My Kiddo and Her Ornament Gifts... and a Tutorial from Piper to You!

My daughter, Piper, is nine this Christmas and, for the first time really, she expressed concern that she wanted to give everyone something nice for Christmas but couldn't afford to do so.  When she was little, she was known to draw pictures to give away to her grandparents and cousins, but this year, she was a little upset that she had spent her summer earnings and didn't know how to come up with real gifts that were special and just from her.

The obvious solution to any crafter is to make gifts, so I showed her how to make glitter globe ornaments.  Heck, I have been storing tons of clear, glass ornaments since I bought them 70% off at Michael's a couple of years ago.  I welcomed a way to move those out of my crafty space!  If you have never made these with your kids, I will tell you it is a great project.  No drying time for the glitter since the mess is inside and, if you have a Cricut and Sweet Tooth Boxes, you also have the perfect way to protect and wrap them!

The funny thing is that last year, her teacher tried to do this craft with the class but missed the detail about the glitter going INSIDE the glass globe.  It was a dangerous mess with elementary school students trying to apply Elmer's glue, glitter, and stickers to the outside of fragile glass. Bloody, cut hands, broken ornaments, and not one successful ornament in a class of 12.  (There were several crafty moms available last year; still not sure why none of us was called to help!)  Piper was thrilled to learn the correct way to do this project and we both thought they really looked special!  She personalized them with paint pens and (with a little mom-help) made boxes to present them in.

She was pretty proud of herself!  She just finished the last of them today. She told me, after the experience with her class last year, that she should present a tutorial on the correct way to do this... (Honestly, that cracked me up and really emphasized what a disaster it was with her poor teacher last year!)

Piper's Ornament Tutorial

You will need:

• Clear, glass ornaments.  You don't want the plastic kind that pull apart in halves; you need continuous glass globes with metal tops that pull off.
• Floor wax (I found Holloway House Quick Shine Floor Finish at Walmart).
• Funnel (we made a paper one) to help the glitter neatly get inside the globes.
• Glitter (I keep Martha Stewart glitter on hand, but any kind of fine or super-fine glitter will work.  We also found that darker colors and highly reflective or metallics work best for complete coverage.)
• Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and paper towels.
• Damp rag for sticky fingers and floor wax drips.
• Painters Opaque Paint Markers (I found these at Walmart.  They are made for writing on glass and were about $10 for a pack that included white, black, blue, red, and green.  These made it possible for Piper to personalize the ornaments super fast and mistakes can be wiped off easily when wet or rubbed off with alcohol if dry).
• Sweet Tooth Boxes, card stock and ribbon for wrapping.  We used a punch to make the tags.

Pull the tops off your glass ornaments.  

Pour in a little floor wax and swish it inside gently (to prevent bubbles from forming), covering the hole with your hand.

Pour the excess floor wax back in the bottle.

If you created bubbles, you can stick a skinny piece of paper in the hole to pop them.

Using a funnel, pour glitter in the ornaments.

Use your hand to cover the hole.  Turn the glitter in the globe to coat the entire inside.

If you mix multiple colors of glitter, dump excess in the trash, otherwise you can reclaim any excess glitter back in the bottles.  Resist the urge to keep the glitter in the globes.  If you do, Piper says you will get the nickname Glitter Bomber.  Just so you know!

Put the tops on the ornaments.  Clean the outside of the ornaments with rubbing alcohol and paper towels to remove oils from your fingers and any glitter or wax.  This step will ensure that your paint from the paint markers will adhere.  If you miss a spot and the paint seems to act like it is over a resist, simply wipe it off and clean the glass with the alcohol again.  (Piper says, you know, do a better job of it this time... not that we had that problem or anything.)

Use Painters Markers to personalize the ornaments.  I considered letting her personalize them with vinyl and the Cricut, but applying vinyl on a round form can be tricky and this was so much easier for her!  I wanted her to be able to do as much of this project herself since these were her gifts.

Piper loved the way that cursive looked on these and also started asking me which font she should write in. She was getting pretty fancy with it.  I made a snowman with the white one-- white doesn't really do well but if you cover it up with paint, it looks okay.  Ha!

Allow the paint to dry.  To make boxes for them, I found a great box with an insert to hold the ornaments safely in the centers of the boxes using Cricut's Sweet Tooth Boxes.  The box and lid are on page 21 and we cut them at 10-1/2".  The inserts are on page 64 and were cut at 6".  They were glued together using Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive.

I had one of those stamps that you can customize with movable letters to make the "Made by Piper" that she stamped on the inserts while they were flat.  It is important to her that her recipients know that she made them!

Piper made her tags using a punch and drew on them to make them special.

Not making bows, but rather simple knots, made it easy!

