Emoji Themed Craft Birthday Party

Posted: May 30, 2016 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Family, Party Time | Tags: American Crafts, We R Memory Keepers | Leave a comment

For Caitie’s 11th birthday party last month, we decided to have an emoji themed craft party at our house. Caitie and her friends had a blast and the time went by SO fast. I kept the décor of the party pretty simple because I wanted to focus on preparing the crafts for her and her friends. Creative kiddos!

The party lasted four hours (it was too short…the time just flew by). Too much fun to be had! I started the Emoji Craft Party with the DIY mini Emoji Pillows. It was the right decision. It turned out to be the most time consuming project because instead of using a hot glue gun for everything I decided on machine stitching and ironing on the faces.

To make the mini Emoji Pillows as durable as possible (I did not want them to fall apart right after the party), I machine stitched the pillows ahead of time. A week before the party, I purchased yellow fleece at my local Jo-Ann store. For 15 party guests, I used 2 yards of fabric. I outlined an 8″ plate (from the kitchen) with a sharpie onto the fleece, cut them all out, layered two circles together, and machine stitched them. After machine stitching all the mini pillows, I used my washer and dryer to clean them up. I purchased black, blue, red, pink, and white felt fabric that came in rectangle sheets for the girls to draw and cut-out the faces. I used the Heat n Bond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive by Therm O Web from Jo-Ann to get the faces on the mini pillows. It was easy to use. No sew, no steam required, machine washable, permanent, 1 yard package (17″ x 1 yd). The red package not the purple package in the store. The girls stuffed their mini pillows with the Morning Glory Premium Polyester Fiberfil 20 oz package. This one bag purchased at Walmart was more than enough.

I purchased DIY Party Sunrise Fringe Tape and DIY Party Circle Mini Piñatas from We R Memory Keepers. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

The girls had so much fun creating their own Emoji mini Piñatas. It was something different for them and they loved it! The best part was filling the mini Piñatas with candy from the candy bar. Perfect party favors!

I had the girls use American Crafts smooth cardstock and Elmer’s glue for the faces. They turned out awesome!

Emoji cupcakes displayed in the candy bar! TOO CUTE!

These emoji cupcakes turned out amazing and were yummy! I bought them from a local bakery. The team at Miss Joan’s Cupcakes were fantastic! We all had huge smiles on our faces when we opened the box and saw these impressive cupcake designs. They were exactly what we wanted! Actually, they turned out to be better than what we imagined.

The girls enjoyed a photo booth all decked out with an emoji background and props that I found and purchased at the Justice store. I also purchased the table covers, cups, plates, napkins, and party favor bags from the Justice store. I love their party section. Fun stuff, perfect finds for our party, and all of it was on sale!

I added this AWESOME Heidi Swapp Lightbox for décor that I purchased from Jo-Ann. Perfect Emoji Icon Lightbox Inserts!

These emoji balloons were purchased online at the Emoji Balloon Company. They were at each table for décor.

Thanks for stopping by to see how I put together Caitie’s Emoji Themed Craft Birthday Party! It turned out to be one of my favorite parties!

Valentine’s Day Treat Boxes for Teachers

Posted: February 2, 2016 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: American Crafts, Pebbles Inc, We R Memory Keepers | 1 Comment

Happy February! I have some Valentine’s Day cards up on the Pebbles Blog today. I wanted to share Valentine’s Day Treat Boxes I made using the We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board, the We R Memory Keepers Flower Punch Board, and the Be Mine collection by Pebbles.

I had my girls select their favorite pattern papers for their teachers and I decided to use the Box design this time. I made Halloween Treat Boxes using the String Tie Box design.

I chose to make a 4″ x 4″ x 4″ sized box again here and used a 12″ x 12″ sheet of pattern paper. I trimmed off the bottom strip of paper.

I lined up the edge of my paper with the XL Box Start Line. I punched the paper then scored Box Score Lines A, B, and C. I repeated that going around all four sides of the 12″ x 12″ sheet of pattern paper.

I flipped the paper and lined it up again with the XL Box Start Line. I punched one more notch on all four sides of the 12″ x 12″ sheet of pattern paper.

