LollyChops

Sew Shy Sammich

Howdy pards!

Lookie there...  another LollyChops craft project...  and it's in teal!

What a shocker!!!!

(ok so maybe I am overdoing the teal thing just a little bit)

Pah.  There is no such thing.

Anyhoo...

The Square Bear
Sunday morning I had a vision of a bear softie with a square body, square arms and square legs.  He was gonna be squaretacular!  It's hip to be square right???

Groan...

(that was a two cheeser for sure)

Once I had the square body part made I decided that the bear that was square actually looked more like an awesome sammich!  The only problem I had was that I had started off with teal...  so this meant that I was basically making a teal sammich.

hmmmmm

I debated the logistics of this for about 1/18th of a second and decided to roll with it.
If anyone can get away with a teal sammich it's me right?

How to make your own Sew Shy Sammich - in Teal

Cut two pieces of teal felt into 4 inch squares (I used this teal felt HERE).
Cut a coordinating strip of fabric 18 inches long and 3 inches wide.
Fold in the sides and iron them down so that you are left with a 1 1/4 inch wide strip.
(the reason you fold the sides in is so that you have a finished edge)

Blanket stitch the strip 3/4's of the way around the felt square.

When you get to where the two pieces of fabric meet up, sew the ends of the fabric together so that the finished side is facing out.  Trim the excess fabric.
Then finish blanket stitching the rest of the felt square.
(you should have a little fabric box that looks like this)

The top should look something like this.
Do the exact same thing with the other felt square.

When you are about 3/4's of the way done, embroider sweet little closed sammich eyes to one of your felt squares (or you could be smarter than me and do it BEFORE you get this far into the project).
Stuff your little sammich with batting.
Then finish stitching the rest of the way around the side till she's all closed up tight.

(I don't have any pics of this step cause the cuteness factor was too great and I got overly excited and I forgot to take them)
(if you have any lavendar add it in there too...  you could make this a sachet sammich)

 

Now you have a shy sammich that seems kinda sad and plain.

You need to jazz her up!
She needs some head adornments!

That's where these little sammich dunce caps come in.
Kidding.

 
I actually used the dunce caps to make these beautiful flowers (one in fabric and one in felt)!

I saw a tutorial on how to make them over on 17 Turtles (with Juliana Michaels).

Note:  I sent the link to MomChops and she went straight to her craft room and had 4 of them made THAT DAY!

You can learn how to make them HERE.  They are sewwwwww EASY!  Trust Lolly.

So here she is with her stunning floral hairpiece!!
(all shy sammiches should never be without one)

Here she is showing off her mad for plaid sammich sides.
Can you believe I found some brown AND teal plaid fabric!?!?!
(so dreamy)

Keepin' it Real
So in the process of making this tiny teal sammich...

..I also shot three ScrapyLand video tutorials (I'll let you know once they have been released)!
(they are all about glimmer mist, masking and heat embossing)

You can see Hurricane CharlotteChops nestled under the craft table up there.
She pretty much stays in that same spot when she's in the craft room... 
...and for some reason really gets to itching and scratching RIGHT as I am shooting my videos...
(notice how she's laying ON the video camera stand)

Tip:  An itching and scratching dog who happens to be laying ON the video camera stand whilst shooting video tutorials causes a rocking the boat motion in the final video.

Who knew?

This is about 5 projects going at once.
I am sitting here typing this in the midst of that mess (I think there might be a button stuck to my elbow).
...and Charlotte is being as quiet and still as a little lamb (or should I say little turkey)

So Dainty!

...and lastly!
I took this picture of DogChops with her lady like paws crossed and one arm sticking out.
I had to share it.  It just totally cracks me up.

...last to lastly...

Catherine from Original Stitch sent me these pics of her girls coloring and decorating the LollyChops 2010 mini calendars.
I ADORE that little green jumper!
I am gonna see if I can get her to make me one (in teal of course).

So that's all I gots for today!

P.S.  Thanks to those of you who have signed up for my super secret card drive (I loves you guys)!  I started to get cards in the mail on Friday (operation secret santa-o-cards starts today)!  If you wish to find out more leave me a comment and I'll send you the details!

P.S.S.T.  XOXOXOXOXOXOXO's

Tissue Paper & Paper Flowers Tutorial

I debated sharing this tutorial for a couple-o-reasons.  Reason 1.  It's a craft that has been around since before I was born and reason 2... it's a craft that has been around since before I was born.  I feel like I might be a 100 years old at this point.  My crows feet asked for slippers the other day cause they were getting cold. 

Since it's new to me I figure it's got to be new to someone else too so I am doing it anyway!  I have a teeny tiny little LollyChops spin on it towards the bottom...  so if you are a crafting goddess and have made 6 zillion of these flowers (starting from before I was born (which would make you over 100))...  put your teeth in and hang with me till the wee bottom...  pretty please.

Supplies you'll need to make tissue paper flowers:
Tissue paper (seeing as how this IS a tissue paper flower tutorial it would stand to reason that some form of tissue paper will be required)
16 HUGS (just checking to see if you are actually reading this)
Pipe cleaners or floral wire
Scissors

Extras (for pizzaz):  glimmer mist, brads, 2 inch Styrofoam balls, ribbon, more hugs (still checking), a flower girl (seriously), and lastly... Martha Stewart magic sprinkles.

As I stated last week, I purchased a Martha Stewart tissue paper flowers kit a few months ago on clearance at Malwart.  I hoarded it until last weekend and then went totally crazy and made like 6 zillion tissue paper flowers (which now makes me a tissue paper flower crafting freak).  Since the kit only makes 24 flowers and wanted to make 6 zillion, I had to create my own templates to keep me going (the 1 pound of M&Ms certain unnamed people might have consumed while making 6 zillion tissue paper flowers might have had a hand in my the success.... but there is no way to be sure without further extensive testing)!

Since I know a lot of people cannot find these kits I figured I would share some of the details and the templates I made so you can make them too!

Let's get started!!

Cut 6 pieces of teal tissue paper in a rectangle.
I'll allow you to use another color...
...but just this once...
I used an 8 x 5 piece.
Accordion fold the tissue paper starting from the shorter side.

You can either snip a triangle point (think picket fence post) on each end after you do the accordion folds...

...or...

Scallop or pinking edge the 6 layers of paper before starting with you accordion folding.

Tip:  Picket fence points make for spikier flower petals and scallops and pinking edges make them just a little softer.
It's just personal preference on which style you prefer!

Once you have the entire thing folded up, you will want to fold it in half.

Wrap a piece of floral wire or a pipe cleaner around the center and twist it tight.

Your folded tissue paper cinched with the wire should look something like this.

Fan it out a little because it will make the next step a little easier.

Start with one side and pull a single sheet of tissue paper up - one at a time...

...just keep pulling each sheet up...
Until you have them all pulled up towards the center.

The bottom will look something like this once you have one side done.

Go ahead and do the other side in the exact same way and...

VOILA!!
You have a finished TEAL flower!!!
I added a fancy brad to the center but you can poof it and cover up the center entirely if you want.
Fancy brads are not required but add some extra special fanciness to it.
I like fancy fanciness don't you?

So... I decided to make a little mini pomander using a smaller sized tissue paper (the 5 x 3.5 inch rectangle)
Here is how you do this...

Start with a small Styrofoam ball and poke each tissue paper flower wire into it.
I used a 2 inch ball.
When the wires poke through just bend them over.
It helps to keep the flowers securely in place.

Keep going along and fill the entire shape with the tissue paper flowers.

Wrap some wire around the base of a nice piece of ribbon...

Poke it into the Styrofoam ball (once it's filled with flowers) and...

VOILA!!
You have a tissue paper pomander that would be totally awesome as a brides maid or flower girls practice bouquet...
(or heck...  real bouquet too...  why not!!)

