Dragonfly Designs

Keeping It Real ~ An Age Old Question

2012-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

I need your help!

It's time to change it up so...

Blonde or brunette?

Long or short?

What do think?
Or maybe I'll dye it pink and spike it.
My kids would think that it's cool!

One For The Boys ~ Blanket Forts!

2012-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

It is our final day of One For the Boys ~ Boredom Busters.

Today Sky from Capital B is here to share some blanket fort making tips. Sky is the super sweet momma to four busy boys! And she always seems to have some kind of cool boy related project on the go. Take it away Sky!

Hello, Hello Twin Dragonfly Designs readers! I am Sky from a small, fun blog called Capital B. I have two little boys of my own and two older stepsons, so it's a boy's life! I blog about the crafty things I enjoy and about the simple goodness of our family life.

I consider Heather one of my bloggy besties - we comment often on each other's stuff and I love her ideas and style! Awhile back I posted about how we can't seem to go a day without building some sort of blanket fort around our house and she asked if I'd share a bit more "adventures in blanket fort building" for her Winter Boredom Busters! I know these pics will speak for themselves- it's not rocket science- but I'll add some notes for good measure :)

Start with a frame made out of whatever you have- chairs, couches, stools, etc.
My boys are rather impatient, so these pics are by all means NOT perfect!

Here I have four chairs set up:

Then stretch a fitted sheet over your frame.

I got the idea to use a fitted sheet from Allison at All for the Boys.

Why I hadn't thought of it before, I don't know,

but I do know that it works TONS better than a normal blanket or sheet for the foundation!

Then grab the long stick of your broom

(or something else slim and tall) to prop up to droopy middle.

I like using a pillow underneath to create some give for when the boys bump into it in there

and create a bit more height and room.

If you're using your couch as part of your frame,

it works great in-between the cushions too!

Now drape blankets around the outside to cover up the holes and create "walls":

I like leaving a couple little "windows" to let in some light:

Here's our finished product!

Each time it looks a bit different :)

Looks smallish to me in this pic, but there really is quite a lot of room-

I can usually play with both boys inside no problem!

Maybe it's really just a jail cell ;)

This one wasn't all that dark with the windows, but my little guys really like

playing with flashlights or glowsticks or whatever toys that light up once they are inside:

Simple, good times!

Thanks again for having me, Heather!

Thank YOU Sky! Be sure to visit Sky at Capital B and share the love. Thanks for joining us for One For The Boys this week! I'm already looking forward to our next installment coming this Spring / Summer called "Take It Outside". Stay tuned!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

One For The Boys ~ Simple Car Mat

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

It is Day 4 of One For the Boys ~ Boredom Busters.

We have Mandy from Sugar Bee Crafts here today. Mandy is one uber talented momma. She is super creative and has a TON of fabulous projects on her blog {one of my daily reads}. Please welcome Mandy!

Hi Everyone!! What a great idea for a series - One For the Boys - I love it! I am Mandy from Sugar Bee Crafts

I have 4 kiddos and love to craft and blog (obviously!) - - I feel like if I can do something, then you can too!!

Today I'm showing off my Simple Car Mat (you can find even more pictures at that link...didn't want to bombard you here) -

I came across this fabric on clearance at my local quilt shop and thought why make the car mat when I can just use this! And so it did - waaay simple and easy. I'm not sure what the fabric is called, but it's Michael Miller. And it's perfect - it has houses, a school, airport, gas station, the works.

Here's a quick how to make a car mat using fabric.

First up, the pocket: Cut 2 sqaures. Sew a piece of velcro on to the square that will be the inside of the pocket.

Then with right sides together sew around the top and 2 sides (you don't need to sew the bottom) and turn it right-side out. I then top-stitched the top edge to make it look nice.

Find out where on the mat you'd like the pocket. Sew a piece of velcro on that will match the placement of the velcro on the pocket.

Then put the pocket on and sew the sides. Don't sew the top or you won't be able to open it. You don't need to sew the bottom because that edge will be sewed when you add the backing fabric.

Pocket is done. Now just add the backing fabric. I picked something kind of stiff, but I'm sure anything will work. Cut it the size of the road fabric and put them right sides together. For handles I used bias tape becaue I had it laying around. MISTAKE WARNING: do not put your handles like the picture shows - the handle part should be IN and the two ends poking out of the seams. Because right now it's inside out. I sewed it like shown - oops! - and had to seam rip and redo. I also put a loop of elastic thread on one side.

