DIY Envelope Gift Bag Tutorial

So what am I doing these days you ask? Well you didn't really ask but I like to pretend that I'm important and people want to know about me! The fact that people barely comment on my blog posts should tell me other wise, lol!!! So back to the question that was never asked of me! What am I doing these days? Well it seems that all I do is clean poopy diapers, wipe runny noses, nurse around the clock, and hand my body and soul over to a demon of six months old that some may actually call my child! Sure he's cute...when he's not wearing green peas all over his face! But honestly who does this child think he is? He seems to have me confused with some high class maid or butler apparently. I'm not the only one at his beck and call....there is also his seven soon to be eight year old sister and his daddy, who all at some time or another through out the day are running around serving this little man who thinks HE RUNS the show. Well who we kidding? He DOES run the show! So when I'm not wiping off milk vomit from my clothes I take a little ME TIME (and by little I mean very little..."if you blink you might miss it" kind of of little!). In this "ME TIME" I usually look up crafty projects as you know and was delighted to come across this one. We've all sometime or another been in a situation where we had a gift but no gift bag. If you find yourself in that situation again and have plain envelopes lying around than you can craft your own gift bag. How cool huh? Just follow these simple instructions found here. Be sure to customize it to make it your own. Gotta run...I smell poop!!!!!

Colorful DIY Spoon Mirror

Some of the simplest things look like you spent a bundle. Case in point is this colorful diy mirror made of bright spoons. It is very cool looking giving it a retro chic feeling to any house. Of all places I found it on the Country Living site...who knew huh?!!! All you need to replicate this piece of functional wall art is a hot glue gun, one 18 inch round mirror and 105 brightly colored spoons. You can purchase the spoons in ANY color from www.zuberts.com or any party store. Personally I LOVE LOVE LOVE this color pictured here but Mimosa Yellow also catches my eye from their site. It would look great in a baby's nursery! To make just simply follow the instructions.

STEP 1: Place a generous dot of glue on the back of the base of the handle of your first spoon. Press the spoon onto the mirror so that its bowl sits just outside the mirror's edge and the handle points toward the center.

STEP 2: Put another dot of glue on the back of the second spoon's handle in the same spot, and lay it on the mirror next to the first spoon, so that the widest part of the second one's bowl nestles into the neck of its neighbor.

STEP 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 all around the mirror's perimeter — just be sure to keep the handles pointed at the mirror's center. Then sit back and admire your gorgeous handiwork.

DIY Paper Mache Nesting Bowls

Do you remember as a kid getting your hands all sticky and making paper mache sculptures around a balloon? It was always so fun to get your hands all sticky and dirty but my sculpture always turned out a bit "awkward" to say the least! Besides who wants to keep a bunch of black and white newspaper strips in the form of a balloon as a decoration anyways?!!! Thanks to blogger and now author Patricia Zapata now you can be a kid all over again and make these super cute, super colorful, and super easy nesting paper mache bowls by clicking here. This is still a kid friendly craft but with a grown up sense of appeal! When finished fill them up with candy or what ever else suits your taste and get ready to show them off on the coffee table!

Wedding Cake Pops

I LOVE to create things with my own hands! Give me scissor, paper and glue and I'll give you all the decor for your home! But sadly my talent does not extend into the kitchen (too bad for my husband!). When it comes to baking, my culinary skills are limited to a box of Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting! However I always dream of tackling a project like making a really cute wedding cake (yes I dream big!) like the topsy turvy cake seen here on my blog. But lets be real, with a 7 year old and 5 month old I am only going to be dreaming for now! So in the mean time whenever I want to look at some cute cake projects that are simple to make I always visit Bakerella's site. As I was looking through one day I found these ohhh so adorable wedding cake pops! The story behind how these came about is even cuter! It involves Bakerella's blog, these wedding cake pops, and a proposal from the fiance of one of the blog's readers! To read more and make these yourself, just click here!

