April 2025

I wonder if any other craft bloggers will relate to what happened when I showed my boys the cute marshmallow valentines I created. They were, um, less than enthused to give them to their classmates and suddenly spouted out ideas of their own. 
I could have gotten upset and insisted they use what I made, but instead I decided to use it as a chance to craft with my kids. I mean, they see me do it all the time, why not let them help? 
So despite all the fun printables and cute ideas out there, here’s what we came up with to hand out at their class parties on Friday. I think they fit their personalities perfectly and they’ve loved helping!
My oldest is obsessed with Minecraft. Have a kid like that? He has read all the books and whenever he gets into a conversation with friends about it, he always teaches them something new. So a Minecraft Valentine was just what he wanted to give his friends. 
I cut out lots of green hearts on my Silhouette and he colored in a creeper face, signed his name and taped on a Blow Pop. (apparently Blow Pops are THE best candy since it lasts the longest, sucker and gum!) What an easy Valentine!

My youngest is obsessed with puppies and bugs. Since the bugs are ‘hibernating’ right now, he wanted a cute puppy valentine. We browsed Pinterest for awhile, but surprisingly there aren’t a lot of puppy valentines that aren’t super old-fashioned looking! We finally stumbled across a greeting card that we turned into a cute valentine.

I cut out tan and brown hearts for the puppy’s face, turn them upside down.

Then get ready to cut out the same amount of hearts for your ears, and either use the Cut tool on the Silhouette software to slice them in half, or cut out whole hearts and cut them in half for each ear piece. Glue all ear pieces on top of the upside down heart. (he had so much fun putting these together!)
Lastly add face details. I didn’t have enough googly eyes for his whole class so we just drew them on. We used those little sticky rhinestones for noses and then signed his name and added some Twix on the back. They really are so dog-gone cute!

So we’re all ready for the Valentine’s madness on Friday, are you? 

We’re also having an AWESOME giveaway for Valentine’s Day. How does $550 sound? Click here to go and enter, we’d love one of our readers to win!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

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How many of you remember my bathroom makeover using Cutting Edge Stencils? I still get so many compliments and it looks as good as it did when I first put it up!


Cutting Edge Stencils contacted us a few weeks ago to see if we were interested in trying any of their new products. Um, yes! Valerie is in the middle of a bedroom/bathroom remodel and she found the perfect stencil to use. Look for her results in the near future. 


My interest was peaked when they were featuring card sized stencils for crafting projects! You know how much I love making my own cards, so I had to give it a try.


I picked the Birch Forest stencil. I’ve always loved this one but couldn’t commit to doing a whole room with it. A card is the perfect place for some trees! On the Cutting Edge website it shows a lot of cards that were painted on or maybe even inked with stamper pads. I wanted to go for a different look so I decided I was going to use the stencil and a pen to trace outlines of trees.


I tried a red pen on white card stock. I tried black pen on tan card stock. And then I tried a white pen on black card stock and I love how it looked!


Now that I had the perfect setting for my card it was time for my creativity to kick in. I am most likely going to use this for an upcoming wedding, so I cut out some cute little birds on my Silhouette, used crafting wire for a nest, stamps for my words and a button brad to pull it all together! Now for a review of the stencil. I love how sturdy the Cutting Edge Stencils are. Even this one was very easy to work with. I didn’t find myself slipping and making mistakes, even when I was trying multiple color combinations. I was, however, surprised at the size of the stencil. My card is your standard 4×6 size, and the stencil is obviously much larger. I could only use a portion of the stencil for the card. If you’re interested in using their card stencils, they have two sizes, card and page. I think I was sent the page size instead of the card size, so be sure to pick accordingly. Still, I made it work and love the results!
You can see the entire collection of card stencils here, and be sure to check out everything they have to offer! I’ve been wanting to brave my textured walls and try another wall stencil again!
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Welcome to another Sisters’ Challenge!  Keep reading after our project for a fun giveaway!
This month I challenged Laura and myself to use fabric in a project.  The catch was, there was no (or very minimal) sewing allowed!