I rounded all 4 corners of the paper using the Corner Rounder at the top left of the Punch Board.

I created attachment slits on all 4 corners of the paper using the Corner Slitter at the top right of the Punch Board.

I folded all the lines on the paper.

I added This to That Double-Sided Tape along all 4 diagonal score lines. This side…

…then I flipped the pattern paper over and added more adhesive.

I pinched and creased the diagonal score lines inward and flat and assembled my box.

I connected the first two attachment slits.

I connected the second two attachment slits. Ready for decorations and treats!

The girls don’t have any male teachers this school year. So, instead of bows I decorated these boxes with flowers using the We R Memory Keepers Flower Punch Board. You can see how I used the Flower Punch Board to make the flowers here. The only difference is that I cut one petal from each paper strip to add dimension to the flowers. Then, I twisted each paper petal around the petal curler to make the flowers look realistic. I layered three flowers to make one…XXS (3″ dia.), XS (4″ dia.), and S (5″ dia.).

I used my Making Memories Paper Piercer to make holes into each box. I used a gold brad to combine all the flower layers and attach them to the box.

I used my Sticky Thumb Cordless Mini Hot Glue Gun to adhere Gold Glitter Stickers to my flower centers.

I added favorite yummy treats of each teacher inside. All that’s left to do is for the girls to fill-out each tag for each of their teachers. And, of course, to give them to their teachers on Valentine’s Day along with big hugs!

Pretty, simple, and sweet Valentine’s Day Treat Boxes.

I love them all!

Hope you enjoyed these treat boxes. I loved making them! Happy Creating!

Pebbles Supplies:

Be Mine Sweetheart (733032)
Be Mine Scattered Love (733033)
Be Mine XOXO (733035)
Be Mine Sugar Cookies (733036)
Be Mine Share the Love (733037)
Be Mine Be Mine (733039)
Be Mine Love Is In The Air (733040)
Be Mine Minc Tags 2″ x 4″ 18/Pkg (733045)
Home+Made Gold Circles Glitter Stickers (732621)

Other Supplies:

We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board (662530)
We R Memory Keepers Flower Punch Board (71342)
American Crafts Cardstocks
American Crafts This To That Double-Sided Tape, .25″ x 11 yd (61708)
American Crafts Sticky Thumb Cordless Mini Hot Glue Gun, Blue (340278)
Heidi Swapp Minc Reactive Foil 12.25″ x 10′ Roll, Red (69978)
Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator & Starter Kit (370124)
Fiskars scissors and paper trimmer
Making Memories Paper Piercer
gold brads
candy

Mini Piñatas Holiday Ornaments

Posted: December 26, 2015 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: American Crafts, We R Memory Keepers | Leave a comment

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great time with our families. I’m looking forward to working on my December Daily album. But first, I wanted to share these adorable Holiday Ornaments made with the new We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Mini Piñatas. They make great stocking stuffers, party favors, or pretty decorative ornaments for your tree.

I had the chance to play with the DIY Party Circle Mini Piñatas and turned them into pretty ornaments. They were fun and super simple to make using the peel and stick DIY Party Fringe Tapes. Love the variety of colors the Fringe Tapes come in!

I chose to make a couple of the ornaments with a trendy mix of black, white, and gold.

I made another ornament with bright and happy colors.

I love the way they all turned out!

These Mini Piñatas come in eight different shapes and I can’t wait to try them all! They would be fantastic for a kids craft-themed birthday party with a candy bar. Hmmmm…my girls birthdays are coming up in a few months. 😉

(image below from the We R Memory Keepers blog)

DIY Party Mini Piñatas by We R Memory Keepers

You can see how my crafty friend, Amanda Coleman, turned the Circle Mini Piñatas into fun holiday wreaths by heading on over to her blog.