Felted Finger Puppet Tutorial

When I was a little kid I had a cousin who used to go see some specialist for some problem she was born with. What it was I don't remember but one thing I do remember was at her doctor's visits she used to always get little finger puppets as gifts. Boy I sure was jealous! I remember she would collect them and had all different sorts ranging from animals to people. I wanted one so bad. The day came when I accompanied her to one of her visits and the doctor's office gave one to me too! Was I ever happy! I wish I new then what I know now....how easy it is to make one. The following technique requires NO SEWING!!!!! Yeah for NO SEWING! Can I say that again?! NO SEWING!!!! All you need is the following;

Fleece
Bowl filled with hot, soapy water (4 tablespoons of dye-free liquid dishwashing detergent to 6 cups of water)
Bowl filled with cool water
Felt
Scissors
Hot glue
finger puppet template (click on link)

You can find the simple instructions by clicking here. Enjoy!

Textbook Copy Wall Art Tutorial

A few years back I had purchased a copy of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I don't know why considering I don't own a home nor a garden! But that didn't stop me none the less from handing over my husband's hard earned money (yes you read right...my husband's money and not mine....why should I part with my money when I can spend his?!!!!!) to purchase a would be dream for the future...a HOUSE! Well I still don't have that house or garden but I still like to flip through that magazine every once in awhile. Something that caught my eye that one day I hope to try out is this project of the textbook copy wall art that I want to share with you all. Its fairly simple judging from the instructions below and looks great!

For this large canvas, simply return to old college textbooks for words and phrases you like and enlarge them on 11x17-inch paper. After trimming the pages close to the text, glue the papers to a large piece of canvas. Cut colorful tissue paper into irregular shapes. Using glue diluted 3:1 with water and a wide paintbrush, affix the tissue-paper shapes to the canvas. When the tissue gets wet from the glue, the words show through.

DIY Ice-Cream Soda for a Party or Wedding

Pretty things always catch my eye and attention! It doesn't matter if they are functional or not, I still have to have it! A little while back I spent over $100 buying acrylic paint just because it came in cute little bottles...they looked nice! It didn't matter that I didn't really need them but for some reason I HAD to have them! Just recently I bought MANY buttons, again not because I needed them, but because they looked so nice all separated into their individual colors! So it should come as a bit of a surprise that this next project is both pretty AND functional! Amy from "Eat Drink Chic" came up with these pretty retro inspired soda bottle labels found here. As Amy mentions on her blog you can use these for your party or wedding to create your own Soda Shop or to add a gorgeous beverage stand to your ice cream parlor themed party. Guests can select from a brightly colored array of flavored sodas to make their own delicious Ice-Cream Sodas! It doesn't end there! She has also created labels for the bottle caps! But hold on....what about the soda itself? Well it justs so happens that she's included a link to a recipe on how to create your own soda! Now I can't wait for summer to come back around so I can throw a party with my very own Soda Shop!

DIY Favor Packaging Tutorial

I LOVE things that are matching and I LOVE candy. So bring the two things together and I won't be able to stop staring. Such is the case with these most adorable HANDMADE favors! Did someone say "handmade?"....now you REALLY have my attention! I really like the colors used and I especially like that big melon berry colored button on the tin. If you don't know by now from reading previous posts, I have a bit of an obsession with buttons...(just a wee bit! sigh!) If you want to recreate this look just follow this step by step tutorial found here. You can even purchase the supplies to make the exact one pictured here by clicking here. A key component to making this look good is the jellybeans were hand picked to have only the coordinating colors in the package and tins. So what do you do with the left over jellybeans? EAT them of course!!!!!

DIY Doll Closet Diorama Tutorial

It has been awhile since my last post...my little one has been keeping me more busy than I want! On my off time (when he is sound asleep!), a time I cherish so much I surf the net in hopes of finding something else I can create with my hands. So the other day when I accidently came across this tutorial, I was completely amazed! At first glance I thought it was something store bought because of how professional it looked. Upon further examination I came to discover that it took the touch of being "hand made" that made this look this good! It is a doll closet, every little girls dream! Forget the little girl...its MY DREAM!!!! I was completely shocked to discover there is a whole world of people out there who make cute little doll dioramas! Oh the lucky girls of THOSE mothers!!!! I thought it was so cute how in this picture the closet gives you the feel of an upscale boutique somewhere in New York! I especially love the color combinations used for it...pink, lavender and black. Very chic! To give your little Barbie dolls a home and make your own follow this step by step instruction found here. As always....have a crafty day!

