This and That Creative Blog

Relief Society Handout

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:48:00 +0000

I am teaching Relief Society in my LDS ward on Sunday and created this chalkboard subway art to go along with the lesson (which is about the Relief Society--go figure). Feel free to print your own copy by right-clicking on the image and saving it as a new file to your computer. :)

Halloween Subway Art

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Feel free to right-click-and-save to print this Halloween subway art for your own frame!

Last Minute {FREE} Father's Day Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:46:00 +0000

I'm sure many of you have known exactly what to do for your fathers and husbands this Father's Day. I did not. This is my husband's first Father's Day and I wanted to give him something sweet...something, he would feel our 9 month old daughter contributed to. I bought him a small gift but I also wanted to give him some more sentimental gifts. So, I did what I'm sure many of you did and I turned to pinterest.
I pinned a link to The Imagination Tree a little while ago and decided now was the time to execute. There is a recipe for salt dough and instructions on how to make in imprint. While my husband was at work, I gathered the ingredients and a bowl and sat on the kitchen floor with my little one. Together we made a supreme mess. It would have been much easier and much faster to do it myself, but it was important for me to include her...and she loved squishing that dough with her pudgey little fingers (she also loved throwing it on the floor...she's into emptying containers).

I realize she's blurry...it's the best I could get. She's a busy baby.

I made the little circle and smushed my daughters little hand into it (punched two holes in it with a straw, labeled it) and baked it. I then painted it pink and threaded some ribbon through the holes. Pretty sure my husband will love it.

For my next little gift, I decided to get a picture of my husband and daughter and added a little stamp, obtained from Ladybird Lane, to the photo. I rummaged around in a box of my high school stuff, found a cute frame, ditched the picture of my best friends (sorry guys) and replaced it with the adorable picture of my husband and my baby together at the park. I'm in love with it.

The caption says "my daddy is..."

So there are two totally sweet and potentially free (depending on the stuff you have already) gifts for an amazing father in your life!

Classy Dog Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Megs) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Hubs said it, and it made me laugh. I made it into a printable :) If you click on the image--it takes you to a high resolution for you to use as you wish.

Christmas Subway Art Printable

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:19:00 +0000

Sine there was some interest in the Thanksgiving subway art printable, I decided to include one for Christmas! I can't take complete credit for the Christmas one as it was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, but I created it to suit my tastes just a bit more. Just click the image, save it to your computer, and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Subway Art-FREE printable!!

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

My teacher word art was so popular a few months ago, I thought I'd make a fun Thanksgiving one! Best part: this one isn't personalized so you don't have to "order" it! Feel free to click on the image (to make it larger), right-click on your mouse, and save it to your computer! It should print nicely on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper or cardstock. Just remember: FREE means for personal use only; not for mass-redistribution or monetary gain.

However, if you choose to download it, leave a comment because if there's loads of interest, I'll do one for Christmas too. :)

Homemade Baby Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Megs) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Here's a little baby gift that I made recently.

I found a reference on etsy of the onesie and thought it was super cute. I didn't save the image or reference, but I used the same idea. I just cut out a bunch of circles, laid them out on the onesie how I wanted them and sewed a line straight through them.

For the skirt I just made up a pattern on my own. HERE's a great reference for the

average sizes for certain baby ages. I used this as a reference when making the skirt.

For the shoes, I used THIS pattern that I blogged about earlier.

I also have a fall wreath that I need to post about! Stay tuned!

And the winner is...

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:52:00 +0000

I decided to go straight-up old school for the drawing because the excitement and anticipation are just so much greater when you get to draw a random slip of paper! Way better than some online random number generator.

Anyway, without further adieu...

...the winner of the My Memories Software Giveaway is...

Catherine: I'll be sending you the winner code. :)

For those of you who are super-bumbed you didn't get to win this giveaway, you can still purchase the software and use the $10 off software AND a $10 off coupon for the My Memories store by using STMMMS45229 at checkout.

My Memories Software Giveaway!!

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Liz, from My Memories, contacted us to see if we wanted to do a digital scrapbooking software giveaway. We couldn't resist!

The my memories suite software is easy to use, has great layouts to choose from, and various free elements to get your creative juices flowing. The software isn't limited to just scrapbooking either. You can create cards, videos, and photo books too!