I came up with a great scrap-buster that makes a great gift for a new bride as well: Fabric-Wrapped Kitchen Utensils!

I chose these fun, brightly-colored rubber spatulas from Walmart.  You could also use wooden spoons or other similar utensils.





SUPPLIES NEEDED: 
Utensils of choice
Fabric scraps and scissors
Mod Podge
Paintbrush



This is such an easy gift to make! 

•  First, determine how long you want your scraps to be (or how much of the handle you want to cover).  Mine are about four inches long.  Trim your scraps to fit your utensil handles.  Make sure you have nice even edges with no stray strings.

• Apply a coat of Mod-Podge to the utensil.  Since mine are flat, I just did one side first.

• Use your finger to smooth one edge of your fabric on top of your Mod-Podge.  Then carefully wrap your fabric tightly around the handle to the other side.  

• Place a nice thick coat of Mod-Podge on top of your fabric where the ends will overlap.  Again, use your fingers to pull your fabric tight, then smooth down onto the glue. 

• Once your fabric is the way you want it, cover the whole fabric piece with a thick coat of Mod-Podge, paying careful attention to the top and bottom.  This will help seal it against water when washing. (It goes without saying that these are hand-wash only, right? )

• Let your utensils dry completely.  The fabric handles should be stiff to the touch.

Just for fun, I used my precision engraver to engrave some words onto some of the spatulas.  I think it’s kind of cute.
Now I have a few sets just waiting to be given away!  Or maybe I’ll keep some for myself!  (I have found you can never have enough rubber spatulas!)



Now for the giveaway:  I’m teaming up with some Arizona bloggers to celebrate the new year with one of the hottest toys of 2015.  You can’t find this anywhere for an acceptable price- trust me, we’ve looked!  
That’s right- we have a LEGO Elsa’s Ice Castle and we are giving it to one of you!



Simply enter via Rafflecopter below.  I am so jealous that you all have a chance to win this- my daughter would pretty much do anything for this set!  Spread the word and good luck!  (And don’t forget to come back tomorrow to see what project Laura made using fabric!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Affiliate links may be used in this post.  

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I am the Primary President at my church, which means I am in charge of the children’s Sunday School at my church.  Each January we kick off a new theme.  This year, the theme is “I Know the Scriptures are True”.  I made this sign to display on our front table each week. I bought a cheap plywood board at the craft store, then used scrapbook paper and Mod Podge for the background.  I’m sure you could use any scrap wood you have around- even a 2×4 block or something similar.  The words are vinyl, cut with my Silhouette, but you could certainly use letter stickers or stencil them on. I’m excited to study the scriptures this year with the children, and I love that one of my creations can be a reminder for them each week at church.

Linking up to some of these parties.  Hope your new year is off to a great start!

You’ve probably noticed a theme in my posts by now. I am cheap frugal. When you are a crafter, it can be a serious addiction! Having a wreath for every season, a decoration for every holiday and times in between can be expensive. So I do my best to stay in control and make amazing things inexpensively. 
I am definitely in lack of Easter decor so I took a trip to my local thrift store, which totally rocks, and perused through their Easter section, digging and looking for something I could turn into a great decoration. Boy did I find some awesome stuff! 
First was this wreath for $3. It was a great starting point with an awful ribbon which was EASY to fix!





Then I found this wooden bunny with fabric ears. Since the ears came out easily I felt like I could redo this and make it even cuter. I also found a tree and a new box to stick it in to hide the fading pastel basket.


