Creating Me

Winter Hello Card

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Christmas in July continues with a fun snowman card! This can be used as a Christmas card or to send a Winter Hello. It would also make a great birthday card for a winter birthday. ☃️

The stamp set I used is Holiday Hello from Unity Stamp Company. The dies I used to die cut the image and layering pieces are from the Diagonal Stitched Squares die set from Pink Fresh Studios.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I stamped the snowman using Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink on white card stock. I colored the image with Copic markers and added a little clear glitter glue to the snow. The image is die cut with the Diagonal Stitched Square dies and layered to a red card stock square cut from the same die set. (These are the numbers of Copic marker colors I used: B02, B04, C1, C2, G82, G84, R27, R46, Y19, YR68) I stamped the “hello” with red ink on white card stock, punched it with an oval punch (this is a similar one), and layered it to a scalloped oval punched (this is a similar punch) from blue card stock.

To assemble the card, I attached a panel of red polka dot paper to a red card. I die cut a piece of blue card stock using the Diagonal Stitched Square dies and attached it to the card. I attached the snowman image to the card using foam tape and added the greeting with foam tape, too.

Just in case you were wondering, I love this adhesive and the refills for card making. And foam tape is a must for adding dimension to your cards! These would also make great stocking stuffers for you or the paper crafter in your life. 😉

I hope this card inspires you to get a head start on your Christmas card making. Don’t forget to pin it to your card making or paper crafting Pinterest board using the button below!

Happy Stamping!

Anita

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Stamping, Uncategorized | Tagged Cards, Christmas, Stamping | 5 Comments

Christmas Tree Reverse Canvas

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Today’s Christmas in July project is a reverse canvas using a simple Christmas tree ornament. I love how fun and inexpensive it is to take a regular stretched canvas and completely change how it looks!

To make the Christmas Tree Reverse Canvas, you’ll need a 5 by 7 inch stretched canvas, a wood Christmas tree ornament, some wood stain, chalk or acrylic paint in green, mustard, and brown, natural jute twine, and your hot glue gun. If your ornament doesn’t have a star shape on the top, you may want to add a small wood star.

I had the ornament in my stash that I purchased from the Christmas crafts section last year at Dollar Tree – but I’ve noticed some stores are bringing out their Christmas merchandise already 😳 so you may be able to find some now. I picked up my canvas from Dollar Tree. I used chalk paint to paint my tree because I had the colors I wanted to use, but acrylic paint will work great, too. This is a great set of acrylic colors if you want to add a variety to your craft room. The wood stain I had was left over from another project. Since the canvas was $1.00 and the ornament was in a package of 5 for $1.00 and I had all my other supplies on hand, this was a super inexpensive project to make 🙂

First you’ll need to remove the canvas from the wood frame it is wrapped around. I used a screwdriver to gently pry the staple from the frame. Be careful doing this – it can be a little hard to get the edge of the screwdriver under the staple at first! Here is how it will look once the canvas is removed.

Then you’ll need to trim the canvas down because you will be glueing it to the back of the wood frame. You can cut just inside of the crease and it will be the perfect size to glue to the frame.

Use your wood stain with a paper towel to stain all the surfaces of the wood frame. Then hot glue your trimmed canvas to the back of the frame to cover up the holes from the staples. I wanted the oatmeal colored (back) side of the canvas to show through my frame but you can also glue it the other way if you prefer the white (front) side of the canvas.

I painted the front and edges of my tree ornament with 2 coats of green, mustard, and brown paint, letting it dry between coats. Then I dry brushed the entire tree lightly with brown paint to give it a more rustic feel. I didn’t like the hole at the top of my ornament so I added a little sparkly enamel dot to cover it. (If you are adding a star to your tree, you’ll want to glue it on now.) Then I hot glued my tree to the canvas. To finish off my project, I cut 2 lengths of twine (about 12-inches each), tied them into a bow and hot glued it to the top of the frame.

And here it is – such a simple idea, but I love how it turned out!

There are a lot of options with this project. You could paint the frame instead of staining it. You could use a different wood Christmas ornament shape in place of the tree. You could use a larger canvas and a larger wood cutout or even a word. Or you could use a wood cutout for any season or just for your everyday decor.

Don’t forget to save this to your Christmas or craft Pinterest board using the button below!

Happy Crafting!

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Decor | Tagged Christmas, Decor, Farmhouse | 4 Comments

Crochet Mini Gift Bag

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Is it hot where you are? We are sizzlin’ here in Alabama!! But of course it is July so…

☀️🔥🥵

I’ve got another Christmas in July post for you today. These cute Mini Gift Bags are perfect for gift cards or cash – with a little extra room for some yummy chocolates! 🍫 They measure about 4.25 by 4.25 inches not including the handle, so they are also great for small gifts. 🎁

Here’s the pattern for making these fun little gift bags. They work up super fast using worsted weight (4) yarn and an H/5mm hook. I used Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek yarn in White, Red, Kale, and Mustard to stitch up my bags – any worsted weight (4) yarn will work.