So here's the deal: My Memories would love to give one of our readers their own FREE DOWNLOAD for their my memories suite software. And, as a special deal for all of our readers, they gave us a Share the Memories coupon code STMMMS45229 that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store! There are loads of fun scrapbooking kits and album templates choose from.

I created the following scrapbook layout using one of the easy layout templates and some of the free elements which are included with the software. Oh, and some wonderfully-dated photos from my high school days. :)

I also made this Christmas Card:

So how do you win this incredible giveaway? There are a few different ways to enter. Choose one, or multiply your chances by completing all five!

For entry #1, go to the My Memories site and browse through their adorable paper packs and layouts. Then, leave a comment here on our blog telling us which one(s) you love!
For entry #2, follow the My Memories Blog, then leave a new comment here letting us know you're their newest follower.
For entry #3, follow us here at This & That Creative and leave a comment letting us know you're our newest follower! Already a follower? No worries, just let us know in a comment.
For entry #4, "like" My Memories on Facebook and let us know in another comment!
And finally, for entry #5, "like" This & That Creative on Facebook. Don't forget to leave another comment.

This giveaway will end Friday, October 21, 2011, 11:59 PM MST. All comment entries must be posted before then! The winner will be announced the following week, so stay tuned. Good luck!

And don't forget, even if you don't win the giveaway, you can still use the Share the Memories coupon code STMMMS45229 that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store!

DIY Christmas Stockings

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:08:00 +0000

What's that you say? It's not Christmastime yet? Well, at my house we prepare for the holidays virtually year-round because then, when November and December come, we can relax and enjoy the holiday season rather than become self-loathing hermits who refuse to go out in public because of the craziness. My shopping is finished (just waiting to be wrapped), I'll be making candies soon, but the stockings I was able to do over the summer! I digress.

I wanted uber-cute-personalized-trendy-not-too-christmasy Christmas stockings. Pipe dream? NO. First, I had to find the right "shape." See, we're big stocking-stuffing people and I needed it to be large enough to accommodate my visions of stuffing grandeur! So I did what any great, creative mind would do...I went rummaging through my mom's holiday decor boxes to find my childhood stocking (which is large and sturdy enough to hold an orange in the toe, followed by an apple, banana, bottle of shampoo, and other trinkets-galore). I set the stocking on my cutest-ever chocolate and white damask fabric and cut out my stocking shape. Remember to cut two!

Next step was to cut the lining for my stockings. Again, remember to cut two! I wanted my family's stockings to be all matchy-matchy, but still personalized. Enter: lining fabric! I love red and brown together, and those just happen to be the colors my living room is already decorated with, so I chose different red fabrics which showcased both my personality and my husband's. He got baseballs, I got hibiscus flowers. One day, when we have babies, they will have different red linings. But don't you worry that I've already cut out four more brown damask shapes in anxious anticipation!

Furthermore, I wanted my stockings to be heavy-duty enough to take the wear-and-tear of the ceremonial stuffing-hanging-all-around-holiday-merriment, so between my damask and red lining, I also cut a piece of quilt batting. I stacked my pieces accordingly to get ready for the sewing.

Because I was planning on binding the stockings with personalized bias tape, there was no reason to sew the pieces right-sides-together. Easy, eh? Therefore, I just serged the exterior fabric/batting/lining pieces together. It was pretty slick and much quicker than having to turn them afterward.

Next came the bias tape adventure. I had never made my own before, but it turned out to be MUCH easier than I expected! I used the same lining fabric and created this tutorial (posted earlier) if you're interested. If not, any ol' bias tape will do!

After attaching the front and back of the stockings together using the bias tape, it was time to work on the minky cuff! That's right, minky. See? You know you love these stockings. I used the heaviest interfacing I could find to put inside the minky. Seriously, this stuff was like cardboard. It wreaked havoc on numerous machine needles, but it definitely keeps the shape nicely! I just measured the stocking opening, doubled its length (for the front and back), and then left a 1/2" seam allowance. I cut the interfacing and then wrapped it in the minky.

I serged the two ends together, and then inserted a hangy loop (extremely technical term). Hint: If you insert the loop the way I did, it make the stocking hang at a lovely angle.