Then just turn it right side out. I topstitched all the way around after turning it so that it would close my turning hole and reinforce the handles.

You're done - I love simple projects!

Do you have micro-machines sitting around?? They are the PERFECT size. --just remember, micro-machines are probably a 3 years and older type of toy, so watch your toddlers when they play with them--

And they all fit snuggly and easily into the pocket parking. (I thought about making each car a compartment, but this was easier, for me sewing it and for playing with it)

Oh, I forgot to tell you I sewed on a button - that's what the loop of elastic thread was for - to hold it shut when it was folded and ready to be transported:

He loves driving on it...

Thanks for having me! Check out my blog for more fabulous boys projects, like:

Rubberband Guns

Wizard Wands

Faux Boys' Tie

Thanks Mandy! Be sure to swing by Sugar Bee Crafts and give Mandy some love! And come back tomorrow for more Boredom Busters ~ Blanket Fort style.

20 Boredom Busters For Boys

2012-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

It is Day 3 of One For the Boys ~ Boredom Busters.
We have gotten creative with some fun projects and guest posts intended to keep our boys busy during the cold winter months! Be sure to follow along!

Today I've rounded up some of my favorite activities to do with boys. Please add your ideas in the comments section ~ I would love to share them on Facebook.

1. Recycled Activities

Keep them busy with cardboard boxes, egg cartons and milk containers.

2. Paper Airplanes

My boys have been thrilled to color a piece of paper and have us fold it into a paper airplane for them.

Have older children fold their own and see which flies better.

3. Alphabet Rocks

Have children sort them by color, letter or shape. Practice spelling their name.

4. Pair Matching Game

Match lower and upper case letters. Practice the alphabet. Play Go Fish.

5. Crazy Forts

Use this fun fort building system to create igloos and rocket ships with just a sheet. I scored mine at a Thrift Store for $7.99.

6. Movie Night In from Homemaking Fun

We often have popcorn and movie marathon nights.

7. Epic Camp Out

Build a tent in the living room, roast smores over a candle and gaze at the stars.

8. Blanket Fort from Capital B

Use what you have {tables, chairs, blankets} to build blanket forts.

9. Reading Nook

Create a fun space to encourage quiet reading and imaginative play.

10. Soft Swords

Have them duke it out with these soft and not so dangerous swords.

11. Angry Birds Bowling from 733

Get creative with some cans or bottles and a ball.

12. Tape Race Track

Apply painters tape to everything in the house and have the boys drive around.

13. Cooking With Kids

Cook with them. Get messy.

14. Fabric Marble Maze

Create a fabric marble maze to build fine motor skills.

15. Hot Wheels Wall Tracks

My guys LOVE this system! It keeps them busy for hours and it doesn't take up floor space.

16. Cheerio Bird Feeders

Build bird feeders to hang outside then "spy" on the birds from inside.

17. Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Create an indoor scavenger hunt. Use photos for younger children.

18. Marble Maze

This is another toy that my boys love. Found at a Thrift Store for $5.99.

19. Card and Board Games

Introduce a family game night. Make it more frequent during the winter. I Spy are simple, portable card games that my kids enjoy.

20. Puffy Paint

Set up an art day. Start with Puffy Paint bunnies!

What are some of the things that you do to keep your guys busy?

Linking to these parties.

Inspiring Creativity

2012-02-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Inspiring Creativity!!

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us each week.

New to Dragonfly Designs?

Please grab a button and share the love!

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Our most viewed link from last week was...

another fabulous kids art project from Spittin Toad. Thanks for linking up Denise!

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/tealfeaturedbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

The rules are...that there are no rules!!!Thanks for linking up!

One For The Boys ~ Quick Reading Nook

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

It is Day 2 of One For the Boys ~ Boredom Busters.
We have gotten creative with some fun projects and guest posts intended to keep our boys busy as we wait for Spring! Be sure to follow along!

Today I'm sharing a Quick Reading Nook that I put together for my kids.

This little nook is located in our office/storage room. To the left of this photo is storage under the stairs and I'm sitting at my desk taking these pictures. Really it just demonstrates that you can create a space like this just about anywhere. I love that my kids have a place to read quietly while I'm working.

