something else I would like to make.....

of course, I would HAVE to do it. lol...I have so many want-to-do-unfinished-never-get-to projects. Like this one....i would love a 'plate wall' but never got to it (an idea I saw on mandy douglass blog or this one...the chore chart (an idea from The Happy Scraps). Or this really cool idea for stamped images (i got the idea at Stampin Sunday)

so what is new on the 'want to do' list....PaintChip Art.

I follow Creations By Kara and on Wednesday she does a "look what I Made" post, featuring others! and well today she featured Life, Crafts and Whatever.

isn't it cool!!

Borrowed Post---I want to make....Job Charts

Job Charts: "A few months back, I was wandering through Walmart late one night and I found the Cricut Lite Cartridges. (Did you know that these are Walmart Exclusives?) I was so excited when I found the Chore Chart one, and I just knew that I HAD to have it! My husband was so sweet and surprised me with it a couple of weeks later. I was so excited to use it.

Well, for being so excited to use it, it sure did take me a long time to get around to it. :) I started a while back cutting some of these things out, and I learned that this little cartridge is very time consuming to use. You have to cut like 4 layers for each chore, all in different colors, and then glue it all together. Well, the last couple of days, I FINALLY cut all of the things out that I wanted and then I glued them together, put a magnet on the back and I now have these chore charts for my kids. The best parts about this whole project, my kids are EXCITED to do chores (YAY!) and I used up a bunch of my paper scraps. Yes, some of the color combinations are weird, but, they are colorful, and I didn't use any paper that I didn't want to use. :)


For the stuff on the left column, those are morning and night. The clothes is for getting dressed in the morning, and putting pajamas on at night. The middle column, changes every day. And the right column is homework.

For the middle and right columns, they earn stars for each items they finish, when they get five stars, then they get to pick an activity to do for a little while, such as play the wii, computer, or a board game, or last night, my son chose to play with his Lego ship that we keep up where the little ones can't get it so it won't get broken, but the poor kid never gets to play with it.

The question mark chore is mom's choice. Debbie suggested that I do one of those for the odd little jobs that I think of and would want them to do, I think it's such a great idea. I also cut more out that are not currently up on the boards, the the chores will always be changing.
As for the vinyl for the names, and the ribbons I used to hang them, although them may look a little funny, I did it in my kids favorite colors.

I LOVE how they all turned out, and all the time I put into it was worth it. I hope the excitement over doing chores stays around for a while!
What kinds of things do you do for your kids to keep them motivated to do chores and help around the house?

This post is linked to:

Thanks so much for subscribing to The Happy Scraps!

"

{Shrink Your Stamps!}

THIS POST IS BORROWED FROM PINK PAISLEE

AND WAAAYYYY COOL

Stampin’ Sunday {Shrink Your Stamps!}: "

That’s right, it’s that time again… time for Stampin’ Sunday! Today, I’m going to teach you how to use those adorable Pink Paislee stamps to create your own embellishments using shrink plastic. Known in it’s former life as Shrinky Dinks, shrink plastic has seen a bit of a revival in the past few years. And, it makes some pretty nifty embellishments if I do say so myself! So, let’s start off with a short list of supplies…



You’ll need to grab the following to complete this project: shrink plastic (I like to use PolyShrink. For this project, we’ll be using the “Canvas White” version.), black solvent-based ink (such as StazOn), colored pencils, a wooden skewer, scissors, a heat gun (like one you would use for heat embossing), a plastic cutting mat (or other non-flammable surface), and (of course) STAMPS!

Step 1: Using the solvent-based ink, stamp your image the desired number of times directly onto the shrink plastic. DOn’t worry if the image isn’t perfect. Once you shrink it down, you won’t notice that little edge of the stamp that didn’t make a perfect impression.