Sew up the loop edge and pin the minkly closed (nice and tight) around the interfacing.

Then, slide the cuff over the stocking opening and match pined edge to the opening. Sew around the edge to attach the cuff to the stocking and...voila!...

...You have a broken needle...A LOT of broken needles actually! I had to include this photo purely because I've broken plenty of needles in my day and have never seen one bend in such a fashion before snapping. Amazing.

Anyway, what you REALLY have (besides broken needles) are uber-cute-personalized-trendy-not-too-christmasy Christmas stockings. I added some layers of grosgrain ribbon and little floral button embellishments.

But wait! There's more! I also found these silver monogram pins which made them even MORE personal! I pretty much love how they turned out. Now go make your own. You know you want to. Get it done before the holiday season so you can enjoy that time of year rather than stress it!

Note the cute, personalized bias tape?

teacher subway art

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:22:00 +0000

I kept seeing these super cute teacher-themed subway art images on Pinterest and I knew I just HAD to have one for my classroom! I took pieces I liked from some images I saw and incorporated my own ideas as well. Let's just say I'm stinkin' pleased with the way it looks! Furthermore, I found a website which will print it on vinyl and enlarge it (25.5"x33") for $25!!! That's right, vinyl. NOT paper. Even the Kinko's poster printing couldn't beat it. I'm pretty stoked to see how it REALLY looks. If you're a teacher/know someone who is/just want a great teacher gift and would like a personalized copy, just leave a comment with the name you'd like inserted and your e-mail address and I'll send it out as a .jpg. You can have it enlarged yourself, or just print it on an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper and frame it!

**UPDATE**

As of Saturday, October 8, 2011, the free subway art offer is no longer valid. Thanks for your interest!

Fondant Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

A lot of people avoid making fondant cakes because they think it's too difficult. It's really not that bad though. It's a little time consuming, but once you get the hang of it, using fondant is pretty easy.

I started by baking the cake in 6 inch and 9 inch cake pans. Sometimes I make the cake from scratch...not this time. Boxed mixes work great and they are huge time savers. One tip: let the eggs sit out a bit before you add them to the mix.

After the cakes have all baked and cooled, wrap them in seran wrap and put them in the freezer. I usually bake the cakes a few days before. It's easier for me to spread out the process. Once the cake is frozen, you'll need to level it. You can use a cake leveler (you can get them at any craft store...walmart even sells them) or you can just eyeball it.

I wrapped and froze the leveled cakes because I didn't have time to do more. You don't really need to freeze them again after leveling though.
Ready to assemble the cake? For the top layer, cut out a circle of cardboard slightly smaller than the diameter of the cake. They sell precut circles if you'd rather just buy one. Wrap your circle in foil.

Get your leveled cake (look how even the top is...perfect...and if you let your husband have the dome you cut off it might make his day)...

...put a dollop of frosting on the foil covered, cardboard circle...and the put the cake on top of that. I have the circle sitting on parchment paper. This is just to make moving the top layer around easier.

Frost your first layer.

Then place the next level on, leveled side down. So the part that is a little browner and was on the bottom of the pan will be on top. This gives you a smooth surface with nice corners to work with...it's also a lot less crumbly.

Apply a crumb layer of frosting or dirty ice...same thing. Basically just frost the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting. Try to make it even. While you let that level set up (I sometimes put it in the fridge for a while) you can assemble your other teir. Once the crumb layer has set up a bit, frost your cake again and try to make it really smooth.

This is the crumb layer - see how you can see the cake through bits of it? I didn't take a picture of the fully frosted cake.

Now it's fondant time. Wilton sells fondant. You can get it at any craft store (or again, walmart). You can totally use store-bought fondant. It's convenient and super smooth and really white. And it tastes gross. I've used it and it's great, but I prefer using homemade fondant. It's much cheaper and tastes much better. There are recipes and tutorials all over the internet. I might post a making fondant tutorial sometime...but seriously they're everywhere.

After you make your fondant, you can color it. For this cake, I wanted soft pink, hot pink, and purple. I use wilton gel to color fondant. It's a lot brighter and bolder than just food coloring. But you can use food coloring if you like. It works too. For the soft pink, I used hardly any pink gel. I used more for the hot pink. And then I mixed pink and blue gel to get the purple I wanted. It kind of looks greyish in the pictures, it's not...promise. To mix your colors, twist and knead the fondant until the color is even. Before:

After:

I sometimes wear gloves (latex and powder free, food handling gloves) to dye the fondant - just because I don't want pink and blue hands all day.