Felt Monster Tutorial

"ROOOOAAAAR!!!!"....says the little felt monster! So this is not your traditional doll. He doesn't have pretty long blond hair for you to comb or come with a wardrobe most women would kill for. In fact this doll has fangs to scare you with!!!! The problem is, he's not very scary, rather he is cute! But don't tell him that! His feelings might get hurt! Made of felt and embroidery floss he is also squeezable. You can find simple step by step instructions here if you'd like to make one yourself and perhaps hide under the bed giving some real meaning to "Mommy, there is a monster under my bed!"

Sock It To Me!!!

Ever wonder what to do with those orphaned socks? You know the one who's mate got lost in the Bermuda Triangle, other wise known as the dryer!!! Well fashion and home designer Orla Kiely has the perfect solution as seen in Rachael Ray's magazine. Turn those single socks into centerpieces! Its easy...mix and match socks of different colors and patterns, and slip them over jars, glasses or small plant pots. Snip off the sock bottoms so the pots stand flat on the table, and than fill with flowers or whatever else you fancy. Want an even smaller coffee table version? No problem...use little baby socks and slip them over miniature clay pots or juice tumblers!

Orange Kitty iPhone Cozy

"Meeeeow" says this cute little orange kitty iphone cozy! Made of felt, fleece, buttons, snaps and embroidery floss, this feline friend is sure to keep your iphone scratch free! But wait....if your not into cats, she has friends from the animal kingdom who all want to protect your precious investment. You can find the king of the jungle, a blond or chocolate teddy bear, a grey kitty, or this cute orange number here. If you check out the sold section you will also find her friends who have already found a home such as a bunny, lamb, and owl amongst other styles. The pocket of these cozies found in the front houses your iphone earbuds. The cozy has snaps so you can slide your iphone in and out with ease. Although this is designed for the iphone it will also fit the the ipod touch and ipod classic as well.

Customizable Drinking Glass Instructions

These beautiful....correction....stunning glasses caught my eye!!! I especially love the delicate yet intricate design on the first glass. It reminds me of a henna pattern that south asian brides adorn their bodies with just before the big day. Just as a bride's henna design is temporary so is the design on these glasses! Now you can customize your drinking glasses or just about anything else that has a smooth shiny surface with these lovely Mini-marks rub on transfers by American Crafts. The rub on transfers used in this design in particular is called "Catwalk Accents" but you can use any rub on transfers you can find. Its simple to do....

1) wash and dry your glass(es)
2) place rub on transfer design over glass and using the popsicle like stick that comes with most rub on transfer packages, begin rubbing over the design sheet until you see it coming of the sheet and adhering to the glass.

You can use these to personalize your guest's drinking glasses and take something from looking shabby to looking chic! Since these are temporary and will come off with washing you can do this over and over again! Of course this idea is not limited to just glasses. Imagine customizing a mirror to give as a gift?! The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

Tiny Pin Cushion Tutorial

I may craft a lot and do diffferent kinds of crafts but one thing I do not do is sew! So this means I do not have sewing needles lying around but I do have other types of pins that need a little home. I came across this SUPER easy tutorial on making little tiny pin cushions. All it involves is ribbon, fabric, a needle and thread (I promise this is not REAL sewing...lol!), cotton batting, and a soda bottle cap!!! You can find the tutorial here. For some reason these remind me of little chef's hats! I love how they look and that you can make several in different types. If you are an ACTUAL sewer than this project will use up some of your scrap fabric pieces that you did not know what to do with. Its a win/win situation!

New In My Shop....Wobbly Chipboard Epoxy Button MAGNETS!

