Making More Sock Snowmen

December 8, 2016October 8, 20203 Comments

It looks like everyone’s in love with making sock snowman.

They’re really easy to make, with so many ways to add personality

And…I just can’t seem to stop making these cute little guys.

This year, to add to the mix, I decided to create a Snow family.

Mom, Dad, a couple kids, all made from socks.

Disclaimer: This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Here’s how I made my Snowman:

Tea dye a new white sock, crew length or bigger. Or if you have boys you could use one of their dingy ones. (It’s better not to use a sock with the grey toe and heel.)
Cut the top of the sock off, right around the heel.
Turn the sock inside out and attach a rubber-band tightly around the top of the sock. Because rubber bands wear out with time, I added a good squirt of Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive* in and around the rubber band. (I left the rubber band on)
Turn the sock right side out and fill sock about 1/2 way with rice.
Fill the remaining portion of the sock with fiber-fill.
Wrap a piece of twine or string tightly around the top of the sock to close the sock.
Tie a piece of twine about 1/3 down around sock to create the head.
I used mini black buttons for his eyes, the tip of a bamboo skewer colored orange for his nose and a simple sewn black thread for his mouth. I purchased a small felt hat from JoAnn’s Fabrics for Dad’s hat. I added a band around the hat using a small folded piece of flannel.
For the flannel hat… Cut a piece of flannel that will go around the head of the snowman. Create a band on the hat by adding and gluing a fold on the long end of the flannel. Glue flannel together to create a “tube”. Allow to fully dry. Glue onto snowman. Tie top of the tube with twine to create hat. Trim if needed.
Dress with Snowman with part of an old sock. Add a couple of buttons for added detail. A fringed piece of fabric works great for the scarf.
For the kids… I used the left over piece of sock from the original snowman to create a smaller version.

And because I’m really into Red Buffalo Plaid again this year…

I made this cute little Snow Couple too.

The Snowmen measure approximately 7 1/2″ .

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Christmas Tree Card

December 7, 2016December 7, 2016Leave a comment

Although I don’t always send a ton of handmade Christmas cards out, I do enjoy making them.

The Christmas Tree card was made using paper and stickers from Paper House Productions.

I love how the playful plaids blend perfectly together to form a Traditional Christmas feel

in this layered card. Enjoy! (makes me feel like singing “O’ Christmas Tree…”)

To make the card you’ll need: (*affiliate links)

Merry Christmas 3D Sticker
Red Flannel 12″ Double Sided Scrapbook Paper
Deck the Halls 12″ Double Sided Scrapbook Paper
Spellbinders S4-414 Nestabilities Captivating Squares Die Templates *
Spellbinders Twenty-Two Labels *
Cardstock: Metallic Gold, Green and Black
1/4″ Red Double Faced Satin Ribbon
Pine Craft Stems
Calligraphy Paint Marker, Gold *
Red Adhesive Rhinestones
Double Stick Tape Runner
Red Adhesive Rhinestones
Craft Glue
Die Cut Machine
Paper Trimmer

Directions:

Cut a 4 1/2″ x 6″ piece of “red flannel” paper. Hold the edge of the paper against the nib of the gold calligraphy marker to add a thin gold border on the edge of the paper. Adhere the red flannel layer onto a 4 3/4″ x 6 1/4″ piece of black cardstock.
Adhere the red flannel and black layers onto a 5″ x 6 1/2″ green card base.
Cut the “deck the halls” paper (green plaid) using the “labels twenty two” die. Add a thin gold border around the edge of the label like in step #1. Adhere the green plaid label onto a 3 1/4″ x 3 1/4″ gold metallic cardstock layer.
Cut a decorative square using the “captivating square” die and a piece of green cardstock. Adhere the green plaid label and gold metallic square onto the top of the decorative square.
Adhere the green and gold layers onto the bottom portion on the red flannel layer, leaving even spacing on the bottom three sides.
Assemble the pine swag using the 3D stickers and glue onto the top of the card. (picture below)
Finish embellishing the front of the card with the 3D Christmas Tree sticker and a couple of red adhesive rhinestones.

This card was created for and sponsored by Paper House Productions.

*I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you choose to make a purchase from Amazon using these links, I receive a small commission that helps offset the cost of running this blog. Thank You!

