Glue Sticks and Tape

St. Patrick's Day Printable

2012-02-18T20:14:00.001-08:00

It’s your LUCKY day! At the end of this rainbow you’ll find an editable St Patrick’s Day label. You can now edit both the front and the back of the label!

The editable fields are “Cathline is”, “to have a friends like you!” and “finding a friend like you is like finding a pot of gold”. Now you can say whatever you want, all you have to do is type it in!

Here’ s a list of supplies:

Wilton 4”x 9.5” Treat Bags
white card stock
paper cutter or scissors
“gold” candy of your choice
stapler

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Before you begin editing and printing. Not everyone may have the font “Brick by Boring Brick” in there font files, so if you don’t, I have supplied the font download here.

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How to edit and print:

Click on the image below and the image will open in Google Docs. On the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Download Original” which will then open the file in “Adobe Acrobat Reader”.

Click on the three editable fields on each topper to edit. There are two toppers to a page.

Once your done editing, on the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Print”.

Your printer options page will come up, make sure that the “Page Scaling” is set to “NONE” and then click “ok” and your printing will begin.

I know it may sounds like a lot of steps but I promise you that it isn’t. Just want to make sure that no one has any problems printing. Please contact me if you do.

All that’s left is to cut out your labels, fill your treat bags with “gold” candy, fold down the tops of your bags and staple on a label!

I hope all your friends are LUCKY enough to get one of these!

I would love some Pinterest love! Please pin the crafts you like from this blog and help spread the world.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Editable Valentine S’more Friends Like You!

2012-02-12T09:53:00.001-08:00

Sorry, I know this is last minute. We have been extremely busy over here as I am sure everyone has. But, I think you’re going to LOVE this!!!

I’ve teamed up with my husband and together we created an editable Valentine’s Day S’more label… you heard me right, you can now edit “Emily needs” and “friends like you!” to say whatever you want yourself.

Because we completed this project just in the nick of time I’m sorry that I don’t have a completed craft project picture to add to this post right now.

But… picture it! This cute Valentine’s Day S’more topper on a 4” x 9.5” Wilton treat bag, with a heart shaped peep or large marshmallow with a snack size Hershey bar and graham crackers.

The picture above is an example of the Fall and Christmas s’more that we made. Click here to see step by step instructions.

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Before you begin editing and printing. Not everyone may have the font “Brick by Boring Brick” in there font files, so if you don’t, I have supplied the font download here.

How to edit and print:

Click on the two editable fields on each topper. There are two toppers to a page.

Once your done editing, on the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Print”.

Your printer options page will come up, make sure that the “Page Scaling” is set to “NONE” and then click “ok” and your printing will begin.

I know it sounds like a lot of steps but I promise you that it isn’t. Just want to make sure that no one has any problems printing. Please contact me if you do.

I would LOVE to see pictures of your Valentine Day s’more!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 26, 2012 – National Pancake Day!

2012-02-08T14:15:00.001-08:00

Did you know that February 26, 2012 is National Pancake Day? You read that right…National Pancake Day!

O how I love me some pancakes! So I thought I would (1) share a family pancake recipe, (2) share tips on how to cook a light and fluffy pancake and (3) tell you where to find free pancakes for a great cause. So let’s get started!

Up first is: The recipe.

My husband does not cook often, but when he does he can make some yummy stuff. One of his gifts is making pancakes and one of the best times to eat a stack of warm golden goodness is on Sundays mornings. Do you see how this will all workout? Mom gets the kids ready and dad is in the kitchen cookin’. What a way to start a day!

Please see “Introducing Digital Recipe Cards” for printing instructions and gift ideas for the recipe card above.

Next on you list is: Tips on how to cook a light and fluffy pancake.

Fluff your flour with a spoon before measuring it. Flour that sits in a container compacts over time, which means if you don’t fluff it up before measuring, you might be adding too much to your recipe. Too much flour offsets the balance of dry to wet ingredients and the result is dry pancakes.
To keep your recently fluffed flour fluffy, use a large serving spoon and spoon your flour into your measuring cup. Next, sweep the top of the measuring cup with a knife to level it.
Don’t overbeat your pancake mix. The batter will and should be lumpy even before adding fruit or nuts.
Make sure the griddle is hot but not too hot. Temperature is another key in getting light, fluffy pancakes. If the griddle is too hot or cold, the pancakes will either scorch or won't rise. Preheat your griddle, heavy-bottomed nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F or until a drop of water dances across the pan.
Lightly coat the hot pan with vegetable oil, cooking spray, or clarified butter (regular butter burns too quickly).
Don't mess with the pancakes too much. Let the pancake sit on the griddle and grow and rise by itself. Don't shake the pan or move it, as that will prevent it from rising. Let the batter do the work sitting on the pan and flip the pancake just when it starts to bubble on top.
Only flip the pancake once. You can cheat a little, and check underneath and see if you have the ring and if it's golden brown. But don't flip it too early and flip it back, over-flipping causes the pancake to deflate.
While you're impatiently waiting for the second side to cook, resist the impulse to press down on the pancake with your spatula. Pressing will not cook it any faster and will undo all the effort you've made to achieve fluffy, light, perfect pancakes.
Do a test run with one sacrificial pancake and adjust the temperature up or down as needed. If your pancake is scorched on the outside and raw on the inside, turn down the heat. When you're satisfied that you've reached the perfect pan temperature, ladle in as many pools of batter as your pan will comfortably hold, leaving a little room between pancakes for comfortable flipping.
Pancakes are best eaten fresh from the griddle so you can enjoy their fluffy warm goodness. This may mean serving them a few at a time. If you absolutely must keep the pancakes waiting, arrange them in a single layer on a cooling rack placed on a baking sheet and store them, in a warm 200 degree oven. You want to make sure to use the cooling rack and baking sheet to keep the pancakes from getting soggy on the bottom, the cooling rack allows the air to flow through the bottom of the pancakes.

To add some fun to the breakfast table, use a Wilton squeeze bottle to squeeze batter into designs, initials and other fun shapes. Pour batter into nonstick pancake molds or oiled metal cookie cutters for an extra fancy touch. Butter and syrup are classic yummy toppings, but try jam, honey, nut butter, powdered sugar, whipped cream or fresh fruit. Better yet, set up a pancake condiment buffet and let everyone build their own.

You can also create your own ready to go pancake mix, just measure several batches of the dry ingredients and stored in air-tight containers. When ready to use, shake to combine the pancake mix and add your wet ingredients.

Last but not least on out list is: Tell you where to find free pancakes for a great cause.

And what restaurant do you think of when you think of “pancakes”? IHOP!!! Since beginning its National Pancake Day Celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $8 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates.

On February 28, 2012, guests from around the country are invited to celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes. In return for the free pancakes, guests are asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© and other designated local charities. Click on this link HERE to find an IHOP near you.

