Yellow Mums

Freebie Friday Repost: Valentines Printables

2012-02-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some past fun Valentine Printables! I've determined it's time to start removing past printables and only keep up the last couple of freebies. So start downloading them while you can!

Here is one way to use the Valentine Simple Cards. Click to find lots more ideas.

Catch up quick and do a 14 days of I love you with these Valentine Notes. Or make a chain card or banner to hang up on Valentines Day.

These Valentine Toppers are great for cupcakes, but also make a nice seal or tag on a valentine package too!

Personalize this Valentine Box with meaningful trinkets or candies. Not too big at 2 inches square, but perfect for a little something to share.

In the shop: Animal Shaped Alphabet Toppers

2012-01-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

I've just posted these fun Animal shaped alphabet circles

The idea of these toppers was to make my ABC posters a little more accessible, and useable. They are fun on a wall, but I want to use them in more ways.

The possibilities of these circular little ABC's created by animal bodies are pretty vast. Here are some ideas:

Obviously you can use them as cupcake toppers

How about as a card embellishments

A small gift tag

A monogrammed seal for kids gifts, favor bags, etc . . .

Make a mini word banner for the top of a cake or a small space

Turn into stickers

Make into a matching game

Make into badges or a knecklace

Anyway, pretty fun. Find them here.

weekend prep

2012-01-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

This may be a little, or a lot, random and completely not on topic, but it is what I did this weekend. We put 1700 lbs of hard white wheat into 6 gallon food grade buckets with lots of oxygen packs to take out all the air. We, being me, my mom, the hunny, and my bro. It only took us about an hour to fill 34 buckets.

And why, you ask, in the heck were we doing that? Well, for lots of reasons. My mom found a great deal on wheat, say $20 for 50 lbs. And we're both trying to add more whole wheat to our diet. But, these weren't just for my mom and I and that's only part of why we were doing it. We were also doing it to be prepared. Food Storage you know. Not because I'm a conspiracy theorist or because I think 2012 is going to be the end of the world, but because you never know what might happen-not just with the world but with us. What if the hunny lost his job? It sure would be nice to have a little back up food around until we got back on our feet. Anyway, so the buckets got divided out 6 ways and I'm happy to have a little extra wheat on hand :) Random, yes. Reassuring too :)

Starting

2012-01-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

I guess my whining last week paid off. After venting a bit on Friday I kicked myself back into gear. First gear. But Saturday I went to Joann's and bought myself some fabric, and this is what I've accomplished so far: All the squares cut out for the buddies quilt. I'm anxious to see the final results! But I dare say venting is therapeutic!

We colored a set of Birthday Masks for fun the other day as well . . . they work great . . . maybe not great enough to hide my lack of make up though, eh?

Freebie Friday: Super Mask Birthday Card

2012-01-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

I guess January is always kind of an unproductive month for me. December is so crazy I think I just kind of ooze into a blissful indifference to getting much done in January. The first week or so I'm still running off the steam of Christmas and the hope of New Year's resolutions. But after that it just kind of peters out. And that is where I am. I have lots of great ideas floating around in my head. Like starting a quilt like this but expanding it to a twin size, and using this technique to make it faster. I want to start drawing again since painting seems to be too time consuming for this time of my life, and then I've got a paper mache lamp/ light fixture with Christmas lights as the "bulb" floating around in my head . . . and then a gazillion design projects including some Valentine's ones that may or may not get done before that holiday hits. But, instead I sat around reading Parenting and Time Magazine this afternoon for a good hour or so while the buddy watched TV and the sweetie played dolls and tried to figure out how lego's work (don't worry she's past the eating them phase).

Anywhoo. . . I did make a boy version of the printable Birthday cards as a Freebie Friday for you today though: (Actually I made them over a week ago because I had a nephew's birthday come up, but that's beside the point, right).

Click here to download the Super Mask Birthday Card.

Each page makes two birthday cards with instructions for the birthday boy to cut out and color the mask themselves. I recommend printing on white cardstock so they can color it however they choose!

Enjoy!

Brown Bag Wreath

2012-01-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

This awesome wreath I was first introduced to on Make Happy. I saw it and knew I needed to make it. But that was over a year ago. I even bought an 1.25 inch scalloped hole punch specifically for this (it's come in handy for lots of other things). But when I took down my Christmas wreath our poor little door looked so bare. I knew the brown paper bag wreath had finally moved up on the priority list. It was time to make it.

