Super Fast Framed Art

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Anita

This is an incredibly fast and easy way to spruce up that corner of your home that needs a little something. 

All you have to do is go to Pinterest, search “printables”, and 100’s of options will come up. You’ll find everything from farmhouse prints, to kitchen themed options, to florals, to subway art, to monograms like this one that I printed. You can find the link to this monogram wreath here. 


I printed the wreath on card stock, trimmed it to fit my 8×10 frame, and that’s it! So easy! I spent way more time searching for the printable I wanted than printing and framing it. And it will be so simple to change it when I want something new. 

If you don’t have a Pinterest account, it’s really simple to set up. Just go here and sign up. I get so much inspiration on so many things! I apologize for how much time you may spend perusing this site! 🙄 But it truly will give you so many ideas – the recipes alone are worth it!

Happy Pinning!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Published in the Fall Issue of Take Ten!!

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Anita

I am so excited to be published in the current issue (Autumn 2017) of Take Ten Magazine!! It is so fun to get the magazine and see my creations in print! 🙂 There are so many talented artists and I am honored to have my cards published next to theirs.

Here’s the first one. The stamps are from an older Stampin’ Up set called A Round Array and they also had a matching flower punch. Both the stamp set and punch are discontinued, but you can use any small circular stamp or flower you have to get the same effect. The vine embossing folder is from Sizzix. Again just use what you have – or even a pretty embossed or patterned paper. 

I embossed a panel of green card stock, tied it with lace ribbon, and attached it to an orange card. I stamped 5 flowers with orange ink and 4 with green ink on white card stock. I punched them out and attached all but 1 orange flower to the card. For the last flower, I punched a larger scalloped circle from orange card stock and layered a small green card stock circle to the center. The orange flower is then attached with foam tape. To finish the card, I added a tiny orange button to the middle flower. 


Below you’ll find the 2nd card I have published in this issue. The circle stamp is from Hero Arts and the Thank You stamp is from Inkadinkado. These are older stamps, too. I’ve been stamping for a long time so I have quite the collection. 😉 Look at the stamps you have in your craft room – I’m sure you have something you could use to get the same effect! The embossing folder is from Cuttlebug. 

I embossed a panel of turquoise card stock and attached it to an orange card. I stamped the circle 4 times each with turquoise and orange ink on white card stock, then punched them out with a circle punch. I stamped Thank You with turquoise ink on white card stock and punched it with a circle punch. The circles are then attached to the card using foam tape on the middle row. To finish the card, I added orange and turquoise buttons.

These are cards that you can put together in 10 minutes or less – which is what Take Ten is all about! If you need inspiration, you will find lots of it in this quarterly publication . It’s my very favorite stamping magazine!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

DIY Composition Notebook Journal

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Anita

These composition books are good for schoolwork…and also work great for journals. But…it needs a little prettying up!!

Start with a composition book (you can them find anywhere they sell school supplies) and some Mod Podge from the craft store. The size of my book is 9-3/4 inches by 7-1/2 inches. Pick out some coordinating scrapbook papers. I like to use the thicker papers, the ones that are closer to light card stock weight. Sometimes they are double-sided. The green flowered paper below is thinner text weight paper that I used around the binding of the book. This weight works well because you are bending the paper around the book. 

Trim your main papers to 6 inches by 10-3/4 inches – one for the front and one for the back. Score both short sides and one long side 1/2 inch from the edge so it will fit around the cover like in the picture below. Using a foam brush, brush a light coat of Mod Podge on the front cover. Attach paper to the cover, being careful to line up the scored lines with the edges of the cover. Smooth out any air bubbles. Open the cover and, using Mod Podge, glue the top and bottom edges of the paper first. Then glue down the long edge. Repeat these steps on the back cover. 