I would love you see your pancake creations and toppings and recipes!

Digital Recipe Card Photo Album Book

2012-01-21T08:25:00.001-08:00

Remember the digital recipe cards I started making?! Well, if not, go take a peak at the Recipe Index, find a recipe that you might like and follow the instructions on “how to print” here.

These recipe cards are sooo versatile! You can print one and attach it to a gift or gift basket. Or, you can print several and use a 4x6 photo book (which is what I am going to show you today) to make a custom mini recipe book or book set for gifts to give to newly weds, college kids, friends and family. The cool thing about using a 4x6 photo book is that the recipes are protected and safe from spills and drips, which always seems to happen on the recipe that you use the most!

How to print your cards: When you want to print several of your cards, simply click the card image to enlarge, right click and “save picture as” in a folder designated for your recipe cards. Next, upload the cards to a photo printing site like York Photo and get 50 free photo prints plus up to 100 prints for just 4¢ each! Use Code: YGP44 at checkout. Another one is Clark Color with the same type of deal. Use Code: CPG4 at checkout. There are a ton of photo print sites with great low prices.

Need a card fast? Download your prints to Walgreens for 5¢ a print, Wal-Mart for 9¢ a print or CVS for 19¢. As of 1/20/12 I know that CVS will give you 25 FREE prints for signing up!

Need a card even faster?! Simply click the card image to enlarge, right click and "save picture as" in a folder designated for your recipe cards. Open newly saved file, and print to your own printer.

I have to say, printing your recipes cards as a photo print really gives them a nice clean and sharp look.

Don’t they look professional?!

Printing the recipe cards as a 4x6 photo at any of the above listed places really give the cards that extra special touch.

All you need now is a photo album that holds 4x6 photos. I found the above photo album at the Dollar Tree! Insert your recipes and you got yourself and instant customized recipe book. Keep it for yourself filled with the recipes that you use the most, make one to pass onto your kiddos filled with recipes and photos of family members cooking those recipes, or give them out as gifts.

I would LOVE for everyone to share their favorite recipes. You can either spend me a finished digital card or send me a recipe and photo if you have one and I can create a card for you.

I look forward to seeing what you have created!

Easy Roller Giveaway at Cake Pops and Sticks

2012-01-05T15:28:00.001-08:00

Would anyone like a chance to WIN an Easy Roller?!

The Easy Roller is an awesome creation! It can roll up to 21+/- cake balls at a time that are 1.25” in diameter. The perfect sized cake pop in my opinion.

The Easy Roller has a retail value of $270.00…but is PRICELESS in the kitchen.

Watch Jennifer from www.thebestcakepops.com as she demonstrates the Easy Roller in action.

The Easy Roller is made from sturdy food safe plastic and is designed to have interchangeable plates for different shapes. New shapes that will coming out in March 2012 are: 1” cake ball, the 1.5” cake ball and a cupcake shape. "Pop" on over to http://cakepops.gluesticksandtape.com/ for your chance to win!

*** REMINDER***

In the future, all cake pop related posts and cake pop related giveaways will be hold at Cake Pops and Sticks a new sub-blog of Glue Sticks and Tape. Please visit Cake Pops and Sticks at http://cakepops.gluesticksandtape.com/. Make sure to sign up for Cake Pops and Sticks email subscription and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CakePopsAndSticks.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Tara Heine

Introducing: Cake Pops and Sticks blog & FB page

2012-01-01T21:13:00.001-08:00

I have decided to start a new sub-blog connected to but separate from "Glue Sticks and Tape" called "Cake Pops and Sticks" for three reasons:

1) Because it is now legal for home bakers to sell selected baked goods with a few restrictions on who can buy, where you can sell, how payment must be received and delivery or pick up.

2) Because I have enjoyed making cake pops, people seem to love them, would like to share my tips and tricks, would enjoy learning others tips and tricks, would like to have a place to share what others have made and… perhaps I can make a little money on the side.

3) I did not want Glue Sticks and Tape my craft blog to get over ran with cake pops!

http://cakepops.gluesticksandtape.com (no www.) is still a little bit under construction but welcome you to visit and take a sneak peak. I would be sooooo grateful if you would "like" Cake Pops and Sticks on FB! http://www.facebook.com/CakePopsAndSticks

I look forward to sharing tips and recipes with each other and would be honored to share pictures of your cake pops under the “Pops By U” tab.

Happy crafting… or baking!

Bake Pop Pan and a Can of Cinnamon Rolls

2011-12-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

Remember that Bake Pop Pan that I was giving away?

Well look at what I made using a can of Cinnamon Rolls and a Bake Pop Pan!

Imagine your family waking up to these in morning!

*** I have a few more pans to giveaway so please stay tuned on how to win. ***

This is soooo simple!

All you need is a Bake Pop Pan and a can of cinnamon rolls. Here I used Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing.

Opened a can of cinnamon rolls and cut each one in half. Then take each half and pinch the sides together.

Next, place the cinnamon side down into the pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the lid and side clips on.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove side clips and lid. When the cinnamon balls are cool enough to touch, cut the little nubs off with kitchen scissors and insert Bake Pop Sticks, frost and serve. Soooo easy!

Ok, so my family loved these soooo much that right after I took these pictures… they were all gone!

Enjoy!

Remember to check back soon. I will be giving another Bake Pop Pan away soon.

Hot Cocoa Sliders

2011-12-01T20:10:00.001-08:00

These little Hot Cocoa Sliders are fast, easy and budget friendly!

Pair a Hot Cocoa Slider and a Dollar Tree glass mug that you etched and you got yourself a gift set!

You can use these step by step instructions to make candy bar sliders and microwave popcorn sliders too.

Simply pull up on the bow and out slides a hot cocoa mix.

There are no real measurements to this project. You can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

Simply lay a hot cocoa packet onto a piece of paper and leave about a fingers width of room on the top and bottom of the hot cocoa packet.

Next, leave enough room on the sides of the hot cocoa packet so that you can fold and overlap it just a bit on the back. On these standard packets I cut my paper 6 3/8 x 9 1/8.

Score down the sides of the hot cocoa packets, leaving a small margin between the hot cocoa packet and score line for wiggle room.

Adhere your decorative paper down. Notice my brown scallop boarder is a bit off on the left side. That’s ok, it will be hidden when I go to over lap the folds in the back. It is hard to see in this photo but I was centering my scallops within my score lines which will be seen in the front on the slider.

See here, my scallop boarder is centered between the folds.

Adhere the back over lapping flaps together and decorate the front.

Punch a few holes in the top to give the ribbon room to move freely.

Slide a good length of ribbon into both holes.