I started with a pretty thick brown bag and then moved to what else I had on hand-lunch bags. After starting to put them on the wreath I realized that they weren't quite the same color of brown. So I tried to vary them both through the whole thing to add a little depth. Anyway, a little picture tutorial below. Or you can go to the original in depth tutorial by MaryJanes and Galoshes.

Have a great Wednesday!!

Freebie Friday: Birthday Crown Card

2012-01-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

When I was a girl I had one uncle who sent me birthday cards. Not every year, but often enough that I felt that he cared. I felt special and important to someone I didn't see very often and it meant a lot.

So as an aunt (and sister and in law), I've tried to do the same thing: remember family birthdays with cards. It's a big job. The hunny and I both come from large families. We're rounding out to about 60 cards a year. This year I've decided to make it a little bit more fun for the nieces and nephews and a little faster for me too.

The birthday crown card is going to all my nieces this year. In the past I've always made them a personalized card, but I think this will be more fun for them, still it's a card with a personalized note from us inside, but they can cut it up and turn it into a birthday crown to decorate and wear!

I thought it would be fun to share: click here for the Birthday Crown Card.

A letter size sheet makes 2 cards. I recommend printing on colored cardstock, and then cutting in half longwise. (along the dotted line).

When they cut out the crown they will use the bottom strip to go around the back of their head, and tape it to fit. Instructions are included on the card!

ENJOY!

** I'm also sorry about the poor pictures. My camera batteries died during the photo shoot, and I'd forgotten to charge the back up set. So these are mostly thanks to my phone. Alas.

A Merry Busy Christmas!

2011-12-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Went a little MIA this christmas season working on this entertainment center turned kitchen. The idea started brewing 3 weeks before Christmas after seeing several in blog land, mostly notably this one from sutton grace.

So 2.5 weeks before Christmas I went and bought this entertainment center at the thrift store for $10 (talked the guy down from $20 cause I'm cheap like that) and then spent every night (when I usually blog) working on it for several hours.

I added the long side door aka "fridge" and the "oven" door. Found an awesome real faucet with sprayer at the thrift store for $5, modge podged the numbers around the oven knobs (also found at thrift store .25 each). The stove hot plates are black paint (simple, easy and fast), the "rack" stripes in the oven shelf I ended up just drawing on with a wide sharpie marker and a ruler. The phone was also found at the thrift store and hangs on a screw (so it can come off pretty easy), the sink comes out of it's hole and is just a weird bowl I also found at the thrift store and then the curtain at the top is held in place with a small tension rod.

All in all the most time consuming part was the painting, and the waiting for paint to dry, and shopping for all the pieces (because I refused to buy more than I had to at home depot-I bought as much as I could from the thrift store and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore).

It took the full two weeks finishing up Christmas Eve. It was a fun project to do, albeit a little bit stressful under the time restraints. I love how it turned out, especially the yellow, of course, and the sweetie LOVES it. It was given to both her and the buddy, but it the buddy has been too busy with Captain America, spiderman and remote control cars to have time for the kitchen. Give it a couple weeks . . .

The little sweetie has spent most of yesterday and today playing with it which makes my heart so happy. It definitely makes it all worth it to see her so excited about it!

Hope you had a very merry Christmas too!

weekend sewing

2011-12-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

This dress has been percolating in my mind for several weeks. I just have been so busy with Christmas stuff that I haven't had time to do it. This weekend turned out to have a little lull. So I figured I'd have a little time to get started on it. The little sweetie ended up having two longer naps and I just about finished! The rest was handwork I did after she went to bed. I was pretty stoked with how it turned out! I learned a lot from her Easter dress.

Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Season!

preschooler made presents: tie tacks & pendants

2011-12-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

The buddy is in a co-op preschool and I was lucky enough to teach the last lessons in December before they took a Christmas break. We made some fun presents for the parents. Tie tacks for Dad and a necklace pendant for Mom.

Each child got a little bit of sparkly grey sculpey clay to mash down (on a piece of aluminum foil) until it was thin.