Supplies:

We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Circle Mini Piñatas (3 Pack)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Black Fringe Tape (12 ft)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Blossom Fringe Tape (12 ft)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Gold Fringe Tape (12 ft)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Ocean Fringe Tape (12 ft)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party White Fringe Tape (12 ft)
We R Memory Keepers DIY Party Metallic Confetti (0.3 oz)
Black Cardstock (American Crafts)
POW! Glitter Paper, Silver (American Crafts)
Knock Outs Border Punch Value Kit, Simple Scallop Punch (American Crafts)
Jen Hadfield DIY Home Specialty Cardstock 12″ x 12″, Gold Foil Stripe (Pebbles)
Jen Hadfield Cottage Living Gold Circle Stickers (Pebbles)
Clever Lever Jumbo 1″ Circle Craft Punch (Marvy Uchida)
scissors (Fiskars)
ornament hooks
Christmas candy

Halloween Treat Boxes

Posted: October 30, 2015 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: American Crafts, Pebbles Inc, We R Memory Keepers | 1 Comment

I love Halloween! I wanted to share some quick and fun Halloween Treat Boxes I made using the We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board and pattern papers from the Boo! collection by Pebbles. These will be fun to give to my nieces and nephews for Halloween tomorrow.

I started by selecting the pattern papers and the String Tie Box design. You can also make envelopes with liners, bows, boxes, file folder cards, and coin envelopes using the 1-2-3 Punch Board.

I chose to make a 4″ x 4″ x 4″ sized box and used a 12″ x 12″ sheet of pattern paper. All I did was trim off the bottom strip of paper.

I flipped the paper and lined it up again with the XL Box Start Line. I punched the paper then scored Box Score Lines A, B, and C again.

I rounded all 4 corners of the paper using the Corner Rounder at the top left of the Punch Board.

I cut opposite ends of the paper along the vertical score lines.

I folded all the lines on the paper.

I used my We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite Punch to punch holes in all 4 corners.

I added Sticky Thumb Double-Sided Tape to all 4 tabbed sections

I assembled my box.

All done! So easy! Love it!

Finally, I added ribbon through the holes in this pattern to make sure the box closes correctly.

Now, it’s ready for the treats!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pebbles Supplies:

Boo! Jack-O-Lantern (732972)
Boo! Trick-or-Treat (732973)
Boo! Hocus Pocus (732974)
Boo! Spiderwebs (732977)
Boo! Skull & Crossbones (732981)

Other Supplies:

American Crafts Sticky Thumb Double-Sided Tape, .25″ x 11 yd (340265)
American Crafts Green, Purple, and Orange Premium Ribbons, .375″ x 4 ft
We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board (662530)
We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite Punch

I Adore You Layout

Posted: January 28, 2015 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Layouts, Scrapbooking | Tags: Pebbles Inc | 1 Comment

I have Valentine’s Day gifts that I made for all the girls’ teachers up on the Pebbles Blog today using the We Go Together collection.

I’d like to share this layout I made using items from the new Jen Hadfield Cottage Living collection by Pebbles. Love this new line! How pretty is the Sunrise, Sunset pattern paper I used for my background?! I just love its ombre pink with hexagons design. And, Payton’s favorite colors are dark pink and light pink…so this was perfect. 😀

Since I don’t have a Silhouette machine 😦 , I decided that I could just make a heart to cut out using my computer. It was quick and simple to do. I like that. I just opened the Microsoft Word 2013 program on my laptop. I changed the PAGE LAYOUT to a 12″ x 12″ page. INSERT a heart shape (No Shape Fill, Shape Outline set to large dashes, and Size of heart to 10″ x 10″). Done! Sure, I could’ve just hand-drawn a heart shape, but this is much prettier.

I printed off my heart template on a piece of 12″ x 12″ white cardstock and cut it out. Then, I lined it up centered on the pretty Hardwood pattern paper to cut out my heart.

I love the pattern papers in this line and love the layering under this black and white photo of Payton. I also love the new Jumbo Gold Paperclip. I can never get enough of the pretty flowers and gold touches.

I love the Puffy Phrase Stickers. I used the “I adore you” Puffy Phrase Stickers for my title and a few hearts, flowers, and a “Hi” diamond shape to decorate around the page.