Piper's gifts are under the tree and ready for school parties, playdates, and family Christmas gift exchanges! So proud of her and so happy that she appreciates the joy of giving!

Thank you for visiting my blog.  My shopping and wrapping are complete as well so I am getting to journal and craft this month!  I have a felt-mouse-making factory going on here right now!  Hoping to share some of those soon!  What are you working on this week?

Happy December!

What a crazy year this has been!  Am I alone on that?  For our family, it has been.  And I have been determined to end 2013 better than it began.  I coupled that determination with my OLW:  faith.  So... less time on the computer, more time getting things done and believing that it will all work out!  You might have noticed that my little blog has been neglected!  But it's time again for projects and fun in the craft room....and I love to share what I am up to so here goes!

One thing I started early this year was a little project I saw on Pinterest.  It was a savings program -- an easy one!  Each week, you simply save the amount that the week is.  So, for example, week one, you save $1.  Week 2, you save $2... and so on until week 52 when you save $52.  At the end of the year, you have over $1300 saved.  Our year works out that there's more money coming in during the summer, so I actually saved the higher weeks' amounts then.  Actually, I finished it in November and as of yesterday, finished all my Christmas shopping using my little saving fund!

If you want to see the pin for this, check it out:  click here!  I originally posted this on the Cricut Fanatics site in January.  You can see it by clicking here!  My 2014 resolution will be to continue this as it now is a habit!  I am also extending it to my tithing so that next year I will increase my giving at church by around $1300 by increasing my weekly offerings in the same way.  I think it is very do-able and worthwhile!

Speaking of being finished with Christmas shopping, you know that means Christmas wrapping is the next challenge.  And I finished that too!  Yippee!

Not all of my wrappings were special, but I had fun with quite a few and I wanted to share them here.  I haven't been buying cartridges this year so that I could re-prioritize my spending so these don't use the latest cartridges, but I find that I have plenty of older ones and I can see them with new eyes so that is a blessing!

Poinsettias cut with Cuttlebug Poinsettia Die.

Stocking Replacement!  Sweater Weather for all elements.  Boarder 1-3/4".  GAGA'S 2-1/4".  STOCKING 1-1/2".

Big Bird Bag: Elmo and Friends Holiday page 57, 7".
Letters are from Mickey Font.

Simple tag:  Very Merry Tags 3".

Gingerbread Man:  Jolly Holidays 7".

Base tag:  Holiday Frames and Tags page 63, 3"
Smaller tag on top:  Art Philosophy page 50, 2-1/2"
Punch-cut greenery.

Owl on a Branch Bag:  Winter Frolic page 37, cut at 4-1/2".

Snowman Tag:  Very Merry Tag 4".

Santa Snowflake Bag:  When It's Cold Outside, cut at 6-1/2".

Raccoon Tag:  Jolly Holidays, cut at 5".

Owl on a Branch Package:  Winter Frolic, page 37, cut at 6".

Owl with Santa Hat Tag:  Straight From the Nest page 30, 4".

Ballet Tea Exchange Gift Tag:  Dancer- Twinkle Toes, cut at 6"
Teapot-Love You a Latte, cut at 1-3/4".

Deer Tags:  Winter Woodland 2-3/4"
Toe Shoe Tags:  Base- Artiste page 37, Accent 3 shift at 4".
Toe shoe design- Twinkle Toes 4"
Tiny name tag: Artiste page 37, Accent4 shift at 2".

Tractor with Christmas Lights:  Beep Beep 4-1/2"
Greenery is punch-cut.

Beaver tag:  Winter Frolic page 35, cut at 5"
Holly on scarf is same cart, page 58, cut at 3-1/2".

Flapper Girl Tag:  Art Deco page 45, cut at 5"
Base:  Holiday Tags and Frames, page 36, cut at 5" and flipped.

Santa on a Tractor:  Beep Beep 6" (hand-cut hat and Liquid Applique for beard)
Greenery for wreath is punch-cut.

Box for Cash:  Bridal Shower, cut at 9-3/4".

Cinderella's Carriage: Happily Ever After page 37, cut at 4".

Hoping that having my gifts bought and wrapped early will mean that I will have time to make cards, candy-grams, and to work on my Christmas Journal and photo-a-day Instagram projects!  Last year, I paid for Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas.  I loved that class (my finished journal is something I really love) and the fantastic benefit is that you are forever signed up so I got this year's prompts at no additional charge.  It really helped me focus on the things that really matter!  It was such an unexpected blessing and even my daughter treasures it!  If you are interested, it's not too late to sign up! Here's a link:  click here!

These are the phonephotography projects I am doing.  I just pick whichever daily prompt speaks to me and if not all days get done, well, so be it!  If this is your cup of tea, here are the prompts.  Find me on Instagram -- I'd love to see what you are doing there!