They took turns cutting out a star shape with a small fondant cutter (probably about 1/2 inch across that's my hand not the kids)

Then they helped me stamp the first initial of their parents names in the star (I debated doing the child's name but decided against it).

I baked them according to the package instructions and then glued a tie tack backing, or a small circular ring to the back of them with E600 glue.

The thing I love the most about them is the little fingerprints left from the kids as they smashed the clay.

enjoy!

Christmas Favors

2011-12-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Working on lots of stuff right now . . . here are some fun Christmas favor ideas, more fun Christmas ideas coming soon . . .

These fun Santa Bags are filled with candy, but anything would work. I think red fabric with white pom poms would be so cute! Here's some probably confusing instructions, I'm afraid I didn't take pictures for this one.

Santa Bags: (need Fabric, 2 pom poms, matching embroidery floss, a needle)

Cut a 12 inch diameter circle out of fabric
Tie a knot in a 2 foot piece of embroidery floss, thread in needle
Push your needle through one pom pom and pull pom pom down until it stops at knot
Sew a running stitch around the circle roughly an inch from the edge all the way around doing one small stitch past where you started.
push needle through second pom pom and pull needle off thread
tie a knot in the end of the embroidery floss and pull pom pom down to knot
gently hold pom poms and push fabric together to shut your "bag"

Next up are mini fabric topped Felt Stockings:

Felt Stockings: (need red felt, fabric scraps, sewing machine)

Fold felt in half and cut out the shape of a sock (if you want to be smart, I wasn't, make a pattern on paper first and add 1/4 inch all the way around--use to cut out felt)

Cut out a piece of fabric 2 inches plus height and the width of your sock
Lay your fabric on top of your felt wrong sides together and with your socks mirror images of each other

Sew across the top of fabric/felt

fold down bottom part of fabric 1/8-1/4 inch (press if you want)

Fold fabric down over felt and sew across bottom

Put right sides of socks together sew around sides and bottom

inside out and fill

enjoy!

easy card decor: scallop punch flowers

2011-12-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, still working at birthday cards. For these I used a scalloped punch to cut out several flowers, crinkled or folded them and layered them to make a simple embellishment. Added a Happy Birthday sticker to grosgrain ribbon . . .

Freebie Friday: Advent in 3 parts

2011-12-02T06:30:00.007-07:00

This is a three fold freebie friday, which if I'd been on top of my game, I would have shared with you last friday. My apologies. I finished our advent yesterday. Here it is in all it's glory: and the best part of all: FREE. (if you don't count ink).

First off is the envelope. Find the printable template by clicking here.

My take was to use wrapping paper cut to letter size and CAREFULLY fed through my printer (the expensive thick kind works best, but I used cheap too and it works- but can get jammed in the printer too.) I ended up feeding only one sheet through and then stapling three more sheets under it (NOT inside the outlines of the envelope) and cutting out four at a time-which saved time and printer headaches. folded, and glued.

Second are the advent numbers. Find the printable by clicking here.

I used my 1 1/4 inch hole punch to punch them out- but they are an inch around in diameter (I just don't have an inch hole punch). Glued them to the center of the envelopes.

Third are the advent cards. Find the printable cards by clicking here.

These I tailored to my family and our traditions and beliefs. It was a last minute idea to share them. Each card has a scripture and an activity. The scriptures found on the advent include the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants (abbreviated D&C on the cards). All the scriptures I included are about Christ and/or his birth. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I believe in not only the Bible as scripture but also these other two books, and really they are all just wonderful scriptures. The list of activities are things that we do in December and so I just made them our advent. That way I fit in all our traditions, have a timetable and an advent too. I love it. It's a simple way to organize December for me. Feel free to use mine if you wish or to just take ideas to make your own advent cards.

enjoy!

The Big One

2011-12-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is what came in the mail today. I am giddy. (And no, I'm not waiting for Christmas. . . we're opening it now) It's a large format printer. I can print up to 13 inches wide :) It's also a good printer (I hope). Here's to making printed products available in my shop for all of you who would rather just have it all done for ya! Wahoo!

Giveaway Winners!