Mini Crochet Gift Bag

Finished Gift Bag measures approximately 4.25 by 4.25 inches plus the handle

Worsted weight yarn in 2 colors ( I used Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek in White, Red, Kale, and Mustard)

H/5mm hook

Stitches used US terms:

Chain – ch

Single Crochet – sc

Slip Stitch – ss

Back Loop Only – blo

Double Crochet – dc

Front Post Double Crochet – fpdc

Round 1: With color A, ch 11. sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 8 ch. Work 3 sc in last ch. Working in the other side of beginning ch, sc in next 9 stitches. Work 3 sc in last stitch. Join with ss to first sc. (24 stitches)

Round 2: ch 1. sc in same stitch as ss and next 9 stitches. Work 3 stitches in next stitch. sc in next 11 stitches. Work 3 sc in next stitch. sc in next stitch. Join with ss to 1st sc. (28 stitches)

Round 3: ch 1. Working in blo, sc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around. Join with ss to first sc. (28 stitches)

Rounds 4-5: ch 2. Working in both loops, dc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around. Join with ss to first dc. (28 stitches)

Rounds 6-9: ch 2. dc in same stitch as ss. *fpdc in next stitch, dc in next stitch* Repeat from *to* around to last stitch, fpdc in last stitch. Join with ss to first dc. (28 stitches)

Round 10: ch 2. dc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around. Join with ss to first dc. (28 stitches)

Change to color B.

Round 11: ch 1. sc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around. Join with ss to first sc. (28 stitches)

The next round will make the handles to the gift bag.

Round 12: ch 1. sc in same stitch as ss and in next 3 stitches. ch 20. Skip next 4 stitches. sc in next 10 stitches. ch 20. Skip next 4 stitches. sc in next 6 stitches. Join with ss to first sc. (2 sections of 10 sc each and 2 sections of 20 ch each)

Round 13: ch 1. sc in same stitch as ss and in next 3 stitches. sc in each of the 20 ch. sc in next 10 stitches. sc in each of the 20 ch. sc in next 6 stitches. Join with ss to first sc. (60 sc stitches)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

I’ve included a link below to a free PDF for easy printing…

Mini Crochet Gift Bag Download

Of course, you can also make these bags in just one color – which would make them go even faster and you’ll have fewer ends to weave in. 😉

Be sure to save to your Pinterest Crochet Board using the button below so it will be handy when you are ready to get started.

What colors will you use to stitch up your Mini Crochet Gift Bags?

Happy Stitching!

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Crochet, Gifts | Tagged Christmas, Crochet, Gifts | 8 Comments

Wood Snowman Face Ornament

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Happy Christmas in July! 🎄☃️😊

I though it might be fun to share some crafty Christmas ideas this month to help us all get a jump on some handmade gifts and decorations for the holidays. Hopefully, the world will be in a better place by then and we will all be able to celebrate with family and friends. So we’ll want to be ready for that – not rushing around trying to finish up last minute gifts!

Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today I’m sharing this cute Wood Snowman Face Ornament that’s super fun to make. It would be a great project to make with the kids!

You’ll need wood snowflake ornaments (3-4 inches), 1-inch split wood balls, white acrylic paint, an orange and black ultra fine point sharpie, some twine, clear matte sealing spray, and a strong craft glue (I like E6000 clear adhesive).

Here are some links to supplies:

Wood snowflake ornaments (I got mine on clearance after Christmas last year. they are about 4-inches across. The linked ones are a little smaller, but I think they would still work great.)
1-inch split wood balls
White acrylic paint (this is a great set to add to your craft room)
Orange and Black Ultra Fine Point Sharpie Markers (or acrylic paint with a fine paint brush)
Natural Jute Twine
Foam brushes
Clear Matte Sealing Spray

Paint the snowflakes, both sides and the edges, with 2 to 3 coats of white paint – letting the paint dry between coats. Also paint the the split balls with 2 to 3 coats of white paint. Once the paint is completely dry, draw a snowman face on the split balls.

Using a strong adhesive, glue the snowman face to the center of the snowflake. Let dry and the spray both sides of the snowflake with the sealing spray – you’ll want to do this outside! Attach twine to hang your ornament and you’re finished!

These would be a fun addition to a snowman Christmas tree, a cute tag on a plate of homemade treats for friends, a little something for your kids to give their friends, or add it to a gift card for that great teacher.