Step 2: Color the images using colored pencils. **Remember that once the image is shrunk down, the color will be even more saturated than it appears after being freshly colored onto the plastic. So, you might want to pick a pencil that is a shade or two lighter than your desired finished color.**

Step 4: Using scissors, carefully cut out your stamped and colored images. **DO NOT worry about making very detailed cuts. For instance, on the butterflies, don’t cut out the antennae or cut the ripples of the wing edges perfectly. It won’t make a difference once they are shrunk down (see below).**

Step 5: Now, it’s time for the fun… SHRINKING! Work with one stamped image at a time. Place the image on your cutting mat (or other non-flammable surface), and use the pointy end of a wooden skewer to GENTLY hold the image in place…

Step 6: Holding the heat gun about 4 inches away from the plastic, begin applying heat. Move the gun in a circular motion while heating the plastic to evenly distribute the heat. The plastic will begin to shrink and curl in on itself:

Step 7: DO NOT PANIC! LOL! Seriously… the curling is normal, and it will begin to flatten out on its own in a couple more seconds. Once it does, you can stop heating. Don’t continue to heat after it flattens out… it is possible to burn the plastic. The piece remains slightly pliable for a few seconds after you stop heating it. At that time, if you want the piece flatter, flatten it out by placing an acrylic block on top of it. For the butterflies, I preferred the wings to be slightly bent upward. You can work the plastic a bit with your fingers (don’t worry… it won’t be too hot) to achieve the desired look. Here is a comparison of the shrunk-down size to the original plastic image:

You will end up with a hanful of little pretties after you’re done shrinking them all down:

Step 8: I like to add some bling to my butterflies by applying a couple of tiny self-adhesive pearls down the body of the butterfly.

Now that we’re done, I have created a fun little photo frame project using these gorgeous little butterflies!

For step by step instructions on how to use the shrink plastic butterflies to create an altered frame click HERE to visit our “Pink Projects” section of the website and download a FREE PDF project sheet.

* Other coloring agents you could use: chalks, Sharpie or other permanent markers, alcohol inks, etc. Use you imagination, and experiment!

* Some people recommend using an oven to shrink the plastic. Although the shrink plastic itself is non-toxic, there is no guarantee that the baking of alcohol inks or other colorants might not ruin your oven or cause some fumes to be let off. So, it’s best to use a separate toaster oven JUST FOR CRAFTING in a well-ventilated area if that is your intended baking method. I’ve always found that a heat gun works just fine for me, though.

* It is sometimes recommend to sand the shrink plastic first before adding your colorant. I don’t find that to be necessary. And, obviously, you definitely wouldn’t want to do that if you are using the transparent version of shrink plastic (you would end up with ugly scratches visible all over your finished piece).

* Finally, if you wish to have a glossier sheen to your finished piece, a thin coat of clear glossy nail polish always works for me.

Now, bust out that shrink plastic, and have some fun!

"

doesn't this look YUMMY!!!

THIS POST IS BORROWED FROM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT....!!!

Angel Food Cake Stuffed with Whipped Cream and Berries: "

This looks awesome ... i am thinking that it will be my dessert for the 4th of July

Thinking of buying the angel food cake rather than making it as I am not much of a baker!

Angel Food Cake Stuffed with Whipped Cream and Berries
Yield 12 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed cake slice and 4 teaspoons berry mixture)
Ingredients
Berries:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Cake:
1 cup cake flour (about 4 ounces)
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Whipped cream:
3/4 cup whipping cream, chilled
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Remaining ingredients:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Grated orange rind (optional)

Preparation
To prepare berries, combine first 5 ingredients; toss to combine. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare cake, place a rack in the lower third of oven. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and ginger in a medium bowl. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in another bowl. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add powdered and granulated sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in. Fold in 2 tablespoons juice.
Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.
Cut 1 inch off top of cake using a serrated knife; set top of cake aside. Hollow out bottom of cake using a small knife, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell; reserve torn cake for another use.
To prepare whipped cream, place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into bowl; discard pod. Gradually add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spoon all but 1 cup of berry mixture into cake shell; top with whipped cream. Replace top of cake; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Serve immediately with additional berry mixture; garnish with orange rind, if desired.
Whipped Cream Basics:

For perfect whipped cream, use a bowl that's large enough to allow the cream to double in volume. Refrigerate the bowl and beaters for at least half an hour, or place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, and make sure the cream is very cold. Use the freshest whipping cream available, and add sugar, vanilla, or any other ingredients near the end of whipping; adding them too soon in the process will decrease the amount of volume you achieve.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 269 (20% from fat)
Fat: 6g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 5.2g
Carbohydrate: 50.2g
Fiber: 2.9g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Iron: 1.2mg
Sodium: 149mg
Calcium: 26mg

"

I WANT to do this as my new project----LOL when I have another 8 hrs in the day!!

