The Paper Pony

The Number Game

2011-09-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Now that the twins are almost 3, we have been starting to introduce some more formal preschool learning games. It will be fun to get the ol' preschool box of tricks out, and learn some new ones. Our favorite game lately has been "The Number Game." To play, we find some number cards and line them up at the other end of the room. We started by using some old flashcards, but they soon got ruined (I left them in my pocket and they didn't survive the wash- oops!) so we used the numbered UNO cards instead. I think they work even better because it incorporates the use of color into our game.
After the cards are lined up, I call out a number and the kids take turns running across the room to the number line and bringing back the correct one. If they are having difficulty (6 and 9 are always a problem), we give them a hint by telling them the color.It works every time.The game ends when the attention spans start to dwindle or someone gets bored (usually me).
I love how it gets them active, teaches them to take turns and encourages them to root for each other to succeed. We seriously have been playing this A LOT and they are never sick of it. I think we will try it with shapes in the near future! I think I will start posting some of the other little games we do throughout the day to ward off boredom and promote learning. Stay tuned!

Last-minute Teacher Appreciation Gift

2011-06-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some quickie teacher appreciation gifts that can be finished in just minutes! First, carefully disassemble a disposable tape dispenser.

Choose a piece of good quality, heavy, double-sided cardstock like this Amy Butler design by K & Co. and use the removed paper packaging as a template to recreate the appropriate pieces.

Reassemble. Then, embellish as you see fit. This one is about as simple as can be, basically, because it was really late at night and I was super-tired!

Add a nice message. (We added a hand-written addition on the back from my daughter.)

Then, because she was an Extra good teacher, we could not resist making her another little something. This is almost too easy. You just cut your paper down to size, fold it around (using a bone folder makes your creases extra crisp and neat) and stick. Add a label and insert your package.

This is seriously, a 3 minute project- tops! And as we all know, EVERYTHING and just about ANYTHING looks better wrapped up in pretty paper!

Exhausted!

2010-10-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry it has been so long without a post. I just need a bit of a break to get the stuff done I need to do, get the kids to where they're going everyday, feed people, clean and still have some sanity. Unfortunately, hobbies tend to be the first to go to the back burner. I will still post... just not as regularly for a while. Thank you for understanding!!!!

How Many Plastic Bags Are in Your Collection?

2010-09-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but we use plastic store bags like crazy around here. We use them as trash bin liners, car trash bags, dirty nappy bags, etc. Of course, we still never get to the bottom of our stash as they just seem to multiply, so for some stores, we have started using the reusable bags, but we still seem to accumulate a ton of them. Here is an easy, convenient way to keep a few with you without taking up a ton of space.

Step 1: Lay the bag flat.
Fold in half lengthwise...
...and fold in half again.
Step 2: Working from the opposite side of the handle, fold a corner up.
Continue to fold "flag style" until you are almost to the end.
Step 3: Take the flap that you have left and tuck it into the back flap.
That's it! You will have a small triangle-looking thing when you're done.
Now, make a bunch while you watch your favourite TV show (I LOVE Psych on the USA network... don't even get me started!!!)
Now, they are easy to stash without all the bulk of just crumpling so when you need a quick trash bag (or you've just taken your doggie for a walk in the park and he's left a little surprise), you are ready! Put them in your purse, nappy bag, glove compartment, wallet, kid's back packs, emergency kits, junk drawer, on the boat, etc.

Thank You Thursday #6

2010-09-09T09:42:00.002-07:00

Yea! It's Thank You Thursday! First, I want to thank my twins for NOT throwing up all night and morning. It had made all of our day so much nicer! I cannot wait to share the fun projects this week, so without further ado:Mr. PP is always complaining that he cannot find his favorite English snacks since he's moved here, to the U.S. It seems like everything is so greasy when I try to recreate the savory ones. Thank you Lazy Budget Chef for teaching us how to make Baked Scotch Eggs. Now we can make yummy Scotch eggs with a bit less fat! (Mr. PP thanks you as well!)

I have always wanted to make wire stars for Christmas ornaments but just needed an easy way to do it. Thank you Maggie at Generally Creative for doing just that! Your Wire Wrapped Stars are so cute and look so do-able. You can bet there will be some of these on this year's tree (and on some packages as toppers, and next 4th of July...)
Thank you, Chica and Jo, for not only having an awesome website packed with helpful tips and crafty projects for the whole family, but also for your giveaways... one in particular... the notebook making kit... which I actually won!!! Can you believe it? What a great surprise. I cannot wait to start making notebooks! Oh no, I think I am giving away everyone's Christmas gifts this year! Oh well, it's all good. Thanks again!

All photos and graphics are the creative property of their respective blog owners.

Fabric Flowers; Two Ways

2010-09-06T20:54:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay! I have been crafting like crazy, but nothing is finished and everything is in the works! Have you noticed how many different fabric flowers there are out there in the crafty corners of blogland? There are a million creative and darling tutorials out there! I love them because you can use them to embellish just about anything from clothes, to hair accessories to paper-crafts and gift treatments! Here are two ways which have a similar looking finished product.The first steps in both flowers are the same. First you will need to cut out a bunch of circles in various sizes.
I have cereal box templates of every 1/2 diameter circle between 1 inch to 5 inches and I use them ALL THE TIME!
For these two flowers, you will need the following circles in three sizes in as many types of coordinating fabrics as you want. I used three. (I made these to match the museum tote, can you tell?) You will also need to make a covered button- the kits are readily available wherever sewing notions are sold and are SO easy and quick to make. They are one of my very favourite things (Oh, no! Please stop me if I start sounding like Oprah!)
Set the largest and smallest circles aside and fold the eight others in half. This is where the similarities in making the two flowers end. From here on out, I will show you one type at a time.

Type A

Take your fabric half circles and overlap them like in the following photos until they form a circle.
Then add another layer (and even another if you feel so inclined).
Stack your layers on top of your largest single fabric circle and sew little stitches close to the middle, through all the layers of fabric. Sew your covered button on the top and you're finished!
This is the flatter and least fluffy of the two so I used mine as a brooch and sewed it directly onto my daughter's sweater using a small circle as a backing.
I also added a fabric yo-yo to the center of mine, just under the button, to hide my horrible stitching. I was really happy with how easy it was and how well it turned out!

Type B

Take your circles and fold the same eight in half (four each of two different sizes).
This next part is easy to do but hard to describe in words; there is some squishing and pinching until you get a fluffy quarter-circle. Just look at the next 4 pictures and hopefully it will make more sense than my horrific attempt at a description.
Perfect! Then, while I make the others, I like to squish them into a big book so they'll keep their shape.
When all the quarter-circles are made, sew them on the largest circle one by one using two simple stitches per piece starting with the largest 4 and then stacking the smaller 4 on the top.
Sew on your covered button and you're done!
This type is fuller and fluffier so I sewed it onto a clip to make one huge, honkin' barrette.
Warning: These are so easy to make and so versatile, you will want to make about a bajillion! And you will love everyone!! Happy flower making!!!!

Barbie's Museum of Art

2010-08-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

After Art Museum Day, Abby wanted to learn more about famous art, so, to make it fun, we created a Barbie Museum. And like all things Barbie- it is the most amazing art museum ever! ( I think she is in cahoots with a very talented art thief because she was able to collect many of the world's most famous and beautiful pieces and display them all in the same gallery!)

Luckily, there is no copyright on many of the world's most famous paintings so their images are up for grabs all over the internet. I collected our favourites and added frames from on-line frame shops (I'm not sure if that was legal or not, but hey, I'm not selling it or anything, right?) This part was kind of fun. I had to stop myself from going crazy at this point with scale. I decided to battle the OCD and force myself to forgo the math, ignore ACTUAL scale and make them roughly four sizes so the museum could be interchangeable.
I was sure to include some stand-outs from museums we have visited together or will surely visit in the future (like all the London museums thanks to her Daddy). To make it portable and easily put-away-able, we used a tri-fold display and Velcro dots.
Important information was added to the back of each piece (it was supposed to be a learning activity after all). If you want everything to be more durable, I would suggest laminating everything.
Velcro was added to the backs of the art and they were ready to hang in the gallery!
We added a few more things around like an "antique" globe (amazingly, for being such a valuable antique- it's totally up-to-date geographically!) and a paper doll's desk. Curator Barbie was so happy when she came!
No touching!!!
She immediately started changing things around. This was so fun to do and Abby has had such a fun time playing with it (although, if I'm being honest, she could care less about the info on the back except the artist and the name)
You can use the back of the trifold panel as well, of course. I think in the future, we may hang each gallery wall in a different style since we have everything from Impressionism to Renaissance to Pop Art. Now we have a fun way to learn and as we visit more museums, we can add to Barbie's museum as well.

Museum Sketchbook Tote

2010-08-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Before our big 2-museum tour, I wanted Abby to have a little bag to hold all of the things she would need, but couldn't find anything that fit the bill just right, so I made one for her. I am NOT a very good seamstress and I messed up a lot along the way so no tutorial. Here is a good one that gives instructions for covering composition books... I'm sure anyone could adapt this and figure the rest out from there. I used 4 fabrics: Blue paisley for the main body, brown floral for the straps and spine, pink for small embellishments and white for the lining. Here is the outside cover:
Here is the inside:
On one side, there's a flap for holding writing and drawing stuff...
...and the other side has flaps for holding tickets, maps and memorabilia.
A regular composition book was inserted...
...and everything closes up and fastenes with a Velcro clasp. There are a couple of construction tips I should add: First, be sure to add sturdy reinforcement to your handle-straps and second, it is a ton easier of you add all of your embellishments before you fold the flaps over and sew them. Here is the front all snapped up and ready to go...
...and here is the back.
It was so helpful to have this along. The day would have been a nightmare without it; it not only gave her something to do and somewhere to hold her things, but it also gave her something to hold onto so she wasn't as tempted to touch anything she shouldn't. We actually (VERY surprisingly) had no problems with that the whole day!!
I loved the way she didn't copy the paintings, but just used them as inspiration to make her own drawings.
Here is the painting she was most excited to see in real life so we bought a postcard to take home.
Here's the day's haul... Seriously, what a lifesaver. For an older child, I could see a plastic insert for an id or money. For a more serious artist, I could see a proper sketchbook inserted in here.

Visiting the Art Museum With Your Child(ren)

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Visiting an art museum with your child, or braver still, children, can be a fun and rewarding experience but it can also be a disaster. I have experienced both. Here are some tips and activities that may help you to plan a fun and educational day.

Before your visit...

*Look through art books and ask questions about the pieces that hold the most interest. Point out different styles and encourage your child to recreate their favorites. This is one of our favorites:*Research the museum you plan on visiting. Find out how "child friendly" they are; if they allow strollers, bags or picture taking; if there are special rates or programs for children. Find out about special exhibitions, fees and restrictions. Many museums have free family days... you can't go wrong with free!
*Show pictures of the amazing things you will encounter and prepare a scavenger hunt featuring certain pieces of art or just small portions that they have to match to the corresponding piece.
*Go over all rules, regulations and expectations. I told my daughter about the guards that get nervous and follow little kids around if they look like they are getting too close to the art and misbehaving. I even threatened they would kick us out so we had to behave with a capital B!
*Practice at your home, pretending the art you have hung in your own home is the museum. This probably saved our bacon the most. We would point and discuss quietly and if she got too close or too loud, I would tell her the imaginary guard was getting a bit nervous and she would fall back into line instantaneously!

During your visit...

*Dress smart so your child(ren) know they are going to a special place and be sure to take a picture next to the entrance.
*Arrive as early as possible. The closer to lunch and nap time, the worse the behaviour.
*Go at your child's pace and be sensitive to his/her cues. If they're bored, go more quickly; if they want to watch the boring mummy CAT scan over and over and over again, let them. You can go back a different time for yourself, but for your child to get the most out of it, it has to be all about them- of course, we can always "guide" them and "encourage" them in the way we wish!
*Forgo the guided tour (see previous point) unless there is a specific children's tour.
*Point out special details and ask questions about the art as you go such as, "How do you think that person is feeling?" or "Why do you think the painter made the rooster so much larger than the fox?" As we did this at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last week, there was an older man who leaned in really closely to hear whether or not my daughter thought this scruffy old dog belonged to the couple in the painting we were looking at. He smiled at told her he thought the haggard dog looked a lot like them and they shared the sweetest moment. There is nothing older people like more than a well behaved child and nothing that will get you more dirty looks than a brat! As we all know, every child as a bit of both, but at a museum- especially if it is a big, fancy one; we want to do everything we can to keep the "angel child" as long as possible.*Arm them with a sketchbook and colored pencils and/or the aforementioned scavenger hunt list. Children always do better when they are allowed to "actively" participate. We set a limit before we went that she could only sketch 2 pieces of art per museum that day as we were visiting two. This helped a ton!
*Try to relate the art to them and take photos of their favorites if it is allowed. Here is a sculpture of a hand by Rodin that Abby was impressed with so we had to snap a quickie with her hand in the same pose.
*At the end of your visit, take them to the gift shop and let them pick out a postcard or two of their favorite pieces.
*Go when they're ready! Believe me, it does no good to prolong the agony! When they're done, they are DONE!
After your visit...

