Coaster scrapbook

Was it really 90 degrees two days ago?  Doesn't feel like March today.  I don't want to get out of the chair cause I finally got warm under the blanket.  So much for outdoor photo shoots...
Mallory and I had to get out in the 45 degree weather today, though.  I had a dentist appointment.  She wanted Chick-fil-A when we got out, but I insisted on Burger King.  Why?  I don't know.  First, they gave me fries instead of onion rings (happens EVERY time.)  Then, when I got them they were cold.  When I was finally able to pull out of the parking lot into traffic,  I realize I never got my drink.  Go around the world and come back, wait in line, blah blah blah. 

Mallory: (in an I told you so tone of voice) "This wouldn't have happened at Chick-Fil-A."

Top O' the morning to ya!

 Around here, St. Patrick's Day means Crazy Hat Day at school.  A trip to Dollar Tree resulted in this creation.  Paper napkin flower with a shamrock in the middle.  Learned how to make these here.  Can't really tell it's a shamrock?  Well, that's because I glued it on the way out the door this morning with the hot glue gun that was left on all night.  Yep, all night.  Bad thing is, it's not the first time that I was just waiting on it to heat up and forgot about it.  (This is part of why I don't enjoy cooking, btw.  I tend to forget about hot things while they are getting hot.) Last time sparks were involved.  

This is probably why I am walking around with naturally frizzy hair lately.  I abused my flat iron one too many times. Good thing the world needs perfectly imperfect parents!

Polka Dot Birthday Party

Inspiration:

Inspiration always comes from something.  I found these invitations on clearance and bought them with no idea what I was going to do with them.  Love the long green envelopes.  Love the color scheme.  I went with it.  I've said this before-once my mind settles on an idea everything seems to show up in stores.  

I found these little felt Easter baskets at Target that were perfect. The invitations were from Target, also, but they were at least a year earlier. (Yes, I had the invitations for over a year. Like I said, they were on clearance.)

Then, my mom used her Cricut machine to make flowers with scrapbook paper that I already had and glued them to bamboo skewers. I believe we put crinkle shredded paper in the bottom of the basket.

I found these goodie bags at a teacher store, filled them with purple tissue and of course, tied a cute ribbon.  We used the Cricut again to make the monogram letters.  To make them stickers, we ran them through the Xyron sticker maker.  I love this idea for personalizing your child's birthday.

The piece de resistence!  The cake! This was the cutest cake ever!  Three tiers of cuteness!  And this wasn't the hardest to decorate because it was buttercream icing-not fondant which is hard to work with.  I bought a styrofoam M for the topper and stuck brads in it to look like polka dots.

We made the birthday banner with scrapbook paper, vellum, and the Cricut to cut the letters.  (Wish I had close-up pics, but this was before the DSLR camera.)

Diaper Cradle and Cake

My mom and sister made these for a friend's baby shower.  The one on the left is a diaper cradle and the one on the right is a cake.  These make cute and useful shower decorations.  Or just a cute way to wrap a practical gift.

How to make a diaper cradle:
I am re-posting this because so many have asked how to make the diaper cradle.  Stand up three rows of diapers and secure  with string or yarn.  Then wrap the pretty material around it and hot glue it. Roll up diapers and put it towards the back where the head part or canopy would be. Open another diaper up and put it on top of the rolled up ones.  Wrap pretty material around that part.  For the skirt, take the material and put a needle in and out and in and out and then pull it tight and  make it ruffle up.  Then  tie it around the bottom and cover the seam with a ribbon and hot glue it. The purpose of the diaper arrangements is to be able to use the arrangements so we tried not to ruin the diapers themselves and get multiple sizes for the different pieces. Wrap the ribbon from Michael's and put the bows somewhere pretty.

Hope this helps! I would love to hear from you if you tried it out!

Paper Flower

I noticed today that the flowering trees are starting to bloom.  Yay!  Makes me want to make flowers. 

I love it when the "wrapping" is just as good as the gift.  I made this tag with a flower for my sister for Easter last year.  They make great gifts for teachers, too.  These paper flowers are so easy and can be made with scraps.  I cut several sizes of circles with my Slice machine in two different types of blue paper:  vellum and lightweight cardstock.  Simply crumple up each piece and crinkle.  Flatten back out and distress the edges with a distressing tool (I use Heidi Swapp) that sort of tatters the edges.  (I like that word-tatters-I think I will use that more often.)  The glittery green leaves are from KI Memories, but could be cut easily from green cardstock.  The purple polka dot fabric covered brad is perfect for the center and to hold all of the circles together. I placed the circles a little off center.  It reminds me of Mary Engelbreit that way.
The scallop tag was cut with my Slice machine, also.

And where there are flowers there are butterflies.  Also, cut with the Slice machine.  Have to add some bling to the center and a cute ribbon.  Always a cute ribbon.

Spray Box

Love Glimmer Mist?  Hate the mess?  Check this out.


You know these.  You see them in stores everyday.  The cardboard display boxes that hold every manner of merchandise.  My mom brought one to my house the other day and I thought "surely she didn't pay for that".  But no, she said it is great for a spray box.



How cool is that?  I love using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and spray adhesive and even spray paint, but I always hesitate because I hate the mess (or even the potential for mess.)  And the best part is, it was free.  All you have to do is ask and they will usually give them to you if the items inside are gone or even almost gone (especially if you mention that you are a teacher, like me.)  I tried out this theory today and it worked!  Now I have a spray box for my classroom, too.  Of course, you could use any old cardboard box, but this  works better to me because of the smaller "roof" overhang.

Do you see what I see?



What do you do with a pile of peach lace that is just a little on the tacky side?



You turn it into a flower, of course!