THIS POST IS BORROWED FROM ALLI EDWARDS!!!

Tuesday Tutorials : Cynthia Friese-Hassanein : Autumn Nostalgic Paper Bag Mini Book: "

This week Tuesday Tutorials welcomes Cynthia Friese-Hassanein with a wonderful minibook for documenting Autumn. Her foundation design is really lovely and would make a great base for all kinds of stories. I like the idea of running some brown paper bags through my printer - definitely want to try that on an upcoming project. And, I really love how she did the cover - such a cool, graphic way to begin an album.

Here's Cynthia:

AUTUMN : NOSTALGIA PAPER BAG MINI BOOK

Autumn deserves to be documented. This past August, like every prior one before, I get one bad case of Fall fever. Anticipating those crisp nostalgic days arriving....

So now that fall has arrived, I prepped to create a Autumn mini book where repetition rules. Photos and Words. The main products I used are paper bags to overlay the pages. Simple. Simple Simple.

This year I have made the pledge to creatively embrace scrapbooking formulas that work for me and remove me from the frustration of trying to reinvent the creative wheel every time. Oh so liberating!!! Especially now with the beginning of the hectic holiday season quickly approaching.

The Autumn: Nostalgic paper bag mini book is a celebration of all the details and traditions I adore about Fall. Before I even began the book I sat down at my favorite window with a cup of coffee and did some basic brainstorming. One page of whatever comes to my mind about Autumn: how I love using my typewriter in the fall or sitting at my writing window all bundled up. These little everyday traditions are moments I want to document and remember for many years.

Once I had my ideas on paper, I decided to gather photos and make a list of new ones I wanted to take for my little mini book.

Before constructing the physical book. I sat down with each photo and wrote down whatever thoughts came to mind about that particular image. Some shorter than others. I stuck with a list style journaling for the book. So no matter how random the memories, they flow. After finishing the interior page journaling. I wrote my introductions as a gratitude "letter" to Autumn. For the End-note I documented the process of creating this little ode to Fall so that whomever comes across it will have a little peek into how I create.

ALBUM SUPPLIES: *all these supplies can easily be substituted with items from your own stash.
- Maya Road landscape chipboard binder album in 4x8 inches
- 7 gypsies ATC chipboard trim
- Making Memories paints in autumn colors (wheat, evergreen, nutmeg, espresso and shopping bag)
- Foam brushes
- Ink pad in grey or dark brown for distressing page edges
- 8-4x6 autumn images: good mix of horizontal and vertical and make sure to have it least one horizontal for your cover page
- 8 paper lunch bags or 3 grocery paper shopping bags
- Adhesive sheets suggestion: Quikutz double sided (8) 4x12 or K&Company Wackytac Large (6) 5 1/2x9

BASIC SUPPLIES:
- Paper corner rounder in 1/4 size
- Exacto knife
- Cutting board
- Masking tape
- Paper trimmer
- Small Hole Puncher
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Black or Dark Brown pen (American Crafts or my favorite pilot fine tip g-2 pens work as well)

- Adobe Photoshop Elements or Word if you choose to type your journaling
*If you currently do not have Photoshop Elements, Adobe offers a free trial here.

- Royal 200 typewriter font (free) available at Dafont.com.

AUTUMN : NOSTALGIC STEP BY STEP

Now that you have picked out your autumn images and wrote out your fall past and/or present descriptions it's time to begin to construct your very own yummy Autumn: Nostalgic paper bag album.

Step 1: Plan the placement of your photos and journaling.
I have created a simple page planner (Download autumn : nostalgic page planner) that you can print out or you can take a more hands-on approach by just writing on the pages with pencil or pen where the photo/journaling will go (don't worry the notes will be covered). This step will make the construction process so much faster and easier.