Insert the hot cocoa packet into the slider and on top of the ribbon. Push the hot cocoa packet down into the slider, you want the ribbon to go down too.

Once the hot cocoa packet is fully inside the slider, tie a bow to close the top with the remaining ribbon.

To open, pull up on the bow and the hot cocoa packet will “slide” up. And there you have it… a hot cocoa packet slider.

This method works great for candy bars and microwave popcorn packets too.

I would love to see what you made, please send me a picture and I will post it under the “ Crafts By U” section.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Because I’m So Thankful… Bake Pop Pan Giveaway!

2011-11-24T20:38:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Kathie @ Like A Box Of Chocolates! Random.org picked you as the winner of our Because I’m So Thankful…Bake Pop Pan Giveaway!

Kathie, you have 72 hours (3 days) to respond and claim your prize. If the Kathie does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected.

Congratulations and Thank You for joining us on Google Friends Connect, Liking us on Facebook, Following us on Twitter, Tweeting, and Subscribing via Email. I would love to post a picture of your aunt (in-law) and her Bake Pops!

Because I am so thankful for my loyal followers and I always welcome newcomers, I thought I would give you a chance to win a Bake Pop Pan with tons of extras for helping to spread the word about Glue Sticks and Tape!

This Bake Pop Pan comes with the Decorating Idea Guide, a Squeeze Bottle, and 100 Reusable Pop Sticks!!! That's 82 MORE Reusable Pop Sticks than what you would get off the TV Infomercial!

To Enter to Win:

To enter to win you only need to do the two mandatory requirements, but your odds of winning can be improved GREATLY if you complete everything listed below. Note that each of the following counts as a single entry. Do not enter a comment saying you did all of the below; you’ll be cheating yourself. For each entry requirement you complete below, enter one comment. Easy right?!

Mandatory:

Join Glue Sticks And Tape on Google Friend Connect under “Join This Site” on your left and leave a comment here telling us you have joined (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

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“Like” Glue Sticks and Tape on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you have done so (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

For extra entries:

Email a friend about the giveaway and CC gluesticksandtape@yahoo.com

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Leave a comment on this post telling us which cake flavor you would use to make your Bake Pop and how you would decorate them.

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Blog about the giveaway and email the link to gluesticksandtape@yahoo.com

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Grab my button from the right hand side of the blog and display it on your blog and let me know where to find it.

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Once per day, use this red post on Facebook and once per day leave a comment here telling us you posted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your Facebook status everyday to get an extra entry!

Bake Pop Pan Giveaway @ www.gluesticksandtape.com

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Subscribe to Glue Sticks and Tape email via FeedBurner on your right and leave a comment here telling us you subscribed (if you have already subscribed, leave a comment stating as such)

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Follow Glue Sticks and Tape on Twitter and leave a comment here telling us you are now following (if you are already a follower, leave a comment stating as such)

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Once per day, use this red tweet on Twitter and once per day leave a comment here telling us you tweeted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your tweet everyday to get an extra entry!

I just entered to win a Bake Pop Pan Giveaway at www.gluesticksandtape.com. Thanks @gluestickNtape

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This giveaway will end on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at midnight CST. No additional entries will be counted after this date and time.

This giveaway is available to everyone in the Continental United States.

Each participant will receive one entry for completing one of the steps noted above. Be certain that you only add one comment per entry requirement you complete so that the random winner generator will see each entry as a single one.

The winner will have 72 hours (3 days) to respond. If the winner’s email is incorrect or does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected. The winner will be announced on this page.

The winner will be selected at random using the online free services provided by random.org.

Good Luck!

*Bake Pop did not sponsor this giveaway. They just liked me so much that they sent me several pans to do with as I wanted. ; ) and wanted to give thanks to a lucky reader.

Giveaway Posted On:

Tip Junkie Giveaway Directory

Blog Giveaway Directory

Online-Sweepstakes

Prizey

True Random Number Generator

Min:

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NEW and IMPROVED Fun Hand Sanitizers and Soaps

2011-11-06T13:10:00.001-08:00

Last year I made a tutorial on how to make your own personalize hand sanitizers and soaps. Click HERE to see details and instructions. However last year I did not have the skills or knowledge on how to make an editable template for everyone to use and …. this year I do!

Now you can choose from a monogram…

a personalized topper…

or a general label.

How awesome is that?!

How to print:

Click on the image above to print the transparency of your choice.

On the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Download Original”.

Open your download, click on the initial or name that you would like to change. After you have entered all the initials or names, go to the upper left hand side of the image page click “Print”.

Next your printer options page will come up, make sure that the “Page Scaling” is set to “NONE” and then click “ok” and your printing will begin.

I hope you will use and enjoy these printables. I have put in a lot of time and effort to learn and create these.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

I would love to see what you made, please send me a picture and I will post it under the “ Crafts By U” section.

Beautiful Mod Podge Plate

2011-10-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Need a great customized gift for friends and family for the holidays? Make them a beautiful plate that they will be proud to display or use.

There are MANY great uses for these plates. Use a small clear glass salad plate to make a jewelry, barrette or soap dish that matches the theme of your bathroom. Use the larger clear glass plate as shown above to make a dessert plate with or without a stand. Or, you can make several of the same plate and use upside down wine glasses and candle holders to give your plates different heights for an elegant look.

Here is a supplies list:

Clear glass plates from the Dollar Tree
glass candlestick or wine glasses from the Dollar Tree
Mod Podge (I use the Matte finish Mod Podge)
sharp scissors
foam brush
fabric of your choice, bright and light colors work best
Simply Tacky Reusable Poster Putty (optional, used to attach wine glass or candlestick to plate to make a removable stand)

To start, clean and dry your plate making sure not to leave any fingerprints behind on the backside.

Cut a piece of fabric that is slightly larger than your plate. You will trim of the excess later.

Working fast, apply a thin even layer of Mod Podge to the front side of the fabric. Place and center the plate onto Mod Podged fabric.

Starting from the center, smooth and press down fabric onto the plate removing any air bubbles or wrinkles. Rub the back of the fabric until it has soaked in all the white streaks of Mod Podge. Make sure you have pressed down the fabric nicely near the rim of the plate. I suggest running the heal of your hand on the rim for the plate to make sure that the fabric is pressed to the outer must edge.

Place the plate upside down on a bowl or can so that the fabric can hang from the plate to dry. Allow Mod Podge to dry for 15 mins.

Next trim off the excess fabric from the plate. Make sure to use nice sharp scissors. Hold your scissors at a slight angle and begin trimming the fabric. Because the fabric has dried Mod Podge on it the fabric will not fray.

After trimming, place the upside down plate back onto the bowl or can and apply another thin even layer of Mod Podge over the fabric keeping it as streak free as possible. The streaks could stand out later if there are any.

Allow the Mod Podge to dry for another 15 minutes.

