Chalk Decorated Cascarones (Eggs)

(*Para Español hacer click aqui*)

Every year I will save eggshells for weeks.  Once we collect enough, on the day before Easter, the kids and I (and whom ever else is around) decorate them, fill them with confetti, cover them, and wait anxiously until the next day when we can hide. find. and smash! This is a little tradition I grew up with and have incorporated into our little family's traditions. 

  

This year I decided I wanted to try something a bit different.  Decorate them by myself.   It was wonderful sitting all alone in my art studio figuring out how I was to decorate them.  No kids around, no paints splashing all over the place, no eggs crushing...peace.  I started with washi tape and although I liked the outcome, I wanted something simpler.  

I searched around and found my chalk pens.  Hm?  Why not?

Oh I love them!  The contrast between the natural brown tones of the organic egg shells and the white chalk is just beautiful, soothing even. 

A dozen.  That's what I allowed my self to decorate.  After all, I can't be a meany and break tradition by decorating them all by myself.  No. So two dozen more await for the little ones to decorate on Saturday.  I'm sure they'll be happy about it.  Yes they will.

Happy Easter!

 

Valentine's Day Kids Craft: Lollipop Heart Cozies

(♥ Para español hacer click aqui ♥) 

Four more days to Valentines.  Yikes!  Do you have cards and goodies ready for your little one's class?  Do you buy them or do you make them?  We like to make ours.  This year for the Christian Formation class I teach on Wednesdays I decided to make these Lollipop Heart Cozies.  Aren't they cute?  I made them by combining ideas from from  here and here and a bit of my own creativeness.  They are so easy to make your little ones can make them too!

They really are simple to make, and you know I love simple projects.

Materials you will need:

To make:

Cut out many hearts using craft paper.  I used scraps.  If you don't have any crafting paper you can also use wrapping paper, a paper bag or even plain white paper and have the kids decorate them.

Glue the edge of the hearts together leaving a little pocket (big enough to fit the lollipop) at the bottom.  Let it dry for a while.  When you feel it is dry enough insert the lollipop and glue the remainder of the heart together (for this part you may need to hold on to the heart and lollipop until the glue sets a bit.)

Finally with a piece of washi tape make the leaves.    Add the name of each of the kids and listo!

Ready to spread the love!

For other Valentines Day craft ideas:
Washi Tape Decorated Valentine Mini Mailboxes
Valentine's Day Lunchbox Surprise
Tender Heart Vintage Book Page Ornament
Security Tinted Envelope Heart Garland
Glass Heart Pendant
Valentines Family Love Tree
And on Pinterest.

Happy love day crafting!

Christmas Inspiration: Tutorials & Crafts ♥ Inspiracion Navideña: Tutoriales y Manualidades

I'm sure you are wondering what happened to me.  I've been gone from this oh so lovely space of mine since October.  That's a pretty darn long time, isn't it?  Well, I haven't been...well.  Which is why as much as I love this space of mine I have been in a great need of a break and healing.  I don't know when I will fully be back on track to share with you crafting goodness, but do know that while I am gone I will be missing you all dearly.  

Me imagino que han de estar pensando que mentados a pasado con migo, pues he estado lejos de este mi lindo espacio desde Octubre.  Mucho tiempo ¿No  crees? Les cuento que...no me he sentido bien.  Por lo cual me he mantenido lejos de este querido espacio.  No se cuando regresare para poder compartir con ustedes mas manualidades y creatividad, pero se que por el momento necesito descansar y recuperarme.  Sepan que durante mi ausencia los extrañare mucho.

For now I leave you with a little round up of Holiday ideas & tutorials I've shared in the past.  I hope it helps you get inspired to be a little creative this Christmas.

Por lo tanto hoy los dejo con una lista de manualidades navideñas que he compartido con ustedes en mi blog.  Espero te inspire a crear un poco esta Navidad.

GET INSPIRED  ♥ INSPIRA TE

 Get you're little ones crafting with this Cotton Ball Wreath ♥ Inspira a tus pequeños a crear esta Coronita de algodon:

Make your own Wooden Traveling Nativity ♥ Has tu propio Nacimento de Madera:

Felt Dove ornament ♥ Paloma de feltro un adorno Navideño:

Advent Calendar Tutorial....It's never too late to start one ♥ Nunca es muy tarde para empezar un Calendario de Adviento:
 

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and magical Holiday season.