So its been a bit of time since I've crafted anything because my little baby takes up all my time...you moms out there know how that is! Anyhow I wanted to do something to unwind at the end of a hard day and started to think "what can I do to my wobbly chipboard button embellishments to make them even better?" An idea hit me!.....make them into MAGNETS!!! I liked the idea because now those who don't use them for paper craft projects can use them for a practical purpose...to hold stuff up onto the fridge. No more ugly boring pizza store advertisement magnets displaying your child's precious work!!!! As with my wobbly chipboard epoxy button embellishments, these are covered with a thick HIGH GLOSS epoxy to give it that extra shine! Each button measures 1 inch x 1.25 inch approx. (larger than the chipboard button embellishments in my shop) and comes in a set of four for $6.99. I absolutely love the set in the second picture. Each button is a different shade of green which has such a calming effect....Lord knows I need that these days!!!! So far I've listed only one set (the above mentioned one) in my shop found here but in the next few days I should be listing the rest. These make fantastic hostess gifts. They are also a great way to gift your child's teacher or just a simple way to say thank you to your child's coach. As usual, have a happy crafty day!

Rainbow Cake Tutorial

I'm no baker because the last time I baked people chipped their teeth on my rock hard brownies! However I saw this cake and was inspired to renew my dreams of becoming Betty Crocker all over again! The cake looks so vibrant and reminds me of a child's art project! The second picture actually reminds me of a Crayola Crayon box! This makes me want to go color...oops, I meant bake...he he he!!!! What really surprised me about this cake is the ingredients calls for using two cans of SODA (sprite zero into two boxes of cake mix)!!! For the full tutorial on how to make this yourself go here. Hope this brings out your inner child!

Polymer Clay Creations from JooJoo

Sometimes somethings are just too cute not to post about. Take for example this adorable little shop I found on Etsy called JooJoo found here. I had a hard time picking which product to write about because there are just so many cute things in the shop! I ended up going with the birdie magnet in the first picture. The colors are so beautiful and vibrant that it makes me want to reach out and touch it on the screen. As you can see in the picture it is a little birdie perched happily on a branch trying to get to those delicious grapes! (I too would eat grapes if they looked like that)! It is made of polymer clay and painted with acrylic paints...and YES, you do get the branch with it!

The second picture is itty bitty polymer clay mushrooms hand painted with acrylic paint. Whats so cool about these is they have little pins attached on the under side so you can push them into soil, sand, moss, or even your garden! These are water resistant so they will stand up to the rain and humidity.

These unique little works of art would make an excellent hostess gift, after all who wouldn't love getting these as gifts right?

DIY Baby Kimono Template/Instructions

I recognize it has been awhile since my last post for which I apologize. I recently had a baby (a little boy) and have been kept away from writing on my blog. So in honor of my little munchkin I scoured the internet looking for all things baby craft related. Again and again I end up on the queen of all "good things" site (Martha Stewart) and this time I found a lovely diy baby kimono intructions. Although kimonos are only worn on special occasions in Japan now, these lovely pieces can add a wonderful touch to your baby's wardrobe. The template/instructions on how to make one can be found here. These are great for baby's who don't like there "onesies" to be pulled over their heads. The template is for size 0-3 months but instructions show you which size to enlarge the template to for bigger sizes. As usual, have a happy and crafty day!

Centerpieces for Everyday Parties

Pretty things really catch my eye! Take for example these simple yet elegant centerpieces. Both of them remind me of spring ladies luncheons. The first one is just a pile of ribbon spools in assorted styles and sizes piled one on top of another. After stacking a few you can put a pretty plate on top with a few appetizers on it to set the table. How much simpler can it get right? Want to make your ribbon go the extra mile? Use some of it on your invitations or to decorate your favors if you have any to give. You can pull it all together with with this inexpensive embellishment.

The second one is made of six boxes of Jell-O powder mixed with half the water specified. When the gelatin is semi-firm in their glass vases you just push your choice of decorations into it. It just could not get any easier! These beautiful centerpieces for everyday parties and many others can be found here on Rachael Ray's website. As usual have a happy crafty day!