*On the ride home, while everything is still fresh in the memory, talk about the day's highlights and write them down.
*Gather the maps, tickets, postcards and memorabilia together and put it all in a special place or scrapbook.
*Frame your child's favorite postcard and place it in their bedroom.
*Follow their lead- they may be "art museum'd out" and need a break. They might be all hyped up so encourage them further by checking out more art books from the library, providing art supplies and time to create or making a model museum for their toys to enjoy.
Ultimately, you know your children best. Start small and local and work your way up to the big guys. If they cannot be trusted to keep their hands off, or are uninterested, they might be too young; give it another year or two. You may want to take only one child at a time so your time can be spent more intimately and not shared. You want your child's time at the museum to be the very best experience and with a little bit of planning and preparation, it will be! Please feel free to add any tips you have found helpful in your art museum adventures!

If you do not live near an art museum, do not despair! Here are a few fantastic artsy websites you and your children can enjoy together:

National Gallery of Art; Kids
Garden of Praise Art Appreciation for Kids
The MET: Explore and Learn

Vintage Library Book Card Projects

2010-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that something I used so regularly as a kid is now considered vintage. When did that happen? I remember how fun it was to look and see who had checked each book out before me and when. It was awesome! I miss that. One day I found a template website and when I saw the Library Card Book Pocket Template, my mind started reeling! Here are a few projects that were inspired by those library book cards:

#1. My very first Artist Trading Card!

I scaled everything down to business card size and designed it in my own wacky way using Microsoft Excel for the blank card and Publisher for the rest. To make the pocket, you can reduce the size easily using the rulers as guides. When you're happy with the size and scale, print it onto heavy card and cut it out. Then, trace your template onto a manila envelope with a pencil.

The rest is pretty self-explanatory; cut it out, fold, glue and erase the visible pencil marks if there are any. If you want the envelope to be more authentic, just shorten the side with the tabs.
Here are the mock-ups for my ATCs. My pony will be changing soon and I think I might want the title on the top (even though real library cards always put the author first... what is my OCD side going to do?)
I am pretty happy with the overall design. What do you think? Any advice?

#2. Bullet Point Handout for Job Interviews

My sister recently moved back after a few years in a different state. She is a school teacher and right now, it is nearly impossible to get a teaching job in our area. Before one of her interviews, she was told that the interview board liked getting some sort of hand out to refer to quickly in addition to the regular resume/paperwork stuff they already had. To make hers stand out without going over the top, we came up with a quarter-page library card-esque hand out.
I love the way they turned out and guess what? She got a job!! It wasn't THAT particular job and, well, technically, it had absolutely nothing to do with these handouts, but I believe that the effort put into these helped her gain the confidence and.... naw, she just has a great resume and reputation! I still think they turned out super-cute!

#3. Reading Log

Now that my daughter is in First Grade, there is a lot more required reading involved. I don't ever have to worry about her completing those types of assignments because she loves to read, but I do have to worry about recording it. I still used the quarter-page size for mine, but the standard sized cards would work well or even better, you can find places on Etsy or Ebay or just through a search engine that still sell the real deals.
If you own the book, I think it would be cute to keep one of these at the back of the book and record who read it and when. For assignments or logging, this makes a fantastic bookmark!
Here is a really simple template I made. Feel free to use it for your creative projects! Just click, copy and paste.
I really want to get my hands on some real ones now! There are a ton of projects you can do with them. You can use them for thank-you notes, save-the-date announcements, scrapbooking, gift tags, or check out this amazing necklace from Etsy-seller, Librarianship:So cool! Well, we are off to the library! Maybe I can score some there....

Thank You Thursday #5

2010-08-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful that my daughter is back at school and that she got the teacher we requested! I am also full of gratitude for my husband who does all the laundry! Is that awesome or what? I am so terrible at it. When I moved out with my friend for the first time, we hated doing laundry so much, we would let it pile up into mountains, literally! We would hand wash our delicates when we ran out and dry them on the heater- they all ended up with actual scortch-marks!! Yeah, I'm BAD at laundry. How wonderful that I am blessed with a laundry doer? What are you thankful for? On with the Thank You notes!
While preparing for the big Smurfday party, I looked for all kinds of toadstool things. Thank you Oh! I Like That... for showing how to create these DARLING painted toadstool pencils! They just make me happy looking at them! I love that you painted them in different colors. I am thinking these would be a fun teacher appreciation gift. Thanks for the inspiration!

Thank you Julia from Bits of Me for sharing your colorful paper flower topiary. Who doesn't love topiaries and I was smitten the first time I saw this one, but what I love best about it are the details you discover when you take a closer look! The little bugs and butterflies. Whimsical and lovely!

I love the way cupcakes look with simple swirls of icing piled high but could never achieve that height. Thank you Megan at Fowl Single File for teaching how you solved that problem with your Bee Hive Cupcakes. Not only that, the chocolate almond bee embellishments are so cute I think I would have a hard time eating them. (In reality, I'm sure I MIGHT "bee" able to just swing it)! I'm sure they created quite a "buzz"! Oh no! I hope I didn't lose you at the puns! Thanks again! I think I'm off to eat something sweet!

Easiest Ever, No-Sew, No-Glue, Alice Bands

2010-08-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

I love that headbands are called Alice bands in England! I've adopted the term because we are raising our children to be bi-lingual since their Dad is English and all. They also say "petrol", "crisps" and "Manchester United". Whoa! That's a bit off topic for the beginning of a post.

So, the other day, I was going somewhere and I could not, for the life of me, find an age-appropriate hair accessory and I really needed one because my hair kept falling in my face and I was feeling sort of blah and well, I just wanted something in my hair. I seriously looked all over the house and all I could find were old pony-tail holders. Then, I thought of all the new ribbon I bought for a dollar at Walmart on clearance the other day and *hallelujah* I was saved! Here's how it works: You just take your hair band (it can even be the cheap-o kind with the metal thingy) and twist it, and pull one loop through and you have a knot in the middle like this:
Next, measure your ribbon so it goes all the way around your head and cut.
Estimate the length of your knotted hair band, go up each side of the ribbon that far and tie a knot in each loop of the band. Trim and/or heat seal the ends.
That's it! Seriously. Easiest. Ever. This only took about 2 minutes to make.
So we can all make one to match every outfit this week!
Easiest.
Ever.
Trying to take a picture of myself... not so easy.

Linking to:

Diaper Cake with Bonus Wreath

2010-08-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I made a diaper cake (or as we call them, nappy cakes) for someone Mr. PP works with and another co-worker asked if I would make one for her as she wanted to give one to a friend of hers. She provided the basic materials, and we all get to benefit! Isn't that ribbon cute? I love the gender-neutral colors! Anyway, they are SO easy to make so I thought I would share the basics, although if you google the term, you will find a ton of great ideas! You can leave them plain like I have here, or embellish by tying and poking in all kinds of things a new mother may need. Here are the things you need although you will probably need more than one package of nappies- I used one and a half for this cake:
Were you wondering what I was doing with all the random kitchen vessels? They were all the sizes I wanted for my cake and it is so much easier to use a "mold" than to try to tie them all together without one!
To begin, take your nappies, 1 at a time and roll them up tightly and secure it with some tape or a small rubber band. Then place them in one of your round "molds". Oh! I forgot to include "tape helper" in the materials shot. As anyone who has ever wrapped a gift can attest to, a "tape helper" is an indispensable tool. It's one of my daughter's favorite jobs.
After you have squished enough in, tightly tie them all together with some ribbon or twine.
Continue the same way until you have all of your layers made:
Then, the fun begins: Tie your ribbon around the layers to hide the twine and embellish as you please. This one was left plain for our friend to finish but there is something nice about "simple" I think.
I did add a few flowers because they were so yellow and happy making.

BONUS: I had a half of a package of nappies left over from the cake project so I made a wreath with the left-overs. These are even easier! The best wreath form for these are simple cardboard ones. You can trace one you already have or just trace around round objects you have around the house. The outside diameter of this one is 10 inches- they will be quite a bit larger (and heavier) when you get the nappies on so keep that in mind when you choose your size.
You will need some lengths of skinnier ribbon for this as well. So, to begin, wrap your nappy around the form and tie a ribbon tightly at the top. In hind-sight, I think I would have faced the white side toward the front instead of the printed side.
Overlap your next nappy by about half and do the same as the last and so on and so forth.
To make an easy hanger, just staple a ribbon to your cardboard form and cover it with a nappy.
So simple and really easy to embellish with sample sized baby products, small toys, feeding accessories, the baby's name, etc. I love these because they're easy, they always turn out and you can tweak them to fit any baby shower theme and gender! Plus, these make easy, useful shower decorations. Have fun creating! I'd love to see what you do/have done so hook a girl up with photos and links!

Linking to:

Thank You Thursday #4

2010-08-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time...Does anyone else think this summer has come and gone so quickly? The last couple of weeks, we have been trying to squeeze in all the stuff we were supposed to do throughout the summer; Boating trips, County Fair, Six Flags and Art Museums. Thus, the lack of posting. All will be back to normal- lots of things in the works but not to many are getting finished as we get ready for Back-to-School. Thank You friends for reading and connecting and sharing your thoughts and ideas. Most of all, thanks for understanding!Sorry ahead of time, but this is another "when we lived in England" story, but; When we lived in England for the first three years of our marriage, there was the cutest little toy shop and I used to look for excuses to go in there and browse. I started collecting Schleich animal families "for our future children" (at that time, we weren't even sure if I was going to be able to have children, but I had to justify all the toy buying somehow, right?) Now, they sell them at Target and we have three full boxes of them and since we don't want to fork out the dough for the accessories, I have been looking for a nice for them to live. THANK YOU UK lass in US for this darling fabric barn:I love the barn, I love the dollhouse, I love that you found something useful to do with plastic canvas, I love that you have a fab flick'r group- all of it! It is perfect for home and away- I love the handles and the quietness of it all. Your tutorial is clear and detailed and is on my "to make for Christmas list". Plus, my little wooden dollies still need a home.

Last, but certainly NOT least, THANK YOU Someday Crafts for featuring my Cereal Box Notebooks in your Back-2-School bash today. I am really excited to share them with your readers. All of the ideas so far have been so amazing- just the inspiration I needed to kick my booty into gear and accept that the summer is over and school starts Monday- yikes!

Quick and Easy Flower Topiary

2010-08-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

I love topiaries! They are so cute, festive and adaptable- you can make them out of just about anything and for any occasion. Here is a super-simple version I did for a blue party (one that featured some small little friends that are 3 apples high and live in mushroom houses in a medieval forest...) This was an afterthought, really, and we just used what we had: Some silk flowers, packaging foam, a stick, a bucket, glue, a foam ball and some marbles.

When making any topiary, you need to make sure it is secure. Foam is an excellent way to do this so when you get some in a package- don't throw it away! It comes in so handy for many projects and can be fairly pricey to purchase.

Use a strong clear glue. I used an easy non-toxic type since my daughter was helping out, but I think I'd use something a bit stronger if you want a more secure finish. We poured ours into a Dixie cup, ripped off a flower from the wire stem, dunked it in glue and just stick it into the foam.

Just continue to glue and stick flowers until the ball is covered.

Finish it by inserting one end of your stick into the ball and the other into your chosen container. Embellish with ribbons, bows and something to cover your base- we used glass marbles. And that's it! This particular example it not the best, most beautiful topiary ever- let's be honest. But it really added just that extra touch to our party and as we all know. When it comes to parties- every detail counts! You can, of course adapt this to any decor using any medium. I think I need to make some for my living room for the fall- hmmmm the wheels in my head are sqeaking into motion...