Next up...

Golf anyone?

The MS kit came with this totally cool little round form (pictured on the right up there).
I decided that we needed some other little round form options to get the same effect...
Thus enters... the golf ball.

If you don't have any golf balls, call 1-800-Mom-Chops!
MomChops & DadChops live on a golf course and have more than enough to go around
(many many many times over!)

I actually found this golf ball in my yard.

I don't live anywhere near a golf course.

I hung on to it cause I saw major craft potential in it.
I actually see major craft potential in nearly everything...

It's a curse really.

Sew...

Take a rectangular piece of tissue paper (I used the 8 x 5 inch piece) and wrap up half of that golf ball like a piece of candy (twist the ends nice and tight).

Leave some of the golf ball peeping through so you can get it out of there.

Snip ONE end (closer to the base than I have pictured here)...

Make up about 5 of them...

Gather them all together (I included some of the pearl stem doobers than the MS kit came with in this one)
Don't worry about how the petals look right now, you can twist them around once you have the base cinched together.
Trust Lolly!

Wrap a piece of wire around the base to help hold it all together.
This is the hardest part of making this flower cause they all want to slip out!

Wrap the base with some nice floral tape...

and...

VOILA!!
You have one wacky balloonish looking flower!
(but it's cool regardless of it's wackiness)

So Lastly...!
(heavens to betsy...will this tutorial ever end???)
Stay tuned!

The MS kit came with these petals as well...

I used them as a template and then made this beautiful flower!

You basically cinch the center with a wire and twist the petals until they are all splayed out.
You place a tiny ball in the center that's been wrapped in tissue paper....
Then floral tape wrap the base and you are good to go!

Sew...I really really really love this shape, so I decided to make a paper version!

Since I was feeling lazy crafty AND I wanted to use what RonChops had gotten me for Christmas...
I kinda cheated.

I created a template in Adobe Illustrator and then imported it to my Sure Cuts a Lot Software (SCAL)
(my SCAL template is available below)
SCAL allows me to cut any shape I can draw in Illustrator with my Cricut Expression.
You can read about SCAL HERE and the Cricut Expression HERE.

BUT...  it's ok if you don't have either of these cause I have a nifty template you can use just as well (download below)!

Here are my flower petal shapes all cut out (on two sided paper).
These kinda look like wacky spoons if you ask me.

First distress the edge.
You can use a distressing tool or you can just use the edge of a scissor blade.

I inked the edges with brown...
(it totally looks like a bow tie now - no more wacky spoon)

I smooshed it up GOOD!
Now it kinda looks like a barbell!
(use your craft muscles obtained from years of crafting with Lolly)

I smoothed it out and inked the wrinkles...
(which is kinda like applying makeup to my crows feet)

Once you have 6 distressed, smooshed, edge inked and wrinkle inked bow ties...
Give those poor little baby bow ties a Valium cause they are going to be stressed out from all that manhandling!
(while they are napping finish up that pound of M&Ms you started on earlier)

Punch a tiny little hole in the centers.

Stack them all up and poke a little brad through the holes...

...and...

VOILA!!

You have a nifty flower you can use on a card, scrap book page or altered art project!

You can download the .svg file for SCAL below.
Large flower petal .svg HERE.
Smaller flower petal .svg HERE.

Or you can download the PDF of these templates below (so you can cut them out by hand).

 

Thanks for hanging with me until the bitter end!

I hope you all have a lovely week!

 

P.S.  I am having a super secret card drive.  If you are interested in helping me out, please leave me a comment and I'll email you the details!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxo!!

P.S.S.T. The word of the day is VOILA!! (but only in teal with two exclamation points)!!

Teal tea toters and more tatters too...

I have more tea stuff and tatting to share today but before we jump into that arena of rabid over caffeinated sharks (I am talking about the tea drinkers not the tatterers)... I  want to share a few peeps of my first ever ScrapyLand Design Team project!

Susan (DT boss lady) asked us to create a project with no constraints...  all she asked was that it have a theme of "resolutions"...  So I busted out every single craft supply in my arsenal and 20 hours later I had a cute little mini book that only had one page (totally not kidding...  just one page...  for reals).  I might be a teeny weeny tiny whiny bit overzealous when it comes to these DT assignments (hard to believe right) but I am having so much fun with it I don't mind putting in a little extra lovin' (crafts are the coolest!!!!!).

So there it is.
My first ever mini book (with a mini-mini book inside)!

It's mostly teals...  are you shocked?

Teal...  really Lolly?!?!

NO WAY!

Hello?

Anyone out there?

If you read this blog with any regularity you will know this is my way of indicating the cricket sound
(also known as the cricket cone of silence)
He's cheesey and teal and I am ok with that!

Speaking of cheese...
(this is what we call a mega veer off course)

I have been thinking that we need a cheese ranking system around here.
If I get a tad too cheesy I have decided to rank my cheesiness.

Here is how this will work...

1 cheese =  when writing the post I utter an inside groan (nothing audible)

2 cheeses = eye roll combined with a barely audible groan

3 cheeses = loud groan with thoughts of quitting blogging because I am losing it

(this particular section...
...the creation of the cheese ranking system
...constitutes a 3 cheese ranking)

 
That's a LOT of cheese.
(If I ever rank my cheesiness too low you gotta let me know so I can revise the cheese rank for the post)
You guys cool with that?
heh

Ok now that I have that out of the way...  back to my project!

The spine of the January mini-mini book is made from felt and it's teal too...
...yet another LollyChops shocker...
(seeing as how I am part felt and I actually bleed teal... this makes perfect sense really)

...and that's the back cover.

You can read ALL about my project (what it's supposed to be, how I made it, see more pics, etc... over on the ScrapyLand blog today!  Go check it out HERE!

So let's talk tea (again)...
After I finished up the paper tea bag template last week (you can see that version HERE) I got to thinking that a fabric version was in order (paper is only going to last so long in your purse and evidently a LOT of you guys carry super special secret blends of tea bags around with you).  So I called MomChops Sewing Shop and she came over with her mad sewing skillz Sunday to help me work the template into a fabric version!

We'll roll right into that and then I have a few more small things to share...

Cut out two pieces of fabric using the template I am going to share at the bottom of this post.
Sew the two pieces together (right sides facing each other).
Leave the end open (the end is the left side where the orange squiggles are in the pic)

Clip your corners and trim your edges.

Then right side out the pieces you just sewed together...

...and iron the seams nice and tidy and tuck the ends inside the little pocket you just made.

Your end should look like this.

Sew around most of the edges like this - see next pic to see what I mean by "most of the edges"
(sewing on top of the seam you just created on the right side of the fabric gives your work a nice finished look)

The only way I can tell you where not to sew is to show you...  so here goes.
You gotta fold the right side over to make the little pocket...  so don't sew on the bottom of the fold or on the left inside corner (does that make sense???).

If you sew all the way around the whole thing and then fold it over and sew again...
...that's just not as nice looking in my crafty opinion.

So that's what your tea pocket should look like when done!

Oh and if you goof...  and make a tea bag holder with a left side pocket instead that's ok too!
You can give it to your left handed friends!
(momChops and I goofed and made the second prototype the wrong way...  we always work in muslin first for just this reason!!!)

So now that you have the pocket made you gotta close it right?!?!

You can either use Velcro (which you need to sew on for best results) ...  this is the sticky kind and it's a bear trying to sew the sticky stuff on...  so get some of the non sticky for this closure method)

OR

You can get all crafty fancy pants and sew a button hole and button on.
I personally LOVE this one (MomChops took the orange butterfly and the pink one home with her and I kept the teal one...  yeah yeah I know...  me and teal).  hehehehe!

You can get the fabric version of the tea bag template below!