So a brief explanation of what I decided to do with these elements. I removed the bunny’s ears, sanded and painted it a dark grey. Then I searched through my stash of fabrics to find something easter-y, but a bit more modern for new ears. I settled on two complimenting fabrics and…. wait for it…. attempted to sew. You guys, I am NOT a sewer. I made my pillow in 6th grade and that was it. I knew when I bought this bunny that sewing was going to have to happen. I dusted off my old Singer that I got at a garage sale, managed to fix the bobbin, and replicated the ears that already came with my bunny. I did that by tracing the old ears on to my two fabrics, and cut about a 1/4 inch around my lines to leave room for error. You can see I didn’t cut them evenly. I placed right sides together and sewed around the ear, leaving a hole so i could reach in and turn it inside out. Thankfully nothing snagged or got stuck, so it was success on the first try. I turned it inside out and fed it through the hole in my bunny’s head, creating two ears. I didn’t even sew up the hole since it’s mashed up inside his head, lol!  I’m SO proud of myself!
The last touch was to cover up the old basket that holds the wire tree. I stuck it inside the green box and shredded some grey cardstock in my paper shredder to create new grass. Then I threw a few dollar store eggs on my tree and it was done! I love how it came out!





My grand total for all of this (including the wreath) was $7. Seven dollars! You can’t beat that.  Now head to your thrift store and see what you can create!

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Thank you, Jessica from Running With Scissors.  I love the bird pillow cover she designed and wanted to do a version of it for my entryway bench.  I chose to do things a little differently than her tutorial, but again, a huge shout-out for providing the pattern FREE! To start with, I wanted a white pillow cover.  Well, I found this Restyle pillow form at Target for $4.99- so I bought it and decided to forgo a cover and do my design directly on the pillow.

Instead of using freezer paper stenciling, I chose to use my Silhouette and cut a heat transfer image.  For detailed instructions, the Silhouette blog has great tutorials for all their projects.

I used Paint to slightly tweak the design, then change her image into a JPEG file.  I then uploaded it to my Silhouette software.  I then changed the image to an outline. I then mirrored the image horizontally, since I am using it with heat transfer. I cut it out on my trusty Silhouette, then removed the negative space around the image, which left me with this. I then ironed it on to my pillow, following the instructions on the box. From there on, instead of sewing the fabric leaves on, I used Heat N Bond to iron them on. I love it!  Since I used scraps from other pillows, I have a real “collection” of pillows.
This project was SO EASY because of my Silhouette!  And, since I had all the materials on hand, the total cost was $4.99- the cost of the pillow form. If you don’t have a craft cutter, start saving up for one!  I initially balked at getting one since I don’t scrapbook or make cards.  But I use it all the time for home decor and gifts, and I use it for things such as gift tags, baby shower favors and decorations, church activities, and handouts.  Where I might spend have previously spent $25 on a gift for someone, now I spend a fraction of that on supplies for a homemade gift.  Seriously- research it.  Think about it.  Buy one.  You’ll be glad you did.

I love getting ready for Christmas!  Our tree is up, the decorations are out, and I’m trying to fit in some time for crafting in between all the craziness that is “the holidays.”
My kids have a holiday concert, our church has a Christmas party, I’m in charge of our women’s group Christmas dinner, there are cards to go out, etc.  Oh- and we’re going to DISNEYLAND on the 20th!  So I have to plan all that, PLUS continue to help with homework, be the taxi driver, teach piano lessons, etc.  I’m tired just thinking about the month ahead.  Anyone else?
If you need a break, go catch up on the 25 Days of Christmas Series at {I Love} My Disorganized Life, where Rachel is featuring projects from other bloggers!

I’m posting TODAY, sharing a tutorial to make this adorable Scrappy Stocking Ornament.  

You’ll have to click over for the how-to– and to find out my new favorite holiday snack!
Have a great week! 

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Three Ways to Use Eggnog!
(other than just drinking it by the carton…)


Eggnog is an interesting seasonal treat. You either love it or you hate it. Some like it thin, some like it thick. Some add alcohol, some just detest it. But the interesting thing about it is you can’t add it to as many things as you can pumpkin. I mean pumpkin has become the new medium to add anything and everything to, and most of it is amazing. Eggnog, well, not all eggnog flavored things are as good as the original. So here are a few very simple ways I’ve found to use eggnog as an accessory!


1. Eggnog French Toast- I was messing around one day and decided to dip my bread in a mixture of eggnog, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny bit of milk (since our eggnog is really thick). I dusted a little powdered sugar on and let me tell you, it was delicious! You have to try it!