I utilized some books, pillows and stuffed animals from the boys' bedroom. As well as a found curbside bookshelf.

I purchased a soft mat at a thrift store. And created a floor pillow that says "read".

I also made a pocket pillow for books and a larger throw pillow to tie into the wall covering.

I hung a large piece of fabric from my stash to cover the back wall and painted A Very Hungry Caterpillar for the other wall.

My guys love this book. They quote what the caterpillar ate {not quite correctly} all the time. I sketched my idea onto a canvas. Painted a pear. Added a caterpillar and finally outlined with verses from the book in sharpie.

A Quick Reading Nook can be created anywhere. I find that my boys really enjoy exploring new places and spaces. Maybe yours would too?!

p.s The total cost of this nook? $5.99 for the carpet!

Thanks for following along. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for 20 Boredom Busters for Boys.

Linking here.

One For The Boys ~ Pear Matching Game

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

It is Day 1 of One For the Boys ~ Boredom Busters. The reason for this series is simply that we are all going a little stir crazy with the winter weather. Here in Kelowna we have had little to no snow. The temperatures are either too freezing cold to play outside or so warm that the backyard becomes a squishy, muddy mess. So we have gotten creative with some fun projects and guest posts intended to keep our boys busy inside! Be sure to follow along!

Today I'm going to show you how to create this fun little matching came, complete with it's own carrying case. First we're going to make pairs of alphabet glass beads.

You will need:

Mod Podge

Paint Brush

52 Glass Beads

26 Uppercase letters

26 Lowercase letters

I created a quick printable that you can get here. I just printed it 5x7" photo size and it worked for my small glass beads. You could use your favorite word processing program or even letter stickers instead. Please use caution when making this for younger children as the small bead size could be a choking hazard.

Cut or punch out all 52 letters and mod podge them to the underside of the beads.

To play, children will simply match the lower case letter with the upper case letter, creating pairs of letters. We also played Go Fish which was a hit with the kiddos!

This is a perfect activity for my four year olds. It will help them with letter recognition and build fine motor skills. It is a game that can grow with them as well. They can eventually organize the alphabet, spell names and group vowels.

Matching pairs of letters led me to creating this pear bag. Pair, pear.. sometimes I'm the only one who thinks that I'm funny! LOL

And I had seen a Pear Matching game at Toys R' Us that lent inspiration.

I created a pattern for the pear that you can download here.
Use a 1/4" seam allowance.

Print the pattern onto an 11 x 8 1/2" piece of paper and cut it out. Trace it onto the wrong side of your fabric. You will need 12 of these shapes cut out. I alternated the fabric on my pear from solid to patterned so I had 6 patterned pieces and 6 solid pieces.

Sew together 3 of your pattern shapes to make a half pear. Repeat so that you have four half pears.
Make a few cuts into the seam allowance of the narrowest part of the pear.

Place two half pears, right sides facing and sew around the edges. Leave a 1 1/2" hole for inverting. Repeat with the other two half pears.

Turn right side out and sew the 1 1/2" hole closed.

Now place those two half pears together, right sides facing. Start sewing about 1" from the top of the pear on one side and end sewing about 1" from the top of the other side.

Turn right side out.

Fold the top section of the pear down on the inside {about an inch} and pin in place. Top stitch this into place, creating a sleeve. Thread a ribbon through the sleeve and fill with alphabet glass beads.

The ribbon gives the bag a cute stem / drawstring effect.

And this pear bag is the perfect size for our pairs of glass beads!

The boys have been having all sorts of fun with these beads. This would be the perfect game to take on a picnic in the spring or camping in the summer too!

Thank you for joining us.

I hope that you'll follow along on facebook and stop by tomorrow for a Quick Reading Nook transformation!

Linking to these parties.

Blog Swap with Randi from Dukes and Duchesses

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to be swapping blogs with Heather today. I pop in to Twin Dragonfly Designs all the time to check out the fun things Heather's making. If I lived anywhere near her, I'd take one of her cupcake classes. She's got some serious talent!
I'm Randi and I blog at Dukes and Duchesses.

Heather and I are swapping blogs today to share our etsy shops with you. Be sure to pop over to my blog to see some highlights of Heather's shop!
I love my little etsy space and I hope you will too. I call it An Eclectic Mess because it has a bit of everything - sometimes vintage finds, sometimes handknit goodies, and every now and then a few party goods. See? Eclectic.
I absolutely love to knit and you'll see some of that passion in my shop. My rosette coffee cuffs are among my favorite items.