Pebbles Supplies:

Cottage Living Floral Tapestry (732750)

Cottage Living Hardwood (732753)

Cottage Living Sunrise, Sunset (732760)

Cottage Living Imprint Thickers, Black & White (732774)

Cottage Living Gold Dipped Tags (732783)

Cottage Living Gold Circles Stickers (732786)

Cottage Living Jumbo Gold Paperclips (732788)

Cottage Living Puffy Phrase Stickers (732791)

Cottage Living 6 x 6 Paper Pad (732798)

Other Supplies:

American Crafts Cardstock Pack 12″ x 12″ 60/Pkg, White (71259) (American Crafts)

Classic Calico 3 Roller Date Stamp (331133) (Studio Calico)

Inky Black Mr. Huey’s Color Mist (331064) (Studio Calico)

Xyron Mega Runner (0701-05-00)

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)

paper trimmer and scissors (Fiskars)

Message Boards

Posted: January 27, 2015 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: Pebbles Inc | Leave a comment

We have needed a message board (or two) next to our calendar for awhile now. You know, a place to keep the school forms (field trip, parent-teacher conferences, book reports, and other assignments), appointment cards, grocery lists, and other reminders. I took the new Jen Hadfield Cottage Living Hanging Chalkboard by Pebbles and an old magnetic frame and altered them a bit to function for our family.

I used items from the Cottage Living collection by Pebbles. I’m in LOVE with this new line!

I started with the Hanging Chalkboard. I covered it with chalk, erased the chalk, and wiped away any extra chalk dust. Next, I centered my Chalkboard on my craft mat and decided that Mod Podge would be the best way for me to secure the Thickers to the Chalkboard.

I used a hot glue gun to attach my Gold Metal Clips to the Chalkboard. Done! Super fast and easy (about 10 minutes). I decided to just add two clips because I wanted space on the bottom of the board in case I wanted to write a quick note with chalk.

I worked on the magnetic frame. I trimmed the Sweet Mint pattern paper to 7.25″ x 9.25″ and simply slipped it under the edges of the frame. No adhesive needed or used. It’s a magnetic board. The magnets would hold the paper in place anyway. Right? Plus, I thought it would be fun to switch out the paper for a new one whenever I wanted to pretty it up again.

SO PRETTY! Love it already!

Next, I worked on three magnets for my frame. I used my hot glue gun to attach the magnet to this PRETTY Paper Flower! I also took two Jewel Stickers, removed the sticker part, and hot glued tiny magnets to them that I had around the house already. Payton is my sweet little helper here.

Seriously adorable! I love it! Have I mentioned to you that I love refrigerator magnets? Because, I do. I really really do!

I added “Hello” Rub-Ons and a heat embossed “Hello” speech bubble stamp to the board. I used my hot glue gun again to attach the Gold Metal Clips to the board. Here you can see the pretty Jewel magnets.

Message Boards 8

It only took about 15 minutes to get this frame done! LOVE this SO much! Gave it new life. Before, I used it for pics of the girls (and I loved it).

Now, it’s so much more functional for us to be able to use everyday.

Here they are on our kitchen wall (it’s next to our “Despicable Me” Minion calendar). I LOVE these Message Boards!

They took so little time to put together. That makes me love them even more!

Thanks for stopping by today…have a great one!

Pebbles Supplies:

Cottage Living Sweet Mint (732752)

Cottage Living Imprint Thickers, Gold (732775)

Cottage Living Jewel Stickers (732778)

Cottage Living Gold Metal Clips (732781)

Cottage Living Phrase & Icon Rub-Ons (732782)

Cottage Living Paper Flowers (732784)

Cottage Living Clear Stamps (732792)

Cottage Living Hanging Chalkboard (732790)

Other Supplies:

Black Glitter Finish Zing! Embossing Powder (27148) (American Crafts)

VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)

Embossing Heat Tool Model 2500 (Marvy Uchida)

Mod Podge (Plaid)

paper trimmer and 12″ x 12″ Two-Sided Craft Mat (Fiskars)

Hot Glue Gun (Michael’s)

3/4″ Round Magnets (#381913) (Hobby Lobby)

chalk and eraser

ruler

Old Magnetic Frame (gift from my Mother-In-Law from Hallmark)

Witch Hat Treat Bags and Cards

Posted: September 30, 2013 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Cards, Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: American Crafts, Pebbles Inc | 4 Comments

I was SO excited to get some happy mail from American Crafts! It’s their new Halloween collection that you can find at your local Target stores! Very cool collection that includes Halloween washi tapes, sequins, clothespins, stickers, 6 x 6 paper pad, banner kit, witch hat placecards, and wreath (store prices ranging from $2.99 – $9.99).