Trim the paper you are using to cover the binding to 6 inches by 7-1/2 inches. Attach to the book with Mod Podge, overlapping the main papers by about 1/2 inch. Be sure to brush Mod Podge on the edge of the binding and smooth out any air bubbles. This is where I like using a thinner paper because it is easier to work with. Here are the front and back covers of the book. 

To finish the inside, trim card stock to 9-1/2 inches by 7-1/4 inches and glue to the inside of the cover with Mod Podge. Repeat for the inside of the back cover.

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Trim another coordinating paper to 1 inch by 7-1/2 inches and attach over the “seam” of the 2 papers on the front and repeat on the back.

You may have noticed that the corners of the actual composition book are rounded, but my papers are not. I did that on purpose because it is hard to get the paper smooth if you try to match the rounded corner. This is another reason I like using the thicker paper, it makes your straight corners sturdier.

Then decorate the front of your journal however you would like!! I stamped Wakely Girl from Unity Stamp Company with brown ink on white card stock. She is colored with Copic markers, trimmed, layered to orange card stock, and attached to the front of the book. I tied 3 buttons with twine and attached them to the left corner.

And now you have a beautiful journal to write your thoughts in – or maybe to keep track of all those craft projects on your to do list! 

Happy Crafting!!

Anita

Posted in Gifts, Organization, Stamping | 2 Comments

Lemon Buddies

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Anita

Sometimes called “muddy buddies” sometimes called “puppy chow”, there are so many ways to make this yummy snack! Just do a quick search on Pinterest for “muddy buddies” and you will find lots of recipes for different flavor combinations. I love lemon – I think I may have mentioned that in this post for Lemon Lemonies. 🙂 So when I found this recipe for Lemon Buddies Chex Mix I knew I would have to try it!

It only takes 4 ingredients – Rice Chex cereal, white chocolate chips, lemons, and powdered sugar. Click the link above to get all the details. It’s a quick and easy snack to make!


Here it is ready to eat! 


A couple of tips for things I did a little differently from the recipe directions.  I used a 12 ounce bag of white chocolate chips – just seemed like I needed more to coat the cereal. Also, I melted the chips in the microwave and then stirred in the lemon peel and lemon juice before pouring over the cereal. The recipe says to melt them all together. I think the melted chips come out smoother if you melt them by themselves. 

A great after school snack or something to munch on while you watch your favorite movie.🍋

Happy Snacking!!

Anita

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Crochet Candy Cane Bag for Gift Cards

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Anita

Last week I shared this cute Mini Crocheted Shopping Bag that is the perfect size to hold a gift card for Christmas. Today I have another cute way to make giving gift cards or cash a little more fun.

The crochet pattern for these fun drawstring bags can be found here at AllFreeCrochet. I used I Love This Cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby in white, red, and bright green.

They work up quickly and could be made in any color combination. I’m planning ahead for Christmas, but I think they would be so cute in bright colors for a birthday, or soft pastels for a baby shower. Or maybe orange and black for Halloween filled with treats.

These bags are big enough to hold some yummy chocolates along with a gift card or cash. They are also the perfect size for a small gift.

Christmas will be here before we know it! 😳 But you still have plenty of time to make several of these sweet bags!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Crochet, Gifts, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

A Simple Thank You

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Anita

Sometimes a simple Thank You is just the thing. Even though this is a clean and simple card, the heartfelt “Thank You” can’t be missed. Add your own handwritten message inside to thank them for their kindness.

The large “Thank You” is from the So Very Much set from Stampin’ Up. It was a special set during one of their Sale-A-Bration promotions, so it is no longer available. There are all kinds of thank you stamps available from lots of different companies or you could even find a fun font on your computer and print it out onto card stock. The heart washi tape stamp is from the Washi This Love set from Unity Stamp Company.

To make the card, stamp “Thank You” with pool ink on a white card stock panel. Stamp the washi tape stamp with orange ink, stamping off the left edge. Layer the panel to pool card stock and attach to a white card. Attach 3 gold sequins.