Deseándote a ti y a tus seres queridos unos días festivos llenos de bendiciones y magia.

Teacher Gift Ideas

Teacher appreciation week came and went and since I had been in a bit of a haze, as I mentioned before here, I was not prepared for it.  No not at all.  And truth be told, I love my little guy's teacher and two aids, so I felt bad not having planned out an elaborate gift.  Thank goodness for friends and Pinterest. 

One day during my little guy's soccer practice my friend Molly mentioned she was picking up a couple of gift cards for her daughter's teachers.  Great idea!  I'll just pick some up too!  So I did, for my son's teacher and two aids.  When I got to the oh-so-famous coffee place the guy at the window informed me they were out of gift card sleeves.  Really? (I guess many were getting the same gift.)  He then suggested to use their small chocolate cup containers as the sleeve.  Sure, why not, "give them to me." I would figure out what to do with them later.

 Later that night I decided to use the cups after all by simply decorating the outside with a piece of scrapbook paper, a ribbon and tag which I then stamped the word  "Thank You."  I then filled it with paper grass and  inserted the gift card.  Nice and easy.  All done...

Or so I thought, until I realized that I had not made (or purchased) anything for all his resource teachers!!! Oh, no!  What was I to do the night before? And with what I had on hand?  Search through Pinterest of course.  I searched and searched (this is late very late at night, mind you, way past my bed time) until I found an notepad idea I liked.  Problem was I didn't have the time to go to any office supply store to get them made.  Darn it!

I had almost given up, when searching through my craft room high and low, I found a stack of new  notepads I had previously purchased for some these Christmas gifts.   And walla!  I made these...

For the female teachers I stamped a pretty flower with the word "Thanks!"  For the men a cute little dog and the words "Thank You." Then,  I hand wrote on each, "Thank you for being such a great teacher!"  I then signed my son's name (it was late he was in bed, or else I would have had him sign each one individually.)  Finally, I tied a pretty ribbon around it and added a brand new pen to each. 

And this time, I was really done!  Phew!

BTW- these are also perfect as end of the year gifts!  (Wink. Wink.)

What did you gift your kids teachers?  Do share please!

Make a Heartfelt Card for Mom

This year I wanted to make an extra special card for my mom.  Something that shows her how much I love and appreciate all she's done (and continues to do) for me.  After all, I have been blessed with the most fantastic mother in the world! 

After searching through my stash of goodies around my craft room.  I remembered I had been reorganizing some old photos.  Bingo!  I could definitely use one of those old photos.  One of...me!  I choose one of me when I was just a few months old, and began to work.

Do you like it?  Would you like to make one?

It is mighty simple.  First thing though is finding that perfect photo.  It can be one of you as a baby, or one of your kids (hint hint dads out there!)  Because mine was an old photo (vintage for today's standards) I decided to continue with the same vintage feel.  I gathered some lovely vintage lace and trims that, coincidental, my mom had given to me.  Made a flower embellishment (for how to click here) out of old book pages and another out of re-purposed  linen bags.  But you can very well use pre-made embellishments to make yours. 

Ready to make that card?

What you need:

♥ A photograph
♥ Book pages.
♥ Lace and/or trim
♥ Flower embellishments
♥ Stamp & ink
♥ Card stock
♥ All purpose glue
♥ Craftbooking tape

How to make it:

Begin by cutting your card stock in half. Also, if you are making your own, cut out the flower layers for the embellishments.  Then cut to the lace measuring the length of the with of your card.

Once you cut your card stock in half.  Take the top one, and begin to stamp around the edge of the card.  You can do this with a stamp or an ink pad. 

Then tape your photo onto the card.  I just taped the corners, just in case my  mom chooses to remove the photo, but the card itself can become an album page.  Do the same thing with the embellishment.  Again, I only taped on the sides that wouldn't damage the photo.

Glue the trim carefully over the photo (I only glued the bottom part of the trim- not directly over the photo), and then glue the second trim.  Finally, add another embellishment. 