Blog Giveaway! Ends Sat. June 6th/2009

I love paper crafts. In fact I have a confession....I'm a "junkie"! One thing I love is how simple it can be to make some of your own at home and dress up a simple package to give as a gift. Imagine packaging up and giving your child's teacher a thank you gift with this little apple tag hanging from it? In fact I'd string it on pretty ribbon and put a big black "A+" on it. This lovely embellishment comes 12 to a set. They are made of vintage children's books and high quality cardstock. For $2 a set, that is a steal! Carole from Reduxredux has graciously offered a set, up for grabs for this blog giveaway! What do you have to do to win? Just visit her shop here and come back to my blog and list one item you like here in the comments section. The lucky winner will be randomly picked on Sat. June 6th/2009. While you are there please check out her 3D Animal Treat Bag Toppers....too cute!

*UPDATE* I was trying to install Random.org's number generator on here without any success since I am far from being tech savvy! Anyhow prior to doing so I tested it out and it picked a winner from the comments list.

Congratulations Deedles! Please contact us within 48 hours to claim your prize, otherwise another winner will have to be picked. Once again congratulations and we look foreward to hearing from you to get your shipping address.

Large Chipboard Magnets....Coming Soon!

So I'm always dreaming up new ways to craft and stock my Etsy shop. I would say its an obsession right now. I have so many ideas but not nearly enough time in the day or days itself to make everything I think of. But one of my ideas I did tackle was making these cute chipboard magnets! I absolutely loved the way they turned out and wanted to share them with you! The first one I made was the "Oh So Sweet" cupcake. Oh man, did I stare at it for hours when I finished my yummy little project. Than I decided to move on to my "Home Sweet Home" magnet followed by my last but my favorite chipboard magnet..."Toxic Love" magnet. That one was the most fun for me to create. I just hand sketched a design I wanted to do, painted my chipboard, cut out scrapbook paper for the heart and cross bones, doodled on the entire image and than covered it with thick glaze not to mention attached a magnet to the back. Each chipboard magnet is fairly big, it measures approx 2.5 inches or larger. I'm going to start listing these in my Etsy shop found here starting on Monday or Tuesday. As usual custom designs are available if you have something in mind so just contact me. I would love to hear some ideas from all of you out there on what I should design. Please post your ideas in the comments section. One of these days I might even host another give away with one of these (or a chipboard magnet made using one of the ideas from the comments section) as the prize. As usual, have a happy crafty day!

Free Chick Chic Bookmark Printable

"Tweet, tweet".....do i hear little baby chic's tweeting? Sure do! I don't go scouring the internet for free printables but for some reason I always find them. So when I stumbled across this one found here I just knew I had to blog about it and share my find with the world of crafters! If you click on the link you will find a picture tutorial on how to print out the page and how to properly cut it these fabulous bookmarks. Another thing I like is you have the option of printing and cutting ALL the chic's in every color at once or you can print and cut the color(s) you chose one at a time. Say you only want the orange ones....no problem! No need to waste in a time when many of us are trying to go green! A cute idea I thought of is that you can print out a set, put them in a small square jewelry box, wrap it in some nice paper and coordinating ribbon and give them out as small inexpensive gifts to your co-workers, child's teacher, soccer coach, neighbors etc. I would print them out on glossy heavy duty cardstock and perhaps even laminate them if I were to give them out. But than again they're so cute I might just hoard them for myself! If you have a unique creative idea on how to package and gift these, I would love to hear your comments.

DIY Daisy Pops Tutorial

What woman in your life would not like getting a bouquet of these? I found a tutorial to make these edible daisy bouquets here. These little breaths of sunshine are so easy to make which is always a bonus right?! They use Wilton candy melts which are readily available in most bake shop supply stores and Michaels craft stores. You can make them and than decorate them any which way you like. I like the picture at the bottom left showing the pops in a green canister with a bow! Or how about wrapping each pop individually with cellophane baggies like the one pictured at the bottom right and grouping off a dozen or so and wrapping one big bow on them. You can give it as an entire bouquet. Just add a little card to it and voila....you have an instant gift! My only problem with these is I don't know if I could help eating the whole bunch before they get to their destination!