 

Now that you have your lovely fabric tea bag holder I thought it might be nice to direct you to a lovely post that Catherine from OriginalStitch wrote for the brewing of proper English tea (you can read it HERE)!  She shared this with me last week and I wanted to make sure you guys saw it.  The very night I read this I had 3 whole cups made just the way she described and I have been hooked ever since.  No more tossing the tea bag in cold water in the microwave.  This is my new favorite way to drink tea!  Give it a try!

Oh and if you want to see another totally COOL way to make a fabric tea bag holder go take a look HERE.  Jennifer sent me that link and I think that's another totally awesome tutorial!

I also wanted to share another pic of my Sister's tatting!  She's finishing up her first week of tatting and she sent me and my mom these pics!

She's evidently making a bracelet for that gold circle thing in the picture
(which she tells is is some sort of thread cutter - coolest looking thread cutter ever!!!).

...and this is her other project!
I am so proud of her!
She's totally rocking this tatting thing!!!

So LASTLY...  one more bit of news and I am off!
In about 3- 4 weeks I am going to reach 1 million hits on my blog!  I think that's pretty darn neat and I want to celebrate!!!  I am definitely going to do a giveaway...  I already started making what I am going to give away and you guys are gonna LOVE it (I hope)... 

But... I really wanted to see if you had any other ideas for what I could do to celebrate!  This is exciting stuff right!?!?!?!  I would love to hear your ideas over the next couple of weeks.  I wish we could all get together for a mega party...  would that be COOL or what!!!!  Sigh.  This whole giant planet earth being so big thing is so totally not cool.

I hope you all have a terrific week!  I loves the lot of yas!

 

P.S.S.T.  Guess what comes in the mail today (maybe)?????
MY REPAIRED VIDEO CAMERA!!!  WOO HOO!
I'll be sharing the fabled craft video tutorial next Monday (assuming I don't blow anything up).

O.M.T.  Here is a little sneaky peepy of my NEXT ScrapyLand project!

It's totally FUN!

I cannot wait to show you the whole thing!

More HUGS than you can stand!!!!!

The Mad Tatter's Teabag Template

Sometimes I get so goofy with the titles of these posts I feel all embarrassed for myself.  This is NOT one of those times.  Ok so maybe it is just a wee little bit.

The Mad Tatter
I have a few things to share today.  We'll start with the whole mad tatter reference.  My sister was here last week for a visit and decided that she wanted to learn tatting.  In case you don't know what tatting is you can learn all about it HERE.

Her and my mom went to half price books, they found a couple books on tatting and within 24 hours she was a tatting fool.  You can see some of her very first work below.

...I have now given her the new cuddly nick name of...  The Mad Tatter.
I stink at anything involving yarn or string (other than crochet and even that I am not all that terrific at).  Heck I still have two scarves on my knitting needles that I cannot finish because I have NO IDEA how to cast off!  Since my sister - The Mad Tatter - is over there showing us up by making lace....

...I will now show you much easier crafts that don't make your brain hurt.

Teabag Holder for Gifts-n-Stuff Template
A few months ago I saw a really cool project over on Spoonfull of Sugar (you can see their elegant take on this project HERE).  It was for little tea bag holders that were so precious they made my brain turn pink!  I was completely smitten and stashed it away in my notebook of ideas I need to try someday.  So that day is today!

Once I had the template worked out I decided to create a download and print freebie so you can make them too!  It's at the bottom of this post in the usual spot.

It's Tea Time!

First...  print the template on heavy card stock paper and cut it out.
Crease along the lines that say "fold here"...

There are 3 different ways you can close these up.

You can use this nifty notch and die cutting toll thingy from Basic Grey (you can get one HERE).
It comes with a zillion ideas and 3 different die cutters that you can use with the handle.
It makes doing closures on little tidy packages like this a breeze!

 
Once you have the notch cut it will look something like this.
You run a line of glue in the areas I have colored pink.

Fold the right flap over and glue it down just on the inside of that crease.
It will make a little pocket that looks something like that pic up there.

If you go with the die cut notch when you close the little pocket it will look something like this.

BUT if you don't want to mess with a notch die cut tool...  you can try something easier...

VELCRO!
Yep...  you can get some of that sticky sided Velcro and cut it into small squares.
You just stick the squares on either side and viola...  you have a closed tea bag holder...
My thinking with using Velcro was that you might just make this little tea bag holder so stinkin' cute that the person who receives it will carry their tea bags around in it...
(yeah I know no one carries tea bags around but in my fantasy world filled with handmade things they do)!!!

So if you don't want to mess with die cut tools and Velcro tabs...

You can use glue dots (or Zots - those are what I use).
The receiver will have to rip the package open thus destroying your crazy CUTE packaging.
That's just not something that makes my heart feel special.
I like the idea of them keeping it forever.
Cause you know...
...it's too precious to throw away.

Right?

So see... there is some tea.
You can get two in there but it's a little snug.  If you want to make it to hold more than one tea bag you can make the template longer and give yourself more of a pocket.
I mean who really only carries around one tea bag at a time.
Actually...  who really carries tea bags around?

hmmmmm

Raise your hand if you carry tea bags around!!

Anyone?

Helloooooo?

Dog Chops to the rescue!
She had to work at it but she got her hands up!

Ok so moving on...

My favorite way to seal them up tight is the Velcro method.  It's pretty snazzy and fast and like I said...  folks will now have a cute tea bag carrying case for ever and ever.  Ahem!

 I decided to share a one way you can decorate the holders.  Quick and easy stuff.  Trust Lolly!

First get some chipboard hearts.
I used these HERE.

Trace around them onto paper and cut the shapes out...

Ink the edges of the chipboard hearts before you glue the paper to them...
Let them dry.
Let me rephrase that...

Really really really really let them dry...

...or you will end up with ink ALL over the table, the dogs, your hands, your nose... the list goes on.

Once they are so dry you could feed a cactus with them...

Just glue the paper to them.

Assemble nicely on the tea bag holder you just cut out, folded, scalloped, stamped AND inked...

...and poof...  in as easy as 15 minutes you have a tea bag holder (kidding... it only takes like 13 minutes...  I was rounding up).

You can ALSO use the tried and true patented smooshy stack method to make some nice butterflies or hearts for the fronts!

You can read all about the smooshy stack super top secret assembly at this post HERE.

Since I shared a pic of DogChops I have to share my craft table too...
(it's actually pretty clean all things considered).

OH!!!  ...I need to share the teeny tiniest of pictures of my first Scrapy Land Design Team project!

That's all I can show until it's officially revealed!

I worked on this sucker for about 20 hours!  I officially started on it Friday night at a crop I went to at my favorite store on the whole entire planet (Anthologies) and finished it up late on Saturday evening (more like Sunday morning really).  It was really and truly a labor of love!  I cannot wait to share it with you guys!

So that's all I gots for today!

You can download the template for the tea bag holders below.

I hope everyone is staying warm (it was 17 for the low over the weekend here - that's just plain ole cold)!

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead (and I will see what I can do about your calendar requests).  The two projects I did this past weekend left no time for more mini calendars!

P.S.  xoxoxoxoxoxo (could you tell that was a Valentines craft???).  Did the excessive amount of hearts give it away???

Chicken fried camera with a side of calendars...

My video tutorial is not going to be shared with you guys today as it's on it's way to California for it's BIG screen debut!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!

The folks at the Canon factory are going to be up to their knees in my swirly flower tutorial in about 4 days!

I am pretty sure that we'll be seeing LOADS more crafts on the Canon site come next Monday!

Wondering what in the heck I am talking about???