Toy Organization

2010-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the tutorial on toy organization I shared on Sherbet Blossom last week for her series on Home Organization. If you haven't stopped by her blog, DO! She is a talented crafter/cardmaker/graphic designer! Plus, all month long, she is featuring tips and ideas for organizing our homes and lives. I, for one, have a lot to learn in that realm!
I am so excited to share one of my favourite organization tips! Probably my ONLY organization tip, but who's counting? But first, some background: My oldest daughter was not only our first child, but also the first grandchild on BOTH sides of our family. Needless to say, she was always very well-dressed and concurrently amassed a literal MOUNTAIN of toys. I noticed early-on that if they were all available at all times, she would not play with any of them; but if I put something away for a time and got it out later, it was like new again! I found it easier to start "collections" rather than just having a bunch of random toys laying about. It also became easier to organize that way. To do so, I chose clear plastic boxes so she could see inside and large labels with simple graphics to help with word/letter/symbol recognition and placed them on the no-longer-needed changing table.
With larger collections, such as our embarrassingly vast accumulation of Pixar Cars and Fisher Price Little People, I used larger clear boxes (obviously) and labeled them with cut-outs from the packaging. We kept those in the closets. We initiated a new rule which still stands today: only ONE box of toys out at a time. We now have 2 more children- 20-month-old twins- who are just starting to understand the system and it has just renewed my desire to keep the structure in place. Sheesh, I sound like a toy-Nazi! But with twins, everything becomes an organization nightmare! You literally HAVE to be organized yet you are cut-off, thrown-off and de-railed at every possible junction. Having the toys in place was just one less thing to worry about. And as our oldest has grown into other toys, like Barbie and Calico Critters, we just keep adding plastic boxes. Is the system perfect? No way! Are there arguments and whining? All the time- but not as many as when I relax on the rule and it comes time to clean everything up!Thank you, Hannah, for inviting me to participate in your awesome series on organization. Seriously, I cannot wait to learn from all the other contributions!

How to Bead a Daisy Chain

2010-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week, for our weekly Kid's Summer Craft Club, the girls learned how to make beaded daisy chains. This is one of those things I think everyone learned as a kid but me- I learned in England from my wonderfully artistic Sister-in-Law, Jenna. It is literally the only thing I know to do with seed beads besides just stringing them but they are so cute. I couldn't wait to show the girls! Here are the basics:
I will be using pony beads and plastic thread for this tutorial so you can see what's being done easier. The younger girls used these as they are perfect for little hands, but for older girls, I think seed beads and a needle and beading thread are the best. For each section you will need the following beads (of course, feel free to change up the colors): To begin, take a green bead and thread the end around and through it to make it secure so you don't have to worry about the beads falling off the end.
Add 2 (or more) green beads for your "stem". Then begin your flower by threading four yellow "petal" beads and 1 purple "center" bead.
Bring your thread through the first yellow "petal" bead (the one next to the green bead) and pull all the way through.
Be sure to make sure the beads are all nice and squeezed up together when it is all pulled together like so:
Add the last 2 "petal" beads...
...and thread the end through the bead next to the purple "center" bead that is NOT attached to the green "stem" beads.
Pull it nice and taught (but don't pull too tight- just snug). Then begin the process again.
Let's magically push the "transparency" button to see how the thread works inside the daisy. Abra-Cadabra! A la Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches!
Just continue the pattern until you reach the desired length. Then finish it how you choose. For Abby's bracelet, we tied off the ends and threaded them back through the beads.
Didn't it turn out cute? I was surprised at how quickly she was able to pick it up. She is six and only needed to be shown a couple of times and she got it!
I don't think she could have handled the tiny little seed beads though. Although the general procedure is the same, we added 5 "stem" beads in between the daisies. This is what that looks like.
Here is K's version. She is eight and it was the perfect age for "graduating" to the smaller beads. We also added clasps to the ends as well. Didn't she do a fantastic job?
Of course, once you get the basics down, there are a ton of variations. Add or take away "stem" beads, change up the colors or make it ALL daisies! They always turn out cute and it is really fun and addictive. Have fun beading daisy chains!

Hmmm, now, what should my next seed bead project be? I have a million of them and no idea what to do with 'em! Ideas?

Thank You Thursday #3

2010-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Thank You Thursday. I don't know about you, but this is quickly becoming my favorite new feature. It feels good to express gratitude to some amazing, hard-working, generous bloggers for some fantastic projects! Also, it is really nice to clear up some space on my bookmarks bar.
First, Thank You to Hannah at Sherbet Blossom for allowing me to guest post in your project organization series and share how we organize our toys around here! You are such a talented designer and crafter- I can't believe you let me near the place! Note: Everyone should seriously check out her blog and the other great organization and home tips (as well as some seriously awesome greeting cards... oh, and she's a graphic designer on top of that!)

When I lived in England as a newlywed, I would look at home and design mags all the time and I remember an article about mixing florals that I loved! All of the photos made me feel so nostalgic and comfortable and homey. Thank you Anj at Snowy Bliss for reminding me and bringing back those same feelings with your lovely, long-stemmed fabric flowers. They are so feminine and I am just dying to try them (just as soon as I scour the fabric stores for some more floral fabrics- my husband's gonna love that!) I love your rectangle vase as well so each flower is really showcased! Great project!

With half of our family living in England, I am always looking for ways to keep them close and making sure they are always familiar to our children. MaryLea at Pink and Green Mama; You came up with a brilliant way to do that! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful idea of using a wooden puzzle and fitting family photos underneath the shapes. My twins are pretty much obsessed with puzzles at the moment and their 2nd birthday is fast approaching. This is definitely a must-do!

This idea is so great, I already did it! (see previous post) Thanks and hugs to Rachel at Bayberry Creek Crafter for sharing your Pringles canister as cookie container idea. I love the details; the flower and the handle- plus it's re-purposing something that would have been trash so that is always a bonus! Mine don't even hold a candle to your clever creations, but this great idea is something that is now in the Baynes Family go-to gift idea box! Not a REAL box, mind you, it just exists in my head- like Elaine's vault on Seinfeld only I don't need to lock it; I'm happy to share the love.

Cake Mix Cookies and Cute Packaging

2010-08-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

One night, I needed some cookies. I mean, I NEEDED some cookies. Some nights are just like that. At the end of my twin pregnancy, I was gaining 2-4 pounds of water and baby weight PER DAY. Everything else was going well on paper, but I couldn't walk; couldn't even bend my knees or close my legs for that matter and was on total bed rest, or should I say, chair rest because I couldn't sleep on a bed due to the legs thing (again, with the water). If I tried to turn on my side, one leg would have to be totally up in the air and that was just plain silly. I ended up giving birth at exactly 200 lbs. I am normally right around 100lbs so that tells you something! Here is a photo- we had to take it quickly before I collapsed- notice the legs; that was as close as they would go together. Oh my, did I actually just post that? YIKES! It was probably the worst physical time in my life up to that time and what I craved more than anything was cookies. Now, I don't mean any store-bought kind! Oh no! Those would not do! I needed them to be hot out of the oven, home-made cookies. Ever since then, from time to time, I CRAVE cookies... NOW! Last week, we did not have the right ingredients for good homemade cookies so I had to improvise. After scouring the internet, I mixed up a few and came up with these semi-homemade cake mix cookies. Super simple and made it in-and-out of the oven fast! Here's what you need:Any cake mix- my daughter adamantly insists on Funfetti- but any flavor should work.
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all 3 ingredients and drop by teaspoon full onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Give them a bit of a pat on top to flatten them slightly and bake for about 10 minutes. Easy peasy! Fresh baked cookies! Now these will not be the best cookies you have ever had- they are, after all, from a cake mix; but they are better than anything at the store!

So, earlier this week, we found out Abby's little friend is moving from about 7 houses down from us to about 4 houses down from us. We wanted to bring them a moving-in gift and Abby absolutely INSISTED on the Funfetti cookies. It was really last-minute and I needed some cute packaging and then I remembered these DARLING Pringles can makeovers at Bayberry Creek Crafter I have been wanting to try and I happened to have just such a can all cleaned out and ready to go! Her's are just darling and mine don't do her's justice, but the intent was there! I love finding great ideas through awesome crafty sites!
I happened to have some paper that was already printed two-toned from Creative Memories so all I did was measure, cut and add some ribbon and a tag. Looking now, I sort of cringe as I should have added some punctuation, but oh well, we were in a time crunch!
We filled the decorated cylinder with our cookies and took them to their destination.
Here they are... isn't this cute? (There is an equally cute family right behind her as well).
Welcome to your new home- now even closer!

Linking to:

Cereal Box Notebooks

2010-07-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Need some new notebooks for school or just to stock up on while they are dirt cheap? Make them cuter while also reusing stuff that would normally be trash! Just take some food boxes, a notebook, a ruler, a mini-hole punch, jewelry pliers and a paper cutter or scissors. Cut your box down to size using a page out of it as a template.
Carefully remove the coiled wire from the notebook. You will probably have to un-bend and then re-bend the ends, but it is super-easy.
Then mark the holes on the back of your cut box and punch them out with a mini hole punch- not a little punch that makes regular-sized holes, but a regular-sized punch that makes mini holes.
Hold the notebook together being especially careful to line up the holes, and replace the wire coil. Remember to bend the wire back at the end to lock it in place.
To give it a finished look, use a corner punch on the bottom two corners.
Then make MORE!!! And use the cute images on the sides and backs of your boxes to make book marks.
To make your bookmark fancier, you can punch a hole and thread it with ribbon at the top (wow, that kind of made me sound like an old lady, eh?... FANCY!!!)
By the way, I totally recommend this book. It is a twist on the Rapunzel story and it is in a graphic novel type format. My daughter got it from her best friend in Utah who sent it to her in the mail which makes it super-extra special.
It works with a full-size notebook as well. Note: You may have to go into the side panel a little bit, but it doesn't matter in the end.
I made mine into a two-subject notebook by placing the old cover in the middle of the paper ream.
Again, punch the holes, line up the whole stack and replace the wire coil on the side.
Ta-da! Way cuter than the generic, plain cover it came with.
I can't exactly call this a recycling project as the paper is all new, but it is re-purposing PART of something you would have thrown away anyway so it's all good. Plus, I think they turn out way-cute and they only take minutes- even the big one with all that punching. These would make a fun end-of-summer craft to do with your kids to get them back in the mood for school!

Thank You Thursday #2

2010-07-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's another Thank You Thursday and I cannot wait to share my thank you notes today. If you are wondering what it's all about, you can read an explanation right HERE.I have very recently been so inspired by all of the lovely necklaces being made and shared throughout blogland. The only problem is, they look like you actually have to have some real special stuff to make them- stuff that I just don't have in me. The only necklaces I have ever made in my life are simple stringed beads and daisy chains. THANK YOU {Craftify It} for your Ric Rac Rosettes Necklace tutorial. Don't think I'm hatin' and saying you don't have special stuff- you have the special-est kind of stuff because you shared something just about anyone can make and have it turn out fab. I actually just bought some ric-rac three days ago for the sole purpose of making these cute little guys.
We all know we usually don't look our best when doing yard work- well, except for my neighbor when we lived in Springville, UT; I think she spent hours getting all snazzied up to look her best, bikiniest self when she did her gardening. But even when we're all hot, sweaty and dirty, don't we want to be surrounded by cute things- that's one of the main reasons I had kids! Anyway, I'd like to dig up a huge THANK YOU to 2 Little Hooligans for your Mod Podged Hoe Tutorial. You not only showed me how to make the mundane special, but also inspired us all to wanting to spruce up every tool in the shed! And why stop there? There's the indoor tools-with-handles as well! We could Mod-Podge the world (but that's another blog). Also, I love the design of your awesome blog- those owls are the cutest!
THANKS Alissa at 33 Shades of Green for sharing how to better organize our ribbon and paper tubes with your Wrapping Paper and Ribbon Wall Rack. It has always been a dream of mine to have a "wrapping station" after Martha Stewart said I needed one and this is such a cute and easy way to do just that. Now, I just need to convince my husband to build me a new room...