To make a removable but secure stand for the plate, place a small amount of poster putter onto the top of the candlestick, center the bottom of the plate onto the stand and press lightly. When finished, slowly pull the candlestick off the plate, remove poster putty and store plate, stand and putty for next year.

Oh, I almost forgot, these plates must be wiped cleaned from the top only! Do not immerse in water.

I would love to see what you made, please send me a picture and I will post it under the “ Crafts By U” section.

Have Fun!

Laynie Bug Design Etsy Shop Giveaway CLOSED

2011-10-19T18:59:00.001-07:00

Update 11/6/11 Emily Slowiak requested the following two shirts for her $25 Gift Certificate winnings. Emily and her son are going to look so cool at her son’s birthday party wearing these.

Congratulations to Emily Slowiak! Random.org picked you as the winner of our Laynie Bug Design Etsy Shop Giveaway!

Emily Slowiak, you have 72 hours (3 days) to respond and claim your prize. If you do not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected.

Congratulations and Thank You for joining us on Google Friends Connect, emailing a friend about the giveaway, going to Laynie Bug Designs Etsy Shop and telling us what you would like to see.

Emily Slowiak, I would love to post a picture of you and your winnings!

Laynie Bug Design Etsy Shop is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate for a hand painted customized t-shirt of your choice.

Laynie Bug Design Etsy Shop offers custom made t-shirts, onesies, tote bags and name frames. Laynie Bug Designs also does custom orders upon request. All items are hand painted, not iron-on transfers.

I can assure you that Laynie Bug Design Etsy Shop t-shirts wash wonderfully and your t-shirt will continue looking great for a long time to come.

To Enter to Win: To enter to win you only need to do the first two of the following, but your odds of winning can be improved GREATLY if you complete everything listed below. Note that each of the following counts as a single entry. Do not enter a comment saying you did all of the below; you’ll be cheating yourself. For each entry requirement you complete below, enter one comment. Easy right?!

Good Luck!

Giveaway Posted On:

Tip Junkie Giveaway Directory

Blog Giveaway Directory

We need s’more people like you!

2011-10-17T18:25:00.001-07:00

Got to love bag toppers! Bag toppers are super cute and add an easy and wonderful touch to a simple gift.

About two years ago I came across a really cute bag topper similar to the ones above and asked the original designer if she would make printable s’more bag toppers for friends and neighbors as well. I never did get a response and so I decided this years I would try my hand at making my own. With a little help from my husband, we created bag toppers for both Fall and Winter and for a wider range of recipients. You can now print out Fall and Winter bag toppers for Co-Worker, Employees, Friends, Neighbors and Teachers. If you would like the s’more toppers to read a bit differently please let me know and we will see what we can do.

I will be adding “we need s’more people like you” and “we need s’more bosses like you”.

Here is a supplies list:

large marshmallows
graham crackers
snack size Hershey bars
4” x 9.5” treat bags
stapler
paper cutter or scissors
score board (optional)
your choice of printed s’more toppers

Print out and cut your bag toppers.

How to print:

Click on the image below to print the bag topper of your choice.

The image will open in Google Docs. On the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Download Original” which will then open the file in “Adobe Acrobat Reader”. There are two toppers to a page.

On the upper left hand side of the image page click “File” and then click “Print”.

Your printer options page will come up, make sure that the “Page Scaling” is set to “NONE” and then click “ok” and your printing will begin.

Following the steps above will insure you the correct printed size topper for your 4”x 9.5” party bags.

After printing, cut your bag toppers out with a paper cutter or scissors.

Score and folder the toppers.

Place graham cracker, marshmallow and Hershey bar into treat bag, fold down the top of the treat bag, place the topper on and staple close.

How fast, easy and awesome is that!?

Please feel free to contact me if you would like a custom topper and we will see what we can do.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte Knock Off

2011-09-22T19:46:00.001-07:00

Fall is in the air! Don’t you just love the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Fall. One of my favorite smells and tastes of Fall is PUMPKIN!

So to get the pumpkin recipes started here is a knock off recipe of Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

All the yummy with the fraction of the cost!

Please see “Introducing Digital Recipe Cards” for printing instructions and gift ideas.

I would like to know… what are some of your favorite Fall or pumpkin recipes?

$25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway CLOSED

2011-09-11T11:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to AStarrA! Random.org picked you as the winner of our $25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway!

AStarrA, you have 72 hours (3 days) to respond and claim your prize. If the AStarrA does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected.

Congratulations and Thank You for joining us on Google Friends Connect, following us on Facebook, Tweeting, and posting what you would like to buy with your winnings.

AStarrA, I would love to post a picture of you and what you bought with your winnings!

Because I appreciate my loyal followers and I always welcome newcomers, I thought I would give you a chance to win a $25 Walmart Gift Card for helping to spread the word about Glue Sticks and Tape!

To Enter to Win:

To enter to win you only need to do one of the following, but your odds of winning can be improved GREATLY if you complete everything listed below. Note that each of the following counts as a single entry. Do not enter a comment saying you did all of the below; you’ll be cheating yourself. For each entry requirement you complete below, enter one comment. Easy right?!

Mandatory:

For extra entries:

“Like” Glue Sticks and Tape on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you have done so (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

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$25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway!! @ www.gluesticksandtape.com

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Subscribe to Glue Sticks and Tape email via FeedBurner on your right and leave a comment here telling us you subscribed (if you have already subscribed, leave a comment stating as such)

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Follow Glue Sticks and Tape on Twitter and leave a comment here telling us you are now following (if you are already a follower, leave a comment stating as such)

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Once per day, use this red tweet on Twitter and once per day leave a comment here telling us you tweeted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your tweet everyday to get an extra entry!

I just entered to win a $25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway at www.gluesticksandtape.com. Thanks @gluestickNtape

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Leave a comment on this post telling us what you would buy with the $25 Walmart Gift Card.

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This giveaway will end on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at midnight CST. No additional entries will be counted after this date and time.

This giveaway is available to everyone in the Continental United States.

The winner will be selected at random using the online free services provided by random.org.

Good Luck!

*Walmart did not sponsor this giveaway. We just like to shop there and want to give a lucky reader a gift.

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206

Teacher Size Pencil / Altered Pringles Can

2011-09-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

I still need to put the phrase “Ms. Marcena is” in front of the No.1. Because… Ms. Marcena is No. 1 not a standard No. 2 pencil!

I got the idea for this pencil from a Fiskars brand craft page about two years ago. Here is my version with step by step instructions and measurements.

Here is a supplies list:

Empty Pringles cans
Mod Podge
Sponge Brush
Paper Cutter
Hot Glue or E6000 glue
Paper crimper or score board
Circle Cutter, I used a Martha Stewart Circle Cutter
Tear Edger – totally optional, you can tear by hand!
Yellow, pink, gray,tan and black colored paper from your favorite craft store.