I’m not having a Halloween party, but Caitie and Payton will see some of their cousins to go out trick-or-treating this year. So, I thought it would be great to turn the witch hat placecards into treat bags for the kids. These witch hats are super cute and easy to make, because there are step-by-step instructions included.

HALLOWEEN WITCH HAT PLACECARDS TURNED INTO TREAT BAGS

The Witch Hats stand at about 4.5″ tall and measure about 4″ wide at the bottom of the hat.

When I finished making the hats, I stuffed candy inside them and placed them into treat bags. I was surprised at how much candy I was able to fit into these witch hats!

I tied the baker’s twine around them and used the placecards as my tags.

American Crafts Supplies:

Halloween Witch Hat Placecards (97148)

Black Precision Pen #08 (62331)

black and white and orange and white Baker’s Twine (89423)

Other Supplies:

paper piercing tool (Making Memories)

treat bags and candy

Here’s the Halloween card I made using items from the Halloween collection by American Crafts. I made the mini envelope using the kraft and stars pattern paper from the 6 x 6 Paper Pad and a “Worm Warts” Accent Sticker. I love the “Potion” Epoxy Sticker with Star Stickers and Sequins all around.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN CARD

American Crafts Supplies:

Halloween Star Stickers (97140)

Halloween Accent Stickers (97143)

Halloween 6 x 6 Paper Pad (97144)

Halloween Sequins (97145)

Halloween Epoxy Stickers (97146)

This To That Double-Sided Super Sticky Red Tape .5″ x 5 yd (61754)

This To That Circle Foam Tabs (AMF617-09)

white cardstock

Other Supplies:

Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz)

Inky Black Mister Huey’s Color Mist (Studio Calico)

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)

Scoring Board (Martha Stewart Crafts)

scissors and paper trimmer (Fiskars)

I also made a couple of Birthday cards for Chris’ twin brothers. Their birthday is the day before Halloween. I loved that I could use this Halloween collection to create fun, masculine cards for them.

For the first “Use Extreme Caution” card, I cut and layered the three different colored chevron pattern papers. I added the “Caution” Accent Stickers along with some Star Stickers.

USE EXTREME CAUTION BIRTHDAY CARD

Here’s the inside of the card. I know what you’re thinking…she is clever AND funny. And, you know what…you’d be correct. HaHa!

American Crafts Supplies:

Halloween Star Stickers (97140)

Halloween Accent Stickers (97143)

Halloween 6 x 6 Paper Pad (97144)

This To That Double-Sided Super Sticky Red Tape .5″ x 5 yd (61754)

white cardstock

Other Supplies:

From Me to You Roller Stamp (Pebbles) (732278)

Basics Black Washi Tape (Pebbles) (747206)

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)

scissors and paper trimmer (Fiskars)

white thread and sewing machine

For the second “36” card, I arranged the Star Stickers onto a sun burst punch throughout the card.

36 BIRTHDAY CARD

American Crafts Supplies:

Halloween Star Stickers (97140)

Halloween 6 x 6 Paper Pad (97144)

Halloween Sequins (97145)

This To That Double-Sided Super Sticky Red Tape .5″ x 5 yd (61754)

white cardstock

Other Supplies:

Tricks and Treats White Spooky Glitter Foam Thickers (Pebbles) (732136)

From Me to You Roller Stamp (Pebbles) (732278)

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)

Mini Glue Dots (Glue Dots International)

scissors and paper trimmer (Fiskars)

1″ Sunburst Punch (Martha Stewart Crafts)

white thread and sewing machine

Would you like to see more fun Halloween projects using this new line available at Target?