This one is from the United Methodist Church and their rethink church campaign.  Hashtags are below:

This one is from Fat Mum Slim.  Hashtag for this is #FMSphotoaday.  Here's a link:  http://instagram.com/p/hX4CbEzRMx/

In case you are new to this, the hashtags just allow you to see other photos from other people who are also doing these projects!  Not required but unless your Instagram is set to 'private' it allows people to see how you interpret the prompts and it makes it more fun!

So my final 'project' is health-based.  Yep, I got back on program at Weight Watchers.  You are reading the blog of someone who lost 70 pounds!....ten eleven years ago.  I have spent the last eleven years gaining it back (plus some) so.... I am back at the drawing board and 12 pounds lighter than I was at the beginning of November.  Yay for that but much more to go and hoping to meet goal sometime next summer but on-program whenever it actually happens.

Piper is making personalized ornaments for gifts this Christmas.  Hoping to post those in a week or so!  She is taking so much pride in having so many gifts for others this year!  Yay!!
It is a happy December.  Full of challenges but lots of hope and some fun too!  Wishing you a happy December!  What are your December special projects?  Are you doing a December Daily or Journal Your Christmas kind of project?  Best wishes for making great memories!

Tombow 100- Hey There Good Lookin'!

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Tombow and asked to participate in Tombow 100 for Tombow's Centennial Year.  The company is celebrating by offering bloggers a chance to make something with a few Tombow products that they provide. After a project is made and posted, Towbow will make a $100 product donation to the Council for Art Education.

I thought I better give the products a whirl so I checked out the Irojiten Color Dictionary colored pencils to see how they would react with gamsol... Love it!  These were beautiful!  And in a lovely box.  You know I am used to children's sale pencils so this was a real treat!  These were "Light Grayish Tone 1" so they were quite pale and muted.  And perfect for shadows on die cuts to give dimension!

Next,  I tried out the markers, described on the package as 'dual brush pens'.  I used something like this years ago and wanted to see how they would react with the pencil marks I had just blended... thinking this might be the perfect way to create a printed "fabric" on die cut characters' clothing!  I had remembered that a while back, in the interview I did with artist Jayme McGowan, she had suggested that paper-crafters make their own patterned "fabric" for characters' clothing because sometimes printed papers are too recognizable.  (You can see that interview by clicking here.)  I thought this was the right project to try that!

The gamsol and pencil created a slight resist but could be used together with the markers!

I started my Tombow 100 project by cutting a camera-wielding lady from Cricut's Pack Your Bags (page 39, cut at 5") from flesh-colored paper and her dress from plain white paper.

I started by shading the white dress with Tombow Irojiten Color Dictionary colorpencils, color 'Sea Fog,' to give the garment some dimension and look like there was a body under it.  I used gamsol to blend it in.

I used the Tombow's Dual Brush Pens to create a border print on the dress.  I loved the fluidity of these markers!  Even on a tiny die cut, they really were fun to use!

As subtle as it is, I can really see the difference that putting down that layer of blended pencil makes, especially compared to the plain die cut!

Next, I worked on the character's skin.

I used color 'cork' for shadows and gamsol to blend again.

For her hair, I made two identical hair cuts, using the second to add layers and a chunk in the back.  I used the brown dual brush pen to add darker marks for a little texture in her hair and stray strands.

I decided that she would be photographing her paper husband and I liked the sunbather on Cricut's Pack Your Bags for this too.  (Page 60, cut at 7-3/4).  He is supposed to lying down, but I like him because it looks like he is posing when you stand him up!

I hand-cut a white shirt for him, colored with the Tombow dual brush pens.  I used shadowing for him just as on the female character, but I also added a little chest hair using the dual brush pens. Shadowing for the skin was done with color 'cork.'  Shadowing on the shirt was done with 'Sea Fog.'

I also added a little red ink, applied with a sponge to give him a touch of a sunburn. No worries, it doesn't bother him.  He still thinks he's a stud!

I wanted to make them at a frame-able size, so I cut a base at 5x7.  I added ripped layers, adhering with the Tombow Stamp Runner they sent me.  I added several layers of kraft paper, colored papers, and white paper to make it look like they were outside at the beach.

I stamped it on and also tried it as a roller.

OK- I will admit it.  I love my ATG so I had to make myself try this.  Can I just admit that I really loved it?  The roller application was just fine-- nice and small and would be much less cumbersome for someone like my daughter to use.  It was smooth and flawless to use, which is surprising because what drove me to an ATG in the first place is how troublesome some glue runners are.  What I really loved though, was the stamp application.  It sets on end and you just push down to get a nice, "stamp" of adhesive applied.    Perfect, easy, and permanent!  When this runs out, I will be refilling it!

