Teacher Gifts

Back when I made Russell's teacher a crayon initial, I had grand intentions of making one for each of Randall's teachers, too. It just didn't happen. So, I was determined to make them for the end of the year.

My neighbor, Allison, wanted to make one, too, so we spent a few hours together one evening and cut up crayons. We're such cut-ups. Ha, ha. Ha. Hmmm.

Anyway, I was very pleased with the result! So, of course, I had to take a picture. For some reason, when I make a gift, I like it so much, it's hard to give it away. Although, I don't know what I'd do with two crayon intials (especially considering I don't have a 'K' or a 'P' anywhere in my name...). But, if I take a picture, I have no trouble giving it away. I know, I'm weird.

So, here they are:


And, just because I'm so crafty and cool like that, I even wrapped them up in a very professional manner.


Oh, wait, I must've forgotten to take a picture of them all wrapped and spiffy in their matching paper with handmade bows. Or... Maybe the whole "matching wrapping paper and handmade bows" was just in my wildest dreams. You spend too much time cutting crayons and sniffing tacky glue and you, too, can have wild dreams...

I used the basic idea of the crayon initial from Dawn's blog. She helped me last time (because I don't have PhotoShop and I waited until the last minute before beginning my project), but this time, I was a big girl and did it by myself. It was much easier than I expected. I used Word and made mine to fit an 8 1/2 x 11 frame.

No handmade cards this time with the busy-ness of the end of the school year. I know, I know...

By the time the kids graduate from high school, they will have left a trail of initials and broken hearts... er, crayons.

Baby Showers

I have had quite a few baby showers lately and I always forget to make a card!

I had two in one weekend and I finished the presents (refrigerator scrapbooks and diapers), but had to rush at the last minute for cards. Here are the quick cards I came up with. I was very, very pleased and I'll definitely make more--maybe even sooner than 10 minutes before I need to leave for the shower... maybe...

One shower was for a Mama having a little girl. So, here was Kirsten's gift bag and card.


A close up of the card. The paper matched the refrigerator scrapbook she got with both her daughters' names on it.


The other was for a Mama having a little boy. We don't know his name, yet, so here was Baby Fruge's gift bag and card.


And a close up of the card.


The stamp was one of a set of 4 that I got from the Dollar $pot at Target and I mainly just used cardstock for the paper. I used my copic markers to slightly color the images. And, I used a scrap of ribbon and a piece of crochet thread to tie the cards on.

I loved how their gift bags matched (not that anyone noticed... or cared) I know, I'm a dork. I'm okay with that.

So, the moral of the story is, whatever you do, don't drink the water here! I think babies are contagious!

Wii Love our Mom!

My mom watches my sisters' kids 5 days a week because they both work full-time. When she wants to go to the fitness center to work out, she just takes the kids. Well, my younger sister is pregnant again and soon Mom will have a newborn to take care of. The fitness center she is a member of doesn't have childcare for young babies, so she looked into getting a Wii Fit so she could exercise at home in the evenings.

My sisters and I decided to surprise her with a Wii and a Wii Fit for Mother's Day to say a huge "thank you" to her (from my sisters) for all that she has sacrificed to be home with her grandkids and (from me) for the times when she offers to watch my kiddos while I run errands or when I just need a break. She is available for sleepovers when the kids want to spend the night with her.

She is a great Grammy to our kids and we wanted to surprise her this year to say "thank you".

Here is the card I made for everyone to sign for Mom.

I took a stamp of a little girl holding her lunch bag, masked the bag (to remove it) and drew a mini Wii-mote for her to hold instead.


Then I drew a circle around her to make it look like she was a Mii in the Mii Marketplace. Don't they have little circles around them when they're waiting for you to choose the one you want to be? Anyway...

A close up of the Wii-mote. I was so, so pleased with how it turned out!


And, my Mom loves puns, so, even though I kind of give her present away, I had to make the inside say this:


By giving the presents away in the card, I didn't have to wrap them since they're big! I could just leave them in the car and get them after she read the card.