2. Eggnog Hot Chocolate- This one is simple and tasty. Make your hot chocolate as usual (I am a huge Stephen’s fan!). Once it’s ready add just a touch of eggnog and stir it in. Mmmm….





3. Eggnog Pumpkin Pie- We found this recipe a few years ago and have made it at every Thanksgiving since! This makes two pies, so feel free to halve it. 

One pie has the topping, the other does not

Eggnog Pumpkin pie

1 large can pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cups eggnog 

scant 1 1/3 cups white sugar

6 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp cinnamon

scant tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla extract

Either prepare your pie crusts or take them out of the freezer to thaw, and preheat the oven to 375.

In a large bowl, beat all the above ingredients. Once the mixture is well-blended, pour evenly between two unbaked pie crusts. bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile: in a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup)

1/8 tsp kosher salt

After the pies have baked 30 minutes, sprinkle this mixture evenly over both pies. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until pies are puffed and still a bit jiggly. Cool several hours and serve either at room temp or chilled. 

I know there are some more great eggnog recipes out there. How do you use your eggnog?

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I don’t have very many patriotic decorations. I made this wreath last year, and that’s pretty much it! Considering my husband has been in the Army 7 years now, you’d think I’d have a little more of that around the house. 


I found this blank board at Michael’s and knew it would be perfect to fit one of my favorite patriotic phrases on, and and hang on my new door post

This isn’t a full tutorial, but I will share the basic steps for making something like this too. You will need:

• Some sort of electronic cutter like a Silhouette or Cricut 
• Wood to place your phrase on
• Vinyl
• Transfer tape/contact paper
• Paint
• Painters tape
• Stars
• Glitter!
• Twine

I also found this fun type of glitter. Have you used this before? Tiny little metallic beads! It’s messy, but created a really fun metal finish for my sign!

 

I measured my board and cut vinyl lettering to use as a stencil. I painted the board white since I wanted the lettering to end up white. By placing vinyl letters over the white paint, and then painting red and blue over the vinyl it would leave the areas under the vinyl white!Then I don’t have to worry about vinyl peeling off in the outdoors, and it creates a nice smooth finish.

I’m looking forward to this Fourth of July because not only do I get to hear my husband play with the band (1812 overture with artillery!), but my sister is coming into town to visit that weekend too! Love summer!

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I’m pretty sure I’ve discussed my general lack of sewing skills and downright fear of trying new things.  So, really, I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided that I could make a purse.

I won a free pattern from Linda at Ruffled Begonia (better known as the blog author of Craftaholics Anonymous).  I chose the Layla Bag Pattern, which is available for purchase here.  It’s pretty adorable, don’t you think?

I decided to also be brave and order designer fabric for this project.  I had a vision in my head of what I wanted this purse to be, and regular old fabric from Joann wasn’t going to cut it this time.  I found this Citron Gray Color Story from Michael Miller and fell in love.  It took me awhile to choose which fabrics I wanted the most.  It’s just gorgeous. Anyway, while I waited for my fabric to arrive, I decided to test out the pattern on some scraps.  I knew I would screw something up, and really didn’t want to waste my “good” fabric.  Does anyone else do this or I am I just totally neurotic?  Anyway, I’m so glad I did, because my ruffles weren’t sewed on evenly, I stitched my top strip on incorrectly, and I totally messed up the pocket (of all things).  (All user error, I assure you.  The pattern and directions are easy to follow).  When my fabric came, I took my time and made sure to correct all my mistakes. Now, it is my second first attempt at a purse, so there are definitely some imperfections, but overall, I LOVE how it turned out.  A little more Michael Miller for the inside: The fabrics work perfectly with the pattern.  I get compliments every time I “take it out”, which unfortunately, isn’t often since I still usually have a toddler with me wherever I go.
Thanks so much for the pattern Linda.  I love my purse so much I’m linking up to Purse Week over at A Lemon Squeezy Home.    I’m also linking up to some of these parties.  I’m pretty proud of myself for making my first purse. Now, which bag should I try next?