Roll out your fondant and then lay it over the cake. Try to keep it smooth.

Cut off the excess. I use a pizza cutter.

Smooth out your fondant and repeat with the other tier. When you have both tiers covered, it's time to stack them. Get some dowels or lollipop sticks (again, sold at craft stores or walmart) and cut them to the height of your cake. Then push them into the bottom tier to support the top tier.

Use a few.

Then add a little blob of frosting in the center, and put the top layer on. Now you can add your borders or decorations.

Fondant Roses

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:48:00 +0000

I'm making a birthday cake for my neice. I've used fondant for a few cakes but I wanted to try and up the ante a little bit. So I decided to give fondant roses a try.

I started by rolling out some fondant and cutting out small circles - I just used one of my piping tips to cut out the circles.

Grab a circle and start smashing it a little with your finger tips. Especially around the edges. This will make them thin and they'll curl under a little.

Roll the first circle around itself.

Start adding more circles on one at a time (after you've smashed up the edges a bit). You can use a dab of water to help them stay if they aren't sticking well.

I used 9 petals for most of the flowers. But pretty much just keep adding until you think it looks good. I didn't take a picture of just one rose finished. But here is the cluster of roses I put on top of my neices birthday cake. I'll post a picture of the completed cake and some instructions for that soon.

Bias Tape Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:17:00 +0000

A friend of mine expressed some frustration she was having while making some flower girl dresses and how the bias tape at the fabric store just wasn't the right color she was looking for. She then decided to make her own! HA! I had never thought of that before, so I went to work attempting to figure it out. Here's a tutorial if you're ever in need of "matching bias tape" and the fabric store doesn't have what you want.

Step 1: You need to "square" your fabric so it can be cut on the bias. To do that, just take one of your corners and fold the fabric down along the opposite edge to create a triangle (just like folding a rectangular piece of paper into a square). Don't just cut strips off the rectangle, or it won't "stretch" like bias tape.

Step 2: Using a rotary cutter and ruler, measure the strips for cutting. I wanted the bias tape to be about 1/2" wide, so I cut my strips 2" wide to allow for the folds.

**Note** The bottom, longest strip has a folded edge along the bottom, so just open the fold and cut it apart.

Step 3: Match up the slanted edges of your strips with the right sides together. You'll want it to create a right angle so that once the angle is sewn, the fabric creates a longer strip. Also, notice how my edges hang over a bit on each side? That's to allow for the seam.

Step 4: Press open all slanted seams. You'll also have to do some trimming of threads and seam allowances so the strip of fabric is even.

Step 5: Press the fabric in half.

Step 6: Open the pressed fabric and fold the edges ALMOST to the center, but not all the way. This is a bit time consuming, but not difficult. There are actually super-cool tools you can purchase to do this part for you.

Step 7: Re-press the tape along its center so the edges are now inside.

Step 8: Add to your project just as you would any other bias tape!

Carseat Cover/Nursing Cover

noreply@blogger.com (justinandash) — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I love objects that have more than one purpose, so I am very excited about this carseat cover that also doubles as a nursing cover.

I love the poncho design of the nursing cover to allow side coverage while breastfeeding (especially when babies start to kick the cover with their little feet). I started out with 1 1/2 yds of fabric. I used home decor. fabric because it's heavier and lays better.

Next, I cut a slit in the center. I made it big enough for my head to go through and allow for comfort but small enough that it would rest on the carseat right. The size of this slit will differ based on your preferences.

After cutting the slit, I trimmed the edge of the fabric so it wouldn't drag on the floor when put on the carseat. Again, this will differ based on your preferences. I ended up trimming about 4" all around.

Lastly, I used yellow bias taping to trim the edges. On the corners of the slit, I did do some reinforcing stitches before applying the bias taping. I just didn't want it to tear further.And there you have it! A very easy, very useful project!

Maybe one of these days I'll get around to posting a project that has nothing to do with babies, but for now, stay tuned next Wednesday for a new and improved cloth diaper tutorial!