[please note: all photographs used in this post are courtesy of the associated websites and their administrators]

Cat in the Hat Treats

2010-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

When my daughter started Kindergarten, I felt like I needed a starter-mom course in the new parental expectations department. When I was in elementary school, nobody brought in treats on their birthdays and we didn't celebrate "school" holidays like Teacher Appreciation Week and Dr. Seuss's Birthday. Don't get me wrong, it's all well and good; I just wish I had KNOWN some of this stuff -although I still think the whole bringing goodies on your birthday thing is disruptive, exclusionary and encourages too many "sweets days", but for now, I'll consider it a necessary thing- especially since my daughter SHARES a birthday with the aforementioned Dr. Seuss. Can you believe that? I felt under DOUBLE pressure to come up with a treat that celebrated both. I remembered seeing a marshmallow-on-cookie pilgrim hat in an old FamilyFun magazine and had an idea: What if we doubled the marshmallows to make a tall Cat-in-the-Hat type had treat? It was super-easy although a bit time-consuming.

Ingredients:
1 bag Large Marshmallows
1 package White Almond Bark (or bag of White Candy Melts)
1 box Ritz Crackers

Stack two large marshmallows and secure them with a toothpick although I might try pretzel sticks next time so I don't have to warn the kids before they eat them. Next, melt the candy/bark. Place a dollop on a Ritz Cracker and place the marshmallow stack on top. Wait until secure (about 5 minutes) and dip the whole concoction in the melted white goodness. Be sure to scrape the bottom so there's not too much and place on wax paper to harden.
When the "hat" is dry, take a tube of red decorator's icing and pipe on stripes and a red top. Note: Although the effect was appropriately topsy-turvy, this technique was way sloppier than I had hoped plus it tasted just like pure food coloring. I think next time, I will make the stripes with red Fruit Roll-ups so I can make them neater. Any ideas?
In the end, you just can't go wrong with white chocolate, icing (even the gross store-bought kind), Ritz crackers and marshmallows (toothpick optional). They were a big hit with the kids- even thought they weren't the standard cupcake, and the teacher appreciated the fact that they fit the theme of the day.

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Abby's 3-D Art Project

2010-07-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

If there has been a signature comment Abby has developed this summer, it would be, "I have a GREAT idea!" And you know what? More often than not, she does. Last week for example she took out an empty wooden box that she had saved after making the project it had contained (that was really fun for her in and of itself- a Melissa and Doug Decorate-your-own Frame) and said, "I have a great idea; Why don't I make a picture and put it in the little square places and this box will sort-of be like a frame?!" My response? "That IS a great idea! Let's do it!" She had the idea to layer things and make a 3-D type effect and I knew just what to do!You can take any wooden box, display case, or shadow box and measure the inside(s). Cut two to three pieces of card stock paper for each section.Now, start with your background. It will probably be pretty plain. It is a good idea to plan and roughly map or sketch your idea- especially if you are doing this with a child so they can understand where they are going with this. This "boring" background part caused a stir at first until we discussed the final project and then she was just as excited to do this part as the rest.When the background is complete, it is time to start on the second layer by drawing and coloring your image on the corresponding, pre-cut pieces of card.
Cut them out with scissors and/or craft knife (obviously, an adult job).
Then use 3-D puffy dots on the back of your cut-out element and add it to the picture.
Then add more and more elements in even more layers! Remember to double the glue dots if your third layer is not attaching to the second layer, but is going all the way down to the first layer so it is the proper depth. Adjust accordingly if there are even more fabulous layers.
This is a photo Abby took... she obviously forgot to stage it just right so you would miss out on all the mess. Then again, doesn't everyone's crafting area look like a disaster area in the middle of a project? (Please say "yes", but if the answer is "no", PLEASE share your secret!!!)
I was really proud of how creative she was. She thought of and created every single element. I just did the cutting!
I think it turned out just lovely. Now I just need to find a way to cover it with Plexiglas... maybe Gorilla Glue? Suggestions?
We had a family reunion/art show to honor my Grandma's Sister-in-Law and her best friend who used to travel to Arizona in the 50's to study painting under Ted DeGrazia, with whom they developed a lasting friendship. To celebrate their lives, her son invited all the relatives to come and enjoy their paintings along with other family artists. All were invited to bring their own artwork and Abby had been stressing for weeks about which ONE to bring. Well, this piece quickly rose to the top of the list and it was a big success. The whole event was for that matter! Here she is next to her picture, sharing an easel with one of her grandma's drawings. She was a little shy but very pleased.
What a great experience the whole thing was; from the idea, to the development, to the creation, to the exhibition. I am so grateful to have been raised to celebrate creativity and was encouraged in every artistic expression- even if it wasn't ever perfect or great. I hope I can do the same with my children!

Find and Make Your Own Box Templates

2010-07-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

So, here is the post I contributed to 733- A Creative Blog's annual Creativity Week. I'll leave the intro for those of you who are new or who are visiting for the first time! Welcome and I hope you find something useful!

My name is Bethany and when I am not running after my soon-to-be first grader or 20 month old twins, I like to rest or watch Days of Our Lives or eat things-obviously there is chocolate involved- but I usually don't do those things. Usually, during nap time or late at night, I pretend like the house is in perfect array; the laundry cleaned, pressed and put away; lawn mowed, dinner finished and there is nothing else to do but make and do crafty things. Those things- the good, the bad and the REALLY bad- I post on my blog, The Paper Pony. Do you find it difficult to find just the right box and packaging templates? For some reason, I can never find the templates I need, or they cost money, or I can't download them or some other issue. To remedy this, I started saving the packages of things we bought and started turning them into templates and it was super-easy! I might even have been known, on occasion, to buy a product just for it's packaging. And now, I have a selection of packaging options. So, here is how to turn these:
...into THESE!! (note: I left them fairly plain because I wanted to show how the boxes look at there most basic... oh, and the fact that I am TERRIBLE at cute embellishments- you should see my attempts at making cards!)So, first, you carefully take your box apart. If there are glued seams, I usually just tear as carefully as possible. You will be using a ruler in the process, so if you tear a couple of things, it's no big deal.
Lay the box open flat and study it so you understand how it works. I like to do this first so as I attempt to recreate it, there are fewer mistakes. Then place it on the "wrong" side of your chosen paper.Trace all around the outside with a pencil so you can erase it later if you wish.
Then, carefully bend each crease back that you can and trace those as well. It is important during this step to use a very sharp pencil and line everything up precisely.
Do the same with the lid...
Then, using your ruler, straighten up the edges and draw in the lines you missed or couldn't mark by bending back. I use dashed lines to indicate folds to which I need to pay particular attention or those that go opposite ways.
After you're happy with your traced image, cut out and fold using the original package as your guide. The original has the folds intact and it makes it so much easier to recreate when you know which way everything is supposed to go. Great for visual and hands-on learners like most of us creative people are!
Then, glue where you need to and put it all together. In a lot of cases, you might find it easier to embellish before you glue everything together.
Here's the final project!
Sometimes, the tracing method can be more difficult with certain kinds of packaging. Especially if the box is awkward or requires some odd cuts or is a "two-parter"; that is a package that is too big for one piece of paper and you are required to make it in two pieces. Like this box, for example.
I used the "trace" method and was running into all kinds of trouble; partly due to a dull pencil and the fact that it was really late at night, and also because it is just an awkward box and required some odd cuts with a craft knife. Just look:
Not pretty! It was much easier to just scan and print onto card stock. Most packaging is white on the inside so you will need to adjust the brightness and contrast. Also, it helps to back it with a colored piece of paper. I like to add notes as well so I know what I'm doing. Here is what I did with this one so you can click on it to enlarge, cut, paste, print and make it yourself!
Here's the final result!
One more note! You may need to adjust the top openings so you don't have to glue them all shut like their originals are. For the cream carton, I flattened out a simple loop and slipped it over the top to keep it closed until I have need for it. The ol' "punch a couple of holes, thread ribbon and tie a bow" method also works well in a lot of cases.
So, here is what I ended up with! I kept all the original templates and put them in a big folder so now, I have a bunch of options when it comes to cute boxes AND a great excuse to buy some things I might not normally get. "I HAVE to HAVE this BOX!"

733- A Creative Blog

2010-07-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am posting over at 733- A Creative Blog today. All week has been Creativity Week over there and I have been amazed at the awesome projects that have been posted. Be sure to scroll down and check them out once you get there! I'm showing you how to make these... ...out of these!I'll post the full tutorial later this weekend. But be sure to head over to 733 today. Oh, also, if you go through back posts or check out the labels, there are some great tips to help you soup-up your blog pages! Have a great day!

Thank You Thursday

2010-07-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Aren't you so inspired by how wonderfully creative people in Blogland are? And whats more- they are so generous in showing us how to recreate their projects! Here is an embarrassing confession: I am TERRIBLE at writing thank-you notes! My Mom is the best and writes them for everything to everyone and in a timely manner. She was always harping on my sister and I growing up about how important it is to write them and I TOTALLY agree, only I just can't seem to get them off on time, and then I feel dumb for giving them too late, and then I forget, or they get lost, and I hate the post office. I mean, I have the greatest of intentions, and I really do feel grateful and all- REALLY grateful. I really don't know what the deal is, but I am bad- very bad at it. That's why I am going to start writing thank you notes every Thursday. And not the funny Jimmy Fallon type either; Well, maybe a little like the Jimmy Fallon type, but more heartfelt and with less sarcasm.
Thank you Twig and Toadstool for your Beach Mobile project. It made me want to forget that I hate working with polymer clay. I know HATE is a strong word but I'm pretty sure I feel that way because everything I have tried to make with it looks like a preschool project but maybe it is because it makes me tired thinking about how hard it is before you condition it. I think using the shells and driftwood makes me feel calm... also, it makes polymer clay seem relaxing.

I always got all up on my Mom for buying imitation vanilla extract and when she retired last year and baking became her new hobby, I immediately went to the cupboard to banish it forever. What I found was the most beautiful bottle of imported pure vanilla extract and was immediately silenced. I cannot wait to present her with this! Thank you Cheyanne from Off the List for showing us how to make our own vanilla extract and then using the same beans to make vanilla sugar. I feel like giving you a big, virtual bloggy hug with tears of gratitude and everything.

Thank you Susan at Living with Punks for your floor cushion tutorial. Anyone who can pull off an awesome Land of Nod knock-off like this deserves a medal! The handles are my favourite part! I can just imagine Lily and Liam dragging their own little stools around the house! I'm sure they will thank you when their birthday come around for their awesome new prezzies!
If you think these projects are awesome, you should visit their blogs! Seriously!

[please note: all photographs used in this post are courtesy of the associated websites and their administrators]

Temporary Quickie Dish Towel Smock

2010-07-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have seen the cutest aprons and swimsuit cover-ups lately that have been made using kitchen towels. This is NOT one of those projects. This is for those of us who find ourselves in need of a quick art smock or baby bib or apron but still want the kitchen towel to be a kitchen towel at the end of the day.All you need is a towel, ribbon and a safety pin. Note: Don't even bother with the thicker ribbon- save it for something else. We chose this fun butterfly towel from the local Dollar Tree because my daughter and I have been looking at A LOT of art lately and it reminded us of Andy Warhol's Butterflies:
To begin, cut a length of ribbon long enough to go through the top of the towel and tie behind your neck. Poke a safety pin on one end, close and use it to easily thread the ribbon through the little tunnel space at the top of the towel before first sewn seam.
Pull the ribbon through and gather as much or as little as you like. This is the top of your smock/bib/apron.
Cut two more pieces of ribbon for the sides and pin them on with two small safety pins. Alternatively, just tie a length of ribbon around the waist as a belt.
Last step: Seal the ends of the ribbon by melting. Just get the ribbon close enough to your flame to melt it but not close enough to burn it. This only takes a second.
You're now finished and it took all of about 5 minutes and 3 of those were just gathering the materials. I spent most of my time afterward trying to convince Little Miss Art Smock to be a team player:
Snarky Diva prevailed over Team Player in the end. I felt a little like "smocking" something after that ordeal. I eventually gave up and found Little Miss Bib to be much more cooperative.
Momma Apron was the pinnacle of professionalism, as usual.
The best part was at the end of the day when I could just remove the ribbons, fold up my new, cute towel and put it in the drawer with the others without any dangly bits to worry about. Easy-peasy. Seriously, I feel bad even calling this a project... it's more like a tip.

