" they have been craving.

Check them out!

Ornament Insert File for FREE

2011-12-05T06:10:00.000-08:00

Tons of crafters have been by my blog to get the low-down on the Nativity Ornament. If you are one of those people, you will be thrilled to hear this. Lori Whitlock, designer of the nativity cutout, contacted me last night to let me know she made a FREE downloadable file for the clear ornament insert. This file includes a JPG for printing as well as SVG and DXF files for you Silhouette, Cricut Expression, and any other cutting machine that will use these files. You can find it in this post on her blog LoriWhitlock.com. The clear insert is fabulous and works great with not only the nativity, but for photo ornaments, with just the date printed on it, or go crazy and cut out scrapbook paper instead of overhead film. It could give that "vintage wallpaper" feel to any ornament :0) Thanks so much Lori!

Oh, and just so you know, Lori is having a blog party on her site this week and will be highlighting Christmas gift ideas all week long. Feel free to drop by and peek around or participate if you have Christmas ideas to share!!!

P&G Giveaway Reminder

2011-12-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!

Just wanted to give you a reminder about the P&G giveaway that ends tomorrow, December 5th, at 10pm.

If you would like to enter still, click HERE and follow the instructions at the bottom of the post.

Just think, you could be smelling like Orchids and sporting the whitest of teeth in just a few short days...and absolutely free!

Also, don't forget to check out their convenient Beauty Holiday Gift Sets next time you are at the store. You may just want to pick one up for yourself! Mom, you can just tell me which one you want so I don't get the wrong one ;0}

For everyone else, let me know if you have any questions and I will see you tomorrow when the winner of the giveaway is announced!

Refresh You Cutting Mat!!! {So Easy}

2011-12-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

With all the Christmas prep going on across this wonderful country, I am sure a few of you are noticing your electronic cutting mat has lost it's stick! Am I right? Yep, I knew it. Well, let me tell you, I have a very easy solution, much cheaper than buying a new mat!!!

Ingredients:

Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Glue

your Cutting Mat

a Paint Brush

a Small Bowl or Cup

a Tiny Bit of Water

This goes a super long way, so if you are just doing a mat or two, start with a teaspoon....maybe even half a teaspoon of water plus an equal amount of glue. That means if you use 1 teaspoon of water, use one teaspoon of glue. 1/2 teaspoon of water, use 1/2 teaspoon of glue. Got it???

Just stir them together with your brush.

Then, brush your mat with the mixture. Trust me. It works. Read on...

Once you have the whole mat covered, let dry. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours so it is best to paint this on maybe before you go to bed, then use it the next day. If you are in a pinch, go ahead and brush the glue on and maybe it will be ready for you :0) No guarantees.

Once it is dry, WATCH OUT! It is SUpeR StiCKy!

***WARNING***

You must prime your mat by touching it all over before sticking paper to it. I re-stickified Madison's cricut mat and set it out to dry. She saw it sitting there and was overcome with the insatiable desire to use it, and stuck her paper to it. It didn't come off :0) We ended up wetting the whole mess, scraping the soggy paper off, then re-gluing because the glue washes off with water. Whew. Glad that fiasco is over. So, prime!!! Just use your hand. Press your whole hand down, peel it off, and stick it to the next spot. Once Madison heard this step, no problems.

Eli on the other hand...he is full of problems. He was priming this mat and decided to ham it up a little. This picture is actually of him with the non sticky side to his face. Well, what is the natural progression for a 10 yr old boy??? Of course!

Lets put the sticky side to our face and see what happens! Don't you just love a good Cub Scout mind. We don't need to make educated guesses about outcomes we can simply test with our bodies!

Yep, it's sticky.

Yep, it's that sticky.

Eli did a great job of priming my Silhouette mat! My paper stuck when it was supposed to and came off when it was supposed to. Wahoo! Thanks Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Glue. You just saved me some buckage! Now, where to find it. I hate to tell you, I don't remember which store I was at when I finally found this glue. I want to say it was Micheals...no, no...it was Joanns....No, Hobby Lobby...Um, really, can't tell you. I can tell you that they have it for sale on Amazon for just over $5. If you have the free shipping deal it is a steal. Get your girlfriends together and split a bottle. It will last you your entire lifetime. Maybe you can make your own post-it notes with the leftovers :0)

New Clippies

2011-12-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

I spent the entire week drumming up ideas for new clippies. Here are a few of my favorites. This set I mostly made up my own clipart, used free clipart I found online, or stickers and buttons I purchased from the local craft stores. Enjoy!

Do you like my little Lambie? He came from Hobby Lobby, all stuffed and looking cute. I just added the paint pallet and made the tiny barre from felt.

My favorite part is the tiny pompom on top of his head *sigh*

What a cute little guy.

Whew! I am all clippied out! I shouldn't tell you this, but I missed an ENTIRE nights sleep getting these ideas ready to present. I shouldn't say these ideas either. It was these plus another 50 or so clippies. I would really like to take a week or two and not look at another clippie, thank you :0)