2011-11-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Our ABC Animal Poster winners are here! I know they were suppose to be announced on Wednesday, but I didn't take into account hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday. My bad. Congratulations to the winners:

Audrey for the printed poster

Janice, & *EVANSFAM* for the printable poster

Just go to my etsy shop and then email me at yellowmum (at) gmail (dot) com and let me know which letter you want, and what color you want it! Audrey would you also email your address?

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Freebie Friday: Last Minute Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T10:42:00.001-07:00

Sunday I volunteered to host Thanksgiving for my husband's family. (Our other option was Golden Corral.) So it's been a bit of a frantic week scrubbing my house and trying to figure out details. But I think I do better with the last minute pressure. It gets my mind working and I usually get more done. It doesn't work so well for sharing all the stuff I've been creating though. But, if you happen to be last minute like me, you can enjoy a free printable thanksgiving invitation, don't worry I sent mine out yesterday.

Click here for the Printable Invitation

I've also got a coordinating Thanksgiving Subway Art print. Last minute decorating is getting done. Just print, cut down to 8x10 (following the lines) and frame.

Click here for the Thanksgiving Subway Art

If you need some other last minute decorating ideas, you could try the leaf cut outs from last year (a little time consuming for last minute however)

Or frame the fall forest silhouettes found in part here and in my etsy shop here.

Oh, and if you need a kid game try the fall memory game here.

I'm still working on place cards. I want to make them both a favor box and a place card. Still working on how I want to accomplish that. But maybe next week I'll have some super last minute ones for you :)

Sunday I'm also guest posting on Whatever Dee Dee Wants so go check out some other coordinating last minute goodness :)

one more thing (I know a bazillion) remember the ABC Animal Poster giveaway ends Wednesday, so go enter to win a cute alphabet poster . . . think Christmas gifts . . . enter here.

enjoy!

a cowl scarf

2011-11-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not a really great crocheter and I don't know how to knit, but I had this left over yarn from Halloween and it was so thick and yummy gray. I couldn't pass it up. It was asking to become a scarf. The first time I started crocheting it looked dumb, so I undid it. The second time it was too bunchy. The third time it wasn't the right gauge. So I guess this time it was the fourth time that was the charm. But it ended up going really fast. It helped that I didn't have enough yarn to make a long scarf-so it's more of a cowl. But isn't it cozy? Crocheting is kind of a soothing occupation (for every now and then anyway).

Also, just a friendly reminder that the ABC Animal Poster giveaway is still going on . . . go leave a comment!

ABC Poster Giveaway

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Young, Yippy, Youthful Y is for Yak. Yahoo. The ABC posters are up in the shop. I've even included a printed option. (well, most of the ABC's are up. The stomach flu this week postponed a few things, alas). So to celebrate we are doing a giveaway!

One printed poster and two printable pdf posters for three different winners. The letter of your choice.

Here's how . . . .

1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite animal
2. Leave a SECOND comment if you follow me
2. Winner will be announced Wednesday November 23

goodluck!

coming soon . . .

2011-11-02T22:36:00.000-06:00

So I've got some exciting news . . . I'm finished with my Animal Letter Posters. I drew every letter but X (by hand with my mouse). As soon as I take decent pictures I can start putting them up on etsy. But here's the thing. I'm thinking about doing printed posters, not printable posters. I need your input.

Next week I will be a giving away an animal letter poster of your choice. If you comment on this post you will get another entry into next weeks giveaway. Comment letting me know if you would rather buy a printable poster you can print over and over again, or one printed poster (they would be the same price + shipping).

THANKS SO MUCH!!

Printable: Owl favor boxes

2011-10-27T23:18:00.000-06:00

So I fell in love with these owl favor boxes last year from Paper Crave, but I couldn't think of a reason to use them. But aren't they such a fun, tactile favor box? I just think they are brilliant and I LOVE THEM. I used them at the buddy's Preschool Halloween party this year.

I won't lie. They weren't fast. A lot of hand cutting-but I did have a couple large hole punches that sped up the process a bit. I went looking for a large scallop cutter-but the only ones I could find had additional holes/embellishments in them. weirdoooos. Why can't there just be simple scallop cutter that's not little? Why?

Anyway. . . aren't they cute? I almost named them they were so cute. Now they are gone, alas. I may go make some more.

enjoy!