Well... something bad happened on Saturday after I was done filming (I cut my tutorial time to 14 minutes... down from the hour long diatribe of the first version).  I was real proud of myself!!!  RonChops and I connected the video camera (the one he got me for Christmas) to his beloved Power Mac desktop...  and well ummmm...  about 5 seconds into it we smelled something.  Not a good something...  a chicken fried camera something.  Only there was no gravy and no mashed potatoes.

We fried the camera (completely) AND (as an added bonus) both of the fire wire ports on his Mac too (yip-e).  We kinda sat there in stunned silence after it happened and spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with Apple tech support (those guys are amazing!!).  Sadly the camera has to go to California to be fixed (with my crafty flower tutorial still inside) and the apple going to be taken to the place where apples go to be fixed (someplace local).  Talk about deflating the crafty sails!

So instead of a nice video tutorial + calendar combo...  I just have some calendars today.  I changed them up a little from last years version in that I did not do the vellum overlay or a cover (you can see the ones from last year HERE).

If you really really liked the vellum overlay thing let me know and I'll post that next week...  I used vellum for my own personal craft room calendar and I was getting kinda annoyed that the ends were curling on me!  I was thinking I could use brads to nail them down some but I dunno...  those of you who printed them last year and used the vellum will have to let me know what you think.  The photo corners I used to help tack them down kept falling off on me too!

I also created some really teeny tiny versions that you can use in scrapbook layouts and on cards and such. 

Let's get started with the teeny tiny ones first and what you might do with those... and then we'll move on to the big fellas!

I spaced them nicely so you would have room to cut or punch them out.

I really really REALLY love the scrolly border punch from Stampin' Up!
You can get it from this nice gal HERE!
If I could have only one punch in my arsenal it would be this fella.
He's the coolest!!!

I made these little calendars small enough to work with just about any 1.5 inch punch...
So they are pretty easy to work with.

I like to back my punched shapes with a background color and since my favorite punch does not have a one size up shape to go behind it I simply place it on a piece of colored card stock...

...and freehand cut around it.
Easy Cheese!

So for the bigger ones...
I print them all out on 110lb card stock...
Then I cut just inside the dotted border with a paper trimmer...

...and Zuttered them together!
You can read all about the Zutter binding thingy HERE.
If you don't have one that's ok!
You can see how I put these together last year with a simple hole punch at this post HERE!

You can download the teeny tiny calendars below...

...and the whole set of the bigger ones below this (click on the "download and print PDF here" image)...

 

You guys still with me or are ya sound asleep?
I almost feel like I cheated you today...  this is so short and so boring you might actually be getting on your jammies and calling it a day!

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It looks like the video camera (complete with the tape STILL inside) should be back in about 3 weeks (I hope).  So it's gonna be a while before I have any video tutorials round these parts.  I am pretty bummed about to tell you the truth.  I was really looking forward to this today.  :(

I'll be back next week with something new and fabric-y!

Hope everyone has a great first week of January (can you believe it's 2010...  crazy!!!)!

P.S.  RonChops has been giving me a hard time about these calendars all weekend.  Evidently they do not meet his cool craft seal of approval.  He's rather fond of vellum and has been telling me all day that he thinks I need the vellum overlay thingy...  OH and AND he's totally not fond of the font I used either.  He really likes the handwriting fonts.

If you guys are with RonChops (basically if you want to gang up on me) that's cool.  I'll work up a vellum-y and handwriting font-y version just for you (and RonChops too of course...  I cannot have him harassing me about these calendars all year long...  it's only January for crying out loud!)...  But if you guys think he's crazy (MUHAHAHAHA) that's cool too!  Inquiring minds want to know!

P.S.S.T. xoxoxoxox's

Someone please throw those poor little glitter birds a life raft...

This is one of those projects that starts out one way in your mind and quickly morphs into something else entirely.  My intention was to make some lovely little white glitter birds perched on a white painted twig...  (very wintry) and somehow I ended up with multi-colored glitter birds perched on what RonChops has aptly named The Crafty Crocheted Life Raft...

So...  how do we get from one extreme to the other?

Don your snorkel and follow me into the depths of the craft room (I promise not to be as cheesy next year...  ok not really but sometimes the cheese factor gets so deep around these parts that I should start serving virtual crackers).

How it all started...
I found several types of foam birds with feathers in the floral department of Hobby Lobby, Michaels and JoAnns (yeah I actually went to all three places... you can ask poor RonChops...  the man was on the bird tracking mission with me one fine Saturday morning).  A task I am sure he'll never repeat.  Ever again.  Ever.  Amen.

At first I could only find colorful birds and since I wanted a wintry white wonderland of birdiness - all those colorful birds were not going to cut the mustard.

BUT...  JoAnns saved the day and I found some that were all white with clips on their bottoms!

So several types of birds later (and a twig scout of the back yard)...  I had my birds and twigs.

I attached the birds to the unpainted twigs just to make sure they were going to look ok and I was pretty excited by the results!

I first spray painted the twigs with white spray paint.
Once I had a good coat on them I brought them inside and painted one more coat with white acrylic paint.

Then it was time to get the glitter on the birds...

I experimented with the multi-colored birds at first so I could see how the glitter went on them.
I simply painted glitter glue on his little birdy body and then sprinkled white sparkly  glitter all over him.

As I suspected...  you could definitely see everything clear through the glitter....

Soooo...

I painted all of the rest of the multi-colored birds white...
...I was not worried about getting paint on their beaks or eyes because I wanted to paint them black once the glitter festival was over!

Ahhhh....  MUCH better!
(this is with eyes and beaks painted black)

The glitter I used for this bird was different from the first bird....

...and this my friends is the exact moment when the project started to veer off course...
...way off course...
...like call the coast guard and come rescue the glitter birds cause it's about to get crazy off course...

Backstory...Martha came out with these fabulous new glitters this past season that are like little mini sticks of glitter (instead of little glitter squares).

So I had to have some and busted out the 50% off Michaels coupon that came with the December MS Living so I could get a whole glorious set of this ultra fabulous stuff!

BUT...since I was still in experimentation mode...
I decided to try some regular glitter glue on the next bird.

So I squirted a ton of glitter glue on the bird....

...and spread it all around with a paint brush...

...and you could barely see a thing...
...the glitter was just too light...

Sooooo...

...I went completely insane and busted out some of those Martha Stewart glitter sticks and sprinkled them all over him (right on top of the glitter glue)!

...and it was FABULOUS!!!!

Since that was so fabulous I decided to try another of my new Martha Stewart products (the glitter balls)...and...

 

...ummm...
...not so fabulous...

So I applied more glue and more balls and even more glue and more balls...

...and then I ended up with this poor lumpy fella.
RonChops came in to check on my progress and looked at him and said...

"whoa...  what exactly is the bally stuff you have on there anyway...???"

Sew...

I went back to the glitter sticks!
I loves me some glitter sticks!!
(I found out it's not actually called glitter sticks but tinsel-cut glitter)
You can see it HERE.

The name "Tinsel-Cut Glitter" is so elegant and so Martha Stewartesque.

"Glitter Sticks" is straight up LollyChops (insert banjo music here).

These are several of the glitter bird variations drying on my holiday kleenex box that RonChops got me all special (this was when I was in the throws of the sniffles this past month).
The reason I loves it so much is because a) it's teal and b) it's got a snowman on it.
I love teal and snowmen (and RonChops too)!!

So once I finished glittering up my birds with the glitter sticks...

It was time to introduce them to the dogs.

At first DogChops was a little nervous...
...a little trepidations...

CharlotteChops was in mid-sooze and could not be bothered with such things.

When I put them down in front of her she just kinda sniffed at them and then...

Stood back up and licked her chops...
So I had to put them away so we could avoid a doggie stomach pumping ER trip!

Once I had them on the branch...
(notice how I decided to try nearly every color in the MS Glitter Sticks pack...)