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all had a great and wonderful day! Wii did!

Gig 'em!

I recently had someone request an Aggie-themed refrigerator tin and I was so excited because I had just bought some Texas A&M paper, along with Texas Tech, Baylor and UT papers, at Scrapbook N Such's garage sale! Great timing! I also got stickers and a few embellishments for some of the schools, too.

So, I got to work and was very pleased with the final product!



And, inside:

Perfect for an Aggie parent or grandparent! Also great for any Aggies off at college to hang on their little mini fridges!

She's One!

A friend's little girl turned one and the party was Saturday. I knew I wanted to make a girly card, because Mom likes pink, princess and all things girly.

So, I made this set.


The card uses Taylor's sketch TECC57.


Close up of the card.


Close up of dimension, although, you can't really tell the image is up on foam squares.


The girly refrigerator scrapbook with a picture of the birthday girl and the word "Princess" done using stickers.


I don't know if anyone else at the party noticed, but the tin matched the card. I was so proud. I love matchy-matchy!


Card Details:

Stamps: Stampabilities Ballet Shoes
Paper: cardstock, My Mind's Eye patterned papers
Tools: copic markers, paper cutter
embellishments: sticky pearls from Target's Dollar $pot, stickers

Check it out!

I've been featured! And, I'm the first to be featured!

Tricia of Handmade Whimzy and Pink Pear Designs contacted me recently and asked if I would mind being the first in line of etsy shops that she will be promoting. A new etsy seller and their shop will be featured every Wednesday.

So, check out our "interview" of sorts. Our paths crossed last Christmas when she ordered a paper bag scrapbook that she wanted personalized to give to grandparents. We did fishing quotes and grandparent quotes. It was different than what I usually do, but it turned out to be perfect. Tricia was fun to work with and very friendly!

So, go check out Tricia's blog and be sure to tell her I sent you!

Valentines for Friends

I recently came across a great idea for Valentine's Day cards. I'm not really a big fan of buying cartoon character cards with corny sayings, but it's just what you do at Valentine's Day, so I suck it up and buy them.

Well, this year, I came across a wonderful idea on a blog I stalk for handmade valentines. That, alone, is not the wonderful idea. The great idea is that you let the recipient color the valentine themselves. It's not too time-consuming for me to make them and it's a fun, different kind of valentine for the kids to receive.

Here's Fran's valentine. It is so, so adorable! Simple, yet perfect. The boys will love choosing images and stamping them and then I'll cut them out and matte them. Perfect!

I just recently invested in a Just-Rite Stamper set and the small alphabet that goes with it. I figured I would put the saying that you usually see inside the valentine on the Just-Rite stamp and then put them on lollipops or something. I was so excited that I stamped out 20 or so of them for my oldest's class and matted one with a nestability scallop circle to show off to my mom and sisters (we all went to a Mary Kay party this afternoon).


Aren't they so neat?

Imagine my surprise when my first sister that I showed it to took one look at my handiwork and laughed out loud! The nerve. The first words out of her mouth were "Venereal Disease?!"

What?! No, VD. Valentine's Day.

I just shook my head at my poor sister. She, of course, couldn't believe that I didn't realize it looked like that.

So, I showed it to my other sister and my mom. And they both laughed, too. Without hesitation. Without reading all the words I had painstakenly spelled out, letter by letter.

I consoled myself with the reminder that it was my family. Maybe my whole family (except for me, of course) were all just a little weird. So, I showed it to the parents of the friends my boys had invited over for today's birthday party.

I got raised eyebrows, embarrassed grins and a few gasps. Oops.

So, needless to say, I will be remaking the lollipop covers for my son's class, seeing as how I really don't want the parents of his classmates wondering what kind of child he is and whether or not they should be concerned.

Here are a few options for the remakes.


I'm thinking the lips are too girly for a boy to give away (although I do think they're so cute), so I will probably go with the hearts, unless inspiration strikes and I get another great idea... Something better than the first, I hope...

So, tell me. What was your first thought when you saw the valentines?