Click on the links below to my fellow Pebbles Design Team members and check out their creations:

Amanda Coleman (Party Drinks)

Becky Williams (Silly Witch Layout)

Holly Gagnon (Spooky Jars)

Juliana Michaels (Halloween Treat Cones)

Kathy Martin (Treat Wrap & a Card)

Nina Yang (Halloween Table Setting)

Samantha Taylor (Home Decoration & a Card)

Suzanna Lee (Treat Wrap)

Tiffany Hood (Halloween Decor and Banner)

Hello There, You’re Invited: Brave-Themed Party Invitations

Posted: February 18, 2013 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Cards, Crafts, Party Time, Scrapbooking | Tags: American Crafts | 5 Comments

I made these birthday party invitations for Payton’s 6th Birthday. She wanted a kids party this year. She is SO excited to invite all of the girls in her Kindergarten class this year for a fun party at a bounce house place. She asked for a Brave-Themed Party. No problem…easy peasy.

I was totally inspired by all the wonderful party invitations on www.tinyprints.com. I thought I would give it a try. Since I only needed ten invites, I thought I could easily make them on my own using items I already had at home. I never made photo invites before. I used this favorite pic of Payton in her Halloween costume from this past October. I opened it up into a Word Document and added my wording. The invite measures 5 3/4″ x 7 1/4″. It was quick and easy. It only took about 45 minutes from start to finish.

This arrow pattern paper fit really well with the Brave-Theme. Very fun and pretty!

I added the arrows along with the “Hello There” and “You’re Invited” stamps using the Zing! Embossing Powders to these pretty bags.

I included a birthday wish list on shipping tags with these invites.

I made ten invites for all the girls in Payton’s Kindergarten classroom. They’ll fit easily into their take home folders. I love how they turned out!

Supplies I used to make my “Hello There, You’re Invited: Brave-Themed Party Invitations”:

Dear Lizzy 5Th & Frolic 6Th & Main 12X12 Paper, Gold Foil Mini Alpha Tile Letter Stickers, Clear Acrylic Stamps, and 24 Pack Ribbons (American Crafts)

Hip Hip Hooray Clear Stamps (Pebbles)

Studio Calico Stepping Stone Alphabet Clear Stamps (Hero Arts)

Arrow Washi Tape (Freckled Fawn)

Pink 6.25 X 9.25 Diagonal Stripe Bigger Bitty Bag (Whisker Graphics)

4 3/4″ x 2 3/8″ Strung #5 Shipping Tags (Avery)

Dear Lizzy Neapolitan and With Love Valentines Roller Date Stamps (American Crafts)

Aqua Opaque Finish, Black Glitter Finish, and Gold Metallic Finish ZING! Embossing Powders (American Crafts)

Versamark Watermark Ink Stamp Pad (Hero Arts)

Embossing Heat Tool Model 2500 (Marvy Uchida)

Herma Vario Tabs (EK Success)

Arial Narrow and Arial Bold (Computer Fonts)

black ink stamp pad, turquoise and purple sequins, and scissors

Little Yellow Bicycle: 12 Days of Christmas

Posted: November 5, 2012 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Layouts, Scrapbooking | Tags: Little Yellow Bicycle | 4 Comments

We are celebrating the new Once Upon a Christmas Collection today over at the Little Yellow Bicycle Blog in a very fun and (may I add) challenging way. I bet you all figured it out that, with 12 Cycling Team Members, we are starting off this holiday season with a “12 Days of Christmas” theme! We are getting off to an early start, too. Ha! Remember this fun song…

John Denver & The Muppets – 12 Days of Christmas

I’m so excited to go up first! I was assigned the First Day of Christmas – A Partridge in a Pear Tree. I really wanted to use this song as inspiration and I totally did a play on words.

Here’s what I came up with…

LYB Supplies I used to make my “A Pair of Kids on a Christmas Tree.” Layout:

OC-102 Poinsettia Quilt/Multi Starlight

OC-103 Hanging Wreaths/Red Tonal Damask

OC-104 Let it Snow/Green Medallion

OC-105 Mistletoe Stripe/Green Starlight

OC-106 Snowflake Medallion/Red Houndstooth

OC-109 Snowflake Plaid/Cream Houndstooth

OC-111 Holly Berry/Green Carols

OC-134 Journaling Cards – with foil accents(10 pieces)

OC-160 Vellum Tape Strips (8 pieces)

OC-230 Clear Cuts – with foil accents (30 pieces)