I take a yearly trip to Canton, a junk market mecca, and I often bring back a few fun items for my shop. Since typography is so big, I've got a few fun plastic letters right now.

And my biggest seller? Baseball bracelets made from real, used baseballs. Dirt from a winning game might even be included. These are a hit with the boys in my life!

I'd love it if you'd stop by the shop, pull up a chair, and browse a while. I'm always willing to discuss custom orders too so feel free to fire me an email.
Thanks for the swap, Heather!

Thank you Randi!

Be sure to stop by and visit Dukes and Duchesses to give Randi some love!!

Upcycled T-shirt Necklace

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love this no-sew, upcycled T-shirt Scarf Tutorial from Tara at the Trendy Treehouse. I've been meaning to create a t-shirt necklace or two and Tara's easy tutorial gave me the push that I needed.

I started with this old t-shirt {you can't see it but there are holes in there!}

Then I cut it up ~ almost to the seam of the shirt.

And finally I tied it all together.

Super cute!

Inspiring Creativity

2012-02-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Inspiring Creativity!!

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us each week.

New to Dragonfly Designs?

Please grab a button and share the love!

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com/search/label/Inspiring%20Creativity%20Wednesdays" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/teallinkybutton-1-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Our most viewed link last week was beautiful book page wreath

from Miriam at Be Book Bound.

Thanks for sharing Miriam! Please grab an "I was Featured" button.

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/tealfeaturedbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

The rules are...that there are no rules!!!Thanks for linking up!

Skor Sex In A Pan

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

I gave my honey Sex in a Pan for Valentine's Day today.

He enjoyed it very much.

And you can Skor some too...

There are five layers to this oh so good dessert.

Layer One:

2 cups flour

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Skor bits

Combine the above ingredients.

Press down in a greased 9x13" pan to form a crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins.

While that is baking make whip cream for layers two and five.

Whip 500ml of whipping cream until it starts to thicken. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Continue to beat until the consistency of pudding. Refrigerate.

Prepare pudding for layers three and four. Prepare 113g {4 serving size} package of instant chocolate pudding according to the package directions. Refrigerate. In a separate bowl, prepare 102g {4 serving size} package of instant vanilla pudding according to the package directions. Refrigerate.

Layer Two:

250g cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup icing sugar

Combine cream cheese and icing sugar. Mix until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipping cream {about 2 cups}, preparred earlier.

Smooth the cream cheese mixture over the now cool crust.

Layer Three:

Add chocolate pudding.

Layer Four:

Add vanilla pudding.

Layer Five:

Top with the remaining whipping cream {about 2 cups} and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Skor bits.

The goods:

2 cups flour

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup Skor bits

500ml whipping cream

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

250g cream cheese, softened

1 cup icing sugar

113g pkg instant chocolate pudding

102g pkg instant vanilla pudding

4 cups milk

I hope that you are having a wonderful day with your honey!

Thanks for visiting.

DIY No-Slip Socks

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Something keeps eating the socks at our house. The dryer, the toy bins, the giant man-eating spiders under the stairs? Take your pick. My kids needed new socks. And may I just say that it is impossible to find boy socks on sale ~ especially compared to the oodles of marked down girls stuff!!? Ha. Anyway these were super fun and easy to create. I'm pretty sure that Cheri at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar did something like this awhile back {she always comes up with the best stuff}.

You'll need some clean socks, puffy fabric paint and a bottle of glue.

TIP: pull the sock over the bottle to create a flat surface to paint on.

The Lightening McQueen fan was pretty pumped about these ones. Now he wants me to crochet him a Lightening McQueen hat. He keeps slipping red yarn into our shopping cart. Dude, I just learned to crochet a week ago! lol

Super fun and easy right?!

If you want to get in on the crocheting craziness join me on Facebook or Twitter.

Chat soon!

Let's Stay Connected

2012-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Big changes for Google recently! As of March 1st, Google Friend Connect {GFC} will no longer be available for blogs not hosted on Blogger. While this isn't a big deal for me yet {as I'm on Blogger} change is coming I have heard. You can find more information here in a post from Erin at Lavender and Lemon Drops.