A Gift of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Megs) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Okay, so it is quite literally 4 something in the morning as I start this post. I had started a post like this earlier but never got around to finishing it. I just woke up while it was still dark and couldn't sleep, but mostly couldn't stop thinking about some of my friends, Gina and Darrell, and Stephanee and Kelly.

Yesterday, my husband told me about a co-worker and his wife that were married just last year that should be adopting a little baby next month. Things just kind of fell into place for them. His wife had an operation when she was younger and they both knew going into the marriage that she would not be able to have children. Of course, I am excited for them! But I still couldn't help think of my good friends at the same time, Gina and Darrell have been married for 5 + years, and Stephanee and Kelly have been married 3 + years. These couples have still been waiting to welcome a baby into their home. If I can do anything to help, I feel like spreading the word is the least that I can do. You may have noticed that I have buttons on the sidebar that link to their profiles.

You can click on these buttons to read their profiles--as well as copy the code within the

box to grab the button and help spread the word.

I wanted to share a true story with you that was told to me last year, by the mother in the story. I just recently asked her to send it to me in her own words but I guess I am just kind of antsy to get this post up! So I am going from my own memory of how I heard it.

This mother grew up in a family that was blessed with children. She was one of

the older girls and loved having a house full of siblings. While she was still young,

probably in her late teens or early twenties, her mother died. She had to take a motherly-like

role in the family and always knew that in her own family, she wanted to have

plenty of kids. Well, her husband and she were able to bring 2 children into the world, but

then, because of some complications, they were not going to be able to have anymore.

Somewhat devastated by the news, they tried to cope with not being able to have the

large family that she had always dreamed of.

Well, when her son was still young,

just able to talk, one day he told her, "Mom, my little brother was born today."

She kind of laughed at his cute little toddler expression, feeling somewhat

disheartened thinking that this was, in all common sense, not true (they hadn't

known for long and had not looked into adoption quite yet), but she still thought

she would play along with his cue. "Oh really? Who told you that?"

His reply was so simple, "Jesus."

She was instantly surprised to hear his answer. It was one of those things

any mother should probably write down because it was one of those

"out of the mouths of babes" moments---whether true or not.

Anyway, during this same week, this little boy's daddy was scheduled

for surgery at one of the hospitals nearby their home. The location of the

surgery was, however, changed last minute to a hospital farther away. It was

inconvenient for them to have to travel the extra distance, but they knew that they had to
adjust their plans to the changes. When they got to the hospital, they had found
out that an acquaintance (somehow someone knew the woman) had been in the hospital and

had just had a baby. Se gave birth to this baby the very same day that the little toddler

told his mother that his brother had been born. And the young mother was lovingly looking

to give this baby boy an opportunity to have a mom and a dad. The little toddler

had been right all along--his little brother had been born on that day and they

were able to leave the hospital with a successful surgery on the father

and new addition to their family.


Image from HERE

I know that to give a child up for adoption takes courage, love beyond measure, and hope. Hope for your new little innocent child to have a home filled with love. I can't even imagine how hard it might be--I have never had to go through that. But I am grateful that at least 2 mothers have done that. My husband's two younger sisters are adopted. When his dad remarried and found that they would not be able to have children, they looked into adoption. It took a lot of patience and waiting, but they were able to adopt Amber and Kaitlin. They look like they fit right into the family. People are always surprised when they find out that they were both adopted. I can't even imagine visiting my in-laws and them not being there or holidays without them. They are a blessing for sure! And they really were given the opportunity to be given something that their birth mothers could not give them alone.

Image from HERE

"A birth mother puts the needs of her child above the wants of her heart."

--Skye Hardwick

I can personally tell you that both of these couples would care for an adopted baby

as their own. I look forward to the day when I hear that they are able to adopt!

Gina and Darrell
Gina and Darrell are amazing friends that would go out of their way to help anyone. Just recently our basement flooded and we were at a total loss of what to do, when Darrell came straight over to scope out the situation. They invited us to shower and do laundry at their house when we found out that our water would be turned off until some pipes in front of our house had been repaired. To our dismay--our home owner's insurance would not be covering the cost because it was an outsource of water coming into our home. Darrell came over first thing after work the next day and helped my husband find the leaks and fix them. They expected no pay at all--they were just willing to help. And Gina is so good with kids. When we attended the same church building as they did, Gina always seemed to have a little kid on her lap. And our little guy loves to go over to their house! They have seen so many of their friends have children of their own and have been patiently waiting for their turn to be parents. I seriously hope and pray that they are able to bless a little one's life by being able to adopt. They have been waiting so long.