OC-279 Chipboard Shapes – with foil (29 pieces)

Other Supplies I used:

Stepping Stone Alphabet Studio Calico Clear Stamps (Hero Arts)

Santa Baby Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)

Herma Vario Tabs (EK Success)

Mini and Ultra Thin Glue Dots (Glue Dots International)

Fringe Scissors (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Black Zig Writer Pen (Kuretake)

paper trimmer (Fiskars)

Murray Bold Computer Font (downloaded from the internet)

22 GA. 1/4 LB. green floral wire, needlenose pliers, scissors, black ink stamp pad, standard stapler, white thread, and sewing machine

For my next project, I made some teacher gifts for my girls to take to school before Christmas break. Holiday Gift Card Jars. I wanted to continue the Christmas tree theme from my layout. So, I decided to make my own paper pine cone and paper pine needle embellishments. First, I took some jelly jars and spray painted the lids with a gold leaf spray. I sprinkled in some fake snow and gold sequins. Then, I added a paper pine needle into each jar along with a gift card. I had the girls write-up Christmas messages to their teachers using the Journaling Cards of their choice. I attached the Journaling Cards along with a paper pine cone, a paper pine needle, a Fabric Favorite bird, and a Clear Cut reindeer using some clear thread and hemp/jute ribbon.

I made the Paper Pine Cones using McGill Paper Blossoms Punches. The McGill Inc. Website has everything you need to make these Paper Pine Cones along with the “Instruction Sheet – How To Make Pine Cones” you can click on. Here’s the direct link I used: http://www.mcgillinc.com/products/pine-cone-paper-blossoms/

LYB Supplies I used to make my “Holiday Gift Card Jars”:

OC-104 Let it Snow/Green Medallion

OC-107 Holly Bird/Brown Carols

OC-134 Journaling Cards – with foil accents(10 pieces)

OC-220 Fabric Favorites – self adhesive (8 pieces)

OC-230 Clear Cuts – with foil accents (30 pieces)

Other Supplies I used:

Paper Blossoms Paper Tool Kit (65800), Craft Molding Mat (65900), and Floral Petals (64503) (McGill Incorporated)

Supplemax Monofilament Illusion Cord (Beadalon)

Fringe Scissors (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Hemp ribbon (On-A-Cord)

Insta-Snow Powder (Steve Spangler Science)

Gold Leaf Short Cuts Metallic Spray Paint (Krylon)

Black 3D Foam Squares Scrapbook Adhesives (3L)

Black and Red Zig Writer Pen (Kuretake)

Christmas Date Stamp (American Crafts)

Mini Glue Dots (Glue Dots International)

22 GA. 1/4 LB. green floral wire, needlenose pliers, gold sequins, tiny hole puncher, black ink stamp pad, and scissors

These projects were so fun to make! I hope you all join us at the Little Yellow Bicycle Blog up until Christmas and play along for the “12 Days of Christmas.” Happy Creating, Everyone!

You Make Me Smile Scrapbook Frame

Posted: October 1, 2012 | Author: Renee Zwirek | Filed under: Crafts, Scrapbooking | Tags: Pebbles Inc, Scrapbook Frame | 1 Comment

This is one of my favorite photos taken at the Morton Arboretum. This is a 5″ x 7″ photo of Grammy and Papa with Caitie (4 years old) and Payton (2 years old) during the Fall of 2009. I love the Arboretum in Autumn. I thought the Walnut Grove Collection by Pebbles would be perfect to scrap this photo. I’m so proud of this photo that I took (Yay Me) that I wanted something special for it.

First, I trimmed the James Pattern Paper into strips. I just followed the width of the wood pattern and trimmed off any excess paper once it dried. I sanded down the white frame a bit to get rid of the glossiness. Then, I added mod podge to the edges of the frame one at a time using a foam brush. I attached and pressed down my pattern paper. I used a brayer tool to make sure the paper was nice and flat on the frame. No bubbles.

I especially love the pattern paper and burlap leaves I added along with the other embellishments…flower stickers, buttons, and a 3-D Sizzix flower. A title sticker finishes off this 10″ x 10″ layout inside the frame. This photo definitely makes me smile. Love.