Cut the yellow piece of paper 11” wide by 10 3/16” high. Apply Modg Podge with a foam brush to the Pringles can only. Line up the yellow paper just under the top rim of the can and wrap the paper around to cover. It is ok if the yellow paper does not match up exactly on the bottom rim of the can. The Pringles cans seem to vary a slight bit in height from can to can and the pink paper eraser will cover this area.

To make the eraser for the pencil cut your pink piece of paper 11” wide by 1 3/4” high.

For the metal band on the pencil cut the gray paper 11” wide by 1” high. Crimp or score the gray paper to give it ridges as pictured above.

This time, apply Mod Podge to only the back of the pink paper. Line up the pink paper just above the bottom rim of the can and wrap the paper around to cover.

Next, apply Mod Podge to only the back of the gray crimped paper. Slightly over lap the gray paper over the pink paper and wrap around to cover.

Using a Tear Edger or by hand, tear an 11” length of paper to give it a rough edge that is no more than 1/2” high.

The rough edge makes the pencil look like it has been through the pencil sharpener.

To make the pencil tip, I used the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter to cut a 5 1/2” tan circle with a 3 1/4” circle cut out of the middle. Next I cut a 4 1/2” black circle.

Adhere the tan circle with the middle cut out to the black circle. Cut a slit from the edge of the circle to the center of the circle. Make a cone shape with the circle and adhere to hold it’s shape while making sure it fits just inside the rim of the Pringles can lid.

When your making your cone you may see extra layers of paper on the bottom of the cone. Just trim this extra paper layer off with scissors to have a nice and complete cone.

Using Hot Glue or E6000 adhere the pencil tip cones to the Pringles can lid and let dry.

Next, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge around the outer rim for the Pringles can lid and affix the yellow 11” x 1/2” strips of paper to the lid and let dry.

Oh my goodness, I think these are turning out better than I hoped.

I did cut the letters out using Pantin SchoolBook Cricut Cartridge for the letters and numbers on Shadow at 1 1/4”. You could use stencils or stickers if you do not have a Cricut. All I have left to do is print out a phrase that says “Ms. Marcena is” on yellow card stock and adhere it in front of No.1. You see the teacher is No.1 not a standard No.2 pencil.

Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop Jewelry Giveaway

2011-08-28T13:39:00.001-07:00

Update 9/21/11. Briss, the winner of our Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop Jewelry Giveaway sent us an awesome photo of her sporting her new winnings!

Awesome Briss, thanks for sharing your photos! Briss also has a blog called Briss Days, In the life of me. When you have time pop on over to see what Briss is creating.

Congratulations to Briss from Briss Days Blog! Random.org picked you as the winner of our Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop Jewelry Giveaway!

Briss, you have 72 hours (3 days) to respond and claim your prize. If the Briss does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected.

Congratulations and Thank You for joining us on Google Friends Connect, Tweeting, and visiting Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop. I would love to post a picture of you wearing your new winnings!

Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop is giving away this beautiful turquoise and antique bronze adjustable ring with a coordinating turquoise and red fabric button necklace.

About the ring: This cute adjustable ring is the perfect thing to wear when you want to put a little bit of fun into your outfit. A turquoise mum adorns this antiqued enamel coated adjustable ring.

I can assure you that this ring is quite comfortable and quite sturdy. It doesn't catch on anything and has not tarnished at all. This is a high quality adjustable ring that will stand up to a lot of abuse!

About the necklace: This adult necklace is hand made with individually mounted fabric buttons using high quality cotton. Each button is set on a silver tone lace filigree cup and strung together by hand. All of this on a silver chain for a total necklace length of 18".

To Enter to Win:

To enter to win you only need to do two of the following, but your odds of winning can be improved GREATLY if you complete everything listed below. Note that each of the following counts as a single entry. Do not enter a comment saying you did all of the below; you’ll be cheating yourself. For each entry requirement you complete below, enter one comment. Easy right?!

Mandatory:

Go to Shy of Perfect Etsy shop and let us know which design is your favorite and leave a comment here telling us.

For extra entries:

“Like” Shy of Perfect on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you have done so (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

“Like” Glue Sticks and Tape on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you have done so (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

Once per day, use this red post on Facebook and once per day leave a comment here telling us you posted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your tweet everyday to get an extra entry!

Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop Jewelry Giveaway!! @ Glue Sticks And Tape. http://www.gluesticksandtape.com/2011/08/shy-of-perfect-etsy-shop-jewelry.html

Follow Glue Sticks and Tape on Twitter and leave a comment here telling us you are now following (if you are already a follower, leave a comment stating as such)

Once per day, use this red tweet on Twitter and once per day leave a comment here telling us you tweeted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your tweet everyday to get an extra entry!

I just entered to win a Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop Jewelry Giveaway at www.gluesticksandtape.com. Thanks @gluestickNtape

Subscribe to Glue Sticks and Tape email via FeedBurner on your right and leave a comment here telling us you subscribed (if you have already subscribed, leave a comment stating as such)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, September 4, 2011 at midnight CST. No additional entries will be counted after this date and time.

This giveaway is available to everyone in the Continental United States.

The winner will be selected at random using the online free services provided by random.org.

Good Luck!

Giveaway Posted On:

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How to Make a Fabric Covered Button

2011-08-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

I'd like to introduce todays guest blogger Sara from Shy of Perfect. Sara is going to show us how to make these super cute fabric covered buttons that she then turns into awesome necklaces like the one pictured here…

Please visit Sara’s Shy of Perfect Etsy Shop to see other amazing items of jewelry that she has created.

Without any further ado here’s Sara!

These are the only items that you need to make a precious fabric covered button. You can buy kits to make them in all sizes at your local craft store or sewing supply store. When you get the kit, you will get the front of the button, but back part with the loop, as well as the plastic piece that allows you to easily put all of the pieces together. Typically the back part of the kit will have a piece of cardboard for you to cut out so that you have a template for you to cut out your fabric. This is usually a circle shape so that you don’t have a lot of extra fabric inside your button. For my purposes, I typically just cut a square in the size that I need but you will want to use the circle your first few times or if you are using super small buttons that don’t have much extra room in them.

You can use fabric buttons for all sorts of things from dressing up your favorite shirt, to making decorative pushpins, or even for making jewelry like I will end up doing with these finished pieces.

But first things first…

This is a picture of the back part of the button. As you can see there is a loop there so that you can sew your lovely button creation to something later, or affix it to whatever you like. This is a good time to decide what you need that button for and if you want that loop attached. For my purposes the loop just gets in the way, so I am going to remove it.