Kelly and Stephanee
Kelly and Stephanee are such a fun couple. I met Stephanee when I was working at a Kitchen and Bath Design Firm. She was such a fun co-worker. Each day when I went into work, I knew that Stephanee would be there to make it enjoyable. She has a great sense of humor and can brighten anyone's day! She is actually the person that introduced me to blogging. Yes, all my blogging escapades started because of her! She totally helped me get a family blog going and from there, I was hooked. She met Kelly while we were both working together and it was fun to see their relationship "blossom". I can remember multiple times when he would just leave flowers on her desk at work just because. Since we have not worked together, we have still stayed in touch through blogging and texts. They too have found out that they cannot have children and are waiting to bring a little one into their home.

Please take the time to look at their profiles and help spread the word.

I know each of these couples would be a blessing to any child.

Baby Swaddler Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (justinandash) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Babies love to be swaddled--that's a fact, but I have a hard time making the blanket stay around them. When I had my first baby, someone gave me a swaddler complete with Velcro. It was incredible, but we only had one. I decided to make more for my next baby.

Here is the finished product!
First, you cut your fabric. I decided to go with a light cotton and make it only 1 layer because Summer is fast approaching.

Then you cut the square pocket where you put the baby.

I just bought bias tape to attach the pocket to the inside of the blanket.

I pinned it, and then followed with stitching on the edge of both sides.

Then, I used bias tape to edge the entire blanket.

Next, I added the velcro. I borrowed a friend's baby to determine where the vecro would go.

I folded it and added the next velcro.

And the finished product. It's incredibly easy and very useful!

Some Changes...

noreply@blogger.com (Megs) — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:38:00 +0000

Some of you may have noticed that we are no longer posting each weekday. We decided to make This & That Creative a place where our contributors can post whenever they want--without any deadlines. We did this because some of our schedules have recently gotten busier making it harder to reach our deadlines. We want this to be fun, and not a stressful environment for contributors.

We recommend that you subscribe to our RSS feed, follow, or put our link as a blog listed in your sidebar, so you can be informed when we update!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Creative Spotlight: Nettie's Zipper Flower Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:44:00 +0000

Hi! I'm Nettie. My 9-5 job is Manager of Sunglass Hut. I am a mommy to 4 wonderful children. I am married to the love of my life. Let's face it though, my life is CRAZY! Crafting and blogging are my sanity. I love to create things. I like making things that look complicated and intricate, but are actually super easy. Some of my favorite areas of crafting are, Sewing, Making Jewelry, Making hair bows, and re purposing old junk. So come and craft with me!

ZIPPER FLOWER TUTORIAL

OK kids... first things first you will need a zipper. All zippers are not created equally. I prefer the zippers with the metal teeth, simply because they add dimension to the finished flower. Now, zippers can be relatively expensive. For this particular flower I used a 22-inch zipper (1 zipper makes 2 flowers generally-the longer the zipper the more petals your finished flower will have). A 22-inch zipper at JoAnn's is about $8... which makes it about $4 per flower... now to me, that is a lot. So.... I go to the thrift store. I buy jackets with long metal zippers, for about $4. That makes each flower about $2... MUCH BETTER! This involves cutting out the zipper, but I just get my seam ripper, and it is done in seconds. It is also important to note that colored zippers are sometimes more expensive, unless you purchase them in the "jacket" form... =)

*I recently discovered that tent zippers and purses generally have metal teeth... talk about a goldmine! ;)

So get a needle and thread. (make sure you use strong thread) Weave it in and out like so.. all the way to the end.

Just kidding, cut off about 2 inches or so (this will be used to make your center), and then sew to the end. Then you just cinch the thread up tight. This will cause the zipper to twist, kind of like a whirlpool slide.