Disposable Camera Strap and Money-Saving Tip

2010-07-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

When my daughter's Kindergarten class was taking a field trip to the zoo, I was still recovering from my hospital stay and could not chaperon so she wanted to take pictures to show me what I missed. Well, there was NO WAY she was going to use my camera so we got her a disposable one. She started complaining about having to carry it around everywhere and not being able to use her arms for stuff so we came up with the simplest solution ever; just add a ribbon strap to the darned thing.
Simply thread the ribbon through the cardboard covering and tie the ends. Abby liked wearing it over one shoulder because it seemed more safari-like (also, less likely to fall off).
She felt so grown up and it was fun to see her photos; and hear her descriptions of them. I told her to make sure she let others have a turn taking pictures so she could be in a few. Here were the best ones...
...which brings me to Tip Number Two:

Why pay to develop a whole roll of film when you suspect most of them won't turn out very well in the first place? There's a much cheaper alternative. Ask the photo technician to only develop the negatives, then those images can be put directly on a CD without incurring the printing costs. On average, it costs about $9 to develop a roll of film and print the photos. To develop the film directly to a CD, it only costs about $6. But don't pay that! Check out the ads- those CD's are always on offer at your local drugstore. Walgreens runs ads all the time that make the CD's only $.99. When you add the cost of developing the negatives, it makes the total about $4. Not only are you saving about 5 bucks, but you will be able to put the photos directly onto the computer and only print the ones you want when you need them. This was such a great experience, we plan on turning this into a little field trip tradition!

Linking to:

Times They Are a Changin'

2010-07-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

I started The Paper Pony to keep track of what we were doing creatively in the house. The name was inspired by my childhood ponies with whom I spent many hours of fun and make believe but who only exist on paper now. They represent a wonderful childhood in which I was always encouraged in my creative pursuits.
I had no idea when this blog went public last October (with a 5 month health/hospital break in between) how much this would enrich my life! I am so thankful to have met so many wonderful people who like what I like and who inspire and teach me so much everyday! I have learned how to be a better photographer, computer geek, friend and mother because of all of you in the blogging world and I look forward to even more! More friends, more learning and more creating!

I think it is time to branch out a little-bitty bit. You will be seeing some changes in the next couple of weeks as I update some things. Nothing too drastic- a new pony designed by none other than world-famous equine artist Sandra Connolly (who also happens to be my mom), a new banner and a few other bells and whistles. Also, since I normally post projects about three times per week, and have bookmarked a bajillion projects, I will start posting a weekly "to-do" list which will feature projects I would eventually like "to-do" and hopefully you will find interesting as well. I am warning you ahead of time that there is no rhyme nor reason to the madness- many highlighted projects will be older ones, but I need to get those ideas out of my bookmarks and back to the forefront of my mind. Also, I want to add a "Friday Flashback" feature in which past projects will be re-visited and/or updated. Not every week- I can't be that rigid! Don't fence me in baby! I need space to be organic and move with what moves me at the moment (Oooh, that sounds ever so hippie!) I hope you like what is planned! I am excited.

Oh! One more thing: To make communication even easier, there is now a Facebook page for The Paper Pony! Check it out on the sidebar.

State Quarter Etchings

2010-07-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

We are a goal-setting family and this summer, Abby and I sat down a created a summer goal list. There is the daily list; you know, the things she wants to do every day. 1.) Exercise 2.) Read 3.) Do something creative. Then, we came up with a long-term goal that will take the whole summer and maybe even longer: Collect and make etchings of all 50 state quarters (oh, and borrowing from someone who has already collected them is NOT allowed!). I thought it would be a great way to review school skills like sorting, money, and math throughout summer holidays with the bonus of developing art skills and a healthy dose of patience and perseverance. How's that for a summer goal? (I just may have been stretching it with the whole school thing, but it has been fun!) We started by sorting through the quarters in her bank.We saved the eagle quarters to trade with family members (and a few nice store clerks at our local drug store). All we needed to get started was a paper list on which to do the etchings, some quarters and a cute coin purse in which to keep them (an absolute must- the cuter, the better!)
Then we matched our quarters to their names, discussed them in detail, found them on a map (a dollar USA map place-mat from Wal*Mart) and chose a colored pencil for each one. It was so fun to really study each one of them and it led to many questions... oh, so many questions... and even more questions...There is a real trick to etching and I highly recommend practicing on scratch paper until you get a good feel for the pencils and develop a technique. We found it easier to tape our quarter to the table and then orient the paper to where we wanted it. When doing the actual etchings DO NOT use the tip of your pencil, use the side by angling it quite a bit. Then, holding the paper steady and using medium pressure, scribble evenly over the image.
You may need to help hold the paper if a young child is the one doing the etching. You could also tape the paper to the table as well to help with stability.
You will need to go over your image multiple times in different directions. Do not get discouraged if the image is barely discernible the first go-over. By the second and third, things start looking really good. Keep going until you are pleased with the result.
The etcher will experience excitement (seriously; actual excitement) as the image gets clearer and clearer. Abby thought it was like magic and wanted to etch every coin she could find- just wait until she discovers leaves! Here are a couple of our favourites so far although I am sure these will change as the summer progresses: We keep everything in a neat folder and about once a week, we bust it out and fill it in with the new quarters we acquired. It is amazing how she remembers which ones we have and which ones we need. Oh! There's another school skill- memory exercises! Boo-yeah!
Hey! Guess what? I finally learned how to create and embed a PDF file so here is a copy of the list for you:border="0" />Our State Quarter Etchings
I wholeheartedly recommend this activity! It really has turned into such an awesome experience on so many levels for me as well as my amazing, almost-a-first-grader daughter.
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Dry Embossing: The Basics

2010-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, I have some young girls over every week for a summer "craft club" where we learn different techniques experiment with different mediums each meeting. Our first project was dry embossing. It is such a simple thing to do and yeilds such fantastic results! We ended up keeping the light box up all week and everyone that came over wanted to give it a try; It was really fun! To do some basic embossing, first gather your supplies: Brass stencils, a lightbox, cardstock, stylus and tape.

One of the great things about this technique is that if you do not have the exact tools, you can make do with regular, household items. Here's the same list using alternative materials: plastic stencils or ones you make yourself with a craft knife and cereal box, a sunny window, paper, a dry, ball point pen that no longer writes at all, and tape (okay, so that one stays the same, but everyone has tape, right?). For the rest of the tutorial, just substitute materials for the ones you are using.

To begin, tape your brass stencil to your lightbox or window.
Then, tape your cardstock over the stencil.
Using your stylus, trace around the details of your stencil applying a medium-firm pressure depending on the strength, thickness and quality of your paper. You may want to play around with some scraps first so you do not end up poking through and ruining your image. (Give props to my lovely model- aka sister's old college roomate- Sarah!)
When you are done tracing the image, you should have something that looks like this:
It really doesn't matter if it looks a little messy because the magic happens when you turn it over! Ta-da!! Doesn't it look great? You can color it or leave it as it is. Now trim it up and embellish whatever paper project you are working on! Important but obvious note: Remember that you are working on a mirror image of your finished product. That means if you are working on words, be sure to trace them backwards and from right to left if you want it to read correctly when you turn it over. I forget this rule nearly every time I do this and have to start over!

Now for another method! Here is my daughter using some alternative materials. Oh, here's a tip- it is especially helpful if you are using a dried-up ball point pen: Your stylus (pen) will glide over the paper more smoothly if you rub it with wax paper first.
Here, the stencil and paper are taped to the window and she is tracing the stencil details with the dry pen. Do you like my little window washer? She can't reach very high, but she works cheap and does a pretty good job!
Here's her finished product! See how it looks pretty much as good as the first project? How cute is that little ladybug?
I definitely recommend trying this if you haven't before or if you like easy projects that turn out great every time! You can get brass stencils at many craft stores but they can be a bit pricey. I recommend checking out E-bay. There are a ton of them and you will get a much better deal. Fiskars also has a dry embossing system that negates the need for a light source. Happy crafting!

Postcard Notebooks Bound Three Ways

2010-07-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Mom has a playhouse in her backyard for the grandchildren and in front of that playhouse is a little half-sized mailbox in which she places little notes, things of interest and postcards. Abby has kept all of the 60's era horse postcards her Grandma had "sent" her, but had bent them in half so they would fit into a little purse she had.
Then she got really upset because she thought they were ruined with the fold down the middle. Abby is really into writing lists, and stories lately and we go through paper WAY too quickly so we "fixed" them by making them into notebooks using a few different methods.

Method 1: Simple Staple Binding
With the first few, we just worked with the folds and turned them into simple little notebooks. It was really easy, we measured and cut the paper to size- just a little smaller than the dimensions of the postcard. Then, using a bone folder (an absolute MUST in paper crafting), the papers were folded in half and sandwiched in the postcard.
The papers and postcard were secured by placing a staple directly on the seam in two places.
This is what the inside looks like:
Here's a slight variation Abby did herself. The staples were placed on the side about 1/4 inch in through all layers. It notebook functioned as well as the others.

Method #2: Glue Gun Binding
Two folds were made here about a quarter inch apart. Then, the paper was cut to fit. We cut individual, loose papers and not signatures- I didn't want to bother with all the sewing! While the paper is being cut, it's a good idea to fire up the glue gun now.
Cut, cut, cut until there are enough sheets to fill the whole thing. Here is what it looks like with all the paper stacked neatly inside.
Take the papers out and glue gun down the spine. Be fairly generous here. You don't want it sloshing out the sides, but you need it to hold everything. Quickly take your neatly stacked sheets and stick them firmly into the hot glue. Wiggle and squiggle and press and squeeze until the glue is cool. Do you like how my dollar store glue gun tells you exactly what it is just in case you are unsure. I only buy quality here...
Here is the finished notebook! The pages are in really good. Better than expected, really! Sometimes you surprise yourself!
Here is the back-end shot of the back-end. Ooh, pretty Palomino!

Method #3: Japanese Stab Binding

Abby told me in no uncertain terms that this postcard was extremely special to her because it came from her very special friend Savannah and she did not want it bent but she did want to do something extra *special* with it. I remembered Kelsey's awesome Japanese Stab Binding tutorials at Vanilla Joy and knew they were definitely SPECIAL enough for the Alaskan Killer Whale postcard! I'm not going to re-invent the wheel here as far as a tutorial goes. Besides, even if I tried, my wheel would look like a cast off square wonky wheel next to the classy Cadillac wheel with the shiny chrome and spinners and everything. Just use the instructions at Vanilla Joy, but I'll add a few notes.
First, pick out a matching back cover that coordinates with your postcard; preferably card stock. (You could use a recycled greeting card; just slice it down the fold and you already have your front and back.) Then gather your supplies. I really like to print directions for my projects rather than refer back and forth to the computer. There is something about having something tactual and tangible that makes everything easier...
First, can I say, I LOVE the use of a simply made paper ruler (instructions given in the tut). Also, be careful to place something you don't mind getting holey under your project when you punch your holes with your awl.
Here's a photo my daughter took of me following along with the video tutorial. I highly recommend using the video for the sewing part of this project. It is one of those things that is fairly hard to explain in words, but once you see it and do it yourself, it is super-simple.
Here's the end result! Isn't it special? Abby thought so. I hope Savannah thinks it was too.
There you have it: Three easy ways to turn postcards into little notebooks! They were all so fun, I can't even decide which is my favorite!
The first one was promptly put to good use! I can't wait to see what the others will become!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for plugging Vanilla Joy- I just really like her site and her tutorials! She always has great give-aways as well. I do, however, know her in real life and she is just as lovely a girl who ever was!