A clean and simple card filled with heartfelt thanks!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

 

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Anita

I love making cookies! My Dad used to call me the Cookie Monster because I rarely meet a cookie I don’t like! 🍪 🙂

If you don’t have time to bake several cookie sheets full of cookies, but still want that fresh, homemade taste, cookie bars are the answer! Mix up the dough, press it into the pan, and put it in the oven – 25 to 30 minutes later and your cookies are done. Takes less time out of your day and you still have a tasty treat.

I found this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars here on Pinterest. You may have everything you need to make these yummy bars in your kitchen right now! The recipe says you can use semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate chips or a mixture of both. I used all semi-sweet chips because that’s what I had in my pantry. I saw some comments on the blog post from Tastes Better From Scratch about substituting peanut butter chips for half of the chocolate chips – I may have to try that next time, sounds yummy!

Here they are fresh from the oven. My kitchen smells so good!! It’s going to be hard to wait until they cool so I can sample one…

Finally cool and ready to eat!! These bars are so delicious, gooey, and chocolatey! They would be great with a cup of hot coffee or a big glass of ice-cold milk…and they have oatmeal in them so that makes them healthy, right?!?! 😉

These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars would make a great after school treat or a tasty dessert to take to your next potluck. Enjoy!!

Thank you for stopping by,

Anita

 

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Mini Crocheted Shopping Bag

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Anita

This is the cutest little shopping bag!! The pattern, which you can find here at Little Monkey Crochet, is actually a mini beach bag. I started thinking about Christmas (it will be here before we know it 😳) and thought it would be so fun to make it into a shopping bag to hold a gift card or cash. 

So…here’s my take on this cute pattern!


I used I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby in red and white. I added a sweet little gingerbread charm – you can find all sorts of fun charms at your local craft store. 

A gift card or cash fits perfectly inside with room to add a mini chocolate bar or two. 🙂

Here’s a closeup of the little gingerbread charm I added. 


These work up so quickly and add a little something extra when giving gift cards or cash. Change the color combo and charm to make the shopping bag for any occasion!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Crochet, Gifts, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday Flowers 

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Anita

The name of this stamp is Happy Happy from Unity Stamp Company so of course I needed to make a birthday card with it. 🙂

I stamped the jar with flowers on white card stock with brown ink. I colored it with Copic markers and layered the image to kraft card stock. I stamped “happy birthday” from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set from Stampin’ Up with brown ink on turquoise card stock and punched it with a word label punch. This punch is discontinued, but Stampin’ Up has a similar one here.

To put the card together, I embossed a panel of orange card stock with the Dotted Lattice embossing folder from Taylored Expressions. I attached a doily to the orange panel, overlapping the left edge and trimming the excess. I tied the panel with twine and attached it to a turquoise card. I attached the flower image with foam tape. The sentiment is attached to the card and I finished it off with two orange gems.

Change the sentiment and this would be a great thinking of you card. I’m sure whoever receives it will be Happy Happy! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Crochet V-stitch Baby Blanket

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Anita

This has been my go to pattern whenever I need to crochet a quick baby blanket. It works up very quickly using worsted weight yarn in a simple v-stitch. Any soft yarn works great. I used Lion Brand Pound of Love in Pastel Yellow to make this one. The pattern is in this booklet Crocheted Layettes for Baby from Leisure Arts. It’s a really old booklet and I was happy to see that it is still available from Amazon!! Click the link above if you’re interested in getting your very own copy. 🙂


I changed the border slightly from the pattern. The pattern has a ribbon woven through the border and although it looks pretty, it makes me a little nervous to have something that could easily be pulled out by a sweet baby. So I simply added another row of the 2nd border row listed in the pattern. Here’s a closer picture of what my border looks like.

This is such a fun pattern to work with. And it’s one of those “mindless” patterns, so once you get started you can watch your favorite show on Netflix and just crochet away!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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