Once the zipper is cinched up tight, just stitch a few stitches at the end of the zipper to keep it from unraveling. Then start arranging the flower. layer each loop on top of the next until you get something like this. Then start stitching randomly, just to tack down each petal. (make sure you are using matching thread. =) Also, if you have to go over the teeth, make sure your thread falls perfectly BETWEEN them, because they are metal, and sort of sharp, they will cut your thread, and then your flower will fall apart. *trust me on this one. ;)

Then just twist up that little piece you cut off earlier. stitch it so it looks like this.

Then just stitch it to the flower and voila! You, my crafty little friend, have just created a zipper flower. =)... Now just attach a clip or a pin or sew it to your favorite hat, or shirt, and you will be looking FINE! Now hurry and go find a zipper!!!

Nettie's original post can be found here:

http://theresalwaysnyquil.blogspot.com/2011/04/zipper-flower-tutorial.html

Spotlight Award: Crissy's Crafts Gift Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (This & That Creative) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Today I am excited to award the Spotlight Award to Cris

from Crissy's Crafts with her genius Gift boxes!

Chances are that you already have most of the tools to make them!

Here's what she has to say:

Hi! I am Cris from Crissy's Crafts. I love crafts!! EASY CRAFTS!! Crafts that just by looking at it you can figure it out how to make it!! I try to make my crafts easy and affordable! Most of the time my crafts are made from recycled materials!
Some random facts about me:
1. I am a stay home mom to 3 wonderful children! The 3rd was a BIG surprise!! :) He was born in Brazil!
2. Moved to AZ recently
3. I am from Brazil.
4. Met Condoleezza Rice(have a picture to prove it!:)) while working at the US Embassy in Brazil in 2008.
5. LOVE Bruce Springsteen
6. Love summer and backyard barbecues.
7. This week my blog is turning 2 months old! :)

Now let's talk about the "Teacher Appreciation Day" Craft!

This craft is so simple but it looks so good! Its a little gift box made out of a toilet tissue paper roll! You can add candy or a small gift.

I was at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago when I spotted the Hershey's Bliss Chocolate and my mind just started to work! I did the Hugs and Kisses chocolate before but this is year I wanted to do something different. I came up with this saying: "Thank you for a BLISS school year!" You can download the label for free or you can use any kind of tag.

Hope you enjoy!

Go HERE to Cris's original post.

And I love that she used this same idea for some thank you gift boxes to give out at her son's birthday. So cute!

Thanks Cris for sharing this easy amazing craft!

Blanket Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Hey guys! It's the end of the month - which means blanket party time! Don't forget each Monday you can see a special blanket tutorial at Today's Top 20, We're the Joneses, and This & That Creative!

For anyone new - I've started a blanket drive this year to raise blankets for Project Linus. Why? To donate blankets in my son Gabe's name. I lost our baby in August due to a miscarriage. I really wanted something positive to be associated with his name. And giving back is the best way to do that.

Project Linus is such a great organization. They donate handmade blankets to kids (newborn - teens) who need them the most. I'm really happy to be working with them.

I am so happy to say that I have recieved over 50 blankets for Project Linus. WOW! Thank you so much!!! I really am just so greatful. :) Thank you thank you thank you.

So link up any blanket project you've got. Mail me your blankets to get donated. Email if you are interested in guest posting a blanket tutorial (it will be seen at Today's Top 20, We're The Joneses and This & That Creative).

Can't wait to see your projects!!

And don't forget the 31st is the Blogger of the Month Party at Today's Top 20. Come link up your fave. project you've made in March for a chance to win a great prize from My Vinyl Designer as well as a month's of advertising at Today's Top 20!

My new Internet Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Pinterest. Move over Facebook and iGoogle (the only other sites I visit on a daily basis)! That's right. I have a new love thanks to my friend, Anna, who introduced me to this AMAZING website. It allows me to organize all my creative musings in one place until I'm ready to actually implement them.

Have you ever read a blog post or looked at a website and thought, "Oh! I totally want to make that...But I don't have time right now...," or "That recipe looks amzingly delish. I wanna try it, for my next cooking adventure," and then when you go to find said post or site again, it's missing?

ENTER: Pinterest.

It's the greatest.