Whale Applique Tees

2010-07-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I became obsessed with whales. I loved them. I searched for every organization and society I could find (this was a lot more difficult pre-internet) and wrote letter after letter searching for things to read and study after I had exhausted the library. It was really amazing how I was sent packet after packet of information that I placed in a very full binder. The plans for becoming a famous cetologist have passed, but my love for everything whale never really left. That was the inspiration for these t-shirts. One day, I just sketched up a couple of whales for a craft that never came to fruition, but I kept the sketches. Then, last week, I was searching for something I could make my little man- most crafting adventures seem to have distinct feminine tendencies- and I remembered the whales. They became simple applique tees. Do you need to use up some fabric scraps? You can make one too. Gather your template, fabric scraps, fusible webbing and a t-shirt (and have your iron and sewing machine on standby). Make a copy of your image that you can cut up. I kept one whole for reference as well.
In the case of this Humpback whale, I wanted the pectoral fins to be a different color than the body, so I cut them off. I then had three pieces to my template that I measured up to my chosen fabrics to make sure everything was the right size and also so we wouldn't waste any fusible webbing- I'm cheap like that.
Following the directions on the webbing, iron it onto your fabric pieces. Then, using your cut pieces as a template, trace around the reverse side of your image onto the backing paper with a pencil.
Cut everything out and lay it all out on your t-shirt before you iron it. In this case, the fluke wraps around the side of the shirt so it is just hanging off the side while I fiddle with positioning.
When you have it just the way you want it, iron it on piece by piece starting with the largest part of your pattern. In this case, the body. Then add the fins one at a time.
This little tee didn't have any side seams so it was relatively easy to iron the back half of the whale and his little fluke under the arm.To finish, use matching or coordinating thread in your sewing machine and zig-zag around the pattern. Be sure that you're not stretching the jersey fabric as you navigate around all the twists and turns. The trickiest part of this guy was the crazy mouth. You could write on a mouth with a water soluble pencil or just eyeball it. I think my little man loved it (or at least I loved it on him). This photo pretty much sums him up; He is a gentle, mild-mannered dreamer. I think he is looking for airplanes here.
If you would like to make your own whale tee- here is my original sketch. It's really rough, but it works. Just click on it for the larger size and save. If you do make something with it, I would love to see it!My daughter really wanted one as well with the orca so I let her pick out her own fabrics from the stash... they were not what I would have chosen, but she loved them. This summer I have been trying to make a conscious effort not to be so rigid on the things I don't need to be. I figure, the house rules are pretty strict and everyone needs space to express themselves without so many boundaries so I have been trying to create opportunities to let her explore her own creativity without me butting in so much and curbing it. This is very difficult for me but this Orca is a triumph for us both- she picked some crazy fabrics, and I didn't try to make her choose something I liked better.Yay for crazy pop-art Orca! Here it is all ironed on and ready for the zig-zag treatment. Can you tell it was really late at night by the fantastic lighting in the photo?
Here's the template for this one: Same drill. Click on the image and save or cut and paste; blah blah blah...Here's the finished product:
Ooh, and maybe she can wear it with the Killer Whale Hair Clippie from last year! I thought they turned out pretty cute and I'm so happy I finally got to use my whale doodles for something. Now I just need to make Lily one as well- I'm thinking a Sperm whale. Luckily, she's still too young to feel left out (am I a terrible Mom, or what?)

Sunflower Mathematics Game

2010-07-06T00:08:00.000-07:00

This summer, my daughter is taking the 2010 Summer Activities Challenge at education.com. One of their suggested First Grade activities was THIS fabulous addition game. Well, we needed it to be a little more challenging as she needs more help with subtraction than addition, plus we thought the game board could be improved a little, so we made our own version. She really wanted a flower theme, so I drew a big ol' sunflower. If you are doing addition only, you will need 11 sections numbered 2-12. If you are doing our addition/subtraction variation, you will need 13 sections numbered 0-12 (I forgot about the zero so we drew ours in later). After the pencil sketch, I traced over the completed shape on card stock with some colored Sharpies using the tried and true "trace up against a window" method.
I then scanned the image into the computer and added numbers to all the sections to complete the new and improved game board. The page was printed and we gathered the other materials needed: crayons and 2 dice.
Game rules: You will need a game board for each person playing (I just printed only one out for Abby and we just worked on the same board together which worked just fine). Take turns rolling the dice. For our version, we took the larger number and subtracted the smaller number as well as adding the two numbers together. That gave us two number options for each roll. Believe me when I say this moved the game along nicely. The addition only version can get pretty long. The player may choose which number of the two options to color if they are both still blank. If they are both already colored, then the player will need to wait until their next turn to roll again.
The game ends when someone finishes coloring their entire flower.
If you would like a copy of our Sunflower Addition/Subtraction game, just click the sunflower and cut and paste onto a document. I must apologize for being so old-school. I will learn how to make a PDF file sooner or later. I promise. Until then, it's all cut and paste, baby! If you do play, I'd love to know how it goes! We really thought it was fun (although I won't tell you how many rolls it took to get double sixes- that was quite the counting exercise, let me tell you!)

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ABCand123Learning

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Pancake Art

2010-07-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when my hubby works nights, I find it really hard to come up with meals for me and the kids. It should be the same, right? Well, it's not- at least not over here. The kids get needier and fussier throughout the day and by dinnertime, we've all had it. Sometimes, I just make pancakes! And do you know what else? Most of the time, they aren't even from scratch (ew, it sends shivers up the spine just thinking about it so I won't even mention the Kraft Mac n Cheese, which shows up on days I've REALLY had it). So back to the topic at hand: Pancakes. To make pancake nights more fun, I've begun making pancake art. It's nothing too fancy, but it keeps us all a little happier on THOSE nights. First you will need to make some "artistic tools". You will need this stuff here:
Take an empty condiment bottle (you can get them at the dollar store usually) and cut the tip off a bit so your batter can get through without clogging every second. You could also use some heavy-duty scissors- ours are too dull and the tip kept sliding out.
You may need to file it down a little to clean it up. And then, you may need to poke through the hole with a bamboo skewer or an awl, and wiggle it around a bit. Then your done! You now have a new gadget in your pancake making arsenal.
After you make your pancake batter, fill your bottle about half way. You will need to thin it just a bit (unless you make thin pancakes) by adding a couple tablespoons of milk or water. Then shake, shake, shake to get all the lumps out. The "experts" (and by experts I mean THIS guy) suggest you beat it with a mixer (yikes! and too much work). Seriously, you really need to get the lumps out or you will get frustrated really quickly. Use whatever means necessary, but get the lumps out.Then grease up your griddle (or old skanky frying pan like mine) because you're ready to start making some magic! Start with a simple shape like a star... then, when that doesn't work out, because the first ones never do, just toss it aside and start again. Do not lose hope at this point.
Okay, so, using your bottle, make a star. Give it a couple of minutes and then cover it with your regular batters so it looks like a regular pancake. But you know it's secret...
...when it is time to flip, you will reveal that secret! A star pancake. Okay, so it's not the best- but your kids will think it is- or your Mom who thinks whatever you do is awesome! And the more you practice, the better you will get!
When you do this with letters or words, you will need to write backwards. If you need help with this, enlist the help of a mirror.
Here's another easy one:
Pile them on a plate, and serve them to the troops:
My kids were super excited and ate every bite! I know many of you have tried this before and I would LOVE to hear your insights and tricks of the trade!
Side note: This was obviously done before England went out of the World Cup. Please, be kind; don't rub it in. It was very traumatic for the family who were frightened as they had never seen their father, who is usually the epitome of calm and collected, get so upset he threw stuff before... There's always next time!

UPDATE: Thanks to a fantastic commenter, you can find even more, seriously, super-amazing pancake inspiration at Jim's Pancakes!

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Vintage Postcard Bottle Vases

2010-07-02T00:12:00.000-07:00

My hubby is totally addicted to Snapple juices. He has an "in" at Walgreens and buys them by the case. I found a bunch of bottles hidden all over the house as I was straightening up the other day and just stuck a pencil into one and later on thought, "Hey, what if I put a flower in here?" So I put a fake dollar store job in and then, even later on I thought, "What if I do a bunch?" and then even later, "How can I make it a holiday-seasonal thing?" And then I passed out from exhaustion because it was about 2:00 in the morning. (Dumb steroids!) But the very next day, I got started! I found some vintage postcard images here. You could also find some at The Graphics Fairy (love her) or at this lovely site I only just discovered called, Free Pretty Things for You! I LOVE vintage images. They make me feel warm and nostalgic and sappy... well, except for the weird, psycho ones... but the good ones are soooooo good. I sized and printed them on cardstock; then cut them out.You can prepare the bottles by removing the label and thoroughly washing and drying them. Then, remove the date stamps with some nail-polish remover. I didn't bother to get the sticky stuff off the side because I was adhering the label anyway... might as well use it.
Proceed to the gluing stage by lightly rolling the postcard so it has a slight curve- the same as the bottle. Then glue and position it right over the already sticky part. Secure with rubber bands until dry.For the neck, I used thin strips of fabric but twine or ribbon would look equally cute. I used some gold shank buttons to bind the fabric and fastened it around the bottle. You could also just tie a knot.That was just about it. I made a bunch more, added the cheap-o flowers and voila! New 4th of July decorations for the house.
Here is what they look like in the house on top of the family room bookcases. I love them... cheap and easy, just the way I like it!

Felt Star Clips

2010-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

This summer, because my daughter was claiming boredom all the time and because a friend and awesome homeschooling mom asked if I would craft with her daughter sometimes, we started a mini Craft Club where we could share and learn how to do basic crafting techniques. There are 4 girls ranging in age from 5 (almost 6) to 8 and it has been so fun so far. For obvious reasons, you will not be seeing their gorgeous cheery little faces here, just Abby's, but you will be seeing their creations from time to time. This week, we tackled basic sewing stitches by making felt star hair clips for the 4th of July. The shapes were all pre-cut because that just takes so much time! Also, I assembled mini kits in baby food jars so that we could get going on the fun parts sooner. This is how the basic shape was assembled (although I let them pick their own colors of course) and the stitches we used. I wanted to use different stitches for each layer so they could learn and practice as many as possible... This was Abby's very first time sewing and she actually sat there for an hour and a half and sewed! I could not have been a prouder mom. We attached the clips like so: I like to sandwich the clip between two felt layers so you can't see all the crazy stitchiness underneath. The final result was so awesome! They did such a great job. And with all the extra pieces I cut out- I made a bunch that night (see top of post)! I don't even know why! I have this idea that someday I may have a craft booth somewhere... someday...

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Ribbon Flag Hanging

2010-06-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea on the FamilyFun website and had to try it. It looked simple and you know what? It really was! Here's what I used:First cut the ribbon to the following lengths:

Red: four 14 1/2 inches and three 24 inches
White: three 14 1/2 inches and three 24 inches
Blue: seven 10 1/2 inches

Then, glue your blue and shorter red and white ribbons together with about a half inch overlap. Using an American flag as your guide, glue all the ribbons onto your 12 inch stick. I used a dowel but they suggest using a paint stick which, in hind sight, would have been better and easier. I found it helpful to weigh it down with books while drying. After it's dry, add a length of blue ribbon all across the top for a more finished look. To finish, even the ends out with pinking shears and glue your "stars" on. I decided to use 13 buttons like on the original flag. I tried to make some finials for the dowel using clay... um... there's a reason there is no photo of that ( the key word being "tried"). You can weight the ribbons by gluing pennies or buttons on the bottom backs of the ribbons, but I liked the way it looked blowing around in the breeze. Add ribbon to the top to hang, and that's about it. I love FamilyFun. They have the best projects/games/ideas for any day your kids are claiming they're bored. Although, when my daughter claims boredom, I usually just apologize for having such boring toys around and tell her I am happy to get rid of them all. She usually can find something to do after that!

Red, White and Blue Fan Medallion Thing

2010-06-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what to call this thing. I feel like it totally represents my relationship with Martha Stewart. This idea came from Martha right here ...well, with a little tweaking. I thought it would look great on my front door in the same fabrics as the bunting. I had some questions as to how the pleating would stay even when hanging, etc. but I thought, "It's Martha! It's gotta work, right?" Eh... well, sorta. In her defense, I didn't follow the directions exactly, but sometimes, I guess I'm still mad at her for changing the magazine just a little too much... but I digress. I know, I have issues. So, I measured out strips of fabric. Two blue, and two white at 4.5" x 39"; then a red strip at 8.5" x 39" and sewed them together like so: Then, finished the raw blue edges by folding under twice, ironing and sewing. This next part gets pretty fiddly and I didn't like it one bit- you have to fan-fold the entire length making 1 inch pleats and carefully ironing as you go. I was worried I didn't do a good enough job so I put a really heavy book on it overnight. To make the fan is actually the fun and easy part; Pinch the middle and bring the sides together to form the medallion. Then,cut 3/4 inch strips of fusible webbing measuring the length from the edge to the middle. Following the directions on the package, fuse the open sides together. I sewed through the middle as well to give it a little more stability. It starts to look great really fast but here's where I ran into trouble. How to hang the dang thing. I tried positioning the ribbon in different ways to no avail... I tried sewing the dang thing to the hook- even worse. Then I re-read the instructions and tried to run some thread through it all.... long story short, nothing worked. It was still hanging weird and droopy and getting worse by the minute (and it had only been hanging for a few minutes). It was tiring and frustrating and I happened to see a cardboard circle hanging around from a recent wreath I made and that was it. I busted out the glue and just glued the whole thing onto the cardboard circle.
After it dried, I added a ribbon and called 'er done! It looked much better so I hung it on my door and... well, it was so light, it kept getting blown around and it always sounded like someone was knocking on the door, so I brought it inside and there it sits today. I do like it and am happy with it... sort of... just like Martha.