Felt Passport Pocket

I am forever at a loss of finding things in my big overloaded purse. If I have to find my lipstick I have to take out everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING ie. feminine products) for the world to see before I can retrieve what it was I was looking for in the first place! So I absolutely LOVED this when I saw it! It is a felt passport pocket. It is bright and vibrant enough that I can see it in my avalanche of a bag and I won't have to take everything else out! What is also cool about this is you can customize the passport pocket to have your name on it (up to six letters)! The seller also has other pockets for other things in the shop. If you need one for a pocket mirror (and what girl doesn't?), they have that! Also another really cute one is the atm/debit card pockets. There are many different styles to chose from. I particularly love the one's with buttons on them. If you have been following my blog and peeking into my Etsy shop here you all know how much I love buttons! I couldn't help but imagine my wobbly chipboard epoxy buttons on these adorable little pockets. Anyhow if you plan on traveling soon and want to purchase one of these, why not head over to Jeynreyn's shop on Etsy found here and pick up one. They also make really cute gifts.

Topsy Turvy Cake Tutorial

One of the things I'm so in awe of are these topsy turvy cakes, also known as Mad Hatter cakes. Something about them reminds me of Willy Wonka, Dr. Suess, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all rolled up into one. I guess its their whimsical fun design. I found this one on Flickr and could not help but blog about it. You can find a few more cakes of other types here if you want to look at this member's Flickr pool. If you would like to see more of just the topsy turvy style of cakes than click here. One thing I have always wondered about is how do they get the cake to remain stable? It honestly looks like something that can fall apart. Little did I realize it truly is an illusion and only gives the appearance that one of the tiers will/can slide off. Believe it or not, the trick is real simple. It just involves carving a circle into the cake below the tier you plan to add on. So the second and each additional tier sits flat yet gives the illusion of sliding off. Don't understand? No problem....just click here for an awesome step by step tutorial with pictures on how to make one of these types of cakes. If you have ever made one of these cakes or plan to from the tutorial please comment here with a link to a picture. I would love to see what you come up with. Happy baking!

Just Listed in my Shop....Tropical Flower Chipboard Button Embellishments

Its been awhile since I worked on my wobbly chipboard/epoxy button embellishments. So I finally got around to making a number of sets including these Tropical Flower style. I just love the colors....the vibrant red, bright sea blue, and lemony lime greens. As you can see, my button embellishments are layered with a thick shiny gloss that gives it a glass like look to them. I made sure to layer the glaze on thick as you can see better in the second picture. You can find these buttons here amongst other styles. I will be listing more sets in the following days. Now you may be asking how you can use them. I must mention that these are not made for clothing items that need to be washed since it is a paper crafting product. Clothing items not needing washing ie. hats, hair bands etc. are fine. These can be used in multiple ways. I put these on my scrapbook page layouts but people who make handmade cards can also put them on as embellishments. Awhile ago I made one of those coffee cup sleeves out of bright felt and used a Prima flower as an accent piece on it with one of these as the center to give it a little pop! They can also be used for packaging design. One of my customers said she plans on wrapping items in her Etsy shop in colorful tissue paper and than attaching one of these to the package for presentation.

You can also use them for:

other paper crafts
altered art
hair band/clip accents
hand made journal accents
anything that you can sew it onto
etc.

I should mention that these have a slightly tacky adhesive backing so you can stick them onto things but if you prefer them without the sticky backing, just let me know. As always my items can be customized. I can make a set in any color and you can suggest what type of doodling you would like to have on it. You can convo me through my Etsy shop here or you can contact me via this blog. Have a happy crafty day!

*UPDATE* these lovely chipboard buttons have sold out in my shop. Should you wish to custom order a set like this please convo me through my shop (link provided above).

DIY Key Holder Tutorial

My keys are forever being misplaced! When I come home since we don't have small hallway table at the door I usually put them down anywhere I see a spot. The problem is when I go looking for them....it seems they ususally sprout a pair of legs and simply walk off! I swear that happens! So I have to find a way to stop this problem. So when I was browsing one of my favorite blogs...."How About Orange", my prayers were answered! Jessica posted this practical yet cute step by step tutorial on how to make a key holder here. Whats awesome is this can also double as a coat hanger. Make two in coordinating colors or prints and hang by the door....one for the coats and one for the keys. You can also make a few for your child's room. There are so many ways you can use these! I can't wait to go make my own now!