DIY…”Merry” Canvas

December 5, 2016October 18, 2019Leave a comment

Make the holidays “Merry” with this mini decorated canvas.

Create frosty, glittery goodness with this fun mini canvas project.

To make the Merry Canvas you’ll need: *affiliate link

Joy Embroidered Letters
Artist’s Loft Back-Stapled Traditional Canvas 3″ x 9″*
Americana Multi Purpose Satin: Dark Scarlet* and Cotton Ball*
Paintbrush
Deco Art Media Crackle Glaze, 4-Ounce, Clear*
DecoArt Craft Twinkles Writers Paint, 2-Ounce, Crystal*
American Crafts Glitter, Extra Fine White*
Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive, 4-Ounce*
Red and White Twine*
Greenery
Jingle Bells
Ribbon

*Disclosure… This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Directions:

Paint the 3″ x 9″ canvas* with Dark Scarlet* paint and let dry.
Paint the red canvas with a thick coat of Deco Art Media Crackle Glaze*. The thicker the coat the deeper the cracks. Allow plenty of time for the glaze to dry.

Lightly white wash the canvas with Cotton Ball Multi Surface Acrylic Paint* to bring out the crackling.
Wipe excess paint off with a clean cloth.

Paint each letter with glitter glue*and sprinkle with extra fine white glitter*.
Glue letters onto the canvas with Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive*. (leave space on the left of the canvas for embellishing)

Wrap twine around canvas and embellish with jingle bells, greenery and bow.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Joy® Design Team I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

Boo Door Hanger and Autumn Wreath

October 9, 2016October 12, 20162 Comments

The plan was to make the “Boo Door Hanger” and the “Autumn Wreath”

as two separate projects with two separate blog posts.

But… while I was working on decorating my front porch for Fall,

I tried them together and decided I liked it.

The “Boo Door Hanger” is a separate piece that I can remove after Halloween.

I assembled the wreath using a grapevine wreath, a couple of fall silk floral bouquets, ribbon and my

hot melt glue gun. After cutting the stems apart from the bouquet, I played around with the

arrangement of the flowers and glued them in place.

A simple bow glued into place finished off the Autumn Wreath.

The entire project took less than a half hour.

The Boo Door Hanger was a little more involved…

I used Black Sign Tags that come with a White Wet Erase Marker from Deflecto Craft Solutions

and Halloween paper and stickers from Paper House Productions.

I applied the Halloween paper onto thin chipboard and cut out three die-cut frames.

I cut the sign tags just slightly bigger than the opening of the frame and adhered it to the back.

I drew in my letters using the white dry erase pen.

Make a mistake? Just wipe the sign tag with a damp paper towel and start over.

I punched two holes in the top and bottom of the first two frames and the top only of the last frame.

I added a black eyelet to each hole and connected the frames with small garment pins.

I embellished each frame with Spooktacular 3D Stickers from Paper House Productions.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Paper House Productions and Deflecto Design Team I have been provided product in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions.”

Autumn Woods Pop-Up card and Fall Collage

September 23, 2016August 6, 20211 Comment

One of the best things about being on a design team is the opportunity to work with awesome

products. When I got my last box of goodies from Paper House Productions I instantly fell

in love with the Autumn Woods Collection.

The sweet water colored woodland animals are cute without being to cutesy.

I knew as soon as I saw them that they needed to be made into a pop-up card.

Tips…

I apply baby powder on the back of my stickers with a small paintbrush to remove the tackiness. That way I can use my stickers like die-cuts.
On the front of the card: I love adding dimension… so under the “Autumn is in the Air” and the “bunnies” I used 3-D foam mounting squares.
Add even more dimension to the inside of your pop up card by adding thin foam mounting squares to the stickers “tree” and “autumn woods” and strategically placing them on the background.
I created a couple of pop-up steps for my forest friends.

While cleaning up the Autumn Woods scraps laying on my desk, I decided to make a Fall

Collage using a rummage sale frame I picked up last month for next to nothing.

All in all… I would have to say that the Autumn Woods Collection has to be my favorite

Paper House Productions collection so far. (at least for the time being)

Here’s the list of the Paper House Products I used:

These projects were created for and sponsored by Paper House Productions.

Shop Amazon Scrapbooking Supplies*

Gel Press and the Colors of Autumn

September 21, 2016September 22, 201610 Comments

The first time I watched a video of someone using a Gel Press I was completely intrigued.