...the vision I had of pure white snowy birds on a lovely wintery white branch was thrown by the wayside...

So I had to come up with a plan B (or in my case it's always plan C since I am a Chops...  we always skip over plan B and go straight to plan C... it's just the way things are done).

Thus enters the life raft part of the craft project...
(you knew that was coming right??)

I had these random crocheted strips laying around
(they were leftover from another project that went awry)
(I could actually devote an entire closet to all of my craft project misfits)

So I sewed them around a grapevine wreath...
That's what you would have done too right?
You have all of these birds, teal and green crocheted strips and a wreath...
The logical choice is to combine them.
Right?

Hello?

(enter the cricket cone of silence)

Ok so maybe not.

Anyway... I perched the glitter birds at the top of the crochet strip encrusted wreath...
(these birds had clips on their bottoms so they went on pretty easy)

AND...

Are you ready....

Are you sure you are ready????

TA DA!

It's The Glitter Birds Life Raft!!!

Ahhhh.
Ummmm.

Yeah.

So I actually saw RonChops see this for the first time when he did not know that I could see him looking at it... (I was in stealth mode...nearly invisible really)

...and he had this totally horrified look on his face...

I think it was a mix of "oh man is she really going to leave that hanging up in the living room" combined with a side of "what in the heck is that thing anyway" with a said out-loud exclamation of "that looks like a life raft!!!!"...

Yep... he's right.  It totally does.

So we just about died laughing and then started discussing how I could have done it differently.

Several of his suggestions were as follows:
1) Make the crocheted stripes red and white and slant them so it looks more like a candy cane
2) Leave the birds either one or two colors only (he was not digging the whole multi colored birds thing AT ALL)
3) Maybe go back to the wintry white branch with wintry white birds idea (my favorite)

Moral of the story...  when you get overly excited about your craft supplies stay focused so things don't get too out of hand.  A wintry white vision of birds in snow this is not!

For now I have to leave that thing hanging over the mantel.  It's too funny not to leave up there!

That's it for today folks!  I am sad to say that I did not get the calendars done this past week (boooooo Lolly).

Between working too much and still rocking out with The Sniffles there was just not time.

Those calendars are nearly done so keep your eyeballs peeled for them in the next couple weeks...

Oh and I am going to be kinda sporadically posting between today and January 11 (think of it as a bloggy vacation).  I'll drop in with pictures of what I am working on (like those Christmas cards over there) but no tutorials.  I need to get focused and caught up on all of your comments and email and projects and such over the next three weeks so NO crazy long posts until I get things more organized!

Wrapping it up!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging out with me these past 16 months!!  When I started this blog I had no idea I would meet so many wonderful people and that we would have so many crafty adventures together!

I loves you guys!!!

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday!

P.S.  I can't wait to see what this next year brings can you?!?!?!?!

A sneaky gift idea + double chocolate waffle mix

  How do you know when LollyChops is in full out hairy holiday craft scramble mode?

   When she has to start doubling up the projects in a post (and they contain more than 40 pictures each (but not this post so don't be scared)).

When that happens you know something is a rye in this bread basket-o-crafts!!

I always think it's best to start off Mondays with love so I have a little drama to share (so much drama around here these days...  Friday it was my Pioneer Woman cookbook signing cop-out (speaking of...  don't you just LOVE my signed copy!!!).  Thanks again to the complete stranger (Kristy) who I met in line and not only got it signed personalized to ME she also mailed it to me LIGHTNING fast).  I am going to add some extra glitter to my coffee today in her honor! 

So when I came into the craft room Sunday morning there were two new additions to the window sill.

Initially they were just minding their own business.

Each lost in their own thoughts...  until he reached out an antler...

 
Thusly begins "The Glitter Deer Love Story"...  haha...  ok maybe that was only funny to me.

Don't you just love them!  GLITTER DEER!!  I got them at the dollar store Sunday!  I spotted them from across the store and stealthly hurried over (so as not to draw any attention to them dare someone else pick them up before me)!  I am actually hoping that I can soak off all of the glitter and re-apply an even better glitter coat to their deer-y little bodies!  I'll keep you posted on deer progress (har har har)!

So for today's project we have something kinda sneaky and simple...
(and maybe just a little 1970s...I dunno)

You take cans of General Foods International drink mixes...
(with the drink mix still inside and sealed up tight)

...and you decorate them with paper and ribbons and glitter and such...

...and you give them away as gifts.

Totally not even kidding.
Might seem kinda silly but it's CHEAP and they are actually really FUN to make.
Trust Lolly.

I am only going to show you how I put one together...cause I love yas and want to spare your sanity...
...but only for today...

My next post is gonna drive you batty.
Honest to peanuts.

I started with a piece of double sided "My Mind's Eye - Colorful Christmas - Winter Wonderland" paper.
You can get it HERE.

I decided to cut around the stitched lines and use that as the top layer

Hey:  Sorry the pictures are so bad.
It's cloudy and rainy here and I just could not get enough light going on in the craft room.

I ran both pieces through my Xyron and turned them into a gigantic paper sticker (fabulous stuff).

...and then I stuck the whole thing to the side of the drink mix can...

Only I goofed on this one and made it too short...

...so I added another piece of paper to the top of that
(again...using my Xyron to turn it into a giant sticker).

The 12x12 paper is not long enough to go all the way around the can...

...so you have to come up with something decorative to cover that up!!!!

Hello, fun...  this is Lolly calling!

I know. I know.
Maybe it's just me that gets a kick out of needing to make something decorative to cover up holes and such!

So I threw some stickers and tree die cuts on there and POOF...  your open ends are covered up nice (and crafty).

I also added some dingle berry pom-poms on there just to make it kinda cute!
RonChops tells me I should not call them dingle berries...
He says there is a negative connotation there?!?!?!
What do you think?

I decided that I wanted a piece of paper to cover the lid as well...
So I measured the inside of the lid and cut a piece of paper to size...

and...

Used my corner chomper to round the corners...
The 1/2 inch rounded corner fits the lids PERFECTLY!
(I was so excited about it working out like that)

I simply glued the paper to the lid and I was all done!

The paper with the little houses is by American Crafts and it's called MerryMint.
You can get the paper with the larger houses and scenes HERE and the little house strips HERE.
I cut the shapes out and used a matching Bo Bunny spotted paper as the background for the little houses.

To add a little more interest to the sky area of the tin, I cut out little clouds that I had run through my CuttleBug (Swiss Dots folder) and also punched some snowflakes and added Stickles to them.
(If you are not a paper crafter you probably have NO idea what in the heck I am talking about right now...
but if you are you are hopefully sitting there nodding)

I also made up another one using an empty tin that I am going to use for tags.
I did not make this one Christmasy as I want to use it year round.

Oh and I used my new super fabulous white pen!
You can watch a review on white pens HERE.
(I actually got this pen because of this review)

I made a PDF of the instructions to make the drinks, so all you have to do is print them, cut them out and tuck them under the plastic lid!
I also left a space so you can write the flavor at the top!

You can download that PDF HERE.

So about that Double Chocolate Waffle Mix...
I am co-posting again today with Sara from Our Best Bites.  She came up with a gifty jar mix for Double Chocolate Waffles and I came up with a 2.5 inch circle you can punch out or cut out and place on top!

Easy Cheese!

 
You can get the PDF for them below:

Head over to Our Best Bites to get the skinny on making up these mixes to give as gifts!
To use these labels you will want to either use a 2.5 inch circle punch or just simply cut them out!

So that's all I gots for today!

I'll be back later this week Monday with another SIMPLE holiday craft project...
(just a hint...glitter birds!!!!!)

Holiday HUGS!