You could also use red/white bakers twine to hang your ornaments – I think that would be so cute on a jar of peppermint hot chocolate mix for a fun gift. I’m getting so many ideas…I need to make more ornaments. 😉

Want some other fun snowman/snowflake ornaments? Check out my Wood Bead Snowman Ornaments and my Wood Snowflake Ornaments.☃️❄️

Be sure to save to your Pinterest Christmas board using the button below!

Happy Crafting!

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Gifts | Tagged Christmas | 4 Comments

Coming Soon…Christmas in July

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Just popping in with a quick post to let you know that I’m having fun working on some Christmas in July posts! 🎄

As makers we all know just how fast time flies, so I thought I might be able to help you get a jump on your Christmas crafting with some ideas this month.

Here are a few sneak peeks of what I’m working on…

I’m hoping to have posts with card/tag making, crochet, and crafting along with some ideas included for gifting your creations.

I hope you’ll join me and get started on your holiday crafting, too!

See you soon! 🎄

Anita

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Crochet, Gifts, Stamping | Tagged Cards, Christmas, Crochet, Gifts, Stamping | Leave a comment

Crochet Double-Sided Tulle Dish Scrubby

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Have you ever crocheted with tulle? This was my first time and it was much easier than I thought it would be. 🙂 You just kind of scrunch the tulle down so you can fit it on your hook as you go along and then crochet just as you would with yarn.

I designed a simple Double-Sided Tulle Dish Scrubby and included the pattern below if you’d like to make your own. It’s about 4-1/2 inches in diameter, so there’s plenty to hold onto while you use it. It also matches my Crochet Square Dishcloth in this post.

You’ll need 6-inch wide tulle and an N/9or10mm hook. I found my tulle at Hobby Lobby. This great assortment of 10 colors on Amazon would be so fun to mix and match!

Here’s a close up of what I mean by “scrunching” the tulle down to crochet with it.

Here’s my super easy pattern…

Crochet Double-Sided Tulle Dish Scrubby

6-inch wide tulle in 2 colors (about 12 yards of each color)

N/9mm hook

Large eye blunt end needle for weaving in ends

Stitches used US terms:

Chain – ch

Slip Stitch – ss

Half Double Crochet – hdc

Double Crochet – dc

Note: Chains at beginning of rounds do not count as a stitch.

Ch 3, ss in 1st ch to form a ring.

Round 1: ch 1. work 12 hdc in the ring. Join with ss to 1st sc. (12 stitches)

Round 2: ch 2. work 2 dc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around. Join with ss to 1st dc. (24 stitches)

Round 3: ch 1. work 1 hdc in same stitch as ss. * 2 hdc in next stitch, hdc in next stitch * Repeat from *to* around to last stitch. 2 hdc in last stitch. Join with ss to 1 st hdc. (36 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Make another scrubby from 2nd color of tulle but DO NOT fasten off after round 3. Weave in end at beginning of 2nd scrubby.

Place wrong sides of scrubbies together, lining up stitches, and ss through both layers all the way around. Fasten off and weave in end.

Here’s a free PDF for easy printing…

Crochet Double-Sided Tulle Dish Scrubby Download

Be sure to save to your Pinterest Crochet board using the button below!

I hope you enjoy this pattern! If you haven’t crocheted with tulle yet, give it a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Happy Stitching!

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Gifts | Tagged Crochet, Gifts | 15 Comments

Crochet Square Dishcloth

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Can we ever have enough crochet dishcloths? They are quick to make, are a great stash buster, and make a fun gift when you want to give a little something. Roll them up and tie with twine or a pretty ribbon and put them in a pretty jar or basket – a useful and pretty gift. 🙂

There are a lot of crochet patterns out there – I even have several on my blog (type “dishcloth” in the search bar on the right to find them). This one is just a little different from my other patterns. It has a center square in one color with a wide border in another, making it the perfect pattern for using up those left over bits of cotton yarn in your stash.

Crochet Square Dishcloth

Finished dishcloth measures approximately 7 by 7 inches

I Love This Cotton yarn in 2 colors (I used Curry, Aqua, and White)

H/5mm hook

Stitches used US terms:

Foundation Double Crochet – fdc

Double Crochet – dc

Single Crochet – sc

Chain – ch

Slip Stitch – ss

Begin with color A

Row 1: work 15 fdc. Turn. (15 stitches)

Rows 2-8: ch 2 (counts as first dc) Skip first stitch. dc in next stitch and in each stitch across. Turn. (15 stitches)

Do Not Turn after Row 8.

Begin working in rounds.

