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!

 

Organize Ribbons & Trims Using Toilet Paper Rolls

It's as simple as one, two, three!

Yup. 

All you have to do is:

and

Easy pease.  What did I tell ya. 

Now start organizing!

It's Crazy Around Here!

Oh yes indeed!  The full time crafting craze has begun.  Last year my friend Noelle and I decided to give it a try and sell our creations at local craft shows.  We liked it, it went well.  So this year we signed up for many, many more. 

My original plan was to craft through out the year, that way come fall I would have a nice selection of items to sell.  A stress free life, no worries about getting everything done weeks before the show.  REALITY CHECK!  Though I did craft a bit here and there, there is no way near enough merchandise ready for my firs craft show of the year (which just so happens to be in two weeks!)  Yes, so here I am crafting away.  Cutting, sewing, cutting and sewing some more.  Gluing and labeling.  All fun, but definitely keeping me busier than busy. 

My life.

Always running around,

Always doing.

I wouldn't change  it one bit.

That is just who I am.

And I embrace it just the same.

Me.

While keeping myself busy so has my super fairy chiquita.  Now that her brother is in back in school  you will often find her in the craft room by my side working on her own little projects.  I don't guide her, I let her be.  She never seizes to amaze me.  I love seeing what she'll come up with. 

My chiquito too.  Look at all those wool felt scraps, I mean, pasta in the making? 

May your week be filled with fun busy days.

Now I better get back to work!

DIY: Lovely Little Gift Tags

I love it when I get a beautifully gift wrapped gift.  Some times so much that I don't want to open it, all I want to do is admire the wrapping.  Yes, I can be sentimental like that.  But who am I kidding at the end what's inside wins!  Ha!

But I have to say that I love giving beautifully wrapped gifts as much as I love receiving them.  And with every gift I think it is a nice touch to add a personalized gift tag.   They are so easy to make.  Most, I admit, I make out of scraps of paper I have laying around, maybe I'll add a cute sticker or stamp, what ever creative mood I am in (like the ones I made using tissue paper boxes.)  In this case, I had some left over book page flower cut outs from the Mother's Day Card I made for my mami and ended up with these:

Super easy to make.  Want to learn?

Here's how:

You will need:
♥ A cardboard box, cut into various size circles.
♥ Book pages, cut flowers.  You can draw one and use as a stencil, or if you have a dye cut machine you can use that to make multiple flowers quicker.
♥ Glue
♥ Hole punch
♥ Twine

To make all you need to do is glue your flower onto the cardboard circle.  Play around with it until you find the right spot.  Then hole punch a hole near the top edge of your circle.  Finally add the twine.  Tada!  You are done!  Easy peasy, just like I promised.

Now you have a lovely little tag to spruce up any gift.

Happy Crafting!

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!

create gift tags using tissue boxes: featured post for inspired by family magazine

Hello there!  Been MIA for quite a while, haven't I?

Well, there are lots goodies on the works which have kept me away from this space I love so much, some which I'll be able to talk to you about soon.  For now I wanted to make a quick little stop to tell you I miss you so, and that I have a great tutorial to share with you, one I wrote for Inspired by Family Magazine.  Have you been there yet?  A great site full of ideas, comforting words, all inspired by God's love.

So pass on by and check out how to make some super easy gift tags using the tops of tissue boxes.  They are as easy to make as 1,2,3!!!

Happy crafting!

kids craft: make a play village using Kleenex boxes (and giveaway)

¡Hola!  Hope your weekend was a nice relaxing one.  We stayed indoors just about all weekend.  We read, baked cookies, watch movies together, built forts, and created!  The little ones are still fighting ear infections and colds, but for the most part they are doing much much better.  

Speaking of colds...I have a confession to make.  Though we pretty much have given up on most paper goods around the house, like using cloth napkins instead of paper ones, or using rags instead of paper towels...well, in the runny nose, mucus area, we've not been able to stay away from paper tissues.  Yes, we tried, but between runny noses from colds and runny noses from seasonal allergies, handkerchiefs weren't cutting it.  Really. 

And just like all the many rolls of toilet paper we accumulate and use often to create crafts, we also tend to accumulate quite a bit of tissue paper boxes.  (guilt)  To keep them from ending up in landfills I try to come with different ways of re-using the boxes.  

And that is how our little village was born.

To make it all you need are empty square Kleenex boxes, construction paper, glue, scissors and your imagination.  Nice and simple!

Cover them up, or use the existing pattern to decorate your buildings.  (The two on the left where completely covered with construction paper.  The one on the right, I left the original box design and just added a few details around it.)

You can place them side by side, or stack them up creating tall buildings, lofts even.  What ever your imagination dreams.  

Have fun pretending!

Giveaway!

For the second year in a row, the Kleenex Brand is launching a campaign called Sneeze Catchers or “Atrapa Estornudos," to promote to school age children the importance of covering your mouth when sneezing.  Children can learn in a fun way and become certified Sneeze Catchers by going to the official Kleenex Sneeze Catcher website. While there moms can also enter their sweepstake for a chance to win a $500 gift card and a year supplies of tissues.  How cool is that?  (Remember this is all in their official web page.)

  

Now for that giveaway!

Would you like to win a fun Sneeze Catcher kit?

 

Kit includes:

• 1 Sneeze Catcher activity booklet (in Spanish)
• 2  T-shirts (1 for parent 1 for child in Spanish)
• 1  String Backpack
• 1 Sneeze Catcher Silly band pack
• 1 Auto Pack “Sneeze Shield” (24 sheets 3-ply white tissues)
• 1 Expressions Upright box (84 sheets 2-ply white tissues)
• 1 Everyday Tissues Upright box (90 sheets 2-ply white tissues)
• 1 Ultra Soft Upright box (75 sheets 3-ply white tissue )
• 1 (8pack) Everyday Tissues Pocket Pack (10 sheets 3-ply white tissue/per pack)
• 1 Anti-Viral Upright box (68 sheets 3-ply)
• 1 Tissues with Lotion Upright box (75 sheets 3-ply white tissues)
• 1 Cool Touch Low Count box (69 sheets 3-ply white tissues)
• 1 Expressions Oval box (72 2-ply white tissues)
• 4 Everyday Tissue Wallet pack (10 sheets 3-ply white tissues/per pack)

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment telling me in what other ways you can re-use the empty Kleenex boxes.  That's it!  One comment  only please.  If you make a mistake, please delete comment and enter a new one.  Make sure you leave an email address to contact you if you win. Open to US residents only (sorry.)  Giveaway will be open until Saturday March 3rd. midnight.  Winner will be chosen through Random.com and will be announced on Monday March 5th.  Good luck!