I applied the characters with feet glued flush to the paper, but head and chest lifted with 1/8" dimensional foam dots.

I had so much fun making this project!  Thank you to Tombow for sending me a fun box of stuff to get my creative juices flowing!  It has been a while since I have made paper characters so it was a nice little mental vacation!  I like that the products allowed me to make die cuts unique!  The quality of the products was fantastic-- they were a dream to use!

Thank you for checking my blog post today!  You can also find me on Instagram, on Pinterest, and on Facebook.  Many of my previous projects are in my Project Gallery.

Lastly, in one of the emails I received from the folks at Tombow, they attached a press release with this info for anyone else who may be interested in taking part in Tombow 100:

"Bloggers who are interested in participating in the "100 Days of Tombow" movement should contact Barbara Pritchett, public relations coordinator, who will facilitate the provision of the "100 Days of Tombow" Starter Kit, containing Dual Brush Pens, Irojiten Color Pencils and the Stamp Runner Adhesive.  Every submission for the "100 Days of Tombow" blogging program will result in a $100.00 product donation to the Council for Arts Education."  And this contact info was provided:  Barbara Pritchett, EOS Marketing & Communications for American Tombow.  barbara@eosmarketing.com, 404-949-3778 (office).

Happy Crafting!

It's getting a little bit personal here!

Oh, this crazy, busy summer!  I finally got some time off and worked so hard on a project for an online class I took from Stacy at Big Picture Classes.  Honestly, I took it because I was afraid I would miss the emails and lessons from a daily-prompt-style phone photography class I took in July.  This class, however, was much more thought-provoking and really required time that I didn't have.  The class was called i.scrap and it was an Introspective that used 9 photos that referred to nine "I" statements (I know..., I am..., I went..., I believe..., well, you get the idea) along with journaling to capture a period of time.  I thought I wouldn't have time to finish my project until fall but then I got some unexpected time off and I immersed myself in it.  What I finished with was so personal, so true and honest, that I decided not to share it.  Can you even believe that scrapbooking can be so raw?!  The journaling I did surprised even me!

So... I don't have a project to share and I know it has been a long time since my last post.  I thought I would be upset about that, but I think I am still in the glow of loving the final, finished project so I am just basking in that! And I love that I made something that seems a little more than just decoration, something really meaningful to me.  Have you had that experience with papercrafting or memory-keeping?  It really is a first for me!  I used to journal all the time, but this is something different because those were intended only for my daughter and only to share in the unknown and far-away future!  This is something that is in my family room!  I got a taste of this around Christmas when I completed an assignment for Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas.  One day's prompt asked that we write a letter to our future selves.  Mine had me in tears.  I crafted a hidden pocket to keep it in that most people would look right on past but it would be there for me to find... or for someone who really cared about details and hidden treasures.

I wanted to share another workshop they are having at Big Picture Classes:  The Big Idea Festival.   No, I don't work for them and, no, I don't get a discount for mentioning them, but this is free and it promises to provide more personal, thought-provoking memory-keeping.  Since it is FREE, I feel very little guilt suggesting that you join me!


They promise 30 prompted lists to celebrate your childhood memories and daily doses of inspiration over the course of 10 days.  I have never participated in this before so I offer no personal guarantees, but it sounds like a creative and interesting start to a meaningful memory-keeping project!  Here's a link for more info: click here.  When you register, you can enter a refer-a-friend code.  This is mine:  C02EB594.  It will allow you a future 10% off on a class you pay for, if you decide to take other classes from them sometime down the line.  (I got 10% off of the i.scrap class I took because I had earlier entered a friend's code when I signed up for that Phone Photography class!)
And speaking of stuff to share to save money, I read about Groovebook on Sarah Hamer's blog and decided to try it myself.  It is a photo printing subscription service that prints from a smartphone.  They will print and ship 100 photos a month, for $2.99.  They are bound but are perforated for easy removal and have the date and time printed above them.  

You select which photos to upload and how many of each, up to 100 total.  I selected both 4x6 and 4x4 just to test it.  This is a 4x4 black-and-white from Instagram.  It is just printed with borders on the sides.

I tried it thinking I would just cancel after I got the first book if I didn't like the photos, but I'm keeping my subscription.  The paper is thinner than what I am used to, more like the weight of a glossy magazine cover, but I like the print quality, {cheap}price, and ease.  If you want to try it for free for the first month, I received this coupon in the back of my book... just sharing the love!

Unless I have a specific project in mind, I find that my phone photography pics stay digital.  I like this because I have real photos to share, keep, craft with, all without much expense or effort.  If you want more info about the service, click here. 
That's all I have in my crafty file for today.  So... what's on your creative agenda?