All you have to do is take a pair of pliers and grasp the loop as close to the base as you can and squeeze hard. It may take a small amount of wiggling, but the loop should come off fairly easily at this point leaving behind a flat piece of metal for the back that looks like this.

At this point you are ready to construct your button. Lay your plastic button mount on a hard, flat surface and place your piece of fabric over right side facing DOWN and centered over the mount.

At this point you take the rounded, middle portion of your button and center it over the hole in your mount. You want an even amount of fabric showing on all sides. You’ll be glad that you did at the end.

Now push that metal piece down into the mount.

This will take a fair amount of pressure, so don’t be timid. Once the piece is completely inserted, your fabric will look like this.

If you like, now is a good time to cut off any extreme excess fabric that you may have, but leave at least 3/8’ behind on all sides.

Now tuck all of that extra fabric into the mount as deeply as you can so that you have something that looks like the picture above. At this point you will know for sure if you have enough fabric to cover the button. If for some reason you have a very small amount of fabric on one side you can pop your pieces out of the mount and start again. If not, keep going…you’re almost done.

Place the back part of the button on top of the fabric that you tucked in and make sure that it is centered. If you removed the loop, make sure the edges of the metal piece are curling up towards the center, not going down into the button. This will make sense when you look at it. Using the pusher that comes with your kit (I lost mine a long time ago, your finger works just fine for this if you rather) push the back part of the button down as hard as you can until you can tell that it has “caught”.

When you remove the button you should have something that looks like this. At this point you will be able to see if your button will look right or not. If you have any little edges of raw fabric sticking out, this will end up showing in most applications that you will use the button for. Make sure you happy with your work before you make tons of them.

Now pick your mounting piece up, flip it over, and using your thumbs like in the picture above, pop the finished button out.

You should have something that looks much like this. It’s amazing how a process that is so simple can make something so simply beautiful.

If you have a desire to make many of these, I suggest that you check websites such as Etsy and sewing supply stores online and buying the pieces in bulk. Just make sure that you know the correct size that you need and go crazy. This is one of my favorite parts of sewing and jewelry making. Mostly because it’s something that my oldest can help with. As you can see, she was my model for this particular tutorial. So if a 3 year old can do it…you know you can too! Whatcha waiting for?

Chocolate Nugget Business Card Favors

2011-08-23T13:00:00.001-07:00

How cute are these? I really could not think of what to call them, so I ended up with Chocolate Nugget Business Card Favors.

I had two friends and myself in mind when I was trying to think of a better way to promote our blogs and businesses when we meet people besides just handing them a business card.

The two friends I had in mine are: Kristie Jo, who’s an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts and Sara, who has a blog called Shy of Perfect and has an awesome Etsy Shop .

Sometimes I get mixed feedback when I hand someone a business card. Most of the time I get the “wow, cool, thanks” and other times I feel like am a used car salesmen handing out a card that will never be looked at again.

So, to up the cuteness and the wow remember that website factor, I came up with these!

These little nugget wrappers have the exact same info on them as my paper business cards, just cuter and yummier! Front and center is the blog name and header, on one side of the nugget is the blog address and on the other side is my name.

Click image above to download an editable Photoshop template. This template will open up in Google Docs, once there click “file” in the upper left hand side of the screen and choose “download original”.

Here is a supplies list:

Printed wrappers (see Photoshop template above) Wrappers measure 1”x 3”.
Wilton Pretzel Bags
Hershey Nuggets
Coordinating scrap pieces of paper
Coordinating ribbon
Paper cutter
Score board (optional)
Adhesive of your choice

Cut out all your little wrappers.

Cut out little trays that message 2” x 2 3/8”. With the 2 3/8” side facing horizontally, score at 1/2” and 1 7/8”. Fold at the score lines. Two Hershey Nuggets should fit perfectly inside the tray.

Wrap and adhere your printed wrappers. Don’t they already look too cute!? You could just keep them as individual “business cards”.

Place all your nuggets into the trays and slide both the nuggets and the tray into the Wilton Pretzel Bag. Tie closed with a coordinating ribbon and trim the top of the bag.

And there ya have it! Cute, informative and yummy business cards!

I would love to see what you make. What would your Chocolate Nugget Business Card Favors look like?

Links Parties:

The Mommy Club with Crystal and Comp and Milk and Cuddles

Hoo’s Got Talent

Someday Crafts

For Mamas

Teacher Survival Kit

2011-08-21T10:28:00.001-07:00

Emily is headed back off to Discovery School soon and to start the year off right I made a little gift for her teacher and teachers aid.

This time I did use my Cricut. I really try to not use my Cricut for craft making on this blog but everything I did make with the Cricut can easily be made without it. You’ll see and understand better in a moment.

Here is a supplies list:

Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge for the apple, (optional) you could use dimensional stickers
Accent Essentials Cricut Cartridge for the toppers, (optional) you could cut rectangular pieces of paper and round the corners for the toppers
score board (optional)
corner rounder
2” scallop circle punch
Wilton 4”x 9.5” Clear Party Bags
Wilton 4”x 6.25” Clear Treat Bags
Coordinating Card Stock and Ribbon
An assortment of school supplies

I found an awesome list of “Teacher Survival Sayings” here on Kim Korner’s blog.

In MS Word type out the sayings you want making sure not to go more than halfway across the page otherwise the sayings will not fit onto the backs of the toppers.

When you print the sayings, print like normal and then turn your paper around and print it again. You’ll end up with sayings facing the correct way and sayings facing upside down on the same side of the paper (see above).

Here is a list of the sayings I used:

Crayons – To color your day.
Giant Eraser – To remind you that everyone makes mistakes. That’s okay; we learn by our errors.
Glue Sticks – To help hold it together when everything seems to fall apart.
Tissues – To wipe away the tears…yours and theirs.
Animal Crackers – For when your classroom seems like a zoo.
Mini First Aid Kit – For when things get a little rough.
Smiley Face Stickers – To remind you to wear a happy face. Here’s some for when it seems difficult.
Snowflakes – When all else fails, pray for a snow day!

Cut the teacher survival kit sayings into strips and use the corner rounder to round the corners.

Using the Accent Essentials Cricut cartridge, cut out 16 yellow toppers at 3 3/4” and 16 school themed toppers at 3 1/2”.

Using the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge, cut 16 apples at 1 1/2”. Each apple has three layers and a little white insert for the “shine” on the left side of the apple.

Using the 2” scallop circle punch, punch out 16 light blue circles.

Use the score board to score down the center of the toppers length wise.

Fold and adhere school themed toppers to yellow toppers and attach the teacher survival kit sayings to the back.

Staple the toppers to the goodie filled bags.

Adhere the scallop circles to the toppers and the apples to the scallop circles with foam adhesive circles to give the toppers a cute dimension.

And there ya go! A budget friendly, useful teacher survival kit that any teacher would love.