Step 2: Cutting paper bag album page overlays.
If you are handwriting your journaling, I would recommend using the standard paper lunch bags. If you will be printing out your pages I suggest using shopping bags - the larger size will allow you to cut them down to 8.5x11 to easily run through your home printer. For both sizes of paper bags, trim both front and back of the bag to the bottom leaving both the bottom and the sides for scraps.

After the bag pages are cut you will need to use the scraps for trim by your photos. Use your paper trimmer to cut 7 pieces down to 2x4 inches. Don't worry about the seams on the paper bags it only lends more to the vintage look:)

Step 3: The journaling. Photoshop and handwriting instructions.
A) Photoshop step by step.
1. open< blank file>.
2. Grey box will appear. Fill title< height: 4 inches
3. Go to View on toolbar. Make sure to turn on ruler and grid by clicking on both.
4. Go to left sidebar and click on the capital T icon. Then go over to your page and create a journaling box. Leave it least a 1/2 to inch around your journaling box.
5. Pick your font and font size.
6. When finished and ready to print make sure to apply crop marks to page :)

B) Handwriting friendly reminder: If your anything like me it is difficult to write straight without lines. So, I always draw with a pencil and ruler journaling lines. I also write my journaling in pencil and then go over it with a pen after I am done.

Step 4: Applying adhesive and Overlays to album pages.
Now that your journaling pages/image trim is all cut, apply adhesive sheets to the naked album pages. Position the paper bag sheet over the page. Press firmly from center outwards to make sure bubbling does not occur. If there is a little bubbling, no problem - it gives the page some imperfect-perfect character.

Step 5: Trimming overlay excess.
Using your exacto knife, cut away any excess paper from the edge of the pages. Leave the excess on corner edges to cut with your 1/4 corner rounder. Or if you are feeling sassy, carefully do it with your sharp exacto knife.

Step 6: Hole punching.
Once all the journaling pages are adhered use a small hole punch to remove the paper covering the binder holes of the pages.

Step 7: Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 with completing the picture side.
Remember to place the photo on the outside edge of the chipboard page with embellishment of your choice in the middle and then paper bag trim on the inside of your page by/over binder holes.

Step 8: The embellishment detail.
Trim the 7gypsies chipboard page edges to 4 inches. Paint them individually with a different choice of my five Autumn color palette. Give them few minutes to dry and then take medium grained sandpaper to the edges to give a little more vintage feel.

Here's a few other fabulous embellishment alternatives: Autumn colored Ribbon (1/4 or 1/2 inch width size works best) or ribbon works as easily and equally charming.

Once all the interior pages are done use dark brown or black ink on the page edges to give a finished but raw touch if you prefer.

Now it is time to design the cover.

Step 9: Faux book bind.
Using masking tape, create a faux front book bind with paint. Using your ruler measure out 1 1/2 to 3/4 width and make a small line to know where you will be applying the masking tape. Once masking tape is applied make sure to press firmly over the tape so paint bleeding won't occur under the tape.

Step 10: Painting faux book bind.
Choose a paint color that will compliment your cover image. Apply your paint choice to the foam brush and start painting away. I extended the paint all the way to the back cover page, but you can choose to complete the faux book bind on the back as well as the front cover.

After the cover paint dries, you might need to apply a second coat depending on your paint thickness and also make sure to pull masking tape off slowly to prevent ripping.

Step 11: Creating a cover image.
I call this style of cut the Mondrian Cut after the mid-century mod painting style. For my cover image I chose a vintage postcard of an Autumn NYC sidewalk art show. Any 4x6 Autumn image of your liking will do for the cover page.

I have also purposely chose not to title the book, maybe to entice future readers to peek inside, but you sure can title yours if you desire too.

A) Place image in paper trimmer width wise. Make four cuts (try to have them slightly different sizes to give it more depth and style:).

B) Take each piece and cut again either higher or lower on strip. Alternate height of second cut with each strip.