 

P.S.S.T.  Thanks so much for all the emails and comments you guys have been bestowing upon me lately!  I am reading every single word but cannot always write you back!  I am working on that but it's real hard.  Know that I read and cherish everything you take the time to send to me/say to me!  You guys have me laughing DAILY!

O.M.T.  I added a way to sign up for email notifications up there on the top right side (in case you don't use RSS readers).  I have been asked to add this feature for a long time and I finally got around to it!!

I loves yas.  For serious.
xoxoxoxoxo's

How I almost met P-Dub + Chili Spice Mix...

I am torn...  should I start with the dramatic story of my Pioneer Woman cookbook signing saga or do I wade through crafts first and then stun you with the ever-so-dramatic story?!?!?

Since I am co-posting today with my good friend Sara from Our Best Bites...  I think she would be ok with me posting the Chili Spice Mix recipe down at the bottom so I can jump right in and tell you the sordid tale...!

Pioneer Woman (P-Dub) Book Signing
It was a dark and stormy night in Dallas.  Seriously.  I think it was 42 and raining cats and rabbits.

MomChops came to get me from work and we made it to Borders by 4:30 (P-Dub was scheduled to be there at 7).  When we walked in they directed us towards the counter so we could get our wristbands.

ummmm wristbands????

Yeah.

Wristbands.

Who knew?
Were in the 300 group...  as in there were more than 200 people ahead of us.

I got my camera out when we settled in and started taking a few pictures.
This girl spotted me... (see her to the right of the pillar... way way way back there)

...she did this strange hand thing...

I was guessing she might be in the Happy Hands Club...

...but was not sure until...

...she gave me the secret Happy Hands Club wave!

Being in the club myself I spotted it right away!

She's not supposed to use the secret moves in public....
But we were amongst friends...

Once P-Dub arrived everyone started squealing as they spotted her...

...3 people who I was standing in line with all at the same time asked...
(and I am totally not even kidding)

"Did you see her????"

"WHAT COLOR IS HER HAIR?!?!?!?!"

There was genuine concern in their voices folks.
If you follow P-Dubs twitter and FB you know what I am talking about...  Chicago.  Sigh.

Those of us who were tall enough to catch a glimpse all said in unison..  "BROWN!"

...and I think there were mixed feelings about that revelation.

Once she said a few words she settled in to start signing books.

She was surrounded by people.

Everyone was smiling...

Everyone was happy and relaxed...

...and then I spotted them...

She was wearing the most amazing boots EVER!

Sheesh...  I don't even wear boots but I was seriously in love with these babies!

She was just sitting there in these KILLER books smiling away and signing books.

I swears.  They were fabulous!

So I headed back to my 208th spot in line to wait...

..and that's when things got dicey.

MomChops and I were pretty much at the front of the yellow wristband line...

...and then the red wristbands started showing up in force...

...and of course they got to go in front of us.

This is the red / yellow line of demarcation.
I counted the baby as a force against us...

He might have been cute but he was a RED people!!!  

RED!!!!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

DOWN WITH THE REDS!
(that was our battle cry)

I started to meander around...

Watching people get their killer P-Dub book signing t-shirts...

...and practicing their Happy Hands Club waves.

Some were even shopping for Christmas gifts too.

You could not help yourself...

There were AWESOME gifts everywhere!

...ok so maybe there weren't....

..but I swear...  I took this picture inside Borders on the night of the book signing in the year 2009.
This is not a joke.  This stuff was actually in there.

I was torn between getting RonChops the shiny pink chihuahua bank or the pig in a hardhat bank.
Such a tough decision!

What would you have done????

So...  after a very short time...  and because I had been sick as a dog for well over a week...

We left.

Ah yeah.  Let me clarify that a little...

We left without getting our books signed.

We had been sitting there without moving a muscle for well over an hour.

...and there was NO hope in sight!

So this really super nice girl we were in line with (HI KRISTY)... offered to take my book, get it signed and mail it to me!

I am totally not even kidding!

She even wrote to me when she got home at MIDNIGHT to let me know she had my SIGNED book and would be sending it my way!  I loves her.

Midnight folks.
...and we were 200th in line...

So that's the end of the story.

I saw her.  I saw her boots.  I heard her speak.  I saw more of her boots... and I went home like a lame potato (with a stuffy nose and major sinus headache... that's my excuse).

The end.
(and if you never come back because I left the book signing I'll totally understand)

But...
...if you can forgive me and you want a rockin' chili spice mix you can gift to your BFFs...
keep on reading!

Chili Spice Mix
Like I said way up top...
I am co-posting today with Sara from Our Best Bites!
She wrote to me a few months ago asking if I wanted to team up with her again on a tag for a Chili mix gift idea she was putting together!
So of course I said YES!

You will need to start with some small bags.
I found these fellas by Wilton called Mini Treat Bags.
You can get them online HERE or at Michaels, Malwarts or JoAnns.
(notice how I got the "mega" pack)
(something tells me you are going to be seeing a lot of these fellas around these parts!)

I put all of my spices into a bowl and mixed them up good!
(you can get the spice mix recipe from Our Best Bites HERE)

I then used a funnel to put them into the treat bags.
I folded the tops twice and stapled them too!

Down below you are going to find a few templates for toppers for these treat bags.
You will want to print the decorative side on heavy card stock paper
(I use 110lb paper in my photo printer)

Once you have that done, an optional step is to flip the printed decorative side over and run it through your printer again to print the recipe for "Hearty Chili" that Sara sent to me (it's in the PDF too)!

This way you are giving a gift of the spice mix AND a super good chili recipe to boot (speaking of boots...)!

I digress!

 
Trim down the sides of the bag toppers...

Run a crease down the middle...

...and then take your spice mix and nestle the top of the bag into the crease of the printed tag....
(notice how the chili recipe is peeping from under there)

I then simply stapled the bag topper to the bag!

BUT...  that's kinda ugly so we have to fix it up some right?!?!?!

I punched two holes on top of the tag and ran a ribbon through each of them.

You take the right side and run it back through the left hole (so the ribbon is coming out the front)...

See how the arrow is pointing????

You then do that with the left side and you should have something that looks like this....

TA DA!
(and if it doesn't look like this call Pioneer Woman at 1-800-KIL-R-BOOTS)

Any woman with boots like that has got to know how to tie a ribbon on the top of a chili spice mix right???

So here you have the front side!

...and here's the back side with the extra fluffy ribbon gone wild!
(don't use extra fluffy ribbon or you'll be cursing me)

OH...  and cause I LOVES to get fancy...

...I included some extra shapes you can cut out (if you are feeling crazy crafty)!
You can adhere them to the fronts of the packages with a pop-dot!
(you know you wanna get fancy crafty like that!!!)
It just makes it that much more special!

I made three different options!  You can see them all below!

 

In the tree version I did some of the cutouts with the stand and some without in case you don't want to trim around the stand (let's not make this any harder than we need to right!!)!

You can download the PDF with ALL three designs + the Hearty Chili recipe below!

 

But wait...  there's MORE!

If you can't find the little bags and want to put the spice mix into straight side small mason/ball/kerr jars instead...  you can use these circle tags as your jar toppers!  There are two pages here.  The first page has the tags and the second page has the "Hearty Chili" recipe!  Just cut out the recipe and tuck it under the banded lid!

Head on over to Our Best Bites to get the recipe to make the mix!  You just gotta!

Thanks for dropping by today!  I'll be back Monday with another Holiday craft project!

P.S.  Update on Miss DogChops skunktacular smelliness!  She's actually cleaning up rather well thanks to all of your super fabulous suggestions!  She's been doused with Listerine and smeared with a paste of hydrogen peroxide + baking soda!  I have not been able to find the skunk-off shampoo yet but we are going to track that down this weekend!  Thanks again you guys!  You had me giggling with all of your skunk stories!  More HUGS than you can stand!!