Round 1: ch 1. Work 13 sc along end of rows. Work 3 sc in the corner. sc in next 13 stitches. Work 3 sc in the corner. Work 13 sc along end of rows. Work 3 sc in the corner. sc in next 13 stitches. Work 3 sc in the corner. Join with ss to first sc. (64 stitches)

Change to color B

Rounds 2-7: ch 1. sc in same stitch as ss and in each stitch around, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with ss to first sc. (112 stitches at the end of Round 6)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Here’s a free PDF for easy printing…

Crochet Square Dishcloth Download

Be sure to save to your Pinterest Crochet board using the button below!

This is a great video for learning the Foundation Double Crochet Stitch. You will love how this gives you a great looking edge at the beginning of your project.

I used I Love This Cotton Yarn to make my dishcloths. I love how soft it is and it comes in so many colors. Need new hooks? This looks like a nice set.

What colors will you make your Square Dishcloths?

Happy Stitching!

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Gifts | Tagged Crochet, Gifts | 6 Comments

Fun and Easy Birthday Cards

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

I pulled out some of my older stamps to make some Fun and Easy Birthday Cards. Sometimes it’s fun to look through the things you haven’t used in a long time and remember why you bought them in the first place. They can spark inspiration where you least expect it! 🙂

The card below was made using Birthday Wishes Peeps from Unity Stamps – and it’s still available! This is a similar embossing folder to the one I used. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock and colored it with Copic markers. I trimmed the image and layered it to blue card stock. I embossed a panel of green card stock, then layered it to a white card. I added the stamped image to the card with foam tape.

The next card was made using some older stamps and dies from Hero Arts. But I found this great Birthday Balloon stamp set and matching Birthday Balloon die that would work great! I stamped the balloons with coral and green ink on white card stock and then die cut them with the balloon die. I embossed a panel with a Falling Snow embossing folder similar to this one, layered it to a piece of coral card stock, and attached the panel to a white card. I stamped the sentiment with coral ink on white card stock (here’s a similar stamp) and punched it with an oval punch. I attached the sentiment and 2 balloons to the card, then I attached the 3rd balloon with foam tape. I drew 3 strings with a black pen to finish the card.

This card is made with another older stamp from Hero Arts. Any fun balloon stamp will work – there are some cute ones in this set. I stamped the balloon with green ink on white card stock, trimmed it, and layered it to striped paper. I embossed a panel of blue card stock with a large circle embossing folder (here’s a similar one). I tied the panel with green and white twine and attached it to a white card. Then I attached the stamped image with foam tape.

These were fun to make! So look through your stamps and supplies. Pull out the ones you haven’t used in forever and let your imagination go – you might surprise yourself with how much you’ve missed using them. 🙂

Happy Stamping!

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping | Tagged Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

Alton Brown’s Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

I love peanut butter and will eat just about anything made with it! 😋 When I stumbled across the recipe for Alton Brown’s Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies I knew I would have to try them!

This is a super easy recipe made without flour so it’s great if you need to avoid gluten. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen to make these yummy cookies right now.

You can find the recipe here.

The recipe only makes about 16 cookies and I needed more than that so I doubled it. I also mixed up the dough in my KitchenAid Mixer (this is the one I have and I Love it!! I use it all the time) to make it a little easier than using a wooden spoon or spatula. The recipe calls for lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper, but I didn’t have any. I used my silicone baking mats (these are similar to mine) which I use every time I bake cookies – I highly recommend using them! A cookie scoop is another handy tool for your kitchen. Saves time and helps make your cookies more uniform in size.

Before and after baking…

These cookies are incredibly soft and chewy! And they smell amazing while they are baking! The peanut butter lovers in your family will love them with a big glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee!

Happy Baking!

Anita

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Recipe | 2 Comments

Vintage-Look Chalk Painted Salt and Pepper Shakers

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Anita

Hi friends,

Do you like the vintage look? There are so many fun things available that you can add to your decor to get the look just by altering them a little – even if they are new! 🙂 I found these cute salt and pepper shakers at my local grocery store and I just loved the detail on them. And they were only $3.00!! They look so cute just the way they are, but I decided to change them up a bit…

All you need is a little chalk paint and you can completely change the look of almost anything. I used DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting (white) to paint my salt and pepper shakers. I painted 2 coats, letting it dry completely between coats. I like using these chip brushes to apply the paint.

The left picture is after the first coat, the right picture is after the second coat.

Once the 2nd coat was dry, I used FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in Rich Black to dry brush over the detail on the salt and pepper shakers. I used a chip brush to apply the paint. Dip your chip brush into a small amount of paint and then brush most of the paint onto a paper towel so your chip brush is mostly “dry”. Brush back and forth over the raised area of the shaker to bring out the design. Repeat the process until you get the look you want. This adds so much detail to your project!

I really love the way they turned out! I will be using them simply as a decoration. Chalk paint will come off a glass surface if it gets wet – which can be a good thing of you don’t like how it looks. Just scrub it off and start over!