For the final step, place the second piece of card stock (that you previously cut) under the finished card.  Line them up identically and then hole punch two holes, on the upper edge of your card leaving about  and inch of distance from the edge.  Add ribbon and tie into a bow.

You are done!  Open up your card and add beautiful words of love to that wonderful mom of yours. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mami's out there!

friday favoritas: after

Where I share with you photos new and old.  Photos that inspire me, photos that make me smile or cry, photos that bring out memories, photos that I LOVE!
 
Donde comparto contigo mis fotos favoritas nuevas y viejitas.  Fotografías que me inspiran, me hacen reír o llorar, fotografías que me traen recuerdos, fotos que ¡ME ENCANTAN!

 

after 

 

Cascarones are always oh so fun!  And this year was no exception.  There were more to crack around.  On cousins, on tios, on abuelitos!

If you would like to share some of your favorite photos with me and everyone else to see, you can join my Flickr group FRIDAY FAVORITAS, post your favorite photo on your blog or on your Facebook page and link it to this blog.  I would love to see what you love.

Si tu tambien quieres compartir tus fotos favoritas conmigo y los demás, puedes ser parte de mi grupo Flickr FRIDAY FAVORITAS, compartirlas en tu blog o pagina de Facebook y hacerlas link a este blog.  Me encantaría ver tus fotos.

 

Enjoy your weekend,

take the time

 

Happy Valenentine' Day!

valentine's day lunchbox surprise (a tutorial)

As you know this is my little guy's first year in school.  For Valentine's day I want to surprise him by putting a little something in his lunch box.  I didn't want candy, nor the usual valentine card.  I wanted something special, something that represents us as a family.  So I made him this:

A tri-fold mini card tucked in a pillow box full of heart confetti!  Fun! Fun! Fun! (Sorry cafeteria staff.) 

This is so amazingly easy to make, that you can get it all done the night before and have it ready in the lunch box by love day.  Yes that easy.

Here is the how to.

Materials needed:
♥  one empty toilet paper roll.
♥  a piece of paper to decorate the pillow box.  (about 2 x 6 inches long)
♥  another larger piece of paper to make the tri-fold card.
♥  coordinating scraps of paper to decorate your card. (I ♥ U)
♥  heart hole punch
♥  raffia to tie around the pillow box
♥  craft glue

Tutotial:

Begin by folding your larger (but not larger than the pillow box) piece of paper in three.  Like an accordion.

Draw a heart on the opposite side of your folded paper.   To cut the heart (without cutting the connecting parts) make sure to leave a blank space in your heart drawing right where the paper folds.  This helps me a lot, because I often forget I am cutting a tri-fold (or get distracted) and end up with three hearts vs a card!  Ha!

Open up your tri-fold card.  Then round up the edges of the first and last heart.

Now cut your words.  I chose a simple I ♥ U. Easy for him to read (and for me to make.)

Glue them in place and let dry.

While it is drying you can either hole punch a lot of little hearts (circles if you don't have a heart hole punch.) Or you can start working on that pillow box.

I totally love this part! Because you get to turn a simple every day item into something useful and pretty.

Here is a step-by-step:

What once was a toilet paper roll, is now a pillow box!

Okay. Let's decorate!

Take your 2 x 6 inc. long strip and glue it around the outside/center of the pillow box.

Then tie a pretty piece of raffia around the paper.  Knot, and trim the ends. 

Fill it with confetti and place the card inside.  Then place it in your little loved one's lunch box and wait 'till he/she comes home and tells you all about it!  (I can't wait!)

I also made one for my sweet nena so she doesn't feel left out.  I just have to figure out how I'm going to give it to her...maybe on her lunch plate.  We'll see.  

FYI.  I will be adding this tutorial to the Creative Valentine Week section.  You can just click on the button on the left bar which will be up until the end of the week.  After that, you can find it in the tutorial section (click on tab below the blog banner.)

On a different note.  We got some snow yesterday!  But it didn't stick around :(.  The kids were bummed, and honestly I kind of was too.  Now that the kids are older I look forward to playing with them in the snow, even if it is for a little while and the rest of the time I enjoy looking out the window holding a warm cup of tea or coffee.  Ha!  

Hope your having better luck than us.

Happy crafting!