The project they were making was artsy, colorful, very cool and it looked like so much fun.

When I got the chance to participate in the Designer Craft Connection monthly design challenge

and receive a Gel Press plate for “free”… I was more than excited.

Never heard of a Gel Press? (Well…It’s just about the coolest thing.)

The Gel Press is a reusable Gel Printing Plate.

Gelatin printing is a form of mono-printing in which a gelatin slab is used as a printing plate to create a variety of images and backgrounds using acrylic paint. Simple to use. Ready for Printing.

Here’s how I created “The Colors of Autumn Print”…

Supplies Needed:

Gel Press Printing Plate 10810 – (5″ x 7″)
Ranger Inky Roller Brayer, Medium 3-5/16-Inch
Acrylic Paint
Metallic Acrylic Paint
Texture Tool
Paper (non-glossy)
Tim Holtz Spiral Bound Sticker Book: Small Talk Occasions

Directions:

Remove clear protective film from your gel press. Apply paint to the exposed Gel Plate.
Roll paint on as a thin layer with brayer.
Create design by pressing textured item into wet paint.
Lay paper onto painted surface.
Gently rub paper with hands to create a transfer image onto the paper.
I traced guidelines around the paper onto my scratch paper to make it easier to line up the second printing.
Pull paper away from printing plate to reveal your background.

I created a second background just like the first by using fall colors.
I placed 3 leaves into the paint.
I place a second piece of white paper over the gel press and pressed. This removes most of the paint from the background. Leaving the paint underneath the leaves.
Remove leaves from the gel press. I masked the corners with a couple of additional leaves.
Lay the first blue background paper over the press. Lining the paper up with the guidelines.
Gently rub paper with hands to create a transfer image onto the paper.
Pull paper away from printing plate to reveal your leaf prints.

Mat print and embellish with “the colors of autumn” chit chat sticker.

The “Colors of Autumn Print” was created for and sponsored by Gel Press.

Make sure to check out the video on the Gel Press site.

*This post uses Amazon Affiliate links. I am a Amazon Affiliate. If you choose to purchase an item from Amazon by clinking on the product link, I will receive a small commission that helps offset the cost of running this blog.

How to make a Halloween Hauntings Treat Bag

September 7, 2016September 2, 2016Leave a comment

You can make a Spooky Halloween Treat bag using only one piece of 12″ x 12″ paper.

That is as long as you’re not afraid of a few measurements… it really is pretty easy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Directions:

Cut All Hallows Moon double sided Halloween paper to 8 1/4″ x 11 3/4″.
Score the long width of the paper at 3/4″, 4 3/4″, 5 1/2″, 6 1/4″, 10 1/4″ and 11″.
Score the top of the paper at 3/4″.
Score the bottom 1 1/2″.
Fold along score lines
Cut away the first 3/4″ corner piece.
Fold over the top 3/4″ and adhere in place. (top diagram)
Fold along lines to create a 4″ x 6″ box.
Tape Side and bottom of the box.
Cut “toad saliva” bottle section from the Apothecary scrapbook paper and adhere to the front of the bag.
Add 3D foam mounting squares to the back of the “raven” and “bottles” stickers and use to embellish the bag.
Punch two holes on the top of the bag.
Fill with goodies (or NOT) and tie with a black cord.

The Halloween Treat Bag was created for and sponsored by Paper House Productions.

How to Create a Birthday Card for the Football Fanatic in your Life…

September 2, 2016October 30, 2020Leave a comment

Everyone has that one family member that really LOVES football. (maybe it’s you?)

Here’s a card I created for Craft Ideas magazine’s Fall Issue. (page 69)

A fun football themed birthday card for young and old.

How to make a Football Birthday Card…

Made with papers and stickers from Paper House Productions sports collections.

Supplies Used:

P-2058 MVP Tags 12” Double Sided Scrapbook Paper (Paper House Productions)
P-2060 All Star 12” Double Sided Scrapbook Paper (Paper House Productions)
P-2056 Footballs 12” Double Sided Scrapbook Paper (Paper House Productions)
STCX-1010 Football 12” Cardstock Stickers
Brown Cardstock
Black Cardstock
3D Foam Mounting Squares
Double Sided Tape Runner

Paper Cutter
Scissors

Directions:

Make a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ top-fold card from brown cardstock.
Cut a 4” strip of the green football sidelines border sticker and adhere to the bottom of the MVP tag. Cut 3 ¾” x 5” panel from “All Star” scrapbook paper and adhere MVP tag off-centered as shown. Adhere All Star panel onto 4″ x 5 1/4″ black cardstock panel. Adhere all layers onto card front.
Embellish card with letters and football stickers as shown. For added dimension, adhere “Go Team Go” sticker with 3D foam mounting squares.