Stars in Ice

2010-06-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

My mom and sister were all excited to present me with these star shaped ice trays and wanted me to make red, white and blue ice cubes and see how it went. Well, here's how it went: I'd say swimmingly. I used blue Hawaiian Punch, Red Pomegranate Crystal Light and regular water to fill the trays. When they were good and solid, I took them out and the experiment began. I wondered how long before the colors tinted the drink, how strong would the colored cube taste be when diluted in drink and most importantly, how gross would the color be if I mixed the red, white and blue cubes? I decided to use Sierra Mist as the drink because a.) it was clear b.)water would be disgusting and c.) it was on sale. Plus, I thought the bubbles would be pretty. The colors tinted the liquid almost immediately, but it didn't look gross. The hardest thing about this was trying to take pictures while guarding the cups from all sides. I let the multi-colored drink stand out for about 20 minutes and, of course, it turned purple, but it wasn't too overpowering and it still looked really festive and tasted good. I actually liked the subtle taste the colored cubes added to the lemon-lime soda. And did it ever look pretty! Of course, if it bugs you, you could always just stick to red and white or blue and white. They'd totally look cute in a punch bowl or clear pitcher as well. An easy and perfect way to cool down during your Independence Day celebrations.

Patriotic Flag Bunting

2010-06-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited about this project. It is the first time I have actually sewn something I saw without the use of a pattern! (That should be a clue to how easy this really was after all the issues were sorted). I saw this beautiful bunting in the Victorian Trading Co. Catalog and fell in love only it was a bit out of our budget and besides that- totally sold out! I thought to myself, "That doesn't look too hard, I'll find the instructions on-line and go for it!" Yeah, only, I couldn't really find any instructions I was totally happy with online- even at Martha- so I had to figure it out myself- SCARY! I did find a photo somewhere that used a little half-circle shape in the middle and I thought that might look better- plus I had 4 fabrics I wanted to use anyway. Here are the instructions that finally worked for me (after a few extra trips to the store and a few ripped seams and re-thinks). First, collect your materials, threads, bobbins, tools, ironing board, etc. Then, measure the window or place where you will be hanging your bunting and add an inch. Then do some math. I did some weird Bethany math that only makes sense to me, but basically divide your finished length (the one you just measured minus the inch) by 8. That is the width of each fabric strip. That number will also be the radius of the half-circle- you will DOUBLE the number for the width (diameter). Cut out your half-circle. Whooo, I am already mathed out! I hope that makes SOME sense. Now, for the lengths of the 3 strips. You will want to double what you would need to go around the half-circle. I used this online calculator to find out the circumference, then halved it (then doubled it again, because I forgot I was going to gather). Save yourself a redundant step. Use the entire circumference number and that will be the length of your first 2 tiers. You may need to sew a couple strips together to make the length you need like I did. This did not affect the final project as I staggered the extra seams- plus they kind of hide in the pattern and gathers.Sew the first two strips together, gather one side, pin and sew the gathered side to your half circle. Cut the third strip (and the lace border) a length and a half of the first two. You can even go a little longer if you want a tighter gather. I did not do this and had to rip the entire thing out and re-think it as it did not lay right AT ALL. It was also about 2:00 in the morning and I had had it!So, gather the third strip and sew to the second. I did not gather the middle strip and it all finished well, but I'm sure that would look cute too.Fold the raw edge under twice, iron, pin the lace on and sew. To finish, I kept this really easy and bought quilt binding. I pinned it all across the top and just sewed it on making sure to leave room at the top for a dowel to help it hang straight. I also added 5 small grommets and finally added the dowel. Done! If that didn't make any sense, and are a more visual learner, here's a diagram (please, don't actually check my math... it is not right due to some "issues" and I had to make due with what I had and tweaked things a bit... but these did actually work!):And it actually fit the window!!! It was so worth the wiggles and setbacks and next time, there won't be any (well, fewer anyway). I am so excited to have a unique bunting to show my love, gratitude and patriotism for this wonderful country I live in and those who have sacrificed so much so that we may enjoy it.

Chocolate Soccerball Cupcake Toppers

2010-06-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, I got this idea at about 12:30 am the night before my hubby's Birthday which happened to fall on Father's Day this year, and could not get to sleep until I had tried it. I know, I really think I'm starting to go nuts! The good news is that it totally worked... we'll get to the bad news a little later. It is very easy to do and pretty quick going- I was done by 1:00am. Oh, and I must apologize ahead of time for the crapola photos- it was after midnight... need I say more?The first (and most difficult) thing you need to do is find a simple image to recreate in chocolate. Size it how you want it and print. Then, move your image to a hard surface such as a cutting board or an inverted cookie sheet and cover it with wax paper. Melt some chocolate using your favorite method and put it in a piping bag with a small round tip or do it the easier way and just melt the chocolate in a plastic baggie, squeezing every 30 second or so until completely melted. Squeeze a corner of the bag to free it from chocolate and trim off the very tippy top of that corner. Twist the opposite end of the baggie (the end with the zippy enclosure) until the chocolate starts to come out as you like it and there's your tool. Carefully and slowly, trace your chosen image on top of the wax paper, then, move your image and trace again until you have as many as you need. Don't worry about little splatters here and there as they are easily chipped away after they harden. I was then going to melt some white chocolate the same way and pipe it into the parts that should be white only... ...um, yeah, it seized... twice! I have no idea what happened- there was no water even near it- so that idea was nixed! I just hoped for the best and kept the chocolate outlines in the fridge until the next morning when I needed them and everything turned out perfectly! Actually, I think they turned out better so you could see the whipping cream underneath... that is IF the whipping cream had kept its shape for even one minute! Banoffee Pie is my hubby's favorite dessert and it is delicious but I decided to try and mix things up a bit and make Banoffee Pie Cupcake Tarts. Yeah, there is a reason you can't find a recipe for that! They were total flops! The whipped cream totally fell as I said before and everything else just sort of was messy. They tasted great- you can't really mess that up, but by the time it got to the table it was a total joke. My sister started laughing and insisted this go in the "flops"section... as if she had to tell me that. The good news was that I now have a new technique for creating unique edible cupcake toppers and my family has another funny story to tell about the failed dessert. At least THEY turned out- and even better than expected! Happy Birthday, Paul!

World Cup Croquet or Kick it Through the Wicket

2010-06-21T21:03:00.001-07:00

Sunday was not only Father's Day, but also my hubby's birthday. He specifically told me not to go all out... and he really meant it! I decided to keep it low key and we played this awesome game I found on the FamilyFun website. I tweaked it a little to make it World Cup themed, but other than that, I just followed the instructions on their website. Here's what I did (and here are a few things that were left out of their instructions): First, get a hold of 9 wire hangers (I got mine from my mom because I don't have any- maybe I need to dry clean a little more). Untwist and bend each hanger like so: Clip the curved part off the end leaving the curly bits- they will help the wicket stay in the ground). To make it all World Cuppy, I printed 2 copies each of 9 countries' flags that my hubby either loves or hates. Then cut them out, glue each pair back to back and laminate with clear packing tape. Turn your attention to the wickets next and using colored plastic tape, wrap the wire in which ever color and design that tickles your fancy- we just stuck to the flag colors. Attach your flags to the top of the wicket with clear tape and you're ready to play. This game is just like croquet only instead of wooden balls and mallets, you use your foot and a soccer/playground ball. Make a course pressing the wickets into the ground. How large/small/difficult/easy you make the course is up to you. Taking turns, each player gets one kick a turn to get their own ball through the wicket course. The first one to make it through all nine wickets wins. Simple and pretty easy to adapt to most ages and abilities. We played this quite a few times and because everything is still in great shape, I'm sure this will become a summer staple. Wouldn't this be fun at a soccer practice or birthday party?

Speaking of parties: I'm linking this up to Today's Creative Blog (see my sidebar)! Have a great day!

Wrapping with Wordle and Dad Frame for Father's Day

2010-06-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

I needed a last-minute idea for my Dad since his real gift is still making its way through the mail so we had this cute box of Mrs. Field's cookies in the cupboard (I'm totally stealing the template for this cute box) and decided to wrap it up and give that for the time being. Just wrapped it in cute paper with coordinating gross-grain ribbon and added a Wordle tag to the front that was personalized for my Dad and his interests. I accidentally printed up a large version first so I used it to wrap the fishing thing my daughter had picked out for him... they looked like a cute matching pair. If you have not tried messing around with Wordle- drop everything and try it now. Warning- it can get addictive!
For my husband's Father's Day gift from the children, we used a 3-opening frame we've had laying around for years but I just HATED the yellow color. I have seen these frame throughont this whole season and they turn out so cute... I wonder who take their kids' photos? But more on that later... This was a great opportunity to teach Abby to sand... wha ha ha! Missed a spot! Ha ha ha!! Then we spray painted it black- good. Then we cut a D and an A on the Cricut and had a fun photo shoot- good... and bad. Taking photos of kids with flimsy cardstock letters- not so good. Then the photos were printed, cut and placed in the frame- good. Then a glass pane broke- bad. Then my dad cut me a new one- good. Then we gave it to my hubby with some printable cards- the first coloring the babies have ever tried and even though they kept trying to eat the crayons- it was all good. Very good. (Notice the star crayons we made last year... I guess they do look a lot like candy.)I hope everyone had a great day celebrating the men in their lives! Happy Father's Day!

England Flag Ribbon Tee

2010-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some really easy ribbon embellishments I used to dress up plain white t-shirts and turn them into St. George's Crosses.The World Cup is a BIG deal at our house and when England play- everything stops. My husband really misses his home country having moved here pretty much for me; so anything England and/or football (soccer) stops everything... and, of course, for the sake of our marriage and family harmony, we support England.

To make the t-shirt, I found it helpful to practice first with some scrap satin ribbon to see which style is easiest and will turn out best... I think it's pretty apparent which one that was in my case. With a colored pencil and ruler, mark out a cross on the t-shirt- just eye-ball it. Starting at the top, fold the ribbon twice and tuck under the neckline. Use the machine to hold it and start sewing there. Then, one or two pleats at a time, tuck the ribbon under itself and sew it being careful to roughly follow the guidelines. When you get to the part where the lines cross, switch the direction of your pleats. When you get to the end, fold under twice and end on the seam or tuck the end over like you did on the neckline. Then do the same thing going across. Finally, wait for the next England game, dress your daughters all cutesy (sorry, Liam- I didn't think this would be appropriate for a boy so you can just wear your England kit), and cheer for the Three Lions!!! (being especially careful, of course, not to mention the HORRIBLE mistake a particular goalie may or may not have made when playing the USA last week...)

BTW, I'm linking this to Cheap Chic Home's Fabric Fun Thursday HERE (even though it is technically Friday) as well as Tatertots and Jello's Weekend Wrap-up.

Easy Marshmallow Mushroom Pops - Smurfday Party pt. 6- The Final Smurf!

2010-06-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

How could I forget these? They deserve their own post anyway! I really wanted to make some other type of mushroom-themed dessert, but couldn't find much. I found these fabulous creations using Bakerella's famous cake pop techni q ue... but I really wanted something easier, so I came up with these semi-homemade versions: Gather your stuff- large marshmallows, sticks (you can use lollipop sticks or just skewers), red candy melts, white chocolate chips and doughnut holes. Oh, and make sure you have a wax paper lined cookie sheet near by. Then, cut the doughnut balls in half. In the microwave, melt the red chocolate candy and dip the half-doughnuts using a fork and scraping the bottom before you place it on wax paper so you don't get a huge build-up of candy on the bottom. Give it about a minute to barely set and then place white chocolate chips in the top... this is a good job for the kids. It doesn't really matter if this step is a little messy, you can clean up the edges later. Then, set up the container in which you will be placing your pops by lining it with at least an inch of foam... I always save foam board when it comes in boxes and packages because you can always find a use for it and who wants to fork out the dough for foam? Place large marshmallows on a stick leaving about a half an inch sticking out of the top. Then stick in the foam. When you have the marshmallow sticks all done and arranged the way you want, add the dipped doughnut holes to the tops. To glue them together, you can add a dollop of melted candy to the bottom of the doughnut before you attach it and then, when you place it on the end of the stick, gently hold the tops (dipped doughnuts) and bottoms (marshmallows) together for a minute or until secure. Add moss or whatever you want to cover the foam board and you're done. I love the way it looks like these little toadstools just popped up out of the moss. So cute! And, by the way, this is the last Smurfday Party Post! I'm abso-smurf-ly smurfed out!