C) Place all the pieces together like a puzzle and then apply adhesive to each to back of each individual piece and place them one by one on album cover. Remember to leave space in between images to complete that Mondrian cut look.

Step 12: Now take the time to enjoy your new very own Autumn: Nostalgic Album.
Show it to your family and friends. Even maybe take pictures of it and share with your blog readers if you have one. I was so inspired I taught a local workshop recently @ my favorite coffee shop to show non- scrapbookers the joy of documenting your everyday life and seasons. I even plan on doing a four season series with this simple mini book formula:)

Happy creating and Have a wonderful Autumn.

Cynthia Friese-Hassanein took up scrapbooking a little over three years ago after stumbling upon her local scrapbook store and has been in creative love ever since. Cynthia keeps it simple and is constantly trying to embrace her scrapbooking mantra of "Imperfection is creative perfection." When she is not making pages or mini books and teaching creative workshops @ her local coffee shop, she enjoys spending time with her husband Ahmed, writing, drinking obscene amounts of coffee, blogging, watching Mad Men and reading biographies. To discover more about Cynthia visit her blog Technicolor Postcards or check out her Typist work @ The Creative Type Challenge Blog.

"

a little tutorial---on Rock Candy

THIS POST IS BORROWED FROM HEARTSTRING DESIGN BLOG

tim holtz: "

"

another Idea I LOVE!

THIS POST IS BORROWED FROM INK STAINS!!!

as you can maybe tell---I am going thru my 'starred' blog posts I have kept for one reason or another!!

Naomi

Napkin Art - Pt. I - Basic Napkin Collage Card: "As promised, today I'm going begin sharing techniques relating to Napkin Art!

There are so many decorative napkins on the market today ~ it's hard to buy just one. So I'm here to give you lots of ideas on how to incorporate those napkins into your art work.

Napkin Art

Part I

Basic Napkin Collage Card

Supplies:

Cardstock

Napkin

Liquid Adhesive (I'm using PPA by USArtquest)*

Bristle Paint Brush**

Ink Blending Tool & Foam (optional)

Distress Ink (optional)

NOTES:

*You'll need a good liquid adhesive. I prefer to use PPA or something similar as it is a thin glue that dries quickly and clear in both a matte or glossy finish. I find that thin glues work much better for this technique as it is less likely to tear the damp/wet napkin as opposed to thicker varieties of liquid glue. I do not recommend Mod Podge since there is usually a sticky residue even after it has dried.

**Bristle type paint brushes work better for this technique as it does not produce tiny bubbles that tend to form when foam brushes are used.

Instructions:

1. Choose the desired napkin and remove the extra white layers from the top 'design' layer. To do so, carefully bend one corner back until you can see the seperate layers. There are usually one or two layers of white napkin pressed to the top design layer. Don't discard the white napkins as they are great for clean up!

2. Remove the desired image from the rest of the napkin. There are two basic ways to do so ~

A) Outline the desired portion using a paint brush and water or a waterbrush. Gently pull away the excess areas you don't want. I like to hold my thumb or finger along the edge I wish to keep so I cannot pull away any of the desired design.

B) The second method is to carefully trim away the desired design with sharp scissors. If your scissors aren't sharp it tends to tear the napkin material.

3. Now that you have your desired images at hand, determine placement on your card panel.

4. (Optional) I like to add a bit of color by using my Ink Blending Tool and Distress Inks. This is totally optional but it really adds to the overall finished design. When working with certain images I try not to ink where lighter colored areas will be ~ faces in particular.

5. Add a dollop of glue to your card base. I like to work with one image at a time because the glue dries quickly. Spread the glue in a thin layer over the area your initial image will be placed.

6. Place the napkin design into the wet glue. Add an additional bit of glue over the napkin. Gently spread and smooth out the napkin. By adding the second layer of glue over the top of the napkin it will help to prevent tearing during this process. If you feel you are running out of glue feel free to add more. I like to work from the center out towards the edges.

7. Repeat step 5 & 6 until all images have been added.

8. Apply a final layer of glue to the entire card panel for a uniform, finished look. Let the card dry completely.

I will be back later this afternoon to finish up the card.

"