If you follow strictly through GFC please be sure to select another option as well. I'm also on Twitter. You can find me @twindrag. I may decide to set up another way to subscribe to my blog, such as Linky Tools or Blog Lovin', but am going to wait it out to see what other bloggers are up to.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

I really value and appreciate each and every one of you guys!

You inspire me and encourage me to keep on creating!

*** This post will remain at the top for awhile. Please scroll down for the latest***

Happy Sunday!

2012-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I have been sharing quick little VALENTINE projects, recipes and activities all week over on Facebook.

I would love for you to join us over there!

Thanks for reading.
I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend!

Keeping It Real ~ Grand Delusions of Interior Design

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

"I think, therefor I am" doesn't really work in my case.

I love to gawk over a beautifully painted table, pin a fabulous mud room {or two or three}, dream up how I could decorate our home with an endless budget. I have grand delusions of being an interior designer.

And I truly believe that I could accomplish these things.

If only...

If only I could find an old pallet {isn't there a pallet in every cool project?}

If only I had the patience to allow multiple coats of spray paint to dry.

If only I had a shop to work in.

If only I didn't have munchkins that like to run rampant through thrift stores {who am I kidding ~ all stores}.

If only I didn't have eighty other projects on the to do list {coughcrochetingcough}.

If only I had the "eye".

What is the "eye" you ask? It's that instinctive knack for knowing where something should go in a home or knowing what paint color would look good on a kitchen wall.

I just don't have the "eye". When I enter a home decor store I see chairs and tables and rugs. I don't see the fabulous ceramic lamp that could tie the living and dining room together. When I go the a thrift store I see old chairs and old tables and old rugs. I don't see the vintage, just needs to be reupholstered, club chair.

My sister in law, Erin, has the "eye". She can go anywhere, spot something fabulous and know exactly where it should go in your home. The last time I rearranged my furniture and decorated my living room was when Erin came to visit when the boys were 1. Over three years ago!!! We had a blast using my existing pieces, shopping for a few extras and giving my living / dining room a finished look. I can honestly say that I haven't changed a thing since then ~ except the display on our buffet.

The buffet that Erin and I bought three years ago {it's actually a bookcase}. She picked out the alternating baskets to go on the shelves. Never would I have thought to use a bookshelf as a buffet and add baskets to two of the four shelves.

Some tips that Erin has left with me:

Use indoor plants to fill large empty spaces. They are a cheap alternative to more expensive decorative items. I need to go buy some plants ~ I'm sure that I had more three years ago.

Not sure about a paint color for a room? Paint one accent wall and live with it for a month. The wall behind our buffet is at the top of the to do list.

Mix wood tones. Don't just stick to maple or walnut. Mixing wood tones lends an eclectic look to your home and allows you to utilize existing furniture. Thank goodness for this ~ we have 4 or 5 different wood colors going on in our house.

Leave a space empty until you find {or can afford} something you love. In her first home, Erin had a bare dining room for a long time. Now she has a gorgeous chandelier and table to die for.

It's not that I'm not motivated! How could I not be with all of the inspiration out in blog land? And we have painted the entire basement {the exact same color that it was previously ha!}. It's that I just don't know what will go. What colors go together. What piece of furniture to invest in. I'm not confident in my ability to put together something fabulous.

I think that I need to have Erin come visit for a girls weekend! And make use of her "eye". LOL

Thanks for reading!

Tree of Life Necklace

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

I spotted this great tutorial on Pinterest awhile ago and thought that I would give it a try.

My one and only tattoo is the Tree of Life, on my back, so this has real meaning for me.

I used only what I had in my craft room already. Old and discarded beads, silver wire and miscellaneous scraps of jewellery.

I love the way that it turned out ~ it was so easy to create! Really!!

I made one for my Mom too.

I was going to save it for Mother's Day. But...

we had a big get together for my niece's birthday and I wore my turquoise Tree of Life necklace. I purposefully put this green one in my purse just in case my Mom said something then I would give it to her. Sure enough my Mom asked if I had made my necklace. I said yes. She said, "Oh! Could you make me one? Only in green?"

I laughed, turned around and pulled this one out of my purse for her.

She was thrilled!

I love those kinds of moments!

Do I know my Mom or what?!

Thanks for reading.

Have a fabulous day!