Smurfday Party pt. 5: The Snack Buffet AKA Blue Foods Don't Exist in Nature

2010-06-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Aren't all of the party blogs so amazing and beautiful? I mean, who isn't totally inspired by the exquisite Amy Atlas? Who hasn't scoured Hostess with the Mostess for great ideas? Well, this party was NOT like that, but the essence was still there hopefully... So, the snack buffet: Have any of you ever tried to have a blue-fooded theme before? Yea, um, true blue foods don't exactly exist in nature; even blueberries aren't really blue-blue. We improvised. We just made Smurfy labels for all the foods and put them in cute containers and added blue polka dotted ribbon (because polka dots make everything cuter anyway). We had blue punch, blue-dipped smurfberries and blue-dipped pretzel rods. My husband, jokingly, pointed out the blue centered Oreo's at the store- we totally HAD to include those as well. Then, we added a couple jars of blue and white candies (we're still finishing off the York Peppermint Patty Pieces- delish!) For something savory, we had chips and salsa with blue and white tortilla chips... ...you've got to love Grouchy Smurf. A great way to add colour and themed elements to a party is to change already existing labels (what did we do before computers and color printers?). Water bottles are always easy. Here's what you do: Remove the old label and use it as a template. Design your new label, cut, and paste. I like using rubber cement for this project because it just seems like the right thing to use. And you're done! So simple. It really is the little touches that add so much! I think everything just turned out so lovely and my sister was so surprised! And now, my kids are just super-obsessed; even the twins are saying "Smurf" over and over and over and over... again. Oh no, what have I done?

Smurfday Party pt. 4- The Table

2010-06-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here is my philosophy when it comes to decorating a casual (as in, mostly disposable) themed party table: Don't go overboard with store-bought themed paper products! Pick one, MAYBE two items (dessert plates and cups, or napkins and place cards, etc.). Too much pattern can look messy really quickly. I was lucky with this theme: the only paper products available were on ebay and were swiped up by collectors for WAY too much money. It turned out to be cheaper to buy the Hardee's glasses from the eighties which is so much better anyway. We found a set of six that had never been used- only displayed and stored:They've been used now!I love the way they wear party hats on their regular smurf hats. Oh, and the blue straws were stolen from Long John Silver's ('tis me pirate tendencies, arrrr!) For the rest of the table, we just highlighted the blue and white color scheme and added some personalized paper napkin rings made on the computer. I think with everything else that was going on in the room, it turned out quite nice plus my sister gets a new set of Smurf-a-riffic glasses to take home. For the centerpiece, we made a simple tissue paper poof topiary using Martha Stewart's paper pom-pom flowers that have become the party staple of the last few years. I cannot get enough of them as they are SO easy to make and adapt to pretty much any occasion. Here's a semi-tutorial: For the topiary, take 5 sheets of paper, cut them in half and stack them... this should give you 10 sheets in the stack. For the large flowers, leave the sheets whole and use at least 12-15 sheets for fullness. Starting with the short end, make fan pleats the entire length of the stack; mine were about an inch long. Fold in half the fan in half and secure the middle with something- I have used thin wire, twine and curling ribbon with success. Depending on the look you're going for, trim the ends in either a point; Or a big rounded scallop. I did the pointed one for this project. You can see the large scalloped one in the background of these photos hanging from the ceiling. If you are doing the scallop, I have found it helpful to make sure every layer is cut fairly low on each side to make each petal stand out on its own (if that makes any sense- it will once you do it once). Then you just pull each layer towards the center very carefully, one at a time; five to the front, five to the back on each side. Fluff, attach a ribbon if you're going to hang it. I stuck a dowel into mine and stuck the other end into a foam lined vase. I covered the foam with green, natural Easter grass and it was done. I wanted to add a couple of painted wooden-knob-turned toadstools to the grass, but ran out of time. How cute would that be? Ah, next time!We're almost done with the Smurfy stuff, I promise; but I've saved the best for last tomorrow's post is all about the snacks and display- Yay! Here's a little sneak peek (check the background).

Smurfday Party pt. 3- Games and Activities

2010-06-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Because this was a "smurf-prise" party for a 30 something girl, we scheduled the activities accordingly. We started off with a quiz a la Brainy Smurf. It was fun to see how much we remembered. As we were preparing for this shindig, my 6 year old spent hours "researching" (in other words, watching episode after episode of the Smurfs until I wanted to La la, la la la la her la la la la la!). I remembered all the music and especially, all the voices... it was so weird! Our auditory memories are so much better than our visual ones... but I digress. The next game was Smurf Bingo... I just used Excel and a bunch of images found on the internet; printed it all out and added some York Peppermint Patty Pieces. In hind sight, we should have called this game, "Smurf-O" Oh well, it was fun and my mom kicked our booties! Finally, we all measured ourselves in apples next to Papa Smurf (thank you again, Cricut) it was fun to see how we all "stacked up".

Radish Mushrooms; Smurfday Party pt. 2

2010-06-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted something quick and easy for the lunch menu- and nothing TOO filling as we needed to leave plenty of room for dessert. Here's what we had:
BBQ Chicken Teriyaki Burgers (chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce topped with shaved ham, swiss cheese and a grilled pineapple ring on a hamburger bun)
Potatoes
Blue and White Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Green Salad with Smurfy Radish Mushrooms
The radishes were so much easier than I anticipated! I just followed THIS tutorial and it really did work! Here are the photos to prove it! First, cut partially into the radish all the way around- not all the way through though... Then, carefully, from the bottom, cut in up to the first incision, squaring off the "stem". I realize that doesn't make much sense- hopefully the photo explains it a little better! Then, shave the corners off to round out the stem... Using the tip of your knife, cut little round spots off the top in whatever pattern you want... I kept them in some water in the refrigerator until they were needed... Finally, when you're ready, toss over your salad and enjoy how happy they make a plain bagged salad look!I think this is definitely something that will be repeated. I mean, how cute would this be at a Fourth of July picnic or any outside gathering?

Smurfday Party- part 1- Decorations

2010-06-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

My sister had a birthday in February but was living across the country with plans to move back here in the summer. She really wanted these Smurf mushroom house sets (she is in her early thirties, but used the excuse of being a teacher for wanting them... she's just always loved the Smurfs) but didn't want the hassel of having them sent there only to have to move them back so we ended up doing nothing for her birthday. Well, summer arrived and we were so excited to have her home again, we decided to throw a "smurf-prise" Happy Smurf-day Party to welcome her back and to celebrate the birthday we weren't able to earlier in the year. Note: it is WAY easier to make a surprise party for someone when they don't even know there is something to celebrate. We ended up going really overboard with the theme and it was a total success! It has been a secret for so long, it is nice to finally be able to talk about it. The decorations were started early in the planning process- my poor hubby has been living with smurfs for weeks now. Here are some highlights:
Smurf Wreath
I cut out a wreath form from a heavy-duty cardboard box and gathered the supplies (basically, a rotary cutter and some coordinating smurfy fabrics. The fabric was cut into 2 inch strips and wrapped around the wreath form tying simple square knots to join the fabric strips together carefully keeping the knots on the front. Afterwards, my sister's old Schliech Smurf figurines from her childhood were tucked into the knots. My mom spent hours meticulously cleaning each one and they looked great! A hanger was attached by threading ribbon through an over-sized button and that was it. Fast, easy and smurf-tastic.Life-sized Smurf Diorama
As everyone knows, smurfs are 3 apples high. I wanted to invite a few to join in the festivities so I scoured the internet for images of our favourite characters, blew them up to the desired height and printed them out on cardstock. Well, that WOULD have been easy-peasy except for the fact that we ran out of colour ink so we ended up fixing the half-colour ones and just flat-out colouring the rest with coloured pencils. That took a bit longer. My 6-year-old really helped out and did such a great job colouring- she did Brainy here all by herself! To make them stand, I attached them to clear baby food jars. Then, I just free-handed a mushroom house and a little bush to really make a proper diorama. I think the results were smurf-a-rific!Happy Smurf-day Banner with Crepe Paper Rosettes
I could not believe how much the "Cuttin' Up" Cricut font cartridge looks just like the official smurf font! Totally lucked-out there, so I HAD to make a big banner. The sides looked a bit plain, so that issue was remedied with Crepe Paper Rosettes. Here is a pictorial tutorial (hey, that rhymes!): If that was confusing (I think I'm confused and I'm the one who made it) you can find better instructions HERE and HERE. I love these because you could use them for so many things like awards or hair accessories, etc. AND you can make them as plain or as fancy as you want to.

Sooooo, getting back to the party; The gifts were all wrapped up in smurfy colours as well (and they were all smurf stuff). Like I said, we went WAY overboard with the theme and to hit the point home even further, there will be smurf-day posts the rest of the week - YAY!!!

Giant Candy Thank You Card

2010-06-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is not a new idea, but it is always a hit! For the last day of school, we wanted to let Mrs. Cassidy know how much we loved and appreciated her so we decided to go B.I.G. We used a poster board, folded it in half and measured 2 inches from the fold and folded it again so when it was full of candy, it would close right- plus we liked how her name would show when it was open as well as closed- plus I didn't want to do math to get it all centered.Definitely use a bone folder (or a make-shift one like the handle of a pair of scissors) for this as poster board does not fold pretty on its own. Using coordinating paper, a ruler, trimmer, adhesive ribbon and the trusty Cricut (we used the Cuttin' Up cartridge), we made a simple cover to the card. It needed to be simple because, seriously, I am the WORST card maker. Then came the inside. I seriously had spent a couple of weeks collecting candy with names I thought we could use, then spent a few days writing and revising what we wanted to say... Abby helped with this part, of course. The night before the last day of school, it was put together. It was all layed out ahead of time, then written out sentence by sentence in a different coloured Sharpie marker (they are my first love I think- LOVE the Sharpie!) to help with the flow. The candy was also traced and labeled so when it was eaten, she would know what had been there and could still read it. Finally, the candy (and a couple of other things) were stuck on with regular tape- I didn't know which glues were toxic, plus I didn't want it to be too hard to disassemble). I took pictures of this the night before, but if you look closely in the following pictures you will notice the candy stickers Abby finished it with. I must say, it was a great finishing touch. It was so sweet when she presented it to her teacher before school. Mrs. Cassidy read it right then and there and gave the most precious hug and we all shed a couple of tears- that was a bit unexpected. We will miss having her as a teacher and next year's Kindergartners will be so lucky. This turned out to be more than a gift, but an experience for both teacher and student and I'm about to start getting WAY too sentimental so I think that's all I'll say about that!

Behaviour Chart with Magnets and Rewards

2010-06-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

Lately, our first-born daughter's been slipping into some bad behavioural patterns- you know the ones- whinging, back-talking, etc. Basically testing the boundaries every chance she gets; not unlike those pesky velociraptors in Jurassic Park. We want to nip this thing in the bud immediately- especially now that the twins are really starting to talk and copy EVERYTHING she does. We are instituting a behaviour chart really trying to focus on what she does right rather than concentrating on the negative. There are 24 spaces and every time we catch Abby doing something right, she will go and put a magnet on the chart. When she does something naughty, a magnet is taken away and an appropriate consequence assigned. When the chart is full, she can choose from a prize in the treasure box (an idea stolen from her Kindergarten teacher) which will consist of little toys/trinkets or an experience/reward coupon. To get everyone excited and motivated, Abby and I made the magnets together out of these clear, one-inch puffy stickers I've had forever, a 1 inch punch and some adhesive backed magnets. First, we scoured the internet for her favourite characters, cut and pasted them onto a word document and made them really small. A sample was printed in black and white and measured against the sticker. The sizes were adjusted and a color copy was printed on white card. Then, we punched out the images and attached the clear sticker with the sticky side facing the image leaving the protective top on so we wouldn't get fingerprints all over the sticker. Be sure to press hard everywhere to ensure a good bond. Affix the magnet to the back and that's all there is to it. I ran out of round magnets toward the end so I used some old phone book magnets, removing the top layer of paper and using the round punch; then glued it on the back of the imaged sticker. I hope that made sense, I think my vocabulary is failing me today! Here are the coupons I made to pad the treasure box- I seriously think she's more excited about the coupons than the toys. I tried to come up with some clever puns for the captions, but like I said; the brain was off duty. Any ideas? Look! She's already earned 3 magnets in as many days! I think this might just work! I know we'll have to re-think things when the other two get older, but for now... I'm optimistic!