P.S.S.T.  MomChops and I should not complain about being only number 208 and 209 in line for the P-Dub book signing!  I hear there were upwards of 900+ people there!  Would you have stayed????

O.M.T. (ok sorry I know this is terribly long)...  just a tip.  If you are going to see P-Dub make sure you call the book store ahead of time to see how they are going to handle it.  We could have gone in the morning to get one of the wristbands for the early birds!  So make sure you check on it before you go!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo!

Rustic cookie bags.... 4 ways!

Wait...  before I get started today... do you guys smell something?!?!??!

 
Something rank.  Something really and truly smelly?


Something (dare I say it)...  skunky?

Guess who had a hot date with a skunk last week????

Go ahead...  I dare ya to guess.

Nice try with the subject change DogChops.
It's not gonna work!

6 baths later we STILL have the cleanest smelly dog ON THE ENTIRE PLANET!

Can someone please help us!?!?!?!

Seriously.  Please.

We have tried the following:
- tomato juice (she now says "ciào" every time we leave)
- baking soda + hydrogen peroxide + dish soap (internet remedy)
- vinegar (she asked for oil and dipping bread after that bath)
- regular + extra strength dog soap
- begging + pleading (I actually asked the smell to leave but it's not listening to me for some reason)

If anyone out there had a remedy for skunk smell removal PLEASE for the love of all that is good and stink free on this earth... please let me know what we need to do!  I was crafting with the little skunk ALL WEEK LONG!

Ok now that I have that out of my system (but not my nostrils) let's launch into some holiday crafts!

Rustic Cookie Bags
I am working on making fabric tree trunks using simple brown paper lunch sacks as the backing.  You can buy them by the 100 in the grocery store (think back to those old lunch sacks).  I got them for about $2.00 (I'll share the tree trunks after the holidays...  eye promises).  So since I have like 95 of the suckers left I decided to try to work up a crafty way to use them up... thus enters...  Rustic Cookie Bags!

I made them up 4 different ways.  Let's say you are feeling crazy crafty and want to sit down for a day to make up a set of bags... I have some ideas you can take and expand on below...  BUT... if you have 9 million things going on at once and just don't have a day to sit and craft BUT you still want to knock out some cute handmade gifts - I have you guys covered as well (with some download and print freebies).

Oh and I also tried to keep this as simple and inexpensive as possible.  Honest!

Let's jump right in (don a clothes pin on your nose or else you won't make it through this skunky post...  trust Lolly)!

You are going to need to chop off the tops of those bags.
You should be left with about 6 inches on the bottom.
Save the tops.

For the innards I used Wilton loaf bags (but you can use gallon zip lock bags too (you have to chop off the zip lock part).
There seems to be a lot of chopping going on today...  hmmmm.
I found the Wilton bags at Michaels, JoAnn AND even Malwarts (you can get them online HERE too).

Way 1 - Semi Advanced Crafters Version

I used a scallop punch to fancy up the top edge.
I also punched a few snowflakes in the front side only.

To get the punched shapes to show up you need a contrasting back color.
I just used a piece of plain white card stock.
I also ran a scallop line down the edge of that as well.

You are going to roll the top of the paper bag like a little cuff (just one time for this bag)...
...but before you do that you will want to glue the contrasting piece of paper to the edge (make it so the scallop shows a little if you want).  I just used a roll on adhesive like this one HERE.

Your folded edge with the paper peeking out should look like this.

I rounded the edge a little so the scallops blended a little better.

I glued a die cut word down to the bag using roller adhesive.
If you don't have a die cut machine you can find some already die cut words in the craft section of your local craft store.
I used a Sizzix Sizzlet strip to make this word.  You can see the one I used HERE.

I also want to throw this in.
I recently discovered this pen and I am totally in LOVE with it!
It's the best opaque white pen I have ever used.  Ever in my life. No foolin!
You are going to be seeing a LOT of it around these parts so I figured I had better tell you about it.
It's a Uni-ball - Signo - Broad (white pigment ink pen) (um-153).  You can get one (or 20) HERE.

So then I cut out another "Noel" in red and tried my best to outline it with a little faux stitch pattern with my new super pen.
You can tell I have a ways to go to perfect the faux stitching thing.
A really really long ways.  hehehe

I applied 3D adhesive to the back of the faux stitched "Noel"...
...and stuck it over the white "Noel" that was on the bag.
I lined them up as best I could.
The white "Noel" behind things helps the red fella stand out a little better.

Here are two color variations of the cookie bags.
I strung up a simple tag to the top of one and glued a tag to the bag on the other one.

How to assemble them (I forgot to take pictures of this part)
Apply some roller glue to the inside bottom of the cuffed brown paper sacks.
Take your clear sacks, open them up a little and put them into the inside bottom of the cuffed brown paper sacks and press the bottom to the glue (it does not have to be super stuck down there...  it's just to help the clear sack and brown paper sack stick together a little better).
Once you have the clear sacks in there you can fill them with cookies.
If you are at this part and are worried that you might not have enough cookies for all of your bags you can pad the bottom with some loosely crumpled wax paper.  It works like a champ!

Way 2 - Looks advanced but it's not version

For this version you will want to emboss a giant holiday something (I used a snowflake) on the bottom half of your trimmed bag.
I used this snowflake stamp HERE and opaque white embossing powder.

...oh and if you are worried that you don't have a heat gun for heat embossing...

Never fear!

I don't have one either!
I use this heat gun/paint stripper thing.
It has a low setting and I am super careful with it (super crazy careful).
I have been using this gun for ALL of my heat embossing for years (and I have even stripped a few pieces of furniture with it as well!!).

I then stamped the word "Joy" onto one of the leftover pieces of brown paper sack (from the pieces I cut off).
I used a Martha Stewart stamp from a holiday set I got last year.  There are tons of really nice sentiments out there so look around or just raid your stamp stash!
I used some of the new American Crafts Zing embossing powder (I totally LOVE the bright colors of this stuff).
It's not showing up super well in my pics but this color is Cricket (in opaque).
You can see it HERE.

I cut out around the word (it was WAY easier than it sounds...  trust me).

What I really liked about this was that the paper was so thin that it kinda blended and melded together.
It almost looked like I used two different stamps and embossing powders at the same time to make this.
I am not sure the picture does it justice but trust me...  it's a way cool effect!  You should try it!

You can stop here and just roll the cuffs and apply a little tag...

OR...

You can punch some small holes in the top of the bag...

...and thread some ribbon through the holes (like stitching)!

Here are two color variations of this version.
Again...  the green in the "joy" is way cool...
I just could not get it to come out right in the pictures!
Booooo!

Here is a close-up of the tops of the bags as they are nestled into their rustic brown sacks!
I love how they peep out giving you just a hint of the goodies inside!

Way 3 - Potential for inky fingers version

Before we get back to it I had to throw this picture in again.
She looks like she's staring open-mouthed at the cookies!!!
Totally cracks me up!!

Ok...  back to crafts!

 
For this version I used some of my punches.
They are:
Martha Stewart - holly punch - available HERE
Marvy Uchida - pink scallop punch (a LollyChops MUST have) - available HERE
Marvy Uchida - blue circle punch - available HERE

If you have the circle scallop and plain circle punch you can make a trillion different tags.  Those are two good punches to have handy!

I inked the edges of my punched shapes since sometimes the white edges show through.
I used 3D adhesive on the back of the plain circle to get it to stand up some.
I also traced around the holly shape and did some faux stitching around the inner circle with my uni-ball signo pen.  Oh how I LOVE that pen!

Now...  remember ole the fabric Smooshy Stack Trees from way back...  You can see them HERE if you have no idea what I am talking about.  Well...  I used that same method to make up some paper trees!

Condensed details below...