“Fine Print” This survival kit was teacher reviewed and teacher approved by Emily’s past Discovery School Teachers.

Where did I get all these items and how much did it cost?

Red Crate from Walmart – $1.75
Crayons from Walmart - $.80
Mini First Aid Kit from Walmart – $1.00
Glue Sticks from Walmart – $.40
Giant Eraser from the Dollar Tree/Dollar Store – $1.00
Mini Tissue Pack – had on hand
Animal Crackers – had on hand
Snowflakes – had on hand

Cost $4.95 a teacher! Awesome!

By the way, the Giant Erasers from the Dollar Tree works amazingly! My husband I both used ours while taking college math classes. Oh those math problems, what a headache and TONS of erasing!

Spa Socks and Coffee Cozy Cupcakes

2011-07-31T14:46:00.001-07:00

How much do you love this guilt free, completely usable, 3-in-1 gift?!

3-in-1 you say? Let me brake it down for ya.

Lollipop as the cupcake topper
Spa Socks/Fuzzy Socks as the frosted cupcake
Coffee cozy as the cupcake wrapper.

Pattie McKissic from StudioMoi has an Esty shop and she makes these super cute Coffee Cozies, as well as Microwave Mitts and Clothing that fit American Girl Dolls.

I choose Pattie’s coffee cozies over other cozies for several reasons.

The simplicity. The coffee cozy is one whole piece that easily slips on and off the cup. There are no button and loop closures or Velcro to fumble with to potentially spill your drink.
The attention to detail. Pattie has added several cute details to her cozies such as colorful rickrack, coordinating buttons and felt flowers that have hand stitching on them.
The Price. Pattie’s prices are the best out there. Coffee cozies are $6.00 and $8.00 for ones with multiple pieces of fabric sewn together like the one in the upper right hand side of the picture above.
And finally, the many styles and colors. Pattie has a wide selection of colors, themes and prints to choose from. I am sure you will find something to fit your taste.

Each coffee cozy features a heat reflecting lining that keeps the heat in the cup and cool in your hand. The cozies fit 12 oz., 16 oz., 20 oz., and 24 oz. cups. Each cozy is machine washable and lay flat to dry. So, go green in style and keep this cozy in your purse and ready to use the next time you order coffee.

NOW FOR THE CUPCAKE TUTORIAL

Here is a supplies list:

Coffee Cozy from StudioMoi
Spa Socks/Fuzzy Socks. I bought mine at Michael's for $2/pair.
Lollipops
1 1/4” circle punch
1 1/2” circle punch
2” scallop circle punch
Wilton 4“ x 9.5” Clear Party Bags
Stamp, ink pad, paper and ribbon of your choice

Remove the paper label and any other clips and plastic tags that might be on the pair of socks.

Starting at the toe, roll the pair socks up making sure that each layer that forms is just slightly below the layer above it.

The rolled up pair of socks should look like this. This will be your “frosted cupcake”

Insect the “frosted cupcake” sock into the coffee cozy which will be your “cupcake wrapper”

Insert the lollipop stick into the center and this will be the “cupcake topper or cherry”.

So easy, so fast, so cute and so many options!

To make the tag, I used a 2” scallop circle punch, a 1 1/2” circle punch and a 1 1/4” circle punch.

Make coordinating tags for each cupcake.

Place each cupcake into a Wilton 4“ x 9.5” Clear Party Bag, attach tag and tie closed with coordinating ribbon.

These cupcakes will make great gifts for moms, teachers and anyone who loves hot chocolate, coffee or tea from their favorite java joint.

I am linking up with these link parties, come on over and visit!

Back to School Giveaway - Making Teacher Appreciation Gift Giving Easy!

2011-07-12T21:28:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Aimee Ball! Random.org picked you as the winner of our Back to School Giveaway! This is Aimee’s second time winning a giveaway! It definitely pays to have multiple entries and a little luck on your side.

Aimee you have 72 hours (3 days) to respond and claim your prize. If the Aimee does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be selected.

Congratulations and Thank You for joining us on Google Friends Connect, Tweeting, Subscribing Via Email and liking Glue Sticks and Tape on Facebook.

School will soon be back in session. Are you ready?

This is a super cute and super versatile starter set for school and teacher themed gifts.

Are you ever in need of a fast and easy teacher appreciation gift? If so, this giveaway is for you!

The giveaway includes:

An awesome Go Green Reusable Tote from Jo-Ann Fabrics

One red apple shaped cookie cutter by Wilton

Ten 4x6 Mini Bags with ties for the apple shaped cookies or other treats

Two #3 Wilton decorating tips for outlining cookies

Four 12 inch Wilton decorating bags for frosting

Two 10 yd. spools of Celebrate It ribbon(one spool of red with white stitching and one spool or black with white stitching)

72 sheets of 4.5 x 6.5 DCWV “The Grade School Stack” of cardstock.

and five 5 x 6.5 blank white cards and five 5.25 x 7.25 white envelopes

Below are just two examples of what you can make with these supplies.

Apple for the Teacher – Teacher Appreciation Cookies with Recipe Card

Acrylic Frame Post It Note Holder or Acrylic Frame Calendars

This one is MANDATORY (as in, “you must do this to enter”) Join Glue Sticks And Tape on Google Friend Connect under “Join This Site” on your left and leave a comment here telling us you have joined (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

For extra entries:

Follow Glue Sticks and Tape on Twitter and leave a comment here telling us you are now following (if you are already a follower, leave a comment stating as such)

“Like” Glue Sticks and Tape on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you have done so (if you have already joined, leave a comment stating as such)

Subscribe to Glue Sticks and Tape email via FeedBurner on your right and leave a comment here telling us you subscribed (if you have already subscribed, leave a comment stating as such)

Once per day, use this red tweet on Twitter and once per day leave a comment here telling us you tweeted! Simply copy and paste the following text in red in your tweet everyday to get an extra entry!

Back to School Giveaway!! @ Glue Sticks And Tape http://www.gluesticksandtape.com/2011/07/back-to-school-giveaway-making-teacher.html

This giveaway will end on July 29, 2011 at midnight CST. No additional entries will be counted after this date and time.

This giveaway is available to everyone in the Continental United States.

The winner will be selected at random using the online free services provided by random.org.

Good Luck!

Extra Yummy Bread Pudding

2011-06-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

Warm bread pudding is great for breakfast or dessert.

This recipe came about because I had no idea what to do with the leftover hamburger and hotdog buns after a BBQ. I always have leftover buns… never fails! The kids where not to keen on hamburger bun PB & J’s. My 3 year-old just could not handle the fact that her bread was a bun and not a slice of Wonder Bread.