2011-10-25T11:12:00.000-06:00

We had a family reunion down in St George this past weekend. My dad and I spent one of the days painting at Zion National Park. It was gorgeous, and surprisingly FREEZING in the morning ( FYI: the wind is nasty before the sun gets down in the canyon).

So we had time to do two paintings alla prima. It was fun, hard, and worth every minute!!
The biggest challenge of painting alla prima is the light-the sun is constantly changing and so the colors, the shadows, everything you are painting basically, is constantly changing. It means you have to paint fast!! But it makes it pretty exhilarating, and frustrating all wrapped up in one. I'm looking forward to going back!

Simple Halloween Favors

2011-10-18T21:20:00.000-06:00

Our first Halloween party was Saturday, so I was sewing and hot gluing like a crazy woman last week finishing our costumes. The day of the party came around and I hadn't even gotten to party favors. So I needed something fast. I pulled out the extra fabric from our costumes (didn't haven enough of my shiny green darn it). This is what I did: (sorry no pictures, remember that need it fast part)

*cut out some 6 by 8 inch squares.
*I folded them in half-right sides together (fat way not skinny)
*sewed up two of the edges leaving one side open
*Filled them with candy
*changed the colors on some toppers I had hanging around from last year
*printed them out and hole punched them (a 2 inch to cut them out -and a bitty one for a little hole at the top)
*strung them on a string and tied the tops shut.

Should I admit I did all the assembling in the car on the way to the party? Good thing it was a little ways :)

Anyway, if you need some party favors fast, here are the toppers I used. I know it's not Freebie Friday, but looking at the rest of the week, I'd say there's a pretty slim chance I'll get to it Friday-so enjoy today!!

Get the Free Halloween Toppers Printable here.

enjoy! Yeah, I should wait to post our costumes .. . .but I'm just so excited they're done, I couldn't resist ;)

Freebie Friday: Happy HOOlloween Cards

2011-10-14T06:00:00.005-06:00

About 2 days before Halloween last year I needed some Halloween cards and designed these in an hour or so. I thought they were fun and simple, but it was so close to Halloween I didn't have a chance to share them. I don't think the owls are "in" as much as they were last year. But they are still festive and cute, right? Anyway, print on letter size white cardstock and cut in half to make two cards-then fold them in half.

Get the free printable cards here.

Enjoy!

monster making

2011-10-11T10:49:00.000-06:00

Saturday is our first Halloween party. We have a few this year, and I'm so excited because I have been planning our costumes for months now. Yup, I'm still sewing them. Yesterday I was working on the neon green velour pants for the hunny (yes, my mother tells me he's amazing because he's willing to go along with my hairbrained costumes). I didn't really have enough fabric left to make them, but thought, heck, I'll just make them a little skinnier than I planned and they'll fit, right? WRONG. Rather, they fit me great. But I'm 5'1" and the hunny is 6'1" and I could barely get them around my thighs . . . . well, we had a really good belly laugh when he got home from work and he tried them on (after I ripped out the seam through the thighs). Oh man, if only he would have let me take a picture! So, we tried them on his arms and other than being a little baggy around his wrists, they fit perfectly! Good thing we need sleeves too huh! So the adventures continue . . . I'm making all our costumes except the Buddy's. His I just didn't think I could find the right fabric for it . . . But other than a few minor details the sweeties purple costume is done. Hopefully I'll be done with mine and the hunny's by Saturday!

Peaches

2011-10-06T06:00:00.006-06:00

Okay, so canning peaches takes a lot longer than I thought. My first time ever, by myself that is. Here's what I learned:

plan on 20 quarts taking several hours (read: 6-8 hours)
a half bushel (one of those boxes without lids) makes about 12 bottles
when blanching the peaches, it doesn't work very well with unripe peaches. . . make sure they're ripe, but not over ripe.
don't need an $80 pressure cooker to can peaches, just a $20 water bath canner
put the same temperature of water in the canner that the peaches are (I cold packed them)
even though it only takes 35 minutes (at 4000 feet) to water bathe them, it takes another 25 minutes to get them boiling
only 7 cans fit in the water bath canner, not 12 :)

All in all a great experience and I can't stop staring at those pretty peaches!!

on a side note, I had a lot of peaches so I also froze a bunch. Cut them up, and freeze them on trays before putting them in freezer bags. . . yummy smoothies later :)