I used some of the leftover paper sack tops and cut 4 pieces into a triangle.
I sewed a single line down the middle.
Easy as pie!
mmmmmmmmm pie!

I snipped tree edges on to the sides (see the smooshy stack tree post for more pics and details).

I smooshed it up but good...
...and then smoothed it out (but not too smooth!!!)

I inked up the rumpled tree layers (opening them and inking each layer).
Soak them good.  This lunch sack paper is like a miracle or something.
It can take anything!  I did not rip a single edge during this entire project making bonanza!

Glue your new 3D trees to the outside of your sacks with your new super fabulous tag!
You can also use these trees for tags too!  They would make an amazing 3D addition to a present!

Way 4 - Easy cheese version

We are on the home stretch folks!  You still with me???  I saved the easiest one for last!  Honest!!!!

You print out the download and print freebie at the bottom of this post!

You cut the straight edges either with a paper trimmer or by hand.

You can leave them like this...

...or get a tiny bit fancy and round the corners.
You know me...  if it can be rounded I round it!  Always!

I left the doobers on the ones on the left and cut them off of the ones on the right.
I can hear you guys now..  doobers?  What the heck are doobers? 
Bear with me folks...  I am getting to that part!

The ones you cut the doobers off of you can simply glue to your paper sacks (I did a little outline stitching with my FABULOUS new pen...  I know.  I know.  you hate that pen already I bet).

OR...

You can leave those fabulous doobers on there (you have to cut around them of course) and then you can punch holes in them and thread ribbon through the holes!
WOO HOO!  ...maybe not as easy as the doober-less ones but they sure do look purty!

Here are the two variations.  There are some with "Happy Holidays" and some with "Merry Christmas"...

You can get the PDF of these tags below!

Ok so seriously...  please please please please send me any skunk smell removal remedies you guys might have heard of, used, etc...  I will be forever in your debt!

...oh and MomChops and I are hopefully going to meet Pioneer Woman tomorrow night in Dallas at a mega book signing she's doing.  Has anyone else out there gone to one of her signings????

I think our chances of actually meeting her are slim to none but we sure are going to have fun hanging out with everyone else who is going to try!  If we get to meet her I'll do a full report with pictures later this week!

December HUGS!

Copious Belly Spots

Before I get started today I have to share one more pic of my nephew DexterChops!

I have decided to go on a diet of nothing but Dexter pictures from now until Christmas.  That way I get all the sugars I want without any of the weight gain side effects.  You have heard of the 12 Days of Christmas...  I plan on celebrating with the 12 Days of Dexter.  I have to lay kinda low about the love and adoration I have for this new puppy as my own doggies are bound to get a tad jealous!

But seriously...
Can you even stand those stubby wubby wittle wegs and pink as popcorn paws?!?!?!?!  I swears...  the cuteness just totally and completely does me in.  Ack!!!

I keep asking RonChops for a Christmas puppy but he's just not hearing me (la la la la la la).  He did say something about a video camera though...  which I am pretty darn excited about!  This means you will soon be seeing VIDEO TUTORIALS here!  WOO HOO!  And guess what...  I talk exactly like I write (long-winded and unable to stay on a single subject for more than 15 seconds).  Sounds fascinating right?   

So speaking of long-winded!
Let's take those little baby pink popcorn paws and hop right into the final sharesy of the butterfly mobile... and then we can talk Holiday crafts!

I started with 3 pieces of 2-sided pattern paper.
I cut them into butterfly shapes.
You can either use THIS Sizzix Die or THIS free butterfly template.

Just so you know...  one of my 2010 New Years Resolutions is to do LESS with butterflies.
You guys have GOT to be getting tired of them right!?!

Next year is gonna be all about tree stumps!

 

Oh yeah baby!!!!
I am almost kidding.
Almost.

Moving on...

Cut about 2 feet of fishing line.
I got some at JoAnns.
I guess fishing line is not just for men crafts after all!

Stack 3 paper butterflies on top of each other.
Sew a line down the middle of the butterflies.
(tucking the fishing between the butterflies and keeping it as close to the center as you can)

It should look something like that up there.
Hopefully.
You can bend the sides of the butterflies so they are all splayed out.
Or you can rebel and be different.

Once you have one set of butterflies attached to the line (you should have about 5 inches of line coming out the top (this is where you will hang it from))...
...you will want to string some random beads under it.
I strung about 4 inches worth of beads.

Take another set of 3 butterflies and sew down the middle again
(with the fishing line down the center as well)...
Sew them as close to the last bead as you can.

Keep going until you have the number of bead groupings and butterflies that you want.
I did two sets of smaller butterflies and two sets of larger ones.

To keep the strings from unraveling and just to generally keep the thing together...
Lay a thin line of glue down the front and back side of each butterfly grouping.

Now...  this next step is EXTREMELY important...
Brace yourself.

Make sure you take the worst possible picture of your completed project so no one on the entire planet will get any idea of what it actually looks like!

Then wait till the sun goes down so you don't have a snowballs chance in a furnace to get a better picture.

...pat yourself on the back....

...just cause it's the right thing to do...

...and then finally...
...take a look at those DexterChops Belly Spots one more time and have a cupcake!


Those spots make the world go round!!!

 Honest.

Sew... 

Here are some other random peeps (cause frankly I have been all about the random peeps lately)...

Here is a sneaky peepy at MomChops birthday present (ahem...  yeah the birthday that was on Nov. 6).
I am still working on it.
Sigh.

This is the finished view of what RonChops made for me!
Several of you guys guessed that he was making me finger puppet stands
(I totally love that idea)
(I am so gonna have to make some finger puppets now)!

But alas I actually sweet talked him...
(which is another word for "conned" in 15 different languages)
...into making me inker stamp foam holder thingies.
You can see the model they were based off of to the left in the picture
(it's the one with the larger black handle)
Those puppies are $4.99...EACH!

Being the cheap-o (aka frugalChops) that I am...  I asked him to make me an entire set!!
Have I mentioned how much I loves me some RonChops lately?
All 20 cost less than TEN SMACKERS!

whaaaaaat!

Did you hear that?
That was the sound of me spending the money I just saved!
ACK!

So I'll be sharing more on how I use those fellas in December!

Another random craft table shot from frantic Christmas craft planning!

AND...  lastly...

My friend and I (and her two super cool kiddos) went to the Twilight - New Moon double feature premier this past Thursday night (as in we were there with about 1600 screaming 13 - 17 year olds + a gaggle of woman who think the main character is smokin' hot... me being part of that gaggle).  We were there until 2:30am (on a work night no less)...  and yes I admit it...  I would do it again!

So I brought my junky camera with me and took some random shots of the crowd AND (the best part)...

I got a video of the girls screaming as the whole thing got underway!

I have never in my life laughed so hard.

hahaha..  you can just barely hear me say "this isn't even New Moon yet...!"
I just could not get over how excited everyone was!  It was a really fun time!

So...  The Holidays are officially upon us and I have a LOT planned!
I am going to have an entire week of download, print and make gift ideas (I am co-planning with the girls from Our Best Bites and La Fuji Mama as well as some other goodies I have up my sleeves)!  I'll be working all week on a multitude of crafts for the month of December!  I got started yesterday and I am super excited about the projects I'll be sharing!

So what are you doing this week?
This Thursday Ron and I are headed to my folks house for Thanksgiving!  I am bringing pecan pie and yeast rolls (how I escaped with only making those two dishes I'll never know)...

I want to know what you guys have planned!!!  Are you cooking, hosting, just eating?  Are you staying home or traveling someplace?  This is my very most favorite time of the year and I can hardly wait to spend time with my family!  I hope you'll stick around over the next few weeks and share it with me!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox!

P.S.  Good pie eatin' hugs!