On the inside of the card:

Cut a 3 ¾” x 5” piece of “Footballs” scrapbook paper. Layer it onto a 4” x 5 ¼” piece of black cardstock and adhere it in the inside of the card. Embellish with stickers.

Make sure to check out Craft Ideas Magazine for Craft Ideas for Every Occasion, Every Skill Level.

How to create a cute little Party Ant for your BBQ

August 23, 2016May 23, 20182 Comments

Sometimes in the midst of all my creative endeavors and the business of everyday life,

when I need a break from all the seriousness.

I like to stop and make something fun and a little bit silly.

It’s one of my ways of procrastinating.

Honestly, I would never invite real ants to a BBQ, but, this one is dressed up, too cute and

ready for a party. (a great little conversation starter)

To make a Party Ant you’ll need a few supplies… (*Amazon Affiliate Links)

Three 1″ Smoothfoam Balls*
DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Satin Acrylics Paint, Black Tie* and Paintbrush
Tacky Glue*
Bamboo Skewers* (or small dowel rods)
Wire and Wire Tools
Self Adh, Pearl Strips Stick on Gems*Adhesive Pearls (and or googly eyes)
Uchida DecoColor Fine Point Black Marker*
1″ Round Piece of Scrapbook Paper
Tiny Black Pom Pom

*Disclosure: This post uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Dip the end of the bamboo skewers into craft glue and insert into the balls.
Paint balls with black acrylic paint.
After the paint has dried, cut the ends of the skewers approx. 3/4″, dip into glue and attach body and head of the ant together.

Cut six 1″ pieces of wire, bend the ends as show, dip in craft glue and insert into body of the ant.
Cut two more 1″ pieces of wire and curl the top of the wire with wire tools before inserting them into the head of the ant for the antennas.

Add two black dots to the center of the adhesive pearls to use as the eyes.
Punch a 1″ circle from decorative scrapbook paper, cut a notch from the circle and glue together to form a party hat. Glue onto the top of the ant. Top off the hat with a teeny tiny pom pom.
Cut a strip of adhesive pearls to use as a necklace.

Mine is fairly small, but, wouldn’t a giant one make a cute centerpiece? (think real big!)

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Craft Sticks… not just for Kids!

June 8, 2016May 11, 2020Leave a comment

Craft Sticks for Grown-ups?

Who knew the craft medium we used as kids could produce a grown-up look.

I was messing around one day, looking for something different to stencil on.

Inspired by my favorite “Fixer Upper” show, I decided to create my own mini shiplap.

The projects below are the result of my “playtime”.

This one’s for anyone who loves Americana, old signs, topography and the look of old shiplap.

Or for anyone who loves playing with wood craft sticks.

How to make the Americana Sign: (*Amazon Affiliate Links)

12 Wood Sticky Sticks with Adhesive Tips*
Decoart Americana Decor Stencil American Tribute*
DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint: Night Sky*, Dark Scarlet*, Cotton Ball*
Red Twine*
Deco Art Americana Decor Angle Flat Brush, 1-Inch* and Stencil Brush*
Craft Glue*>
Drill
Fine Sandpaper or Sanding Sponge*
Removable Painters Tape*

Finished Size: 6” x 6”

*Disclosure: This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Directions:

Create a sign by gluing together 8 tongue depressors on the front and 4 tongue depressors on the back.
Paint both sides of the sign with blue paint.
Using select sections of the stencil, tape stencil in place using removable painters tape.
Using a stencil brush, dip just the tip of your brush into the paint. Tap off excess paint before applying to prevent the paint from seeping under the edges of the stencil.
Apply paint with stencil brush in a straight up and down motion called stippling.
Drill small hole in the top corners and insert red twine to use as a hanger.
Optional Step: For a distressed look, lightly sand the edges of the sign with extra fine sand paper.

Here’s a project I did a few years ago using a product called sticky sticks.