It's a site that keeps track of all those past posts/sites that you want to have access to later. Anna explained it as a "virtual cork board" and I couldn't agree more. Similar to Facebook or Blogger, you can "follow" people who are either your friends or have similar interests/style tastes you do. Thus, giving you access to even MORE great ideas rather than just the ones you find on your own!

Sold yet?

To "pin" something, you just have to add the Pinterest Bookmark to your task bar (It says, "Pin It") and click on it whenever you encounter something worth pinning. That's it. Pretty simple. As a heads-up, you do have to request an invite to Pinterest (which takes a few days), but it's totally worth it. Promise.

To give you an idea, here's a screenshot of my recent pins. Pinterest allows you to sort them into categories you name yourself as well. If this is something you're interested in, you can view my profile HERE (I currently have eleven boards you can check out). If you're already a member, feel free to follow my pins. Leave a comment and I'll follow you back! Happy pinning, people!

***UPDATE*** If you're interested, you can request and invite by going to their website, OR, if you leave your e-mail address in the comments below, I'll send you an invite myself. :)

Mod Podge Easter Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Simple Sage) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:40:00 +0000

Easter is one of the holidays that I don't have a lot of

decorations for. So I decided to make some!

I blew out a dozen eggs(which was harder than I had expected)

and mod-podged them with tissue paper.

The Mod Podge part was super easy and they came out pretty cute!

I filled my apothecary jars with some moss and arranged the eggs inside!

and a close up:

I LOVE the patterned tissue paper,which I found at Hallmark,

but I think even Wal Mart has some too!

They would also be cute in a big bowl as a centerpiece.

And save the egg carton so you can store them for next year!

Hemming pants

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:46:00 +0000

My husband is tall and thin and it's always been kind of difficult to find pants that fit him well. A while back, he was going for a walk during his lunch break and our Utah weather took a turn. He was caught it a rainstorm and was drenched. He walked back to work, drove to the closest mall, and quickly bought a new outfit. The thing is, it sometimes takes us months to find a good looking pair of pants that actually fit him. So "quickly" doesn't work out so great. Long story short, I needed to lengthen the hem in his pants. Luckily, my good old mom taught me how long ago. My dad and I have short legs. My sister has long legs. My mom has mad sewing skills. We do a lot of alterations at our house.

So, here's how to alter the length of the hem in pants. You can use the same general instructions to shorten a hem.

I had my husband try on the pants and measured to see how much more length he'd need. He would need about an inch. Which would leave about a quarter of an inch hem...which is pretty much the minimum length of hem I like to do.

Here's the original hem...see how you can't see it so well. I think it's called a blind hem. If it isn't, it maybe should be.

This is the inside of the hem. Not lined. Surged. Convenient.

Unpick your blind stiched hem. Don't unpick the surging.

Iron your old hem's crease.

Measure and pin. I went with a quarter inch seam. I don't really like going much shorter than that. And I needed to make the pants as long as possible. This will add an inch to the pants. Now, I hate pinning and often skip this step. But when it comes to clothing, may as well make them straight and even, right? So measure and pin well.

(Sorry about the bad pictures, by the way. I am crap with a camera)

This is the part when you sew the new hem. You can do this by machine but my mom taught me by hand and I like to do what I know Plus, it really isn't so hard. Tie a knot in your thread.

This is a poorly done paint picture to try to better illustrate the process. Sorry if it is more confusing then helpful. The red lines are your stiches. Start at the star, poke the needle through from behind and pull it out toward yourself. Skootch a little to the left, pick up a tiny bit of the pant leg and then poke the needle through the hem.

Here's a picture of the real deal. The needle is in the middle of the second stitch.

Same picture, different angle.

Stitch your blind hem all the way around the bottom of the pant leg. You can kind of see the little dimples in the pants where my stiches are. This is the new hem.

Close up...pretty much can't see the hem, which is kind of the point.

Press the pants again. Make your husband try them on right away then praise your mad alteration skills. Now you have a new skill and a longer pair of pants!

Vintage Easter Postcard

noreply@blogger.com (Megs) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Check out this adorable vintage Easter postcard I found on Wapedia when we

were looking up the origins of the Easter Bunny as a family.

It was printed in 1907, so it is public domain. Go ahead and click on it to download it :)

He looks so quaint as a little addition to my Easter decor.

Excuse the flash--it was night