Free Printable Grocery List

Ever go to the grocery store and kick yourself in the chops for forgetting something that was important? Of course you have! So when I found this simple yet cute solution on this site I couldn't help but share! Abby from "A Feathered Nest" has been kind enough to post this up on her blog. What I like about this printable (other than the fact that it is free!) is that it has a "Menu" list. You can figure out ahead of time what you want to serve your family for dinner everyday and shop accordingly. Just print these off and stick to your fridge with a magnet. If you're in the market for a set of whimsical magnets than you'll want to take a look at these cute "Wobbly Chipboard/Epoxy Button Magnets" sold in sets of four here. There are many different styles to chose from in the shop. You can even get a set custom made if you don't see what you like.

DIY Spring Bouquet of Flowers

I love any craft that uses up my scrapbooking supplies and has another use for it other than scrapbooking. Every scrapbooker usually has the staples like some type of flowers (felt or Prima brands!), buttons, and ribbons. And if you are not an avid scrapbooker like me with these things lying around, no big deal, they are cheap and inexpensive to purchase at any craft store (do I hear you saying Michaels out loud to yourself right now?!). Find the instructions here to make this lovely spring bouquet of flowers. Love this tutorial? Please let me know by commenting!

Free Seed and Tea Packet Printable

So whenever I come across something cute and FREE I like to share it with all those who come to read my blog. I especially like free printables. I came across a blog by the talented Tricia-Rennea who is an illustrator and graphic designer. She designed these adorable seed and tea packets! Just print and assemble. Slip in a tea bag in one and seed or seed packet in the other and give this to your guests that come to your ladies luncheon! This would also make great favors for any other event. I love the little blue birdie illustration on these. They just "chirp" SPRING to me! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. To print your own just click here.

Free Printable Cake Box and Gift Box Template

Who doesn't like getting a piece of cake? Problem is when you give someone like a neighbor a piece of cake you might never see the plate or tupperware you gave it in again because they decided to hold it hostage! Fear no more....now you can dress up your cake and actually keep what belongs to you! These are little Kawaii (Japanese for "cute") cake boxes you can just print, cut and fold from the comfort of your home. Print them out on heavy duty card stock so they are sturdy. Pack up that delicious piece of chocolate ganache cake into the cake box and than put it into the gift box. Voila...you have a gift within a gift! If you would like to print out one of these just click here. Special thanks to Gaby from www.dailycute.net who originally posted this template. You can find her blog here or by clicking on her button in my Shop and Blog links section.

Zooples ABC Flash Cards

ABCDEFG (singing voice)....ok now that, that is in your head and you can't get the song out let me show you a cute shop I stumbled upon.

There are many different ways to teach your child the ABC's but most of them are typical. "I Design My World" on Etsy has come up with a bold, creative, whimsical way of doing just that with their "Zooples" series of cards. Their illustrations are captivating to say the least. Each card has a different animal featured on it with the name of the animal printed in the front. In the back you will find the letter you want to teach your little wee one.

The animals featured in the set are:

Alligator+Bear+Cat+
Dolphin+Elephant+
FrogGoldfish+Hippo+
Iguana+Jaguar+
Kangeroo+Lion+
Monkey+Narwhale+Octopus+
Penguin+Queen Bee+Shark+Tiger+
Unicorn+Vampire Bat+
Wolf+Fox+Yak+ Zebra

You can even feature your choice of animal as the first card and pick your coordinationg ribbon for the packaging. Whats so great about this shop is they recognize that over time cards wear and tear so they even offer "individual" replacement cards. How great is that? Each replacement card is $1.oo if you have previously purchased a full set and $2.00 if you want to purchase just one card as a sample.

Each card is printed on sturdy cardstock and measures 4.25 x 5.5 inches. These would make great new baby gifts or just to have on hand to give as a gift for any other occasion. If you would like to purchase a set you can find them here.