So I thought to my self… self what are we going to do? I am sooo tired of making these leftover buns into dried breadcrumbs or feeding them to the ducks. Then bread pudding popped into my head! I wonder, can you make bread pudding with hamburger and hot dog buns? Can I get over the fact that I only use hamburger and hotdog buns for what they were intended? And the answer is YES! Let me tell you, my whole family, including the 3 year-old, LOVED this hamburger and hotdog bun bread pudding! The entire 9 x 13 pan was gone in a day!

In this recipe I used 5 1/2 hamburger buns and 1 hotdog bun for a total of 6 whole buns and a half a bun, but you can use any combination of buns or bread as long as you end up with 12 1/2 individual pieces of bread. (One whole bun equals two individual pieces of bread)

Raisins, these are optional, but I beg you to give them a try in this bread pudding recipe. My 13 year-old VERY much DISLIKES raisins and avoids them at all cost. But this time, she ate every single one of them in the bread pudding.

As for the can of evaporated milk in this recipe… I am so glad I used it, I think it gives the pudding a creaminess that it needs, but I only added to the recipe because as you can see in my picture I was really low on milk and needed something to get me to the amount of liquid that I needed.

Ok, so here is the recipe.

Please see “Introducing Digital Recipe Cards” for printing instructions and gift ideas.

If you would like your own free blank recipe card template as pictured above please visit Shabby Princess.

This is a very easy recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch glass pan with cooking spray.

Cut bread into one inch cubes and place into pan. Drizzle melted butter over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins that were soaked in rum or water mixed with rum extract and then drained.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugars, cinnamon and vanilla. Wisk until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down bread with a spoon until bread is coated with the mixture. Let the pan set for 10 minutes on the counter to allow the bread to soak up some of the mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Serve warm and enjoy.

I am linking up with these link parties, come on over and visit!

Cleaning Out My Closet – Online Garage Sale

2011-06-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Ok gals, I am cleaning out my closet and thought I would give y’all first look at what I’m getting’ rid of. It’s an online garage sale!

Step one: Send an email to gluesticksandtape@yahoo.com and make me an offer on the set(s) you want. I’ll take offers first come first serve NOT by highest offer. Make sure to include your name and mailing address.

Step two: I’ll pack and weight the set(s) you want and send ya an email back with total postage cost.

Step three: Your total “donation” will be your offer amount plus your postage cost which can be processed by clicking the “donate” button on the left-hand side of the blog.

I’ll update this post daily as to what items are still available.

I hope y’all find something you like!

Set #1 is also a retired Stampin Up! set called Definitely Diner. This set is unopened and unused. I originally bought set#1 and set#2 together so that I would have more recipe card designs.

Set #2 is a Close To My Heart stamp set called Scrapbook Kid and Scrapbook Kid Hair Flair. This is a great set for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and school teachers. Kids loved to stamp this set on different kinds of flesh tone paper and color in the hair, face and an outfit. I never used this set because I had several others just like it. I did open this set but it was never used. I paid $10.00 for the set. Oops, I forgot to take a picture of the back side of this one too.

Set #3 is a five piece D.O.T.S set and 2 miscellaneous pieces. I’ll miss my country farm barn animals!

Set #4 is a miscellaneous set of D.O.T.S, Close To My Heart and Hobby Lobby. This set has made some really cute baby shower cards. I will really miss the baby bottle and baby feet.

Terrific Terrariums – Mini Ecosystem

2011-06-22T13:43:00.001-07:00

Look how cute and easy these self maintaining little ecosystems are…aka terrariums! Terrariums are small indoor gardens that are perfect for people who want to decorate their space with plants but don’t have time or the know how to take care of them. Or, like in my case, have kids and animals that might eat or pick off the pretty little leaves :0)

Did you know that closed lid terrariums recycle their own moisture so they rarely need to be watered? On average, most terrariums can go one to two months before more water is needed.

You can find supplies to make a terrarium in many different stores or with what you have around the house. For example: the rocks and stones can be found at the craft store, home improvement store and the pet store. I had some fish tank gravel stashed in the garage, so I just used that.

Here is a supplies list:

a verity of plants that require the same type of care. For example: use plants that require partial sun and moist soil. Never mix plants that have different growing requirements.
potting soil
rocks and gravel
a container of water
dried moss of any kind
any clear container with lid
small decorative accents
bucket or bowl to mix spoil in
spray bottle to mist the plants
plastic or paper to cover your work area
plant charcoal or loose carbon from the pet store
a piece of screen or moss to keep the dirt form falling into the rocks

I bought these glass jars at Hobby Lobby for $2.99. They were originally $4.99 and were on an in-store sell for 40% off.

The first step to a good terrarium is to have a good drainage layer. Layer about an inch of large stones in the bottom of the container. Next add a few smaller stones to help fill in some of the gaps.

Step 2: Cut a piece of screen or moss to cover the rocks. Make sure that the piece of screen or moss is big enough to cover all the rocks and is touching the sides of the container, you want to avoid any dirt falling into the rocks.

Step 3: Pour a half inch layer of plant charcoal or carbon from the pet store onto the screen or moss, don’t worry if the charcoal or carbon falls through a bit and into the rocks. This layer will filter the water from any impurities and odor before going to the drainage area in the rocks.

Step 4: Pour a handful of plant charcoal or carbon from the pet store into the potting soil. Add a small amount of water, just enough to moisten the potting soil and mix everything together.

You will know that you have the right consistency when you are able to form a loose ball that will easily fall apart.

Step 5: Pour a two inch layer of soil mixture into the container. You are going to set your plants on top of this and then add soil around the plants later.

Step 6: Remove plants from their original containers, carefully remove any yellow or brown foliage and gently remove must of the extra soil from around the roots. Place your plants into the container, pour soil around them and top with a bit a moss to help keep the moisture in the soil. You can also use decorative rocks instead of moss.

Here you can see that my niece and I added a small decorative mushroom.

Step 7: After you have added all your decorative pieces and made sure that your plants look like you want them to, mist a small amount of water onto the plant leaves and onto the insides of the container to help remove any bits of soil that might be stuck on the container where you don’t want it. Make sure not to over water!

Final step: Place the lid onto the glass container. Make sure to put your terrarium in a place where it can get sunlight – but not direct sunlight. In direct sunlight, the glass will magnify the heat and cook the plants!

While the water you already put into the terrarium should be enough to sustain the ecosystem, make sure you monitor the health of the plants for the next few days. If the plants look over watered, just remove the lid to allow some of the water to evaporate. If the plants look to dry add a bite more water.

How to maintain your terrarium.

Place in a bright area but not in direct sunlight.
Water lightly only when the soil is dry.
When the plants get to big, pinch off the new growth.
Do not fertilizer.

I hope you enjoy your new terrarium and have fun with it too. Terrariums can be a great tool in teaching kids about the ecosystem and the water cycle.

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