Raspberry Freeze

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh! This dessert is fan-freakin-tastic!!!
Seriously yum.
Darcy's been asking me to make that "freeze" dessert that his sister used to make all the time. After calling her for the recipe, we came up with this one from memory...

Combine filling:

3 cups of frozen berries {defrosted}

1 tub of whipped topping {1 litre}

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup white sugar

Mix well. Be sure that your fruit is completely defrosted.

I used fresh raspberries for about half of the fruit. You could use fresh or frozen; strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries etc. We like to chop the fruit finely.

Combine crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix well.

Press crust mixture into the bottom of a 8 or 9" greased, spring form pan. Bake for 14-16 mins at 350 degrees.

Pour filling mixture over crust and place in the freezer overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Take out of the freezer at least 20 minutes before serving.

This is the perfect dessert for Spring/Summer gatherings! Doesn't it look amazing!?!?

It is!!

Be sure to pin this one for when the snow melts

{although it's good while snuggled on the couch with your Valentine too}.

Enjoy!

Inspiring Creativity

2012-02-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Inspiring Creativity!!

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us each week.

New to Dragonfly Designs?

Please grab a button and share the love!

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com/search/label/Inspiring%20Creativity%20Wednesdays" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/teallinkybutton-1-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Our most viewed link last week was this fabulous Tree of Hearts Valentines project...

from Denise at the the Spittin Toad.
Thanks for sharing Denise! Please grab an "I was Featured" button.

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/tealfeaturedbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

The rules are...that there are no rules!!!Thanks for linking up!

Valentine Sour Cream Container Tutorial

2012-02-06T07:00:00.001-08:00

The little miss and I finished creating these valentines for her classmates last night. These sour cream containers are fabulous!! I've used them for our Mad Hatter Tea Party, my sister's Wedding and my grandparents Anniversary. Whenever I teach a card making workshop I always include the tutorial for these fun little containers.

You will need:

Patterned paper {cut into rectangles 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"}

Double sided tape

Paper crimper

Candy

Place double sided tape {as pictured} on the wrong side of your paper. One piece of tape {4 1/4"} along the shorter edge, one piece of tape {2 1/2 "} in the center of the top longer edge and one piece of tape {2 1/2"} adjacent to the first piece of tape on the bottom longer edge.

Peel off the backing to the 4 1/4" piece of tape and affix the shorter sides together, creating a cylinder shape.

Peel one of the 2 1/2" pieces of tape from the inside of the cylinder. Squash the edges together and crimp that end.

Fill the open container with a treat of your choice. We used Hot Lips. Peel the backing off of the last piece of tape. Squash that end together and crimp.

Our completed containers. The little miss loved peeling the tape and squashing the edges.

We made thumbprint heart tags for our Valentines. I had the little miss press her thumb into red ink and apply it to white card stock to create a heart. Then we cut them out and she added her name to each one.

Finally we hole punched the tag and the container and added our tag with some ribbon.

They turned out great! The little miss can't wait to give them to her classmates!

Thanks for visiting!

Linking to these fab parties.

Valentine's for the boys...

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

First I want to invite you all to join me on Facebook for Sharing the LOVE. Each day, from now until Valentine's Day, you will find ideas, recipes and projects that I will be using to make my family feel special. Real-time photos and do's and don'ts. It's going to be a lot of fun so come join us!!

Secondly I finished these Super Hero valentines for Isaiah last night.

Inspiration came from Little Bit Funky and Zakka Life.

I also whipped these up for Cameron. That's a glow-stick lightsaber! Love it!

Fabulous printable from Holly at Stitch Craft Creations.

For more creative valentine ideas check out my Pins.

Learning To Crochet

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

I decided, two weeks ago, to teach myself to crochet.

If you've been following along on Facebook then you know that there have been ups and downs. And many requests for project photos! So here they are:

I started with this video and created my first tiny, unintentionally hour glass shaped, wash cloth.

My goal was to create a brimmed beanie so I followed this video and learned to crochet in the round. Until I ran out of yarn.

I finally had enough yarn to complete a beanie and followed this video to add a brim.

This is crochet project number three. Took me a few tries but I love the end result.

I started watching 'how to crochet' videos one Friday morning and completed this beanie by Sunday night. You CAN do this!!!

I have moved on to actually following patterns now. The pattern for this cozy is from Lauren at Tutus and Tea Parties. I love it! I picked up this yarn having no idea what I would use it for until I stumbled upon Lauren's pattern. Thanks Lauren!!