DIY Matchbox Birth Announcements

Having a baby is an exciting time in every couple's life. I should know....I'm in my eighth month of pregnancy and can't help but gawk at anything baby related! So you can imagine I was really excited when I came across this cute posting about birth announcements! How adorable are they?! I especially love the one in the front with the little chics on them! Thanks to the good folks at Little Window Shoppe for posting this cute tutorial. It looks so simple to do, yet appears so elegant. You can customize these any which way you can think of since the market is filled with beautiful scrapbook paper. You can add anything inside from the diaper pins pictured to candy. If you would like to see the instructions just click on the title above to be taken over to the tutorial. As usual, enjoy!

Hand Loomed Straw Flower Tutorial

Vintage inspired crafts of the 60's can be so hip and colorful sometimes. Take a look at these straw (synthetic raffia) flowers for example. Not only is the display bright and beautiful to look at but the flowers themselves are cheerful looking! These flowers were made on a loom. A what???!!! Remember those plastic circle thinga-ma-bobs with pegs that we would wind yarn on in figure eight patterns in art class when we were kids? Ya, those!!!! To purchase them you can head over to Ebay or you can purchase them in a pack from an Etsy seller named cathyofcalifornia. Cathy Callahan from Cathy of California's shop herself demonstrates how to make these bright flowers on the Martha Stewart show. Just click on the title above for instructions. You can also see a video tutorial by following the link to the Martha Stewart site and clicking on the "watch video" tab at the bottom of the picture there. Whats so wonderful about these flowers is the endless possibilities in crafting. You can make these and attach it to a hair clip. These would also be lovely as brooches to dress up a shirt. Attach them around a wrist cuff and you have an instant cute accessory! The only limit is your imagination! Enjoy!

Blog Give Away! (Ends May 8/09)

Welcome to my first ever blog give away! I will try to hold one on a monthly basis if life permits!!!!!!! I am giving away a set of my "Itty Bitty Flower Bites" along with some square chipboard/epoxy buttons that I have created. Both have a slightly tacky adhesive back so they are perfect for your paper craft needs. If you prefer it without just simply let me know. The Itty Bitty Flower Bites come in shades of pink and aquas. Each flower is embellished with a glittery center and attached with a pop dot to give it height and dimension. They measure 1 inch each in total. My chipboard/epoxy button embellishments come in three different types of patterns and colors as well as size. The largest being 1 inch, medium is 3/4 inch, and small is 1/2 inch. *note* These are not the same chipboard buttons from my shop. Both items will come nicely packaged (for example see shop listing for wobbly chipboard epoxy buttons...last picture) in a cello bag with bag topper. So what do you have to do to enter? Its simple....

1) visit my shop and in the comment field please post which product you like
2) link my Etsy shop AND my blog to your blog

Want to earn extra entries? Than simply
3) add yourself as a follower under "My Blog Followers
4) blog about this give-away in your blog

You will earn one extra entry for EACH action you do from #3 and #4

Winner will be announced May 9 2009....Good luck!

www.thelemondroptree.etsy.com

*UPDATE* To those who participated thank you for all of your lovely comments. The winner of this giveaway is Pixeltrash! Congratulations Pixeltrash, please contact me with your mailing information within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Forest Friends Gift Card Envelope

Awhile back I came across a paper craft magazine that showed how to make these cute little gift card envelopes. Now one doesn't have to just hand over a plain gift card but can "fancy" it up by putting it in one of these. I thought they were so cute so I HAD to try it out for myself! I have made a few and have decided to list them in my Etsy shop soon in the next few days starting with this whimsical "Forest Friends" one. The envelopes have glittery detailing on them, along with a belly band that slips over the envelope to hold it shut which has a cute deer embellishment on a glittered scalloped circle. On the inside there is more glitter detail and a mushroom accent. The whole card is inked at the edges to give it a "distressed" look and the card is finished off with embossed detailing at the edge of the card (top flap) along with the edges having a fancy punched out lace type of detailing. As usual custom requests are always welcome! Please convo me through my Etsy shop if you are interested.

*UPDATE* this item has sold out within a day of listing it in my Etsy shop. I am working on a few more in different colors so please check back regularly in my Etsy shop for future listings.