You can find these Coffee Cozies in my shop. Great colors hey!?

Join us on facebook for sneak peeks and crochet updates. And check out my etsy shop for Custom Party Murals, Monster Dolls or even your very own Coffee Cozy.

Thanks for following along!

Cooking With Kids ~ Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love making hot breakfast for the kiddos! They get tired of cold cereal and toast all week ~ a part of the daily rush to school routine. This is a quick kid friendly pancake alternative.

The goods:

1 1/3 c milk

3 eggs

1/2 c softened butter

2 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 overripe banana

1/4 c milk chocolate chips

Combine in a medium mixing bowl.

I peel my over ripe bananas and keep them in the freezer. Then I can pull them out and add them to all sorts of recipes! Banana chocolate chip muffins, banana bread and smoothies.

My scrap piece of paper with the recipe on it. It didn't have a title on it until just before I took this photo. I have quite a few recipes like this, just skribbled on a scrap of paper, most with no name. So I have to guess what the ingredients are for and hope that I've guessed correctly. Yup ~ still need to organize my poor recipe box!

Plop spoonfuls of batter onto a greased, heated frying pan. Wait until you see popped bubbles before flipping the pancakes. Makes about 12, 3" pancakes.

The kids love helping in the kitchen. I have them each add different ingredients to our mixing bowl and stir the batter.

You should have seen the impatient looks I was getting while taking these photos.

"Hurry up Mommy!"

Off to feed the animals at the zoo...

How To Create a Blog Button

2012-02-02T07:00:00.001-08:00

Have you seen that Picnik is closing?

I am so sad!

It's my Go To site for absolutely all of my photo editing!!

I only hope that I can find something just as fabulous after April.

***Update: try something that my teckie uncle recommended awhile ago ~ Picasa. I've done some work in this program in the past. It's not as straight forward and easy as Picnik but totally doable! Check it out.***

So before Picnik is gone I've decided to update my blog buttons. And so that I don't forget the whole process, here is the how-to. Picture by picture.

Upload a photo to Picnik.

Cover the entire photo with a square/rectangle shape and choose a color you want as your background.

Crop the shape into a square. Save this. Then upload this shape again to continue to edit.

Go to Edit - Frames and outline the shape. Set the corner radius to maximum for a round button.

Round the edges of the shape. Don't forget to click on transparent corners.

Go to Edit - Text and add text.

Go to Basic Edits and resize the shape to 125x125 {the standard button size}.

Upload the image to Photobucket or some other photo share site. Copy the html code.

Paste the html code into blog {shown in brackets}. Be sure to change the first "jpg" in quotations to your blog address ~ this will link readers to your blog {if you miss this step, when readers click on your button they will be sent to your photobucket photo}. Change "Photobucket" to "Your Blog Name" so that when readers hover their mouse over your button they will see "Your Blog Name". The bottom section of the above html code is a pick up box. If you want readers to be able to grab your button and paste in on their blog you need this! Be sure to have it link to your blog {in green} and have the correct "jpg" {in yellow}.

My finished button in html. Note the changed blog address and "Your Blog Name".

The finished project.

Now I can't possibly forget how to do this in the future.

Right.

One For The Boys ~ Boredom Busters

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am continuing our One For The Boys series with

Boredom Busters scheduled for the end of February.

I am super excited!!!

And I have a ton of great ideas and projects in mind to keep boys busy as we await SPRING.

If you would like to share a project, activity or
tip with us I would love to hear from you!

I am looking for a few bloggers interested in
Guest Posting
at the end of February.

Please email me at

heatherpainchaud{at}hotmail{dot}com

for more details.

Inspiring Creativity

2012-01-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Inspiring Creativity!!

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us each week.

New to Dragonfly Designs?

Please grab a button and share the love!

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com/search/label/Inspiring%20Creativity%20Wednesdays" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/teallinkybutton-1-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Our most viewed link last week was this fabulous, upcycled heart t-shirt!

From Marija at the Tousled day.
Thanks for sharing Marija! Please grab an "I was Featured" button.

<center><a href="http://twindragonflydesigns.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Dragonfly Designs" src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt81/heatherpainchaud/tealfeaturedbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

The rules are...that there are no rules!!!Thanks for linking up!